Roger Goodell supports Euro expansion

[Denism]

Football is in the land of futbol to stay -- and with an even bigger presence if NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has his way.

When the San Francisco 49ers take on the Denver Broncos at Wembley Stadium on Sunday, they'll be the latest teams that went across the Atlantic to do their part in helping the league grow its international fan base.

And despite the long travels and disrupted team schedules such a trip brings, the NFL is charging ahead with plans to increase the number of games it plays overseas.

This Sunday marks the fourth regular-season game to be played in London, and Goodell said the success of the previous three sellouts has buoyed his hopes to succeed with his ultimate expansion goal -- having a full-time franchise in London.

"Each year, the different barometers indicate that our popularity continues to rise," Goodell said at an annual sports conference the NFL organizes together with The Economist magazine in London. "I think the next step will be multiple games (in Europe). And if that's successful then I think the idea of a franchise here is realistic."

He just has to get the players and teams on board first, which may not be all that difficult.

Like the teams that came before them, the Niners and Broncos have only had good things to say about their trans-Atlantic trip -- focusing more on the team-building opportunities than the jet lag and time spent away from home.

Full Article:
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=5741331

I know ye guys aint Interested in this, but It Is not going away, alot of powerful people behind the NFL are pushing this...........

Thoughts?

 

[bmooney54]

NFL Europe failed due to lack of talent. Real NFL games there are bringing in huge coin. More games in Europe are inevitable. How do you keep it fair and avoid a team losing home-field advantage by being the "home" team in Europe? I have an idea...

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[Denism]

NFL Europe failed due to lack of talent. Real NFL games there are bringing in huge coin. More games in Europe are inevitable. How do you keep it fair and avoid a team losing home-field advantage by being the "home" team in Europe? I have an idea...

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Ya Good point bmooney, i didnt link the both of them tbh

Obviously im biast on this issue, i got to see my Pats in the Flesh last October and hopefully will again and even any other good teams comming, Like i said before on this issue, you guys dont relaise how BIG the NFL is taking off here in europe, its huge

 

[Peachhead]

Well I support a resurrection of the separate NFL Europe league. And maybe we can send Goodell's crooked ass over there to run it. blowup

 

[The Gr8est]

If this comes to pass hopefully Europe and other areas will start adding to the talent pool that will be required. Time for American-style football teams to start competing and adding to the talent pool. Vollmer came from Germany, we know the physical talent is there.

 

[Annihilus]

I don't have a problem with it as long as they fix the current fact that a team loses a home game because that really blows.

If there were a team in London that wouldn't be an issue, but figuring out the schedule would be tricky. Any team traveling over there would need a bye the following week. How the London team would work their schedule would be very problematic. Should be interesting.

 

[bmooney54]

as long as they fix the current fact that a team loses a home game because that really blows.

This is the biggest concern to me. I firmly believe that in 2008, the Pats missed the playoffs because the Dolphins got to play the Bills in December in a dome in Canada. Had that game been in Buffalo, I believe the Bills would have won it and the Pats would have won the division.

 

[HSanders]

Obviously im biast on this issue, i got to see my Pats in the Flesh last October and hopefully will again and even any other good teams comming, Like i said before on this issue, you guys dont relaise how BIG the NFL is taking off here in europe, its huge

Serious question...would you pony up the equivalent prices including PSLs etc. to have season tickets? Even crap teams over here sell out every week for the most part. Do you know a lot of fellow fans who would?
How available are NFL games on tv over there?
I wish the NFL would share with us a bit more of the actual data to show that it would be sustainable and wouldn't ruin the quality of the game especially with their decision to end NFLE due to financial reasons. I still think that was done on purpose to increase a clamor for NFL games overseas. Then again I LOVED NFLE.

 

[Den-in-NH]

I think if you're going to introduce European teams into the NFL, you have to go full out. You can't just add a team or two because it screws up the logistics. But if you add 8, you create two new divisions: AFC Europe and NFC Europe. Increase the schedule to 18 with the extra bye. Now you have room to balance divisional games and games against other European teams with travel to the US. You do it stretches. There might be two teams in the US at any point while there are three games being played in Europe. US teams traveling to Europe are limited as the only teams needing to go would be those whose division and divisional ranking matches up for European teams' home games. When a US team travels to Europe schedule it so they play at least 2 games before coming home. The beauty of this is that the majority of games being played in Europe involve two European teams.

You add 2 playoff spots for the new divisional winners and award an additional bye to the third seed. The first seed has a second round bye now as well. European teams have just as mutch chance to win a wildcard spot, obviously.

I don't think that players should be forced to live off of American soil so there is a seperate draft for European teams to draft home-grown talent. Of course free agents may sign with these teams if they like. The quality may be behind us for a bit, but that's the same with any expansion and they'll eventually catch up.

Give back franchises to some cities that lost teams with NFLE folding like Berlin, Amsterdam, and Barcelona, and award some franchises to other powerhouse cities like London, Dublin, Athens, Rome, and Copenhagen.

No forcing teams to give up home games, that is a huge mistake and it screws the fans. Manage travel realistically, doing it in 2-4 week stretches, buffered by an off-week when it involves crossing the ocean. Create some European divisional rivalries. Have some fun with coming up with cool names for European teams. Full of Win.

 

[Beecke]

I think if you're going to introduce European teams into the NFL, you have to go full out. You can't just add a team or two because it screws up the logistics. But if you add 8, you create two new divisions: AFC Europe and NFC Europe. Increase the schedule to 18 with the extra bye. Now you have room to balance divisional games and games against other European teams with travel to the US. You do it stretches. There might be two teams in the US at any point while there are three games being played in Europe. US teams traveling to Europe are limited as the only teams needing to go would be those whose division and divisional ranking matches up for European teams' home games. When a US team travels to Europe schedule it so they play at least 2 games before coming home. The beauty of this is that the majority of games being played in Europe involve two European teams.

You add 2 playoff spots for the new divisional winners and award an additional bye to the third seed. The first seed has a second round bye now as well. European teams have just as mutch chance to win a wildcard spot, obviously.

I don't think that players should be forced to live off of American soil so there is a seperate draft for European teams to draft home-grown talent. Of course free agents may sign with these teams if they like. The quality may be behind us for a bit, but that's the same with any expansion and they'll eventually catch up.

Give back franchises to some cities that lost teams with NFLE folding like Berlin, Amsterdam, and Barcelona, and award some franchises to other powerhouse cities like London, Dublin, Athens, Rome, and Copenhagen.

No forcing teams to give up home games, that is a huge mistake and it screws the fans. Manage travel realistically, doing it in 2-4 week stretches, buffered by an off-week when it involves crossing the ocean. Create some European divisional rivalries. Have some fun with coming up with cool names for European teams. Full of Win.

Interesting.

But there really is a lot of risk in doing something like that. First of all. How do you work the playoffs and how do you determine the Super Bowl matchup?
What if the quality of the European division to catch up takes about 10 years (and I think that is optimistic).
Wouldn´t that water down the NFL product incredibly? What happens if the "original" NFL teams can basically walk over the European ones all the time? No one would care about these games after one or two seasons. Sending european teams to the playoffs where they would get murdered would be another thing I wouldn´t want to watch. It would be meaningless. The NFL would become a sport people wouldn´t take serious anymore, a joke.

So overall I hate the idea of going out of the USA, and I am from Germany. I just think it would take a lot away from what I love about NFL football. I already hate the 18 games a season idea, since it means less meaningful games. However, if you want to start in Europe, try one team first. See how it goes.

 

[BritPat]

I really don't want a team over here or in mainland Europe. The NFL should stay in the States.

And NFL Europe didn't fail because of lack of talent, it failed because there wasn't enough backing and pushing to make it a credible sport in the eyes of fans who are alien to the game. In Germany by the way, the attendances were actually rising before the plug was pulled.

 

[Hawg73]

Full Article:
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=5741331

I know ye guys aint Interested in this, but It Is not going away, alot of powerful people behind the NFL are pushing this...........

Thoughts?

I'm definitely interested in this and believe it is going to happen.

The main thing will be putting the franchises somewhere that fan interest can be strong enough to carry them through the first few building years.

I'd say London could support one and put a team in Germany, possibly Frankfort which I believe is football savvy. Is there a better spot than those two?

I don't give a shit about jet lag or scheduling issues. That can be worked out. I'm more interested in whether the game of football is viable in other countries and can succeed. I think it can if it is done gradually and intelligently.

The potential team names alone boggle the mind.

The Berlin Wall
Moscow Dynamo
Rome Gladiators
Barcelona Dragons (no need to eff with that one)
Amsterdam Hippies
Dublin Shamrocks
London Monarchs (again, keep it)
Paris Surrender Monkeys
Athens Spartans

The idea of true INTERNATIONAL football is exciting to me. Football is basically simulated war and interest in these games could get pretty intense in time.

 

[Denism]

Serious question...would you pony up the equivalent prices including PSLs etc. to have season tickets? Even crap teams over here sell out every week for the most part. Do you know a lot of fellow fans who would?
How available are NFL games on tv over there?
I wish the NFL would share with us a bit more of the actual data to show that it would be sustainable and wouldn't ruin the quality of the game especially with their decision to end NFLE due to financial reasons. I still think that was done on purpose to increase a clamor for NFL games overseas. Then again I LOVED NFLE.

Not sure about the season tickets thing HSanders, i would say yes tbh. there are hundreds of soccer clubs with season tickets holders all over Europe.

In terms of TV coverage, we currently have 2 Live games on Sky Sports every sunday, 1 Live game on Sunday night on Channel 4 and The monday night game is Live here on ESPN so in total we get 4 Live games every weekend, and always the holiday games are shown live (thanksgiving, xmas etc) and Every playoff game is shown Live. What we dont have much of is the likes of the Total Access shows (only 1 a week).

Let me give u a small example how popular NFL is:
Sky sports runs their own type of Fantasy Football competition every week, as far as im aware, its only the UK & Irish people in it.There is 23 Thousand plus entered into this

And for all counts, The NFL is Huge in Germany too.

An NFL Repesentitive has already Said he's 100% Confident that in the Future they're will be TWO games minimum a year comming to London. And Seemly Germany are also trying to get on board with this too (but im not sure how well thats going tbh)

Even myself when i was getting onto the Plane to go to the game last season leaving Cork where i live (and trust me, Cork is a small place), Alot of the people on the plane were wearing NFL Jerseys which i was amazed and delighted at.

 

[Den-in-NH]

Rome Gladiators and Athens Spartans. Good job Hawg. I also am in favor of keeping the Admirals, and Monarchs. Dragons should be changed to Bulls (as in Running with - get it?) As far as other names I suggest:

Dublin Castles (or Castleguards)

Copenhagen Cobras (same as their soccer team)

Berlin Underground

 

[Hawg73]

Rome Gladiators and Athens Spartans. Good job Hawg. I also am in favor of keeping the Admirals, and Monarchs. Dragons should be changed to Bulls (as in Running with - get it?) As far as other names I suggest:

Dublin Castles (or Castleguards)

Copenhagen Cobras (same as their soccer team)

Berlin Underground

I knew Dublin Shamrocks is pretty trite, but the shamrock is such a good graphic symbol and represents the country well that I went with it.

I realize there are more important issues to be solved to make this a reality, but making the various cities more in line with a national identity could be key in making it fly. The marketing deals could be tremendous.

The flghts would be outrageous, but imagine Tokyo having a team. Sydney, Austrailia.

A true international sports league. Maybe not impossible. Maybe american football is the game that could make this a reality, but we are talking many years of careful strategy and growth to make this happen, but it is one hell of lot more interesting than putting teams in Oklahoma City or Los Angeles in my opinion.

 

[anderson]

Rome Gladiators and Athens Spartans. Good job Hawg. I also am in favor of keeping the Admirals, and Monarchs. Dragons should be changed to Bulls (as in Running with - get it?) As far as other names I suggest:

Dublin Castles (or Castleguards)

Copenhagen Cobras (same as their soccer team)

Berlin Underground

There is no "Copenhagen Copras"

Also Denmark does not have the demographic to have an NFL team.

I think Germany and England could have NFL teams.

 

[anderson]

When I lived in Europe, the main reason for not watching games was the time difference.

Games ending at 3-4am just sucks when you have to get up for work the next day. Having games in Europe fixes that.

 

[cadmonkey]

So he's really trying to go with changing the name from the NFL (National Football League) to the IFL (International Football League). I don't like it. Its stinks, and it sucks, and it stinks.

 

[Den-in-NH]

There is no "Copenhagen Copras"

Also Denmark does not have the demographic to have an NFL team.

I think Germany and England could have NFL teams.

Dude Copenhagen is one of the largest cities in Europe - Copengen and its suburban metro area has nearly 2 million people living in it. Plus it would be a national team, expanding it's fan base to 5 and a half million. That would give it a potential fan base larger than the greater metro areas of San Fran, San Diego, Seattle and many other markets. It would be a fan base about the size of greater metro Houston.

 

[German_Patriot]

When I lived in Europe, the main reason for not watching games was the time difference.

Games ending at 3-4am just sucks when you have to get up for work the next day. Having games in Europe fixes that.

Excellent point right here

Dude Copenhagen is one of the largest cities in Europe - Copengen and its suburban metro area has nearly 2 million people living in it. Plus it would be a national team, expanding it's fan base to 5 and a half million. That would give it a potential fan base larger than the greater metro areas of San Fran, San Diego, Seattle and many other markets. It would be a fan base about the size of greater metro Houston.

What you seem to ignore is that the majority of those 5.5 million people doesn't give a **** about football.
Vienna would make more sense to me and of course the Ruhr district.