When will this European games madness stop?!

[Low Positive]

It's about growing the game. They are looking for audiences that they don't already have. They have pretty much every sports fan in the US except for some in the South. So they play international games, and it's working. Fan support and viewership in the UK is on the rise. The same thing is beginning to occur in Germany. This is the same reason that they are pushing the Taylor Swift thing so hard.  That's working too. 

[Matt_In_NH]

5 hours ago, RichardLee said:

Fans hate it.  Players hate it.  Coaches hate it.  

But the NFL makes money out of it.  So there, take that fans, players, and coaches. Put that in your pipe and smoke it while we fill our pockets with money.

It is plainly obvious that jetlag is a major issue to the game, and that it even puts players' wellness at risk.  

When will this madness stop?  Never if we don't do anything about it.

The players like the money, trust me. 

[LabattBlue]

Anyone mad about the NFL, are you pissed at Pegula?  Last time I looked Goodell and the NFL honchos work for the owners. 

[Peter]

7 hours ago, RichardLee said:

Fans hate it.  Players hate it.  Coaches hate it.  

But the NFL makes money out of it.  So there, take that fans, players, and coaches. Put that in your pipe and smoke it while we fill our pockets with money.

It is plainly obvious that jetlag is a major issue to the game, and that it even puts players' wellness at risk.  

When will this madness stop?  Never if we don't do anything about it.

 

Fans hate it???

 

There were thousands of Bills fans in London who would disagree with you.

 

Money?

 

Yes, of course. The more money the NFL makes around the world is good for the Bills and their financial security and makes it less of a problem that we are a small market team.

 

Jet lag?

 

Blame whoever made the decision to fly over so late in the week. Anyone who actually travels to Europe could tell the Bills' "braintrust" that this was a juge mistake.

[Livinginthepast]

For all the people dismissing jet lag as a problem for the Bills vs 10 days of acclimatization for the Jags, you've either never travelled on a plane outside North America or are not thinking about this clearly.

 

1. No way the Bills could have arrived Monday, Players in the NFL need at least a day of complete rest or more after all the hits and minor injuries they experience. Travelling 8 hours on a plane, the day after an NFL game (worse than any other sport) would have a very negative effect on the team's health.

 

2. Say the Bills left Tuesday, They would have got there later Tuesday UK time or early Wednesday. They would be exhausted from the flight with no little or sleep. In addition, 8 hours on a plane (even in business class bed seats) plays havoc on your body as a tourist. I cannot imagine the effect on a pro athlete nursing bumps, bruises, etc.

 

3. Once the Bills arrived they would still be completely out of their element, the hotel, the food, the distractions in a huge city like London. Their routines would be much different than any away game they've played. More like going to a SB (which also throws routines out the window).

 

4. Jet lag only starts to get better 48 hours in, and for some people it takes 3 or more days to get used to it. Had the Bills got there Wednesday (which was probably the earliest feasible, Players would have been just returning to normal Saturday at best. You can take all the melatonin you want. You still need time to get yourself right.

 

5. The Jags had been in the UK for 10 days. You cannot dismiss this massive physical and mental advantage. The matchup was unfair and in a sport like football, that can be dangerous to the players.

 

All in all, the NFL puts these teams at a huge disadvantage in these gimmicky games and the results were predictable: sloppily played and penalty filled games, higher potential for injury and a less than acceptable product. All of this was evident yesterday. Add to this that the Jags were gifted a massive advantage and this borders on farce. I'm glad that many Bills fans got to experience London and the UK (pretty cool) but the game was a debacle.

[T master]

20 hours ago, RichardLee said:

Fans hate it.  Players hate it.  Coaches hate it.  

But the NFL makes money out of it.  So there, take that fans, players, and coaches. Put that in your pipe and smoke it while we fill our pockets with money.

It is plainly obvious that jetlag is a major issue to the game, and that it even puts players' wellness at risk.  

When will this madness stop?  Never if we don't do anything about it.

 

Personally the NFL is a American game & the only reason why i watched the game yesterday was because the Bills were in it . I would rather it stay in America !!

 

It wouldn't bother me if there never was another game outside the US but just like all the other industries in the US which the NFL is one of they are all out sourcing business for the all mighty dollar which in the long run i think will make the game worse for it .

[LABILLBACKER]

20 hours ago, Bferra13 said:

Would this thread exist if we won? Not a chance. But players and owners agreed on it. It ain't going away. Adapt and overcome. Maybe fly out immediately after the Dolphins game acclimate these players a bit more next time so they're not sleepwalking during the first half.

That was the biggest mistake the Bills organization made in this not flying out Monday. The NFL should have insisted on a grass field or no deal.  And no team should have to or be allowed to sit in any country for 2 weeks.  Goodell's experiment failed.

Edited October 9, 2023 by LABILLBACKER