NFL or Liverpool/Arsenal this weekend?

[QUOTE][QUOTENAME]Micrówave wrote: [/QUOTENAME][QUOTE][QUOTENAME]Tero wrote: [/QUOTENAME]I think you should brush up on your reading comprehension.

For starters you've got my username wrong[/QUOTE]
Sorry, Tero, my bad. That's one.

[QUOTE][QUOTENAME]Tero wrote: [/QUOTENAME]
I didn't deny the American tradition of football. I actually said that particular tradition which you have (and we don't) is the biggest obstacle for your football taking on in Europe.[/QUOTE]

No you didn't. I quoted you. Did you go back and edit all that into your original post? I think I clearly showed that the NFL is able to bring tradition to the table. That's one for me.

[QUOTE][QUOTENAME]Tero wrote: [/QUOTENAME]
I also doubt anyone (besides possibly you) is expecting the NFL to branch out into Europe even in the next decade. The sport needs to have local players and local following, and that takes years. NFL IS interested in it as a long term investment, though, as the American market is already about as saturated as it can possibly get. They need to expand the business to make more money, and the only way is to eventually go to other countries.[/QUOTE]

Uh, dude... maybe you didn't hear the NFL. They're planning at least one game a year or more in the next five years. 3 confirmed in the UK. 1 confirmed in Mexico. 1 confirmed in Japan. The NFL is branching out to the world!

Plus, why would there have to be local players? The good European Basketball players all dream and sometimes end up playing in the NBA. Not the other way around!?! That's a silly argument. Also, the NFL needing local fans to survive overseas? Hello!!! The Dallas Cowboys sell the most merchandise of any sporting team IN THE WORLD. Thats right, THE WORLD. Not Liverpool, or even God Love 'em Manchester U.

Also, local players would kill the sport in Europe. They're simply not as good. We don't want another NFL Europe: Local players and NFL rejects. I would think Britain would demand only the best.

I hope you're not getting all worked up about this, Tero. But my reading comprehension is just fine. You, on the other hand, may be a victim of your own sport. I freely admit not knowing a lot about the business side of soccer. It's pretty screwy, in my eyes. But Pro Football and how it has been marketed is something I'm a little more educated about. I've been working in this business for about 10 years now.[/QUOTE]

I haven't touched my original post, and here's the abdridged version for your reading pleasure:

[QUOTE][QUOTENAME]Tero wrote: [/QUOTENAME]
unlike most American businesses it hasn't been able to gain a foothold in the global market because
a) there is no tradition for it, and
b) we aren't quite as commercialised as you, yet.
[/QUOTE]

1) I'm writing about an American business in the global market.
2) I'm talking about why it hasn't become as huge abroad as it is in the USA.
3) I'm saying it's because there's no tradition for it.
All these ideas are related to each other, and number 3) is the cause for the previous two. YOu can talk about the American historical, cultural, social and financial traditions of football as much as you like, but those mean absolutely nothing when it comes to other countries. It's as simple as that.

Alright, so you've reset the goal posts on the whole NFL branching out to the world... As long as we're talking about one game (played by visiting players) per year, it means absolutely nothing in a business sense. Previously you were talking about a whole division of local teams in the UK, which would have meant hundreds of professional players from UK. THAT isn't going to happen before 2020 at the earliest. Or were you expecting half a dozen teams to just move into USA based on one game? And were you expecting the local spectators to be any more interested in those teams then you would be about David Beckham?

What you're still guilty of in this topic (and have been all along) is

I think there is already a fanbase for American Football in Europe although it's really tiny compared to football, for example. Or hockey in Sweden, Finland, Czech Republic. The NFL match in Wembley was entertainment, like for example Holiday On Ice. However, how often do people pay to watch Holiday on Ice? A team sport needs national and international competition to be mass appealing. People want to see their teams win, that's the main factor. If you ever witnessed football frenzy during a world cup ("world" meaning teams from all over the world are competing)in a football country like England, Germany, Italy, or Brazil you will see that marketing cannot win over passion. Football is every day, in every small team in every small town whereas the Wembley match was mainly a showcase which is probably very nice to watch but in the long run it does not "sell" to the masses like another team sport that is rooted in the country.

Who gives a fuck how much money a sport or a sport team makes, what matters more than anything else to the actual sport follower is that it's entertaining. Money should only matter to the sport executives and media promoters because they are the ones who actually make a profit from it. Why should a fan worry if it makes money or not? As long as it makes enough money for the league not to be cancelled, that's good enough for the fan.

...and about the NFL taking over the world? Oh please... even fuckin' cricket has more worldwide appeal than American Football.

[QUOTE][QUOTENAME]Mr.Jingles wrote: [/QUOTENAME]Who gives a fuck how much money a sport or a sport team makes, what matters more than anything else to the actual sport follower is that it's entertaining.[/QUOTE]

Players, owners, investors, advertisers, networks, the list goes quite a long way.


[QUOTE][QUOTENAME]Mr.Jingles wrote: [/QUOTENAME]Why should a fan worry if it makes money or not? As long as it makes enough money for the league not to be cancelled, that's good enough for the fan.[/QUOTE]

Tell that to small market teams or The Baltimore Colts, Los Angeles Rams, and soon The Buffalo Bills.

[QUOTE][QUOTENAME]Mr.Jingles wrote: [/QUOTENAME]...and about the NFL taking over the world? Oh please... even fuckin' cricket has more worldwide appeal than American Football.[/QUOTE]

That's only because of Men At Work's Be Good Johnny.