Jets @ Dolphins among games to be played in UK next year

First divisional match-up to be played abroad is it not? Something for Jets fans to be happy about perhaps, can't get much more of a contrast than that between Miami and London come the start of October.

Other games are Bills @ Jaguars and Lions @ Chiefs

Even as a UK based fan I'm happy the Seahawks avoided it, a little too far from the PNW, though I'm sure they'll be here one day, likely after an East Coast game.

Man is Goodell an ass. If I was a Jets or Fins fan I'd be pissed to lose a home division game. I'd be livid if the Hawks played a "home game" vs the Rams in London.

Cool part about my Goodell hate? It was ahead of its time. I could tell he's a sleaze ball instantly. "Game recognize game":

This is just, well, enraging. Wow does this piss me off.

pehawk":1qoqmien said:

Man is Goodell an ass. If I was a Jets or Fins fan I'd be pissed to lose a home division game. I'd be livid if the Hawks played a "home game" vs the Rams in London.

Cool part about my Goodell hate? It was ahead of its time. I could tell he's a sleaze ball instantly. "Game recognize game":

This is just, well, enraging. Wow does this piss me off.

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I might be just as pissed off if I was a Chiefs fan. Wembley's a library in comparison to Arrowhead. Only positive can be that it'll grow their fanbase, not a whole lot of KC fans around here.

pehawk":2ea0jqx7 said:

Man is Goodell an ass...........Cool part about my Goodell hate? It was ahead of its time. I could tell he's a sleaze ball instantly. "Game recognize game":...................

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Yes he is.........and me too.

Don't see why well supported teams like the Chiefs should be punished by having to play a home game in London, especially West coast teams with the travel.

I'd be pissed off if I was a Chiefs fan though and losing a home game- moving from a loud stadium to a morgue atmosphere. Would be livid if the same happened to Seattle in 2016.

Put a team in London and end this experiment once and for all, it will either fail miserably or do well. I doubt a London team does much worse support wise than Jacksonville (or in fairness most Florida teams). I think logistics is a problem though- visa's, taxation, scheduling, time difference/travel- especially for west coast teams and i don't think American players coming out of college would be too happy having to leave the country, have to settle abroad.

Correct me if I am wrong but there aren't any teams FORCED to play in London. At least not yet. Sure I can see it happening but it is proposed and teams accept to do so right - at least the home team.

Considering that there are teams suffering from blackouts why not? If their fans don't care enough to see them at home then sure put them abroad for a game

Glasgow Seahawk":2s6z4f65 said:

Put a team in London and end this experiment once and for all, it will either fail miserably or do well. I doubt a London team does much worse support wise than Jacksonville (or in fairness most Florida teams). I think logistics is a problem though- visa's, taxation, scheduling, time difference/travel- especially for west coast teams and i don't think American players coming out of college would be too happy having to leave the country, have to settle abroad.

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You would do a stint of 6-8 games in London straight so the home team wouldn't have to be flying back and forth.

Then they would do a stint here with a US base in say the Mid-West for travel reasons. So really wouldn't have to "move abroad" from player perspective

VISA's are pretty simple for athletes the league can do that with one lawyer and same for taxation - they would need to compensate those players. They would be taxed both on the earnings in Europe by England and by the US. Then they would be taxed for their advertisement revenue etc while in England so it would be pretty large tax bill that the league would have to pay for.

mikeak":1vadautx said:

Glasgow Seahawk":1vadautx said:

Put a team in London and end this experiment once and for all, it will either fail miserably or do well. I doubt a London team does much worse support wise than Jacksonville (or in fairness most Florida teams). I think logistics is a problem though- visa's, taxation, scheduling, time difference/travel- especially for west coast teams and i don't think American players coming out of college would be too happy having to leave the country, have to settle abroad.

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You would do a stint of 6-8 games in London straight so the home team wouldn't have to be flying back and forth.

Then they would do a stint here with a US base in say the Mid-West for travel reasons. So really wouldn't have to "move abroad" from player perspective

VISA's are pretty simple for athletes the league can do that with one lawyer and same for taxation - they would need to compensate those players. They would be taxed both on the earnings in Europe by England and by the US. Then they would be taxed for their advertisement revenue etc while in England so it would be pretty large tax bill that the league would have to pay for.

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I still think it'd be too demanding on players and coaches, and a lot of guys would be wasting precious years on an experiment that doesn't stand much chance of succeeding from the start.

In before #JetsUK

Better them than us. 8)

mikeak":3hamt53e said:

Glasgow Seahawk":3hamt53e said:

Put a team in London and end this experiment once and for all, it will either fail miserably or do well. I doubt a London team does much worse support wise than Jacksonville (or in fairness most Florida teams). I think logistics is a problem though- visa's, taxation, scheduling, time difference/travel- especially for west coast teams and i don't think American players coming out of college would be too happy having to leave the country, have to settle abroad.

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You would do a stint of 6-8 games in London straight so the home team wouldn't have to be flying back and forth.

Then they would do a stint here with a US base in say the Mid-West for travel reasons. So really wouldn't have to "move abroad" from player perspective

VISA's are pretty simple for athletes the league can do that with one lawyer and same for taxation - they would need to compensate those players. They would be taxed both on the earnings in Europe by England and by the US. Then they would be taxed for their advertisement revenue etc while in England so it would be pretty large tax bill that the league would have to pay for.

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Visa's/work permits take time though. It's fine organizing them all at the start of the season with notice but once you start cutting/IR'ing players and have to call others up from waivers it will be a major pain in the ass. Yedlin for the sounders is having to get a Latvian passport to meet criteria plus you can probably rule out any player with a convinction, especially drugs or DUI. I think the UK would have to have be developing some decent football players or rely on rugby players to fix things in a pinch before it's a goer.

Also wonder how the field at Wembley will look after NFL, England games, cup finals and concerts.

I'd imagine every west coast team that played in London would need a bye week the week after, given the 8 hour difference.

OR:

If there isn't going to be a London team and they are just doing it to sell out the teams that sucks home games, let's see some games played outside of London (I hate London) whether elsewhere in the UK like Manchester, Glasgow that have 60,000 plus stadiums or elsewhere in Europe. Pretty much every NFL Europe team moved to Germany where they had decent attendances, Barcelona and Amsterdam as well.

^ good point on criminal issues. Can't remember who but Lennox Lewis was going to fight someone in the UK and if I recall right it was cancelled due to VISA issues (Tyson?).

They don't take long for athletes / performance artists etc but if they can't pass the rules then yes there are issues.

Wembley grass field is a different issue. It is not suitable for football. But there is an article out that the NFL is looking at a different stadium (couldn't find the article now) apparently their deal is up this year or something to that effect

West coast teams -- some may not like it but you put them 2 weeks on the road. You make them play a TNF before they go to England (at home) then you send them to England (sorry but it will be London) and then you send them.... to the East Coast. That way you change it to 5 hour time difference and a 6 hour flight.

This article discusses the issue as well.

http://www.espn.co.uk/more/sport/story/354795.html

mikeak":364dswn7 said:

^ good point on criminal issues. Can't remember who but Lennox Lewis was going to fight someone in the UK and if I recall right it was cancelled due to VISA issues (Tyson?).

They don't take long for athletes / performance artists etc but if they can't pass the rules then yes there are issues.

Wembley grass field is a different issue. It is not suitable for football. But there is an article out that the NFL is looking at a different stadium (couldn't find the article now) apparently their deal is up this year or something to that effect

West coast teams -- some may not like it but you put them 2 weeks on the road. You make them play a TNF before they go to England (at home) then you send them to England (sorry but it will be London) and then you send them.... to the East Coast. That way you change it to 5 hour time difference and a 6 hour flight.

This article discusses the issue as well.

http://www.espn.co.uk/more/sport/story/354795.html

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I don't think any other stadium in the UK comes close to NFL standard as Wembley. Wembley cost a fortune to build and is pretty much the newest in the country. I think the English FA will keep renting it out to them to pay the bills and attempt to break even with it. The rest of the bigger stadiums here are more like college football types, big capacities but lack as many boxes/corporate that an NFL one would require.

If it's not Wembley I wonder what alternatives there are for an NFL team to play in or for these future series that American teams play in, especially in London. Probably Twickenham which has been recently remodelled or the Millenium stadium in Wales. Both stadiums usually only host national rugby union games which is what, 3 home games? I'm sure either nation would be happy to have them as tenants to pay the bills. Everything else would clash with soccer season- Emirates, Olympic stadium is too small or unsuitable.

A new football specific stadium for a franchise is probably a non starter, especially given the fact no one knows how big a crowd they would get and London property prices- see Arsenal.

I'd imagine every west coast team that played in London would need a bye week the week after, given the 8 hour difference.

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Dream on, it's about money not safety, look at some of the scheduling already, who recently played on three days rest?

Here we go - other stadiums

http://m.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journa ... ondon.aspx?

mikeak":bk2jtghu said:

Here we go - other stadiums

http://m.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journa ... ondon.aspx?

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Interesting! Still think it stays in Wembley, the FA will cut them a deal if they have to for help with paying the bills. Twickenham is the next logical step as it's big and rarely used.

Olympic stadium and spurs are non starters unless they played on field turf which will never happen.

It always baffled me how little Twickenham gets used. The transport links arent great but it's a big stadium and NFL would be great there.

Interesting how at a time when the NFL is "looking at new venues" the English FA (who own Wembley) are saying that the NFL is causing problems for the English national team. A bit of posturing on both sides maybe?