TRUTH & RUMORS: Regular season games outside the United States

[Tunescribe]

You know, I'm starting to think why the hell should we lose a home preseason game over going to China next year. Not that preseason games are a huge deal, but I still go to them to see the rookies and free agents get some action. It will be interesting to see how they schedule the 2007 preseason for the Patriots. I would fully expect Kraft to drop season ticket prices by 10 percent because of this.

 

[jeffd]

Did anyone here watch that game last year in Mexico? It was awsome. A change of scenery took a worthless, boring game and made it one of the best in the week. Use the bye week in the teams favor, reward the teams playing (possibly an extra home game?) and only use teams with poor attendance. Then I'm for it.

 

[taltos]

I thought that as compensation for going to Red China next preseason we were given a fifth preseason game. I still do not like the idea of flying that far for a meaningless game to a country that we have so much disagreement with.

 

[waspie (UK)]

I'm starting to think why the hell should we lose a home preseason game over going to China next year.

We're not; we're playing 5 preseason games.

I'd go to any NFL game in Europe - but then I'm one of the people paying >$1000 (if you include flights, hotel, tickets and beer) to come over to Foxboro in November.
If you're going to bring the game to Europe, make it a game that means something. You will not sell out a pre-season practice session for the same reason NFL Europe rarely sells out - because the games are meaningless, and no-one really cares who wins.
A 6.15pm kickoff in London would be the same time as a 1.15pm kickoff on the East Coast - so the whole travel and time zone issue is really pretty irrelevant.
Of course, I want to see the Pats. But odds-on, we're looking at Cleveland v Tampa aka Aston Villa v Manchester Utd.

 

[italian pat patriot]

Did anyone here watch that game last year in Mexico? It was awsome. A change of scenery took a worthless, boring game and made it one of the best in the week. Use the bye week in the teams favor, reward the teams playing (possibly an extra home game?) and only use teams with poor attendance. Then I'm for it.

well said. i agree 100% with you.
and i'm quite sure that eventual games playied outside Usa will not surely be games like Ind-Ne or Pit-Cin.

 

[QuiGon]

One point that several posters have mentioned is the loss of a home game by exporting a regular season game. To my way of thinking, the only way this would work is for the game to be a non conference game played the week before the bye and to be scheduled as an away game for each team.

Um, this would be impossible. You couldn't take one game and call it an away game for two teams. Somewhere along the line, someone has to pay the piper.

 

[QuiGon]

You know, I'm starting to think why the hell should we lose a home preseason game over going to China next year. Not that preseason games are a huge deal, but I still go to them to see the rookies and free agents get some action. It will be interesting to see how they schedule the 2007 preseason for the Patriots. I would fully expect Kraft to drop season ticket prices by 10 percent because of this.

Well the overall season ticket package will probably drop by 10% since you have 10% fewer home games, but don't expect the price-per-ticket to decrease.

EDIT: I didn't read the China announcement so I have no idea how the scheduling is working but, as other people have noted, if the Pats still have 2 home preseason games then don't hold your breath for a price break on the season ticket package.