ESPN’s Mina Kimes flames ‘slopfest vibe’ in Brazil as turf creates havoc in Packers-Eagles
The NFL advertised the Packers-Eagles matchup in Brazil as opening new markets for the league, but ESPN commentator Mina Kimes and a few others had a different perspective. Watching the first half, nobody could claim the match as one of the all-time classics as multiple turnovers by the Eagles were supplemented by the inability of the Packers' offense to score a touchdown.
Kimes wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter:
"Friday night in Brazil but the slopfest vibe on the field is giving 9 am in London."
She was not the only one making such comments as NBA superstar LeBron James weighed in on the turf condition in Brazil. He posted on X:
"Man this field sucks!!! GB vs PHI."
Mina Kimes' criticism seemingly sparked Eagles vs Packers to life
If the first quarter was slow enough to have the mild-mannered ESPN pundit resorting to social media complaints, the second quarter brought some fireworks worthy of the carnival. The Eagles scored 14 points and the Packers responded with 13 of their own to lead to a score of 19-14 for Green Bay even before we entered the two-minute warning of the first half.
Both Jalen Hurts and Jordan Love entered the game with something to prove. For the Eagles quarterback, it was to show that he could be the leader of a team filled with superstars, even with support from former center and future Hall-of-Famer Jason Kelce.
The Packers star, meanwhile, had to show that last season was not a fluke and that he was the legitimate heir to Aaron Rodgers and deserving of the new contract he signed this offseason.
In the first quarter, both quarterbacks were underwhelming, which is what prompted the reaction from Kimes. An early interception, followed by a fumble, put question marks on Hurts' ability, whereas Love's inability to convert those chances had Packer fans looking at him quizzically. But the two passers threw a touchdown in the second quarter, making light of the supposed weakness of the playing field.
Kimes acknowledged the improvement in their performance, posting:
"Great play call, great ball."
After a slow first quarter, the second quarter lived up to the NFL's expectation for what it wanted to showcase in its attempts to reach the international market.