The possibility of the Jags relocating to London

[John813]

Jacksonville struggles to bring in fans cause the team has sucked, and up until recently, had no hope for improvement.
What motivation does someone have to go out in 90+ degree, humid as **** weather to watch their pathetic team get demolished?
Other than MJD, the previous Jaguar teams had busts at QB, no weapons on the edges and a defense that was meh.

Now that they seem to be on a better core, Bortles-Yeldon-Hurns-Robinson-Thomas on offense. Young, potential to be something special.

I can see London being a 1 or two year wonder, if the team continues to struggle. They might get the stadium going crazy if a big team heads over(Cowboys, Steelers, Pats etc) but when the Jaguars have to play the Browns, Raiders, etc it'll be looking empty after the honeymoon.

 

[Rogah]

All the London games sell out months in advance. They're way over subscribed - usually 2-3 times the stadium capacity. You have to enter a lottery for the chance to purchase tickets - usually held in January or February.

Football has been played in Europe for more than 30 years. The core fan base for the London games is people who currently play or belong to grassroots clubs or people who have done so over the past 30 years.

There are approximately 120,000 active players/coaches in Europe. Many multiples of this in ex-players - most people only play football for a few years. Then add in friends and family of these people.

Most countries in Europe now get 5 live NFL games per week plus 5 to 6 college games. This is bringing along a new much bigger fan base on top of the grassroots people. TV figures in UK alone are 13.5m viewers a week.

This is potentially the biggest market in the NFL.

The sales would probably be strong. But no team could remain competitive when the shortest road trip is about 5,000 miles (with most being much longer).

 

[burmafrd]

The novelty of a team in London would wear off quickly. Right now and for the foreseeable future the NFL is funded by TV revenue. Sooner or later that revenue will stop increasing- or we end up with pay for view. The way the NFL is basically pissing all over the current fans to slobber over POSSIBLE fans outside the US and fantasy nitwits- they are on a road that will end. Its just a matter of when.

 

[Hoofbite]

I think it's an interesting idea. I wonder what the team name would be.

 

[csirl]

Sport is becoming more global. The NFL is wisely following the trend. In another generation or so there will be 3-4 truly global sports that are popular in most countries. Soccer will be one of them. NFL us seeking to be another. Sports that dont globalise will decline. NFL has also got the jump in rugby which is also seeking to be the global 'contact team sport' of choice for most sports fans.

 

[BoysFan4ever]

I was just at the Jacksonville-Texans game a few weeks ago.

Jacksonville is not an NFL city. They need to move them.

 

[Hardline]

If I am Jerry Jones. I would inform the league to keep my team off the Jaguars schedule for away games. That trip is a major *** whipping.

 

[Junglist]

With all the executives and owners in the NFL, you'd think ONE of them has taken a college logistics class at some point.

 

[Rogah]

If I am Jerry Jones. I would inform the league to keep my team off the Jaguars schedule for away games. That trip is a major *** whipping.

I am not so sure. I think there is an advantage to being the road team in such a contest. Your schedule would be 8 home games, 7 away and 1 neutral (instead of 8 and 8). Both teams have the same disadvantage on the trip to London, and (presumably) we would get the bye in the week after the London trip, so there would be plenty of recovery time.

 

[cowboyeric8]

In fact, I do believe if done right they could have taken the Jags to Orlando which is a much smaller city than Jacksonville and closer to Tampa and done it right.

Orlando already has the Breakers, I think they won the super bowl a few years back

 

[cowboyeric8]

The novelty of a team in London would wear off quickly. Right now and for the foreseeable future the NFL is funded by TV revenue. Sooner or later that revenue will stop increasing- or we end up with pay for view. The way the NFL is basically pissing all over the current fans to slobber over POSSIBLE fans outside the US and fantasy nitwits- they are on a road that will end. Its just a matter of when.

This exactly. I think Mark Cuban even predicted it a few years back, and people called him crazy.

I am for trying to improve the current product, not expansion.

 

[Wolfpack]

The full on greed train is running away with the NFL (and players). Everyone has based their new business model on hyper growth of revenue instead of a sustainable financial model. Its crazy and it will eventually correct itself like all things do. NASCAR was a classic crash and the NBA & MLB have had their crashes also.

Nothing wrong with getting the games on line or getting TV feeds into Europe or Asia but moving a team would be a fatal flaw I think. When did NFL Europe close?

 

[Nightman]

The full on greed train is running away with the NFL (and players). Everyone has based their new business model on hyper growth of revenue instead of a sustainable financial model. Its crazy and it will eventually correct itself like all things do. NASCAR was a classic crash and the NBA & MLB have had their crashes also.

Nothing wrong with getting the games on line or getting TV feeds into Europe or Asia but moving a team would be a fatal flaw I think. When did NFL Europe close?

The NFL wants to get to 20b in revenue fast. They are at 12b now and are pretty tapped out. The TV deals are insane and the in game experience is already overpriced.

Expansion overseas, adding weeks and playoffs teams are the only viable options to get that much growth, but I think it will be a huge mistake.

Who will want to move to London and pay high taxes and expenses? Finding FAs is already hard enough for JAX. Now draft picks might really revolt.

The time difference and travel with be problems. SEA to LON would be ridiculous but everyone would have to go to make it fair. What about their Division mates. You can't give BYES to everyone that goes over there.

 

[Rogah]

The NFL wants to get to 20b in revenue fast. They are at 12b now and are pretty tapped out. The TV deals are insane and the in game experience is already overpriced.

They will get more from CBS (or perhaps some other network) for the full season Thursday Night Football package next year, plus they will undoubtedly exploit Yahoo again for a couple tens of millions.

 

[Rogah]

The full on greed train is running away with the NFL (and players). Everyone has based their new business model on hyper growth of revenue instead of a sustainable financial model. Its crazy and it will eventually correct itself like all things do. NASCAR was a classic crash and the NBA & MLB have had their crashes also.

The NFL's fatal flaw is that they have absolutely zero fear of alienating their American fanbase. They do incredibly unpopular things, and we all just take it and keep coming back for more.

I don't like to say a "crash" is coming, but the ever increasing upward trend will stabilize eventually. Their own hubris may accelerate that process.

 

[BigDGarciaFan]

wow, if thats the case. then england should created a american football league there, but not let the jags be a part of this new league since theyre an NFL team. and also created an FA cup style american football tourney in england for the league teams and jags to compete in.

 

[BoysFan4ever]

No London team. Period. Billions of dollars here isn't enough for them?

Perhaps her Majesty will say no American football on my turf permanently.

You know..girl power!

 

[Muhast]

They would HAVE to give the JAGs some sort of advantage. Scheduling 8 away games overseas would be tiresome on players.

Good luck getting into a bidding war for free agents. Not many players will move their families out of the USA for the same amount of money as staying in Texas,Cali, NY,FLA etc.

 

[Galian Beast]

I've discussed this before, but even removing the Jaguars, you still have to reshift the divisions.

You want the London team in the AFC East. Which will minimize travel time considerably. You then move Dolphins into the AFC South. I don't really think anyone cares about Miami being in the AFC East. There is no real rivalry there.

Eventually you want an entire division in Europe, allowing for increased rivalry and reduced travel time, as 8 of your games are home games, and 3 games would be against division rivals at their home. That means 11 games a year that are close to you.

London, Berlin, Rome, and Madrid

Creating an entire division in Europe will allow you to create a foothold in Europe. It won't be hard to pack the stadiums with 80k weekly, especially when you have a vested interest in your own team. You only get to see them 8 times a year and as soon as a team from Europe wins the super bowl it's huge.

One reason soccer doesn't work here is that we haven't been able to win, but that's because we have a national team as opposed to freelance players from around the world playing for our team. It's just like Hockey in the united states, where a great number of the players are actually Canadian.

 

[WPBCowboysFan]

The full on greed train is running away with the NFL (and players). Everyone has based their new business model on hyper growth of revenue instead of a sustainable financial model. Its crazy and it will eventually correct itself like all things do. NASCAR was a classic crash and the NBA & MLB have had their crashes also.

Nothing wrong with getting the games on line or getting TV feeds into Europe or Asia but moving a team would be a fatal flaw I think. When did NFL Europe close?

Fantasy Football drives much of it. Its changed the game and people are addicted to it. Gambling is an addiction and fantasy football is no different. It gives millions of working class people something to talk about and think about all week. It gives people sitting at a desk all week something to do and take away from their actual job performance. And all who play derive some sorta meaning and purpose in it to help them deal with life as its an escape of some sort. As long as millions are hooked on fantasy football the NFL will keep rolling in the cash. At some point you would think a correction or crash is coming but who knows. They've ruined a great game and league with this crap and the money is too great to actually restore the game to what it was and what made it great. In our greed driven society money trumps all and EVERYTHING else takes a backseat.