NFL talks about pulling plug on NFL Europa

[SmootSmack]

It's 8 players per side in AFL. Field is 50 yards long. As opposed to 12 and 110 for CFL. Either way, I think AFL is a lot of fun to watch. Several NFL players have come from the AFL and I consider it real.

[MTK]

The AFL is real whatever that means exactly. What does the size of the field matter? There's still passing, running, blocking and tackling. That's football to me.

[TheGuyFromOverThere]

Well, as a German Football player myself I think I can say some things about marketing and standing of NFL/NFLE here in Germany.

Many players I know, and myself too, weren´t too interested in NFLE. This had several reasons.
Most say and said, that if they wanted to see really high quality football, they watch NFL.
If they want to see football of lower quality, but with players they were able to identify with and that played without the real big money (well, mostly for no money) they watch the regular German Leagues like GFL or lower.
Many people just watched NFLE for the show, not the game itself.

Another problem was the chance to watch it on TV. Last year, NFLE and even NFL (except the Superbowl and the Championship Games) were not to be seen in free-tv but only in pay-tv. And not in our biggest pay-tv-channel but in a small one that only about 100.000 people here have. So it is clear, that that was a major problem in aquiring new fans or interested people.

Best thing NFL could do imho would be to support GFL a bit (not much money needed there in the big view what you´re spending in your home country) with marketing experts and a little bit sponsoring and that will make football much more interesting and before all known over here, which also will increase the number of people buying stuff from NFL-Teams or watching them on TV etc.

Grüzze,
TGfoT

[skinsfan_nn]

Originally Posted by TheGuyFromOverThere

Well, as a German Football player myself I think I can say some things about marketing and standing of NFL/NFLE here in Germany.

Many players I know, and myself too, weren´t too interested in NFLE. This had several reasons.
Most say and said, that if they wanted to see really high quality football, they watch NFL.
If they want to see football of lower quality, but with players they were able to identify with and that played without the real big money (well, mostly for no money) they watch the regular German Leagues like GFL or lower.
Many people just watched NFLE for the show, not the game itself.

Another problem was the chance to watch it on TV. Last year, NFLE and even NFL (except the Superbowl and the Championship Games) were not to be seen in free-tv but only in pay-tv. And not in our biggest pay-tv-channel but in a small one that only about 100.000 people here have. So it is clear, that that was a major problem in aquiring new fans or interested people.

Best thing NFL could do imho would be to support GFL a bit (not much money needed there in the big view what you´re spending in your home country) with marketing experts and a little bit sponsoring and that will make football much more interesting and before all known over here, which also will increase the number of people buying stuff from NFL-Teams or watching them on TV etc.

Grüzze,
TGfoT

Were you able to watch any SKINS games via pay-per-view. Or even free at a local pub or somewhere free by any chance?

[TheGuyFromOverThere]

Only way for me to watch all Skins games was by the (in my opinion) very expensive Yahoo-streaming-channel. Even with the pay-tv channel there were only the thursday game, two at sunday and monday night, so not even all games were available.

Well, so I decided for the streaming from yahoo. Not the best solution, but the only chance for me to watch all the Skins games.

At pubs or bars you only can watch soccer (German Bundesliga or English Premier League) or sometimes a World Championship in Handball, Basketball and such.

[skinsfan_nn]

Originally Posted by TheGuyFromOverThere

Only way for me to watch all Skins games was by the (in my opinion) very expensive Yahoo-streaming-channel. Even with the pay-tv channel there were only the thursday game, two at sunday and monday night, so not even all games were available.

Well, so I decided for the streaming from yahoo. Not the best solution, but the only chance for me to watch all the Skins games.

At pubs or bars you only can watch soccer (German Bundesliga or English Premier League) or sometimes a World Championship in Handball, Basketball and such.

Good for you man! Glad you at least got to catch the games, even if it wasn't the best case scenario. Way to support the team! WELL DONE!

[mooby]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

There's always Arena Football!

I do consider AFL to be football, I just don't like it. I don't like the whole 50 yard field, plus the high scoring games. Maybe if the AFL changed it's regulations n whatnot to the same as the NFL I would like it more.

[TheGuyFromOverThere]

Originally Posted by skinsfan_nn

Good for you man! Glad you at least got to catch the games, even if it wasn't the best case scenario. Way to support the team! WELL DONE!

Yeah, that´s good for me, but it doesn´t help to get new fans or people interested in the sport.

[KLHJ2]

Hallo TheGuyFromOverThere, was Sie oben tuend bei 1030 morgens sind? Nicht haben Sie die Arbeit, zum zutun? Sowieso Willkommen zum Warpath.
Kippte es Sie um, daß sie NFLE entfernten? Ich stelle vor mich, daß es Sie nicht wegen der anderen Ligen dort stört. Ich mochte NFLE, während ich dort zwar war. Ich jubelte immer für die Frankfurt Galaxie.

[KLHJ2]

Redskins washington будут командой одно в NFL будущий год. Я гарантирую его. What, you guys dont speak Russian?

Translation. The Washington Redskins are going to rule the NFL next year. I guarantee it

[JoeRedskin]

Originally Posted by angryssg

Hallo TheGuyFromOverThere, was Sie oben tuend bei 1030 morgens sind? Nicht haben Sie die Arbeit, zum zutun? Sowieso Willkommen zum Warpath.
Kippte es Sie um, daß sie NFLE entfernten? Ich stelle vor mich, daß es Sie nicht wegen der anderen Ligen dort stört. Ich mochte NFLE, während ich dort zwar war. Ich jubelte immer für die Frankfurt Galaxie.

To me, listening to someone speak German always sounds like someone retching.

I am half German BTW (my Mom's straight off the boat).

[KLHJ2]

Originally Posted by JoeRedskin

To me, listening to someone speak German always sounds like someone retching.

I am half German BTW (my Mom's straight off the boat).

Sweet, but I am not speaking it. I am doing a half assed job of writing it.

[TheGuyFromOverThere]

Originally Posted by angryssg

Hallo TheGuyFromOverThere, was Sie oben tuend bei 1030 morgens sind? Nicht haben Sie die Arbeit, zum zutun? Sowieso Willkommen zum Warpath.
Kippte es Sie um, daß sie NFLE entfernten? Ich stelle vor mich, daß es Sie nicht wegen der anderen Ligen dort stört. Ich mochte NFLE, während ich dort zwar war. Ich jubelte immer für die Frankfurt Galaxie.

I´m actually studying on our Armed Forces University, so I have quite time to hang around in the Internet aside to writing.

Anyway, it didn´t really shock me to hear the NFLE will be shut down. As I said, I wasn´t really interested in it. I mean, for the National Players it was mainly a fantasy-chance as there was nearly no chance to really make it to NFL and the payment wasn´t really more then they could have earned in a normal job. Sure, it is a great experience for them, but I think the future lies more in the standard leagues and their work with the youth, as to get a license for the highest three leagues you HAVE to have a youth team.

[skinsfan_nn]

Source, PFT.com:

POSTED 9:27 a.m. EDT; LAST UPDATED 10:05 a.m. EDT, July 4, 2007

17th GAME DROVE DEATH OF EUROPA

The same source who gave us a one-day head's up regarding the imminent demise of NFL Europa tells us that the deciding factor in the move was the developing plan to add an extra regular-season game for the purposes of sending 16 total games per year to other countries.

Though nothing in this regard has been finalized -- and can't be until the NFLPA signs off on it -- the source says that the momentum is building toward the expansion of the season for the purposes of exporting more of the NFL's product.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell floated a public trial balloon on this issue earlier in the year, and the reaction was generally positive (or, more importantly, not negative).

We love the idea. But we also think that not all 16 games should be shipped to other countries, especially in light of the seemingly greater potential for a terrorist attack in countries like England. Why not drop eight of the extra games in a brand-new L.A. stadium, thereby rendering the relocation of an existing team there unnecessary?

We also like the fact that each franchise will still have eight home games every season. Apart from the strategic benefits of playing the full slate of home games, we're very troubled by the loss of 1/8th of the annual revenue that drives the local economy -- especially since so many of the NFL stadiums were funded in whole or in part by public money, based on their expected impact on the surrounding hotels, restaurants, parking facilities, not to mention the increased tax revenues.

Over the long-term, we think that the best way to globalize the sport will be to expand, with new teams headquartered in L.A. (which many on the East Coast already regard as foreign soil), Mexico City, Canada, London, Germany, Hong Kong, China, and Japan. Though it would raise incredibly complex logistical issues, the potential explosion in revenue makes such a possibility worth exploring.

[Monkeydad]

Originally Posted by skinsfan_nn

Source, PFT.com:
Over the long-term, we think that the best way to globalize the sport will be to expand, with new teams headquartered in L.A. (which many on the East Coast already regard as foreign soil), Mexico City, Canada, London, Germany, Hong Kong, China, and Japan. Though it would raise incredibly complex logistical issues, the potential explosion in revenue makes such a possibility worth exploring.

That's a horrible idea. How many bye weeks would be required for THAT schedule? It would not only be unfair to the teams, but also to the fans of teams who follow their team or want to go to an away game for their team. Also, the games wouldn't be able to be televised live at a reasonable time, which would probably be the #1 deal killer since the NFL is a business. Also, we've seen how our game has not been embraced in Europe already...they're soccer and even basketball fans before football fans. It's a complex game if you are trying to learn it without growing up with it.

We just need to realize that because of soccer (blech), the sport will probably remain a predominately American sport and we should do all we can to improve and maximize it for American fans and businesses who sponsor and profit from it.

Besides, why should we be doing any favors for a nation who's invading us and wrecking our economy? (Mexico) Like it or not, politics will also have a role in this.