NFL Regular Season Games Overseas: Good or Bad Idea?

[ArtMonkDrillz]

NFL owners approve games abroad during regular season - NFL - Yahoo! Sports

I can honestly say I think this is a very bad idea. Not only would teams lose out on a home game in terms of having a fair and balanced schedule, but the fans of the teams will also lose a chance to see their team at home. I wouldn't be suprised if the Skins get sent to Europe for a game because of the whole East Coast thing, and that would piss me off (even if it counts as an away game).
It's bad enough when a team has to fly across the country for a game but now they're thinking of making them fly all the way to Germany?!?! That's crazy. The loser of the game would have a built in reason to bitch.

This whole idea seems to be about making money at the expense of the actual game. So the NFL isn't all that popular overseas, is it not making enough money here in the US? Keep having preseason games all over the world, but don't F with the regular season. That's just my opinion, what do you guys think?

[SmootSmack]

I don't like the idea either. And if they're going to take a home game away then they should also take away the cost of a preseason home gome for the fans

[ArtMonkDrillz]

I want to know how Danny Boy feels about this move. I can't imagine that he would allow the NFL to make the Skins lose a home game to this. At the same time though, I bet he would fight tooth and nail to make them the away team because he would want a bigger market for Skins merchandise and he would probably try to get a cut of the tickets sales at some 100,000+ seat soccer stadium.

[dmek25]

if its all about money, which it is, then Snyder would be all for it. preseason, its OK to do it. not when it counts. screw the fans overseas, they don't watch NFL Europe. what makes the big boys think they give a rip about the NFL?

[BDBohnzie]

I can see it now. See the Skins and Vienna, Austria for $1500, courtesy of Dan Snyder's Travel Extravaganzas.

Thumbs down to this deal. Preseason games, sure, why not...regular season games, unless it is the annual 49ers/Cardinals game in Mexico, not so good.

[Daseal]

Yeah, if we were expanding to Canada and Mexico I'd be fine with it, but overseas is just too much travel time. We don't want a diluted product due to constant traveling and jet lagged players.

If they really want to spread football in Europe and other places, you have to start on the pee-wee level, have it compete with Soccer, and let it grow from the kids today.

[Gmanc711]

I hate hate hate this. It kills a home game for whoever.

Seriously, the only fair way i'd say is take the bottom four teams in the league (which who knows at this point, could be us) and pair them off with the next lowest team they play (because of the weird determined scheduling. Or somthing liek that. I think its stupid.

[ArtMonkDrillz]

Originally Posted by Gmanc711

I hate hate hate this. It kills a home game for whoever.

Seriously, the only fair way i'd say is take the bottom four teams in the league (which who knows at this point, could be us) and pair them off with the next lowest team they play (because of the weird determined scheduling. Or somthing liek that. I think its stupid.

Imagine if this were in place last season and we had to play, let's say, the Giants X-mas game in London instead of here.
Imagine how much of a buzz kill that would have been: the team knows it needs to rally to make the playoffs and is doing well, but then it has to travel across the goddamn ocean for a "home" game! There goes all the momentum that the team had built up over the past few weeks, and because of that, there go the playoffs.
Hell, a random shake up like this could have cost the steelers their playoff spot and their Super Bowl win last year.
Just a bad idea.

[That Guy]

bad idea. if its the cards and 49ers, i'm cool with it, but don't kill my team with that crap.

[hooskins]

Totally kills homefield advantage, and it kinda sucks for the fans who wanna go out and see their teams game, but can't really afford a ticket to Europe or Asia.

Really lame, I wouldn't mind if more preseason games were overseas. If the NFL wants to do this international thing, start with baby steps, don't take it head on.

[hooskins]

I mean, the article talks about a rotating system of every 16 years or something, so I guess it is fair, kinda. But think about if the team is in a crucial playoff run, and they need to win their last game(assuming it would be at home), while their opponent has the top seed. The jet lag and travel for the opponent would not matter, while the team in contention would be screwed in two ways: no home field, and jet lag in a game they needa win.

[steveo395]

horrible idea...especially for the team thats going to lose a home game

they better make the giants play there for their home game because they got an extra one last year

[Crat92]

Bad idea! You know this country is a target of terrorism, or am I being to dramatic?

[Redskin]

Im going to luagh whn the take it overseas and no one buys tickets becuase its a stupid american sport

[huntz]

Can't see the players union liking this much. But, if the teams involved come home after the game overseas, have a bye week, then play the next week at home, the union would probably be OK with it. Does suck for the fans back home. Hey, global economy=global football.