Permanent NFL team in London? Discuss.

[stevebydac]

LONDON (AP) -- NFL commissioner Roger Goodell says the league hopes to start playing multiple regular season games in Britain in the next few years. He also says putting an NFL franchise in London is of "tremendous interest."
Goodell says "every indicator" shows the British market can support more games, but stopped short of giving a timeline for expanding the NFL's overseas presence.
Goodell spoke at a sports conference Friday ahead of Sunday's game between the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Wembley Stadium. It's the third year in a row that the NFL is staging a regular season game in London.
Goodell said if interest continues to grow, the NFL could have a franchise in London.

What do you think?

In theory, I like the concept of expanding into Europe. But scheduling will not be easy. Does an eventual London team play only teams in the eastern half of the US, to save travel time? And would you need a full 4-team division over there to make this work (that would take care of 8 of your 16 games).

The NFL started a new UK website too: NFLUK.com

Interestingly, I read a few comments by UK NFL fans, who said they would NOT support a team there, and that their attendance should not be assumed. They already have allegiances to particular NFL teams and would keep supporting those American teams instead. So I guess the key is to build a bigger pie of new fans.

[ukhotstove]

Originally Posted by stevebydac

What do you think?

In theory, I like the concept of expanding into Europe. But scheduling will not be easy. Does an eventual London team play only teams in the eastern half of the US, to save travel time? And would you need a full 4-team division over there to make this work (that would take care of 8 of your 16 games).

The NFL started a new UK website too: NFLUK.com

Interestingly, I read a few comments by UK NFL fans, who said they would NOT support a team there, and that their attendance should not be assumed. They already have allegiances to particular NFL teams and would keep supporting those American teams instead. So I guess the key is to build a bigger pie of new fans.

The schedule would be pretty easy to get round wouldn't it ? You could have teams playing two road games in a row example being the London team playing the Cardinals one weekend then the next weekend playing the Raiders, as for support although it being based in London would attract fans from all over Europe and every fan in the stadium at the weekend weren't all fans of the Buccs and Patriots so I don't see it really a big point if fans already follow an NFL team.

[stevebydac]

Originally Posted by ukhotstove

The schedule would be pretty easy to get round wouldn't it ? You could have teams playing two road games in a row example being the London team playing the Cardinals one weekend then the next weekend playing the Raiders

That's a long trip though. It's about 5300 miles from London to Oakland, according to Google maps. That makes it tough on your body to recuperate, I'd think, plus you'd be away from your family a bit more than now.

RE: fan support for a UK team, you're a better judge than I. I just mentioned what I read. Personally, reversing the roles, if I was a Premier League follower of Chelsea for instance, but the league added a Boston team, I'd certainly start supporting the Boston team, at least make it my #2 team.

One thought though -- a London team might have one fan-based disadvantage. All of the other American teams' European fans would come to see their team play the London team. It would be their only chance to see their American team. The London team, especially if they are middling or weak, might play in front of a neutral or even hostile crowd. (In baseball, this often happens when the Red Sox or the Yankees play in weak teams' stadiums).

[His Own Bad Self]

No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. No. No. A hundred times, no.

The travel alone makes it a preposterous idea. The London team gets to make at least eight round trips between England and the US - eight! And which division will it be in? I'm sure whichever Eastern Division gets London is going to be thrilled about making that trip each year, while at least half the league avoids it simply by virtue of geography.

If the NFL wants to expand its English/European fan base, they should start with the existing teams, and with TV exposure. There shouldn't be a need to send teams overseas for meaningful games. Then again, I'm dreaming if I think the interests of the sport mean anything anymore compared to the interests of the business.

EDIT: OK, maybe not at least eight trans-Atlantic trips... two or three game road trip in there somewhere. But, still...

[Goody]

Originally Posted by His Own Bad Self

No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. No. No. A hundred times, no.

The travel alone makes it a preposterous idea. The London team gets to make at least eight round trips between England and the US - eight! And which division will it be in? I'm sure whichever Eastern Division gets London is going to be thrilled about making that trip each year, while at least half the league avoids it simply by virtue of geography.

If the NFL wants to expand its English/European fan base, they should start with the existing teams, and with TV exposure. There shouldn't be a need to send teams overseas for meaningful games. Then again, I'm dreaming if I think the interests of the sport mean anything anymore compared to the interests of the business.

EDIT: OK, maybe not at least eight trans-Atlantic trips... two or three game road trip in there somewhere. But, still...

Oh, those poor east coast teams might actually get to find out what its like to have the travel damage of the Chargers or the Seahawks.

NY to London is "it takes about 7 hrs and 30 mns. When you come back its about 8 hrs considering the wind is in the way." according to wikianswers.

Seattle to NY is "6 hours and 40 minutes "

[Cooleyvol]

It would NEVER work for several reasons. Travel and English football are the two that come to mind.

Its the NATIONAL Football League, not the Global Football League anyway. If we go outside our borders, it'll be North.

[Slackker]

Originally Posted by Goody

Seattle to NY is "6 hours and 40 minutes "

Strange, I was on a Boston to Vancouver flight a couple years ago that was only 4 hours, 52 minutes.

As for a team in London.. no thanks. I don't mind them having a game over there, although it should count as an away game for both teams (not sure how it works now) but I'll admit I've been less likely to watch it.

[Tony M]

Originally Posted by stevebydac

Personally, reversing the roles, if I was a Premier League follower of Chelsea for instance, but the league added a Boston team, I'd certainly start supporting the Boston team, at least make it my #2 team.

There is a Boston team, but it might take at least a decade for them to make it to the EPL

Boston United Football Club Official Site - Home

Why not lengthen the NFL season to 18 games and ship all 32 over to the UK for a fortnight (either at the end or beginning of regular) and have the games played in the various football grounds here?

[jaxmagicman]

I vote to move New England to Old England.

[Cooleyvol]

Originally Posted by Tony M

There is a Boston team, but it might take at least a decade for them to make it to the EPL

Boston United Football Club Official Site - Home

Why not lengthen the NFL season to 18 games and ship all 32 over to the UK for a fortnight (either at the end or beginning of regular) and have the games played in the various football grounds here?

I think that would be a money loser for the NFL.

[canadiancreed]

Originally Posted by Cooleyvol

Its the NATIONAL Football League, not the Global Football League anyway. If we go outside our borders, it'll be North.

Wouldn't it no longer make it the National Football League if you moved north? Besides the only city the NFL would consider can barely keep interest in it's current football team. Football in Toronto seems to be on par with basketball interest wise, and that's not too flattering.

Originally Posted by jaxmagicman

I vote to move New England to Old England.

WE'll take them. Save you on the postage

[Bobble]

As I understand it, the plan would be to arrange the schedule so that a London team would play two to four games here in the States at a stretch, then a couple in a row at home to reduce the travel impact.

One other interesting thing mentioned was the competitive viability of the team. As a free agent, would you want to move your family to London? What about the tax implications? If I'm getting paid 90% of my salary because I'm paying foreign taxes, what's that do to my contract demands?

[Khan]

Originally Posted by Bobble

As I understand it, the plan would be to arrange the schedule so that a London team would play two to four games here in the States at a stretch, then a couple in a row at home to reduce the travel impact.

One other interesting thing mentioned was the competitive viability of the team. As a free agent, would you want to move your family to London? What about the tax implications? If I'm getting paid 90% of my salary because I'm paying foreign taxes, what's that do to my contract demands?

I can't see an NFL team staying on the road for two or more weeks. How many people is that in hotels for long stretches plus travel in between the games.

I wouldn't want to play for that franchise. A game a year over there is enough.

[ACESFAN 1]

I don't having a team overseas would would work. Back in the 1990's the CFL tried an American division with about 8 or 9 teams in the US with a Canadian division and US division and it flopped no one in the US cared for Canadian football.

[canadiancreed]

Originally Posted by ACESFAN 1

I don't having a team overseas would would work. Back in the 1990's the CFL tried an American division with about 8 or 9 teams in the US with a Canadian division and US division and it flopped no one in the US cared for Canadian football.

Probably too tough to score with a larger field and less downs to get the job done.

Baltimore was decently successful I remember. Probably due to pent up demand from the Colts situation finally being met.

[ACESFAN 1]

Originally Posted by canadiancreed

Probably too tough to score with a larger field and less downs to get the job done.

Baltimore was decently successful I remember. Probably due to pent up demand from the Colts situation finally being met.

Sometimes I will watch a game on TV. I like the 3 downs and wider field and having multiple players in motion too bad in never really caught on here in the US, we had a team not far from here in Sacramento, I still have a Sacto t shirt somewhere around here never made it to a game but followed them on TV

[Craig Costello]

I have severe doubts as to whether or not a franchise in London would have enough of an ongoing fan-base to make it worthwhile.

As someone who has attended the last two London NFL games, I can state that as an event they were second to none, but that I would not be interested in attending more than 1 game per season in London.

I think this would be the case for a large proportion of those who do attend the games in London especially the large section (c8,000) of those who travel from mainland Europe.

[mlyons]

Top-level English soccer teams often play matches in Turkey or Russia mid-week with games in England on both surrounding weekends. I don't think making the trans-Atlantic flight once a week is going to be that much worse.

Of course, that doesn't mean it's a good idea for the NFL to expand into London, but I don't think the travel is anywhere close to the biggest problem.

[stevebydac]

Originally Posted by Tony M

There is a Boston team, but it might take at least a decade for them to make it to the EPL

Boston United Football Club Official Site - Home

Ok, ya got me!

I vote to move New England to Old England.

[stevebydac]

Hey that www.nfluk.com site is pretty good. The forum has a ton of threads - it's interesting to read foreigners' thoughts on our game and specific players & teams. I was roaming through it and found this forum thread where Brits are discussing this very subject. The thread started in '08: http://forum.nfluk.com/showthread.php?t=28402

Here's another, but newer: http://forum.nfluk.com/showthread.php?t=52818