Goodell hints at a 4 team European Division for the NFL in the near future...and wasn't joking.

[What a Tuel]

How would the draft work? If they draft US college players then those players have to move to foreign countries?

 

The one good thing would be expanding the player talent pool. There has to be capable talented football players out there in other countries.

[ArtVandalay]

2 hours ago, Mr. WEO said:

 

You think this is his idea?

 

 

Combined, for most  it's more than that in the US for highest federal/state/local brackets.

There's additional taxes in the UK as well,  not just the 45% income tax. 

[Big Turk]

54 minutes ago, What a Tuel said:

How would the draft work? If they draft US college players then those players have to move to foreign countries?

 

The one good thing would be expanding the player talent pool. There has to be capable talented football players out there in other countries.

 

Yeah pretty much. Same way when US players are drafted in the NBA, MLB or NHL to a Canadian team.

Edited October 9, 2022 by Big Turk

[Billz4ever]

21 hours ago, PetermansRedemption said:

With the ease of travel (8 hours on a private jet where they can eat or sleep) it’s not that big of a deal anymore IMO. There will be difficulties, like getting players to actually want to sign with those teams. But if they have some inter-division games over there where they don’t have to travel to the states, I can see it working. 

Jet lag is a real thing though and there's plenty of people who don't sleep well on planes at all.

 

This is coming from a person who has lived in both Europe and Asia.

21 hours ago, Big Turk said:

Doesn't specify where but I would assume London and a German city(Berlin/Munich) would have a team..

 

This would be pretty crazy if the NFL goes through with it, but they seem hell bent on world domination...they have invested huge amounts of time, effort, energy and most importantly money on growing the sport worldwide with all of the overseas games...

 

Goodell said it was clear London could support not only one team but likely two, citing fan support and multiple stadiums that are NFL ready.

 

But then the Commissioner took it another step. After Neil Reynolds jokingly asked for a European division, Goodell made it clear that the possibility is no joke.

 

“That’s part of what we’re doing, right?” Goodell said. “We’re trying to sort of see, could you have multiple locations in Europe where you could have an NFL franchise? Because it would be easier as a division.”

 

 

Wouldn't be surprised to see this happen by the next collective bargaining agreement.

 

https://sports.yahoo.com/roger-goodell-hints-four-team-160442596.html

 

I could see Canada like MLB and the NHL, but Europe?

Edited October 9, 2022 by Billz4ever

[Big Turk]

4 minutes ago, Billz4ever said:

Jet lag is a real thing though and there's plenty of people who don't sleep well on planes at all.

 

This is coming from a person who has lived in both Europe and Asia.

I could see Canada like MLB and the NHL, but Europe?

 

NFL will not expand to Canada due to CFL and handshake agreement with them from what I have heard.

 

More than that, they offer anti-trust protection for the NFL and they don't want to potentially move to Canada and cause the CFL to fold as they are already on questionable financial footing.

Edited October 9, 2022 by Big Turk

[Billz4ever]

2 minutes ago, Big Turk said:

 

NFL will not expand to Canada due to CFL and handshake agreement with them from what I have heard 

Yeah, I think you're right.  CFL football is so trash though, lol.

[Big Turk]

Just now, Billz4ever said:

Yeah, I think you're right.  CFL football is so trash though, lol.

 

Anti-trust protection for the NFL

[Mr. WEO]

30 minutes ago, ArtVandalay said:

There's additional taxes in the UK as well,  not just the 45% income tax. 

 
Correct, but for the highest earners, no significant difference than in, say, Buffalo, NY

[Just Jack]

3 hours ago, Donuts and Doritos said:

The flight between Berlin & LA would be a joy. 

 

Give west coast teams a game on the east coast, then Europe the next week, then a bye week after their return.  Or, if they are playing the entire Europe division that year, fly over, play all the away games there, then fly back.  

[Max Fischer]

22 hours ago, PetermansRedemption said:

With the ease of travel (8 hours on a private jet where they can eat or sleep) it’s not that big of a deal anymore IMO. There will be difficulties, like getting players to actually want to sign with those teams. But if they have some inter-division games over there where they don’t have to travel to the states, I can see it working. 

 

By 2026, a new supersonic jet is scheduled to go into service. Would be pricey, but could help. However, I think those teams would be at a distinct disadvantage and make the time difference difficult for West Coast/Mountain games viewers in Europe. 

[Bills2022]

22 hours ago, FrenchConnection said:

The NFL is jealous of the global reach of the NBA. But basketball, like association football,  is a sport played all around the world. The NFL has to realise that gridiron football is like Australian Rules Football. The AFL is the most popular sport in Australia but only has a niche following elsewhere. 

 

NFL is bigger than the NBA.  And the NFL doesn't have $10 Billion invested in Communist China.  The reason for the NFL trying to grow in Europe has nothing to do with jealousy.  It has everything to do with simply making these billionaire owners more money. 

 

ESPN analysis: NBA owners, mum on troubled China relationship, have more than $10 billion invested there.

 

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/33938932/nba-owners-mum-china-relationship-more-10-billion-invested-there

[BigDingus]

22 hours ago, PetermansRedemption said:

With the ease of travel (8 hours on a private jet where they can eat or sleep) it’s not that big of a deal anymore IMO. There will be difficulties, like getting players to actually want to sign with those teams. But if they have some inter-division games over there where they don’t have to travel to the states, I can see it working. 

 

I think the issue is transporting the entire crew that comes along with NFL teams when traveling. There's way more than just the players that have to be transported. 

Pretty sure it's somewhere around 150 people go with the team, coupled with all the equipment, clothing, & supplies. It's a huge operation to transport a team domestically, which all becomes a lot more complicated when traveling overseas.

[BigDingus]

23 hours ago, Irish Dave said:

I grew up in Amherst, life long Bills fan.  But now I live in Europe. (Ireland).  I gotta tell  you guys,  "American Football" as it's known here is seen as a silly little sport.  They make fun of the padding (compared to Rugby which has no padding).   Also people here see it as having WAY too many commercials.  It's actually ridicouls the amount of commercials there are, when you compare it with a Premiere League  Soccer match - and soccer is by far the biggest sport in Europe.   Games have NO commercials, except at halftime.  Imagine that.  The clock runs continuously.  So - as much as we love it, grew up with it and love the Bills, for people here it's  nothing more than a passing fancing; a silly game, with silly helmets.  Despite my trying to convince them otherwise!

 

This is all true, but a lot of it stems from typical anti-Americanism & nationalism.

 

American Football is more dangerous than Rugby, yet people pretend pads make it LESS violent. The name of the sport is also a sore spot, as they can't get over the fact we call this sport "Football." It's like the metric system or using Fahrenheit instead of Celsius... Americans are just stupid amirite?!

 

Even if none of these things are significant or impact their daily lives, it annoys them to an insane degree (measured in Celsius of course).

 

I can guarantee if they had their own NFL teams, the second one of them beat a US team, their pride would skyrocket & instantly generate interest. 😅

Edited October 9, 2022 by BigDingus

[Saxum]

8 hours ago, GunnerBill said:

As for European divisions. Meh. I am still sceptical that Goodell and the League actually want London franchises. I think they like to dangle the carrot and now will do the same to Germany... but they are seeing increased revenues from Europe already and I am not persuaded that the benefits outweigh the costs for them right now. If Jacksonville decided it wanted to move that would be one thing but I don't realistically see European expansion any time soon. But let me absolutely clear - a London team would have no issues selling out 8 home games. 

 

Remember current US model for NFL is dependant upon advertisers to pay for majority of revenue not fans.  Will that model work in Europe?

35 minutes ago, BigDingus said:

 

Even if none of these things are significant or impact their daily lives, it annoys them to an insane degree (measured in Celsius of course).

 

 

They willl never take the economy size thermometer out of their asses.

[BigDingus]

22 hours ago, Motorin' said:

For what I've seen the biggest obstacle to growing the fan base among Europeans is that they don't know the rules. It's impossible to follow the NFL if you don't understand down and distance. What a pass is, and how you score.

 

And the whole "they wear pads it's a soft game" erodes very quickly. You'd probably be shocked by the amount of "European reacts to NFL biggest hits" videos there are on YT. 

 

This is so true. I can't tell you how many times YouTube has recommended me a "European reacts to NFL _____" video the past year or so... 

 

And the few I've clicked on, people seem genuinely excited & interested when watching (at least the younger crowd). There's probably a lot of untapped potential in the younger European market, but the issue would then be "how do you get kids to start playing?"

 

I've heard one of the biggest hurdles (aside from teaching the rules) is that American Football is nonexistent in their schools, so you'd need to invest in supporting local clubs of some kind for kids to participate in.

[GunnerBill]

16 minutes ago, Limeaid said:

 

Remember current US model for NFL is dependant upon advertisers to pay for majority of revenue not fans.  Will that model work in Europe?

 

 

Don't see why it wouldn't. 

[Saxum]

24 minutes ago, GunnerBill said:

 

Don't see why it wouldn't. 

 

Comments I heard on so many commercials in US broadcasts.

[Buffalo716]

3 hours ago, What a Tuel said:

How would the draft work? If they draft US college players then those players have to move to foreign countries?

 

The one good thing would be expanding the player talent pool. There has to be capable talented football players out there in other countries.

Lmao if you combined England, Germany, France you’d maybe find 4 guys lol

 

they might have the size or speed but not the skill in American football 

[GunnerBill]

10 minutes ago, Limeaid said:

 

Comments I heard on so many commercials in US broadcasts.

 

But interest is already up watching it this way. Will there be a subsection of people who say the ads are too much? Sure. But the target for the NFL in the UK is to be the best of the rest behind the big sports - soccer, cricket, rugby etc

 

Edited October 9, 2022 by GunnerBill

[Just Jack]

3 hours ago, Buffalo716 said:

Lmao if you combined England, Germany, France you’d maybe find 4 guys lol

 

they might have the size or speed but not the skill in American football 

 

There has been at least one European player in the NFL, remember Leif Larsen?