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Was just reading on ESPN how Goodell is hoping to have multiple games in England in the future.

Was wondering if you guys would plan a trip across the pond for the Brownies. I've been to England twice as well as Wales, Ireland and Scotland. It is a good time.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=4588350

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I don't even travel to Cleveland to watch them play anymore



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If I could incorporate it into a larger vacation, I suppose I would.. but not just to see the game.


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These days I wouldn't even travel across the valley to Glendale to watch this sorry team.

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Maybe Aston Villa and the Browns could play on the same field the same day.

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I think it's ridiculous how the NFL keeps playing these games in Europe. I really think it's the first stages in trying to get NFL teams in Europe. One of these days, this league is going to get to big for itself and start to flounder.

If people in Europe want to go to an NFL game, they should hop on a plane and come here to one. It's not fair to the NFL teams that have to fly over there to play.


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From a business perspective, it's a good move I think. They can't really grow the product much more here in the states aside from maybe a team in LA, which has been tried before and failed. The real growth areas that they see are outside of the US.

As a fan, I don't like it as the Browns could lose a home game as they experiment with having NFL teams play in Europe.

As far as going to see the Browns play overseas, I would if I could turn it into a longer vacation.


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Nope. I couldn't afford it.


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I've always thought a "17th game" might solve some of these issues. What you would do is take away a pre-season game (which everyone complains about) and add a 17th "neutral site" game to everyone's schedule. You then have 15 games a year that you can play anywhere you want ... London, Mexico City, Toronto, Los Angeles, Oklahoma City, Columbus, Boise, etc.

Not sure who could complain about that ... the players would get one less pre-season game, and one more game that counts ... so the season wouldn't really be "longer". Home-town fans wouldn't lose a "home game", and would have one less pre-season game that they would have to fork out money for to get season tickets. Fans from extended markets would get to have "home games", and it might actually mitigate some of the teams moving to new markets ... as these markets will get "neutral site" games to compensate.

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I don't think this would be a bad thing at all.... putting teams in London and Mexico City would give the league two new countries that watch football. Imagine the millions of more UK viewers for not only London's game, but also the late december games throughout their own division.

The only problem, is that i think 32 is the perfect number of teams for this league. You don't have another fair setup until you have 40 teams. Thus i think it would end up being best for the league to move teams out of two existing cities (Jacksonville is probably one)....which is something i never like to do.

As for the trip to London being too long to players. They have an entire week to prepare for the time change. And it's only a 7 hour flight from Boston to London, against a 6 hour flight from Boston to LA....so I don't see it being a huge problem...it might be slightly unfair to the team in London, but that's just something they'd have to deal with.

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No.

And for those looking at the business side, there's a reason World League and NFL Europe failed.

These places like the occasional game. It's a novelty. But they are not that interested in American Football to support a franchise or multiple franchises. As a token game being played in Mexico City/London/Tokyo this will work as the locals will go. Long term I think it will fail.

The only country that I could see expanding to that would pay attention and care would be our 51st state...Canada.


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I don't agree that they failed because people didn't like it. They didn't like second tier players, just as we don't here. I think it is worth a shot with a top tier team in another country with "real" NFL players, not second tier teams made of cast offs.

Last edited by ColumbusDawg; 10/23/09 01:28 PM.

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No, I wouldnt go. Let them have the meaningless preseason games if anything.

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Just wait .... the Browns will move to London and become the "London Browns" ..........






And win the damn Super Bowl the next year ......


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Quote:

Was wondering if you guys would plan a trip across the pond for the Brownies.




Yes, but I would also make the same trip even if the Browns werent playing. Hopefully it will work out that I can go to Emirates Stadium and see Arsenal on the same trip.


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Quote:

They can't really grow the product much more here in the states aside from maybe a team in LA, which has been tried before and failed. The real growth areas that they see are outside of the US.



Why do they need to grow the product?


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Actually, Germany seems to be rather fond of American football.

But outside of them, there isn't enough interest there, no.

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Quote:

Quote:

They can't really grow the product much more here in the states aside from maybe a team in LA, which has been tried before and failed. The real growth areas that they see are outside of the US.



Why do they need to grow the product?





Because if a business is not growing it is dying.


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Most businesses want to grow, do they not?


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Quote:

Because if a business is not growing it is dying.




That is true for most businesses.. but then normal businesses face competition and if they stop growing, the competition surpasses them, then crushes them and that is how they die......

Where is the NFL's competition?

Similarly, most businesses that keep growing eventually outgrow themselves and their customer base... they become some kind of mega shell of their original selves, the selves that people were initially drawn to.....


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Quote:

Where is the NFL's competition?


NBA, MLB, NHL.....In many cities especially ours...they are fighting for the dollars of the fans of those cities...so AS a Clevelander are you going to spend money on the Browns season tickets or the Cavs season Tickets????

Just because there isn't another High end Football league...it doesn't mean they don't have competition.

Lets also not forget by growing to international markets they also start to increase their talent base...look at what international players have done for Baseball and Basketball....


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No


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Just to follow up, I really have no idea what i am talkng about. I just heard that quote on some movie or some show and it seemed to fit this discussion


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Quote:

Just to follow up, I really have no idea what i am talkng about.




We know. It's stated in the 'Rules of the Pound.'

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Quote:

NBA, MLB, NHL.....In many cities especially ours...they are fighting for the dollars of the fans of those cities...so AS a Clevelander are you going to spend money on the Browns season tickets or the Cavs season Tickets????



I don't live in Cleveland, but if I did.. I'd spend it on the Browns, the Cavs, the Indians, the Toledo Mudhens, OSU, or Akron before I'd spend it on the Manchester Jaguars...

Quote:

Just because there isn't another High end league...it doesn't mean they don't have competition.



Fair enough.. but how does international expansion fix this? How does planting a football team in the middle of a City (or country) where everybody is already 100 devoted to a soccer team help this in any way?

Quote:

Lets also not forget by growing to international markets they also start to increase their talent base...look at what international players have done for Baseball and Basketball....



And oddly enough both of those sports achieved this without diluting their league by placing teams in eastern Europe, Asia, Africa, or Latin America.. and they never even really played any significant amount of games there.....


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I really dont think they want to place teams there as much as they want to garner interest there,as the NBA has done. I think it is all about the TV and merchandise revenues. if it catches on strong enough maybe down the road you would see affiliated leagues sprout up.


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Yeah, I didn't see anywhere stated they wanted to put a team overseas...Toronto and Mexico City...maybe...LOL...but not overseas....


concerning the Clevelander thing...most Clevelanders are not going to have the $$$$ to pony up for season tickets for each major sports club...those people are few and far between. So they definitely vie for local dollars with the other sports teams...in every market not just Cleveland. So any chances to expand their revenue with TV contracts by getting interest overseas...I think can be very useful. And that is what this is about....garnering interest.

Baseball made it to Japan because of the soldiers in Post WWII. Baseball was King at the time....Well now that Football is king....do you suggest we declare war on those wussie French so we can station some football loving GI's in Europe to expand the game??? (not a bad idea...kill 2 birds with one stone...LOL)


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Quote:


I don't live in Cleveland, but if I did.. I'd spend it on the Browns, the Cavs, the Indians, the Toledo Mudhens, OSU, or Akron before I'd spend it on the Manchester Jaguars...




I don't think that was the question.

The question was what would Manchester people do?

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Would I have to take my wife????


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Yes, but you have the option to leave her there



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A Browns game in London, it would probably get me to go. London isnt somewhere Id normally consider visiting, but a Browns game there might be the lil extra reason Id need to consider it.


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would i go out of my way to...no....especially if they are anything like the teams of the past 10 years

I'd go to London/England to see the city/country itself


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You're correct. They didn't like the 2nd (or 5th) tier players. But there wasn't a lot of interest even in the higher end players there. It was a novelty at best.

they pack 100,000+ into stadiums for soccer. they were barely grabbing 20k+ for the American football IIRC. that number could be a bit higher, was a while since i looked it up. But they didn't much care for it.

And the Germans only liked the Frankfurt team cause their national soccer team was in the toilet...lol


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I agree that there is no way that it would ever rival the Premier League. I work with several people from other countries - Norway, Turkey, India, England - and none of them care for American football at all, so it would be a tough sell indeed. I think to the NFL it might be worth the risk, though I think a team in Toronto or Mexico might be a better choice - that's where I would expand to first if I were calling the shots.

I like the idea someone had above with the 17th game being at a neutral site - that opens up all kinds of possibilities and allows for the novelty you speak of to continue on when an NFL team visits a country overseas.


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It's my goal to see the Browns in every NFL stadium, so why not trek to the UK? I think it would be great. I've actually been hoping that one of these times we play Buffalo that it lands on one of their Toronto games. Love experiencing different cities and stadiums with other Browns fans.

I know if they do play in England who's taking me on a pub tour...EnglishDawg!

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I don't know if I could afford it, but I would be FURIOUS if they took a home game away from us to play in the UK and still made us pay for 2 preseason games...


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Would I watch the Browns in London? Hell yeah!

I believe that in a few years there will be a 17th NFL regular season game, and each franchise will be made to play a game in a foreign Country, be that Germany, England, Japan. This also gets around the problem of teams having to 'give up' a regular season home game. The bye week can also be adjusted for the week after the franchise play their foreign game.

I went to Wembley last year and watched the Saints v Chargers, I think the attendance was something like 85,000 my ticket to the game was £100. The game was sold out in record time so to say there is no real market for the NFL in England is just wrong! The atmosphere and the pregame build up was amazing. I am unable to go to tomorrows game but a quick look on ebay over the last week will show the huge interest - some tickets going for £300 and above!

It seems to me that alot of fans who say no to this kind of expansion dont actually attend the games in Cleveland anyway?! so how is watching the Browns on TV in London any different?

If the Browns ever do play in England I will be more than happy to host you all! King catching an Arsenal game is a must ..... and as for you Beerdowner ... I am still recovering from our last drinking session

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Quote:

some tickets going for £300 and above!




IE roughly $491 ...


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I'm not even willing to travel to Cleveland to watch the Browns play. If I happened to be in London when the Browns were there, I probably still wouldn't bother!


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Without reading the whole thread, I might be copying someone else's reply......

I wouldn't walk across to the street to see this team play.

I am a Bears season ticket holder....so I HAVE to go next Sunday.


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