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  1. #1

    the NFL in London

    http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-sh...4012--nfl.html

    On this week in which I utter my annual prayer of thanksgiving that the Ravens are not headed to London to play a regular season game, the link provided is to a Shutdown Corner article with an interesting perspective on the NFL in London.

    Basically it asks "where does the NFL think a London franchise would find 53 competitive players?" With apologies to the British posters:uk::haggis on here, I would have to agree w/ the premise of the article. I can think of nothing that would alienate the American fan base and player pool more than a full-fledged franchise located overseas. Nightmare logistics for its away games, as well as for the opponents at that franchise's home games. Short of players from the University of Hawaii, transoceanic team flights are not what the average potential NFL draftee is used to.

    So glad that Pitts. drew the short straw (or whatever) this year and makes the trip in the midst of their potentially epic breakdown of a season. See ya, hope we never have to be ya.

    Your thoughts on the NFL in London, either permanently or in its current annual one-off format?





  2. #2

    Re: the NFL in London

    I'm guessing I'm one of the few fans that would love to see the Ravens play at Wembley. I think it'd be a great excuse for a vacation. Of course, I'm not a season ticket holder either, so I'm not losing out on a game that I paid for if we were picked to be the "home" team. I do think having a single regular season game in the UK is kind of a cool gimmick/draw and I don't mind them continuing it. Expanding it to multiple games is a little much though.

    I do think having an actual team in London is nuts though. I'm sure they could get the players - they'd all be Americans though stocked from an expansion draft and the extra picks from the regular draft. As mentioned though, the big issue would be that it's a logistical and competitive nightmare with the time difference, especially if the London team were playing any of the west coast teams. Then you have to worry about whether the UK would even embrace an NFL franchise - the game is much longer and more stop-start than soccer, and there's no history or deep connection to the city like Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham, and Fulham have. Then on top of that you'd likely have NO English players for the franchise.

    Goodell needs to drop his pipe dream of a London team. Not going to work. Having one game there is fine though.





  3. #3
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    Re: the NFL in London

    I like the idea of playing one or two regular season games a year overseas to promote the NFL world-wide. I would like to see the Ravens play over there as well. Granted, it would suck if it was at the cost of one of our home games, and it certainly should not be a division opponent.

    With that said, there's no way the NFL places a team overseas. You're right that the logistics are to much to overcome. The timezone would not work for national TV. But a few games there a year I think is fine.





  4. #4

    Re: the NFL in London

    Is Pittsburgh the "Home" team this year?

    Does anybody know how that works for PSL owners? If (God forbid) the Ravens got picked and designated the "home" team, if I flew to London could I get in Wembley with my regular $70 ticket or would I have to pay more?
    Twenty years of Cheers.
    Thanks Baltimore Ravens Fans - You're the Best!





  5. #5
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    Re: the NFL in London

    As a Brit, no offence taken. There are very few Brits that think a London franchise would be a good idea (it's been discussed many of times over the years on the NFLUK forum and it's roughly 95% against it each time.).

    I won't go into the logistical nightmares that have been brought up ad nauseum, and no doubt will be by others in this thread, but Brits aren't as dumb as we're made out to be and the majority already have emotional ties with teams and won't stop following the teams they already follow. It's very much in the British psyche that your team is for life, regardless of the sport.

    Of course it's essentially a pointless discussion as it's just Goodell drumming up interest, it'll never actually be a serious proposal.

    When it comes to the Ravens, it would actually be a big advantage to play a road game in London, as it's one less road game (although the home team does get a lot more support than you would think as most neutrals root for them unless they have a vested interest, ie a fan of the road team or divisional rivalries). Bisciotti is said to be interested in taking the Ravens over as the road team, and it would significantly increase the team's following in Europe. Whilst Ravens support is increasing over here, we're still nowhere near the numbers of the successful teams from the 80's like the Niners and Bears, or the Pats and Steelers and their more recent successes.

    I'll be going on Sunday in my Webb jersey in full voice to support the Vikes for the day against the Steelers!





  6. #6
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    Re: the NFL in London

    Quote Originally Posted by Real Fan Dan View Post
    Is Pittsburgh the "Home" team this year?

    Does anybody know how that works for PSL owners? If (God forbid) the Ravens got picked and designated the "home" team, if I flew to London could I get in Wembley with my regular $70 ticket or would I have to pay more?
    No, the Vikings are.
    Disclaimer: The content posted is of my own opinion.





  7. #7

    Re: the NFL in London

    In my mind the logistics issues are being overplayed. It's 3K+ miles for East Coast teams to go to the West Coast. It's about 3K+ miles from London to the East Coast. London to the West Coast would be a haul.

    If a team were to be placed in London, it should most likely be paired with another Western European city. That was things 'could' be scheduled for the teams to make two week swings on either side of the Pond and minimize the excess travel. When you start to throw in Thursday and Monday games the scheduling gets a little sticker, as the European teams would not time slot to have home Thursday & Monday night games for the US night time time slot. A late afternoon European game would fall into the East Coast night time time slot.





  8. #8

    Re: the NFL in London

    Is Pittsburgh the "Home" team this year?
    Quote Originally Posted by wickedsolo View Post
    No, the Vikings are.
    Is that because the Vikings overan England in the 10th century or because the NFL knows the Yinzers can't speak English?
    Twenty years of Cheers.
    Thanks Baltimore Ravens Fans - You're the Best!





  9. #9
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    Re: the NFL in London

    I hate the London games and wish they would go away.





  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by Losac View Post
    I hate the London games and wish they would go away.
    That's a bit ignorent, don't you think?





  11. #11
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    Re: the NFL in London

    Quote Originally Posted by leachisabeast View Post
    That's a bit ignorent, don't you think?
    I think he means the games, not the city. ;)





  12. #12
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    Re: the NFL in London

    Quote Originally Posted by Real Fan Dan View Post
    Is Pittsburgh the "Home" team this year?

    Does anybody know how that works for PSL owners? If (God forbid) the Ravens got picked and designated the "home" team, if I flew to London could I get in Wembley with my regular $70 ticket or would I have to pay more?
    The Steelers would never consent to being the home team. The Patriots have played in the game several times and always as the visiting team. Well run franchises don't give away home games.





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