Wanted to put this in the tread where it was discussed earlier but can't find it. Just days after talking about preserving english football and its traditions the same politicians talk about bringing the NFL to Wembley. Can imagine how that would go down with supporters in the US. I know they said it could be a newly formed team not currently playing there, but that would mean closing one of the existing teams. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/nf...franchise-says-Chancellor-George-Osborne.html
They move NFL teams all the time anyway so it that part of the equation wouldnt be that difficult to manage. They are going to be moving one of the NFL teams to LA pretty soon by all accounts. As far as how supporters in the US would feel? Most are divided but not in any way that means anything. Its not like their would be boycotts, or really any major complaints about the situation at all. People here are used to teams moving, names changing etc so no one care that much. In fact I doubt it would even be a major talking point on ESPN. People are to busy talking about NFL players beating their wives and NFL players killing themselves later in life do to brain diseases from significant head trauma.
Ellewoods - what happens when they move a team? Where do they get their new support from? What happens to their old supporters, what do they do? It doesn't make an ounce of sense to me, it's bloody silly moving teams around. What about the rest of the team? Like owners, coaches, all the way down to office staff? What about colours and name?
When they move a team they just move it. An extreme example would be when the colts moved away from Baltimore. They didnt even tell the fans it was happening they just packed up and left in the middle of the night. It doesnt happen that way anymore but there is nothing one can do about it. Normally they change the name, mascot etc but not all the time. There are 8 baseball teams in existence I believe that started in NY and left in similar manner. The old supporters tend to just cheer for another team. Some might switch sports but most just wait until the league sends another team there way. Baltimore would be a good example, they have had 3 teams and currently have the Ravens. Its only silly if you think about it as being a sport. Its a business in the US. Forget right away about teams losing money, it isn't allowed. They move teams if they do not make enough money. If you do not sell out your games, if you are not making ridiculous money a year your team will be moved. If a city will not build the team a new stadium then the team moves to a city that will build them a new stadium. Teams do not pay for stadiums tax payers do. The staff and players just move. Once they have signed a contract they are basically property. It isnt like in England where a player can hold out by not agreeing personal terms. Here you are sold or traded and the player has no say in the matter. The staff and coaches are different but they clearly want there millions of dollar jobs so they just move with the team. Colors, names, mascots etc change but not all the time. The Dodgers used to play in NY, the Giants did to and their names stayed the same. Most of the time they do change though, like the Expos becoming the Nationals. Someone is making a decision on a case by case situation as to wither or not to change the teams name after a move. Just about all of the time a public vote goes out for the team name, and colors. Thats how the Bullets changed to the Wizards.
And for me that is the nightmare scenario over in England. I just hope the FA has the balls to prevent it, though with all the money at stake its likely the Premier League will come out on top.
That's one reason why I feel tackle football will be close to finished in the next twenty years. It'd be cool if London had a team if for no other reason to have another excuse to travel over to the UK.
Its certainly a problem. People always say well back in my day you just got back up and kept playing but the studies really show significant long term health effects and social consequences like far higher risk of future incarceration. I have been arrested a few times in your state including Charlotte where you live. Your state and city does a good job monitoring incoming inmates in regards to head trauma. Just after processing you have to go to the medical unit to get checked out which is normal everywhere but in your state the doctor also asks you a long series of questions in regards to head trauma and concussions. They want to know estimated qtys, the years they occurred, your age at the time, how they occurred, if a sport was involved, duration of unconsciousness. They ask they also ask you a series of questions in regards to education, arrest history, drug and alcohol use to help determine statistical patterns of behavior after head trauma. Its pretty interesting stuff if you are interested in that kind of thing.
I believe the only American Football team which has never moved and only played in one city are the Green Bay Packers.
Ah, the joys of Franchise sports, another reason for the FA to oppose the Allam vision of Americanising our name. How long before we see the US sport franchise model in the UK ? Football teams moving around the country to where the most money is ? London with 20 Premiership clubs ?
Football is probably the only team sport that doesn't in some way follow the American model. In this country rugby union, rugby league, ice hockey and speedway (I'm sure there are others) have all either franchised or relocated teams at some point. We're lucky in that respect. EDIT: Forgot about cricket, that hasn't really been franchised (in this country) yet either.
Not quite. There are others that have never moved (like The Seahawks) but the Packers are the one that has been the longest continuously active franchise in the same city. They are different to all the other teams: they are community-owned and non-profit which may explain why they have been so stable.
Are cases like that more frequent in American Football than any other full contact sport? Given that they wear huge helmets, surely trauma to the head is significantly less than in rugby, boxing, MMA or even pro-wrestling?
It's started. Warwickshire became Birmingham Bears for the 20/20 last season while still playing as Warwickshire in the other tournaments.
From what I understand its the college teams that attract the passionate and local support not the franchise teams. Most states only have one NFL team so for most people its too far to travel anyway. With the college teams you have a local team representing your town, games are more affordable and the standard is still very high. Hence why college games get 100K+ attendances.
Well London Wasps buying Ricoh Arena will be the precursor to another. There's no way they can still be called that. I'm not a rugby fan, have they announced a new name yet? I would suggest it will just be Wasps. But as if a team could move out of a city and be named solely after an animal and have no geographical link....
It's already changed to Wasps. Madness really, if it can happen in the country's second biggest sport (I've not fact checked that) then I fear it's only a matter of time it happens to it's biggest.
If it happens it would also not be the first time an American football team has played its home games at Wembley. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Monarchs "In 1991 and 1992 the Monarchs played their home games at the famed Wembley Stadium."
