NFL Makes Club Swap English Tradition for Casual Atmosphere with ‘Podrão’

Trees, pools, two rugby fields, and even a pub. The São Paulo Athletic Club (SPAC), now known as Clube Atlético de São Paulo, ‘preserves characteristics of English traditionalism,’ according to the official website. To become a member, one even has to schedule an interview with the director. However, the Kansas City Chiefs set a much more informal tone.
The team trained today at SPAC and will play tomorrow in São Paulo against the Los Angeles Chargers in the opening game of the NFL season. Upon arrival, a security guard warned a young man not to take photos, or else his phone would be confiscated. Before the players arrived to train on one of the two rugby fields, 10 security guards positioned themselves in front of journalists, who were able to watch the warm-up for about 10 minutes – as usual.
One of the oldest clubs in the city, SPAC was founded in 1888 by English immigrants who came to Brazil to work and began to practice their sports here. Among them, cricket, rugby, bowls, and football. Charles Miller, an Englishman born in Brazil, was one of these immigrants. He became known for bringing football here after studying for a while in Southampton, UK. He also played for SPAC in the early editions of the Paulista Championship in the early 1900s, when the club won four titles before leaving the competition in 1912.
From tradition to casual vibes with NFL
After the practice, coach Andy Reid and stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce appeared for interviews, and the atmosphere was already different. They suggested Reid try the famous ‘podrão’ (a sandwich sold by street vendors). ‘That sounds really good, I might have to do that,’ he said. With Mahomes and Kelce, along with the game itself, the topic of Taylor Swift naturally came up. The singer is engaged to Chiefs’ number 87. ‘I got another ring,’ Kelce joked about his engagement to the pop star.
‘Ever since I started dating Taylor, life has been fun, exciting, obviously with a lot more attention, and I accept that. But I’m really living life to the fullest,’ he added. Mahomes also showed good humor and even compared his position in American football to that of a number 10 in soccer. ‘You have to score when you need to, but you have to maintain control throughout the whole game,’ he explained. Football talk continued in more interviews. Defensive tackle Chris Jones admitted to being a fan of Neymar and described Pelé as the ‘greatest of all time.’
‘As soon as we got off the bus, we could feel the intensity of the fans and their excitement for us being here as well. First time in Brazil, I will definitely come back,’ Jones said, enthusiastic about the country. Relaxed, the Chiefs will face the Chargers on Friday at the Neo Química Arena, Corinthians’ stadium. Kickoff is at 9 p.m.