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2019 NFL In England, What’s The Story?

13th,

November By Jonathan Bowen out I was from Australia they couldn’t NFL.com
believe that I was interested in the
recently travelled to London England
andwithoutrealizingitIwastherewhen
match. I spoke to so many people that
and kind. NFL supporters are very simi-
TottenhamStadium.AllIcansayiswhatan
| Ithe Bears where playing the Raiders at day, they were all fabulous, generous
lar to rugby supporters they love to eat,
EXAMINER I could not believe how many people from drink, talk and eventually watch some
experience it was to be there for the match.
football!
Chicago and Oakland flew to London for
As the day went on I went to a bar
the match.
As I may have mentioned before I
IRISH come from a very large Irish family, so it located on the Thames called the
Barrow Boy and Banker. I found out
is no surprise that I have a number of
quickly that this bar was where all the
family members that live in Chicago Chicago fans were hanging out for a
and San Francisco. I had never been a pre-match drink and bite to eat. This
big fan of the NFL until my recent trip place was rocking. The amount of food
and I had no idea how the game was and drink consumed before to the
played except that it went on for four match was up there with rugby fan’s
hours and during the Super Bowl there consumption. I was hooked. Bears should never have lost. to change the product too much.
is a big half time show that costs an arm Sadly I didn’t actually get to the During the game I asked James what NFL is huge in Australia. Thanks to
and a leg to produce a TV ad during the game, however I did head to an Irish bar is the point of this match being played in the kind time difference with the major-
match. to watch the game as the Barrow Boy, London? James told me it was the NFL’s ity of the USA the matches are shown at
It was with great enthusiasm I decid- for some very odd reason, wasn’t show- ambition to have a team based in good times here and the Super Bowl
ed to go to the Nike shop in Oxford ing it on their TV screens. It was at this London that competed in the league. I kicks off about 10am on a Monday
Circus and get a Chicago Bears jersey Irish bar I met a very interesting person said that was a mad idea. There wasn’t morning here in Melbourne. The bars
with MACK on the back. by the name of James Stevenson. James an English person at the game. The and pubs are full of people to watch the
With this done, it changed my entire was born in Hong Kong, grew up in San majority of fans traveled from across the games and a professional game of NFL
experience in London. I wore my new Francisco, lived in Dallas for a while Atlantic to attend the match so what’s has never been played in Australia. All
jersey the day of the game. I went to before moving to New York for work the point in setting up a team here. this growth and interest in the game has
Mass where there were so many Bears and was on a European tour. He was James said it’s all about TV money and come about by the matches been shown
fans, the church had seen nothing like also a devoted Cowboys fan. It was this was one of three games earmarked live on free to air and cable TV here and
this before and probably will not see James that explained to me the finer to be played in London this year. it is this combination that has led to a
anything like it again. As it was a fabu- points of how the game of NFL was I noticed that the Texans beat spike in the game’s popularity and inter-
lous day, I decided to do a tour of the played. Here we were at this Irish bar Jacksonville at Wembley Stadium last est. If this combination works in
city. So many people from Chicago the confused Aussie Bears supporter and weekend. I will be interested to see how Australia why is there a need to expand
came up to me and wanted to know the Cowboys supporter watching the this story unfolds. I talked to my cousin the game into a territory that has not
where I was from and when they found Raiders defeat the Bears in a game the recently in Chicago who said the whole been known to have a lot of interest in
idea of a team located in London is a the game?
Sean Downes joke and not good for the game. All that there need to expand the game should-
The NFL needs to be careful here,
the experiment will gain is a heap more
Americans paying more money to trav- n’t come at the detriment of the core
Attorney at Law el to see their team play. I can see merit supporters around America that spend a
in this statement. NFL games are hard lot of money to attend and travel to
67 Wall Street, Suite 2401 enough and expensive enough to get watch their favorite team play.
New York, New York 10005-3101 tickets for, why add the need for unnec- Traveling for a one-off game once a year
Telephone: (212) 248-3232 Fax (212) 248-2848 essary travel on top of that? is fine but if you lose your base support-
Representing those injured in: The NFL need to be careful with ers, you could lose the game? America
SCAFFOLDING ACCIDENTS CONSTRUCTION ACCIDENTS
MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENTS MEDICAL MALPRACTICE their expansion plans. Australia is a great has seen this happen before with basket-
AND ALL OTHER ACCIDENT CASES example of how the NFL market has ball and baseball so be wary it doesn’t
huge scope for growth without having happen to the NFL! C
T h e E x a m i n e r P u z z l e S o l u t i o n s

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