just get the hell out of the UK altogether Goodell.
It's called AMERICAN football for a reason.
on a happier note, the new director of football operations in Buffalo is looking for ways to scrap the Bills in Toronto series. (I've never attended a Bills game in Toronto, and never will, unless the Patriots play)
But the first forms were played in the UK and derived from Rugby League. It was called Rugby Football. You just changed the name.
This is a really good move by the NFL to continue their expansion in to the UK. The late finish is a real put off for some people who have work the next day and come from outside of London. It's a really long day.
The season ticket offer is extremely good value for money and will help when trying to sell out multiple games.
These games are making money. Goodell or no Goodell, the NFL WILL expand here and, until it starts to lose them money, that will remain the case.
The sport is becoming so huge here and even more so at grass roots level, with Universities and national league teams popping up everywhere. We are starting to have British taught players gaining scholarships in America to play from schools as good as Oklahoma and Boise State. All this is very promising to the NFL and the more it happens, the more they want to expand here.
Logistically it will be worked out.
I hope the campaign fails and that the NFL loses $$. It's the only way this expansion is going to stop. I don't like exporting the NFL to Europe for several reasons, the main one being that it's only a matter of time before they put a team over there, and since the northeast corner of the US is the closest part of the country to Europe, guess which division is going to be stuck traveling over there once a year? That would be us. A major disadvantage, IMO.
I fail to see the logic here.
For one, the two times we have played in the UK we have blown out our opposition therefore that was of no disadvantage.
For two, at most we would play there once a year? That's IF we are in the same division as them. If we're in the same conference, we might have to play, at worst, one game a year if they finish in the same position as us in their respected division. If not, it'll be once every three years. If they aren't in our conference, we will play them once every FOUR years.
How on earth is that a big problem?
Logistically it is of no issue. As I said at the start, we have blown the two opponents we have played at Wembley out of the water with ease. It wasn't a disadvantage then, why would it be any other time? That would be no excuse for losing away in London, given the two results we have already achieved.
No real argument here. But doesn't the idea of hawking a "season ticket" package of three games fielding six different teams smack at least slightly of a cynical money-grab? Remember, they're taking away home games from three NFL cities to make this happen. This leaves three fan bases with two preseason games and just seven regular-season games because the league wants to push its popularity in a foreign country. If Kraft ever does this with a Pats game, I'll be bullshytt. But you know it's coming.
As for this; the league asked the Patriots to give up a home game. Kraft said no. They also asked the Patriots to be the 'three game franchise' before they asked Jacksonville. Kraft said no.
So no, it isn't coming. As a UK fan I wouldn't want it to either. All UK fans would be happy as anything for the Pats to come here again for on of their away fixtures but NONE of us want to see a home game given up for the privilege.
