Playing in London

[Ned Ludd]

(10-09-2015, 09:23 PM)Awful Llama Wrote: I hear that's not an issue since you Brits boil all of your food

Fortunately, we've got these great clown-based restaurants we've imported. That's where we go when we want decent food... 

[Ned Ludd]

(10-09-2015, 04:24 PM)J24 Wrote: Thanks for the response. It's kinda sucks that the sport isn't growing at high rate like Basketball and Hockey are in Europe ( not so much in UK). The only info  I really can get about the growth of the sport is from IFAF and their very slanted.

I guess it's similar to how soccer is/was in the US, we've got sports that are established and have nearly 150 years plus of history. New sports struggle to get the coverage and hence don't get to be popular. I watch my local hockey team, for example, but I'd guess that 90% of my town don't even know they exist! We sort of need an equivalent of the US women's soccer team; success on a world scale and the exposure that goes with it for football to take off in any real way here. 

Starting a franchise here now might help (if it were successful) but it might follow the same path as the NASL in the 70's/80's - set up in a blaze of publicity, initial success but not built on firm enough foundations and ultimately failing. What would help, and what is getting some publicity over here, are British players doing consistently well in the NFL; a dozen or more Osi Umenyioras or Lawrence Tynes's would become role models and really start things moving. Build a franchise around some homegrown players and watch it fly...

[J24]

(10-10-2015, 02:13 AM)Ned Ludd Wrote: I guess it's similar to how soccer is/was in the US, we've got sports that are established and have nearly 150 years plus of history. New sports struggle to get the coverage and hence don't get to be popular. I watch my local hockey team, for example, but I'd guess that 90% of my town don't even know they exist! We sort of need an equivalent of the US women's soccer team; success on a world scale and the exposure that goes with it for football to take off in any real way here. 

Starting a franchise here now might help (if it were successful) but it might follow the same path as the NASL in the 70's/80's - set up in a blaze of publicity, initial success but not built on firm enough foundations and ultimately failing. What would help, and what is getting some publicity over here, are British players doing consistently well in the NFL; a dozen or more Osi Umenyioras or Lawrence Tynes's would become role models and really start things moving. Build a franchise around some homegrown players and watch it fly...

Agreed. If their more international players the game will get bigger overseas. The NFL needs to stop just focusing on selling the NFL and needs to invest in  developing more international talent. That's probably my biggest complaint about the NFL is that they just sell the league but not the game overseas.  I guess what I am trying to say is the NFL will only grow if people are actually playing the game.

[StLucieBengal]

[fredtoast]

(10-08-2015, 09:20 PM)StLucieBengal Wrote: Besides its not like we are going to the no go zones in Birmingham.

(10-09-2015, 03:07 AM)Ned Ludd Wrote: Ah, Fox News has a lot to answer for! I live in Birmingham, it's a fine city.

[grampahol]

Reading this thread I keep thinking of John Grisham's Playing For Pizza. Somehow I keep thinking that some yet to be discovered Cleveland QB going to London because they darn sure ain't going anywhere in Cleveland. Hey! Maybe Mr. J Football will be a big star in London.

[Ned Ludd]

(10-10-2015, 09:52 PM)grampahol Wrote: Reading this thread I keep thinking of John Grisham's Playing For Pizza. Somehow I keep thinking that some yet to be discovered Cleveland QB going to London because they darn sure ain't going anywhere in Cleveland.  Hey! Maybe Mr. J Football will be a big star in London.

We'd need to rename him Johnny American-Football...

[IsaacCurtis]

http://www.businessinsider.com/airbus-just-patented-a-jet-that-can-fly-from-london-to-new-york-in-1-hour-2015-7

The rich and powerful and government know stuff well in advance of the public. The nfl knew this was happening or they wouldn't have had as many games out there

[fredtoast]

(10-10-2015, 03:43 AM)J24 Wrote:  The NFL needs to stop just focusing on selling the NFL and needs to invest in  developing more international talent. 

I have long said that there is a ton of untapped NFL talent around the world.  there are so many athletic giants and a lot of them are tossing discus, putting the shot, wrestling, weight-lifting, or involved in "strong man" competitions.

This talent needs to be tapped at the college level, but I am really surprised that big colleges with multi-million dollar recruiting budgets have not started recruiting international "power" athletes.  I realize Hunts has been a disappointment, but there are plenty of other success stories.  Ezekial Ansah never played football until college and he is turning nito a very good DE for the Lions.  A few Years back the Patriots had a starting O-lineman who was a former wrestler that did not even play in college.  Stacy Andrews only played a few snaps of football in college.

I realize a lot of those guys were from right here in the United States, but the point is that there are a lot of these guys around the world.  A fifth of the players in the NBA are from foreign countries.  A third of MLB players.  There have to be a lot of NFL quality players out there who are not getting the chance