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Discussion Question(s): http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/21225766/nfl-london-international-series-surviving-challenging-s-the-field
https://www.sbnation.com/2017/10/1/16352640/nfl-team-relocate-london-schedule
Do you personally agree with the NFL's international presence in London as a fan? Would it be a good idea for the NFL to create a team in London rather than just having a few games a year there? Do you think this will be beneficial to the NFL as a business?
I think that it is very unique for the NFL to have an international presence for a game that largely resides in the US; however, I think it is good that the NFL is trying to spread their fan base and gain a following for the sport. I think that the NFL has done a very good job so far of gaining this presence, as 40,000 people bought tickets to all 4 games. I think that London would definitely be prepared for a team in the NFL, but I don't think that it's practical for the organization. As mentioned in the article, the team would have to play 8 games in the US each year and 8 in the UK. Additionally, 8 teams would have to travel to the UK each year for games. This intercontinental travel would be a huge stress on the players, coaches, and everyone involved. It would be very hard for the NFL to make it so that players had bye weeks after travels and I'm sure that an NFL team in London would create a huge amount of stress for all involved. I think that the NFL team in London would be beneficial to the NFL as the business, but is not worth it in all other aspects.
ReplyDeleteThe NFL has had success overseas. They have sold over 40,000 tickets and have been received well in London. In my opinion the NFL has the right idea with having a few games in London. However that is where the line should be drawn. Creating a team in London would be a nightmare for the players. They would have to constantly adjust to the new timezones and lose money due to the cost of travel. What I think would be interesting (and what I think the NFL is trying to do) is if there were many teams throughout Europe. There could then be divisions and the league would be set up in a way in which American teams only occasionally play European teams.
ReplyDeleteThe NFL has had huge success with the over seas games in London over 40,000 tickets were sold and the fans are growing. But the big issue that every team going over has in the time difference and travel issues thats why we only have a few games a year there so this is not always an issue. I think having a team in London would be very cool and interesting it would also spread the fan base of many teams but the problem is that they would have to have 8 games un the US and 8 games in the UK this would really but a toll on both US and UK teams with travel issues. I think if the UK made there own league like the NFL but in the UK that would be really interesting and having out of conference games between the NFL and UK teams but till then I believe that they should just keep it with just a few games in London.
ReplyDeleteIn a business standpoint for the NFL, having a team or stadium built in London or i Europe is not a bad idea. Football is growing rapidly in England especially, and having an attraction like that is good for international reputation. 40,000 tickets is nothing to scoff at, and with a growing interest, having a team in London brings in the sport's international reputation that much larger. Lastly, the current stadium in London brings the fans of a sport together and express their love for a sport that is overshadowed by the other football on the continent.
ReplyDeleteWhile I believe that it is an amusing and cool idea to spread the NFL overseas, it is extremely illogical. Having a few games a year over there is affecting 4 NFL teams, which is bad enough. Adding more games, or even implementing a team there would be horrible for the players and they would constantly suffer from travel. While the love of the game in London is bringing it lots of business and revenue for the NFL, and many fans are exciting about watching the games, the players and teams need to be taken into consideration. The NFL would become a bigger business, and it would most definitely benefit it, however it is not feasible or practical when taking a bigger look on the effect it has on the players. It would not be fair to expect competitive games to occur between players and teams that are traveling constantly.
ReplyDelete1. As a fan, I really believe that the NFL’s decision to host games in London is a great idea. Being a fan, I know how much fun it is to watch my home team play football on TV. In addition, I know how much more fun it is to be there at the stadium. All the excitement and emotions of the game are amplified by being at the stadium and going to a football game makes for a great Sunday activity. I believe that people in London should get the same opportunity to have a team they love and be able to watch them at the stadium without having to travel overseas. When I think about the NFL’s international presence in London, I also try very hard to keep in mind that London doesn’t have any football leagues like the US does. So by having the NFL host some games in London, it really means a lot to them in that they get to experience the joy of football.
ReplyDelete2. While I do think that an NFL team can be created in London, I like the solution of just having 8 games in London a lot better. Referred to as a “virtual league” by Jeanna Thomas in an SBNation article, this plan would allow more fairness in addition to the inclusion of many more fans in London. Obviously, a team that is based in London would have to spend too much time traveling to and from the US to play their games. This travel would probably greatly hinder the player's game and make for a bad team. By not having a London team and having various teams travel there for one game a year, the burden of travel is well distributed among the teams so that no one team would feel they are being unfairly treated. In addition to the long travel for the team, once the hypothetical team arrives, there is a very good chance that the large amount of fans that have been showing up at the games might not all come back. In the last 10 years, various different teams have played in London. As a result, there is almost definitely fans that only like one team and not the other. Because of the dedication of these fans, it is unlikely that they would just give it up and then all the sudden love the new London team. By many different teams travel to London each year, the NFL will be able to service each fan's needs by having their favorite teams in town, while also maybe created a new passion for fans in London that don’t yet have a team they love. The absurdly long travel time, in addition to the fact that the previous number of fans that have demonstrated interest will most likely be lower for one single team in London, makes having a team move to London a bad idea. The "virtual league", however, is a very good idea as the number of games played at home would be the same as having a team in London, the fans in London would get to see their favorite team, and the disadvantage of having to play games in London would be equally distributed throughout the NFL.
3. Without a doubt, this will be beneficial to the NFL. Regardless of whether the NFL chooses to have a “virtual league” or an actual team based in London, the number of games held in London will increase thus increase revenue for the league. Also, by having these games every single year, over time, the fan base in London will increase greatly, further increasing revenue. Lastly, if the NFL decides to have a “virtual league” in London instead of one team based in London, many more fans will become addicted to watching football because there will be many different teams playing. The fact that many different teams will be playing in London allows fans more freedom in picking their favorite team instead of being forced to love the home team. Because more fans will be engaged with the “virtual league”, there will be many more ticket sales and also many more TV memberships to watch NFL games bought, therefore increasing revenue for the NFL the most out of any possible decision regarding football in London.
I believe that it's great for the NFL since it's getting globalized as a brand and not only as a sport so fans internationally could attend and go to "American" Football games. Although American fans have to get up relatively earlier in order to watch their games, it benefits British fans who never had the opportunity to see teams play live. I believe that it would be very difficult for a British NFL team to perform against the US teams because they will have the conflict of travelling to the US and then having to play a game. This could affect the performance of the athletes, however if you want to talk about the business aspect, it could go either way because there are many expenses like a stadium and buying players etc. but also you could get many fans to come to the games. Also, Britain has the Barclays Premier League (Soccer), where almost all soccer fans go to the games so it could be a hard way to fit into the schedule a day for NFL. May be beneficial to put out the name of the NFL and American Football in the global fields but maybe another country (possibly Canada) should be considered also.
ReplyDeleteI believe that it is good for the NFL to be playing overseas in London. It promotes the positives of football and brings the U.S together with overseas countries. As a football fan in London, fans will be able to travel to America for one or more of the 8 games they would play here which is a unique opportunity for fans. It also benefits the British fans because they will be able to see their favorite teams not just over the T.V. Although this is a good idea for British fans and it will bring in more money to the NFL business, it could potentially affect the performance of the players. Players would be constantly traveling that long distance. Half of the NFL teams would play there each year and although it is only half, it gives an unfair advantage towards the teams that station in the U.S. Overall I think that the NFL should keep the one game a year in London and not adjust it to the new way although both ways have many benefits and downsides.
ReplyDeleteI definitely think it's a smart business decision. The London games thus far have proved that there is plenty of money to be made by having a team there. I don't know if having a dedicated team there is realistic without some adjustments. London games are already tough on teams. With one team having to cross the Atlantic for every game, it's not exactly fair. I do think it can be done, the NFL would just have to organize the games so that the London team isn't constantly flying back and forth across the Atlantic.
ReplyDeletePersonally, i dont think that its worth it having the players play in London. It fatigues the players for games that are on thursday. Its not very good for the players. Also it is just bad for the playerover all. Also theres a really bad cost to that type of thing. ALso gotta say. There is no real home feild advantage.
ReplyDeleteI believe that brining NFL games overseas is a great idea. It adds an international aspect of football that is rarely seen elsewhere. People in London now get a taste of the American culture, and can now attend NFL games live. Many of London's citizens may enjoy football, but they never get to see it live, because it is an American sport. Seeing the game live adds an aspect of excitement, Many people in London seem to agree, as all of the 4 games at Wembley Stadium in London sold out, totaling amounts of 70-80 thousand people attending each game. Though bringing the NFL to London 4 times a year has shown great success, it is unrealistic to create a team based there. Though the main issue is the travel and time difference, creating a team in London would take away from the "American" feel of the game. If a team were to be based there, they would have to travel across the ocean to another country to get adjusted to the time difference. With all of the home and away games that the London team would be playing, it would not make sense to put a team in London
ReplyDeleteIf the NFL were to expand more into Europe, I believe that it would be good for the world. It will help not only spread american culture, but spread spending money more abroad. 40,000 tickets being sold to all four games is a pretty good number for the NFL in a spot that is not widely played throughout the world, and basically primarily played in the US and Canada. But, it could be tough to expand a sport that shares the same name as the biggest spot in the world. A positive thing for the sport of football and the NFL is that it is a relatively low cost sport, likewise to soccer, compared to many other sports that exist in the world, which could make it more accessible to more people. But, even though this could be good for the fans, it could affect the players negatively. Jet lag is a huge factor is a traveler's life, and if players were to play with jet lag, which would most likely occur if they were to play games in the UK, it could cause the injury list to lengthen as it is dangerous and unhealthy to play a vigorous activity while tired. It is an interesting idea but consideration would need to be taken in on the player’s behalf. In general, this could be good for the culture and economics of the NFL and football, but the quality would most likely lessen due to players being unable to perform at their best due to the effects of travel.
ReplyDeleteI love the NFL's international presence in London. It's great for the game of football to have people outside of the United States to pick up the game, follow the game and ultimately fall in love with the game of football. The NFL actually has a strong fanbase in London, as the stadium is typically packed and the fans from across the globe aren't just interested in the game of football, the genuinely follow it and support a team. To be able to provide these fans with the entertainment they crave as well as exposing them to american football can only be a positive. The players also get to be a part of a nice in a lifetime experience to travel to London, spend a week in the city and ultimately play a game in which they are the only game on television. While I love the international presence in the NFL, I do not believe the NFL should establish a team in London. The long travel and the jet lag that would result in the long trips back and forth, not only for the players who play for whichever team would move to London but visiting teams as well, would create a logistical nightmare. Coaches and players have enough to focus on as it is when they are trying to develop a game winning game plan, they don't need the added stress of traveling back and forth. Having one game in London is fine because both teams have to make the trip then both teams go back home to play the rest of their season. Adding an NFL team in London would be a mistake. Maybe they can create their own league similar to how soccer has the Premier League and La Liga for different soccer teams in different countries. There would have to be a strong enough following of the sport in order to create the league, but I think do to continued exposure, the idea isn't out of reach in the future.
ReplyDeleteDo you personally agree with the NFL's international presence in London as a fan?
ReplyDeleteI don’t agree with the NFL’s presence in London because football is an american sport, with american teams, not teams from England. If there were teams from England I would agree with it, but there isn’t so I don’t see a reason for the NFL to be there.
Would it be a good idea for the NFL to create a team in London rather than just having a few games a year there?
I do think it would be a good idea for the NFL to create a team in London because I think it would impact the NFL largely with more money and capital. That being said, the fans of the team who’s moving to London would be very angry and the NFL would probably lose money from the fans being angry. I also think the players on the team in England wouldn’t like it because they’re in a foreign country, and from home. They will have to travel back to the U.S. for 8 games in the regular season, then potentially more in the postseason.
Do you think this will be beneficial to the NFL as a business?
I think it will benefit and hurt the NFL because they are gaining a ton of fans from England, but losing a lot of fans from the U.S. Many NFL fans in the U.S. would be angry with moving a team to England, which would be bad business in the U.S., but the London team's fan base would be the whole country since there’s only one football team.
I don't personally agree with with the NFL's presence in London because football tends to be more of an American based sport.
ReplyDeleteWould it be a good idea for the NFL to create a team in London rather than just having a few games a year there? I think having an NFL team would greatly benefit the country.
As a buisness I think that it would benefit the NFL because they are gaining more coverage world wide, as well as more fans who will be watching and buying the tickets of the England team.
Personally, I think it is rather odd that the NFL, a league based in and around America, has presence in other countries such as England. At the sam time, however, I think their is no downside to trying to grow their fan base and expand it abroad. This should only bring in more funds and money to the league. Clearly, the NFL has had success with this so far, selling over 40,000 tickets per game for all 4 games. While it might be beneficial for the league to branch out abroad, I just don't think it's practical for them to have a team abroad. The travel costs are just too high and the players surely have difficulty adjusting to the time zone differences. For these reasons, it is just illogical to have a team based out of London. Games played in London would undoubtedly be popular in England, however, back in the U.S., people would likely be dissuaded from following their favorite teams because fans would have to wake up extremely early to watch the games, not exactly the most ideal time to get together with others and celebrate teams' success. Overall, there would be many benefits as well as many deficits related to adding a team based out of London.
ReplyDeleteI don't think that it is a good idea for the NFL to start a new team in london for two reasons. At a certain point you have to account for players safety, if you have teams/players flying across the Atlantic ocean to play in london, players will sulfur playing with jet lag. Football is already a very dangerous game there is no reason to jeopardize player safety by having them playing tired. Over the past few years fans have complained that the product on the field is not as good as it used to be and this will just make it worse. Also adding another team would require the NFL to reconstruct the way it is now laid out. Currently there are 8 divisions with 4 teams per division. Adding another team would give an unfair advantage to one of the conference because one conference would have 17 teams and the other would have 16 teams.
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