Super Bad Idea

No, I'm not referring to going to a liquor store as a severely underage teenager named McLovin. The Super Bad idea is planning to have a Super Bowl in London. In today's news, Roger Goodell cited a "great deal of interest in holding a a Super Bowl in London." So far the commissioner has laid down some unpredictable punishment which has led me to be suspicious of his doing what is best for the NFL. Now he is considering taking the single biggest sporting event in the world to London.

American football will always be second to soccer in Europe. Less than three months ago, the NFL reported that it was discontinuing NFL Europe. There might be a market for one game in London, but there is no way the NFL will gain the same sort of popularity in Europe as it has here in the US. But beyond the basic idea of trying to develop an international interest in the NFL, this idea is just ridiculous.

This report came on the heels of rumors that the NBA is looking into eventually developing expansion franchises in Europe. Basketball, however, has a much greater international appeal than football and there are already good teams in Europe and Latin America. The NBA draft has been littered with high first round draft picks over the past decade and the San Antonio Spurs are the champions and spokesmen for an internationally flavored NBA with Manu Ginobli (Argentina), Tony Parker (France), and Tim Duncan (US Virgin Islands counts...they can't vote) as the faces of the franchise. The NFL has neither the international base of interest nor the star power to make the league more popular across Europe.

Still, the NFL seems to be dedicated to developing its international fan base. Whether the long-term plans involve franchises in other countries remains to be determined. However, putting a regular season game in Europe or Mexico is very different than allowing London to host the Super Bowl. In all professional sports in America, the All Star Games and Playoff games generate enormous amounts of revenue for the host cities. Like the Olympics, the city that is chosen to host the All Star game or Super Bowl benefits from an economic boost relating to that event. To allow London to take that away from an American city would be devastating.

From a fan's perspective, traveling to London to see the Super Bowl would be much more difficult than traveling within the US. The weak US Dollar (yes I went there!) would make it more expensive for regular fans of the two teams to make it to the event. For most teams, getting to the Super Bowl is not a yearly occurrence. Since the 1997 Super Bowl between the Patriots and Packers, only three teams have made it to the Big Game more than once, the Patriots, Broncos, and Rams. So in the event that a new team makes it, which is certainly possible in the NFC and would not be entirely surprising in the AFC, those fans would be robbed of a chance to support their team properly.

I realize that in order to expand, the NFL and its fans will have to make certain sacrifices. There can be no NFL Europe if the league is not willing to take its biggest game to that continent. However, if the league is that committed to developing the international fan base it should look to Mexico, Canada, and parts of Latin America first. It seems contradictory to cut NFL Europe but plan to have a Super Bowl in London. If the NFL can successfully appeal to international markets closer to home, Europe should be revisited. Having a regular season game in London is a good way of maintaining interest. Furthermore, changing the location of the Pro Bowl from Honolulu to London or elsewhere in Europe could also help generate interest while protecting the main fan base from having to watch the Super Bowl in London.

On a logistical note, it might be difficult to schedule the Super Bowl for the same kickoff time as usual. The time difference with London could cause a loss of interest or ratings in the US. At the end of the day, I am opposed to the idea, through and through. I am a big fan of the NFL and I believe that it is the biggest sport in America. Taking the Super Bowl to London would be ill advised.