3 London Games set....

[papasmurfbell]

 

So it makes sense for the Jags to play in London, then hop a plane to their facility, practice a day, then hop on another plane to play their game..

 

I have some ocean front property for you, real cheap

A team would leave for London right after their last game. Take the Ravens as an example. They play at the ATM at 1pm. The game is done say 4:15. They do the lockerroom thing with interviews showers and the like. They board a bus at say 6:30 for BWI. Equipment they would need could have been sent out Sat with a crew to set up for them. They are taking off by 7:15pm. They would be landing about 4am. On the flight they can do a lot of the film work and prep. The players could catch some sleep. Have them sleep in until say noon and then get treatment and other Monday responsibilities. Tue could be their free day like here. Wed they start putting the gameplan in and things stay generally on schedule the rest of the way.

 

The Jags would be pretty much the same on their trip.

 

This all assumes one team in Europe. I think it will be two minimum with the traveling team spending at least two-three weeks there for games.

I don't see it right away but in time I do agree there would be 2 teams minimum. The TV money is just to large not to do it. From there I see south america.

[papasmurfbell]

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/10/26/goodell-wants-a-team-in-both-l-a-and-london/

 

 

Goodell wants a team in both L.A. and London

With the NFL eyeballing a return to Los Angeles and expansion to London, Commissioner Roger Goodell addressed for the first time his preferred pecking order.

“I want both, but it doesn’t matter which one is first,” Goodell told a forum of European NFL fans, via Bill Williamson of ESPN.com.

“You are proving you are worthy of a franchise,” Goodell added.

It’s the strongest statement Goodell has made to date regarding his desire for a team in London. Earlier this month, Goodell tapped the brakes on talk of the placement of a team in London.

“That is not our objective,” Commissioner Roger Goodell told reporters at the quarterly ownership meetings. “Our objective is to continue the growth of our game internationally. What we are so pleased about is that our game continues to grow and fans want more, television broadcasters want more and sponsors want more. We are responding to that interest in the game because fans want to see it. This is just another step down that path. We are making sure we can bring more football to more people. The UK fans have been terrific. Seeing over 500,000 people the day before the game at a rally is really extraordinary. It is a signal that there is real interest in our game internationally. If it ultimately gets to that point it is a different issue. We have a lot of steps to go before we are at that position.”

There presumably will be a lot of steps before the league is at the position to put a team in either London or Los Angeles. Until then, the NFL will continue to have a presence in London, expanding from two games this year to three in 2014.

 

[cravnravn]

 

A team would leave for London right after their last game. Take the Ravens as an example. They play at the ATM at 1pm. The game is done say 4:15. They do the lockerroom thing with interviews showers and the like. They board a bus at say 6:30 for BWI. Equipment they would need could have been sent out Sat with a crew to set up for them. They are taking off by 7:15pm. They would be landing about 4am. On the flight they can do a lot of the film work and prep. The players could catch some sleep. Have them sleep in until say noon and then get treatment and other Monday responsibilities. Tue could be their free day like here. Wed they start putting the gameplan in and things stay generally on schedule the rest of the way.

The Jags would be pretty much the same on their trip.

 

Isnt it a 6 hr forward time difference? so as they leave 7:15 Sunday, its already Monday morning in London

[deeshopper]

It's a five hour time difference. Flights to Europe leave at night, so you get there in the morning of the next day.

 

So, a 7:30 pm flight gets you there around 8 am their time.

[papasmurfbell]

I got the almost 9 hr nighttime from a website. And yes it would be monday morning much like a team returning from a SNF game.

[cravnravn]

I got the almost 9 hr nighttime from a website. And yes it would be monday morning much like a team returning from a SNF game.

 

Bullshit, I thought you said every team coming back needs a bye?

[deeshopper]

Bullshit, I thought you said every team coming back needs a bye?

 

Coming back, yes. Going over, no.

[oldcrow]

and at this time of year it is only 4hrs difference until we set the clocks back.

oosp srry the bold

it takes 8 hrs to fly except when I flew concorde it was 4

[RavenMad]

and at this time of year it is only 4hrs difference until we set the clocks back.

oosp srry the bold

it takes 8 hrs to fly except when I flew concorde it was 4

 

When do you guys set your clocks back? Ours went back on Saturday night so games were kicking off at 5pm and 8pm yesterday.

 

The flight back from London means you leave at say 9am GMT and arrive on the east coast of the US at 12pm EST.

[cravnravn]

we set ours back this Saturday Night

[RavenMad]

we set ours back this Saturday Night

 

Oh well, I got to enjoy if for a whole week and the Ravens weren't even playing.

[thundercleetz]

I LOVE the idea of a team in London! The Jags are a waste in Jacksonville. Move the Jags to London and the Chargers, Rams, or Raiders to LA.

 

Surely there would be some division realignment. I'm guessing the Dolphins could go to the AFC South, Jags (London) would go to the AFC East.

[papasmurfbell]

I LOVE the idea of a team in London! The Jags are a waste in Jacksonville. Move the Jags to London and the Chargers, Rams, or Raiders to LA.

 

Surely there would be some division realignment. I'm guessing the Dolphins could go to the AFC South, Jags (London) would go to the AFC East.

Under your senario you really don't need to change anything.

[thundercleetz]

Under your senario you really don't need to change anything.

 

Right, traveling between London and New York and Boston is ideal for a London team. You could even schedule the Bills annual game in Toronto against the London team (assuming the Bills don't get a new stadium). Any one of San Diego, Oakland or St. Louis could stay where they are if they move to LA. In fact, St. Louis would benefit from better travel moving to LA.

 

The league is reaching a plateu for growth. Sure this next television contract will be record breaking, but what about after that? We have Thursday games, Monday games, Sunday night games, and Saturday games after college football season. The only opporunity left for major revenue growth, outside of LA and London, is more games. The players do not want more games. I think placing teams in LA and London will be much easier for players to agree to then going to 18 games.

 

Bottom line, placing a team in London has a chance to be revolutionary. Sure, soccer is the world's most popular sport, but no sports league in the world could match what the NFL would have with a team in London. Yes, football would be the fifth, sixth most popular sport in the UK. However the potential for attendence (80K eight times a season), the ability to reach Western Europe, and the potential for a TV contract would be ground breaking. You could not make the same claim with placing a Premier League team in the US. Not the same attendence potential (even in a place like NYC), nor would the TV contract come anywhere close to what the NFL could get in London. The NFL has already proven it can sell in London.

[thundercleetz]

RavenMad, you're in the UK. What do you think of a London team? How would a 6 PM local start on Sundays work with competing against the Premier League or other top soccer leagues?

[oldcrow]

RavenMad, you're in the UK. What do you think of a London team? How would a 6 PM local start on Sundays work with competing against the Premier League or other top soccer leagues?

OMFG Cleetz you funked up now. The man is in N Ireland and don't you ever mistaken that with the UK. All I know is I don't wanna be in the same I mean on the same page when he returns.

I believe premier league is a Saturday thing.

gonaa duck out of the way now

[cravnravn]

So a team in London can NEVER host a Thursday, Sunday or Monday night game

[papasmurfbell]

 

Right, traveling between London and New York and Boston is ideal for a London team. You could even schedule the Bills annual game in Toronto against the London team (assuming the Bills don't get a new stadium). Any one of San Diego, Oakland or St. Louis could stay where they are if they move to LA. In fact, St. Louis would benefit from better travel moving to LA.

 

The league is reaching a plateu for growth. Sure this next television contract will be record breaking, but what about after that? We have Thursday games, Monday games, Sunday night games, and Saturday games after college football season. The only opporunity left for major revenue growth, outside of LA and London, is more games. The players do not want more games. I think placing teams in LA and London will be much easier for players to agree to then going to 18 games.

 

Bottom line, placing a team in London has a chance to be revolutionary. Sure, soccer is the world's most popular sport, but no sports league in the world could match what the NFL would have with a team in London. Yes, football would be the fifth, sixth most popular sport in the UK. However the potential for attendence (80K eight times a season), the ability to reach Western Europe, and the potential for a TV contract would be ground breaking. You could not make the same claim with placing a Premier League team in the US. Not the same attendence potential (even in a place like NYC), nor would the TV contract come anywhere close to what the NFL could get in London. The NFL has already proven it can sell in London.

London could stay in the south. There is no need to change Miami from its long time rivals. I would guess the Jags would keep using the facilities in Jax when they come to the US so there would be the same travel for them as it is now.

[papasmurfbell]

So a team in London can NEVER host a Thursday, Sunday or Monday night game

Or 4pm game unless they are willing to start at 9pm their time.

[oldcrow]

why wait til 1;00 eatern our time to play the game?

Dammit Goodell give us our SUNDAY MORNING FOOTBALL!!!!

I think the game should be the early early game.

who gives a flying ........ what the pregame shows talk about

Man... funk dat.

Of course this would only be better with many different teams playing there like now.

i'm not watching the Jags everytime . Right cravn?

[papasmurfbell]

why wait til 1;00 eatern our time to play the game?

Dammit Goodell give us our SUNDAY MORNING FOOTBALL!!!!

I think the game should be the early early game.

who gives a flying ........ what the pregame shows talk about

Man... funk dat.

Of course this would only be better with many different teams playing there like now.

i'm not watching the Jags everytime . Right cravn?

Don't give them ideas.

[thundercleetz]

London could stay in the south. There is no need to change Miami from its long time rivals. I would guess the Jags would keep using the facilities in Jax when they come to the US so there would be the same travel for them as it is now.

I don't see a London team traveling to Nashville, Indy, and Houston on a yearly basis. Add in London and only two of the teams are in the South. The AFC East is perfect for London.

[cravnravn]

why wait til 1;00 eatern our time to play the game?

Dammit Goodell give us our SUNDAY MORNING FOOTBALL!!!!

I think the game should be the early early game.

who gives a flying ........ what the pregame shows talk about

Man... funk dat.

Of course this would only be better with many different teams playing there like now.

i'm not watching the Jags everytime . Right cravn?

 

We already have Sunday morning football, Hell San Diego plays in Carolina this Sunday at 1pm, 11am left coast time

[RavenMad]

OMFG Cleetz you funked up now. The man is in N Ireland and don't you ever mistaken that with the UK. All I know is I don't wanna be in the same I mean on the same page when he returns.

I believe premier league is a Saturday thing.

gonaa duck out of the way now

 

No matter what anyone tells you, N.Ireland is still part of the UK until it's not but I don't really want to get into a political debate about that here. Lets just say that I'm Irish when it suits me to be Irish and British when it suits me to be British but more than any of those I'm Northern Irish.

 

 

 

RavenMad, you're in the UK. What do you think of a London team? How would a 6 PM local start on Sundays work with competing against the Premier League or other top soccer leagues?

 

6pm local start in London is the perfect time. All the big Sunday games for the premier league kick off at 1.30pm and 4.00pm so they are over by the time the NFL kicks off. The only problem I foresee is support. Everyone that is interested in the NFL right now already has a team they are fans of. Having a team permanently here will likely not change that.

 

Sure there are already Jags fans here but are there 90,000 of them willing to pay for 8 games per season? At the moment the fans going to the games are all there for the experience of going to an NFL game myself included (I've been to the Saints v Chargers game in '08 and the 49ers v Broncos game in '10 but haven't been since as I'm saving my money for the Ravens coming here or for when I get a chance to visit Baltimore). Having the same team play 8 games in the London might be tougher to sell out and certainly I can't see them selling a whole lot of season tickets at least not approaching the prices they are charging for the single games even in the cheap seats. Presently fans come from all over Europe to attend these NFL games and at the moment the NFL are selling out the games. That is why I think they are slowly increasing the number of games. If they continue to sell out more games then there is a chance they would be able to sell out all 8 games for a team based here.

 

The other side is by basing a team here for 8 games they might have a chance of growing support for that team amongst people that are new to the game. I have noticed this in the National Ice Hockey League over here that has a Northern Ireland team called the Belfast Giants. Ice Hockey is not a big sport over here but the Giants regularly sell out and people new to the game in N.Ireland have started by supporting the Giants. Well that transfer over to a London NFL team? Possibly but can the NFL gamble with Possibly?

 

The flip side is can the NFL keep gradually increasing the games? There will come a saturation point were they just aren't going to get any new fans to the game over here and if they wait too long to start a London franchise they will suffer from everyone already having a team and only wanting to attend certain games ie. when their team is playing the London team or when their is an important game such as a game with playoff implications or even a home playoff game in London.

 

There is a lot of risk involved but with the amount of money the NFL is making off these London games and the amount they believe they can make with a London based team I don't envisage the NFL not at least giving it a shot. If it fails, there will likely be plenty of American cities willing to take the team and if it's a success it's the first step to a WFL (World Football League).

[thundercleetz]

 

No matter what anyone tells you, N.Ireland is still part of the UK until it's not but I don't really want to get into a political debate about that here. Lets just say that I'm Irish when it suits me to be Irish and British when it suits me to be British but more than any of those I'm Northern Irish.

 

 

6pm local start in London is the perfect time. All the big Sunday games for the premier league kick off at 1.30pm and 4.00pm so they are over by the time the NFL kicks off. The only problem I foresee is support. Everyone that is interested in the NFL right now already has a team they are fans of. Having a team permanently here will likely not change that.

 

Sure there are already Jags fans here but are there 90,000 of them willing to pay for 8 games per season? At the moment the fans going to the games are all there for the experience of going to an NFL game myself included (I've been to the Saints v Chargers game in '08 and the 49ers v Broncos game in '10 but haven't been since as I'm saving my money for the Ravens coming here or for when I get a chance to visit Baltimore). Having the same team play 8 games in the London might be tougher to sell out and certainly I can't see them selling a whole lot of season tickets at least not approaching the prices they are charging for the single games even in the cheap seats. Presently fans come from all over Europe to attend these NFL games and at the moment the NFL are selling out the games. That is why I think they are slowly increasing the number of games. If they continue to sell out more games then there is a chance they would be able to sell out all 8 games for a team based here.

 

The other side is by basing a team here for 8 games they might have a chance of growing support for that team amongst people that are new to the game. I have noticed this in the National Ice Hockey League over here that has a Northern Ireland team called the Belfast Giants. Ice Hockey is not a big sport over here but the Giants regularly sell out and people new to the game in N.Ireland have started by supporting the Giants. Well that transfer over to a London NFL team? Possibly but can the NFL gamble with Possibly?

 

The flip side is can the NFL keep gradually increasing the games? There will come a saturation point were they just aren't going to get any new fans to the game over here and if they wait too long to start a London franchise they will suffer from everyone already having a team and only wanting to attend certain games ie. when their team is playing the London team or when their is an important game such as a game with playoff implications or even a home playoff game in London.

 

There is a lot of risk involved but with the amount of money the NFL is making off these London games and the amount they believe they can make with a London based team I don't envisage the NFL not at least giving it a shot. If it fails, there will likely be plenty of American cities willing to take the team and if it's a success it's the first step to a WFL (World Football League).

Really good post! You make an excellent point about the saturation point in London before placing a team there. My thought would be to place the team there sooner rather than later. That way you could try and attract a younger generation of fans to embrace the Jags as their own team while still drawing the current fan bases whenever their team comes into town to play. Additionally placing a team sooner allows the NFL to still draw upon the novelty factor which they could use to create a fan base organically for the new team. Basically what you said already, so I agree with you!

 

RavenMad, how do you see the prospect of corporate partnership between the new team and London businesses. Think there would be interest? A huge problem for smaller market teams in the US (Jags are a prime example) are there aren't enough local big businesses available to fill the premium seating and other sponsorship opportunities. This is why the NFL likely sees London as a gold mine. I'm sure corporate sponsorships are a major source of revenue for Premiere League teams.

 

Hey definitely tell us when you know for sure when you will come visit Baltimore for a game. I, and I'm sure others here as well, would be happy to show you around. I know you've probably mentioned it in the past, but how did you become a Ravens fan over other teams?