Taking It To The People
It seems I wasn't the only one watching the Superbowl - okay I know there were 97.5 million watching in the States - but I mean the smallprint. On Superbowl Thursday the NFL announced that London had secured regular season games for the next three years. Well the idea is obviously catching on that when you have a marketable sport you take it to the market. Following on from The Tour De France, the NFL we now have the Premiership going abroad as reported here.
I can understand the obvious teams attracting overseas interest, but Watford v Derby County or Bristol City v Fulham?
Whilst we are here can I just repeat my favourite Far East/Football story. A group of half a dozen Man.City fans went to Bangkok for a stag do and pitched-up at one of the many street markets that sell counterfeit football shirts. Well the Mancs all buy shirts and for a couple of extra baht they get players names on the back. When they get back to England they proudly walk into the local pub only to find the prospective bridegroom standing there with a Manchester City number 7 shirt with the word BECKHAM across the back.
8 comments:
SNAP!...doh!
The NFL play games over hee now and try to expand their franchise and surprise, surprise once again there is talk(only talk so far)of the UK Premiership football league wanting to try something similar.
Before it was talk that they may play in a European league of some kind...ahh, the alure of money...
Two bloody stupid ideas on the news today - I can only surmise that Rowan Williams is on the PL Board.
Hey Sarnia - welcome back you old bugger.
Thing is that American Football was born ut of commercialism, the game has been built around television and advertising and making as much cash as possible.
Football isn't and that for me is why this decision grates so much, apart form the fact that by introducing an extra game it instantly becomes entirely inequitable. What's going to happen when that overseas game decides the title or more importantly I suppose if we're talking commercial reality relegation.
You're right Six. It seems ironic that this should be announced at the end of this week for a couple of reasons. Firstly we've just appointed a new England manager and the day after his first game the Premiership decide to add to the fixtures.
Anybody care to remind me why the Premiership was set-up? Oh yes that's right, an 18 club Premiership shall be established with the sole objective of helping the England team becoming more competitive. So instead of 34 games we will have 39. Has anybody thought what will happen if a time gets relegated by 3 points as a result of losing a match in Hong Kong?
Secondly - last month the G14 disbanded so the threat of a European Super League has gone. The Premiership sees dollar signs lighting up between here and Bangkok and can't resist it.
The big difference between the NFL model is that those games played over here are part of the regular season anyway not games tagged on for more money. It was also interesting to hear on Sunday how many of the cities in the USA who don't have an NFL franchise are more than a little pissed off with the idea of the NFL coming to London.
Picture the scene, Man U v Reading in Bangkok. I don't think there'll be many Reading shirts sold over there , will there?
No, pardon my cynicism but I think it's just a way to make lots of money for clubs who have plenty already.
However, Man U v Newcastle in Baghdad or Kabul might be something I could agree with! :-)
I agree Shy. It's interesting to hear that both the J-League in Japan and the Hyundai A League in Australia have said thanks but no thanks over the weekend. Both said they were committed to developing their own leagues and didn't want the Premiership.
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