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Are the Jaguars gonna move to London?

LuckyDadLuckyDad member
in Dads & Dads-to-be
I feel like I need to trade in my man card considering I was just reading today that there are rumors the NFL wants to move a team, specifically the Jaguars, to London.

How crazy would that be???
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BhqjipgCIAAOz7H.jpg
-My son was born in April 2012. He pretty much rules.
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Re: Are the Jaguars gonna move to London?

  • futant462futant462 member
    Why the hell does this seem like a good idea?  I haven't read anything about this other than a quick Google search to confirm.

    Don't people in the UK and Europe hate American football?
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  • ColtsdadColtsdad member
    I think Goodell wants a team there because they sell out in minutes every time we put a game there.  That being said, I don't know if it would work logistically.  Imagine if you are the London Monarchs (or whatever they'll be called).  You play a home game in London on Sunday, then fly to Seattle for a road game on say Monday night and then have to fly back to London to play another home game the following Sunday?   You'd have to arrange their schedule to where they only make 2 or 3 trips to the states, which would mean either 3 or 4 game road trips and you'd likely have to find a permanent US practice facility somewhere, so they can practice during their month in the US.

    That and I think you'd have a hard time getting any kind of name players to sign via free agency to an overseas team.  Your marketing opportunities are far, far less in the states if you play half your games in the UK.  Now, you might be able to pick up some UK advertisers, but you'll likely never see an Andrew Luck, RGIII, or Adrian Peterson to agree to spend a large chunk of their lives overseas.

    Also imagine the number of drug arrests that will be made via customs for players going back and forth all the time.  The NBA had a bunch of guys get popped going to Toronto and Vancouver.

    If you are looking international, I think your best bets would be Toronto and Mexico City because they support the NFL and the travel would not be insane.
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  • LuckyDadLuckyDad member
    The travel costs do seem crazy. I know the NHL doesn't pull in the bank the NFL does, but I also know the NHL has run into issues with travel costs for Canada to US travel.

    On the other hand, there are a lot of Americans living and working in London. It is a HUGE city, and I think the stadium the Jags have been playing a game a year in is large and quite nice.

    Mexico City does have a huge population and stadium too, but it's just not as rich overall as London.
    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BhqjipgCIAAOz7H.jpg
    -My son was born in April 2012. He pretty much rules.
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  • bklyndadbklyndad member
    If Goodell et al want to grow the game internationally, it seems to me that it makes more sense to follow the MLS route, start leagues with local teams abroad and let them grow into teams that play at the NFL level, with a mind to eventually having a true "World Championship" game. But that's a long way off and I'm not sure anyone outside of the USA really cares. (Although Germany supposedly has a strong "American Football" league going...) 

    As for London, selling out one game per year isn't that tough, but would all those UK expats pay to go every weekend? I'm in London three months a year for work, I've been present during both of my team's Wembley appearances/defeats (Tampa) and though it would have been fun for the novelty factor, paying upwards of $215 per ticket (all that was available after the initial rush) to watch the Bucs suck it up on a fish-and-chips diet — as opposed to sucking it up at home — made no sense to me at all. Much happier sitting in the pub with UK friends trying to explain why NFL is just as tough as rugby.
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  • ColtsdadColtsdad member
    The NFL Europe league did always seem to draw in Germany, but not much anywhere else for a full season.  Granted, you are watching retreads and end of the roster guys that NFL teams shipped over for the most part, so it isn't quite like watching real NFL teams.  However, the game is starting to expand globally, the Colts drafted a German player in the 1st round this year... granted he played football at Florida State, but it is a sign that the game is showing signs of international growth.
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  • bklyndadbklyndad member
    I should add that an EMT friend of mine in the UK was called to the Bucs' London hotel because one of the players had gotten into the local ales a bit too much while partying with other members of the team, fallen in the bar and injured himself — the night before the Chicago game! Reminds me of the McKay-era Bucs. Don't think that'll be happening under Schiano, but it's worth noting that "nightlife" is another variable one should factor-in when considering a London team on the NFL schedule, especially for the visitors. 
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