NFL Owner of Falcons says London will get a team in the future

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NFL owner: London will get franchise sooner than you think

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9 hours ago

A 49ers supporter reaches out to touch a giant Jaguars helmet as fans arrive...

Ladies and gentlemen, now taking the field . . . yyyyoooouuuurrr London Jaguars!"

With expansion into Europe moving up his list of Roger Goodell's priorities, that sentence would be music to the NFL commissioner's ears. And in the mind of one of the league's more high-profile owners, a London-based franchise will soon be a reality.

And also just the beginning.

Atlanta owner Arthur Blank, whose Atlanta Falcons will play in one of three NFL regular-season games in London this coming season, told Peter King of MMQB.com this week that he believes the NFL is headed toward having a franchise located in London full-time, and ultimately additional franchises in Europe. And the time frame may be faster than anyone has anticipated:

"The games in London, I think are a tribute to the NFL, a tribute to the fans there, the quality of the game — and I think that it’s proved conclusive that fans will come out when they see the real players playing games that are really meaningful, as opposed to NFL Europe. So I think — and all three of the games for 2014 sold out immediately, 240,000 tickets — the league, as you know, has been in discussion about a fourth game, in discussion about games beyond that. There’s been discussion about potentially having a franchise in London. I’m very optimistic. The approach that the international committee and the commissioner have taken is, 'Let's do London right, and then move from there to potentially somewhere else.' I’m sure there are wonderful cities in Europe, and elsewhere."

"I think it will start with an increased number of games. That will be translated into a very successful series of games, and eventually, I think a franchise. And maybe more than one. London’s a big city . . . I think eventually having that many games says that we really are playing a season in London, so we probably ought to have a team here. I think it will be a natural progression to a team."

And finally, how far away could this all be?

"Less than you’d think. The success has been remarkable, and I don’t see any reason why it’s going to slow down."

The NFL first played a regular-season game in London in 2007. Since then, there was one regular-season game in the city each season through 2012. Last season, there were to games that counted played in London, and this season there will be the three.

While Blank did not say which franchise could be the one on the move, the Jags have become the league's de facto London team for the time being, agreeing to play one London game for four consecutive seasons. This will be Year 2 of that plan.

Additionally, Shad Khan, owner of the Jaguars, purchased Premier League club Fulham last summer, then shortly thereafter said this about owning a soccer team in England and American football team in Jacksonville:

"First of all, the Jacksonville Jaguars and Fulham operate as two entities. Obviously, there would be some practices, some synergies we'd like to take advantage of. And the Jaguars will be playing one home game [in London] for the next four years. So, we are the home team for London. So, there is some commonality there."

Another wrinkle in this season's scheduling to bring American football more in line with London fans, the Falcons-Lions game scheduled for Oct. 26 will kick off at 1:30 p.m. local London time, meaning 9:30 a.m. in the Eastern Time Zone in the United States, 6:30 a.m. Pacific. It will be the earliest kickoff in NFL history.

Courtesy of FOXSports.com

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.

[Klecko73isGod]

Not for nothing, but the Jaguars drew more home fans than Tampa, St. Louis, Pittsburgh or Oakland last year. Why isn't anyone talking about moving those teams to London?

 

http://espn.go.com/nfl/attendance

 

In 2012, the Jaguars outdrew 12 teams. 

 

http://espn.go.com/nfl/attendance/_/year/2012

 

I like making fun of the Jaguars and their fans more than most as I live in Jacksonville. But this myth that the Jaguars struggle so mightily to sell tickets has grown to ridiculous levels. 

 

Not to mention that Shahid Khan is putting like $60 million into the stadium down here right now. You don't spend that kind of money and then just **** off to London. 

[RutgersJetFan]

Definitely the Jags. They struggle mightily to sell tickets and Shalid Khan won't spend any money. He'll probably **** off to London.

[Klecko73isGod]

Definitely the Jags. They struggle mightily to sell tickets and Shalid Khan won't spend any money. He'll probably **** off to London.

 

[JustInFudge]

Definitely the Jags. They struggle mightily to sell tickets and Shalid Khan won't spend any money. He'll probably **** off to London.

 

+ 1.  Besides everyone that lives in Jacksonville is a complete moron, scum of the earth and they dont deserve an NFL team in that sh*t hole of a city.

[Gastineau Lives]

Undefeated at home against west coast teams.

[Il Mostro]

This should be a really smooth transition.  Fans in both London and Jax probably average 23 teeth in their mouths at adulthood.  A match made in heaven.

[Sperm Edwards]

This should be a really smooth transition.  Fans in both London and Jax probably average 23 teeth in their mouths at adulthood.  A match made in heaven.

 

lol

[peebag]

Can we send the whole of Florida to London?

[The Gun Of Bavaria]

London Jets - At least they'd get their own stadium finally.

[Jettington]

If this happens, the AFC East gets ruined. The London team will likely be placed in an Eastern division to reduce travel and there is no way the NFL messes with the NFC East. Watch the Jags relocate to London, Miami put in the AFC south, and the AFC East consist of New York Jets, New England Patriots, London Jaguars, and maybe the *Toronto* Bills, forcing us to travel outside of the country twice a year.

[bitonti]

If this happens, the AFC East gets ruined. The London team will likely be placed in an Eastern division to reduce travel and there is no way the NFL messes with the NFC East. Watch the Jags relocate to London, Miami put in the AFC south, and the AFC East consist of New York Jets, New England Patriots, London Jaguars, and maybe the *Toronto* Bills, forcing us to travel outside of the country twice a year.

 

The Jets play an away game this year @ San Diego, a trip @ London would be very similar. 

[Klecko73isGod]

If this happens, the AFC East gets ruined. The London team will likely be placed in an Eastern division to reduce travel and there is no way the NFL messes with the NFC East. Watch the Jags relocate to London, Miami put in the AFC south, and the AFC East consist of New York Jets, New England Patriots, London Jaguars, and maybe the *Toronto* Bills, forcing us to travel outside of the country twice a year.

 

No, that wouldn't happen. 

 

The AFC has rivalries that date back to the beginning of the AFL. Hell, the Dolphins are the new kid in the division and they've been around since 1966. You don't break up the Jets-Dolphins or Pats-Dolphins. Those games are Miami's only guaranteed sell outs. 

 

The AFC South is a thrown-together division made up of teams that have no national identity and generate no interest outside of their local markets. The London Jaguars would fit right in. 

[Sperm Edwards]

The Jets play an away game this year @ San Diego, a trip @ London would be very similar. 

 

Really you're right, it isn't that much longer of a flight.  But there's no going through customs on domestic flights (both ways), though I'm sure they're not going to wait on lines like cattle like the rest of us.. Also a game at SD is always an away game.  In London it's 50/50 that it will count as one of our home games.

[bitonti]

  In London it's 50/50 that it will count as one of our home games.

 

currently yes but the league doesn't usually ask teams that sell out to lose a home game. They ask teams that face blackout like Jacksonville. 

[Drums]

They should get a team in Mexico.  I know a bunch of Mexicans that are into football (and they actually live in Mexico).   It'd be a hell of a lot easier to travel there than London.

[Panzer Division Marduk]

Definitely the Jags. They struggle mightily to sell tickets and Shalid Khan won't spend any money. He'll probably **** off to London.

 

 

He bought a Premier League team over in the UK. Fulham, who'd been in the Premier League for the last 13 seasons got relegated in Khan's first season as owner.

 

The whole London NFL team is a f**king joke that's gone on too long. Does Goodell and the rest of his idiot brigade really think that it'll be a success? First off, with the NFL fans already in the UK, the vast majority of them will not switch their allegiances to the London Goodell's Follies from the teams they already follow, and as time goes on the novelty of seeing NFL teams in London will wear off. Especially if it's every week, and the London teams aren't that successful.

 

If the Bears are playing in a few years time, all you'll get will be Bears fans (who will probably outnumber) & this hypothetical London team's fans, along with a smattering of neutrals. Hell, if it the Jaguars, then Khan could simply switch the game to Fulham's Craven Cottage, the capacity of 25,000 should be more than enough to hold the crowd.

 

And as for Blank  coming out with "and I think that it’s proved conclusive that fans will come out when they see the real players playing games that are really meaningful, as opposed to NFL Europe", well, the Germans came out to watch NFL Europe, unlike the Brits, so where's their team? Or at least their International game?

 

Shower of utter c**ts, every last one of those NFL bigwigs.

[Jetlife33]

Not to sound like a complete nationalist, but this is Americas game and it should stay that way. Goodell needs to cut the s***.

[Larz]

you can't add 1 team

 

it would have to be 4, right ? a european division ? 

[Kleckineau]

Nice warm Newcastle, Bass, or Worthington, some bangers on the grill, maybe some bacon sandwiches and a few kippers will make a helluva tailgate.

Lets get a JN trip going when the NYJ play the Jag you ars.

[Villain The Foe]

Canada and Mexico will probably get a team before London. 

[BurnleyJet]

Good it's only 250 miles for me from London not 3300 I keep hoping the Jet are the away team in the NFL international series one time.

[kay_gee]

No, that wouldn't happen. 

 

The AFC has rivalries that date back to the beginning of the AFL. Hell, the Dolphins are the new kid in the division and they've been around since 1966. You don't break up the Jets-Dolphins or Pats-Dolphins. Those games are Miami's only guaranteed sell outs. 

 

The AFC South is a thrown-together division made up of teams that have no national identity and generate no interest outside of their local markets. The London Jaguars would fit right in. 

 

 

This might be our best hope that it won't happen at all. If the team doesn't join an eastern division, where does it join?

[bitonti]

The whole London NFL team is a f**king joke that's gone on too long. Does Goodell and the rest of his idiot brigade really think that it'll be a success? 

 

Define "success." It doesn't have to be the best franchise in the league is just has to be better than Jacksonville. 

 

Nothing against jif or the gators but there are several current NFL franchises that should be in bigger cities. Florida has 3 (TB and MIA) that's oversaturation in a league where New England can claim the territory of six states.  

 

Buffalo is another on the short list. It should be in toronto. Why not? Cause of a promise made to the CFL a million years ago?

 

They will never move but could you imagine the league in 2014 starting a franchise in Green Bay, Wisconsin?

 

I'd be excited to have London as a possible destination for away Jets games. Why the heck not? 

 

the idea of having a headquarters in the Northeast is interesting.. the team could do a month here and month there instead of ferrying back and forth week to week. Play their games in chunks. 

 

I don't know if Europe could support 4 new teams but if/when the London team takes off like gangbusters (it sells out Wembley every time they aren't putting it in Craven COttege) they can have that discussion. The Germans took to NFL Europe really easily. 

 

one more thing the sooner American football goes international, the sooner we can win gold medals in it. the carnage of a USA dream team against the world... that would be something to see 

[GreenPond]

Don't know if it would make any sense putting a team to London. Don't even know what's behind the fact that they sell out every game at Wembley IMMEDIATELY. Maybe it's just because the rest of Europe buys all them tickets. Not sure if England has such a strong addiction to Football where even DARTS(!!) is way more popular.

What makes total sense to me is relocating the Bills to Tornto. It works for the Blue Jays In the AL East, so why shouldn't it work in the AFC East. This would make the Super Bowl Champions real "World Champions" (sort of) and that stupid "We are the real New York Team nonsense would finally stop

[pdxgreen]

   Don't see how this would work out.  What with the vast difference fans, distance and time.  Plus, anything that interferes with the English Premier League is not going to sell well over there.  And where you going to put them, only place that would be open would be Wembley?  Fat chance.  Tell people in Hull to watch American football instead of rugby. HAAAA!!!

[New York Mick]

Don't know if it would make any sense putting a team to London. Don't even know what's behind the fact that they sell out every game at Wembley IMMEDIATELY. Maybe it's just because the rest of Europe buys all them tickets. Not sure if England has such a strong addiction to Football where even DARTS(!!) is way more popular.

What makes total sense to me is relocating the Bills to Tornto. It works for the Blue Jays In the AL East, so why shouldn't it work in the AFC East. This would make the Super Bowl Champions real "World Champions" (sort of) and that stupid "We are the real New York Team nonsense would finally stop

The English love sports, almost any sport. They'd eat up a London based team.

The Bill should spilt time in Buffalo and Torono. It's good for the team as well as the economy for both.

And the Bills are the only NY NFL team left. The Jets and Giants are both in NJ and the Jets are always going to be the Giants retarded little sister until they get their own stadium and move back to NY.

[bitonti]

  And where you going to put them, only place that would be open would be Wembley?  Fat chance. 

 

why can't they use Wembley? they are using it now. 

 

by the way the contra-case to my "london is the gateway to the world" theory is that fears of concussions drive down youth participation and in 10-20 years it doesn't matter whether there's a team in Jacksonville, London or on the bottom of the ocean. All of this growth strategy assumes that football will be able to solve it's brain bruising issues and that's a big if right now. 

[Sperm Edwards]

currently yes but the league doesn't usually ask teams that sell out to lose a home game. They ask teams that face blackout like Jacksonville. 

 

I was just thinking, though.  It's only a slightly longer flight for us to go to London vs San Diego.  But what about California teams playing in London (or a London team playing in California)? Long time for players to be sitting on an airplane right before a game.

 

I think this whole thing is stupid.  If every NFL team was in the northeast, then it wouldn't be as bad.  But how is London supposed to play San Diego? What if the scheduling works out that they have to play 5 west coast teams in a season? That's just ridiculous.  

 

Also what about the players? What if they get drafted by a London team and now they have to pick up and move to another country on the other side of an ocean?  What about UDFAs? They're supposed to move to London for 3 months for a few thousand bucks to be camp fodder and get cut in the middle or end of the summer?

 

Once you get past a couple of unimportant things that might sound kinda cool, you think of the whole idea on balance, and on balance the whole idea stinks IMO.

[bitonti]

I was just thinking, though.  It's only a slightly longer flight for us to go to London vs San Diego.  But what about California teams playing in London (or a London team playing in California)? Long time for players to be sitting on an airplane right before a game.

 

 

you are absolutely right about that and the answer is they would try to schedule around it somehow. Maybe teams going to London get their bye week afterwards. Maybe west coast teams never to go London. 

 

there's just too much money involved to ignore the possibility.

 

You say it's dumb and it will never work (and maybe that's right) but Jacksonville isn't exactly smart and working great.  Let's not pretend like the league is printing money in Jacksonville. It's a heavily subsidized franchise that isn't pulling it's weight by any metric. 

[faba]

The only way i can see this is they have an European division but who is going to want to relocate for that

[joebabyny]

Not for nothing, but the Jaguars drew more home fans than Tampa, St. Louis, Pittsburgh or Oakland last year. Why isn't anyone talking about moving those teams to London?

http://espn.go.com/nfl/attendance

In 2012, the Jaguars outdrew 12 teams.

http://espn.go.com/nfl/attendance/_/year/2012

I like making fun of the Jaguars and their fans more than most as I live in Jacksonville. But this myth that the Jaguars struggle so mightily to sell tickets has grown to ridiculous levels.

Not to mention that Shahid Khan is putting like $60 million into the stadium down here right now. You don't spend that kind of money and then just **** off to London.

Well, steelers are sold out and have been for years. Those are the turnstile numbers. The steelers had some meaningless games and a bad season so people didn't use their tix. And that is not the case year after year.

The jags are not sold out and have not been, they perennially have attendance problems and have tarps covering whole sections. Lots of tix are bought by sponsors to avoid blackouts and given out for free, and lots of tix are sold at cheap prices.

You can not begin to compare the steelers attendance numbers to the jags numbers. The jags are a joke of a franchise in the @sshole of Florida, which is saying a lot in a state that includes the city of Tampa, lol.

[joebabyny]

He bought a Premier League team over in the UK. Fulham, who'd been in the Premier League for the last 13 seasons got relegated in Khan's first season as owner.

The whole London NFL team is a f**king joke that's gone on too long. Does Goodell and the rest of his idiot brigade really think that it'll be a success? First off, with the NFL fans already in the UK, the vast majority of them will not switch their allegiances to the London Goodell's Follies from the teams they already follow, and as time goes on the novelty of seeing NFL teams in London will wear off. Especially if it's every week, and the London teams aren't that successful.

If the Bears are playing in a few years time, all you'll get will be Bears fans (who will probably outnumber) & this hypothetical London team's fans, along with a smattering of neutrals. Hell, if it the Jaguars, then Khan could simply switch the game to Fulham's Craven Cottage, the capacity of 25,000 should be more than enough to hold the crowd.

And as for Blank coming out with "and I think that it’s proved conclusive that fans will come out when they see the real players playing games that are really meaningful, as opposed to NFL Europe", well, the Germans came out to watch NFL Europe, unlike the Brits, so where's their team? Or at least their International game?

Shower of utter c**ts, every last one of those NFL bigwigs.

Actually I don't see an issue with fans switching allegiance. Look at the Nets. Tons of Knicks fans switched to the Nets when they moved to Brooklyn.

[Klecko73isGod]

Well, steelers are sold out and have been for years. Those are the turnstile numbers. The steelers had some meaningless games and a bad season so people didn't use their tix. And that is not the case year after year.

The jags are not sold out and have not been, they perennially have attendance problems and have tarps covering whole sections. Lots of tix are bought by sponsors to avoid blackouts and given out for free, and lots of tix are sold at cheap prices.

You can not begin to compare the steelers attendance numbers to the jags numbers. The jags are a joke of a franchise in the @sshole of Florida, which is saying a lot in a state that includes the city of Tampa, lol.

 

Who took a sh*t in your Cheerios?

[joebabyny]

Who took a sh*t in your Cheerios?

 

lol, guess i am just a little sleep deprived.