New England vs. Minnesota at Wembley Stadium

**Tazio** · 30th October 2010, 20:18

Are any of ya'awl boys interested in the game at Wembley between The New England Patriots and The Minnesota Vikings?
Personally I'm indifferent to both teams.
I'm just curious if there are any significant numbers of NFL fans in the UK, and the rest of Europe

It has become huge in Mexico.

http://articles.latimes.com/2008/nov...p-mexfootball7

**Mixa** · 30th October 2010, 21:31

But isn´t the game at Wembley this year Broncos vs 49ers ?? What I follow the NFL, I think that is the game. Pats faced the Buccaneers last year at Wembley.

Still the game with Broncos and 49ers just won´t be a big game. Its kinda a shame that NFL has booked a game like this for Wembley. Okey 49ers is a legendary team but these days them are just bad and has been that a couple of years already. Okey Broncos has started badly too but I expect them to take that game.

I really like about NFL and follow it quite much to be honest. Specially for a Finn. Okey,then again I follow so many sports. I don´t know about fan numbers at UK but you see some at the forums so there has to be atleast some. Still I guess that rugby takes the most of UK interest. The best european teams comes from Germany still I think and also there are good amount of fans at the games. Example when NFL Europa was still running, most teams were from Germany. Also Germany still these days have even multiple lower leagues.

**Tazio** · 30th October 2010, 21:41

Originally Posted by Mixa

But isn´t the game at Wembley this year Broncos vs 49ers ?? What I follow the NFL, I think that is the game. Pats faced the Buccaneers last year at Wembley.

Still the game with Broncos and 49ers just won´t be a big game. Its kinda a shame that NFL has booked a game like this for Wembley. Okey 49ers is a legendary team but these days them are just bad and has been that a couple of years already. Okey Broncos has started badly too but I expect them to take that game.

I really like about NFL and follow it quite much to be honest. Specially for a Finn. Okey,then again I follow so many sports. I don´t know about fan numbers at UK but you see some at the forums so there has to be atleast some. Still I guess that rugby takes the most of UK interest. The best european teams comes from Germany still I think and also there are good amount of fans at the games. Example when NFL Europa was still running, most teams were from Germany. Also Germany still these days have even multiple lower leagues.

I stand coerrerected! it is Broncos vs 49ers

I had another game in mind.
So the game has some meaning to me as Denver is in the same division as San Diego.
Thanks for the input

I don't know how they determine the teams that play in England, but this one is kind of a stinker.

**ICWS** · 1st November 2010, 06:28

Originally Posted by Mixa

Still the game with Broncos and 49ers just won´t be a big game. Its kinda a shame that NFL has booked a game like this for Wembley. Okey 49ers is a legendary team but these days them are just bad and has been that a couple of years already. Okey Broncos has started badly too but I expect them to take that game.

I think the NFL schedules this type of game because the two teams are not expected to be contenders for the Super Bowl (or even the playoffs) and don't get great fan support as a result. Thus, the NFL doesn't feel bad for taking a home game from one of these teams (in order to play in England) because they're not missing the domestic fans of these two teams that much. Therefore, as long as the NFL continues this one game in England thing, I believe the two teams that play in that game will most likely be teams that aren't contenders or don't have rabid fanbases at their home stadiums.

**Tazio** · 1st November 2010, 18:32

Originally Posted by ICWS

I think the NFL schedules this type of game because the two teams are not expected to be contenders for the Super Bowl (or even the playoffs) and don't get great fan support as a result. Thus, the NFL doesn't feel bad for taking a home game from one of these teams (in order to play in England) because they're not missing the domestic fans of these two teams that much. Therefore, as long as the NFL continues this one game in England thing, I believe the two teams that play in that game will most likely be teams that aren't contenders or don't have rabid fanbases at their home stadiums.

I don't think that is the criteria

Typically, the games in Europe are played on the last weekend of October. Normally this is the same weekend as Major League Baseball's World Series (although in 2009, this was not the case because the World Series is playing one week later than usual), that week has no Sunday night game, allowing for the International Series to be the featured game of the day.

http://<br /> <a href="http://en.wi...nal_Series</a>

If you look at the list of teams that have played in England you will see it includes New York and New England those teams always sell out.
Plus New England won its division that (last) season
And the year New York played in England they were reining Super bowl champions

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NFL_International_Series

Plus The 49's and the Broncos have huge fan basses. Especialy Denver.
(although the teams have fallen on hard times lately they still fill the seats)

**Captain VXR** · 1st November 2010, 19:07

American Football will never take off in the British Isles just the same as Rugby will never take off in North America. Still, the more sport variety there is, the better

**Mixa** · 1st November 2010, 19:12

Whatever was the case, I hope that for the spectators it offered a good game. For me it looked quite good and as 49ers somehow surprisingly even taken the game and we saw points on the board it ended up well for NFL and the fans who were there.

Still as has been mentioned by Mr Alcatraz , the teams in London previously has been quite big in modern NFL but also ICWS have a point,specially now as the London event kinda has been there some years already. Still at the future I expect these modern big teams to play in London, if them keeps going with this. Still example seeing some legendary teams in Europe what are mediocre by level or even considered as bad,I wouldn´t be so shocked to see them and them still could fill the stands.

Would also be interesting to hear the fav teams of everyone.. As in many sports,I somehow keep to like for teams what unfortunately have a rivalry

. Example at NFL I find myself to go for Oakland Raiders and SF 49ers .

**Drew** · 2nd November 2010, 00:59

I think any commentator would have to be extremely patient and try to teach us the rules. Anyways, I won't be watching

**gloomyDAY** · 2nd November 2010, 02:15

Did anyone watch that game?

Originally Posted by Drew

I think any commentator would have to be extremely patient and try to teach us the rules. Anyways, I won't be watching

Easy game to grasp. Just give it a chance.

**ICWS** · 2nd November 2010, 05:17

Originally Posted by Mr Alcatraz

I don't think that is the criteria

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NFL_International_Series[/b]]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NFL_International_Series

If you look at the list of teams that have played in England you will see it includes New York and New England those teams always sell out.
Plus New England won its division that (last) season
[b]And the year New York played in England they were reining Super bowl champions

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NFL_International_Series

Plus The 49's and the Broncos have huge fan basses. Especialy Denver.
(although the teams have fallen on hard times lately they still fill the seats)

I stand corrected on the New York Giants in 2007 (Super Bowl champions), but they played the Miami Dolphins in that game (the Dolphins finished with a 1 win, 15 losses record that year). I don't stand so corrected on the 2008 game, though, with the New Orleans Saints (8-8, didn't qualify for playoffs) and the San Diego Chargers (8-8, went to AFC divisional playoff round). The 2009 game had an underachieving New England Patriots team (10-6, lost in AFC wild card playoff round) vs. a poor Tampa Bay Buccaneers team (3-13).
And this year's game had the San Francisco 49ers playing the Denver Broncos (both teams are 2-6, so far this season).

My point is that the England game will most likely never get the best possible matchup for the reasons I mentioned before: the teams that are sent to England are typically underachieving, non-contenders, and/or struggling bringing fans to their own stadiums in the U.S.