Another reason to hate the Pats: Kraft to push for London Franchise

[Ghost]

“I personally think we should have a franchise in London and that is something I am going to push for,” Kraft said. “I think I said that the last time we were over here in 2009 and before this next decade is out, I hope we have a team here. I think that would be right for the NFL and this fan base has proven they deserve it.

[URL]http://tracking.si.com/2012/06/28/new-england-patriots-robert-kraft-nfl-london/?sct=hp_t2_a12&eref=sihp[/URL]


This would blow. What a scheduling nightmare trying to work around a team across the pond. Hopefully the other owners tell him to STFU.

[Crash]

Kraft is Goodell's boy. So my guess is it would happen.

[hawaiiansteel]

[BradshawsHairdresser]

“I personally think we should have a franchise in London and that is something I am going to push for,” Kraft said. “I think I said that the last time we were over here in 2009 and before this next decade is out, I hope we have a team here. I think that would be right for the NFL and this fan base has proven they deserve it.

[URL]http://tracking.si.com/2012/06/28/new-england-patriots-robert-kraft-nfl-london/?sct=hp_t2_a12&eref=sihp[/URL]


This would blow. What a scheduling nightmare trying to work around a team across the pond. Hopefully the other owners tell him to STFU.

Maybe they ought to move the Patriots to London...

[Slapstick]

This would blow. What a scheduling nightmare trying to work around a team across the pond. Hopefully the other owners tell him to STFU.

Won't happen...

A team in London means an even larger fan base and more lucrative TV contracts...

[grotonsteel]

Maybe they ought to move the Patriots to London...

I would say good riddance. That franchise can't compete with fans of Man U, Man City, Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea.

Football i mean soccer is their first love. Followed by Cricket and Rugby.

[Discipline of Steel]

This overseas/expansion fascination is another good reason to dislike goodell. He is the opposite of king Midas, everything he touches turns into a smelly brown substance.

[NottinghamForest_UK]

I would say good riddance. That franchise can't compete with fans of Man U, Man City, Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea.

Football i mean soccer is their first love. Followed by Cricket and Rugby.

I think you are wrong, Football (Soccer) will always be our first love, but I think it could equate to the level of Cricket and Rugby. Personally I think there is enough for two, I love the Steelers as much as I do Nott'm Forest ..... It would take off over here, but I still think it would be a bad idea, as much as I'd love to see games on a regular basis, it just wouldn't work.

[RuthlessBurgher]

What if league took the teams who have difficulty selling out their stadiums, and scheduled half their games internationally? Off the top of my head, there are the Bengals, Chargers, Bills, and all three of the Florida teams. Those teams would likely be better able to sell out 4 regular season home games in this economy (since they haven't had success in selling out 8 home games in recent seasons). Their money-grubbing owners could also potentially benefit from an international partnership (ticket sales, merchandise sales, international TV rights, etc.).

It would suck for the players for sure, but they could play 2 international games back-to-back early in the season and the other 2 international games back-to-back later in the season. They'd be staying in a foreign country for a week between those games to practice, but if it was organized in that manner, there would only be 2 big trips per season (as opposed to the nightmare travel schedule that a full-time London franchise would have to put up with).

You could have the London-Tampa Buccanneers, the Berlin-Jacksonville Jaguars, the Amsterdam-Miami Dolphins, the Toronto-Buffalo Bills, the Montreal-Cincinnati Bengals, and the Tokyo-San Diego Chargers (or something like that). Granted, this is a flippy-like, wild, stream-of-consciousness, off-the-top-of-my-head idea (frankly, I prefer things the way they are without international expansion), but I could potentially see sports franchises doing something like this in the future (the Bills are almost there already...granted, it's a pretty simple commute between Buffalo and Toronto, but still, that basic idea could spawn similar ideas like this...don't the owners of the Bucs also own a soccer franchise or two over in Europe?)

[Oviedo]

This overseas/expansion fascination is another good reason to dislike goodell. He is the opposite of king Midas, everything he touches turns into a smelly brown substance.

He has made the owners more money than they ever had. That is his job so he is very much King Midas to them and they are all that matters.

[aggiebones]

What happened to the WFL or whatever it was called?
I think at the end 75% of the teams were in Germany. Why would we put a team in England. The general sports fan there HATES American football. They are soccer fans and the two don't mix.
Germany seems to be able to get on board, plus, they are a solvent nation.

[Discipline of Steel]

He has made the owners more money than they ever had. That is his job so he is very much King Midas to them and they are all that matters.

I disagree that the owners are all that matters. Football is Americas sport, it is for the fans. Football has existed far longer than any individual money grubbing owner or commisioner. For the current group to seriously dilute todays game for their own financial benefit is a slap in the face to all those who created and supported the game before them.

[Sugar]

What happened to the WFL or whatever it was called?
I think at the end 75% of the teams were in Germany. Why would we put a team in England. The general sports fan there HATES American football. They are soccer fans and the two don't mix.
Germany seems to be able to get on board, plus, they are a solvent nation.

I can see it now, rooting for the Stuttgart Carrera's!

[NottinghamForest_UK]

What happened to the WFL or whatever it was called?
I think at the end 75% of the teams were in Germany. Why would we put a team in England. The general sports fan there HATES American football. They are soccer fans and the two don't mix.
Germany seems to be able to get on board, plus, they are a solvent nation.

I like to know where you get your stats for then, the general sports fan does not HATE American football, they just don't understand it.....if it came over here, then they would learn to love it & understand it. We here in England love all sports, English football will always be number one, but that does not detract from our passion for others. We are sports mad just like you guys & once average joe public gets someone or something to follow they in my opinion would.

The Wembley games are sold out fast every year and the atmosphere is brilliant, year on year it builds, generating more and more interest

[hawaiiansteel]

I love the Steelers as much as I do Nott'm Forest .....

I respect you for being such a loyal fan, even with Nott'm Forest being relegated to the second division since 1999 you still cheer them on...