SANTA CLARA, Calif. – The air in and around Levi’s Stadium on Sunday wasn’t soupy, unless you prefer a bisque the color of dirty dishwater. It looked more like fog, only the smokey matter floating around was harmful enough that normal humans were cautioned not to exert themselves outdoors.
Those working under NFL contracts, however, are not normal humans.
So the Cardinals game against the 49ers was played as scheduled, despite a sky turned gray because of wildfires.
If this had been typical fall Sunday, you would not have seen the grass that is growing in the cracks in the parking lots outside the stadium, because there would be acres of tailgaters eating, drinking and waiting to watch the 49ers, the defending NFC champion, open the season.