Condoleeze Rice on internationalizing the NFL: Possible?

by Fooch on Mar 26, 2009 8:00 AM PDT in News Comment 22 comments

I'm down in Las Vegas and having some limited Internet issues due to jacked up charging policies here at the Hilton. So I've got Internet access for the next 24 hours and I'm not sure how much more. ProfessorBigelow and StrictlyFootball will have an eye on things here and there and I'll try and get some posts up. However, mine will be a little shorter than usual. More just bringing up some random topics to get some discussion going.

For today, has anybody seen the articles about Condoleeza Rice attending the NFL owners' meetings and addressing the owners? She had some very interesting comments on international aspects of the NFL. She was asked about the potential for international expansion of the game and said:

"I think we have to find countries where there is a strong mass sports culture," Rice said. "Clearly, Great Britain is a great possibility. Germany is a strong possibility. I would think that actually Australia might be a place that could be interesting. Places with a mass sports culture and where they play either rugby, Australian rules football or soccer are certainly good. Places where they only play cricket, I would not go. It's not in the genes."

So what do people think about this? Is it realistic to see the NFL expanding abroad outside of the US as more than just what NFL Europe was? The NBA has discussed it as well and I see that as much more likely given how global a game it is. Not so sure about the NFL.

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Where is our resident international crew???

AussieJack and NinerFanAcrossThePond this is right up your alley!

Blind devotion.

by ProfessorBigelow on Mar 26, 2009 8:28 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

European league

Wasn’t it to promote American football or a training ground for practice players? I’m confused!

by LASVEGASNINER on Mar 26, 2009 2:50 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

About Rice

If you don’t already know, Rice wanted to be the next Commish. She express that wish before she join Bush! What next? I am imaging the possiblies,OMG!!!!

by LASVEGASNINER on Mar 26, 2009 3:07 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

To think we could have been living in a world in which Condoleeza Rice was the NFL commissioner while George W. Bush was the MLB commissioner. If a few things had just bounced differently.

Now that’s speculative fiction at its finest.

My Dave Righetti is better than your Dave Righetti.

by howtheyscored on Mar 26, 2009 5:47 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

East coast teams are crying now about travel times to the West coast.

This will create a system where you have to leave on Wednesday for a Sunday game in Germany then back the next week to Atlanta.

"Whether you think you can, or you think you can't, either way, YOU'RE RIGHT !"

by Eastbayjim on Mar 26, 2009 9:09 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I agree

the travel implications would be huge. What if you’re stuck with a game in Europe on week, and next week you’re in Australia. Plus, are we talking about just playing the games outside the country, moving teams or adding teams? Either way, I don’t see this going far.

by Sebaz49 on Mar 26, 2009 9:24 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I think she's crazy

we saw how NFL europe didn’t really work that well. What makes her think it would work again? I think the NFL is doing the right thing by playing one game in London each year – it’s certainly drumming up interest in the UK. Expand that to Germany one year, or to Sydney, or to Beijing, wherever. But let’s face it, it’s not feasible to have an NFL team that is based in Europe – the travel would just be too much. And unless you have a top tier team (not like the NFL Europe), it probably won’t be all that popular.

Now maybe there could be a league to compete with the NFL (kind of like how MLS is essentially competing with the European Leagues in soccer) – but in order to do that there would have to be a lot of really good players from all over Europe, and to do that they would need to be playing as kids and in high school and college, and that’s a long way off.

Still defending Rich Aurilia, and the Niners' classic unis

by wjackalope on Mar 26, 2009 9:42 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I wish MLS got more respect. Yeah, sure, the quality might not be what you get in the EPL (whatever acronym it goes by) or something, but it’s American soccer, dammit! There’s a San Jose team we can root for! Games you can actually go to.

And really, it’s better than the stupid watered down HIGH SCORE punch punch stick NHL ruining a perfectly good sport in hockey.

I want MLS blogs on SBN so bad.

My Dave Righetti is better than your Dave Righetti.

by howtheyscored on Mar 26, 2009 5:52 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Soccer

I’m a futbol fanatic, but there really is no comparison between whats played here and whats played in England and in Spain.

That said, I still tune in from time to time just to watch some soccer. The Seattle Sounders game was awesome. The atmosphere they had there is what they need every night.

by good as gold on Mar 26, 2009 5:58 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Oh yeah

And I guess I’m not really for the expansion of the NFL across seas. But then again, what do I know.

by good as gold on Mar 26, 2009 6:01 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I’m not denying that there is a significant gap between what you get internationally and what MLS gives, but I just feel like there has to be at least a little bit of pride in developing a legitimate American product. That’s going to mean starting from a place where the quality isn’t good. But you have to start somewhere.

Granted, American soccer started a LONG time ago (relatively speaking) and is still stuck in an infancy of sorts, but a lot of that slow development is because, by and large, American soccer fans seem to think of American soccer as kind of the bastard son of everything else. Have some pride, folks! It might suck right now, but it’s OURS!

My Dave Righetti is better than your Dave Righetti.

by howtheyscored on Mar 26, 2009 7:56 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I agree...

…one problem is, when we finally develop some talent here, that said talent travels overseas in hopes of becoming better, greater fame, etc. Jozy Altidore, Clint Dempsey, all of our Keepers, they leave as soon as they grow their small amount of stardom here.

But I agree, I get so annoyed by the rejection that Americans give to the sport, and especially those that play from here.

by good as gold on Mar 26, 2009 8:09 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Also, I agree with you.

I’d love to see football as a sport expand internationally. International sport is one of the greatest things about the world, in my opinion. But expanding the NFL itself internationally is psychotic^.

Romanian lolita gymnast slavery notwithstanding
^Canada would be okay. Mostly.

My Dave Righetti is better than your Dave Righetti.

by howtheyscored on Mar 26, 2009 5:56 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Grrr! I didn’t use asterisks for the express cause of not getting auto-formatted! So what happens? My up-pointing carrots get auto-formatted out of the post!

My Dave Righetti is better than your Dave Righetti.

by howtheyscored on Mar 26, 2009 5:56 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

not a good idea

^agreed. if the nfl wants to expand internationally, i think adding franchises is the wrong way to go about it. they need to start at the grass roots and bring it to kids and show it on tv. kids will play, and those who love it will seek out chances to watch nfl and college action. the nfl should open fan clubs in big international cities so that there are places to watch football and a community can be built around it.

by tenjay on Mar 26, 2009 1:55 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Welcome to Vegas

Really windy today and yes, the internet charges are stupid.

by LASVEGASNINER on Mar 26, 2009 3:00 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

NFL going global

I would love to see an NFL in franchise London, the idea of it is fantastic. Going to watch the London Royals(just picked a name out of the air-thought it sounded good cos we have a royal family) every other week and then win the Superbowl would be superb.
However, in reality it should not happen. Why? Well, although London is only as far away from New York as San Fran is, the travelling distances would be ok for all to start with it would get everybody down after 2-3yrs. The main reason though as I see it is that the players would have to live here for at least 8-9months of the year,coaches etc permanently and I dont see that as feasible.Homesickness would occur-guys coming out of college are only young adults and, to that point in their lives, most would never have even been abroad and then would be expected to live the next 5-15yrs of there lives outside the US. It would not happen-players would be unhappy, therefore would not perform to their potential, the franchise would become a laughing stock, fans would dwindle away etc etc.
At the moment, the NFL is really taking off here, demand for the one reg season game that is played here is through the roof at the moment. I think the way to go, is to increase the amount of reg season games played here to maybe 3 but thats it. The sport is American, keep the teams in the US- though the time difference makes watching the games hard at times,esp the night games, and plays havoc with my social life.
About NFL Europe, when it started it was really popular but after a few yrs its popularity dwindled cos of the fact that only backup/newly drafted players came over and we basically wanted to see the stars play that we saw on TV. Also, the quality of the games was not as good and the fans wanted the real thing. Hence, that is why I think expanding the reg season could be good if they use the majority of these extra games and play them abroad all round the world. to me, that is the best way of expanding the game globally and bringing in extra revenue to the sport at the same time.
There is not a culture in this country for NFL, bringing it into the schools and universities here as a feeder to the NFL and to the point where the quality of the college game played is on a par to that in the US is generations away-and frankly would not happen. It would have to compete with soccer,cricket and rugby as our mainstream sports so I think it would die a death.A number of universities do play it here but merely as a pastime and nothing more. On that basis wjackalope is right in what he says.
Apologies if this comment is a bit on the long side.

by Ninerfromacrossthepond on Mar 26, 2009 7:39 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

well said

Nice to have an inside reporter.

by good as gold on Mar 26, 2009 8:12 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

You're a Derby supporter?

when will the Kenny Thomas Reign of Terror end?!!??

by diehardkingsfan5 on Mar 26, 2009 8:49 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Derby supporter

I have been a mad passionate Derby County-nickname The Rams-fan for 33yrs now. Used to be a season ticket holder there during the 1990s doing an approx 400mile round trip to Derby every 2weeks from where I lived to go and watch them.

by Ninerfromacrossthepond on Mar 27, 2009 6:22 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

How I understood it, it would be a different league. So the teams in Europe would play teams in Europe. San Fran to London? Yeah right. It could work. It would British people playing the Germans or whatever. If it was like NFL teams playing new Europeans teams, I wonder who would win? Obivously us. It would definitely have to be a seperate league. It would be way to costly to have all theses team in one league. During the week you couldn’t practice because you would be traveling all week.

by iaalexeeff on Mar 26, 2009 11:12 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

European teams

If, as you say, C Rice proposes expanding the NFL by starting up a separate league here in Europe where a British team plays German,Spanish,Dutch teams etc well this is exactly what we had when NFL Europe was around and that went bankrupt last yr for the reasons I stated above and would therefore not succeed again for these reasons.
No, I believe she was talking about an expansion franchise to the NFL but that team being outside the US. As far as travel is concerned, if this franchise came to pass-say in London,the most likely place for it right now-then I think the scheduling would be altered so that the teams everyone played would be more regionalised. By that I mean that the teams the London franchise would play would only be the easten based teams, otherwise as you say it would be difficult as the players would be spending most of the week following a game in recovery and practice and preparation for the next fixture would be compromised.
That is just another reason why I believe, at the end of the day, it cannot work. Also, I think your media-especially the TV companies-would be against it primarily cos of the extra costs involved unless a broadcaster here picks up that bill but that is another matter entirely.
From a European point of view,especially the Brits,what is really appealing about the NFL is just the fact that the sport is so American and having a team based outside the US would dilute that.
“If it ain’t broken don’t fix it!” and the NFL as it is ain’t broken.

by Ninerfromacrossthepond on Mar 27, 2009 6:58 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs