When American teams play in other countries the fans in those foreign lands customarily expose us to new and interesting expressions of celebration, support, song, and sometimes ridicule that involve harmless merriments such as vuvuzelas or chants of “Ole’.”
However, things escalated quickly Monday night when the Houston Texans played the Oakland Raiders at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. During the first quarter the Texans, with a 3-0 lead, kicked off to the Raiders. During that kickoff, the chant “puto” rang from the stands, a gay slur that Mexican fans shout at opposing goalkeepers during soccer games.
Take a listen here:
According to USA Today, FIFA has taken action in the past due to the “puto” chants. “In October, FIFA fined the Mexican football federation $30,600 for the supporters’ use of the chant,” the newspaper notes. “According to ESPN, it was the fifth time in 11 months that FIFA had penalized the federation for the offense.”
But don’t worry, the NFL will not likely threaten to cancel any future league events in Mexico due to the values held by the Mexican people. The league only does that to Georgia.
Follow Dylan Gwinn on Twitter: @themightygwinn
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