This is a question posited by many critics of the NFL every time that the glitz of the most lucrative sport in the world ventures to our sceptered isle. It is no secret that the majority of sports fans in the UK have no time for ‘American Football’ , common criticisms being its ‘stop-start’ nature and the length of time that it takes to finish a game. Thus, the average Brit will typically be dismissive of this bastardisation of rugby that requires you to strap on 50kg of padding before you play. Given this common view it may be obvious at this point that the NFL should remain stateside, where it belongs. However, the NFL has a very committed, and rapidly growing, following this side of the Atlantic and has become one of the most widely watched sports in recent years. So popular has the sport become that in 2005, the NFL decided that London would be the venue for the first regular season game to played outside North America. The subsequent contest between the Miami Dolphins and the New York Giants was one played in front of a sold out crowd of NFL fanatics at Wembley Stadium in October of that year. So impressive was the success of this game that the NFL has returned to London for one game a season ever since.
I was one of nearly 84,000 lucky NFL fans who managed to gain tickets to the latest regular season game to be played at Wembley, this time between the San Francisco 49ers and the Denver Broncos, last month. I was keen to see how my experience of the ‘big event’ would match up to the hype surrounding it and whether the NFL’s foray into the United Kingdom was welcome. As a big follower of the sport, I had been looking forward to this game for a long time, having missed out on the previous three visits to our country’s capital.
Formerly, I had attended two regular season NFL games, both in the northern Florida town of Jacksonville, in order to see my beloved Jaguars take to the field. Having witnessed the passion and excitement that accompanies a ‘football’ game in America, an experience that served to belittle the fervour that is so praised in our English Premiership, I was keen to see whether British NFL fans could match the atmospheric monstrosity that the members of both teams are accustomed to.
Initially, the answer to this question would be a resounding ‘no’. Although every attendee to this latest ‘international series’ was bursting with anticipation, this was just the excitement at a chance to see their adored sport in the flesh, a chance the majority have never had before due to this event’s habit of selling out within hours of going on sale. As a result, the atmosphere in the stadium was very flat to begin with, not helped by a horrific performance by My Chemical Romance in the pre-game ‘show’.
However, it must be said that this initial flatness compared to atmospheres stateside was completely understandable. Even though there were 84,000 fans in attendance, it is estimated that less than a fifth of these supported either of the two teams at this event. Therefore, the majority in the stadium were neutral and passive in their support of either team. The placid atmosphere was not helped by a less than mediocre first half of ‘football’ played by both teams, the San Francisco offence looking particularly impotent.
As the game progressed, however, and the quality of football improved, the fans came into their own. From a dreary 3-0 score line at half time, the match exploded in the latter quarters, ending up with a 24-16 win for the 49ers. Due to the massively neutral nature of the stadium, every piece of brilliance, whether it be an interception, a fumble recovery, a touchdown pass or a crunching sack, was met with unadulterated mayhem. The whole crowd was obviously loving every minute of the game, well the second half at least. Although it took a while to get going (ok a whole half is a bit too much, but can be worked on), the atmosphere at this year’s ‘international series’ far outshone any that I have experienced stateside. I think the best word to be used to describe the feeling inside Wembley on this cold October night is ‘happiness’. Everyone was just having an incredible time, grateful at getting the opportunity to watch one of the best sports in the world first hand. Corny as it may sound, the American’s have extended out a hand of sporting friendship with this gift to us, and we have most definitely latched on with two hands.
Given the success of the last four outings into the British market, and the planned future expansion of the NFL within the next few years, there is the possibility of a permanent NFL franchise to be based in London, an idea that has the support of NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. However, this eventuality is a long way off, the next step is securing multiple regular season games a year in the UK.
The crowds witnessed at every NFL game at Wembley since 2005 is the best sign of the success of the ‘international series’. My personal experience of this fourth ‘international series’ has just cemented in my mind that the NFL is in it for the long run, it is here to stay, get used to it folks.
No comments:
Post a Comment