Look, I'm not one of those guys who says that the NFL should never play a game in a foreign land. I just don't think that it needs to be a regular season game.
Nothing against London or Wembley Stadium, really. Or even the idea. The fans were kinda, sorta into it [though booing the Giants kneeling on the ball at the end of the game pissed them off]. And as I honestly expected, there was a streaker. But most in the crowd were Americans making the jump across the pond and the field was awful; I mean, who woulda thunk it woulda rained in England!?!?! It clearly affected the play on the field ... and we didn't send our best product out there.
I know that owners get their jollies ripping the money out of fans with pre-season games at regular season prices ... but that's where this international stuff needs to go. We used to have those "American Bowls" in Tokyo, London, Mexico City, etc. Bring that back. Look at the NBA playing their preseason games in non-NBA cities. Do that. Go back to Germany with preseason games. Just don't place a real game there.
The one positive is that Roger Goodell got to see this up front before placing a Super Bowl away from home. It rained in Miami during the last Super Bowl ... but the field looked pretty darn good. Wembley Stadium looked like a horse track before the game even started. The most ironic thing about this game was Goodell talking about setting a "grass roots" movement internationally ... while the "grass roots" on the field of play were turned upside down.
Still, the Miami Dolphins [who stunk it up most of the game] still were right there at the end of the game. Well, until an onside kick just skipped across the wet turf and out of bounds ... as if someone threw a rock across the Atlantic.
Yeah, we get those games now and then over here ... but that isn't the big premiere of our real national pastime to us. It wasn't hyped up like that.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
10-28-2007 @ 5:32PM
jflo said...
The NFL probably should not be playing their game AT THE SAME TIME AS ARSENAL VS LIVERPOOL. How stupid is that???. Goodell should drug test the moron who decided to play during one of the biggest games of the EPL season. And they call soccer boring??
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10-28-2007 @ 9:21PM
JAMCO58 said...
Here, Here, matey, what a bad decision
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10-28-2007 @ 9:50PM
gene said...
For What reason did the Dolphin-Giants game had to be played in London???? Did they think that Miami would finally win a Game, or are they Luring the UK to become a part of the NFL or {INFL]????...To me it just doesn't make sense for our players to fly across the atlantic for almost 7 hours or more and play in the rain when they can do that here in the GOOD OLE U.S. Someone with that idea is probably pocketing a BUNDLE for that Publicity stunt. Do you think the British really care for our Football when they have their Crickett and Soccer.
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10-29-2007 @ 12:31AM
Kent said...
We shouldn't even think of having a regular season game outside of the U.S. until Los Angeles gets an NFL franchise.
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10-29-2007 @ 8:45AM
Joe said...
It's all about the buck. Someone made a ton of money on this joke. Gotta love corperate America. They'd sell their mother for a dollar.
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10-29-2007 @ 9:51AM
Bill said...
Folks of the UK. You ae absolutely correct. We all have our favorite sports. We have two, the oldest is baseball and the second is football. You have soccer and cricket and whatever and that is wonderful. We all do not have to share in everything. The thing that makes our two countries great is diversity. Remember, our British cousins, we are one people separated by a common language.
God save England and the United States and may freedom of choice reign forever.
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10-29-2007 @ 12:29PM
rob said...
I like the idea of possibly having NFL franchises in Canada, Germany or England. As far as it raining during the game, thats a part of football.
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10-29-2007 @ 2:58PM
Chuck said...
Good--the game is now over---and now let's get back to the good old USA where NFL football belongs. This whole idea must of been thought out by someone who has been smoking the weed too long. What a stupid idea.
Football is USA---Europe is soccer. Let's keep it that way. Preseason is one thing, but to schedule a regular season game is insulting. The fans should come first, We are the one's who spend the bucks to sit in the stadiums in all kinds of weather. And what about the the people who work in the stadiums. They are all taking a lose in wages. All because the NFL is greedy. All you fans should rise up and write the NFL and show your displeasure with this idiotic idea of playing overseas during the regular season. Speak up folks.
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10-29-2007 @ 6:17PM
Barbara said...
No regular games abroad, this is America's sport and profits and the games belong here
Thank you
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10-29-2007 @ 6:32PM
tobrien28 said...
Someone in the commish's office F*cked up. The grass at Wembley was cut like a putting green. If you have ever played golf you would know that this kind of turf doesn't hold up well to 320 pound men running up and down it in pouring rain. The field was ruined by the second quarter virtually eliminating the passing game. Never again should this be allowed to happen.
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