30 minutes ago, wussbasket said:

I very much understand because that’s the whole point. The NFL trying to expand in an unsaturated market of 215m people.

The NFL would always be a distant second at best in most parts of the world.  Soccer is a cheap sport to take up for low income, impoverished people.  All that is required is a ball; no helmet, no padding.

1 hour ago, e-a-g-l-e-s eagles! said:

Not gonna lie… cheering for BC 

 

Worth it to delete social media

15 hours ago, eagle45 said:

Mcnabb on the other hand…he had incredible weapons and OL from year 6 on.  For his entire prime, he had a HOF offensive coach, the best OL in the nfl, and great weapons.  So his WRs sucked in his early years.  Big deal.  He has no excuses and he didn’t have it between the ears.

Hindsight, McNabb’s prime didn’t really last into his 30s. He peaked in ‘04 and was never really the same after that and the injuries piled on. Had the good run in ‘08 and that was pretty much it for him. If he had DeSean/Maclin or TO starting in 2001/2002, I think they get a ring in one of those years. They tried to get him more weapons as his career went on, but he didn’t have the longevity to stay at a prime level. 

2 hours ago, e-a-g-l-e-s eagles! said:

Not gonna lie… cheering for BC 

 

http://www.twitter.com/321nole

 

FWIW regarding international reach of NFL. For my last job, I travelled a lot around this country and other countries. Whenever I was in Europe, people would ask me about 2 things. American politics and NFL. There were people who were fans of teams that were recently winning Super Bowls or popular. There are Americans that move there and gather in bars to watch the games that can spread influence as well. 

I don't know about regions outside Europe that are more into traditional football/soccer. I guess we'll find out with the Brazil experiment.

6 hours ago, NOTW said:

FWIW regarding international reach of NFL. For my last job, I travelled a lot around this country and other countries. Whenever I was in Europe, people would ask me about 2 things. American politics and NFL. There were people who were fans of teams that were recently winning Super Bowls or popular. There are Americans that move there and gather in bars to watch the games that can spread influence as well. 

I don't know about regions outside Europe that are more into traditional football/soccer. I guess we'll find out with the Brazil experiment.

In the UK it had a window in the 80's when one of the national free to air channels got the broadcast rights for a few years and it built a following, people knew who Walter Payton and Refrigerator Perry were, then it died off for a time with the rights going behind a paywall and the half assed NFL Europe, but it's definitely been growing hugely in popularity the last 15 years or so.

The problem it has is the same problem that most US sports have only even moreso, in terms of professional leagues, the European , South American and Asian leagues are either non existent or of a standard light years below even Canadian ball. The great advantage soccer has is that every continent has some sort of professional league and a continental cup competition at club and country level and they can all give the others a decent game (Europe is the strongest in club football, but internationally South America more than holds its own), the accessibility of the game in terms of equipment requirements is one big aspect, but also the NFL is a closed system, players come up through US High Schools, to go to US college programmes to play for US teams, that's extremely hard to replicate world wide and it wouldn't be quick or cheap.

14 minutes ago, Cochis_Calhoun said:

In the UK it had a window in the 80's when one of the national free to air channels got the broadcast rights for a few years and it built a following, people knew who Walter Payton and Refrigerator Perry were, then it died off for a time with the rights going behind a paywall and the half assed NFL Europe, but it's definitely been growing hugely in popularity the last 15 years or so.

The problem it has is the same problem that most US sports have only even moreso, in terms of professional leagues, the European , South American and Asian leagues are either non existent or of a standard light years below even Canadian ball. The great advantage soccer has is that every continent has some sort of professional league and a continental cup competition at club and country level and they can all give the others a decent game (Europe is the strongest in club football, but internationally South America more than holds its own), the accessibility of the game in terms of equipment requirements is one big aspect, but also the NFL is a closed system, players come up through US High Schools, to go to US college programmes to play for US teams, that's extremely hard to replicate world wide and it wouldn't be quick or cheap.

European basketball would be the counter argument. They use the same exact youth academy system in place of the pop warner to HS to CFB season, and you could argue the 2 best players in the NBA are European players. It took them almost 25 years to get to this point, but that’s really only 2 generations. 

I think the same thing could happen with American Football, either by the European clubs expanding or from the NFL opening franchises and simply copying the model.

Yes, football is one of the most difficult sports to develop because of the equipment cost and rules, but I also think it gets overstated a bit. Kids can go throw a football in the backyard. I know I did.

I think the biggest difference between the 80’s, the old NFL Europe, and today is the internet. In the 80’s and 90’s it was genuinely difficult to follow the sport, learn the rules, etc. But today there is an entire niche of "football fan watches the NFL for the first time” on YouTube, and they seem genuinely intrigued.

I know NFL fans hate it (just like European soccer fans hate their teams playing in the US), but this is genuinely the way. The dream team proved this in the 90’s. Show people the best, and they’ll get interested. It will take a while to catch up (just like the US now has some genuine soccer talent but is still struggling to get over the hump to become a true power), but it will happen eventually.

1 minute ago, TEW said:

European basketball would be the counter argument. They use the same exact youth academy system in place of the pop warner to HS to CFB season, and you could argue the 2 best players in the NBA are European players. It took them almost 25 years to get to this point, but that’s really only 2 generations. 

I think the same thing could happen with American Football, either by the European clubs expanding or from the NFL opening franchises and simply copying the model.

Yes, football is one of the most difficult sports to develop because of the equipment cost and rules, but I also think it gets overstated a bit. Kids can go throw a football in the backyard. I know I did.

I think the biggest difference between the 80’s, the old NFL Europe, and today is the internet. In the 80’s and 90’s it was genuinely difficult to follow the sport, learn the rules, etc. But today there is an entire niche of "football fan watches the NFL for the first time” on YouTube, and they seem genuinely intrigued.

I know NFL fans hate it (just like European soccer fans hate their teams playing in the US), but this is genuinely the way. The dream team proved this in the 90’s. Show people the best, and they’ll get interested. It will take a while to catch up (just like the US now has some genuine soccer talent but is still struggling to get over the hump to become a true power), but it will happen eventually.

Flag football is extremely popular in countries outside of the US. 

27 minutes ago, Cochis_Calhoun said:

In the UK it had a window in the 80's when one of the national free to air channels got the broadcast rights for a few years and it built a following, people knew who Walter Payton and Refrigerator Perry were, then it died off for a time with the rights going behind a paywall and the half assed NFL Europe, but it's definitely been growing hugely in popularity the last 15 years or so.

The problem it has is the same problem that most US sports have only even moreso, in terms of professional leagues, the European , South American and Asian leagues are either non existent or of a standard light years below even Canadian ball. The great advantage soccer has is that every continent has some sort of professional league and a continental cup competition at club and country level and they can all give the others a decent game (Europe is the strongest in club football, but internationally South America more than holds its own), the accessibility of the game in terms of equipment requirements is one big aspect, but also the NFL is a closed system, players come up through US High Schools, to go to US college programmes to play for US teams, that's extremely hard to replicate world wide and it wouldn't be quick or cheap.

The other issue honestly is equipment......I mean imagine the need for like a Little Giants scenario where kids everywhere across the globe needed helmets, shoulder pads, etc...and are using like pillows, hockey helmets, etc...to try and be able to play.  With soccer, get a ball and a field, opening, etc....and you're playing.  I mean how the f are you supposed to play american football without pads, uprights, etc?  I mean we did it as kids in the side streets of Philly, on the grass of the Parkway.  But at the end of the day, if you were good enough, you had teams to go to.......

4 minutes ago, NYEagle said:

The other issue honestly is equipment......I mean imagine the need for like a Little Giants scenario where kids everywhere across the globe needed helmets, shoulder pads, etc...and are using like pillows, hockey helmets, etc...to try and be able to play.  With soccer, get a ball and a field, opening, etc....and you're playing.  I mean how the f are you supposed to play american football without pads, uprights, etc?  I mean we did it as kids in the side streets of Philly, on the grass of the Parkway.  But at the end of the day, if you were good enough, you had teams to go to.......

The European model uses youth academies. Lots of billion dollar soccer clubs also have basketball teams — Luka Doncic came from Real Madrid for example — so the equipment might not be as big of an issue as you might think if they were to expand into American football.

9 hours ago, e-a-g-l-e-s eagles! said:

 

Would this be by adding an 18th game? If so, the NFL is once again missing the perfect opportunity. If they add an 18th game to the current NFL calendar, it pushes everything back one week and Super Bowl Sunday would always fall the day before Presidents Day, a National Holiday. Everyone wants the day after the SB to be a holiday and this would be the perfect solution. But no, the NFL is too stupid to do that and considers pushing everything UP a week when there is already football. 

Labor Day weekend is already packed full of college football Thursday-Monday. We don't need the NFL to be a part of it. 

45 minutes ago, bpac55 said:

Would this be by adding an 18th game? If so, the NFL is once again missing the perfect opportunity. If they add an 18th game to the current NFL calendar, it pushes everything back one week and Super Bowl Sunday would always fall the day before Presidents Day, a National Holiday. Everyone wants the day after the SB to be a holiday and this would be the perfect solution. But no, the NFL is too stupid to do that and considers pushing everything UP a week when there is already football. 

Labor Day weekend is already packed full of college football Thursday-Monday. We don't need the NFL to be a part of it. 

I don't want NFL games encroaching on NCAA and High School football, especially opening weekends. I watch a bit of local high school football in my area because its actually pretty good, and Fridays Eagles game puts a damper in that already.

I think with the addition of the 17th game that meant they would eventually get 18 like the owners wanted. 18 game schedule with one being international, 2 bye weeks. NCAA should still get Labor Day Weekend as their opening. NFL has no trouble getting ratings.

Just watching receiver on Netflix. George kittle seems like a great laugh. Did not like re watching that beat down at the linc though. 
 

It’s a good insight into these players characters. Davante Adams seems like a bit of a diva but I like Jefferson. Seems like a good guy 

Speaking of eating crap...Joey Chestnut ate 83 hotdogs in ten minutes. I can't imagine what that would do to your digestive tract, but it has to cause serious complications down the line.

4 minutes ago, Diehardfan said:

Speaking of eating crap...Joey Chestnut ate 83 hotdogs in ten minutes. I can't imagine what that would do to your digestive tract, but it has to cause serious complications down the line.

Gonna need to drink a lot of Metamucil over the next few days.

28 minutes ago, rrfierce said:

Just watching receiver on Netflix. George kittle seems like a great laugh. Did not like re watching that beat down at the linc though. 
 

It’s a good insight into these players characters. Davante Adams seems like a bit of a diva but I like Jefferson. Seems like a good guy 

Wasn't a fan of his but the Johnny Manziel and the stealing signs Michigan are good. Currently watching the F1 series they put together 

34 minutes ago, Diehardfan said:

Speaking of eating crap...Joey Chestnut ate 83 hotdogs in ten minutes. I can't imagine what that would do to your digestive tract, but it has to cause serious complications down the line.

He gained 20 lbs in a few hours. They weighed him after the event.

 

 

20 minutes ago, tuffstuff07 said:

Wasn't a fan of his but the Johnny Manziel and the stealing signs Michigan are good. Currently watching the F1 series they put together 

I haven't QB or WR, but I really enjoyed the Florida documentary. Manziel was good too. Those early 2000s years were peak college football for me. Looking back, 2000-2008ish was probably peak football for me all around. Miss that era. 

Just now, RememberTheKoy said:

 

 

Bummer Trent Williams caved. Would have loved some early season controversy for the 49ers. 

1 hour ago, bpac55 said:

Would this be by adding an 18th game? If so, the NFL is once again missing the perfect opportunity. If they add an 18th game to the current NFL calendar, it pushes everything back one week and Super Bowl Sunday would always fall the day before Presidents Day, a National Holiday. Everyone wants the day after the SB to be a holiday and this would be the perfect solution. But no, the NFL is too stupid to do that and considers pushing everything UP a week when there is already football. 

Labor Day weekend is already packed full of college football Thursday-Monday. We don't need the NFL to be a part of it. 

They would be adding a game and another bye week, so it’s not just one week they can move the SB. They would have to do it two weeks. If they opened a week earlier than they can move the SB back one week like you suggested. 

1 minute ago, LeanMeanGM said:

They would be adding a game and another bye week, so it’s not just one week they can move the SB. They would have to do it two weeks. If they opened a week earlier than they can move the SB back one week like you suggested. 

I still prefer they just let college have Labor Day weekend. 

3 hours ago, jsb235 said:

Flag football is extremely popular in countries outside of the US. 

Certainly as a participant sport flag football is undersold. I think it's a little like soccer in that you don't have to weigh 300 lbs. or be able to run a 4.3 40 in order to be good at it. And I doubt many young people get concussions or other serious injuries playing flag football. Maybe parents wouldn't be as dead set against their kids playing flag football because of that.

5 minutes ago, bpac55 said:

I still prefer they just let college have Labor Day weekend.