Thoughts on NFL in London/cross country sporting pollination

daveymck · #1 10-28-2007, 03:06 PM

Comparing the NFL in the UK to soccer in the US is just a bad comparison.

NFL has had good exposure and a mature decent following in the UK for getting on twenty years as can be seen by the size of the crowd. Matches are shown every sunday live on sky and there is even commentary on national radio tonight which is a first so it is getting more exposure. If it were a baseball game there would be barely anyone there.

Not sure how happy I would be if my team was of on a jaunt to another country to play a home league game though.

MicroBob · #2 10-28-2007, 03:19 PM

That's a good point.
The novelty aspect only goes so far when you consider that if the NY Yankees and Boston Red Sox played in London then probably nobody would care or go.
It would be probably be about as popular as holding the world championships of Cricket in the U.S.

So it's not JUST the novelty aspect that is the driving force for this football game.

ThaSaltCracka · #3 10-28-2007, 03:22 PM

$ is the driving force. Instead of trying to get people to play football, the NFL wants more people to watch a game they have never played! Then their brand is worth more! Which means an even more commercialized league and sport!!!

daveymck · #4 10-28-2007, 03:31 PM

[ QUOTE ]
$ is the driving force. Instead of trying to get people to play football, the NFL wants more people to watch a game they have never played! Then their brand is worth more! Which means an even more commercialized league and sport!!!

[/ QUOTE ]

Which is what most sports bodies do from Fifa giving the World Cup to the US to UFC coming to europe and NBA are trying to push into the UK again as well. Some teams do it as well Man Utd trying hard in the asian market etc.

MicroBob · #5 10-28-2007, 03:40 PM

salt - I can't tell if you think that is a bad thing or not.
I've never played organized football and I'm sure that many current fans haven't either so what's the problem?

ThaSaltCracka · #6 10-28-2007, 03:43 PM

its different when you are an American though, you grow up with the sport, regardless of whether you play it or not.

Davey, I understand your argument in regards to the WC. But the fact of the matter is people play soccer here, there just wasn't a pro league at that time. FIFA's intention was to get a pro league started here.

edit: wanted to add a comment about the NBA and UFC. Stern has basically said he doesn't want a Euro NBA team. Maybe a Euro NBA league, but I think he's happy there is a Euroleague and various other pro leagues throughout Europe. In regards to UFC, you don't really have a league, you have an organization. I don't see why this is an issue, unless you have a problem with it being a US organization. I know boxing is popular in England, but MMA seems to be the direction these types of sports are headed. Moving into England seems like a natural progression. I saw a UFC event that was held in Manchester. Seemed like it was packed, great atmosphere as well.

sixfour · #7 10-28-2007, 04:07 PM

Bastard Ted ****ing Ginn scoring to beat the spread

daveymck · #8 10-28-2007, 04:14 PM

It wasnt an issue was more of a comment, UFC is much better than the UK Cage Rage and MMA is definatley growing over here, can see it taking over some of the WWE market which is a decent size here.

The NBA not sure what they are wanting to do that Stern guy was on the BBC national news radio the other day think looking to bring some matches over here.

We do get a load of US sport on satellite here now moreso with Setanta increasing its share as it got some premiership games so I subscribe to them and now get college football, baseball and am watching Nascar as I type and as it fits nicely into the late night schedules there is a chance for them to get a following.

Lori · #9 10-28-2007, 04:07 PM

[ QUOTE ]
the NFL wants more people to watch a game they have never played!

[/ QUOTE ]

American football was played in my school 20 years ago.

bottomset · #10 10-28-2007, 08:34 PM

[ QUOTE ]
$ is the driving force. Instead of trying to get people to play football, the NFL wants more people to watch a game they have never played! Then their brand is worth more! Which means an even more commercialized league and sport!!!

[/ QUOTE ]

well the NFL doesn't run huge advertisements on their uniforms