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NFL in London: Pros and cons of putting team across the pond

By Michael Pallas

LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 01: Fans arrive at the stadium prior to kickoff the NFL game between the Miami Dolphins and the New Orleans Saints at Wembley Stadium on October 1, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Henry Browne/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 01: Fans arrive at the stadium prior to kickoff the NFL game between the Miami Dolphins and the New Orleans Saints at Wembley Stadium on October 1, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Henry Browne/Getty Images) /
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JACKSONVILLE, FL – SEPTEMBER 29: An Indianapolis Colts helmet sits on the sidelines during a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Field on September 29, 2013 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
JACKSONVILLE, FL – SEPTEMBER 29: An Indianapolis Colts helmet sits on the sidelines during a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Field on September 29, 2013 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) /

Cons

Relocating an NFL team is a difficult proposition when you move domestically. Just look at what’s happening in Oakland with the Raiders move to Las Vegas, and everyone remembers what it was like when the Colts moved from Baltimore to Indianapolis. When Bob Irsay, then the owner of the Baltimore Colts, moved the team to Indianapolis at night after he couldn’t work things out with the city of Baltimore. He did so under the cover of darkness with the aid of the Mayflower Transit.

Imagine what it would be like if you were moving a team from the US to another country. That would undoubtedly anger a few fan bases if their teams would move. So, the NFL would have to carefully craft the move to London.

Travel and schedule conflicts would be another major con. It’s approximately a 10-hour flight from Seattle to London, and that would negatively effect practice time for a regular Sunday game. Teams already have to have short practice schedule for the one Thursday Night game they have to play every season, now the practice schedules for six games per season (for division opponents), once a year for non-division opponents, plus the Thursday Night game. That would be a cause for injury concern.

The second major con would be the unfair scheduling that would have to be for the London-based team. Based on the Eastern Time US start of 8:25 PM, none of their home games could be played in primetime on Monday, Thursday, or Sunday night, because the kickoff would be at 1:25 AM local time. So, then the NFL would have to eliminate those games from their schedule and only play games once a week in the 1 PM and 4:25 PM Eastern slots (6 PM and 9:25 PM London time).

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