If you're going to start a team in London

[tech_iceman]

You need to start up 2, 3 maybe even 4 teams in Europe... that's way too much traveling for just one team to come to the States every other week, and it seems pointless if they were to travel to the US and live here for 4 weeks at a time while playing games

 

[Podunkparte]

"If you're gonna start a team in London"... don't!

/thread

 

[Tainthappening]

I do not like the logistics either, a lot to overcome for travel and even issues with players (wanting to play there, attracting free agents etc...).

From all that I have read the London team if happens would have a US city base as well on East coast (Orlando is city thrown out there). They would have practice facility there and would then group 2-3 away games together followed by several home games to cut down on some of the travel.

Would make more sense to have 4 Europe based teams... but NFL is not expanding past 32 teams from all that I have read in foreseeable future.

I still think London team (if happens) is still 5-10 years in future.

Does anyone know for teams that give up a home game... do they make more money with game in London vs typical home game?

 

[HizzleRocker]

Just Say No!

 

[Lance Armstrong]

The NFL is already watered down with 32 teams, no need for any more.

 

[fordman84]

NFL Europe was a massive flop, and it will be again. There is demand for a few games a year, but there wouldn't be enough to support a team for 8 games +preseason.

And god help the NFL if they get a HFA playoff game. Imagine trying to get ready for a playoff game while needing to travel to London.

I'd also imagine that within 5 years of announcing a london team we would have a london superbowl and that would suck.

 

[Used 2 B Hu]

Bad idea. The EPL and the Football Association aren't trying to add a North American team to their soccer leagues, why should we try to add one of ours over there?

I know the Jaguars are owned by the same guy that owns the Fulham club, and he came out a year or two ago and said "The Jaguars are London's team," but it seems like a better way to downsize the league rather than add new franchises. His soccer club got demoted from the PL last year and are currently sucking in the League Championship level. This is the guy we want running one of our NFL teams? They'd be dead within five years, which is maybe what Goodell wants.

 

[Lemon Harang Pie]

I don't really understand the big push for a London team in any real capacity.

The scheduling would simply be awful and NFL Europe failed so badly that it's doubtful a relocated team could even be supported for anything more than a couple of novelty games a season. I actually like the idea of having games in London and considered picking up tickets for Sunday's but I just don't see any real need to relocate a team there.

 

[cdumler7]

Honestly with how much aviation has changed it isn't as big of a deal as say 10 years ago. Flights from London to New York take around 8 hours. Flights from San Diego to New York take about 6 hours. So we are talking a 2 hour difference. the big thing would be the time change otherwise I don't think having a team in London would be all that unfeasible. Yes it is not my top choice to have a team in London. I don't think the fans there would latch on as much as the NFL wants and I don't think any division would want to take them on as yes that would add quite a bit of travel even for a divisional game. Pretty sure we are a long way from a team in London happening.

 

[SoCalWizFan]

NFL Europe was a massive flop, and it will be again. There is demand for a few games a year, but there wouldn't be enough to support a team for 8 games +preseason.

And god help the NFL if they get a HFA playoff game. Imagine trying to get ready for a playoff game while needing to travel to London.

I'd also imagine that within 5 years of announcing a london team we would have a london superbowl and that would suck.

First of all I pretty much see no way this is happening anytime soon. I just believe that this is the NFL's way of teasing fans in Europe to get more $$. Anyhow - could you imagine if a team from London eventually made a run similar to the Giants several years ago that resulted in consecutive playoff road games (especially if one or more were on the West Coast). That would be brutal. I suppose that they would stay in the US during this time but that also could be kind of tough.

 

[Used 2 B Hu]

Put a team in Toronto or Mexico City first.

Or even Los Angeles! Let's try a team there.

 

[tech_iceman]

Put a team in Toronto or Mexico City first.

Or even Los Angeles! Let's try a team there.

We need to move the Jaguars somewhere...

 

[Labgrownmangoat]

Honestly with how much aviation has changed it isn't as big of a deal as say 10 years ago. Flights from London to New York take around 8 hours. Flights from San Diego to New York take about 6 hours. So we are talking a 2 hour difference. the big thing would be the time change otherwise I don't think having a team in London would be all that unfeasible. Yes it is not my top choice to have a team in London. I don't think the fans there would latch on as much as the NFL wants and I don't think any division would want to take them on as yes that would add quite a bit of travel even for a divisional game. Pretty sure we are a long way from a team in London happening.

And from San Diego to London is 12 hours or more, meaning it's a significant difference from 6.

If the NFL wants to put a team in Europe, they should try to remember that the only place NFL Europe caught on was not in England. It was in Germany, where half the teams were. I'd put a team in Berlin before I put one in London.

 

[cdumler7]

And from San Diego to London is 12 hours or more, meaning it's a significant difference from 6.

If the NFL wants to put a team in Europe, they should try to remember that the only place NFL Europe caught on was not in England. It was in Germany, where half the teams were. I'd put a team in Berlin before I put one in London.

I'm not saying do it as yes it does add significant time especially if whatever division London is in has to play the West teams. I'm saying most expect it to be some crazy huge difference and with aviation improving every year it probably won't be too long into the future that they even cut that trip in half.

I agree that England probably isn't the best place if we are looking for other destinations for a team. I watched where they went around and interviewed people on the street and most of them had no clue who even the most popular players in the NFL were. There is just not much interest at this time. Yes I know that is part of this is the hope that they will draw the fans.

 

[DutchBird]

NFL Europe was a massive flop, and it will be again. There is demand for a few games a year, but there wouldn't be enough to support a team for 8 games +preseason.

And god help the NFL if they get a HFA playoff game. Imagine trying to get ready for a playoff game while needing to travel to London.

I'd also imagine that within 5 years of announcing a london team we would have a london superbowl and that would suck.

Basing more than one team permanently in Europe WILL be a flop - and London would be a stupid place to go if you want a local fan base; for that the best option by miles is the Ruhr area (and yeah, that has a lot to do with the history of American troops stationed there). See how difficult it is for new franchises to succeed in the US. Part of the problem is that at least a considerable part of the NFL market in Europe already has teams to root for.

Second, one way to get a solid fan base - at least in Europe - is to forge some local ties. And for that you need local players that connect to the community. One of the big failures of NFL Europe is that it totally neglected that part of the game. Apart from perhaps the kicker, it was set up in such a way that NFL-team scrubs would play, no matter how bad they performed - simply because the allocation rules mandated it.

 

[Tharvot]

The NFL is already watered down with 32 teams, no need for any more.

Yeah, the legue size is fine. If they had a London team, it would be the jags relocating or something. Don't see it happening tho. Travel doesnt make sense and the fan support just isn't there.