Sunday 4 November 2012

An NFL franchise in London? Yer 'avin' a larf, Guv'nor.

Back around 1986, I read an article about the growth of American Football in the United Kingdom. In the article, then San Diego Chargers quarterback Dan Fouts raved about the possibility of an NFL team based in London, citing only logistics as being a potential stumbling block. 
Back around October 2012, I read an article about the growth of American Football in the United Kingdom. In the article, current Patriots owner Robert Kraft raved about the possibility of an NFL team based in London, although with no immediate mention of potential stumbling blocks. 

Similar stories, 26 years apart. In 1986, British fans were at a frenzy; viewing figures on Channel 4 were still standing up well in the 4 years it had been on our screens, the Dallas Cowboys and Chicago Bears had enthralled an enthusiastic (and soggy) British crowd at Wembley Stadium (and that's the proper one, with twin towers...) and the NFL was unleashing a merchandise marketing offensive that was drawing in more and more young fans. Teams were appearing all over the green fields of the British Isles, and whilst the athletic standards were not by any means professional, no one could doubt the enthusiasm that the players played with. 

26 years on, and NFL in the UK is at a similar juncture to the one it was at in 1986. After a lull in following during the mid to late 90's (a lot due to less TV coverage here), the popularity has grown again to such a point that there is talk of basing a pro team in the UK. And for me, that sets alarm bells ringing. In 1986, as an excitable young NFL fan, it was a hugely exciting prospect. But as an older, marginally wiser if no less excitable fan, I can see more reasons to not see this happen than I would like.

Without getting into deep details, my personal view is that it's essentially a bad idea for many reasons. The obvious arguments are the logistics borne from the distance between certain teams, especially those on the West Coast. Whilst the distance from the East Coast to here is relatively similar to the distance between Eastern and Western America, there is still a lot of mileage to cover in a regular season. Some excellent arguments are written here, on the NFL-Ireland site: http://nfl-ireland.com/2012/10/nfl-international-series-london-lacking/. This also perhaps explains the situation better than I can write, and perhaps gives one of the better thought out reasonings of why a London franchise may not be the best thing for global expansion of the NFL. If a new team was to be created, that would mean for league parity another team would come into existence as well - and I feel that would dilute an already tight talent pool still further. When I started watching NFL there were 28 teams. At present there is 32 teams in the league. Would 34 be too many? I think so. 

So while UK fans are split into three probably fairly even camps, the No's, the Yes's and the Couldn't Care Lesses, how about the view from America? Let's take a look at some genuine comments I pulled from various Facebook threads around the time that Kraft paid a huge lip service to the notion. The question here was simply 'Should the NFL base a team in London?' 


Oh dear. American's aren't overly keen on the idea either, it would seem. A point about the second to last comment. I have seen numerous similar statements, that we should be given the pointless and uncompetitive jolly day out that is the Pro Bowl. Evidently, to some US fans, us UK fans would be quite happy with this. We stopped going to preseason games at Wembley a long time ago because they were clearly not competitive or meaningful enough. It's unlikely the British fan would tolerate something like the Pro Bowl.
Moving on, and some more words of wisdom.

The World League/NFL Europe also often crops up as an argument, and there is a point there to a certain degree. But again,  knowledgable fans were still feeling shortchanged in the skill stakes; and nothing was as good as watching real NFL teams that we were more used to seeing in the first place. The NFL should take heed that we are an incredibly fickle sports nation, and view change and development with pessimistic eyes. NFL Europe failed for us because there was little consistency from season to season. Players, teams and venues changed often and made it hard to build a solid fanbase. There was also much less coverage on TV.


I can understand some views that there are more deserving cities in the US alone that would be guaranteed to support and uphold their own NFL team. But what I can't understand is some fans who clearly don't want the NFL to work overseas because it's 'their' sport. You know, the sport that is a mutation of Rugby and Soccer(ball)? It is nothing but an American take on these games, and perhaps this should be remembered by some of them. I also disagree with the common notion that we don't like the NFL in this country anyway. It might still be a lower tier sport over here, but the generalisation that no-one likes it is something that many Americans are wrong about. Although, I have read numerous comments from the other side of the fence, with British people dismissing the NFL as a novelty sport (and the age old cries of padded men in motorcycle helmets of course) - and maybe herein lies another obstacle. There are clearly cultural differences at work here, as much as anything else. Whilst some of us choose to embrace this culture, it does go against the grain of the British stiff upper lip. The average British sports fan doesn't have much interest in the NFL, and the cross Atlantic distrust seems to operate both ways.

So, all in all there is still a stalemate. Whilst realistically, the idea of an International team is probably the wrong route to take, the subject will stay hot for a good while yet. In my eyes, if the NFL wants to up it's profile overseas, support the grassroots game. Grow the fanbase by really getting behind the amateurs who play in this country. Go back to flooding the marketplace with merchandise - we are still not seeing goods anywhere near like the volume we enjoyed 25 years ago. Whilst we get more TV coverage, the efforts still aren't enough to make it mainstream. The time difference means that a lot of TV coverage is purely for the hardcore, and without opening other avenues the sport will never flourish at the rate needed to sustain a team here. The arguments for not having a British franchise still clearly outweigh the positives that could come of it. I can't see it happening anytime soon, and to be honest, I don't think it's in the best interests of the sport to entertain it. The International Series every year is irrelevant, people will always attend, but should not be the yardstick used by the League to gauge favour amongst us. But, quotes such as potential London team names:
The London Limeys 
The South Bank Bear Baiters 
The Sex Pistols 
The Lost Empire 
The Snaggleteeth
The Wembley Willies
The London Tallywackers
The Great Brittan Gingivitis
The London Tea Sippers

And the general impression that Americans have of us:
Isn't England full of a bunch of guys that have a tea parties everyday? They don't seem like the type of guys who like a man's sport (football).   seem to open the culture gap even wider. Oh dear. Again.

Genuine quotes - take them as you will. Whilst not directly abusive, they do hint at some of the impressions we as 'Brits' seem to give out, and for some reason it really annoys me. I'm presuming that these people have never been over here. It's frustrating to read so many replies to articles that are along this same vein. I gave up trying to correct them. Whether they are the majority or the minority I can't say. But there is opposition nonetheless, and I do sympathise. I just wish that their claims were backed up with more reasoning.

Amazing to think that really, we are in a similar position to that all those years ago. If it was no more than a notion back then, what's changed today? The world is no smaller, the game is likely no more popular. The rise in interest is only comparable to the first wave of interest - it is not, in my opinion any stronger than that. Maybe the NFL could think of better ways to further it's following overseas; at the moment expansion is not the answer.









6 comments:

  1. You've already seen most of my views on your first topic, so let me give some on the second - even if I'm at risk of upsetting or even alienating?) any American readers of your blog - or those with strong American connections. No offence is meant - just my views...
    The AVERAGE American believes that the USA is the greatest country in the world, the most modern and the fairest - witness their interference in places like Korea and Viet Nam). Of course, we think the same, but we aren't so arrogant about it! They have also saved the world from any number of preposterous impending disasters such as meteor strikes, alien domination, melting ice caps and world domination by evil humans! Actually, they are paranoid. And jealous. They don't have a history: they weren't invented until the 15th century -arguably, later as Colombus didn't actually land on their shores. They want our history and they all want to be related to Royalty - and they can't have it! So they muck about with OUR history in THEIR films and give the American people the images that they want but which aren't true. They are totally paranoid about Communism - which is why they got involved in those two wars I mentioned. And look at the MacCarthy witch hunts of the 1950s.... Until recently when the English actors became the perfect Hollywood villains (thanks to Alan Rickman for that!) Englishmen swere usually portrayed as Lord Hammersmith (or the like), very rich, cousins to the Queen, drinking tea with their crumpets and altogether rather dim. which is why the AVERAGE America firmly believes that we are actually like that. I think I have turned full circle.
    In fairness to the AVERAGE American, its not his/her fault: it is Hollywood that feeds their imagination but with falsehoods not truth. I have not meant to offend and Americans or those with American connections and I hope they will forgive me for having my views!!! Have a nice day.....

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  2. BTW - I really thought that was a painting there for a moment.....

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    1. Maybe this is the root cause of all of this negativity towards us?

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  3. Could be. My opinion is that, in believing these images, we come out rather poorly in their eyes, and therefore inferior....

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  4. Having lived there for many years I can tell you now your idea of the Average American is also based on what the media has fed you. They don't have those silly stereo types of tea and crumpets as their view of us. They know we don't all have tea with the Queen every Sunday either. They are a very proud nation full of enthusiasm and genuine love of the UK and only jealous in a very flattering way. I have always admired their total hard work ethic and their way of throwing themselves wholeheartedly into everything they do. They could certainly teach us a few lessons in pride for their country and general enthusiasm and support. We are patriotic when it suits us at sporting events or special occasions Americans love their country no matter what and never doubt it,unlike us who all too quickly run ours down at the slighest mistake. So sorry you feel that way but I think we have totally the wrong idea of Americans here simply fed the same way through Hollywood and the media. And yes you do offend me but I just think you like many others have no idea what you're talking about having never been there or lived there! And have a nice day is something I notice has been adopted here and yes they do actually mean it! I could go on but I'll leave it there...

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  5. The most long awaited sport every season is the Football from National Football League. There are numbers of people like to watch football or soccer game and many people thinking to buy a franchise of it to become a rich man. Anyway, good to read the article.

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