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[TheGuyFromOverThere]

Originally Posted by That Guy

top of zugspitz? english, random climbers on on the way up? english

A bit off-topic, but... which way did you take up?

[Lotus]

I find it interesting that you guys love pigskin enough to hang out on the Warpath yet still are not in favor of a European team.

As for Germany, I agree that it is not really harder to do a game in a place like Frankfurt than it is in Wembley Stadium.

[TheGuyFromOverThere]

Originally Posted by Lotus

I find it interesting that you guys love pigskin enough to hang out on the Warpath yet still are not in favor of a European team.

As for Germany, I agree that it is not really harder to do a game in a place like Frankfurt than it is in Wembley Stadium.

There are European Teams. Just no European Pro Teams. By far not NFL-Caliber. I´d say the GFL (German Football League), the highest class in Germany should be able to compete at a lower collegiate level. As you probably know, Vollmer (Patriots), Kuhn (Giants) and Werner (Colts) are products of this league - even though they got sharpened in their college time in the U.S.

So even though there is no way for watching NFL level football here live in a stadium (except for London) there is plenty of opportunity for watching football.

I.e. Munich were I lived until November 2013, there were about 10 teams in a 50km circle (all German levels) and now in Vienna I can chose from several different teams.

[Lotus]

Originally Posted by TheGuyFromOverThere

There are European Teams. Just no European Pro Teams. By far not NFL-Caliber. I´d say the GFL (German Football League), the highest class in Germany should be able to compete at a lower collegiate level. As you probably know, Vollmer (Patriots), Kuhn (Giants) and Werner (Colts) are products of this league - even though they got sharpened in their college time in the U.S.

So even though there is no way for watching NFL level football here live in a stadium (except for London) there is plenty of opportunity for watching football.

I.e. Munich were I lived until November 2013, there were about 10 teams in a 50km circle (all German levels) and now in Vienna I can chose from several different teams.

Good stuff. When I think of Vienna I think of beer, art, and Freud, not football, but I'll have to change my ways.

[TheGuyFromOverThere]

Some teams are heavily influenced by the NFL.

For example, the Vienna Vikings have nearly the exact logo as the Minnessota Vikings. Berlin Adler (Eagles) have the same wings on their helmets as does that Philly scum, but in an other color scheme. Other teams are partially influenced, like Braunschweig Lions or Düsseldorf Panthers - similar names, completely different logos. And a lot of them are "independet" and have names that fit their region. Like the Schweinfurt Ball Bearings or the Traunreut Munisiers - a ball bearing factory and an ammunition factory in their towns influenced those names.

But you should never get the impression that it´s just "that big" because there are a lot of amateur teams. The average number of spectators in the GFL 2013 were about 1.300, with the highest team bringing in 4.500 and the worst 500. This does not reflect the interest in football itself though - Frankfurt Galaxy hat an average of 33.000 in 2010.

Also, the superbowl this had been watched in free TV by about 1.5 million people (be aware there are "only" 80 million people here. I don´t have the numbers for pay-TV and streams, but I guess you could easily double that. At 00:32 a.m. KickOff time at a monday morning of a workday I guess that shows a lot of interest.

[Lotus]

Originally Posted by TheGuyFromOverThere

Some teams are heavily influenced by the NFL.

For example, the Vienna Vikings have nearly the exact logo as the Minnessota Vikings. Berlin Adler (Eagles) have the same wings on their helmets as does that Philly scum, but in an other color scheme. Other teams are partially influenced, like Braunschweig Lions or Düsseldorf Panthers - similar names, completely different logos. And a lot of them are "independet" and have names that fit their region. Like the Schweinfurt Ball Bearings or the Traunreut Munisiers - a ball bearing factory and an ammunition factory in their towns influenced those names.

But you should never get the impression that it´s just "that big" because there are a lot of amateur teams. The average number of spectators in the GFL 2013 were about 1.300, with the highest team bringing in 4.500 and the worst 500. This does not reflect the interest in football itself though - Frankfurt Galaxy hat an average of 33.000 in 2010.

Also, the superbowl this had been watched in free TV by about 1.5 million people (be aware there are "only" 80 million people here. I don´t have the numbers for pay-TV and streams, but I guess you could easily double that. At 00:32 a.m. KickOff time at a monday morning of a workday I guess that shows a lot of interest.

That is so informative and interesting! The NFL needs more teams with names like "Ball Bearings."

[Dan22]

Originally Posted by TheGuyFromOverThere

There are European Teams. Just no European Pro Teams. By far not NFL-Caliber.

I confirm that there are football teams in France too, but the level is very very low. The players are just not professionnal athletes.

I don't know if you heard about this story about RGIII last year. He went to Nice in South of France for his honey moon. For his rehab, he wanted to have a training with the local team named "les Dauphins de Nice" (the Dolphins of Nice).

The local players really enjoyed playing with a rising star like RGIII and they said that RGIII was very cool and very humble with them. A great story for them.

RG3 Ã* Nice - réactions des joueurs

[That Guy]

Originally Posted by TheGuyFromOverThere

A bit off-topic, but... which way did you take up?

i walked/climbed up, and took the lift back down (cause it's high altitude and quite a climb, my legs were sore for a week). I didn't take a jacket and i didn't realize that while it was 80 (F) at the base, it was only 50 (F) at the top. oops. I have pics somewhere from the top (above the clouds) and the chapel and all that.