A British perspective on the International Series
The build up to the second of the 2014 International Series games in London included the now almost obligatory discussions of the possibilities of a franchise being based outside of the USA. For some this is seen as the end-game for London, the realisation that Wembley can be consistently sold-out and that the NFL can take a large step in the globalisation of their league. Maybe the proclamation of the Super Bowl winners as World Champions will no longer be seen as such a parochial statement outside of the United States as these first bold steps truly globalise not only the appeal of the game but the geography thereof.
As an avid fan of the game based in the UK, I make a rather strange admission that I don't truly care whether London is awarded a franchise or not. I don't wish to sound churlish or flippant, as it truly excites me that the game of football is growing it's fanbase rapidly in the UK again. I have loved the International Series games over here at Wembley and it has given me the opportunity to see not only NFL superstars playing competitive regular season games but it's also allowed me to see my beloved Atlanta Falcons grace the Wembley turf and for two whole quarters of football it put me firmly on Cloud Nine to be there.
So why am I less fervent on the creation or re-location of a franchise over to these shores? I'll start of by saying anyone recently into the sport probably doesn't feel quite like me. After well over two decades of following the Atlanta Falcons from afar, I really don't have that strong a feeling on a London based team. Will I change my allegiances? Not a chance. Will I attend games? Of course I will. Do I hope it's an NFC South team that moves to London? Hell yeah, if that means the Falcons come to the UK once a year - you bet ya!
Here in the UK the common thought is that if a franchise is to move to London it would be the Jacksonville Jaguars that would re-locate. I'm sure the NFL are collecting all sorts of surveys, metrics, data, studies but the mindset of a loyal fan in the UK is that their team will be supported through thick and thin. I'm wondering how much of a home-field advantage would exist. Would an already struggling franchise lose a vital 12th man as a semi-neutral crowd looks on? Would the NFL somehow be able to muster team loyalty from a UK fanbase overnight? Would it take a generation until team loyalty was established or would it be a slow and gradual change as new fans picked up support for their own franchise? For me personally, my decisions on attendance at games wouldn't be as a loyal supporter of the London franchise, but will be based on who they face in their 8 games in the UK. Certainly a successful franchise may help this change, but let's remember the Jaguars are 31-65 since their last playoff appearance back in 2007. It would certainly be a strong test of the water to re-locate a struggling franchise and see if brand loyalty could be established.
I've read through a lot of sceptical press in the US. I wonder what the overall feeling is towards global expansion from the everyday Joe? I seem to read more negatives than positives but these naturally linger longer in the memory. There would be plenty of logistical issues to contend with, we already know that. I don't buy the travel times as an over-riding problem. The NFL schedules will need to account for these practical challenges but they shouldn't provide many more issues than the East Coast to West Coast logistics in the US. I could see there being a practical element for a team to have a Head Office based in the US for training camps, pre-season and to have a base camp when on the road in the US. It would then be an interesting challenge integrating a team across two cities separated by the Atlantic Ocean. Would a UK based team be able to compete in free agency? How would a player feel with two similar offers, one of which involved re-location to a different country? Would players drafted by an overseas franchise refuse to travel and pull an Elway or an Eli? I'm not even going to touch on the tax implications, costs of living, passport and visa requirements or indeed the wider implications of employment law in Europe and what would be perceived as restrictive practices of the collective bargaining agreement and free agency rules.
I don't want this piece to read as a negative, for a UK fan witnessing the growth of the sport in this country is amazing. I still recall spending most Sundays tuned into Armed Forces Radio in Germany, a crackly intermittent signal, at times inaudible but sporadically getting match commentary as I sat listening intently. I still recall the joys of Erric Pegram running all over the 49ers as the signal kept coming and going, and the excitement of it all. I remember having to wait a day to catch the results in small print at the back of national newspapers largely ignoring the sport until a small ignorant article would be printed on Superbowl weekend referencing rugby with helmets and always mentioning William Perry. We've gone through periods of a one hour highlight show a week, back to no TV coverage, now to Sky Sports with a number of live games each week and the BBC and Channel Four all showcasing games during a season. We're spoilt by GamePass allowing us to follow our own teams week-in week-out. And now we get to see some teams kindly give up home games to play over here in the UK. We've never had it so good.
The International Series games continue to sell out, and sell fast, proving the appetite for the game is here. We are fortunate that the NFL's global expansion plans have involved London and I for one, am truly thankful for that.
