Marquee teams? You mean, like the Rams?
Believe it or not, the Rams have a huge fanbase.
2011 NFL Season - A New Game
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Believe it or not, the Rams have a huge fanbase.
Well, in 2012 the Rams are playing some team from New England or something like that.
The Rams are in a shitty situation and I suspect they'll end up back in LA. In the meantime, they probably have no qualms sacrificing their home games by playing them in London. While it's partially about getting a fan base there (of the sport, which the NFL wants), it's about doing so with a team they don't care about the local fans. New England isn't going to sacrifice a home game, for example.
^I think Alidar hit the nail on the head..... what good team is going really wants to give up home games on a regular basis? I don't know if it's a thing where the league doesn't care about the crappy team's fans, but rather it's a question of how many people are actually paying for that team's tickets? If the team's at home and nobody's showing up, then they aren't making money. But if you send them abroad once a year, you know those fans will scoop those tickets up regardless of who's playing. I mean, this is proven by the fact that the international games are still successful, in spite of the fact that they've only had one worthwhile game in 6 years.
Pretty much, although popular teams, not good teams. St. Louis right now is a unique situation because they have a bitch fight with the city of St. Louis. Well-established teams with popular fan bases will be unhappy having to sacrifice season ticket sales just to promote a game in London. But teams that might need corporate sponsors to fill the seats to prevent the game from being blacked out are happy to do their part to promote international interest in the NFL.
That being said, I would actually like it if the NFL were popular in London and, let's face it, St. Louis doesn't really cut it.
That being said, I would actually like it if the NFL were popular in London and, let's face it, St. Louis doesn't really cut it.
Well, like I eluded to above, the league is doing the bare minimum to get international interest going. The only good game was Saints vs Chargers in what turned into a relatively high-scoring affair. Beyond that, it's either a good team taking a piss on a bad team or it's two bad teams slap fighting each other until one breaks a nail.
Of course, it could be a similar situation to all of this season's primetime games- it was scheduled to be a decent matchup in when they made the decision months before, but it one or more of the teams ended up sputtering out as the game approached.
Of course, it could be a similar situation to all of this season's primetime games- it was scheduled to be a decent matchup in when they made the decision months before, but it one or more of the teams ended up sputtering out as the game approached.
The NFL is pretty popular in Europe, and not only is it popular, it's fans are also very active. There are probably 200 million people within 1 hour plane travel of London - I guarantee if there were an NFL team in London, Paris or Frankfurt it would be sold out every game. 100%.
I most likely won't go to London, but I'm fairly sure us european fans will take whatever teams we get. Watching football live is the real kicker.
Rams owner Stan Kroenke also owns the Arsenal soccer club in the English Premier League as well as the stadium they play in.
We could be looking at the London Rams, rather than the Los Angeles Rams.
We could be looking at the London Rams, rather than the Los Angeles Rams.
London Rams has a nice sound to it. I don't think the NFL wants to make it a permanent team, though, because travel times would be ridiculous (especially since I suspect they would remain in the west so their rivals would have a 9 hour time difference).
The Lakers didn't change their name when they moved from Minnesota (and LA isn't known for their lakes). As far as the divisions go, remember that Tampa Bay was in the old NFC Central despite being geographically mismatched.
As much as I dislike the Vikings, I'd hate to see them go anywhere- I enjoy the rivalry. Although if they did leave at least I wouldn't have to hear about the stadium debate every damned day. But I don't think there's much danger in them leaving. They've threatened to leave so many times in the past that few people take it seriously anymore (of course, many thought the same thing about the North Stars up until they actually bolted for Dallas).
I have always found it amazing how people dump on Modell and the Ravens when other owners who ripped teams out of cities and don't suffer any repercussions in public opinion (Colts, Rams, Titans, Cardinals).
Everybody boohooed and had hissy fits until Cleveland got their Browns back. The NFL went out of their way to give them a team back in only 3 years. But nobody outside the other cities who had teams stolen gave a rats ass when they got the shaft.
Why don't they just start a new team in LA, and maybe another one a couple years later? Put another one in Montreal and one in Alabama or Mississippi and you can make a new division or something with an extra play off spot in one of the two conferences (with only #1 getting a week off on wild card weekend). Does the NFL have to stay at 32 teams forever?
Why would they trade places with the Seahawks? I terms of geography, the Rams would be the better swap.
Now the Jaguars moving to LA, that would be more difficult for realignment.
Ultimately, no one cares when sports teams move other than the city losing the team and the city gaining the team. Look at the Houston Oilers, one of the original AFL teams. The owner moves them and wants to keep their history even though he changes the name of the team. Hell, Warren Moon had his number retiring ceremony in Tennessee in front of "home" fans he never played for.
In the NBA, the history-rich Seattle Sonics were moved by an owner who never intended to keep the team in Seattle and had a corrupt commissioner in his pocket who looked the other way and was basically his own personal yes-man. No one other than Charles Barkley cared. Look how many NBA teams relocated under David Stern's reign.
The Washington Senators moved out of D.C. twice! How many times have the A's moved and they're probably going to do it again.
Sports commissioners fighting to keep teams in cities are rare because ultimately the commissioner is on the side of the owner. Most recently it was the NHL commissioner fighting to keep a team in Phoenix, which was ironic since the Coyotes were a relocated franchise.
I'm just going to leave this belated Christmas gift here for Timby and keep my eyes open for the nuclear mushroom cloud over Madison.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sport...20-gm-bears-chicago--20120120,0,2353315.story
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sport...20-gm-bears-chicago--20120120,0,2353315.story
Where's Simon Cowell when we need him?
Steve Tyler looks like a fucking hobo.
Steve Tyler looks like a fucking hobo.
I was thinking he looked (and sounded) more like an old lady.
And not just any old lady, but an old lady who's stuffing the ketchup packets from Wendy's into her purse.
First impression is, that it might be a very enjoyable night for Patriots fans today.
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