Some NFL fans defy host soccer club's preference by wearing green to Packers-Eagles game in Brazil

SAO PAULO (AP) — The host of the NFL's first game in Brazil, soccer club Corinthians, was not keen on the green-dominated color schemes of its Friday night visitors, the Green Bay Packers and the Philadelphia Eagles. But many fans at the NeoQuimica Arena didn't seem to mind.

And that included some supporters of Corinthians, a club that has tried for decades to avoid any reference to the color of its local rival Palmeiras.

Excitement was evident in Sao Paulo for the second game of the 2024 NFL season and the league's first visit to South America. Philadelphia and Green Bay both made the playoffs last season.

Once the game began, it became clear there were three groups in attendance: Eagles supporters, Packers fans and those who were happy to cheer for either team. Local authorities estimated that roughly 20% of the expected crowd of 42,000 was from the United States.

Game officials, though, didn't get any sympathy. Insults in Portuguese chanted every weekend for soccer referees rang out whenever a divisive decision was made.

Before the game, Packers fan and schoolteacher Cody Armstrong, 32, told The Associated Press he spent much of the money he made over the summer to travel from Oakland, California, with three friends, including two Eagles fans. They were all dressed in green as they waited for their orders at a fast-food restaurant next to the stadium.

“Is it true that they don't like green here?” Armstrong said. “Well ... they will have to bear with us.”

Also dressed in green, the friends watched Kansas City's season-opening victory over Baltimore on Thursday night at a Sao Paulo bar, and they were excited to see so many locals enthusiastic about American football. Marketing experts have estimated there are 38 million fans of the sport in soccer-mad Brazil.

Bruno Silva, 37, bought an unofficial black Eagles jersey, which was being sold for about 50 Brazilian reals ($10) in a subway station near the stadium. A Corinthians fan, he said he would support Philadelphia — designated as the home team in Brazil — because it declined to wear green.

“This is our home,” said Silva, who started following the NFL five years ago. “We support who supports us.”

William Camargo, 39, also a Corinthians fan, showed up wearing a green Packers jersey, which many supporters of the soccer club would consider to be heresy.

“We like to say that Corinthians is owned by its fans. Green Bay is the same thing,” Camargo said of the community-owned franchise.

He said he became a fan of the Packers because of their former quarterback, Aaron Rodgers — whose jersey was a popular choice among fans in the stadium Friday night.

Other fans wore jerseys of other NFL teams, including New England, San Francisco, Buffalo and Baltimore.

Some were dressed out for a night out. Wearing a long blue dress, Narrima Oliveira, 34, attended with her boyfriend and was most interested in the halftime performance of Brazilian pop star Anitta.

“This feels like a party. We are going out to dance after this, too. I am not a football fan, but I can feel the joy that you guys have by watching it. It is a big celebration,” she said.

The party would have been different if the Sao Paulo state government had not made a special authorization for in-stadium beer sales. Brazil rarely authorizes the sale of alcoholic beverages inside sporting venues to avoid violence among fans.

Russell Okung, who played for four teams over 11 NFL seasons, was among the attractions off the field Friday night. He joined other Brazilian practitioners of capoeira, an African-Brazilian martial art disguised as a dance, to perform in front of applauding fans at various spots outside the stadium.

“I love Brazil,” Okung told reporters before one of his several capoeira performances. “So glad the NFL made it here.”

Before kickoff, several Brazilian Olympic athletes saluted the crowd, including gymnast Rebeca Andrade and skateboarder Rayssa Leal, both Corinthians fans and medalists at the Paris Games.

Neither wore green.

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Brazilian pop superstar Anitta headlines the halftime performance at the league's first-ever game in South America between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Green Bay Packers, Friday, Sept. 6, 2024, at the Neo Quimica Arena in Sao Paulo.Friday, Sept. 6, 2024, at the Neo Quimica Arena in Sao Paulo. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

Brazilian pop superstar Anitta headlines the halftime performance at the league's first-ever game in South America between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Green Bay Packers, Friday, Sept. 6, 2024, at the Neo Quimica Arena in Sao Paulo.Friday, Sept. 6, 2024, at the Neo Quimica Arena in Sao Paulo. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

Neo Quimica Arena in a general view, GV, from the upper level at the 50 yard line before an NFL football game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Green Bay Packers, Friday, Sept. 6, 2024, in Sao Paulo. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

Philadelphia Eagles watches during warm ups before an NFL football game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Green Bay Packers, Friday, Sept. 6, 2024, at the Neo Quimica Arena in Sao Paulo. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

The Philadelphia Eagles arrive for an NFL football against the Green Bay Packers, Friday, Sept. 6, 2024, at the Neo Quimica Arena in Sao Paulo. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

Fans pose before an NFL football game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Green Bay Packers on Friday, Sept. 6, 2024, at the Neo Quimica Arena in Sao Paulo. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

Fans pose for a picture before an NFL football game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Green Bay Packers on Friday, Sept. 6, 2024, at the Neo Quimica Arena in Sao Paulo. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

LONDON (AP) — Former BBC news anchor Huw Edwards, once one of the most prominent media figures in Britain, was given a suspended prison sentence Monday for images of child sexual abuse on his phone.

Edwards, 63, pleaded guilty in Westminster Magistrates’ Court in July to three counts of making indecent images of children, a charge related to photos sent to him on the WhatsApp messaging service by a man convicted of distributing images of child sex abuse.

Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring sentenced Edwards to a six-month prison term suspended for two years.

“It is not an exaggeration to say your long-earned reputation is in tatters,” Goldspring said.

Edwards' fall from grace over the past year has caused turmoil for the BBC after it was revealed the publicly funded broadcaster paid him about 200,000 pounds ($263,000) for five months of his salary after he had been arrested in November while on leave. The BBC has asked him to pay it back.

Edwards had been one of the BBC’s top earners when he was suspended in July 2023 over separate claims made last year involving a teenager he allegedly paid for sexually explicit photos. Police investigated and decided not to bring charges.

Although Edwards was not publicly named at the time those allegations surfaced, his wife later revealed he was the news presenter investigated and said he was hospitalized for serious mental health issues.

He never returned to the air but the BBC kept him on the payroll until he resigned in April for health reasons.

Edwards began his BBC career in Wales four decades ago. He went on to become lead anchor on the nighttime news for two decades and led the coverage of the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022 as well as election coverage.

The BBC said it had been shocked to hear the details of the charges against Edwards at the time of his guilty plea.

More than 375 sexual images were sent to him on WhatsApp between December 2020 and August 2021. More than 40 were indecent images of children, including seven classified as “category A” — the most indecent — with children estimated to be between 13 and 15. One child was aged between 7 and 9.

In chats with Alex Williams, a convicted pedophile, Edwards was asked if he wanted sexual images of a person whose “age could be discerned as being between 14 and 16,” and Edwards replied, “yes xxx,” prosecutor Ian Hope said.

“From that chat in December 2020, Alex Williams said that he had ‘a file of vids and pics for you of someone special,’” Hope said. “Mr. Edwards immediately queried who the subject was and was then sent three images of seemingly the same person, from two of which images the subject’s age could be discerned as being between 14 and 16.”

Williams later sent Edwards video in February 2021 that involved two children, one possibly as young as seven and another no older than 13, involving penetration, Hope said.

Edwards did not respond, but when later asked by Williams if the material was too young, he said, “don’t send underage.” He also said he didn’t want him to send anything illegal.

Defense lawyer Philip Evans said Edwards was “truly sorry” for the offenses and the damage he had done to his family.

“He apologizes sincerely and he makes it clear that he has the utmost regret and he recognizes that he has betrayed the priceless trust and faith of so many people,” Evans said.

Evans said Williams had reached out to Edwards on Instagram at a time when he was mentally vulnerable and began sending him images. He said Edwards never received gratification from the images and hadn’t saved them or sent them to anyone.

Hope said Edwards paid Williams “not insignificant sums of money,” as gifts that Williams used for support while studying at a university.

At one point, Williams asked for a “Christmas gift after all the hot videos” he had sent. Edwards had said some of the images were “amazing,” Hope said.

Williams, 25, was given a suspended 1-year sentence in March for possessing and distributing indecent images as well as possessing prohibited images of children.

Huw Edwards an ex-BBC news presenter arrives at Westminster Magistrate's Court for sentencing after he pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children in London, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)

A small number of protesters wait for Huw Edwards an ex-BBC news presenter to arrive at Westminster Magistrate's Court for sentencing after he pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children in London, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)

A small number of protesters wait for Huw Edwards an ex-BBC news presenter to arrive at Westminster Magistrate's Court for sentencing after he pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children in London, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)

Huw Edwards an ex-BBC news presenter arrives at Westminster Magistrate's Court for sentencing after he pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children in London, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)

Huw Edwards an ex-BBC news presenter arrives at Westminster Magistrate's Court for sentencing after he pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children in London, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)

Huw Edwards an ex-BBC news presenter arrives at Westminster Magistrate's Court for sentencing after he pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children in London, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)

Huw Edwards an ex-BBC news presenter arrives at Westminster Magistrate's Court for sentencing after he pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children in London, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)

Huw Edwards an ex-BBC news presenter arrives at Westminster Magistrate's Court for sentencing after he pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children in London, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)