In a year that will reportedly feature less pink in October and more camo in November, an NFL game played in England next month will include significant recognition of one of the most important days on the British calendar.
The NFL plans to honor the nation’s war dead on “Remembrance Sunday,” when the Jaguars face the Cowboys.
Via the Daily Mail, the teams’ helmets will include the decal of a poppy, the symbol of “Remembrance Sunday.” The field also will include a large poppy logo, and 80,000 poppies will be dropped from the roof at Wembley Stadium when the game ends.
Also, all uniforms and equipment from the game will be auctioned, with the proceeds going to the Poppy Appeal, which supports the British Royal Legion’s work with the armed forces.
“The NFL has a tremendous respect and admiration for the service given by the military, both in the US and UK,” said NFL UK managing director Alistair Kirkwood.
The effort is described by the Daily Mail as featuring “a lot more detail than previously shown by British sports in honouring the war dead.”
While an ulterior motive could be at work here, it’s precisely the kind of gesture that could endear the NFL to British sports fans. Which is precisely what the NFL is trying to do.
And so what if that’s what’s happening? The NFL wants to be part of the British culture and landscape. The NFL is demonstrating that desire by playing three games per year in London, and now by showing a high degree of respect for those who gave their lives in defense of the nation the NFL regularly visits. While some could call it pandering, others could call it being a good, earnest, and proper guest in a foreign land.
Maybe it’s both. Maybe it will help the NFL move a lot closer toward gaining greater acceptance among the fans and the media in England.