Owners ok two games per season outside US

[Jens1893]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2637594

NEW ORLEANS -- Two NFL regular-season games will be played each year outside the United States in Mexico, Canada and Europe, starting in 2007.

The plan, first announced last month, was approved Tuesday at the recommendation of new commissioner Roger Goodell.

No specific sites were given for the games. But when the proposal originally was disclosed, the league suggested that Britain and Germany likely would host the European games.

The plan would be set up so that teams would rotate over a 16-year period, with each team playing outside the country twice over that span, once as a visitor, the other as a home team. That means a team would lose one home game during that span.

Losing the home-game revenue was the main objection raised by some teams.

"We're going to get compensated," said Pat Bowlen, owner of the Denver Broncos. "Obviously the league's going to work out the economics and if we lose a home game, we'll get compensated.

"We're comfortable with it. Obviously we'd like to play in Mexico or Canada and not have to travel to Europe and that's probably the way it would be set up because of our location. But as far as the league's concerned, I think it's a great idea."

In 2005, the NFL staged its first regular-season game outside the United States when the Arizona Cardinals hosted the San Francisco 49ers in Mexico City. A crowd of 103,467 flocked to Azteca Stadium, the largest crowd for a regular-season game in NFL history.

The league also has played numerous exhibition games overseas for the past two decades. The New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks will play a preseason game next August in Beijing.

"This step comes in response to the tremendous and growing interest in the NFL around the world. The owners believe that hosting regular-season games outside the United States on a regular basis is in the best interests of the league and will help to increase the fan base, build awareness of the NFL and grow the sport worldwide," Goodell said.

Mark Waller, senior vice president of NFL International, said last month the league believes fans in a number of countries are now ready for the real thing. NFL games regularly have been televised live in Mexico and Canada and more recently in Europe, notably Britain.

"The preseason games and American Bowl games have worked well to introduce fans to the game," Waller said. "Once fans have gotten to know it and understand it, they are very aware that the regular season, playoffs and Super Bowl are the real thing."

[Atlas]

Why play in Britain. Screw those Limey Bastards!! They couldn't even support their World League football team!! Amsterdam and Germany!! I might even road trip it to Amsterdam! That place rocks!!!!!!!!

[Sodak]

Lame as hell... preseason is enough. I don't think the rest of the world really appreciates the spectacle of the NFL. To most it's simply an American curiosity.

[cutthemdown]

already posted

[penguintheory]

Why so lame? Wah wah wah about scheduling. What ever happened to playing for love of the game? Isn't spreading fandom and increasing fanbase part of spreading the love?

I'm sure scheduling will compensate those teams chosen to play internationally with a couple extra "gimme" games to make up for the tough plane trip.

[Man-Goblin]

Why so lame? Wah wah wah about scheduling. What ever happened to playing for love of the game? Isn't spreading fandom and increasing fanbase part of spreading the love?

I'm sure scheduling will compensate those teams chosen to play internationally with a couple extra "gimme" games to make up for the tough plane trip.

It's the NATIONAL football league. I think it sucks because one of the teams that participates loses a home game. It's not coincidence that last year it was the Cards and Niners that played in that Mexico City game. Neither of them had a shot at the playoffs so they took the payday.

But if a team has a shot at the playoffs, and possibly mega-revenue producing playoff games? Try convincing a good team to take that deal.

[Garcia Bronco]

what about biological factors....sickness and such from raveling abroad.....I hope the Broncos don't go anytime soon

[SprintRightOption]

Great. Imagine a close division race where the Broncos get one less home game than the Chargers one year. And they travel to Germany to play a good team where we really could use the home field advantage. That would suck.

Also, penguintheory, the schedule is a formula, so there is no making up for it with easy games. Every team plays their division, one NFC division, one AFC division, and 2 other games against a team in each of the 2 remaining AFC divisions that finished in the same place as our team. There is no way around it.

[watermock]

Oye...go to www.bang.com cartoon archived to learn how to properly riot mates.

[Kaylore]

I'd love for our Euro-fans to get to go to a game on their home soil. How cool would it be to see Lord Helmchen and his hot wife or Bronco Blue going crazy in the stands for our team? :afro:

[broncocalijohn]

Why play in Britain. Screw those Limey Bastards!! They couldn't even support their World League football team!! Amsterdam and Germany!! I might even road trip it to Amsterdam! That place rocks!!!!!!!!

with your love for drugs, i can see why. Party for atlas.
Germany supports NFL football very well. We have many bases there so the soldiers would love real football in Germany. How can we get Meck's bus over to europe, that is the question.

[Killericon]

Lame as hell... preseason is enough. I don't think the rest of the world really appreciates the spectacle of the NFL. To most it's simply an American curiosity.

A-HEM.

[LordHelmchen]

I'd love for our Euro-fans to get to go to a game on their home soil. How cool would it be to see Lord Helmchen and his hot wife or Bronco Blue going crazy in the stands for our team? :afro:


Hell yeah... add in Jens :thumbs: ^5 We would make it a home game for the Broncos :~ohyah!:

[Odysseus]

Hell yeah... add in Jens :thumbs: ^5 We would make it a home game for the Broncos :~ohyah!:

Oh thanks a lot! Fontaine? Me? :giggle: Just for that the first two rounds are on you guys!

[Broncojef]

One sport I still love and they have to f*ck with that too. Don't we give enough money to support these guys now? This is a terrible decision and one focused on money, period. I don't watch NFL Europe or anything European and don't care too this bites.

[UKBronco]

Kicks ass, now if only we could build a stadium :thumbsup:

I'd definately venture over to Germany to catch the game, no matter who's playing.

If it's in the UK, then i'd set up a kick-ass tailgate!

Calling Meck: Look into the costs of shipping over OF1 ;) EuroTrip!

[LordHelmchen]

Oh thanks a lot! Fontaine? Me? :giggle: Just for that the first two rounds are on you guys!

Well, I certainly wouldn't have a problem with that :thumbsup:

[gunns]

I worry about the travel time. It would really cut into practice time and then there's jet-lag.

Do it the week before or after a bye.

[dbfan21]

Lame as hell... preseason is enough. I don't think the rest of the world really appreciates the spectacle of the NFL. To most it's simply an American curiosity.

Agreed. I think it could seriously handicap a team that is depending on that game to help them in the playoff race...hopefully, it won't be the Broncos.

[Bronco_Beerslug]

Stupid!! Just another move to change the game from football to "mo money for me' game.

And flying teams to play games across oceans ought to be the last thing the NFL should be doing.

[LordHelmchen]

For a west coast team it would be probably way too much, but for a east coast team it's "just" about 1200 miles more than to fly to the west coast..

considering the playoff implications: I would assume that it would only be September or October games...

[UKBronco]

Lame as hell... preseason is enough. I don't think the rest of the world really appreciates the spectacle of the NFL. To most it's simply an American curiosity.

That is utter bollocks.

[TailgateNut]

Nothing like flying for 11 hours (+-), getting a touch of DVT and a good case of jet lag, and then playing for an audience who for the most part is clueless, then get back on a plane to do it again.
Another brainchild idea!

[LordHelmchen]

do it again? you mean like also playing for the mostly clueless audience at home? :P

[UKBronco]

Have i not got the memo about Europe being full of dribbling neanderthals or something?

Last i checked there was actually a hardcore following.

[Bronco_Beerslug]

Have i not got the memo about Europe being full of dribbling neanderthals or something?

Last i checked there was actually a hardcore following.
I'm not sure that's true throughout Europe.

[BlaK-Argentina]

That is utter bollocks.

I think it's true, for the most part.

I sure would like a game in Buenos Aires! That's never going to happen though... :(

[UKBronco]

I'm not sure that's true throughout Europe.

I know that, which is why they wouldn't play the game in a farmers field in Hungary! :)

They have huge followings in Germany and the UK.

It just annoys me the anti-european sentiments on this board.

[Bronco_Beerslug]

I know that, which is why they wouldn't play the game in a farmers field in Hungary! :)
They have huge followings in Germany and the UK.
It just annoys me the anti-european sentiments on this board.
Well, some people's kids :)

I think most people are more concerned that their team would have to play a home game (or even an away game) anywhere overseas or even in Canada or Mexico.

[footstepsfrom#27]

Idiotic idea all the way arouond.

[Atlas]

Great. Imagine a close division race where the Broncos get one less home game than the Chargers one year. And they travel to Germany to play a good team where we really could use the home field advantage. That would suck.
.

Ok imagine the same thing except the Chuggers have to go to Europe. There do you feel better?

[That One Guy]

To hell with these people. I'm a lifelong football fan yet have never been able to afford to go to an NFL game myself. A friend recently paid $135 per ticket for the nosebleeds for a Dallas game. There is a plenty large enough fanbase as it is.

Also, they already have NFL-E, if these people wanna see football so bad, let them go watch that. This just pisses me off that football is so commercial already that a person's experiences are often limited to TV alone. Why do they need to make more money?

[Jens1893]

And just a little idea, but if they wanted to boost merchandise sales, it surely wouldn´t hurt if the shop on db.com accepted orders from outside the US, Canada or Mexico ....

[Jens1893]

I'm not sure that's true throughout Europe.

I actually think that the NFL is only #3 here after the NBA and NHL ... hockey and basketball are more popular here than gridiron and people also have local heroes to cheer for.

[Mile High 81]

I life in Europe and I relay think this sucks.
The Denver Broncos should play in Denver, The New York Giants in New York etc.
Preseason is different because I think nobody really cares about Pre Season, but an Important Regular Season Game should not be played on a neutral field…

[Donk]

Will the season ticket holders be "compensated"?

I don't think that the taxpayers who helped build the stadium will be compensted.

That's all right Bowlen will get his.

[TailgateNut]

Idiotic idea all the way arouond.


Thank you. If they want to do exhibition games, be my guest, but to do regular season games in any other country is pur BS.


Lord and UK
, it's not a matter of anti-european sentiment, it's an American sport. Also, for you to say there is a hardcore following in europe is horse manure. It would be the same as if I said Rugby had a hardcore following in Denver. I lived in europe for many years, and most locals didn't have a clue as to what football was about.

You may be able to say you have a number of people who are hardcore, but what's the percentage of the population?

[LordHelmchen]

oh crap each team would lose ONE home game in 16 years.. some of here are talking like every team will lose one home game every season!

@TailgateNut: speaking of Germany, of course, the number is small, but it is big enough to support 5 NFL Europe teams (~ 20000 in attendance at every game, and they will probably expand the number of teams in Germany) , the GFL (German Football League) and several minor leagues (in the very close vicinity of my home town alone 5 or 6 minor league teams exist), and even a national team. And you know, the fans here stay up all night long to watch SNF and MNF (which ends around 5-6 a.m. ) and so on. so yes, the percentage is small, but it's definitely hardcore :)

[KipCorrington25]

And you just know Denver will get roped into one of these crap games.