NFL International Series has been a huge success

[LeviF]

Apropos of nothing... https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/nfl-monitors-return-of-supersonic-flight-for-potential-european-expansion

 

Quote

With efforts underway to resurrect supersonic travel, the NFL is quietly monitoring the situation, reports Andrew Beaton of the Wall Street Journal.

Currently, Boom Supersonic and other countries are working on a potential return of passenger flights that can fly faster than the speed of sound. The technology could return as soon as 2029.

 

By cutting the flight time over the ocean in half (the Concorde allowed Phil Collins to play in both London and Philadelphia during the two-city Live Aid benefit) , the NFL would have one less impediment to the possibility of putting a team or two (or four) in Europe.

 

Beaton notes that, although the NFL has no “firm plans” to put teams in European countries, the league has “been keeping a close eye on the momentum behind commercial supersonic flights.”

 

(The original WSJ article is paywalled so I got this instead)

[BigDingus]

52 minutes ago, Brand J said:

It would be an extremely watered down league. Eight extra franchises? That’s approximately 424 more players on rosters. At that demand, practice squad players would have to be starters.
 

If they want to build an eight team league in Europe and hold an extra playoff spot in each conference for the two teams that emerge with the best record, that might be worth looking into. All of those European teams would have to travel to the US for weeks at a time playing their American counterparts. Or make them all travel at once and get those games out of the way before they head back overseas, I don’t know. Nightmare logistics. 

 

Oh absolutely, it would definitely be watered down. 

 

But there's a ton of potential with spreading out the sport even further & growing the pool of prospects. That's why basketball & baseball (and obviously soccer) now have such a huge percentage of players coming from international markets. 

 

You make NFL football popular in the UK, Europe, Mexico, Canada, etc. and you'll slowly start getting talent from all over the world. It's a long-term thing, which is why I don't think this will happen (at least not any time soon), but I think it could pay off huge in the long run.

 

If you dropped 8 teams in overnight, it would make the product extremely watered down. But if you slowly added 2 teams every 4 - 5 years, it would lessen the immediate blow to quality & spread out the talent more gradually. It would make divisions/conferences/playoffs a little wonky, but they've had strange division setups in the past. 

 

Again, I don't think they'll go this route, but I think 20+ years from now it would make sense IF they lay the groundwork now.

[Marv Levy]

Folks, its called The NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE. Not The WORLD FOOTBALL LEAGUE! Keep it in the US only. These international games are terrible. Games are boring, players are jet lag tired, fans of the teams lose a home game and the whole premise is getting ridiculous.

[iccrewman112]

3 hours ago, Brand J said:

They shouldn’t expand teams and make the numbers all wonky. 32 is perfect as is. Just move the Jaguars to London.

The only way to expand that makes alignment sense to me is to go to 40 teams. And expand playoffs to 8 teams per conference. 
 

however there isn’t enough talent to make that happen. The product would become too watered down.

[bigK14094]

3 hours ago, Gregg said:

 

I am surprised Toronto doesn't have their own NFL team. As you mentioned it is a big market and they already have an MLB, NBA, and NHL team. I can't take the CFL seriously. Football should not have a 55-yard line.

Many Canadians do not agree with you.

[That's No Moon]

3 hours ago, Simon said:

 

New England gets Baghdad......

Gaza. Too soon?

6 minutes ago, bigK14094 said:

Many Canadians do not agree with you.

Are there actually many Canadians?

[corta765]

3 hours ago, Brand J said:

They shouldn’t expand teams and make the numbers all wonky. 32 is perfect as is. Just move the Jaguars to London.

I've read the NFL is no longer AS high as they were with England as the rest of the world has show substantial interest with a ton of money. Had the UK still been the desired target I think the NFL would've considered some true trial balloons but now I think their goal is 8 games a year international and long term 16 games so every team goes abroad. That money wise is actually probably more of a boon for the league compared to having a singular team.

[djp14150]

4 hours ago, Gregg said:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/nfl-international-series-slate-has-been-a-huge-hit-this-season-global-expansion-incoming/ar-AA1QLNDD?ocid=entnewsntp&pc=U531&cvid=691f372169eb4df2a6b24f41b1283d25&ei=14

 

I wonder if the league will look at expansion for a team outside the US.

Its pissibke with Jacksonville stadium renovations the next two years and them not playing there st all in 2027, they could pksy entire home season in Europe. 

[Simon]

32 minutes ago, That's No Moon said:

Gaza. Too soon?

 

Almost went there.

Couldn't do it.....

[BearNorth]

So wondering what will come first. expansion to an 18 game schedule or all 32 teams play an international game each year? - and what will Jax do? since they seem to be playing 2 intl games every year.

[Gregg]

Just now, BearNorth said:

So wondering what will come first. expansion to an 18 game schedule or all 32 teams play an international game each year? - and what will Jax do? since they seem to be playing 2 intl games every year.

 

18 game schedule. Reduce the preseason to two games at most. The starters barely play in them and then the players will probably want a 2nd bye week included if they go to an 18-game schedule. This alternating between the NFC and AFC who gets 9 home games every other year is dumb.