On a Slippery Day in London, Giants Hold On
The NFL played its first ever game outside of North America Sunday. The game was played at Wembley Stadium in London. The English fans who witnessed it firsthand saw a sloppy game between two of the NFL’s most boring teams to watch. Wembly stadium is meant to host European “futbol” games, not NFL style “football” contests. The teams sent abroad to represent American football to these Europeans were the slow and methodical New York Giants and the still winless Miami Dolphins. The NFL had no idea what these teams would be like when this game was scheduled but I’m not sure that this game will help our countries favorite sport catch on to these European people.
The pitch, as the field is called in England, was muddied by the rain and the fact that it is constructed of a grass not meant to support the trampling of 350 pound men and the cuts of powerful NFL running backs. The game itself was not an exciting one either, although this article attempts to convince the reader otherwise possible due to bias, it is a New York paper. The final score was 13-10 win by the Giants, with very little other than scrambling runs by Giants QB Eli Manning and mistakes by the mistake prone Dolphins QB Cleo Lemon. The article explains that the fans cheered on any down field pass complete or not, most of them were not. The most exciting thing for the fans may have been the streaker that the article claims ran across the field at half-time. The fans did show up in good numbers to the surprise of many sports analyzers who predicted that the NFL’s attempt to spread this sport would fall on deaf ears.
The NFL may look on this game as a successful one but I as a true NFL fan do not. This game could do nothing to hold my attention past the singing of the two national anthems. The NFL is looking to host several other games outside of the United States in years to come and possible the NFL super bowl as well. I hope that they do because I think that the world would really enjoy our sport. I do hope that when scheduling these games that they do not involve teams with a typically boring style of play or ones in which they have virtually no young talent and are in the first year of a coaching changes, as these teams were.
3 comments:
By the NFL playing this game overseas, it will open a new era and show the world American Football. I think it might be a little difficult to play 16 international games a year, and I believe the super bowl should stay in the United States. The home county should keep this event. The incredibly popular event is a milestone of American history and should not be given to another county where they may know little of the game.
This game played in England was a poor representation of the NFL. Low scoring games are sometimes uninteresting, and that added to the rainy conditions made it difficult to show the Europeans how amazing the sport really is. Also, a more intense game could have brought more excitement to the game. However, the Giants kneeled the last three plays of the game. It was a very smart decision. Due to the conditions the probability of an interception or a fumble was high, and they did what was needed to win the game, but prevented the fans from getting their nail-biter game. I found it interesting that the many fans wore American football jerseys not representing either team playing. They are interested in the sport, just may not be in one particular team. However, they are getting involved and have the opportunity to watch a NFL game first hand.
I agree that playing NFL games overseas is a great idea. With an attendance of nearly 82,000 fans sitting in the rain for over three hours, definitely shows that other countries, at least England, are interested in American Football. I think it is safe to say that fans were at Wembley stadium to see the game of football not the particular teams. The article even stated that some fans were wearing jerseys not of the Giants or Dolphins. In regards to the game, having two different “good” teams play does not necessarily make for a better game. Sometimes the most exciting games are between teams that you would least expect. Also schedules are made prior to the season so it is impossible to determine how “good” a team is at the time of playing.
I would love to see the NFL go global but I do not think that it is realistic to say that we will be seeing 16 or football games being played overseas anytime soon. I also believe that there will never be a Super Bowl in foreign cities, and that if a Super Bowl was hosted overseas, it would be a bad idea. Having a Super Bowl somewhere outside the United States does not seem fitting. Until teams in the NFL are competing with teams elsewhere around the world, there is no need to move, arguably the most anticipated sporting event in the United States, to another location outside of the U.S. Only time will tell if the NFL will expand worldwide.
I look at the popularity of soccer throughout the world, which supposedly started in Englad, and I cannot help but wonder; "why can't American Football catch on worldwide and become that popular." I see American Football as much more exciting and talented sport (but that is obviously just my opinion), and I strongly believe that if it introduced to the rest of the world with enough emphasis it will take off. It is great that the NFL is taking chances and playing games overseas, and I hope it pays off with the existence of future international games. However, I do agree that the Super Bowl should never be played out of America as it is a truely American sport and perhaps the biggest sporting event of the year among us Americans.
This particular game may have not been the best game to demonstrate to the English what American Football is all about. It was a rather low scoring and sloppy game, which does not do the sport justice. I hope that the NFL's plan to play 16 games a year in other countries works out and helps the world see what the sport is all about, and who knows, maybe some day there will be an international football tournament much like the World Cup. Us football fans can hope.
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