Thoughts on the NFL playing in England

by gregeng on Oct 23, 2009 5:00 PM EDT Comment 18 comments

The Patriots and the Bucs are playing in London on Sunday. This is a fantastic thing American Football fans, not just in the UK, but Holland and Germany as well. The game sold out in a few hours, but what about a NFL team based in London.

The idea of the NFL basing a team in London is a growing one. There is frequent mention of the fact that there is no team in Americas second biggest TV market, Los Angeles, the value of a team in London would quickly surpass this. A TV deal to show this team would be worth hundreds of millions of pounds,the advertising revenue would also be massive. Expanding American Football around the world is a stated aim of the NFL, no where is better prepared for this than London. Compared to places like Jacksonville, it is a perfect place for a team.

What would it mean for the other teams in the NFL? I don't think an expansion team would work over here,it would take too long to establish itself. A current NFL team would be better but which one and would it really be fair on that city? It does not matter to the league, they want to maximise revenue and putting a team in London would do that?

The biggest problem, as i see it, with bringing a team to London is the differing tax systems. I don't know what the personal tax ratse are in the states, but the players coming to London would have to pay around 55% in tax in the UK. I guess this is alot more than in the states. Whilst they could get the same net pay it will increase the staff costs to the frachise by around 10%. This might not be sustainable. Still, i would like the NFL to come to the UK on a permanent basis.

There is a similar post on Pats Pulpit

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I heard Goodell and John MAdden talking about this on Sirius NFL radio today with ADam Schein…and MAdden asked about adding more games etc.
And they said yes, more international games per year…and it was stuff we’d all heard before, but I had a good idea.

Instead of adding a team, just have a full slate of games in London (8 to 16 games) and that way, they could at least have a season ticket base of fans and get used to having a regular “season” of NFL football.
For one team to do all the traveling a team like that would have to do is almost too much to ask, on top of what you mentioned about taxes and finances gregeng, so I thnk that this is a better solution.

Goodell doesn’t get into specifics, so i am unsure when anything drastic would happen. Unfortunately, in a world of “now” we might wait 10 to 20 years before we a Euro team, but the wait could be good.
What is too bad, is that the international community won’t add to the NFL talent pool…that would take longer, but it would be interesting if we could get more young people around the world playing football and changing the game.

Dam soccer taking all the athletes around the rest of the world

Good Luck With Your Firings Mr. Wilson….Go Bills!

by killascript on Oct 23, 2009 5:30 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

i like the idea of each team playing one game a year in London.

is that the international community won’t add to the NFL talent pool…that would take longer, but it would be interesting if we could get more young people around the world playing football and changing the game.

Dam soccer taking all the athletes around the rest of the world

I dont think many soccer players have the size to play American Football, but Rugby on the other hand churns out hundeds of players a year who would make perfect linebackers, Receivers and Running Backs, not to mention punters and kickers. It is an area I think the NFL and college games would do well to look into.

The past is fixed, the future is unknown, try dealing with the present!

by gregeng on Oct 24, 2009 1:41 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

There are football players out there, bigger guys that don’t even play rugby or soccer most likely. Also, if there was a grassroots campaign to get football started out there, the players would be developed over time. Just like in the US….players are getting bigger, stronger and faster, because we are shaping the physicality of some youth to be football players.
It might happen someday, and we could have a real World Football League…but we’d need faster planes

Good Luck With Your Firings Mr. Wilson….Go Bills!

by killascript on Oct 25, 2009 1:26 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

but we’d need faster planes

They could always use the space shuttles that will unfortunately be discontinued from service. They travel 75,000 mph to achieve escape velocity!

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by TheAfghanTwilight on Oct 25, 2009 10:08 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

There is no way...

I would play for London. I am sorry but 55% versus 30% tax would not work for me. Think about it, on a ten million dollar contract I would be taking home $4.5 mil instead of $7 mil. That would just not work. Secondly, I would not want to make that flight to SEA or LAX. My god that would be painful. You would need the whole week just for travelling. How do you see London bringing in talent Greg?

"I lost my mind three months ago when I woke up married to a pineapple, an ugly pineapple... I still love her though."

by Seattlite on Oct 23, 2009 11:00 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Tell you what, I don’t see how it could ever happen…it just doesn’t make sense to have one team across the ocean….not until there is a faster mode of travel, or there is a one world economy, or government

Good Luck With Your Firings Mr. Wilson….Go Bills!

by killascript on Oct 23, 2009 11:26 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

lets hope there is never one world government

lets not continue to centralize power in one place. Never ends well for anyone.

Travel is the problem. I like your idea of 16 game slate, each team playing one game a year in London. The NFL could generat a lot revenue and spread the popularity of the league

The no huddle is gone, please sign tackles Runyan, Jones or Walker

by poz on Oct 24, 2009 8:32 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

sure

and they probably don’t really want a team anyway…but they probably would dig the spectacle, which it seems they already do, and overtime, they would learn to love it. You have to indoctrinate them for a period of time.

Good Luck With Your Firings Mr. Wilson….Go Bills!

by killascript on Oct 25, 2009 1:23 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

yesss propagandaaaaa

so true. You should send a letter to the league office. I think they might make more money and be more effective in the short run with a 16 game slate. Heres the thing: dont just limit it to London. You could make fall Sundays a big spectacle in Europe and Europeans tend to do festivities better than anyone, lots of drinking, chanting, singing, all that stuff. Do one game in Frankfurt, London, Paris (well, maybe not Paris…..), Geneva, Liverpool, Dublin, etc. I mean, heck, I might be willing to shell out the dough to time a vacation from work with a Bills game in a cool place like Barcelona even if its only once.

The only problem I can gather is oweners, mayors, and small business owners who would oppose this because they would lose the revenue of a home game in their town on Sundays. And they do have a point I think.

The one thing I’m really opposed to is a Super Bowl outside of the U.S. The Championship stays in America. I know they were talking about a Super Bowl in London. As much as I love our brothers across the pond, I think there are enough cities in America that richly deserve a Super Bowl that havent had one yet that it just wouldn’t be right.

The no huddle is gone, please sign tackles Runyan, Jones or Walker

by poz on Oct 25, 2009 4:10 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

The only problem I can gather is oweners, mayors, and small business owners who would oppose this because they would lose the revenue of a home game in their town on Sundays. And they do have a point I think.

Just add a game to the regular season, which Goodell wants anyway, and play it over seas.

And yes, having a Super Bowl overseas is a no-no. F THAT!!

Good Luck With Your Firings Mr. Wilson….Go Bills!

by killascript on Oct 25, 2009 8:35 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I am not sure this idea would ever get off the ground, but if it did I imagine that you would still be an American employee living in England. Same as if you were an American executive who spent most of their time in England. That way you would only deal with American income tax (and the exchange rate of course!). It would allow you to still have the english players still in the ‘pool’ of available players in regards to commensurate pay, free agency, etc.

I think that travel would be tricky, but no more so than Super 14 rugby, which is pro level rugby between teams from Australia, South Africa, and New Zealand. I am sure it could be sorted out if everyone was keen enough.

by AussieBill on Oct 24, 2009 6:07 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

It happens in the NBA with Toronto. Those Canadians pay half their salary to the government.

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by MattRichWarren on Oct 26, 2009 8:22 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

here is the rub

hahah says with a London no but seriously for a moment: Here is the problem.
San Diego plays London @ London. You want to talk about jetlag that’s jetlag. What if the Raiders or somebody get a Monday Night and then have to go there Thursday.

This space held in honor of Robert Royal known to his friends as "Sweet Cream Style Corn" March 11 2006- February 26, 2009

by pasaluki on Oct 23, 2009 11:52 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

What if the Raiders or somebody get a Monday Night and then have to go there Thursday.

Obviously, it wouldn’t be scheduled that way. There’s a reason the Pats and Bucs have a bye next week….

~K
"As the governor of Louisiana once said, the only way Chris Kelsay can lose his job is if he got caught in bed with a dead girl or a live boy."

by Kurupt on Oct 24, 2009 12:30 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

meant to say says with a London accent :P

This space held in honor of Robert Royal known to his friends as "Sweet Cream Style Corn" March 11 2006- February 26, 2009

by pasaluki on Oct 23, 2009 11:53 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

wow I'm out of it

anyway I don’t have anything against London. But England doesn’t even deserve a franchise, who DOES is Germany. Who love and embrace football. Even though the NFL ripped away their teams from them when NFL Europe folded, Germans still love it!
read these articles:
1: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/the_bonus/10/01/football.europe/index.html
2: http://www.army.mil/-news/2009/04/14/19619-german-american-football-club-offers-a-taste-of-home/

In fact many of them are MORE passionate about it than us, because it is new to them, they love learning about it, and they don’t take it for granted. They love watching the NFL it’s like were their role models. It’s fun to see and the NFL if it must expand overseas, should give a franchise to Germany. Probably located in Frankfurt.

This space held in honor of Robert Royal known to his friends as "Sweet Cream Style Corn" March 11 2006- February 26, 2009

by pasaluki on Oct 24, 2009 4:37 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I actually met a guy who was playing in one of the feeder leagues of NFL Europe. He was from Austria and was a CB/special teamer. The kid was just super psyched about the game in general. He carried his trading card around with him in his wallet.

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by WhyBillsWhy on Oct 24, 2009 12:38 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I think a team in Hawaii or Alaska would make more sense.

It’s still the Americas, but it’s pretty foreign ground. The proximity of Alaska to both Russia and Canada would help spread the popularity. Plus, alaska has a ton of kick-ass wildlife to base a logo around.

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by TheAfghanTwilight on Oct 25, 2009 10:11 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs