AzorianPats
In the Starting Line-Up
- Joined
- Feb 7, 2013
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Why? The NFL is growing massively in popularity in the UK.
Just last April four former NFL players, including Byron Chamberlain (a 2x Super Bowl Champion and 1 x Pro Bowl TE), flew to the UK and hosted two camps. One was a youth camp filled with kids who'd never tossed a pigskin in their lives.
This included children from a local youth charity. Those kids cannot stop talking about the game now and are constantly asking when we are doing it again.
The NFL will fail if they don't target the right people...if they target these guys, then the potential is unreal.
I don't think some of you realise how global this sport already is...there are thousands of teams across the globe playing the sport from as far East as China all the way to the UK and Europe.
In the UK alone there are 76 University teams, 54 adult national league teams, 36 U-19 junior teams, 33 U-17 youth teams and numerous flag teams that compete in tournaments all year round. There is now a Women's program and numerous women teams are sprouting up across the country. I have helped coach one of them.
The NFL won't have to fill Wembley every week because the likelihood is it won't even be at WWembley. The NFL have been in talks with both West Ham United and Tottenham about sharing. Tottenham have plans for a state-of the art-65k stadium whilst West Ham are moving in to the Olympic Stadium which will seat 54K.
American's need to stop thinking of Football as their sport. The first porigins of the game weren't even played in America. It is a global sport that is growing at an unprecedented rate and this is only a matter of time.
Yes it could fail....if the right approach isn't taken. But I firmly believe with the will power of the NFL community here in the UK and the right approach from the NFL, this idea will prosper to the point I could see teams playing in places such as Germany.
Ukpat, speaking for myself, my issues is not growing the game on in international level. I hope the game does grow serious enough in other countries where their can be international tournaments.
My issue is with having a London franchise, in an American sports league. It's just unheard of and makes zero sense. You don't see or hear MLS teams trying to join the EPL or Bundesliga. Or Swedish or Finnish hockey teams joining the NHL.
If the game is growing in the UK, then have an all British/European league. Play that league in the spring/summer months and the NFL can continue the Wembley games 2-3 times a year.