On Sunday, NFL UK guru Alistair Kirkood spoke publicly regarding the league’s plans for England during the 2010 regular season.
“We’ve got two teams that have agreed conceptually to be home teams,” Kirkwood said, per the BBC’s web site. “We’re currently trying to get the opposition confirmed.”
NFL spokesman Greg Aiello told us via e-mail on Sunday that “nothing has been scheduled yet,” and that it would be “premature” to discuss whether specific teams have agreed to export a home game to London.
Potential hosts include any team that has had difficulty selling out its American venue, such as the Jaguars, Lions, Raiders, Chargers, and Cardinals. Also keep an eye on the 49ers, whose ownership (we’re told) loves the idea of international football.
the games in europe have been the worst games ive watched in my life, please stop
All teams would most likely sell out here, but without question the Raiders would. They have a strong following over here due to their success in the mid 80′s.
By the way Florio – I don’t suppose the same person that told you the 49ers want to come over here is the same person who emailed SKY (British broadcasting network) last night?
Florio,
Have the Bengals had any problems selling out home games?
Jaguars’ lease with the city requires that the team plays all home games in the Jack. So you can scratch them off the list.
What was wrong with the San Diego – New Orleans game? Would the Dolphins-Giants game been any better in 07 with Cleo Lemon at QB? And would the Pats-Bucs game been any less of a blowout in Tampa?
The vikings and their trouble selling seats (less than 64,000 all season) might be a choice for getting more revenue than a home game; but their crime troubles make them undesirable as ambassadors of American football.
this is a usa game not a over seas game keep it is the us
How about the Bills? They’re supposedly North Americas’ team – now they can be NATO’s team.
Doesn’t the NFL have to change its name to the International Football Outsourcing League?
Also, since everyone of of these teams takes taxpayer money, will the Limeys be reimbursing American taxpayers?
Doesn’t the NFL have to change its name to the International Football Outsourcing League?
Also, since everyone of of these teams takes taxpayer money, will the Limeys be reimbursing American taxpayers?
As Randy Lerner owns the Aston Villa F.C. — one of these days, I think we’ll see a Browns game in the UK.
Bob Nelson, you would probably do well over in England too. You sucking some dick over there would be an improvement to the people they already have since your teeth are probably better than theres.
Bob Nelson is a hack. have fun packing karen rodgers
KEEP THE GAME HERE!!! IT IS AMERICAN FOOTBALL!!!
The Cardinals have sold out every sinlgle game that they have hosted in their new stadium – 4 years worth. Please don’t lump them into the same group as the Jags.
NFL games in London … no thanks, i hope its a round robin thing because my team already played there and would not like to see this for a long time.
Goodell should be impeached. The tax payers have had to pay to keep NFL Teams in their cities and now they want to take away a home game to play in the UK ?
What a load of crap.
export a home game to London.
The dumbest thing I’ve heard. NFL, please keep football here and leave it at that! What about two teams playing a game on the Moon or Mars by 2020? money money money money money!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Enough is enough.
Bob Nelson – I can tell you are jealous of the Vikings. Hence the need for you to lie about them. Have a nice day.
How about Jaguars and Steelers ??? Their games are always a slugfest. Give the Brits a good matchup to watch. I know the city of Jacksonville wants the Steelers here because their fans always fill the house up. The largest crowd ever in the stadium was a game against the Steelers , Almost 76,000 !!
Strong chance it could be Packers/Bears.
Aren’t the Raiders and Whiners on each other’s schedule next season? A Battle of the Bay across the Pond. Hmm….
Bob Nelson says:
December 14, 2009 5:14 PM
The vikings and their trouble selling seats (less than 64,000 all season) might be a choice for getting more revenue than a home game; but their crime troubles make them undesirable as ambassadors of American football.
**********
What crime troubles would those be, Bob?
You spout that BS everytime you post, yet you cannot back it up with an actual arrest and conviction, can you?
Feel free to die anytime, loser.
Bob,
I actually laughed at one of your posts for the first time in a long time. Usually they are serious enough to come off as just delusional nonsense but this one had a whimsical feel to it.
But you bring up a nice straw argument I’d love to blow down for you quick if you don’t mind.
Vikings in their last game had a paid attendance of 63,854 which represents 99.6% of capacity of the stadium. This is very impressive even by Metrodome standards (for those of you unaware the Dome ranks amongst the best in terms of attendance vs. capacity despite the fact that tickets often are available the week of the game). To put things into perspective, Green Bay managed an attendance of 70,286 in their last home game (Ravens) which represents only 96.4% of capacity.
It is actually a rarity for your Packer team to fill a higher percentage of their field with fans than the Vikings manage with their fans. This is due to Packers fans that don’t go to the game and are unable to sell the ticket to someone who will go because obviously every seat in Lambeau is purchased each week. Fans just don’t go to the game in as high of a percentage that they do here, despite a superior facility and a self proclaimed more passionate fan base. They just don’t get filled like they do in the Metrodome.
As for your other point on criminal Vikings in England that is too silly for any logical counter argument. The current Vikings team has a very upstanding group of citizens on it and that’s about all I can say on that.
@Bob Nelson aka Gayrods BF
Bob Please inform me of players on the Vikings that have “Crime troubles”???
At least we don’t elect pedifiles aka Mark Chumura to our team hall of fame!
Aaaah, the NFL continues to strip the real fans of the right to watch a home game in their home town. Preseason should be played overseas, not regular season games that mean something to people. These overseas games are the lowest thing I’ve seen a professional league to its fans.
Bob,
Get out of your mom’s basement and find a job!
Hey bob nelson do you have a job or do you work for floria and type a negative comment in every post about the vikings to keep the hits up. Seriously why are you so worried about the vikes anyways aern’t the packers the greatest franchise ever with the greatest fans ever in the best stadium ever, if you have all that why care about the vikes
uhm the Cardinals have never not sold out their new stadium…now sometimes they need an extension but AZ is third worst recession state so their doing pretty good GO CARDS
So Floria approves every post and he lets bob nelson keep writing nonsesical crap. Floria is even a bigger d bag than I thought
That’s true about the Vikings – I also believe that a number of their players are unable to leave the country under the terms of their probation.
My 2010 London game predictions:
Raiders v. 49ers: If Florio is right about the 49ers, this would be a great showcase matchup for the league, given the history of these two organizations. I bet there are alot of Raiders and 49ers fans overseas because of their great histories. Raiders are scheduled to play the 49ers at home next year. The only deterrent i see is Oakland might not agree to give up that game because that is likely to be a game that sells out, and they only meet once every 4 years and the Raiders are only at home against them once every 8 years, so they might not want to give that up….but im sure the NFL would KILL for this type of showcase game overseas!
Runner up:
Buffalo v. Chicago: Buffalo scheduled to play at home against Bears, two teams with good histories and likely to have good overseas followings. Buffalo not adverse to giving up home games to play in foreign country, though not sure if they are too much focused on Canada to accept London offer.
The problem with these games in London seems to be the matchups SUCK and no one over there cares. Who in London cares about the Pats or Bucs? I thought the 1st game in 2007 between Giants and Dolphins is what the NFL needs; two teams with good histories. But Saints v. Chargers? No one in England cares!
What I really don’t understand is why doesn’t the NFL add a 17th game and declare it the International Series. That way countries all over the world can bid on 16 NFL games and get to see every team make a visit.
That way you don’t do something dumb with 18 games. An additional 17th game for each team where you can auction 16 NFL games with 32 NFL teams to one site like London or Toronto or Amsterdam.
The NFL could easily get Half-a-Billion dollars a year from a site like London for those 16 games. That would be a smart decision from the NFL. But taking away a home game from your season ticket holders is not smart at all.
Why you Viking fans even bother responding to Bob Nelson is beyond me, I swear he does it just to get you guys to respond.
but that aside, if it is the Vikings that go over there, the NFL should advise Percy to leave his bong at home, ditto for McKinnie’s metal pipe and tell Childress not to wear a dress lest the UK fans think all head coaches are cross dressing nitwits.
# Bob Nelson says: December 14, 2009 5:14 PM
The vikings and their trouble selling seats (less than 64,000 all season) might be a choice for getting more revenue than a home game; but their crime troubles make them undesirable as ambassadors of American football.
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A bit of a confession to make to everyone here on PFT. Bob nelson is actually a vikings fan that is working undercover to make all packer fans appear to be complete idiots. He’s been recalled as his work has been a complete success, but he’s gone off the deep end and refuses to start using reason again. We cannot, from this time forward, be responsible for anything he’s done. Good work though, don’t you think?
Bob Nelson makes valid points:
A team that struggles to sell tickets to a hot and cold (mostly cold) fan base.
A organization that has a permanent black eye when it comes to public perception ( and perception equals reality).
It is no wonder why whenever talk about moving a team comes up, the number one mention is Minnesota. Sorry, that is just the way it is.
49ers-Raiders prediction is idiotic. No way they move that game. Bills-Bears makes perfect sense. Again, I guarantee it will be Eagles-Jaguars. That just makes too much sense.
In a time when our economy is struggling to put people to work, I find it odd that the NFL would have the testicular fortitude to send jobs over seas. I mean think about it.. any games not played in the US results in several hundred employees not working on gameday. Someone serves the food, cleans up after everyone, works security etc. I don’t understand why there isn’t an uproar about this but as soon as a clothing manufacuterer does it everyone cries foul.
Don’t Europeans hate the NFL because it’s… well… not soccer?
@chap …
Excellent point!!!!
Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem that Commissioner Goodell and the other league decisionmakers care what impact their delusions of European grandeur have on the American teams, the American fanbase, or the American workers. That’s okay. They may sell out a few exhibition games there, but they will never never create a successful London or European franchise. And trying will be a very very expensive act of stupidity.
Instead of playing internationally, the NFL should have the games played in cities that don’t currently have a franchise. Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Portland-OR, Orlando, Austin, San Antonio, Salt Lake City, Milwaukee, Honolulu, and some others. The increased tourism will boost their economies also.
Everyone benefits: the cities, hotels, airlines, fans, restaurants, vendors, etc.
Of course, you’d have to pick the correct teams. I don’t think many people will go out of their way to fly to San Antonio or even Las Vegas to see a Detroit-St. Louis game, but something like a Giants-Dallas game in Vegas would bring in a ton of people.
Why not play preseason games over there? nobody cares over here.