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So, would a London franchise work?
So, would a London franchise work?
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Its just ONE of MANY reasons why locating in London is a far more difficult proposition than it being in another US city? I'm happy to list a lot of them if you like.
Do you honestly believe its just a geographical or logistical issue? |
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No I understand that; if you go back over the thread there have been some informative posts covering all of the logistical issues. I was simply countering the point you specifically made in that post and explaining why I think your logic is self-evidently contradicted by the fact that many Brits are "fans" of a team from a city they have never been to and have no connection with, so I don't see why they would snub a London team on the basis that it's not "London" enough for them because the players don't all live in the city throughout the year.
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It's fairly split down the middle between those in the affirmative and those including me in the negative. For those in the former, does anyone actually think it is a better idea for the NFL to introduce a London team as opposed to Los Angeles or Las Vegas? Or even Portland or Birmingham (Alabama)?
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London would obviously be a very different idea to a previously tried or entirely new US City. There's no way of proving if it's a better or worse idea, but going for something radically different is a way to make a step change (ie crack a whole new market, which is what this is all about) in a way that a new US city wouldn't be. Clearly they try new US Cities every few years. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.
On the social connection thing - you're missing the big point. The team has to exist first, before those intangibles you want to see can exist. So it's just hot-air at this point to say an NFL team can never feel like it belongs in London. Nobody knows until they try. Build it and they will come... ;) |
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rhino,
Of course it is a better to introduce a London team than LA or Las Vegas! The whole point is foreign dollars! There is money outside the USA. Look at the EPL and television money from Asia. What do you naysayers think the point of a London franchise is? To spread the great game of Gridiron for the masses to play? $$$ TV money and International Corporate Sponsorship perhaps like F1 $$$ |
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A better idea needs to be achievable Whispering. Gridiron achieving F1 status and revenue worldwide is a pipe dream, and using the EPL TV money as a comparison is more than a stretch. Plenty of money to be made in LA and Vegas, far less risk. No precedent for this in sports if it gets up, so it is a very bold move. Massive gamble, not sure the juice is worth the squeeze. I would continue down the road of sending a few games a year over to London, and work to get all the big local markets sitting idle active. Can always look at this in 5 or 10 years if there is still momentum, and if there isn't, it was never going to work anyway.
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Hi Rhino
 ,LA did have a Franchise but it went back to Oakland ( where it belonged! ) I saw a game there ( Oakland )! Lots of bad asses, reminds me of home  ! The fried chicken place in Oakland had a metal grille between customers and staff! Me and my mate were well impressed with that, although where we come from it is the grille usually protects the customer from the staff! A mate of mine was thrown out of a nite club head first down the stairs by the bouncers for fighting. The bloke he was fighting with was so outraged that he asked my friend if he wanted to go back in and fight the bouncers !I had to move my allegiance from raiders to Green Bay on sexual grounds as my gf is from Wisconsin! A Las Vegas Franchise would be wicked for The rest of the World Team! We could come over for a long weekend every now and again! I am sure Treausre Island would front me tickets! |
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Good ole thread bump.
Is there still a push going on for a team in London or did it die before getting off the ground? |
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How old are you Rhino?
Have you ever seen Rollerball? It's a portent. |
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I am 34. Nope, never seen it.
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Rollerball
Premise In the film, the world of 2018 (referred to in the tagline as “the not too distant future”) is a global corporate state, containing entities such as the Energy Corporation, a global energy monopoly based in Houston which deals with nominally-peer corporations controlling access to all transport, luxury, housing, communication, and food on a global basis. According to the tagline, in this world, “wars will no longer exist. But there will be...Rollerball.” The film's title is the name of a violent, globally popular sport around which the events of the film take place. It is similar to Roller Derby in that two teams clad in body armor skate on roller skates (some instead ride on motorcycles) around a banked, circular track. There, however, the similarity ends. The object of the game is to score points by the offensive team (the team in possession of the ball) throwing a softball-sized steel ball into the goal, which is a magnetic, cone-shaped area inset into the wall of the arena. The team without possession of the ball is defensive and acts to prevent scoring. It is a full-contact sport in which players have considerable leeway to attack opposing players in order to take or maintain possession of the ball and to score points. In addition, each team has three players who ride motorcycles to which teammates can latch on and be towed. The player in possession of the ball must hold it in plain view at all times. Rollerball teams, named after the cities in which they are based, are owned by the various global corporations. Energy Corporation sponsors the Houston team. The game is a substitute for all current team sports and for warfare. While its ostensible purpose is entertainment, Mr. Bartholomew, a high-level executive of the Energy Corporation, describes it as a sport designed to show the futility of individual effort. |
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Thanks. I think...
So I take it the London movement had died a natural death and no one has anything to report? |
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nothing to report!
the men with the money will deal with it. it is coming. have you read 1984 Rhino? The point I was trying to make cackhandedly is this. Back in the 1970's tv was still in black and white for many people! Top players ( UK footballers ) may have been earning a hundred pounds a week. Many earned above average wages, just. By the mid 70's we saw American sportsmen earning hundreds of thousands a year ( certainly some more than $100,000 ). If you look at America it is like a Europe but with one language. Europe was far behind but the signs were there. Eventually the best in Europe would want to compete with each other and small men with big ego's in Rome, Madrid, Paris, Munchen and London etc would want to be top men. These top men in Europe have now had their way and they are squeezing the life blood out of the game. Fortunately they are not making money out of it yet! NFL is not a sporting contest. it is a money making franchise. A bit like the Mafia splitting up territory if you like. No competition. If you visit places like Wisconsin everybody wears a Badgers or Packers shirt. Can you imagine walking through a high street of a small town where 1 in 5 or 1 in 10 wear the same football top? Once these powerful men have their way and destroyed the local competition they will settle their differences in Europe. Eventually the great cities of the world will want a seat at the table. Tokyo, Mumbai, Berlin, Cape Town, Joburg, Bejing, Manilla, Rio....etc...who will want to miss out on the party? If you think NFL is going to remain in North America I suggest you will join the dinosaurs. The writing is on he wall Rhino. Not saying it will be easy but London would be relatively easier to set up because of common language and decent time differences. It may be a way off but they are testeing the market and it is screaming SELL US MORE! and that my friend is what it is all about...filthy lucre....The Yankee Dollar......coming to a place near you soon! Watch Rollerball! |
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It's coming and it will be successful. The NFL is getting bigger and bigger by the year. Anyone who thinks it's a fad is living in cloud cuckoo land. We've been watching dud teams turn up in London for some time now and it's not killed the thirst for it.
The US really loved the early kick off ATL v DET, viewing figures were very good, & that way they get to show a breakfast game on the schedule. Personlly i love Green Bay, but i'd definitely buy a season ticket and run with London as a 2nd team. |
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I think they NFL is getting bigger too but I must be living in cloud cuckoo land because I don't think a London team will ever happen. Been honest I also hope it never happens, would much rather all teams be us based
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I don't think it will happen either unless they abandon the salary cap or a whole bunch of top quality British players suddenly appear.
Imagine how much they would have to pay someone of Calvin Johnsons talent level to move thousands of miles away from family and friends. Maybe it will happen but it will be a 0-16 or 2-14 franchise for many years with half of the fans supporting the road team. |
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Top sports stars move to cities all over the world. Moving from NY to Seattle would be no different from moving from NY to London. I just don't see that being an issue. It's not like they'd have to travel by Ryanair.
London with an 80k stadium (which charges top $) will have the resources, no question. |
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Great thread. Great debate this one whatever camp you're in. Strongly in the negative, keep in the US. Watching Alabama vs Auburn right now, great game. I'll eat my hat if the state of Alabama couldn't support an NFL team, these people are feral for it.
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I am not a Septic but maybe Bama don't want an NFL Team!
College Football is huge and as well attended as NFL. They have an agreement to play on Saturday with NFL on Sunday. The purpose of a London Franchise is not to spread a love for the game but a boost for some already rich people. The naysayers seem to ignore this argument and focus on it will never happen, nobody will want to play for London, statistically it is impossible all of which are fatuous! Why would the NFL come to London? $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ ( or maybe euros ) |
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I don't think it's died a death just because it hasn't happened yet. Here's an interesting recent article by Nate Silver (there are some related ones if you follow the links):
http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-nfl-should-expand-to-london-but-first-canada-mexico-and-la/ |
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It may well happen but it will fail over time.
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