Am I the only one against overseas NFL games?

Question

I'm sorry but have the tax payer not payed billions of dollars for theses NFL franchises to have theses massive stadiums? So to me I just see that as a slap in the face, that would send games overseas but thats just my 3/8ths of a cent that I pay on every purchase for the renovation of arrowhead.

Answer 1

I'll agree with you 99%. Exhibition or Pre-season games overseas would be a novelty thing and would be pretty neat to see how foreigners react to the game. One highlight game at the beginning of the season would be okay too, but other than that... it should be played here in America where it is the most popular sport. It wouldn't make sense to play a lot of games in Europe where people care more about actual football (Soccer) and not American football.

And besides, I don't think every city paid for stadiums with tax-payer money.

Answer 2

Oh Heavens NO you aren't the only one!

I've been on this rocking horse ever since the Cardinal - 49er game in Mexico.

You are correct about the stadiums and the fact that the communities which built them should benefit from the games.

Also, the NFL is something especially American and I like keeping it that way! (Yes, I am an America firster!)

Another huge issue is the jet lag of the 12 hour plane flight and the shortened week it would provide. I think the players association would come uncorked over this one!

However, the biggest issue is the one which is totally ignored. SECURITY. I'm not saying that stadiums which can handle drunken soccer rowdies can't handle an NFL game.

I'm concerned about the Munich '72 scenario where the team is a vulnerable high value target for some islamic nut jobs in their hotel or in their bus. For example, imagine a bomb being detonated at the hotel and taking out the New England Patriots or Dallas Cowboys. I see no reason to take the risk.

If you want to play over seas then fly over the sea to Hawaii and play there!

Answer 3

The way it is currently going, NFL football will probably be the only thing the U.S. exports--even our food is basically a Chinese product (with all the chemicals and additives imported from China.)

You are so right about the American taxpayer paying for the stadiums--or the infrastructure for the stadiums.

I say play the Pro Bowl in different, security-enabled countries every year. And schedule a game between NFL stars and college all-stars in the preseason every year in a security-enabled country.

Other than that, leave the games in the U.S.

Answer 4

I have a totally different view on this than all you guys, but that's probably because of the fact that I'm Dutch and I'll be attending the game between the Dolphins and the Giants in London later on in the year.

I can definately understand most of your points, but I just want to give you guys my point of view.

I've been following the NFL since 1996 so that 11 years now and I'm 24, so I have been following the NFL for bassically half of my life. As some of you may know, it's quite expensive to travel to another continent (from europe to usa and the other way around) and i've tried to get tickets for games numerous time but came up shot every freaking time, so you can imagine I was delighted to hear about a regular season game in Europe.

I am one of the lucky ones to get tickets and I'll be cheering as hard as I can and I'm sure there are a lot more fans than there normally are in dolphins stadium. That is not to diss the dolphins but they have a hard time selling out stadiums will this stadium will be fully packed. I think it will not only be a very positive experience for the european fans but also for the teams as well as they can experience the european fans.

Now another thing I wanted to touch are people saying that the NFL should have brought a pre-season game or the pro bowl over to europe instead of a regular season game. Well I don't like that idea. The nfl's idea behind this is that they want to gain fans overseas and you simply can't do that with Pre-season games or the Pro Bowl. Both games are nothing like a real NFL experience since neither team cares about the results and are just having fun or we get to see some no-names 3rd and 4th stringers play the second half, well I can guarantee you that it won't bring the nfl new fans. With the Pro Bowl it will gain even less attention because a lot of players pull out of this game anyway.

I think this is a fine idea of the NFL because after 11 years of just watching it on tv, I will finally get the chance to watch a real game with two NFL teams going at it in a meaningful game.

And maybe the Americans who cry and whine about getting to see just 7 games instead of 8 games this year should try and put it in perspective.

If some of you have been a ticketholder for the last 11 years you have seen exactly 88 live games and then I'm not even talking about possible play-off games. I on the other hand will get the chance to watch my first. so maybe that is why I can't feel too sorry since the NFL made the decision.

And I know a lot of people will probably disagree with me and that is fine, but please lets try and keep this discussion civilized and not turn out as a homerism usa discussion.

So if you want to react at me as well, I'm fine with that but please come up with something with a little more insight than "We are Americans, so we have more rights"

Again don't misinterpreted that. I love your country and have been there a few times, so that why i don't want to get into such a discussion.

One last thing, if there is one thing you people don't have to worry about it's security. The security will be tighter than it has ever been at Wembley stadium and every other place the players will be and please remember that the UK has the same policy on terror as the americans so security is as good as the same.

@619 & Eagles Fan: You're being shortsighted. None of the american football fans over here say that NFL sucks, so please come up with some good arguments instead of the idiotic arguments that you made up.

Answer 5

Interesting how the NFL is the only sport that has retained its nationalism of the major sports..The NHL was mainly Canadian players for years and years.now its a a mixture...MLB , well we all know the story there. NBA is becoming more Internatioal every year ( and the NBA was only big in America for awhle too).
Doesn't bother me if more International players start joining the NFL, but it is not going to happen because the NFL drafts exclusively from US College Football, and unless that becomes flooded with International players, it wont change.
But!---im sure the NBA and MLB thought it would never happen too.

Answer 6

I am in agreement with you... the NFL should stay within North America anyways... Mexico City and a Canadian city once in a while but no reason to travel to Asia, Europe or anywhere else for that matter. It is just as well the NFL plays a few games a year at a neutral USA site such as a game in Idaho, Iowa, New Mexico or Oklahoma, etc.

Answer 7

I agree with you based on the rationale that we are paying tax money to have these teams here. However, I think it is even more important that taxpayers stop paying for NFL stadiums. Most places in Europe, the big soccer stadiums (which are as big or even bigger than our American football stadiums) are totally financed by corporations and by the teams themselves. I think it is ridiculous that our tax money is spent on the NFL. The teams and their corporate sponsors should pay for all new NFL stadiums.

Answer 8

I am with you brother. It is one thing to have the occasional exhibition game in Mexico, or Great Britain to try to grow the fan base, but regular season games, or any game that the fan wants to go to, should be right here in the states. This whole idea always frustrated me, but you are the first to put a reasonable argument against it. The tax payer point is spectacular.

Answer 9

No you are not.

One of the reasons I love the NFL and one of the reasons it thrives is the "Americanism" of the sport. Many major sports (read: NBA, MLB) best players are not American. I really dont have a problem with it, however there is serious disconnect between the average fan and say, Manny Ramirez.

If the NFL was smart, they would keep it as "American" as possible

Answer 10

I agree completely. Who cares about the rest of the world anyway?

1). If they want to watch AMERICAN football, then they can get into the USA rather easily (last I checked, border agents let just about anybody in...especially if they have a VISA card).

2). Most of the world (aka., Europeans) look down on AMERICAN football because they enjoy watching a ball kicked around for 60 minutes.

3). I pay a lot of f'n money to watch my team play only 8 FREAKIN' games per year at home!!! I shouldn't have to travel to POLLUTED China to watch my favorite team...let them come here and watch AMERICAN football. They come here to go to the best Universities anyhow...they can put up a few extra bucks to support the best economy in the world while they are at it!