Who will get a team first? LA or London?

[muggins]

Probably LA, San Antonio, or Vegas before London.

[55]

Expansion? No thanks. 32 is plenty.

[wwharton]

Quote: Originally Posted by MrSerendipity

Likely Los Angeles because they have a chance of getting one of two teams in the Raiders and Rams. But I do believe that if Jacksonville or Buffalo can't get their teams turned around by 2020, London will start to get a lot of talk. I don't think travel will be as big of a deal as many people think. The team will likely have their own Private Team Jet...they'll ride more comfortable than we do. And they'd have days to adjust to the time zone change. If you consider that a factor against them in away games, then you'd have to admit they'd have an advantage during home games.

Not even scratching the surface of travel issues here. Yes, every team that travels to London would be at a disadvantage... not only the week they fly across the pond but also when they come back. You can't schedule bye weeks for everyone before/after their London game.

[Perfect Zero]

Neither. London is too far away for it to make any logical sense (and once they get a cruddy team the attendance will be nothing). Los Angeles can't support a pro team and they are better used as a bargaining chip for teams to get a new stadium or more concessions from the towns that they currently play in. Toronto and San Antonio have a better chance than London and Los Angeles.

[slickdtc]

Quote: Originally Posted by 55

Expansion? No thanks. 32 is plenty.

I agree, mostly because of the way scheduling and standings work out. It's a great system.

But the NFL is the one league of the major four that could stand to add a few more teams. I think the talent pool is that deep. Other leagues could stand to lose a few teams, not the case for the NFL.

[deaduck]

Quote: Originally Posted by muggins

Probably LA, San Antonio, or Vegas before London.

Not sure there will ever be a Vegas team.

[TheTruth437]

Quote: Originally Posted by wwharton

Not even scratching the surface of travel issues here. Yes, every team that travels to London would be at a disadvantage... not only the week they fly across the pond but also when they come back. You can't schedule bye weeks for everyone before/after their London game.

Meh. NFL players and coaches aren't pansies; it would take few more hours to get to London and back from London, but it's not the big deal you're making it to be imo.

As others have already mentioned, I think the biggest possible problem is lack of fan support in London. There is definitely already fan support in London; both games in London this upcoming season are already sold out. Also, the NFL might expand the games they play in London to three a year soon. It's just a matter of the NFL garnering enough fan support to have a NFL team playing their home games in London.

I'm expecting an NFL franchise to move to London in the next twenty years. Will it be a successful business venture for the NFL? Only time will tell.

[kehlis]

Quote: Originally Posted by TheTruth437

Meh. NFL players and coaches aren't pansies; it would take few more hours to get to London and back from London, but it's not the big deal you're making it to be imo.

It has nothing to do with the flight time...

Quote:

As others have already mentioned, I think the biggest possible problem is lack of fan support in London. There is definitely already fan support in London; both games in London this season are already sold out. Also, the NFL might expand the games they play in London to three a year soon. It's just a matter of the NFL garnering enough fan support to have a NFL team playing their home games in London.

Yea, they fill a stadium when there is one NFL game a year and that includes American's flying over there to see those games as part of group trips to get to London.

We have no idea what they would do over the course of a season with a unsuccessful team or even a successful team.

One thing is for sure though, you can't look at the fact that they have sold out the one NFL game that comes there every year as evidence that a team would be successful there on a permanent basis.