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NFL London franchise looking increasingly likely

lawguy9801 : 6/21/2016 6:07 pm
Still uncertain whether it would be an expansion team or an existing team, but if the latter, Jaguars are still the most likely candidate.

Quote:
The “magic date” (albeit never an official target) for an NFL franchise has always been 2022. In January, Mike Waller was quoted by the BBC as saying that plans were “on track” for a London team by that time.

In my Q& A with Sky Sports NFL presenter Neil Reynolds, he said 2022 was “very realistic.” And judging by the comments from NFL owners in recent months, London is at the forefront of their thoughts and discussions.

Naturally, “pushing the button” on an NFL franchise in London doesn’t mean it will materialize overnight, but as discussions become more concrete, it will trigger the start of an ignition sequence preparing for launch to the next footballing frontier.

Consider: If the owners put London relocation to a vote and announced the establishment of a franchise by the time of its next Annual Meeting in 2017, that would give the league five full seasons to launch. Five full years to build the hype, five full years to find a team, five full years to resolve any lingering logistical issues, five full years to experiment with new time slots in London that appeal to US broadcasters.

As for questions about whether or not Brits want to have their own NFL team, well … to quote Buddy Garrity in Friday Night Lights, “everybody loves football, they just don’t know it yet.”

Link - ( New Window )
So stupid, imv..  
Big Blue '56 : 6/21/2016 6:10 pm : link
As stupid as most of the shit PFF puts out..
It's going to happen  
Ben in Tampa : 6/21/2016 6:23 pm : link
I would assume Jacksonville will move, but keep all their facilities in the Florida to serve as a "US Home Base" when they are on extended road trips. I also think they will have to build two practice facilities, one for themselves and one for visiting teams.
Obligatory Theme Song.  
Klaatu : 6/21/2016 6:25 pm : link
.
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London Calling. - ( New Window )
I just don't understand how this will work with the schedule  
NYG07 : 6/21/2016 6:41 pm : link
They will have to play the first and last two games on the road every year since road teams will need a bye the following week. I suppose east coast teams could go without a bye but that's a disadvantage for them.

What happens when a team has to play at London in the playoffs then turn around and play in San Diego the next week? Stupid.
Jacksonville Jaguars are the key for that 2022 deadline  
NYG27 : 6/21/2016 6:47 pm : link
This will be their 4th year where they play one home game in London (2013-2016) and also extended their home London games for another four years (2017-2020).

By 2020, the Jaguars will have wrapped up an 8 year span of playing one "Home" game in London and should have built up some local fan base as being London's team by playing there yearly.

Next logical step would be to split Home games with 4 games in Jacksonville and 4 games in London in the 2021 season. Pending the success of that split schedule, could open the door for Shahid Khan to permanently move the franchise to London by 2022.

The new LA?  
Go Terps : 6/21/2016 6:48 pm : link
For years the NFL held cities hostage for new publicly funded stadiums under the threat of moving to Los Angeles. Now that that is off the board, maybe London gets used to milk new stadiums out of places like Jacksonville, Washington, Buffalo, Tennessee, New Orleans, etc.
The NFL does not  
pjcas18 : 6/21/2016 6:58 pm : link
care about the fans. Or at least not some of them.

Not that anyone expected them to.

If London plays a west coast team or vice versa how is that going to work. West coast team often play at 4pm, that's 10pm London time.

Will there be SNF or MNF or THNF in London? If so, that's 3pm in the East cost and noon on the west coast.

and vice versa.

it just doesn't make logistical sense.

the one game per season novelty is wearing thin and then they expand that, they see $$$ like with every other decision they make.

I hope the NFLPA holds out against this and the 18-game season, and expanded playoffs when the CBA expires in 2020 which would be ahead of the 2022 date.
Jaguars stadium lease issues with Jacksonville  
NYG27 : 6/21/2016 7:03 pm : link
In 1995, the Jaguars signed a 35 year lease paying over $145 million till 2030 to play at EverBank Field. There are large penalties if the team broke the lease before then.

Best option for Khan is to do the split Home schedule between Jacksonville and London till 2030 and start the 2031 season full time in London without paying any penalties to Jacksonville for leaving.
Space Planes, by cracky.  
Klaatu : 6/21/2016 7:06 pm : link
Get 'em up and running by 2022...problems solved.

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Giants_ROK : 6/21/2016 7:09 pm : link
Travel Logistics to playing in London?  
NYG27 : 6/21/2016 7:09 pm : link
Here's a quote from Jaguars owner....
Quote:

Khan dismissed the notion that travel and logistics – or playing a home game away from EverBank Field – puts the team at a competitive disadvantage.

“I think it can be a competitive advantage,” Khan said. “When you get there, how you prepare, what you do – we’re going to be playing another team there, too. They’ve gone through the same elements. I think that’s frankly way overhyped. It’s just a different venue with a longer plane ride.”
To me it only makes sense if the goal is to have four teams  
wgenesis123 : 6/21/2016 7:20 pm : link
overseas and start a new division. That would make some of the logistical issues more tolerable for them but also put a greater burden on the rest of the NFL. With 8 home games and 3 away games in Europe, they would only have 5 games to play in the USA. The greater burden would be 20 games overseas for the rest of the NFL versus 8 with just one team overseas. NFL teams could also end up staying multiple weeks overseas to play 2, 3, or even 4 games. They better build a motel to go with that second practice facility.
RE:threat of moving to Los Angeles. Now that that is off the board ...  
Trainmaster : 6/21/2016 7:31 pm : link
I don't think it's off the board regarding Los Angeles. I think the NFL "had its cake and got to eat it too" with respect to LA. They have a team back in LA (allowing Super Bowls etc.), but there still could be a second team added to go along with the Rams (the Rams don't seem to be that interested though).

I think the NFL gets to keep its credible, "Fund a new stadium for our NFL team or they'll leave for LA" threat.
The problem is west coast teams  
AP in Halfmoon : 6/21/2016 7:32 pm : link
That will suck when Seattle has to play there. I'm guessing they would stay and practice between games if they were back to back in the US
So fucking dumb  
Kulish29 : 6/21/2016 7:48 pm : link
Goodell's arrogance is amazing. It will be nice to see him humbled when/if this happens and, it fails miserably, and, it will fail. "Fans" in London will tire of the novelty quickly and, the NFL will have no choice but to run home with their tail betwixt their legs.
What are the alternatives?  
MBavaro : 6/21/2016 8:27 pm : link
This is a business, first and foremost. We all know the cliche, in business, you're either growing or your dying.

So, seriously, how else can they "grow"? I honestly can't think of anything without adding games or adding a large number of new teams in the colonies, which of course will dilute the product even more. I guess making a viable "D" league?
And the new franchise will likely play  
JohnF : 6/21/2016 8:34 pm : link
at the new Tottenham Spur stadium being built in North London:

ESPN-FC: NFL has significant input into new Tottenham stadium

Daily Mail: NFL 'very involved' in Tottenham Hotspur's new stadium, says chairman Daniel Levy

What the new Tottenham Spur stadium will look like

I agree that it doesn't make sense......  
Simms11 : 6/21/2016 9:15 pm : link
why not consider a team in Canada? I know they have the CFL there, but it's far from the NFL.
It makes sense  
BigBlueDownTheShore : 6/21/2016 9:27 pm : link
Europe is the most developed continent next to North America. The goal in the NFL is grow the sport world wide and take over FIFA. Europe is a fan of the NFL so it's natural to start there.
What effect will the income tax rate have....  
MOOPS : 6/21/2016 9:34 pm : link
on players salaries in Britain?
Will anyone even want to play there?
The NFL will also undoubtedly sell an 8-game TV package  
Ben in Tampa : 6/21/2016 11:35 pm : link
For the rights to broadcast the 9:30 am EST London home games. $$$$$.
The usual Goodell idiocy  
Greg from LI : 6/22/2016 12:57 am : link
A team at a massive disadvantage in signing free agents, one unlikely to have much of a fan base, a shitload of western teams that will be bitching about ridiculous road trips....there are so many reasons to see this becoming a fiasco.
Greed breeds stupidity  
weeg in the bronx : 6/22/2016 8:10 am : link
this just makes no sense to me. There are so many logistical hurdles to overcome and so many other ways to build the product overseas.
Hmm..  
FatMan in Charlotte : 6/22/2016 8:23 am : link
Quote:
Europe is a fan of the NFL so it's natural to start there.


Were you asleep during the NFL Europe years? If you were, don't worry, so was most of Europe.

Europe is not a fan of the NFL. American football leagues exist on a small scale, playing on pretty much the equivalent of high school fields surrounded by crowds that reach maybe into the hundreds.
I'm not sure Goodell is to blame  
AP in Halfmoon : 6/22/2016 9:24 am : link
it's not like he's leading the owners by the nose
This is happening  
bronxct1 : 6/22/2016 9:40 am : link
I don't see why people are still resisting this. Since the first game in London you could see that they wanted to expand there. This year with 3 games being played you have 6 teams traveling over to London during the season. That number is pretty close to what you would have with a franchise in London (excluding possible playoff games there). If they add a fourth game in 2016 now you have 8 teams making the trip over which is the amount you would have playing away games during a regular season schedule.

The slow increase has been to get the players used to making this trip, the more they do it and it becomes routine the less it's going to matter. It's not like these guys are traveling in a couch bus over the Atlantic
2017*  
bronxct1 : 6/22/2016 9:40 am : link
I meant adding a fourth game in 2017
RE: What are the alternatives?  
Sarcastic Sam : 6/22/2016 9:46 am : link
In comment 13003424 MBavaro said:
Quote:
This is a business, first and foremost. We all know the cliche, in business, you're either growing or your dying.

So, seriously, how else can they "grow"? I honestly can't think of anything without adding games or adding a large number of new teams in the colonies, which of course will dilute the product even more. I guess making a viable "D" league?


Cut 2 preseason games and 1 one regular season "neutral site" game for each team.

Half of those games came be played in London if so desired, and half could be used as a real "international" series. Playing games in Toronto, Berlin, Frankfurt, Tokyo, Beijing....

NFL Europe/a failed miserably, except in Germany. I'm sure games in Germany would be pretty spectacular.
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