From a nation crazy over cricket? "Football players aren't as tough as rugby players, that's why they wear pads." Of course, there's no forward pass over the middle or blindside hits in rugby either. "You have a 'World Series' that consists of only your own country." Clearly they're not Blue Jay fans. "You don't even have to be in shape to play baseball or football." Some offensive lineman, and the great Cecil Fielder, make this one harder to defend. But one thing is becoming clear -- football is growing in the UK .
For the third straight year, the NFL played a sold-out regular season game at Wembley Stadium just outside of London . Over 84,000 people watched the New England Patriots cruise past the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 35-7. The game wasn't expected to be close with Tom Brady and Bill Belichick going against a winless Bucs team that had barely competed so far this year. It didn't matter one bit to anyone there.
The popularity was more about the spectacle of an NFL game than the Xs and Os of professional football. Crowds came early to try their hand at the old American pastime of tailgating. Never ones to complain about throwing down a few pints in the afternoon, the British dove right in. The NFL also offered a helping hand -- setting up skills contests outside the stadium, merchandise stands, and their own celebration tent. Some guys were even tossing around their own football in the parking lot, and while they certainly weren't zipping 40 yard spirals, the big surprise was -- all these people own footballs? Inside the stadium, the crowd roared throughout. Camera flashes popped for 10 straight minutes leading up to kickoff. Both national anthems were sung loudly, with British and American flags created by fan placards covering two complete ends of the stadium.
People took their one chance to finally wear that NFL jersey they had stashed away at home, with seemingly all 32 teams being worn by someone. Steelers' terrible towels, Packers' cheeseheads, even some baseball and basketball jerseys made an appearance.
British fans openly asked questions aloud, knowing there'd be an American within earshot to explain false start penalties, why Randy Moss isn't playing anymore, or how we could possibly be having another TV timeout already.
As the Pats took one final knee to wind down the clock, the game ended an undoubted success for the NFL. Originally conceived as an international series with different destinations each year, the NFL's experiment in Europe has quickly become focused on the UK. Rumors have the series shifting to several games a year being played in London in the future. Even the possibility of having one team begin to play an annual game in London to generate consistent fan interest. With teams like Jack sonville, Detroit and San Diego struggling to sell out home games, this isn't as far fetched as the notions of a Wembley Super Bowl or a true London home team.
But there's no longer any debating that football has a large following in the UK right now. Whether the British will admit it or not.
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