London, England could host the Super Bowl

[Auggie]

London has launched an audacious bid to stage the Super Bowl within the next eight years, a move that would see the United States' biggest sporting event played overseas for a first time, the Sunday Telegraph has reported.

According to the paper, representatives from the Mayor of London's office and Visit London, the city's official visitor organisation, have received assurances from the National Football League (NFL) of a commitment to hold the event in London.

The NFL have already staged two sell-out regular season games at Wembley Stadium, with a third scheduled for this October.

'We are looking at 2014, 2015 or 2017,' David Hornby, the commercial director for Visit London was quoted as saying.

LINK: http://www.rte.ie/sport/other/2009/0503/superbowl.html

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Why?

[liberal N proud]

1. Why not, we have outsourced everything else

[Jackeens]

2. The European Golf Tour occasionally includes Asia and Australia, the Tour de France....

....has passed through Ireland, the UK, Belgium and a few other places.

It's a crazy sporting world, I've given up trying to understand it. :-)

[havocmom]

3. Wouldn't British sports fans find the America game boring as hell?

So, they must be counting on the few remaining Americans with $$ flying over and making it worthwhile to host the stupid thing.

[nxylas]

13. There's virtually no audience for American football in the UK

It makes about as much sense as hosting the cricket World Cup in the USA.

[supernova]

4. Is there really that much of an audience for Ami football there?

I thought their passion was footie (soccer) and rugby?

[Blue_Tires]

20. there is a small but growing appetite for the NFL

which incidentally was seeded when the league started broadcasting the super bowl to the entire world back in 82? 83? the NFL just has a huge global worldwide brand and popularity wave right now, much like the NBA back in the 90s...

i saw the report on Sky Sports, but it would have to jump through a million hoops to become a reality...

[Renew Deal]

5. Well, they need something to do with the Olympic Stadium.

:shrug:

Seriously though... Why not? The Super Bowl is such an exclusive event that it could be held on Mars and people would watch.

[Jackeens]

8. Hey RD, bizarrely Wembley isn't the Olympic Stadium....gulp: they're building ANOTHER one! n/t

[Renew Deal]

12. It doesn't say that this event will be held at Wembley.

Wembley management will want that. But London will want to justify new construction. That's why I think it might land there.

[Jackeens]

14. Article quotes Wembley Stadium commercial director at end...

...saying "we will do everything we can to work with the NFL and help bring this amazing event to London". Mind you, the Olympic stadium people would probably put in a counter-bid, just to lessen that white elephant feel to the place.

[Renew Deal]

15. Exactly

Remember when the issue of a new NY stadium or the Jets came up? One of the ideas out there was a NY Super Bowl.

[Captain Hilts]

6. I think it's a great idea. It's not really for fans of the participating teams anyway. nt

[Auggie]

7. Cities that host the games get a big boost in tourist dollars

Keep it in the USA. Schedule games in hard-hit areas like Detroit and New Orleans.

[tabbycat31]

10. major ditto

[Captain Hilts]

11. That's a good point. nt

[Psychic Consortium]

9. In the 21st century we are moving to a global community on many levels.

It will be wonderful.

[Are_grits_groceries]

16. Not in this lifetime.

If this becomes anything more than a rumor, you will see a real grass roots uprising. Have to have prorities straight.

People wait lifetimes for their teams to get to the SB. If by some chance the Gods of Football have some fun and smile on the Lions and the SB Lions' fans could attend was in London, closing auto plants would look like a mere ripple compared to that uproar.

[BlooInBloo]

17. No, it couldn't.

[MadHound]

18. Not going to happen, and the NFL has already denied this rumor

"Commissioner Roger Goodell said last week that the league is not considering playing its championship game in London. He shot down a BBC Sport report that "'substantive talks" were under way between the NFL and London officials.

"We have never looked at London or Mexico City as a site," he said.

The NFL again issued a denial Sunday that a Super Bowl outside the United States was being considered, this time via Twitter.

Brian McCarthy, the NFL's vice president of corporate communications, tweeted: "Re: story from UK. We are not pursuing idea of putting a Super Bowl in London or anywhere outside US. Reports last week/today inaccurate."
<http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=4130864>

The teams don't like traveling overseas for games as is, much less the Super Bowl. The fans would rip the NFL a new one if they did this, not to mention the potential host cities that got passed over.

If Europe ever gets teams that join in the NFL, this might just happen, until then Green Bay has a better chance of hosting than London does.

[Auggie]

19. Thanks MadHound

[krabigirl]

21. That would be great, actually. Maybe I'd actually like the halftime entertainment.

The sport still sucks, though.