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London games are no vacation

Players, coaches would rather stay home. Andrew Brandt

Bookmark and Share Print This Send This October 26, 2009, 11:42 AM EST
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Sunday marked the NFL’s now-annual visit overseas to London. The game was predictably non-competitive – the Patriots routed the Buccaneers 35-7 at Wembley Stadium -- but the bigger story was the venue and the possibility that it might be the site of multiple games in the future. The commissioner seems to want it, and owners, seeing the financial opportunities of another market, want it. But players, coaches and team management? Uh, not so much.

NFL in LondonAPAmerican and British flags adorn the field during the Patriots and Buccaneers game at Wembley Stadium in London.

Although most players and coaches say the right things about expanding the reach of the NFL and enjoying the opportunity, the unspoken (and sometimes spoken) reality is that they wish they didn’t have to go. Players and coaches are the ultimate creatures of routine, comforted by the regimented weekly schedule of meetings, practices, walk-throughs and games. The international trips are necessary inconveniences that the league has pushed and the teams have bought into at various levels, depending on whom you talk to.

Certainly, the travel is difficult. And the training, practice and playing conditions are not what NFL players and staffs are used to. And the food is different. And the lodging. And the reaction from people. And the language, even in London.

I should know. As the first general manager of the Barcelona Dragons of the NFL’s World League in 1991, I was part of the pioneering crew trying to introduce football to Spain, a country that was -- and still is -- consumed by futbol, or soccer. We tried, we really did. We tried different marketing campaigns, different tutorials about the game, and offered appearances by players, coaches and cheerleaders to try to get people to understand and appreciate American football.

It wasn’t to be. Our first touchdown was a 70-yard tight end seam pattern. As I jumped up and down, there was scattered, polite golf applause. Huh? Then, as our kicker came on and kicked the extra point, the crowd erupted! We weren’t in Kansas any more, Toto.

The Spanish fans did the wave the entire game. They cheered at the wrong times. They chanted, “Ole, ole, ole!” at every chance. They had no understanding of the game and really didn’t want to have one. American football was a diversion, an amusement from their beloved soccer. The fans were there to party and enjoy, not to appreciate the game of American football, complete with its mystifying huddles and stoppages.

Randy MossAPPatriots wide receiver Randy Moss

I told our staff that we were no longer selling touchdowns and tackles; we were selling an event, three hours of America. We hired NFL cheerleaders to teach the women there how to dance like them (Las Chicas Del Dragons became more popular than the team). We hired marching bands. We brought over thousands of pounds of hot dogs and hamburgers. We hired a Frisbee dog, who lived with us and left his waste all over the hotel. We made it a party and they came, albeit in small numbers compared to the NFL.

At our hotel, I ordered food for 60 the first night and it was gone after 15 minutes; they had never seen people consume like us. We had to put night tables with pillows at the end of each bed so players’ feet would be upright. We had to order new uniforms three times because the laundry didn’t know how to wash jerseys. I had to “negotiate” a few times to get our equipment out of customs, a lesson in cultural negotiations that was eye-opening.

This was not just a job, it was an adventure.

As for travel, for a game at, say, Sacramento, we would leave Barcelona on a Tuesday, fly to London, change airports in London, wait several hours, board a plane to Atlanta, wait several more hours, board a plane for San Jose, then ride a bus to Sacramento, arriving sometime late Wednesday night or Thursday. We would be lucky to have more than one practice on the week of a game in the United States.

So, Patriots and Bucs, please don’t complain about your trip to London, followed by a bye week to rest after all the travel. Although it was not part of the usual routine, it was a morning commute compared to the old days of the World League.

Now Commissioner Roger Goodell is talking about doubling the number of games in London next year with an eye toward even more, or perhaps having repeat performances by the same team to grab the NFL audience and push it toward one team. The likely reaction from owners is positive, as more awareness in England can sell more licensed merchandise and eventually increase rights fees. The reaction from players and coaches is likely the same everywhere: “I hope we don’t have to go.” For people who are slaves to routine, the routine is shaken for that week.

The international games, however, are one of those things that teams do in the interests of the bigger picture. The NFL has always thrived due to a “league-first” mentality, and the London games are a shining example of that.

And some quick hits from Sunday:

Jay CutlerAPJay Cutler didn't have the performance against the Bengals of a newly extended franchise quarterback.

Think Bears quarterback Jay Cutler and agent Bus Cook are glad they got their deal done before the game?

Now we see why the 49ers never got personal in their negotiations with Michael Crabtree despite his lengthy absence. He’s their future at wide receiver.

Remember the outrage over the Cowboys’ video board? Now it’s radio silence.

When did the NFL turn into the first month of college football? There sure seem to be a lot of blowouts these days. Perhaps it’s time to relegate a few of these teams to the subdivision.

Did the Steelers’ Keyaron Fox have some magnetic force in his shoulder pads? Didn’t that deflection off the hands of Chester Taylor take a weird turn right into Fox’s chest?

Don’t you get the feeling the Saints can score whenever they feel like scoring?

Can we let Sam Bradford have surgery in peace before breaking down his NFL future?

Follow me on Twitter: adbrandt

Comments

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Ben G
Oct 26, 2009
11:54 AM

Why would the NFL ever consider a franchise in London? Wouldn't the issues/failures that plagued NFL Europe still be on display today? I think its great that the NFL tries to "internationalize" the game; however, the success that the NFL has experienced in London is because the product is not watered-down...playing only two or three games a season in London is really all that market will support, a full season of games will be embarrassing to the league and its fans. If the NFL tries to expand into London, it will have to spend outrageous amounts to keep that franchise afloat. I like the "across-the-pond" games, but they really don't need to be a regular occurrence.

S.M. Oliva
Oct 26, 2009
12:31 PM

"The international games, however, are one of those things that teams do in the interests of the bigger picture. The NFL has always thrived due to a “league-first” mentality, and the London games are a shining example of that."

If by "bigger picture" you mean continuing to dilute the quality of your product, then I suppose you have a point. But outside the league's Park Avenue offices, most people recognize this as a bureaucratic vanity exercise by a commissioner who is not accountable to his customers.

Scot
Oct 26, 2009
12:33 PM

The practical limitations of a London Franchise seem insurmountable. Assuming that the franchise is actuall based in London, there would be what, a 10 hour time differential between that team and west coast teams? How does that work? It's one thing if you can show up three days ahead of time to acclimate, but that is a "routine killer," for sure.

And why would you make your first international franchise in London? Wouldn't a Franchise in Mexico or Canada make more sense? I don't know what the restrictions are as far as protecting the CFL's turf, and you have to respect that, but isn't Toronto a great place to start?

jay gasper
Oct 26, 2009
12:37 PM

Please.....
Multimillionaires playing a game, complaining about the difficulty of their schedule.
The whining about this makes me ill.
Tell those prima donnas to don some camo uniforms and join our brave men and women in Iraq and Afghanistan. See how they like their schedule.....and pay.

God Bless our troops.

JG

D Bizer
Oct 26, 2009
12:54 PM

Well said JG

PJM
Oct 26, 2009
03:55 PM

I went to the game this year (from Belfast, Northern Ireland). The European crowd are now extremely knowledgable and enthusiastic; in part thanks to the work Andrew and others put into the WL. We love these annual games but I can't really see a franchise in London working. NFL is a small minority sport in the UK with a fanatical following. The mainstream sports media here do not understand it and don't cover it in depth; many feel about it the way US writers feel about soccer. So, thank you for the games but the next fanchise should go to a city in the USA that will treasure it.

Sonny L.
Oct 26, 2009
04:16 PM

It's a stupid idea to play games over there, never mind putting a franchise there... just like it is trying to make soccer a watchable sport over here...

NRG
Oct 26, 2009
04:19 PM

As a fan of one of the most geographically isolated teams currently in the NFL (Seattle), I can certainly say that any team in London will be at a competitive disadvantage due simply to their location. If their closest road game is a 6-hour flight away, it is going to impact their performance. Sure, you can say they'll have an advantage due to every other team coming so far to play at their place, but as we can learn from the Seahawks' example, that only gets you so far.

If the NFL wants to go international, how about Toronto or somewhere in Mexico?

mack
Oct 26, 2009
05:13 PM

Andrew

Goodell wants more games in London? at Wembley?

Won't happen.

World Cup qualifying starts about two years before the actual event. Then when that is over, they start qualification for the European Championships.

Wembley is the spiritual home of English football (soccer). The players on the England national side complained to high heavens last fall when they had to play a match soon following the NFL game and the field was in awful condition (chopped turf and divots). No way they play three or four at Wembley each season. Maybe split it up but never all at Wembley.

These are the stadiums of capacity in Britain

Wembley (London - home of the national team) 90,000
Old Trafford (Manchester - Home of Manchester United) 76,000
Parkhead - (Glasgow - home of Celtic) 61,000
Emirates (London - home of Stan Kronke's Arsenal) 60,000
St James Park (Newcastle - home of Newcastle United) 52,000
Ibrox - (Glasgow - home of Rangers) 51,000

Then there are another seven stadiums between 40,000 and 49,000 capacity.

Much like the attitude of US fans toward soccer, the NFL is an oddity in England.
Goodell needs to talk to the Glazers and Randy Learner (maybe Kroenke too) before he procedes doing' any more expansion dreaming. As the owners of Manchester United and Aston Villa (as well as the Bucs nd Browns). They have people who can look at the worth of such a plan.

mack
Oct 26, 2009
05:19 PM

Better yet, play them all at the Twickenham rugby ground in London. It has a capacity of 82,000. As American football owes lineage to rugby, it makes more sense to play there

Ben S
Oct 27, 2009
06:17 AM

Every game in an NFL season is very important. I do not want my team going over to Europe to play a game. What a distraction. Who lost the home game? Pats or Bucs? that is big as well. I am totally against any more league expansion. Every time the league expands the talent waters down that much more.
GO PACK!!! crush #4 break him in half!!!!!!

Brian P.
Oct 27, 2009
01:47 PM

Going to London is all fine and good.

Andrew - I know you are very familiar with Green Bay. The citizens of Brown County are currently paying .5% sales tax for the Lambeau renovation. The citizens were sold and rightly so on the idea that this has huge economic impact on the city.

With that being said, why does Goodell want to move regular season home games out of these cities were the local taxpayers are footing the bill for stadiums? This seems like a slap in the face to the local communities that support these teams with their tax dollars.

Imagine the outrage if they move a Packers home game to London. The local state legislator would pass a law not allowing this to happen.

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