Beezerk
Money List Winner
Got a mate coming round to watch the game on Sunday night, most important question of the day, what snacks should I prepare?
NFL 2024
- Thread starter Pathetic Shark
- Start date
Pathetic Shark
Tour Rookie
I now need to watch the Pro Bowl - one of my media colleagues is one of the game officials. Things I do to support people!
Pathetic Shark
Tour Rookie
Pathetic Shark
Tour Rookie
Just been talking with Jason Powers, who works on my podcast network and who was refereeing the flag football at the Pro Bowl. He was telling some amazing stories about players pulling out phones and cameras to take pictures. He also had to warn the AFC that they could not blitz any more in the 4th quarter as they had used their all their designated blitzes at that point. He was told by all six AFC players, "bleep bleep that, we're coming so just get out of the way" - and then they started telling the NFC players that. Great memories from a stupid event.
Arthur Wedge
Well-known member
with the recent announcement of a NFL game being played in Croke Park
Two questions
1. Are they getting closer to a franchise being based in Europe
2. Will they ever play a Super Bowl outside the US
Two questions
1. Are they getting closer to a franchise being based in Europe
2. Will they ever play a Super Bowl outside the US
Beezerk
Money List Winner
No and no.
Isn’t Melbourne getting a game as well?
Isn’t Melbourne getting a game as well?
Captainron
Big Hitting, South African Sweary Person
Pathetic Shark
Tour Rookie
Pittsburgh will "host" a game in Dublin in 2025, the Rams will "host" a game in Melbourne in 2026. The NFLPA are going to start stepping in on this soon - they have already said this week there is no way they are going to an 18-game season.
Springveldt
Well-known member
The problem with a European franchise is who is going to support them? I'm a Dolphins fan and I wouldn't be throwing that aside to support a new franchise just because it was based in Europe. I'm sure the vast majority of European fans feel the same.
The European games work as you get fans of all teams attending them.
Springveldt
Well-known member
Probably just posturing for a bigger cut of the pie. Throw them a couple of percent of the revenue and 18 games will happen pretty quickly. I think you would need to increase roster size and rework the IR rules as well.
2blue
Journeyman Pro
Nearly there...... despite everything else about the USA I've got to say they, even at their greatest event they don't forget the ordinary folk who contribute to their Nation. Admirable.
Piece
Tour Winner
Proper shoeing that. 
PJ87
Journeyman Pro
Proper shoeing that.
I read that trump is the first ever sitting president to attend the Superbowl? I find this baffling. In America the superbowl is deamed the biggest sporting event no? Not one of their leaders (even trump himself last time round) thought I know I should go?
Pathetic Shark
Tour Rookie
Why there will never ever be an NFL franchise in Europe.
1 - Location and time difference
The simple and most obvious reason. Right now for London games, the two teams travel over on the Thursday night/Friday morning, do a brief walk-through practice, play the game and then fly home with a bye week to follow to allow them to recover. So do you offer every team that has to play London a bye week after their trip? And that is just East Coast teams who have the eight-hour flight. What about when LA, Seattle or Vegas have to come over? And of course London would have eight road trips in the regular season alone. How do they manage the jet lag and travel problems? Quite simply, until Concorde II is even invented, the travel logistics make a London franchise a total non-starter.
2 - The British fan base
So if Wembley sells out in hours for each International Series game, why would a London team not do the same? Because the October games are novelties, special events that people travel to all over the country from. They will spent vast sums on travel, accommodation and tickets because it is a one-off for them. There is no way your average fan from 100 miles away does the same more than once a year. So the fan base for a Wembley team would have to be around 30-40 miles around London and even that is generous knowing how bad the access is to the stadium itself. And British fans will not give up their current allegiance to follow a new franchise. The only reason they would go, would be to see their own team PLAY the London one.
3 - Stocking the roster with players
So let's say you have invented a fast new plane and have convinced 80,000 mugs to shell out huge amounts for season tickets for the new franchise. Now you need players. There are two ways of stocking an NFL roster, free agency and the draft. Just how do you convince a player to move to pretty much the other side of the world to ply his trade for a new team. To uproot his family, to move away from friends and other interests. Or the draft - how long would the NFL draft last under legal threat from a player being selected and told he has to move to England to play. From the initial forays done by a legal friend of mine in the States, this could shoot down the entire NFL draft faster than anything.
4 - NFL expansion at all
So you have a franchise with no fans and no players and no conceivable way to play their games. So why bother at all? The NFL already has a couple of weak franchises and several large TV markets in the country without a team at all. It has an ideal number of teams already playing a pretty-much perfect schedule and the interest in the game has never been higher. So why would you go to London at all? The International Series games work well to promote the game outside of America and long may they continue. But not just in London but in Germany, Scandanavia, Japan and Mexico. The narrow-minded morons on the NFLUK forum who think that games should only be in London are typical of the self-serving British fans who do much to detract from the great sport.
The NFL is a massively successful league which is loved around the world. It brings in huge revenues, massive TV audiences and will continue to do so in the future. But just not with a team based outside of the United States. Not now, not ever.
1 - Location and time difference
The simple and most obvious reason. Right now for London games, the two teams travel over on the Thursday night/Friday morning, do a brief walk-through practice, play the game and then fly home with a bye week to follow to allow them to recover. So do you offer every team that has to play London a bye week after their trip? And that is just East Coast teams who have the eight-hour flight. What about when LA, Seattle or Vegas have to come over? And of course London would have eight road trips in the regular season alone. How do they manage the jet lag and travel problems? Quite simply, until Concorde II is even invented, the travel logistics make a London franchise a total non-starter.
2 - The British fan base
So if Wembley sells out in hours for each International Series game, why would a London team not do the same? Because the October games are novelties, special events that people travel to all over the country from. They will spent vast sums on travel, accommodation and tickets because it is a one-off for them. There is no way your average fan from 100 miles away does the same more than once a year. So the fan base for a Wembley team would have to be around 30-40 miles around London and even that is generous knowing how bad the access is to the stadium itself. And British fans will not give up their current allegiance to follow a new franchise. The only reason they would go, would be to see their own team PLAY the London one.
3 - Stocking the roster with players
So let's say you have invented a fast new plane and have convinced 80,000 mugs to shell out huge amounts for season tickets for the new franchise. Now you need players. There are two ways of stocking an NFL roster, free agency and the draft. Just how do you convince a player to move to pretty much the other side of the world to ply his trade for a new team. To uproot his family, to move away from friends and other interests. Or the draft - how long would the NFL draft last under legal threat from a player being selected and told he has to move to England to play. From the initial forays done by a legal friend of mine in the States, this could shoot down the entire NFL draft faster than anything.
4 - NFL expansion at all
So you have a franchise with no fans and no players and no conceivable way to play their games. So why bother at all? The NFL already has a couple of weak franchises and several large TV markets in the country without a team at all. It has an ideal number of teams already playing a pretty-much perfect schedule and the interest in the game has never been higher. So why would you go to London at all? The International Series games work well to promote the game outside of America and long may they continue. But not just in London but in Germany, Scandanavia, Japan and Mexico. The narrow-minded morons on the NFLUK forum who think that games should only be in London are typical of the self-serving British fans who do much to detract from the great sport.
The NFL is a massively successful league which is loved around the world. It brings in huge revenues, massive TV audiences and will continue to do so in the future. But just not with a team based outside of the United States. Not now, not ever.
Pathetic Shark
Tour Rookie
Just watched highlights of the ass-kicking, sorry Super Bowl LIX. Good for the Eagles. Just shows that the prediction I made on different US stations last week can be consigned to the trash can. Why I never gamble. Still, looking back at this thread, I got a lot more right than wrong in 2024. Now to look ahead to 2025 and the Bucs' 50th season. I am out there next month doing some preliminary work on historical events around that season. Also doing two-day excursions to Vegas and Toronto for media work. Tough life eh?
Pathetic Shark
Tour Rookie
From the conversations I have had with people in the NFLPA and I am one of the very few non-players involved with it because of the work I do for former Bucs players, they will not go for it under any circumstances. They are pushing for two bye weeks in a season and no inactive rosters just to keep the 17 games in play. Goodell always throws out ideas at his state of the union address to see if they stick. An idea first pushed by Pete Rozelle and now carried on by Gary Bettman in the NHL.
Pathetic Shark
Tour Rookie
It has always been seen that the game should come first - naturally Trump does not give a toss about this. Even though in 1989, Commissioner Pete Rozelle said that Trump would never ever be an NFL owner as his background and personaiity were not suited to the league. Naturally he lies about this as well claiming he could have bought two or three different NFL teams when the USFL folded. The 45,000 MAGA fans in the Superdome gave him a nice cheer from what I heard.
Springveldt
Well-known member
I'm surprised Trump didn't go during his first term. A raging narcissist like him loves and needs the adulation.
Most presidents have been more reserved and host the winning team in the White House after the event. I'm sure Trump served them McDonald's one year.
Springveldt
Well-known member
Thanks for the insight. I agree with the inactive stuff, that's complete nonsense. You should have all 53 players available during the game. Same with the IR rules, the updated ones are better but the game is so physical you really shouldn't be limited to how many players you can bring back.
Arthur Wedge
Well-known member
Its part of the issues of trying to grow the game across the world
Got to find a way to get the players playing in front of these fans
It’s why all the big Prem teams fly over the world during pre season
If NFL wants to get people all over the world watching them then they need to find a way to get the teams playing outside the US as well
