Bengals to play two home games in London?

[Le Tigre]

Ya think?  

They might think it's a soccer match and stuff. 

[EnglishBengal]

Better London than Mexico City

Isn't Mexico full of gun runners and kidnappers?

[Hint of Snow]

I'm down

Went last year to Raiders/Dolphins

Football sucked but game experience was incredible

And getting tix is not hard at all.

[Essex Bengal]

Orgasmic!  But the anticipated clogging up ticket hot lines doesn't thrill me.  These London games sell out in minutes, literally.

No they don't.

[Le Tigre]

Isn't Mexico full of gun runners and kidnappers?

Don't forget rapists. 

[|kennethmw|]

Don't forget rapists. 

Damn, did Ben go down there again?

[EnglishBengal]

No they don't.

The 2007 game sold out pretty quick - http://www.seattletimes.com/sports/nfl-game-in-london-sells-40000-tickets-in-90-minutes/ - and the 2015 Jets-Colts game didn't take much longer either.  Also depends on who the teams are as well.  Given the Bengals recent rise to prominence, you can guarantee a Bengals game in the UK will sell out quickly.

[scharm]

Just from recent experience.    Bengals won over a very small segment of Londoners when playing Seattle.    They were simply amazed by all the shifting Hue did in the game.     I'm guessing most of these London fans jumped on the Seattle bandwagon but you heard comments about the shifting and movement all game long.   Then you heard a lot of comments about the intensity of the game as it unfolded in the 4th quarter and how good the Bengals were. 

I've been to London a couple times.   The big thing was the Rugby World Cup.   Just about every pub was advertising watching the games there.   However, this was the most recognizable the NFL had ever been.     A couple stores had NFL jereseys and gear for sale.   Even AJ Green.     Regent Street was all decked out NFL.

I had a couple bar tenders recognize the Bengal logo I was wearing and asked if there was a game today.   When I told them no, they were disappointed because the last NFL weekend (Dolphins vs. Jets) gave them a good bump in business apparently.   I told them the NFL would be back two more times.   One commented that it would be awesome if they good get a franchise.

Just random observations but IMO a lot more recognition than my previous trips to London.

 

[|High School Harry|]

Isn't Mexico full of gun runners and kidnappers?

Don't forget rapists. 

[Essex Bengal]

The 2007 game sold out pretty quick - http://www.seattletimes.com/sports/nfl-game-in-london-sells-40000-tickets-in-90-minutes/ - and the 2015 Jets-Colts game didn't take much longer either.  Also depends on who the teams are as well.  Given the Bengals recent rise to prominence, you can guarantee a Bengals game in the UK will sell out quickly.

You're right - the Giants v Dolphins game did sell out quickly and I couldn't get tickets for that one. I've been to about six Wembley games since then though and tickets have never been an issue. I'm pretty sure everyone who wanted tickets got them. I can't comment on the Jets v Dolphins (not Colts ) game as I didn't try for tickets.

I would be happy to see the Bengals at Wembley but I hope they don't give up a home game as there really is no home advantage at Wembley. The last game I went to was the Lions v Falcons last season and everyone was cheering for the Falcons as they went into a 21-0 lead but then started to cheer for the Lions as they came back and eventually won 22-21.

I suppose, being a UK based NFL fan I should really be getting excited about all the Wembley games and the prospect of a London franchise but I'm really not a fan of either. I would much rather see the 'real thing' in the States rather than a Wembley game. To me, football (played with the prolate spheroid shaped ball) is 'America's Game' and should stay there. I love the uniqueness of it and I don't want the UK getting in on the act.  To me, it's not that big of a deal these days to get on line and book a flight & hotel package and your game tickets and away you go.

Would fans in England get behind a London franchise? I certainly wouldn't, the Bengals are my team and there is no reason why I would give a shit about the London Knights or whatever they might call themselves. In my experience, NFL fans in the UK have followed their teams for 10, 20, 30 years or more and are not going to suddenly start supporting some London team.

If it ain't broke Goodell, don't fucking fix it!

[scharm]

Is the NFL's plan for London to put a team there?  Or is it to develop another area to sell TV rights etc.?

People always seem to jump into the NFL battling Soccer but it doesn't have to.   The NFL co-exists with multiple sports leagues in the same markets already.  In some individual markets the NFL team isn't the most popular franchise.  

If they expand the owners are looking at a Billion dollar franchise fee that will be spilt among them.  Cha-ching.   If they generate enough interest in viewing the sport there's another multi-million dollar contract or a bump in the current rates.  

[EnglishBengal]

You're right - the Giants v Dolphins game did sell out quickly and I couldn't get tickets for that one. I've been to about six Wembley games since then though and tickets have never been an issue. I'm pretty sure everyone who wanted tickets got them. I can't comment on the Jets v Dolphins (not Colts ) game as I didn't try for tickets.

I would be happy to see the Bengals at Wembley but I hope they don't give up a home game as there really is no home advantage at Wembley. The last game I went to was the Lions v Falcons last season and everyone was cheering for the Falcons as they went into a 21-0 lead but then started to cheer for the Lions as they came back and eventually won 22-21.

I suppose, being a UK based NFL fan I should really be getting excited about all the Wembley games and the prospect of a London franchise but I'm really not a fan of either. I would much rather see the 'real thing' in the States rather than a Wembley game. To me, football (played with the prolate spheroid shaped ball) is 'America's Game' and should stay there. I love the uniqueness of it and I don't want the UK getting in on the act.  To me, it's not that big of a deal these days to get on line and book a flight & hotel package and your game tickets and away you go.

Would fans in England get behind a London franchise? I certainly wouldn't, the Bengals are my team and there is no reason why I would give a shit about the London Knights or whatever they might call themselves. In my experience, NFL fans in the UK have followed their teams for 10, 20, 30 years or more and are not going to suddenly start supporting some London team.

If it ain't broke Goodell, don't fucking fix it!

You are right.  But Goodell is like Blofeld from the Bond movies.  He wants world domination!

If an NFL team came to London, they would be my 2nd team (behind Bengals).  You don't give up on 30 years of Bengals support for the sake of geography, that's my opinion.

[VonBlade]

Would fans in England get behind a London franchise? I certainly wouldn't, the Bengals are my team and there is no reason why I would give a shit about the London Knights or whatever they might call themselves. In my experience, NFL fans in the UK have followed their teams for 10, 20, 30 years or more and are not going to suddenly start supporting some London team.

100%. Generally, and it's an extreme generalisation, the US fans are more willing to adopt other teams. In the UK you have a team, and that's it until you die. I support the Bengals. The London Sillynannies could win the next 20 superbowls and charge £5 for a ticket on the 50 yard line, I'm still supporting black and orange.

[Michigan Muskie]

Am I the only one who is vehemently against the Bengals playing a home game in London, let alone two? It is well documented that playing in PBS lends the Bengals a decided advantage. Why would any fan want to concede a home game to play at a neutral site?  (unless you are a fan that lives in London.)

I guess it's only a matter of time, but if the Bengals are going to play in London, I really, really hope they are the visiting team. I'll get behind that 1000%.

[scharm]

Am I the only one who is vehemently against the Bengals playing a home game in London, let alone two? It is well documented that playing in PBS lends the Bengals a decided advantage. Why would any fan want to concede a home game to play at a neutral site?  (unless you are a fan that lives in London.)

I guess it's only a matter of time, but if the Bengals are going to play in London, I really, really hope they are the visiting team. I'll get behind that 1000%.

I'm sorry.   I personally want them home for all 8 although I think London would be a cool road trip.

But let's face facts.    This current group of Bengals is the most successful regular season performers the franchise has ever had.   Going on a half decade the team has had to reduce prices and games are not really sold out OR they have a large contingent of visiting fans.  

Bengals don't have a strong case about not going to London and in fact from a Revenue standpoint it may be an advantage because they are not maximizing the revenue potential at PBS despite producing franchise best regular season success.

As we sit here and discuss this thousands of tickets remain for a Monday Night Football matchup for an undefeated team.   PBS will probably have a few thousand Browns fans woofing it up come Thursday night. 

[membengal]

Browns game is sold out - and I am guessing there will not be as many Browns fans as you think for this one. I think that you will be seeing Bengals fans buying back in, in terms of buying tickets.

On the longer historical view, you are now wrong.

[scharm]

Browns game is sold out - and I am guessing there will not be as many Browns fans as you think for this one. I think that you will be seeing Bengals fans buying back in, in terms of buying tickets.

On the longer historical view, you are now wrong.

I hope because it was 1 big Browns asshole last year.       

[membengal]

I am all in - making the trip from Baltimore with my family and my brother with his family for the Rams game. 

[AmishBengalFan]

Don't forget rapists. 

And Herpes:

Linky: http://www.thesmokinggun.com/documents/crime/michael-vick-hit-sex-suit

APRIL 5--Claiming that Michael Vick gave her herpes, a Georgia woman is suing the star NFL quarterback for negligence and battery. According to the below lawsuit, Sonya Elliot, a 26-year-old health care worker, was infected with the sexually transmitted disease in April 2003 after an unprotected encounter with Vick at the athlete's Duluth, Georgia home. Elliott alleges that after testing positive for Herpes Simplex 2, she confronted the Atlanta Falcons star, 24, about her condition. "I've got something to tell you. I've got it," Vick admitted to her, according to Elliott's State Court complaint, which alleges that Vick then told her that "he had not known how to tell her about his condition, and that it was not something that he liked to talk about." Elliott's complaint also contends that Vick "apologized profusely" for not telling her he was infected with the STD. Elliot's lawsuit alleges that Vick has used the name "Ron Mexico" and, in a related court filing, her lawyers are seeking Vick's admission that he used the "Mexico" alias--and perhaps other fake names--"for the purpose of herpes testing and/or treatment." In her lawsuit, which does not specify monetary damages, Elliott states that she met Vick at a Virginia Beach nightclub in May 2001 and, shortly thereafter, began a close personal relationship with the football star (though the couple did not have sex until late-2002). Last December, Vick, the top overall pick in the 2001 National Football League draft, signed a ten-year, $130 million contract with the Falcons, the richest deal in league history.