11/05/24
February 09, 2007
England: Are you ready for some football?:
posted by Texan_lost_in_NY to football at 01:40 PM - 20 comments
I would love to see this game.
posted by lil_brown_bat at 02:38 PM on February 09, 2007
I'll admit it: I've never seen a Merkinball game from the stands. (I kept promising myself to go to a high school game before Christmas, but never managed it.) There's something quite levelling about being in the crowd when, say, Man Utd or les Arse come to town, because they're no longer the stars on the telly, but are instead a bunch of diving, fouling whinging bastards on the other side. So I'm sure plenty of people want a taste of the full-on NFL experience, just to compare it to watching on the small screen. Plus, y'know, it'll be at Wembley.
posted by etagloh at 03:22 PM on February 09, 2007
So, what kind of crowd can you expect to fit into Wembley for an NFL game? Can't you fit more than 100K in that place?
posted by The_Black_Hand at 03:30 PM on February 09, 2007
October 28th 2007, eh? I predict it'll be in the Millennium Stadium. And the 2012 Olympics will be in Cardiff, too.
posted by afx237vi at 03:42 PM on February 09, 2007
Is Giants-Dolphins the best the NFL could do? With all due respect to fans of those teams, I don't think the way to whet the U.K.'s appetite for American football is to have Eli Manning sailing passes 5 feet over his receivers heads and Joey Harrington/Daunte Culpepper regularly throwing it to the other team. Why not something like Colts-Saints?
posted by holden at 04:07 PM on February 09, 2007
The stated capacity of Wembley? 90,000. And I do think they might get it finished. Why not something like Colts-Saints? Logistics would play a part, I suspect. Two east coast teams, easier to fly them over.
posted by etagloh at 04:33 PM on February 09, 2007
You know what would be great if it was broadcast by announcers who know nothing about football like the World Cup was broadcast in the States.
posted by bperk at 04:48 PM on February 09, 2007
"You know what would be great if it was broadcast by announcers who know nothing about football like the World Cup was broadcast in the States." If it's on ITV, it will be. Meanwhile, subscriptions for the 90,000 or so tickets has run out to about 500,000 requests, apparently. My name's on the list for six at £55, but I think if I get half that many I'll be lucky.
posted by Mr Bismarck at 06:01 PM on February 09, 2007
If it's on ITV, it'll probably have Ant n Dec and Simon Cowell doing the commentary.
posted by afx237vi at 06:10 PM on February 09, 2007
Logistics would play a part, I suspect. Two east coast teams, easier to fly them over. I would suspect this is partly the reason, along with scheduling. (It's worth noting, though, that Indianapolis is closer to London than Miami.) My guess is that in whatever week-by-week schedule the NFL is currently putting together (each team's opponents have been announced, but not the specific game dates) will have each of the Giants and Dolphins having a bye in the week immediately before or after the London game. Miami is, however, losing a home game. Perhaps the NFL is fearful of the plucky Marlins playing in the World Series and wants to head off any potential conflict early.
posted by holden at 06:41 PM on February 09, 2007
They call it gridiron over there.
posted by insomnyuk at 06:52 PM on February 09, 2007
(It's worth noting, though, that Indianapolis is closer to London than Miami.)(It's worth noting, though, that Indianapolis is closer to London than Miami.) Ooooh. Indy vs. Pats! (I know, I know...I don't get a vote)
posted by lil_brown_bat at 09:32 PM on February 09, 2007
Is Giants-Dolphins the best the NFL could do? the dolphins apparently have a huge following in the UK, with fan sites and everything. also, miami was one of 6 teams willing to move a home game. i would assume that while the giants may not have the following the dolphins do (can't find much in the way of fan clubs), they probably have enough of a name recognition abroad. edit: reading through the comments in the second link, it sounds like miami will not be losing any home field advantage in terms of fan support.
posted by goddam at 10:14 PM on February 09, 2007
I'd go, just for the novelty experience, not having seen an NFL game live. Not sure I'd go, though, if it was a pre-season or meaningless practice game. My brother went to see the 'Australia Bowl' in 1999 at the Olympic Stadium in Sydney. The ground was probably about one quarter full, no-one seemed to be taking it seriously, and my brother wants the NFL to give him those four hours of his life back.
posted by owlhouse at 12:29 AM on February 10, 2007
This will be start of the end of soccer in the UK.
posted by Knuckles at 09:32 AM on February 10, 2007
American Football combines two of the worst elements of American culture: 1. Violence 2. Meetings When I lived in France, I took a buddy of mine to a bar to watch the SuperBowl on a large screen tv. He was a life long rugger (and soccer hater), and had notions that the game was a bit soft, owing, I guess to all the protective gear American football players wear. Within 10 minutes of the game he told me that he couldn't believe the level of violence and brutality the game had. I don't think he ended up liking it ("some exciting moments, but too much standing around'), but definitely got over his misconceptions of it. At the end of the day, the game is so over-the-top commercialized, which annoys a lot of Europeans (having a sponsor's logo on your shirt is one thing, all those commercial interruptions are unforgiveable), so I don't see it catching on. There was an NFL Europe a while back, no? I don't think it did that well.
posted by psmealey at 10:45 AM on February 10, 2007
George Will had it as "Violence punctuated by committee meetings."
posted by yerfatma at 10:53 AM on February 10, 2007
NFL Europe is still going, I think, but most of the teams are in Germany and supported by the large number of Americans on US military bases. Come to think of it, it probably would have made more sense to give the match to Germany.
posted by afx237vi at 10:54 AM on February 10, 2007
It was between the Dolphins and Bills to play the Giants, and once again the small market team looses
posted by nymetsfan at 05:45 PM on February 14, 2007
I'm waiting for the write up by a rugby fan proclaiming the American football "soft". I'd get a chuckle from that.