Wembley, where else

[dave.woodhall]

I know this should be in the anabolic rugby thread, but a) it's my ball and b) it makes you think about how football's going.

http://thebirminghampress.com/2014/10/wembley-worries/

[Woofles The Wonder Dog]

Not sure that translates into the future of football, and an awful lot of attendees will have known who the Falcons were.

[Comrade Blitz]

All the hype and the Falcons blew their (joint) biggest lead ever to lose. I love it. We have that Rise Up advert on TV here all the time.

Were their popcorn, cotton candy and beer sellers walking up and down the aisles, too?

-Merica

[tomd2103]

Heard during one of England's recent games that a NFL franchise based at Wembley would allow the national team to play internationals around the country again. 

[UK Redsox]

30 odd years of NFL on TV in the UK and at Wembley and some people still think that its some kind of novelty sport

[tomd2103]

30 odd years of NFL on TV in the UK and at Wembley and some people still think that its some kind of novelty sport

Isn't that the case with football for many in the US though?

[PeterWithesShin]

Shit article Richard.

[olaftab]

30 odd years of NFL on TV in the UK and at Wembley and some people still think that its some kind of novelty sport

It's not even a sport!

[OCD]

30 odd years of NFL on TV in the UK and at Wembley and some people still think that its some kind of novelty sport

Isn't that the case with football for many in the US though?

Yes but less and less so, which could be said about the NFL here too.

[pauliewalnuts]

30 odd years of NFL on TV in the UK and at Wembley and some people still think that its some kind of novelty sport

"30 years on TV in the UK" is such a vague term, though. It doesn't really mean anything.

The average person in this country knows absolutely nothing, nothing about NFL.

It doesn't really matter if you've been on the telly for 30 years (and, really, how many of those years meant 4am on Channel 5?) if nobody watches. Sky's week on week coverage gets about 60,000 viewers.

"Tight Lines", the fishing program used to get about 50k.

[pauliewalnuts]

Heard during one of England's recent games that a NFL franchise based at Wembley would allow the national team to play internationals around the country again. 

That doesn't mean they'd actually do it, though. They'd just play them at Wembley all the same and bank the money.

[peter w]

Not sure what the pint of the article is. The author presumably isn't a fan of American football so why do a piece about it if he doesn't 'get' it? I'm not a big fan of the sport but will dip in for a few seconds when flicking through the channels to see how New England are doing. Plus, it can be quite entertaining at times. Plus, to think people just won't know where Atlanta is is a tad insulting.

I guess 80 000 turn up because they are either fans of either team that play or of the sport and just want to watch a live competitive game. I have no problem with that. let them enjoy it. I have no interest in super bikes either and I'm sure I could write an article criticising it, people who go and watch it, and the nuances that go into a superbike day.

I agree with tom's point and paulie's that an NFL team playing there would allow the team to travel around the country more. Of course it will rarely happen. but if there is a San marino at home or Norway at home type game, that's more likely to be taken elsewhere. More Norway type games as they're friendlies. Qualifiers would be at Wembley I guess.

[Reuben]

I agree, awful article.  Wasn't it Sky who tried to introduce cheerleaders and razzamatazz to the Premier League?

I imagine most people in the stadium were there to support a sport they are interested in with a decent mix of all 32 NFL team colours among the 83,000.  Hardly forcing people to support the Falcons though yes, I am sure some were tempted into buying gameday and general NFL merchandise (as most of it is not readily available in the UK)

I hope there isn't a London franchise, and I think 3 International Series games is too many, but to moan about NFL when our own national game is utterly shite and uncompetitive at the moment is laughable. 

[Woofles The Wonder Dog]

I agree, awful article.  Wasn't it Sky who tried to introduce cheerleaders and razzamatazz to the Premier League?

I'm pretty sure I remember cheerleaders at VP toward the back end of the 60s. They were jeered.

[The Villa Werewolf]

Sorry, but that is a mind-bogglingly dreadful article.

It reads as if it was written by somebody who went along with the preconceived notion that he would dislike the event, was surprised to find little worthy of mockery, and so went on to feign bewilderment at things which really aren't that difficult to understand.

For a start, nobody 'decided' arbitrarily that one team had to be the home team. Atlanta gave up a home game to come to Wembley... i.e. it WAS their home game.

And, yes, the vast, vast majority of people there will have known exactly who the Falcons were long in advance of the event. Not sure why the writer is judging everyone by his own ignorance.

Most ridiculous is his claim not to have known the purpose of the plastic bags left on each seat, given that they were prominently printed with instructions as to their use. He must still be scratching his head trying to work out how this happened: