FanNation - The Republic of Sport

It would fail....... 8 games would be across the ocean and would be costly not only for that team but the NFL as 8 teams would have to go there....... team would be lucky to break even imo and would be like soccer is here

London had a franchise, it folded in '98

Not to mention the fact some of the fans here might also fly out for the one game a year but this would not happen for the 8 games a year they would host. I see it flailing and failing. Especially with what time the superbowl comes on. They would have to change the time so the people in London could watch it which would make it early on the west coast. I think they want to expand but I think London makes no sense.

Since the London Monarchs folded the NFL has founded small amature American Football teams across Great Britain to promote the game. They decided to start the game from the ground up in the communities instead of forcing a team on Brits. This was a first step to their plan. Take a look at NFL's website they have a link to their amature American Football League in Britain.

It has worked. In about ten years the people have gotten into football. Hell when my friends in Sexton and Wales are talking to me now about the NFL that has changed since then. The group that wants the NFL there is British not American they had to convince the NFL to give a shot there. There is more going on than what has been reported.

I think London would work fan wise but no I do not think that it will work now because there is no supersonic passanger fleet anymore.

American football would do about as well there as football/soccer does here. A handful of die-hard fans, but would need some serious time, money, and attention to gain any sort of momentum.

read about this in Peter King's MMQB, he brought up a really good point.... Fans in England come from all over to watch the one game a year that we put over there, these people wouldn't likley make that trip 8 times a year, so the crowds that you see now wouldn't be the norm. Next, people there already have favorite teams, so they may keep loyalties to their squads. And finally, there is no connection there. I honestly can't think of a single British NFL star ever. No local ties, nothing.

The idea of slowly building up the idea of American Football over there is really the only way to go.

The London game is a novelty game. Just like the NHL Outdoor game (this year in Boston). That sold even more tickets and it went pretty damn quick (they had to do a raffle to determine who got a chance to buy tickets) Do you think that if they played hockey outdoors more often, it would sell tickets like that? No way...same concept applies here. Sure there are fans in London, but not enough to support a fulltime American Football team on a weekly basis.

the current nfl owners would probably NEVER agree to having a london based team in their division either. having to make a flight to london and then fly back would crush the players, and most likely put them at a severe disadvantage for that game, AND the game the following week. ALSO, the london based team would be hard pressed to sign any LEGITIMATE player to sign with them. as it is now, some players already warn teams that are IN THE US against drafting them, because they dont wanna play in that particular city, let alone having to leave the country.

no way it would work at this point. the game this year sold out because there's only one of them, not 8.

and even if it would somehow work and the games would sell out, travel time and money would be to large.

It will fail.

Just like when big Premier soccer teams like Chelsea, AC Milan, etc come over to play a few games here, the only fans that show up to sell out the place is those that may never get to see them again in person and the same thing is happening in Europe with the NFL game that is played over in Europe. It eventually would wear off because they have their loyalty to their "futbol", not ours.

The biggest joke is that the NFL wants to have OUR Super Bowl played over in Europe within the next 5 years. NO WAY should that happen

QUOTE(#12):

Originally posted 10:49 AM ET  11.03 by mrkujayhawk

The biggest joke is that the NFL wants to have OUR Super Bowl played over in Europe within the next 5 years. NO WAY should that happen

totally right. imagine, our economy is in shambles, and we move the super bowl to europe and inject billions into....someone elses economy?

play the first half of the season in london, then they play the final eight here in the states. the reason NFL europe did so poorly is because they all knew they weren't seeing the best the league had to offer. i was in germany for one NFL europe season, and no one wanted to go with me because peyton & brady weren't involved. a london franchise COULD be huge if it was planned for appropriately, which i personally think goodell excels at.

Maybe they could have a "E U" team which alternates throughout the major cities in Europe.

Eight games....London, Berlin, Paris, Barcelona, Milan, Amsterdam, Dublin, Stockholm.
No country gets more than 1 game, so no favoritism or bickering.
They all get a tease and the sport expands its fan base there.

They could be called "The Pond hoppers"

EASY...RIGHT?

Too expensive like Right said. Not only would 8 teams have to travel over seas to London. But think about the cost of the London based team having to travel back and forth 8 different times. Just wouldnt work. Not too many teams would want to make that travel every year.

QUOTE(#14):

Originally posted 11:03 AM ET  11.03 by rcallen

play the first half of the season in london, then they play the final eight here in the states. the reason NFL europe did so poorly is because they all knew they weren't seeing the best the league had to offer. i was in germany for one NFL europe season, and no one wanted to go with me because peyton & brady weren't involved. a london franchise COULD be huge if it was planned for appropriately, which i personally think goodell excels at.

The only way it can be fair is to schedule game 1 London. Games 2, 3 in USA. Bye week for week 4. Games 5 - 11 in London, each visiting team coming off of their bye week. The rest of the games are scheduled in US. Even then is it fair to London team to play 7 away games in a row?

The only European market that could possible sustain an NFL franchise is Germany, with Frankfurt being the best choice of city. What holds American football back in the UK is that there are already so many different sports to follow. Soccer takes the most fans, but Rugby and Cricket take a lot of others as well. In Germany, after Soccer, the next dominant sports are F1 and tennis. The fact that Germany was the only place were the NFL Europe really had a base is even more indicitive of this. The international atmosphere and geographic center of Frankfurt also would give it mass appeal throughout the country. Plus there are still many that miss the Galaxy.

I can only imagine that the NFL avoids Germany because it is not an English speaking country.

I cannot believe what I'm reading.

What we have here is a perfect opportunity!! American indoctrinization of the entire Globe. There is an unprecendented plan in place to establish the United kindgom as an American Colony and a foothold into the Footballization and Culturfication of Europe.

Need i remind you that Europe is right next to all of those Arab muslin countries that the Big -O hails from? With a football foothold in Europe, we have the opportunity to build stadiums in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Tehran, Baghdad, and Istanbul. We Americans can take all of the oil and establish peace in a football-based New World Order. The World American Fooball League (Waffle).

It could be huge.

But the opportunity is wasted here on these pages with all of the nay-sayers and right-voters.

QUOTE(#19):

Originally posted 11:58 AM ET  11.03 by PSUinHolidaySpirit

I cannot believe what I'm reading.What we have here is a perfect opportunity!! American indoctrinization of the entire Globe. There is an unprecendented plan in place to establish the United kindgom as an American Colony and a foothold into the Footballization and Culturfication of Europe.Need i remind you that Europe is right next to all of those Arab muslin countries that the Big -O hails from? With a football foothold in Europe, we have the opportunity to build stadiums in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Tehran, Baghdad, and Istanbul. We Americans can take all of the oil and establish peace in a football-based New World Order. The World American Fooball League (Waffle).It could be huge.But the opportunity is wasted here on these pages with all of the nay-sayers and right-voters.

Don't forget that USA is right next door to the very murderous Mexico, ie mass slayings in drug wars, and right on the border too!