NFL Europa is done

[Kaylore]

This was kind of lost in another general news thread so I'm making a topic-specific one here.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/10240829

NFL Europa to cease operations
FRANKFURT, Germany (June 29, 2007) -- After 15 seasons in Europe, the NFL shut down its developmental league.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said it was strictly business, insisting that after "significant investment" it was time to close NFL Europa and concentrate internationally on regular-season games outside the United States.

"A foundation of American football fans in key European markets has been created and the time is right to shift our strategy," Goodell said in a statement. "The next phase of our international growth is to focus on initiatives with global impact, including taking advantage of developing technologies that make the NFL more accessible on a global scale and ensuring the success of our new international series of regular-season games."

The league reportedly was losing about $30 million a season. Five of the league's six teams were in Germany, with the other in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

The announcement came less than a week after the Hamburg Sea Devils beat the Frankfurt Galaxy 37-28 in the World Bowl championship in Frankfurt before a crowd of 48,125.

NFL team owners decided in October to play up to two regular-season games each season outside the United States. The first such game will be Oct. 28 in London between the Miami Dolphins and the New York Giants.

The league said it is looking toward other regular-season games in Germany, Mexico and Canada, with Germany a strong candidate for 2008.

"NFL Europa has created thousands of passionate fans who have supported that league and our sport for many years," said Mark Waller, senior vice president of NFL International. "And we look forward to building on this foundation as we begin this new phase of our international development."

The league began in 1991 as the World League of American Football, with 10 teams from the United States and Europe. After closing for two seasons in 1993 and 1994, the league returned with six European teams and retained the same format until the end.

The league was used by NFL teams to test young talent and produced players such as quarterback Kurt Warner, who led the St. Louis Rams to the Super Bowl XXXIV title and won two NFL MVP awards; Carolina Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme, and Indianapolis Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri.

NFL Europa managing director Uwe Bergheim said the league had succeeded in establishing a fan base for football in important European markets.

"Despite the great support of fans, business partners and the cities where we were active, we decided that it was time to change the strategy," Bergheim said.

The German teams were in Berlin, Hamburg, Dusseldorf, Cologne and Frankfurt. Some drew strong crowds, especially Frankfurt, and broad newspaper coverage. The spectators liked the party atmosphere in the stadiums, much more relaxed than soccer games with their often rowdy fans.

But the league got little television exposure locally. Apart from the Super Bowl, no other NFL games are shown on free TV in Germany.

"The disappointment and the frustration are great," Hamburg general manager Kathrin Platz said.

AP NEWS
The Associated Press News Service

Copyright 2007, The Associated Press, All Rights Reserved

[CBF1]

heart wrenching news... I might not sleep tonight.

[Killericon]

Enter Mark Cuban sponsored league, exit NFL Europa.

Life goes on.

[FireFly]

This was kind of lost in another general news thread so I'm making a topic-specific one here.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/10240829

NFL Europa to cease operations

"A foundation of American football fans in key European markets has been created and the time is right to shift our strategy," Goodell said in a statement. "The next phase of our international growth is to focus on initiatives with global impact, including taking advantage of developing technologies that make the NFL more accessible on a global scale and ensuring the success of our new international series of regular-season games."


Any idea what this bit might mean? Is it possible that they will make games available (for a price) online?

[Jens1893]

Any idea what this bit might mean? Is it possible that they will make games available (for a price) online?

They already do, if you´re not in the United States, but I won´t pay something like $200 or $250 for being able to watch games on an internet stream.

[BroncoBuff]

If they want a "development league," I'll bet they could put together a relatively attractive spring domestic 8-team league ... for cities who would love to have a team. San Antonio, Oklahoma City, El Paso, Portland, Albuquerque, Memphis, Birmingham, Las Vegas, maybe even Mexico City and Los Angeles. Mostly "sun-belt" locations with decent stadiums and for short trips.

You'd have to give it a hook of some kind though ... to bring in fans. Maybe each team could represent guys from ONE DIVISION in the NFL. Like, say, Las Vegas would have AFC West players only. Or maybe just any four teams, but not from one division, like Cowboys, Broncos, Cardinals and Bears.

And you'd have to find ways to get a few big name players on these teams, too .... maybe like, say, Tommy Mattox, Ryan Leaf, and some old-timers who still want to play - as Warren Moon did when he retired.

It could be done, it would have to be very well thought out, though .... and I would recommend a short season, 8 games tops regular season, with 4 teams in a two-week playoffs - semi-finals and a SB. They could strong-arm the networks to include some league games in its Spring schedules, as part of te NFL package. NFL-Network would make up the rest. Or perhaps merge with the CFL ??


http://www.orangemane.com/BB/showthread.php?t=57798&highlight=paso+las+vegas

[FireFly]

They already do, if you´re not in the United States, but I won´t pay something like $200 or $250 for being able to watch games on an internet stream.

Thats per week isn't it? Noone would be willing to pay that price. Maybe that'll change.

[Jens1893]

You do know that the CFL is a 3 down league with a much bigger field?

Don´t know if Birmingham would be a good location as the whole state of Alabama seems way too obsessed with College FB to realize there´s life beyond the Tigers and Crimson Tide.

I agree about most cities in your list, but you somehow have to find a way to put 2-3 teams on the East Coast and I am really struggling to find appropriate places there as every city worth a damn seems to have a team there already.

As for the end of NFLE ... I said it in the other thread and I´ll repeat it here, I think closing the league NOW is a bad decision as the league made some major strides for their standards last season. The league averaged over 20k per game and almost 50k showed up for the World Bowl, but a developmental league obviously can be run way more effectively in North America.

[Jens1893]

Thats per week isn't it? Noone would be willing to pay that price. Maybe that'll change.

Last season it was something like 200 or 250 for the whole season and 25 bucks for a weekly ticket.

The NFL, for once, should take example of Major League Baseball and look at what MLB does with mlb.tv ... you can get a season pass which allows you to watch EVERY game live for something like $80-90. A monthly pass costs something like 10 or 15 bucks.

[FireFly]

Last season it was something like 200 or 250 for the whole season and 25 bucks for a weekly ticket.

The NFL, for once, should take example of Major League Baseball and look at what MLB does with mlb.tv ... you can get a season pass which allows you to watch EVERY game live for something like $80-90. A monthly pass costs something like 10 or 15 bucks.

Really? I live out of the US now and watching games can be really hard to arrange. Don't suppose you've got a link for that? I'd really appreciate it; like really appreciate it

[Jens1893]

Really? I live out of the US now and watching games can be really hard to arrange. Don't suppose you've got a link for that? I'd really appreciate it; like really appreciate it

Where do you live right now?

For the NFL or MLB thing? The MLB thing is at mlb.tv ... the NFL service is here http://sports.yahoo.com/nflgamepass ... keep an eye on the page as we get closer to the season.

You can, of course, also get an account at this site http://www.streamtvnow.tv/board/index.php ... they don´t guarantee anything, but I have managed to catch every game there for 2 years now.

[chrisp]

They already do, if you´re not in the United States, but I won´t pay something like $200 or $250 for being able to watch games on an internet stream.

Spot on - I just couldn't believe how hard they were trying to screw us with that one. I refused to pay it on principle.

I did write a snotty email to the NFL but suprise surprise no-one even aknowledged it....

If they revise the fees this year I may go down that route - I'm sure they are quality streams and you can choose whichever game you want but I will not allow the NFL to use my devotion to their sport as an excuse to take me to the cleaners...

[crowebomber]

I was listening to a radio program on Tuesday (I think it was Andrew Siciliano) who said that Elway has been working with the NFL to have Arena replace Europa as the feeder system for the league. I'll search for a link, but did anyone else hear (or already post) this?

[crowebomber]

Found the link.

http://sports.aol.com/fanhouse/2007/07/02/john-elway-wants-arena-football-to-become-the-official-minor-lea/

[Hogan11]

For a league based almost entirely in Germany and only carried on the NFL Network...which, to date reaches about what? 1/4 of the homes in America? The plug being pulled is really no surprise.

Personally, I'm still pissed about the NFL Network not be carried by cable providers but the upside is it has kept the AFL off my TV....I want the real thing or nothing at all.

I'd support the Mark Cuban league 100% if it was launched as a spring league and stayed a spring league. There are two sure fire ways to make any new league fail miserably:
1) Direct competition with the NFL
2) Placing a team in Birmingham AL (No league has ever survived with a franchise placed there).
Friday night as the primary playing night is also a very bad idea if they played in the fall....if they played in the spring however, it just may work.

Unfortunately, Cuban is as much an egoist as he is a risk-taker.....his league (if he goes thru with it as planned) will resemble something like Pickett's Charge......a one season and out with devestating results.

[Garcia Bronco]

regular season games outside the US is about a stupid idea. I like what Goodell is doing to curb ghetto players, but sending my team to Stalingrad to play is ridiculous.

[Kaylore]

Found the link.

http://sports.aol.com/fanhouse/2007/07/02/john-elway-wants-arena-football-to-become-the-official-minor-lea/

I'm not sure how that would work. They're really very different games from each other. Linemen in particular need some grooming and it's really not the same in arena ball.

[ksBRONCOfan]

The announcement came less than a week after the Hamburg Sea Devils beat the Frankfurt Galaxy 37-28 in the World Bowl championship in Frankfurt before a crowd of 48,125.

I watched this game in a hotel room about an hour away from Frankfurt. Everything was in German so I had no idea it was the World Bowl (I had a hunch). Had I known it was going on I probably would have rounded up some tickets in advanced. Shoot. :(