The NFL Thread

[Johnny75]

I don't follow NFL but my boss keeps calling me Ryan Fitzpatrick. Apparently it's to do with my beard.

Are you shite for 45 minutes of every 60 you work?

(Or it could be the beard)

 

[Tyrannosaurus Dan]

That's probably a pretty accurate description of me at work :icon_lol: I think it was more the beard though. I had a nice hair cut and beard trim last night though so I've tamed it down a bit now!

 

[PuntsWolf]

From the other thread it mentioned there was going to be a new London franchise? If that is the case won't one of the current teams have to drop out to make room in the NFL?

 

[Alan]

Either a franchise will "move" to London or they'll start a new one altogether. Expansion franchises are added to the league with some regularity; more profits and all that. It wouldn't surprise me in the least to see another two or four teams join the league within the next decade. Particularly, I'd expect that a UK and German franchise are likely in the works (Germany was far and away the most receptive country to NFL Europe).

When new teams join the league the divisions are simply reshuffled for competitive balance. That way no teams are "lost" or forced out of the league.

 

[Lycan]

Didn't they have a huge turn out in Mexico for a 49ers v Cardinals game a while back? They could easily start a team or two in Canada as well.

 

[Alan]

Didn't they have a huge turn out in Mexico for a 49ers v Cardinals game a while back? They could easily start a team or two in Canada as well.

There has been a lot of focus on selling the game to the Latino/Hispanic/Central American population so that doesn't surprise me (I remember the game you're talking about but can't remember how well it was received).

As for Canada, there's been talk of putting a team in Toronto for ages, but as the Canadian Football League is rather healthy at the moment I'm not sure that the city of Toronto would want to add competition to the Argonauts' market (same for the other cities which host CFL franchises).

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

I'm not brilliantly versed in the machinations of the NFL but surely the key for a new franchise is as much making sure that it's competitive (and quickly) as much as ensuring that the raw interest is there?

To use a football parallel, I'm sure playing Man Utd vs Liverpool in Singapore would attract an absolute huge audience. Similarly Wembley gets good crowds now when the NFL teams pay an annual visit. But if there were a Singapore Utd parachuted into the Premier League and they were rock bottom and lost all the time, crowds would dwindle very quickly. If you created a London franchise in the NFL and they struggled then I think you'd soon end up with a very sparsely populated stadium (and as Wembley is so big, you only need a relatively small drop off for it to look horrendous, have a look at the crowd tonight which all told for a game which is as meaningless as it gets, won't really be that bad).

Identity is pretty key here for sports fans too I think - franchising is not a familiar concept. There are many who like me, struggle to accept MK Dons over a decade since they moved* the club.


*Stole.

 

[Alan]

The way the NFL is set up means that parity is nigh guaranteed. As an expansion franchise the London team would get first pick of in the NFL draft and priority in free agent signings. The league makes every effort to ensure that each team is as competitive as possible. Teams that are consistently poor (like Oakland and Jacksonville) are so because their ownership has no idea how to run the place and makes poor personnel decisions and coaching hires.

In short, if the expansion team made a smart choice regarding its general manager, then there is no reason why it could not be competitive in short order. For reference, the Jaguars and Panthers each made their respective conference championship games in 1996 after just joining the league in 1995.

If there is a tripwire here, it is in the identity. That, certainly, would take time and clever marketing.

 

[Johnny75]

It would help if their were more British players coming through either the college system or a European exchange system (plenty of Uni teams across the EU).

I think it's inevitable and hopefully an expansion team rather than a franchise. Ownership would be interesting, one for Mr Henry maybe?

 

[The Bear]

Mike - Where do you stop over when you go to Wembley for the games? Went to book a hotel yesterday and the price had gone up from £35 to £66 in the space of a couple of days. Wankers.

 

[darlowolf64]

Mike - Where do you stop over when you go to Wembley for the games? Went to book a hotel yesterday and the price had gone up from £35 to £66 in the space of a couple of days. $#@!ers.

My brother has us booked into the Civil Service Club near Whitehall. Not sure it's much less than the £66 you've been asked for though

 

[The Bear]

Ok ta.

 

[darlowolf64]

Ok ta.

Do you want me to ask him how much he could get you a room for? (if one is available?)

 

[The Bear]

No that's ok ta. Looks like it's £65 per room there in any case. Plus we try to stay further north around the Edgware area so it's near the M1 and the Jubilee tube line. Makes it easier to get in and out.

 

[James]

Ravens are 5 touchdowns up in the 2nd.

 

[The Bear]

Brady getting a hard time in Buffalo.

 

[PPB]

Steelers getting their arses kicked in Cleveland !

 

[James]

Steelers getting their arses kicked in Cleveland !

Like they did against the Ravens

 

[The Bear]

Steelers defence really is crap at the minute. Doesn't help either that the offence isn't performing against three of the crappest NFL teams in the last three weeks.

 

[James]