OT - Jags move another step closer to London......

[FreeTedWilliams]

Wembley is a piece of British history, and you could probably sell out a soccer game their every night, so I'm not sure if moving the Jags is the sole intent on Khan ! (I can't even type it without thinking of Captain Kirk screaming it), it's probably a sound business choice, even without the Jags. Of course, having another NFL owner, own the stadium you play 2 games a year in, is something the NFL won't mind. I think it is a little Americancentric view of things, if we only look at this as a NFL move.

If the Concorde was still flying, this might make sense (outside of the increased radiation exposure), but that is still a long trip. The Pats made a three week road trip last year for the Mexico game, and usually ask to play West Coast games in back to back weeks. I can't even imagine the travel lags if you put a team in London. Of course, the London team would have the worst of it, the only logical thing would be for them to play 3 or 4 weeks straight in London, and then 3 to 4 weeks straight in the East Coast, and such. I can't imagine where a London based team would have a regular home and away schedule.

What would be cool, is a Superbowl in London!

 

[Triumph]

The left Tackle will play on the right and right Tackle on the left.

Just like those Brits drive.

 

[Clonamery]

That's how it's pronounced you philistines

I know....like the vehicle....ready made sponsor.

 

[manxman2601]

Wembley is a piece of British history, and you could probably sell out a soccer game their every night, so I'm not sure if moving the Jags is the sole intent on Khan ! (I can't even type it without thinking of Captain Kirk screaming it), it's probably a sound business choice, even without the Jags. Of course, having another NFL owner, own the stadium you play 2 games a year in, is something the NFL won't mind. I think it is a little Americancentric view of things, if we only look at this as a NFL move.

If the Concorde was still flying, this might make sense (outside of the increased radiation exposure), but that is still a long trip. The Pats made a three week road trip last year for the Mexico game, and usually ask to play West Coast games in back to back weeks. I can't even imagine the travel lags if you put a team in London. Of course, the London team would have the worst of it, the only logical thing would be for them to play 3 or 4 weeks straight in London, and then 3 to 4 weeks straight in the East Coast, and such. I can't imagine where a London based team would have a regular home and away schedule.

What would be cool, is a Superbowl in London!

Now the NFL Draft, that would be cool....although come to think of it, I’d still rather watch it in the comfort of my own home.

 

[FreeTedWilliams]

The Queen is up for it!

 

[Triumph]

They could uniforms like the Palace Guards or the Beefeaters.

 

[Triumph]

On the back of their necks, Jacksonville fans now feel the cold breath of the ghost of Art Modell.

They dont sell out down there last I heard. Jax is a college football town.

 

[chasa]

Here's a PFT story on it with links to the original articles.
Report: Shad Khan to buy Wembley Stadium

I just don't understand how the logistics would work - I guess all home games in London would be 6 PM so it would be 1 pm eastern, but the continuous travel would be a nightmare for the London team and a pain for its divisional opponents.

not really.

Jags would always open with 4 home games,

then 4 road games, then 4 home games against teams that just had their byes
Then finish off the season with 4 road games.

the only time it would be a major issue is when the AFC south plays the NFC/AFC west and Seattle/LA teams need to play in London. But that only happens once every 4 years.

Any advantage would be offset by the jags needing to fly west to the states.

The biggest issues would be the players contracts and pay/taxes.

 

[manxman2601]

 

[Tunescribe]

Move teh Jets to Saudi Arabia

Only if their fan base can be sent along with them.

 

[Mike the Brit]

not really.

Jags would always open with 4 home games,

then 4 road games, then 4 home games against teams that just had their byes
Then finish off the season with 4 road games.

the only time it would be a major issue is when the AFC south plays the NFC/AFC west and Seattle/LA teams need to play in London. But that only happens once every 4 years.

Any advantage would be offset by the jags needing to fly west to the states.

The biggest issues would be the players contracts and pay/taxes.

You are right.

I spoke to a British guy who works for a major U.S. sports organization on the plane and he thought that Jags to London was a done deal and that they would schedule it in blocks that way.

But he also thought the home stadium was going to be the new Spurs stadium, which was designed with that in mind. I wouldn't have been surprised if they had explored the London Stadium (former Olympic stadium) which has been a disaster for West Ham. But Wembley is a real shocker.

The biggest issues would be the players contracts and pay/taxes.

My seat neighbour thought that wouldn't be a problem. They'd retain a commercial and training base of operations in the U.S. and just be in London for the games, so, in effect, all of the employment contracts would still go through Florida. I am no lawyer, but I am sure that any British government will bend over backwards to make this as easy as possible.

EDIT: I should actually know more about this, since it applies to me too, but the current rules for whether someone is or isn't classed as "resident" for tax are very complicated. There is now a "statutory residence test", which came into force in 2013.

Basically, you are automatically UK resident if you spent more than half the year there and automatically non-resident if you spent fewer than 90 days of which fewer than 30 were working. The London Jags would fall in between, and, in that case, it gets complicated. It depends on just how many days you were there and working and how many "ties" you have -- family ties, ownership of a home, etc. From what I can see, provided that the team is careful with organizing things, they should be able to deal with that, even without special arrangements.

 

[upstater1]

London Werewolves?

London Hounds?

 

[manxman2601]

London Werewolves?

London Hounds?

It would be Bulldogs rather than hounds. I like the cultural reference of Werewolves though.

 

[chasa]

My seat neighbour thought that wouldn't be a problem. They'd retain a commercial and training base of operations in the U.S. and just be in London for the games, so, in effect, all of the employment contracts would still go through Florida. I am no lawyer, but I am sure that any British government will bend over backwards to make this as easy as possible.

pretty interesting stuff.

Yeah i think its totally feasible.

 

[manxman2601]

You are right.

I spoke to a British guy who works for a major U.S. sports organization on the plane and he thought that Jags to London was a done deal and that they would schedule it in blocks that way.

But he also thought the home stadium was going to be the new Spurs stadium, which was designed with that in mind. I wouldn't have been surprised if they had explored the London Stadium (former Olympic stadium) which has been a disaster for West Ham. But Wembley is a real shocker.



My seat neighbour thought that wouldn't be a problem. They'd retain a commercial and training base of operations in the U.S. and just be in London for the games, so, in effect, all of the employment contracts would still go through Florida. I am no lawyer, but I am sure that any British government will bend over backwards to make this as easy as possible.

Without wanting to get political, I wonder if your final paragraph would be more easily facilitated once we are outside the EU. I wonder if there are EU regulations that might affect that.

 

[captain insano]

Shahid Khan (Jacksonville owner) has just submitted a bid of £600m to buy Wembley Stadium from the FA (England soccer association) with the objective of moving the Jags to London.

Money ruins everything!

this is sad. just another reason the NFL sucks. I feel sorry for the players that would have to live in london. that godforsaken city.

 

[Mike the Brit]

Without wanting to get political, I wonder if your final paragraph would be more easily facilitated once we are outside the EU. I wonder if there are EU regulations that might affect that.

Ditto that!

But, without taking sides, it's pretty clear that, even now, there is a lot of economic activity taking place in London that is being carried on by businesses and people resident and domiciled elsewhere (property held in the Caymans, Amazon payments going to Luxembourg, etc.). Brexit would certainly make it easier to stitch up a deal, if necessary, though.

 

[Simpelton]

London Werewolves?

London Hounds?

The British "football" tradition doesn't do the whole "team name" thing. For the most part team names are based on location first and foremost. For the most part football teams are defined almost entirely by where they play, with no other identifying feature other than favorite colors or traditions/songs/chants what have you

I wouldn't be too surprised if a London entry into the NFL would simply be named London AFC, (the London American Football Club) and any team mascot identity would be distinctly informal.

I would absolutely love it if they took on the old school redcoat motif -- red uniforms with white stripes, black cap, etc. Would make the games against the New England Patriots very fun (could even develop an outright rivalry, which would be awesome!) while also celebrating Britain's proud imperial history at the same time.

 

[Shed83]

Wembley is a piece of British history, and you could probably sell out a soccer game their every night, so I'm not sure if moving the Jags is the sole intent on Khan ! (I can't even type it without thinking of Captain Kirk screaming it), it's probably a sound business choice, even without the Jags. Of course, having another NFL owner, own the stadium you play 2 games a year in, is something the NFL won't mind. I think it is a little Americancentric view of things, if we only look at this as a NFL move.

If the Concorde was still flying, this might make sense (outside of the increased radiation exposure), but that is still a long trip. The Pats made a three week road trip last year for the Mexico game, and usually ask to play West Coast games in back to back weeks. I can't even imagine the travel lags if you put a team in London. Of course, the London team would have the worst of it, the only logical thing would be for them to play 3 or 4 weeks straight in London, and then 3 to 4 weeks straight in the East Coast, and such. I can't imagine where a London based team would have a regular home and away schedule.

What would be cool, is a Superbowl in London!

The NFL games are only at Wembley for another year then they move to White Hart Lane (Tottenham Hotspurs) when the new stadium is finished.

 

[XLIX]

not really.

Jags would always open with 4 home games,

then 4 road games, then 4 home games against teams that just had their byes
Then finish off the season with 4 road games.

That would be a ridiculously grueling schedule and an epic fail. Players aren’t going to up and move their families to London. As far as the players are concerned, even the “home” games will feel like road games.

the only time it would be a major issue is when the AFC south plays the NFC/AFC west and Seattle/LA teams need to play in London. But that only happens once every 4 years.

They’d move Jax into the AFC East and Miami into the south. That aside, no matter *what* division they’re in, they’d play the AFC West once every 3 years and the NFC West once every 4 years. So, because one of those years would overlap, that’s 6 times in a 12-year cycle.

In other words, they’d play a Western division 50% of the time (not including the fact that they would have to play at least one AFC west team every single year).