85,000 fans doesn’t equal a plan

NFL is an American sport and doesn't stand a chance even in a million years anywhere outside the US. The rest of the world worships the beautiful game, the other, real football, and it has a century and half old tradition of doing so.
American football is perfect for the short attention span of Americnas, w/ stop-start pattern, and 1 hour of actual play w/ 3 hours of TV ads.

Developmental leagues may actually key new market development for the sport. That's where some of Europe's most competitive fans are being raised. Semipro and developmental teams are sowing the seeds of football's feature, eurosports style.

Ummm, ok Ivan. Then why are you reading the Post, if soccer is so much better. Actually, the NFL may be to complex and intellectual of a game for those outside the U.S.:)

I find it funny that Garber talks about a fifty year plan. In about fifty years at current population trends, the U.S. will have a huge latin population that may even be in the majority. So, I am guessing he is not so concerned about converting the current population, but waiting for the arrival of another.


One thing I would argue with you is the need to expand overseas and globally. The NFL could easily alienate their current fan base.

Eric, I am not suggesting expanding overseas or alienating domestic fans, which could happen. I am merely stating the league needs a plan to deal with globalization and position itself better in a converging world. They have been playing at it for 20 plus years. And instead of 20 years of development to show, they have 20 different, one year strategies which have failed or just been abandoned.

The Canadian football league can't even get canadian kids to play the sport and they've been around how long. The NFL will NEVER be international ! Why? ,well lets start with the obvious its a bastardized version of soccer and rugby, try forcing baseball down INDIA's throat its not going to happen. Football has been forced on us thru highschool and college culture. A kid never had interest in the sport but figures out, joining the football team ,its the easy way to get laid. This isnt going to happen in other countries. The NBA has made strides because its not a ripoff of another more international sport. The NBA also is in the Olimpics which helps alot ,but is not an option for a steriod sport. The NFL should spend money on keeping the culture of HS football alive by subsizing the sport before more HS drop the sport due to money and low #'s of players.

Here is the problem. NOBODY plays American football in other countries. Sure, a few do but much less than play Ultimate Frisbee here. They don't get the rules and they (wrongly) think that it is a sport for sissies because Rugby doesn't require equipment. Oh yeah, about that... equipment. You think you can find shoulder pads at the local sports store in Rome? How about a field? Basketball spread around the world (it is now a distant second to soccer) for the simple reason that it is easy to play basketball and the rules are easy to understand. Not bc Stern is some smart guy. That is American football's problem. NOBODY plays!

I agree with Mr. Boland on the idea of attracting internarional athletes for playing american football in college. This will increase the chances of international players in the NFL and will give a rooting interest in another countries. I am a South American fan, from Colombia, and the sport news only talk about American football when the SuperBowl is played. To prove my point, at least they used to show some highlights when former kicker Fuad Reveiz was playing...

Anyway, it's going to be hard for the NFL to grow on the rest of the world. In my city, there is a small minority who really understands the game (even following the Draft closely, me included) and the vastly majority only appeciates the "show" aspect...But, even for a guy who is really interested for the NFL like me, there is no way that I would skip a soccer game to watch your football guys.

I agree with Mr. Boland on the idea of attracting internarional athletes for playing american football in college. This will increase the chances of international players in the NFL and will give a rooting interest in another countries. I am a South American fan, from Colombia, and the sport news only talk about American football when the SuperBowl is played. To prove my point, at least they used to show some highlights when former kicker Fuad Reveiz was playing...

Anyway, it's going to be hard for the NFL to grow on the rest of the world. In my city, there is a small minority who really understands the game (even following the Draft closely, me included) and the vastly majority only appeciates the "show" aspect...But, even for a guy who is really interested for the NFL like me, there is no way that I would skip a soccer game to watch your football guys.

an interesting discussion here - so here our my thoughts: (for reference I am an American living last 10 years in Denmark and an avid NFL fan of several teams. I just got back from the London game).
1) One doesn't need to play the game (or have played as a youth) to like watching a sport.

2) A country does not need a history of cheerleaders or its high schools playing the game to follow the sport. Denmark is a good example of this as it has a growing and active NFL fan base.

3) It DOES help to have a connection to the game and in Denmarks case it was the kicker Morten Andersen.

4) The country DOES need constant, consistant and timely long-term exposure to the game. Think about a new TV show premiering in the fall. It will have little chance of building a following if - say after 3 shows its time gets moved to a different slot , then misses a week or 2 before resuming, etc. NFL needs to license the viewing of the game to a national station for at least a 2-3 year period for a very cheap rate. Once the game catches on it, can increase the fees gradually. Which is exactly what happened in Denmark as it started out on a free minor sports channel for several years before switching to a major channel after the popularity increased. The games are shown live -real time - WITH LOCAL DANISH broadcasters.

5) NFL should subsidize prizes during the show (quiz time) during the commercial breaks (footballs, jerseys, etc).

The sport can grow internationally, it does not need a majority following but only a small but loyal fan base. With so many tv channels with a lack of good prime time programming - this should not present a problem if the staions licensed to carry the game are well chosen.

It has worked in the UK as well as Denmark. It has a following in Germany which could be exponentially increased as Germans don't follow rubgy like the British do. With a regular season game in Berlin (one in London and one in Berlin for 2 games total each year OR just have one per year like now but alternate between London and Berlin).

NFL webpages in some major foreign languages in the markets they are trying to grow. Not hard to do and wont cost much money for NFL to sponsor.

That the super bowl is covered by so many different countries - (and the growth of fans in UK and Denmark) shows the viability of growing the NFL fanbase abroad. But as Boland stated, it needs a plan with some smarts (with international business experience) behind it.

The NFL is actually growing abroad - believe it or not. But the pace needs to be excelerated before the novelty wears off.

an interesting discussion here - so here our my thoughts: (for reference I am an American living last 10 years in Denmark and an avid NFL fan of several teams. I just got back from the London game).
1) One doesn't need to play the game (or have played as a youth) to like watching a sport.

2) A country does not need a history of cheerleaders or its high schools playing the game to follow the sport. Denmark is a good example of this as it has a growing and active NFL fan base.

3) It DOES help to have a connection to the game and in Denmarks case it was the kicker Morten Andersen.

4) The country DOES need constant, consistant and timely long-term exposure to the game. Think about a new TV show premiering in the fall. It will have little chance of building a following if - say after 3 shows its time gets moved to a different slot , then misses a week or 2 before resuming, etc. NFL needs to license the viewing of the game to a national station for at least a 2-3 year period for a very cheap rate. Once the game catches on it, can increase the fees gradually. Which is exactly what happened in Denmark as it started out on a free minor sports channel for several years before switching to a major channel after the popularity increased. The games are shown live -real time - WITH LOCAL DANISH broadcasters.

5) NFL should subsidize prizes during the show (quiz time) during the commercial breaks (footballs, jerseys, etc).

The sport can grow internationally, it does not need a majority following but only a small but loyal fan base. With so many tv channels with a lack of good prime time programming - this should not present a problem if the staions licensed to carry the game are well chosen.

It has worked in the UK as well as Denmark. It has a following in Germany which could be exponentially increased as Germans don't follow rubgy like the British do. With a regular season game in Berlin (one in London and one in Berlin for 2 games total each year OR just have one per year like now but alternate between London and Berlin).

NFL webpages in some major foreign languages in the markets they are trying to grow. Not hard to do and wont cost much money for NFL to sponsor.

That the super bowl is covered by so many different countries - (and the growth of fans in UK and Denmark) shows the viability of growing the NFL fanbase abroad. But as Boland stated, it needs a plan with some smarts (with international business experience) behind it.

The NFL is actually growing abroad - believe it or not. But the pace needs to be excelerated before the novelty wears off.