Multiple games in London for 2014

[Go Skins]

 The NFL announced Tuesday that a third regular-season game will be added to the London schedule for the 2014 season.

The Jacksonville Jaguars, Atlanta Falcons and Oakland Raiders each will play one home game at Wembley Stadium next year.

It's no coincidence that all three franchises are dissatisfied with their current stadium situations. The dates of the games and opponents for each club will be announced later this season.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell pointed to the increased popularity of the International Series as the reason for the addition of a third game.

"Our fans in the UK have continued to demonstrate that they love football and want more," Goodell said. "Both of this year's games in London sold out quickly. The fan enthusiasm for our sport continues to grow. By playing two games in the UK this year, we are creating more fans. We hope that with three games in London next year we will attract even more people to our game."

 

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap2000000259208/article/nfl-adds-third-london-game-in-2014-regular-season

 

[CincyInDC]

@joereedy: 2014 #bengals home -- Atl, Car, Tenn, Jax, Balt, Cle, Pitt, AFC West; Road -- Balt, Cle, Pitt, NO, TB, Indy, Hou, AFC East”

 

So no Bengals in London next year, but we host at least two, possibly three "London home" teams.  And the probability that another AFC North team has to make the journey is decent.

[bengalsfan850]

As long ass we don't move a team over there permanently then I'm fine with 3-4 total games over there

[Bengals1181]

As long ass we don't move a team over there permanently then I'm fine with 3-4 total games over there

 

 

agreed, I think this is a better route to go.  Rather than move a team over there, do 3-4 games a year, with 6-8 different teams.  

 

 

Logistically they will never be able to add a single team there.  If they add a team in Europe, they'll have to add 2-3, and if a single team goes over the ocean, they play all 3 teams there.  So basically if the Bengals were to go play the london team one week, they'd also play the Paris and Berlin team too before coming home.  Same with the Europe teams.  They'd have to play 3 straight road games in the states before going home for a stretch.

[VonBlade]

I was just about to ask if anyone knows whether we stand a chance with our schedule.

 

The one thing the NFL fails to realise with their "England is a heavy supporter of the NFL and sells out" is that it's our only chance to see the NFL in action. We all have teams we support already and, unlike a large part of the USA, we support a single team from birth to death. So if there was a team there all the time, it would only attract supporters of the opponents and a few new fans.

Just because we had a "London Monarchs" or whatever, I'll still support the Bengals and care the same amount about a London team as I do about Miami. Or Minnesota. I'm not the only one, because it's an English thing to be true to your club.

So a full-time London team would see the same fanbase that the ill-fated NFL Europe idea had. One glance at the British NFL with it's "four blokes and a dog" support shows that the sport in general is not popular enough to sustain a full-time team. Wembley sells out because if you want to see a live NFL game, that's your only choice. If you had 16 choices, and it was always the same team (one you don't support) nobody will go.

/rant

 

(Not suggesting that US fans are fickle, just in general you don't mind swapping clubs and watch the sport regardless of who's playing more than we do in the UK)

[CincyInDC]

Baseball and Americans are of course a LOT different, but I went from being a Reds fan in Red Country to a Reds fan in Nats Country.  I went to buckets of Nats games and rooted for them unless they played the Reds (6 games per year, 3 in DC) and had no problem at all with it.  It's of course much easier when the two teams are in different divisions.

 

 

 

London Monarchs?  I thought they'd be the London Silly Nannies.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNKGsUdn9XQ

[CincyInDC]

The browns and steelers have Jacksonville and Atlanta away next year.  I would guess Shittsburgh is off the hook for the London game.

[Bengals1181]

I was just about to ask if anyone knows whether we stand a chance with our schedule.

 

The one thing the NFL fails to realise with their "England is a heavy supporter of the NFL and sells out" is that it's our only chance to see the NFL in action. We all have teams we support already and, unlike a large part of the USA, we support a single team from birth to death. So if there was a team there all the time, it would only attract supporters of the opponents and a few new fans.

Just because we had a "London Monarchs" or whatever, I'll still support the Bengals and care the same amount about a London team as I do about Miami. Or Minnesota. I'm not the only one, because it's an English thing to be true to your club.

So a full-time London team would see the same fanbase that the ill-fated NFL Europe idea had. One glance at the British NFL with it's "four blokes and a dog" support shows that the sport in general is not popular enough to sustain a full-time team. Wembley sells out because if you want to see a live NFL game, that's your only choice. If you had 16 choices, and it was always the same team (one you don't support) nobody will go.

/rant

 

(Not suggesting that US fans are fickle, just in general you don't mind swapping clubs and watch the sport regardless of who's playing more than we do in the UK)

 

 

I don't know about a possible road game, but the Bengals contract with Paul Brown Stadium states that all home games must be played there.  The Bengals won't ever lose a home game to London.