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So maybe West Ham have taken too long to make a proper move for the Olympic Stadium, as it appears the NFL are now interested.

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/news/american-football-nfl-shock-new-contender-olympic-stadium-095315579.html


As a gridiron fan, this is great news as far as I'm concerned and it would answer the main question I had whenever the idea of a London based NFL team was raised, where would they play.

Extraordinary.

I remember the days of the European league in the early 90s.

I'm not sure a single London based team can work.

I always thought when they were going to launch the London franchise they could actually put Wembley to better use

And I would still stick with the Bears but if they played each other I would at least try to get down there for the game

Couldn't we use it for something more interesting? Like international paint drying contests? The matches would be shorter too

But it would be interesting to see who would actually play there and what leagues the teams would belong in. Though I have known a few people in the UK who are interested in American Football, I don't think there is anything like enough support to maintain a league.

Can we bring back Gladitorial Arenas?
I got an idea, Fill it with Water and have fake naval battles there.

Indeed, I've always thought our modern live entertainment options have had a distinct lack of blood and death.

Maybe do what the Romans did and make Gladiatorial combat an option for the Death Penelty.

 Hlaine Larkin mk2 wrote:


And I would still stick with the Bears but if they played each other I would at least try to get down there for the game

These would be my thoughts as well, okay replace Bears with Broncos, but I would certainly be willing to go along and catch matches here in the UK during the regular season. Wouldn't have to be the Broncos either, just whenever I could arrange it.

If it means that West Ham get done out of a stadium, then I'll die a happy man!!

They can turn it over to Morris dancers for all I care.

Actually, running two or three franchises out of one stadium somewhere central, given Europe's mass transit capabilities which I assume are similar in England might not be a terrible idea at all.

An article about this in the Independent the other day: http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/11/01/as-popular-as-darts-but-would-a-uk-nfl-franchise-be-a-success/

 SilverMK2 wrote:
Couldn't we use it for something more interesting? Like international paint drying contests? The matches would be shorter too

But it would be interesting to see who would actually play there and what leagues the teams would belong in. Though I have known a few people in the UK who are interested in American Football, I don't think there is anything like enough support to maintain a league.

Not to support a league, but last week's game was an 85,000 seat sell-out at Wembley which is just too much for the NFL commissioners not to take notice.
And the tickets sold out fast too, I bought mine pretty much as soon as they went on sale and still ended up miles up towards the top of the stadium!

Next year there are 2 games lined up. I think this shows Roger Goodall is testing the waters, and if they both sell out I can certainly imagine them going ahead with a London franchise in some form or another. Perhaps the London Silly Nannies?

Oh and SilverMK2 don't take the piss out of American Football! If you are someone who is in to sports, I could guarantee that if I spent an hour watching a game with you I could turn you into a fan. The game is infectious, I've turned a load of football (soccer) following mates onto it. There is a reason it's the most popular sport in the US! But, you have to take the time to get into it.

 Pacific wrote:
Not to support a league, but last week's game was an 85,000 seat sell-out at Wembley which is just too much for the NFL commissioners not to take notice.
And the tickets sold out fast too, I bought mine pretty much as soon as they went on sale and still ended up miles up towards the top of the stadium!

But how many people would travel down to London on any kind of regular basis to watch American Football? I'm not trying to be negative - I'm genuinely interested in how many NFL fans there are out there and how viable any kind of semi-regular league play at the olympic stadium would be.

Oh and SilverMK2 don't take the piss out of American Football! If you are someone who is in to sports, I could guarantee that if I spent an hour watching a game with you I could turn you into a fan.

Why would I want to watch 1/8th of a game of American Football?

The game is infectious, I've turned a load of football (soccer) following mates onto it. There is a reason it's the most popular sport in the US! But, you have to take the time to get into it.

I'm not a fan of football either

Yes but you have an open invitation to spend an hour drinking Pacific's beer and eating his burgers so you would be silly not to give it a go.

 Kilkrazy wrote:
Yes but you have an open invitation to spend an hour drinking Pacific's beer and eating his burgers so you would be silly not to give it a go.

I'd certainly enjoy the burgers but would have to stick with soft drinks

To me this is a patently bad idea.... The NFL should seriously be getting football back in LA, rather than in another country.

But... If we do have to go down this road, we'll "export" football to you guys, if you in turn get us nationally televised, and not on obscure cable channels, Rugby tests.

Honestly, when it comes down to it, I'd rather watch rugby than any football these days.

I am up for this.

How does a London team compete in the NFL? I suppose it has to rise up the leagues yes.

 Orlanth wrote:
I am up for this.

How does a London team compete in the NFL? I suppose it has to rise up the leagues yes.

They would probably export an existing franchise to London and re-name it (Oilers -> Titans)

which franchise would go though is an interesting matter

I do believe they have a European (American) Football League there.

 Jihadin wrote:
I do believe they have a European (American) Football League there.

Not for a few years.

 Jihadin wrote:
I do believe they have a European (American) Football League there.

Each country has it's own leagues and there is a European cup (Just like normal football)
In the UK it's BAFNAL which has a 3 tier system each with 4 divisions

Not sure about the rest but Germany always seems to put out strong teams

 Hlaine Larkin mk2 wrote:

 Orlanth wrote:
I am up for this.

How does a London team compete in the NFL? I suppose it has to rise up the leagues yes.

They would probably export an existing franchise to London and re-name it (Oilers -> Titans)

which franchise would go though is an interesting matter

None of the teams are in particularly weak markets or looking to make a major move. It is more likely that another expansion team would be formed on the Texans model.
Its not like it would cost the NFL much more money to ship either team to the stadium in the US or UK, the already fly everywhere.

Not like the NFL can't afford it either. I think expanding the NFL overseas would be much more profitable then adding a franchise back to Los Angeles.

Can you imagine the sheer GAK STORM that would occur is a British team won the super bowl? It's beautiful I tell ya!

 KalashnikovMarine wrote:
Can you imagine the sheer GAK STORM that would occur is a British team won the super bowl? It's beautiful I tell ya!

Just so long as we played in red coats, I think I could support this*




*Even though the team would be made up of mostly American players, but hey

 SilverMK2 wrote:

 KalashnikovMarine wrote:
Can you imagine the sheer GAK STORM that would occur is a British team won the super bowl? It's beautiful I tell ya!

Just so long as we played in red coats, I think I could support this*




*Even though the team would be made up of mostly American players, but hey

Of course, it would be pure fething hilarity if it was the NE Patriots that moved to London... and didn't change their names

 SilverMK2 wrote:

Just so long as we played in red coats, I think I could support this*

*Even though the team would be made up of mostly American players, but hey

I'd go to see that, and watch on TV, with a few clauses

1) they do play as the red coats or something like that.
2) its not just shown on sky. No point in trying to get people to watch then charge for it.
3) they serve proper US food at the games. Not this stupid limp wristed UK version. In the UK things like bergers and hotdogs are treadted as kids food to be done as cheaply as possible and pizza, we only realy get the italian form in good places. I want a proper chilli dog or NY style pizza slice.

 KalashnikovMarine wrote:
Not like the NFL can't afford it either. I think expanding the NFL overseas would be much more profitable then adding a franchise back to Los Angeles.

Can you imagine the sheer GAK STORM that would occur is a British team won the super bowl? It's beautiful I tell ya!

Eh I don't expect much of a gakstorm at all if the London Fog took home the Vince Lombardi trophy anymore than there's an uprising in Canada when an American team has the Stanley Cup. In fact that brings up a good point if London gets a team the Maple Leafs should change over to football; they'd have a better chance of winning the super bowl than the cup, but I digress. I'm pretty sure that the NFL is the ONLY pro sport league in the US without at least one international team.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

Steve steveson wrote:

 SilverMK2 wrote:

Just so long as we played in red coats, I think I could support this*

*Even though the team would be made up of mostly American players, but hey

I'd go to see that, and watch on TV, with a few clauses

1) they do play as the red coats or something like that.
2) its not just shown on sky. No point in trying to get people to watch then charge for it.
3) they serve proper US food at the games. Not this stupid limp wristed UK version. In the UK things like bergers and hotdogs are treadted as kids food to be done as cheaply as possible and pizza, we only realy get the italian form in good places. I want a proper chilli dog or NY style pizza slice.

You may have a hot dog stuffed crust pizza.





You're welcome.

 SilverMK2 wrote:

 Pacific wrote:
Not to support a league, but last week's game was an 85,000 seat sell-out at Wembley which is just too much for the NFL commissioners not to take notice.
And the tickets sold out fast too, I bought mine pretty much as soon as they went on sale and still ended up miles up towards the top of the stadium!

But how many people would travel down to London on any kind of regular basis to watch American Football? I'm not trying to be negative - I'm genuinely interested in how many NFL fans there are out there and how viable any kind of semi-regular league play at the olympic stadium would be.

The game is infectious, I've turned a load of football (soccer) following mates onto it. There is a reason it's the most popular sport in the US! But, you have to take the time to get into it.

I'm not a fan of football either

Give me something to work with here!

Remember you're only talking about 8 games a year at Wembley, the rest would be away in the UK - I'd almost certainly buy a season ticket, and then its weekends away in London for what would probably be half a dozen times a year over the winter, which I'd be more than happy doing. You've got a large ex-pat community of Americans living in London who will attend (assuming they haven't moved to the UK to escape the NFL) also. I'm sure they would be able to get a high attendance, especially as I say with every event being a sell-out every year - although as I say I think the 2 games next year will be a test to see if those games both sell out also, and will probably determine whether the franchise is confirmed.

The other alternative that has been mooted is for the team to be roving around the UK, and play at various big stadiums. Not sure if this is such a good idea, it might be initially but I think you need to anchor the team in one stadium to try and build some sense of permanence around it.

The common consensus also seems to be that an existing franchise, which is suffering with attendance figures (perhaps the Jaguars?) will move to London and change the team name. I think that would probably be the most straightforward, and avoid upsetting the balance of the league which will happen if they make 1 new team (they will have to add at least 1 more to compensate).

PS - I think it's criminal that LA, a city of that size (is it 10m people?), not having an NFL team. When I was a kid and started watching the game the LA Raiders were always one of the most entertaining teams to watch, not least because of the absolute lunatics you used to get in the crowd (and I mean that in the nicest possible way!)

I don't see that happening, honestly. The Seahawks already bitch about how much travel they have to do compared to everyone else, and they're in the continental US.

 Morathi's Darkest Sin wrote:
So maybe West Ham have taken too long to make a proper move for the Olympic Stadium, as it appears the NFL are now interested.

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/news/american-football-nfl-shock-new-contender-olympic-stadium-095315579.html


As a gridiron fan, this is great news as far as I'm concerned and it would answer the main question I had whenever the idea of a London based NFL team was raised, where would they play.

No no thats not how NFL corporate welfare works. The "owner" says build me a stadium have all rights to it. The public pays for it through bonds. The owner and the NFL say how much economic benefit it is, and if you don't do it they'll have to move the team. IN five years they move the team anyway to another sucker city er target market. Its like the F1 race.
Oh wow, reading it they even mention including F1 races. Add in a nice plant from Dell or some other manufacturer with no taxes for 20 years and you have the unholy trifecta of the queens of corporate welfare.

Would be fun to come up with some names for the team.

Here are my ideas:

London Fog (I'm claiming this!)

London Towers

London Bridges

Parliamentarians - just for the fun of NFL commentators having to pronounce it

London Redcoats Vs NE Patriots! Battle of long island part 2

London Romans (nod to the heritage)

London spitfires

London London

London Gridlock

London Black cabs

London Tubes

Pacific wrote:

PS - I think it's criminal that LA, a city of that size (is it 10m people?), not having an NFL team. When I was a kid and started watching the game the LA Raiders were always one of the most entertaining teams to watch, not least because of the absolute lunatics you used to get in the crowd (and I mean that in the nicest possible way!)

Well...The Raiders home was always Oakland. Al Davis moved to LA without league permission and he paid the price. The city just cant host a football team that's why the Radiers are back in Oakland and the Chargers are in San Diego. Financially LA can probably support a team but I doubt the NFL would even try. LA is solid Raider nation and they wouldn't try to cut that bottom line out.

Do_I_Not_Like_That wrote:Would be fun to come up with some names for the team.

Here are my ideas:

London Fog (I'm claiming this!)

I already beat you too it.