Next Year's NFL London Matchup: New England Patriots vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Next season the NFL will, once again, take its show on the road to play a regular season game in London, and we've learned today that the two participants will be the New England Patriots and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The game will be played during Week 7.

Tampa Bay will be the unlucky team that gets a home game taken away, and it will be the second straight year an NFC South team will be handed that disadvantage, as the Saints were "hosting" the San Diego Chargers this season. The Saints won the game, 37-32, in the middle of a five-week stretch where they did not play a game in New Orleans. So much for home field advantage.

The game will also feature two east coast teams, after the San Diego Chargers had to take part in an around-the-world type of excursion this season to make their way to London.

Also of note is the fact Malcolm Glazer owns controlling interests in both the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and English soccer power Manchester United.

As a season ticket holder for an NFL franchise, I still think this is an awful, awful idea by the NFL, and the sooner the league gives up on this fascination with Europe, the better.

As fans, we only get eight regular season home games per year, while we are forced to pay full price for two glorified scrimmages the league laughingly calls "preseason games." And now, every season, one unlucky fan base will have a home game taken away for, well, I'm not sure why. Thanks, NFL.