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Thursday, October 23, 2008

The NFL in London


"Last year was a launch, this year is about the Xs and Os of converting people to being lifelong NFL fans," Alistair Kirkwood, managing director of the NFL in Britain.

The BBC has a Sport Page that explains American Football to British Football fans. American football is not a game that makes a lot of sense, but I do enjoy watching it. The National Football League hopes that people in London will like watching it as well. On Sunday 26th October 2008, the NFL is coming back to Wembley Stadium as part of the National Football League’s International Series. This year's game will see the New Orleans Saints and the San Diego Chargers take to the Wembley Stadium turf. Tickets ranged from £45 through to £100.

The NFL London website has the story of the NFL's plans for world domination. I must say that I have mixed feelings about the whole NFL in London thing. The Dallas Cowboys are about the only sports team that I follow and outside of Manchester United, I haven't heard of any other British sport teams. So why should London sports fans want to see American Football?

London has a lot of American touches, from Krispy Kreme donuts to Kentucky Fried Chicken to the ever present McDonalds. London is an ever changing city and that is a good thing. I don't expect that the NFL International Series will turn London into Dallas or Pittsburgh, but I do wonder why the NFl wants more world wide fans. Is there going to be London NFL team? A Mexico City NFL team? Or do the plans call for whole new leagues to be created around the world? Will we see an NFL with Edinburgh vs London and the winner gets to play in The Superbowl? I can't keep up with the Teams in the NFL now, let alone a whole new world full of NFL teams.

Vast hordes of new NFL Franchises are off in the future-for now we just have the Football game being played in Wembley on Sunday. I am not a fan of the Chargers or the Saints-but I do like the idea of the Saint's Cheerleaders riding around in the London Eye.

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