Jaguars owner Shad Khan withdraws bid to buy Wembley Stadium

[Karate61]

The NFL will need to purchase a super-sonic plane, to move a team from abroad around each week, and to fly any visiting team back and forth. I can't see a team in, let's say London, traveling to the U.S. on 6-11 hour flights 10x a year (preseason) up to 13x for playoffs. They have to get the faster plane.

 

[Merlin]

Yeah that ship has sailed.

But IMO we're going to see a slow transition where the Jags start to play more and more "home" games over there. And the NFL will continue to push for that overseas presence they have been seeking.

London will be the first NFL franchise outside the US.

 

[Merlin]

The NFL will need to purchase a super-sonic plane, to move a team from abroad around each week, and to fly any visiting team back and forth. I can't see a team in, let's say London, traveling to the U.S. on 6-11 hour flights 10x a year (preseason) up to 13x for playoffs. They have to get the faster plane.

I'm guessing the NFL will schedule blocks of home stands for them, to help compensate a bit for the travel issues.

 

[LesBaker]

The NFL will need to purchase a super-sonic plane, to move a team from abroad around each week, and to fly any visiting team back and forth. I can't see a team in, let's say London, traveling to the U.S. on 6-11 hour flights 10x a year (preseason) up to 13x for playoffs. They have to get the faster plane.

London will be the first NFL franchise outside the US.

Logistically and financially it's just not feasible.

IMO we will see expansion in Canada before London. Remember the Bills played several games in Toronto.

 

[Ram65]

Just got caught up on the thread.

Stan is a smart man. Controlling the stadium weather the Jags move or not is a good idea.

Could he move the Jags and then have a team take over the Jacksonville market? He gets his cake and eats it too by owning lots of the area and the stadium in Jacksonville.

I don't know if splitting games between two cities is a good idea.

It's all about the money. As long as the Rams games start at a reasonable time it won't matter much to me/

 

[Rynie]

The "having a team in London" experiment, if it goes through, will be an utter failure. The NFL is becoming unwatchable anyways. Let it happen. My apathy is at an all-time high.

 

[Prime Time]

The "having a team in London" experiment, if it goes through, will be an utter failure. The NFL is becoming unwatchable anyways. Let it happen. My apathy is at an all-time high.

I know what you mean but if the Cowboys were 5-0 you might feel differently.

 

[kurtfaulk]

The "having a team in London" experiment, if it goes through, will be an utter failure. The NFL is becoming unwatchable anyways. Let it happen. My apathy is at an all-time high.

is it because you now realise dak isn't what you thought he was two years ago?

.

 

[LesBaker]

The "having a team in London" experiment, if it goes through, will be an utter failure. The NFL is becoming unwatchable anyways. Let it happen. My apathy is at an all-time high.

No love for EE and DP anymore?

Did that river of honey dry up already?

 

[Mojo Ram]

Putting an NFL team in Europe is logistically moronic. Putting one in Mexico makes more sense but makes less dollars and sense...which is the only reason the NFL wants a team in Europe. Dumb greed.

 

[UKram]

as others have said a team in london will be a logistical nightmare and also not a very practical idea

imagine drafts .. taking young 20-21 year old kids and who probably dont even have a passport and up rooting them to a new country
free agents . Same deal im biased and think London is the best city in the world (it is dont @me) but are prime free agents really going to sign all things being equal with the London franchise when there better weather to be had elsewhere up root thier families into a different culture different schools

and thats not even taking into account the travel in a season

 

[Mojo Ram]

Just the schedule alone is going to kill them and EVERY team on their schedule and they will more than likely end up perennial losers every season.

FTFY

 

[Mojo Ram]

profit > logistically viable

 

[Selassie I]

Heard a rumor here in FL this morning from a local sports radio guy. He thinks Khan will sell the jags as soon as he's given a new expansion team in London.

 

[KCLARAM FAN]

I have a hard time believing that.Mexico i can believe will happen sometime in the future,Wembley? I seriously doubt that since you could never get the players to go along with such a travel schedule so far away all the time.

 

[RamFan503]

I have a hard time believing that.Mexico i can believe will happen sometime in the future,Wembley? I seriously doubt that since you could never get the players to go along with such a travel schedule so far away all the time.

And there are people saying the area where the Coliseum is bad. Isn't Mexico City one of the most violent cities in the entire world?

Still - there is a lot of money in that town so you may be right. Personally, it would be about 32nd on my list for places to see a game if one of the teams moved there and I love going to Mexico.

 

[Mackeyser]

Many of the reasons discussed are totally relevant. The big one........taxes.

If you were a player would you take that big of a pay cut?

Scheduling will be a nightmare.

And the big one.

Fans embrace a game a year in London. Will they fill the stadium for 8?



London Rams sounds terrible.

They could work out the scheduling by having the team do blocks in the states and having blocks at home.

I think 4 week blocks is a bit much, but I could see 3 week blocks of home and away with the bye worked into the end of an away block.

During an away block, the team would simply stay in the states.

Would it be a bit henky? Sure. But when it comes to money, they are more than willing to accommodate henky...

 

[Mackeyser]

And there are people saying the area where the Coliseum is bad. Isn't Mexico City one of the most violent cities in the entire world?

Still - there is a lot of money in that town so you may be right. Personally, it would be about 32nd on my list for places to see a game if one of the teams moved there and I love going to Mexico.

Yeah, security is def one of the things keeping the NFL out.

Too many players stated in a questionnaire that they would be reticent or refuse to go based on security concerns.

And they're legit.

Are the NFL or the team going to have kidnap insurance for any trainers or other Americans that are low level staff?

What sort of security precautions would be required or would they simply build a massive compound for the team and create something like a Green Zone? Would it accommodate visiting teams as well?

It's one thing to have two large groups stay in hotels for a week. It's entirely another for people to live and work there, have kids need education, people needing medical care, etc.

London is easy, by comparison.

Other than the scheduling and dealing with players who are tax sensitive (which players for NY, NE and CA, and Seattle already deal with), there's really nothing to do.

 

[Mackeyser]

I'm guessing the NFL will schedule blocks of home stands for them, to help compensate a bit for the travel issues.

Logistically and financially it's just not feasible.

IMO we will see expansion in Canada before London. Remember the Bills played several games in Toronto.

Yep, I agree with @Merlin . If they do it, they'll likely do 2-3 week blocks, make the Jags not have Thursday night games on the road and be very sensitive to do geographical grouping as well. Meaning that if the Jags face the NFC West, they'll likely have 2 straight games on the road, thus significantly reducing travel time.

The team that makes it hard is Denver. Nothing is really close to Denver and it's at altitude.

That said, in a city like London which is safe and continually ranks as having more billionaires than any other city, the money is definitely there.

And if the money is there, you know they'll work out the logistics. It won't be optimal, but it won't be as remotely as bad as the worst case scenarios would imply.