NFL in London

National Football League in London

NFL London

Week 1 BBQ

by

Where did you watch week 1 of the NFL? Normally we would be organising NFL viewing parties across London & the UK, but then a thing called 2020 happened.
With all the rules changing, with pubs closing early and fans wary of heading out in public, we opted to host our Week 1 viewing party at Wade’s house.

Wade was up early on Sunday morning, smoking 3 yummy briskets for 11 hours in time for kickoff. If that wasn’t enough, he also cooked 100 chicken wings for the NFL in London gang. Add to that homemade cheese dip, blue cheese dressing and loads of flavours, everyone went home a winner. (and with a doggy bag).

Thanks to the magic of NFL Gamepass, we were able to watch 4 games at once, with the inside and outside rocking the NFL for all fans in attendance. Everyone was safe distanced, and quite drunk once the night was over.

We will look to host more live NFL events in the future, but as of right now, it’s just too tricky to pull off. With the rules changing weekly in terms of fan attendance, and the potential of another lockdown or curfew looming, it’s a rather uphill battle for us at the moment. Bars would also rather not show the first 30 minutes of NFL games to satisfy Premier League fans in attendance. Who wants to miss the first quarter?

Watch this space, we’ll be back with more live events as the season continues.

Week 1 Results

by

What a topsy turvy weekend in the NFL! Some of the biggest winners lost, and some of the teams that looked to live in Loserville for a long time actually showed some spunk. It was nice to have the game back & to feel a bit of normal again.

Picking Week 1 results against the spread can often be tough given all the time off, but 2020 has made that even more difficult by trashing the preseason and the growth/ injuries that go with it.
Wade & Ryan both took a stab at week 1, with Wade hitting out a respectable 10-5-1, while Ryan managed a more modest 4-11-1.

Let’s take a look at some of the games they got right/ wrong.

Seahawks 38 vs Falcons 25

Wade got this one wrong, siding with past numbers that have Pete Carroll not usually performing well in week 1 since 2013. Of course it was Russell Wilson who performed like a champ, spreading the ball to nine different receivers and running the ball a few times himself. Atlanta didn’t help themselves, dropping balls and getting costly penalties. Atlanta showed rally, but were also very inept on D. Ryan liked the Seahawks to cover, and they were able to do just that.

Bears 27 Lions 23

Who wrote off Trubisky? Wade and other Bears fans did, so it was surprising to see him launch a 4 TD push to overcome the pesky Lions. Mitch was off in the first half, hitting guys on the numbers who should have made some easy catches. Luckily for Bears fans, the biggest drop came in the 4th when the Lions dropped a huge catch which would have been a pretty gimme TD. Wade had the Bears to win, and they came out with a big one. Trubisky played pretty good.

LA Chargers 16 Bengals 13

Wade called a Bengals upset, giving them their first win of the season at home…and it almost happened. Another bad miss from a kicker on  Week 1 (have they all gotten worse) could have sent this game to OT, but alas the football Gods had other plans. Burrow looked good, and Tyrod looked marginal in this low scoring affair. Bengals should be proud of how they played, even if this did end in betting push.

LA Rams 20 Cowboys 17

Wade was a big believer in a Rams upset in this game, and they really came out pumping all cylinders. Goff was on fire, and Robert Woods was an easy target in a game that really underscored the D problems that Dallas has going forward. If the Rams can bully them around like this, then the Cowboys are up for a tough season of potential blowouts. CeeDee Lamb had a respectable first outing, but Zeke looked a bit flat, especially after Aaron Donald picked him up to hit Dak.

Bucs 23 Saints 34

This was the game that everyone was waiting for, and both Wade & Ryan predicted a 33-30 victory for TB12 and the Bucs. In hindsight, not a good call. Tom Brady was picked off 2 times and he couldn’t muster any offence in a game that showed that he still makes some pretty blinding errors. Brees didn’t play great, but looked a lot better than his 40 something counter. New Orleans also made a lot of costly defensive pass interference plays that gouged them for 100 yards+ in penalties. Everyone learned a valuable lesson in this one. The Bucs and Saints both look to roll next week.

Make sure you listen to our podcast so you can hear Wade & Ryan make all of their weekly picks. We will also be starting to promote venues across the UK who would be up for showing NFL games this season.
We know that this new rule of 6 will make things more difficult, but it’s better than a 9pm curfew which would essentially cancel the viewings for an entire season.

NFL..Assemble!

by

Snap! The NFL is back and just in time, as this whole year has felt like Thanos has snapped us halfway back to reality.
Will the heroes of the gridiron save us from the banality of every day Covid life?
Hell yeah!

One NFL fan went the distance, using his editing skills to create superb hybrid of an NFL hype film, with an Avengers style trailer. (we don’t own any rights, just fans).

Always nice to see someone who is both an NFL Fan, and one heck of an editor.

If this doesn’t get you ripped for the season, maybe Thanos should have killed us all?

Week 1 Picks

by

Praise to the NFL Gods! We’re back with the 2020 season, and Wade & Ryan couldn’t be happier.
This whole year has felt like a Cowboys vs Patriots Super Bowl, with screaming idiocy everywhere, but at least we can find comfort in the start of another year of football.
The guys might not be able to predict what the bloody hell is going to happen in the next 6 months, but at least they will steer you right in their NFL picks.

The first week of the NFL is always tricky to handicap, as there are so many unknown factors and new dynamics rolling off of training camp. 2020 is an even tougher year to predict, as the lack of preseason and physical preparation are all going to factor into some wild and crazy scores. Injuries will also be a major issue, as the lack of a preseason means some of these guys might be soft and brittle the first time someone plows into them.

Wade McElwain and Ryan Cull have done the research, looked at the tape, read a few fantasy magazines and are ready to prognosticate. Wade had a whopping 64% correct against the spread last season, while Ryan came in with 57% correct. Will Wade be able to repeat his wizardry this year? Let’s find out with some of their top picks.

TNF-Texans vs Chiefs (-9) +54.5

The reigning Super Bowl champs kick off the season at home against a foe they face early on in the playoffs last year. Despite trailing 24-0 to Deshaun and the Texans, Mahomes was able to rally his team to go all the way. So how much is changed the season?
Hopkins is gone, Cooks is in and the running game now rests in the hands of Duke Johnson.
The Chiefs have much of their magic back, although some of the blocking on the O line is weaker due to some trades and opt outs.
Both Wade & Ryan like the Chiefs to win here, although Ryan sees the Texans keeping this game closer, while Wade predicts a blowout in from of a smaller Chiefs crowd.
Wade-Chiefs 31 Texans 20
Ryan-Chiefs 31 Texans 28

Dolphins vs Patriots (-6.5) +43

This is the first time we see Bill Belichick without his Tommy Boy, so how will he react to his new NFL normal? He’ll be fine, as BB is known for his meticulous planning for any opponent. Cam will add a nice healthy dose of dip and dash to the offence, and old man Edelman will prove his worth in some quick cuts and short routes. Fitzmagic will need to find his magic wand, as many of his tools have either been traded or regressed in the offseason. Fitz will have some success, but the Patriots D is still one to be feared in the league. Ryan likes the Dolphins to cover, whereas Wade sees this as another beatdown.
Wade-Patriots 30 Dolphins 17
Ryan-Patriots 24 Dolphins 20

Seahawks (-2) vs Falcons +49

The Seahawks are out for a title this year, and many believe that this could be ‘their year’, but first they have to get through some tough competition. The Falcons have struggled with great talent and bad injuries in the past few years, and one wonders if Matt Ryan will ever make a trip back to the Super Bowl in his career. The dome might be lacking in fans, but there will be a lot of eyes on new acquisition Todd Gurley and whether he can stay healthy.
Ryan likes the Seahawks to rough up the Falcons, with Russell Wilson having an impressive day hitting Tyler Lockett.
Wade on the other hand is quick to point out the traditional slow start of the Seahawks, and Pete Carroll not covering the spread on Week 1 since 2014. He has Atlanta in an upset.
Wade-Falcons 30 Seahawks 28
Ryan-Seahawks 31 Falcons 21

For the rest of the predictions, have a listen to our podcast for all the games and scores.
How will the boys do this week?
Make sure you join us one weekend for an NFL event once all of this malarky is behind us.
Stay safe, stay sane, let’s go NFL!

NFL Game Viewings

by

For over 13 years, we have had the pleasure of putting on and hosting NFL viewing parties across London & the UK. We have hosted some amazing nights at iconic venues across the country,  met great NFL stars of present and past, as well as helped shaped the UK policy for public viewing.
Sure, we have also worked with some total D-hole promoters and venues, but that’s for another story

2020 however is the most unhinged year yet though, so we will let you know how we will be approaching NFL viewing parties.

Our main goal has always been to provide an authentic NFL viewing experience that allows fans to share in what a truly North American NFL night is like, as well as provide expats with a taste of home.
This involves finding venues that are centrally located, have loads of TVs, are willing to stay open late, and can commit to showing the games regularly.
This isn’t as easy as it seems, as football is still king in the UK, & venues & managers are particularly predatory when it comes to bringing in a new audience & keeping it, even if it means not providing a service.
Essentially they want to bend the promoter over backwards, not pay them, and then try to steal their audience without providing anything in return.
Which is often why we move around like a foster kid, we don’t want to you guys to get screwed over.
Pub chains are not like US bars, but local ones are.

In 2019 we focused more on private viewing parties, as they allowed us to show a bunch of games, stay open late, and offer food trucks and other authentic food until the tube reopened.
Then 2020 hit us a like a double doink in the butt-fumble.
Now we must adapt, so here are a few of the challenges we are dealing with this year.

Rules

Trying to understand the government rules on Covid distancing is like trying to explain the game of cricket to an American. The rules seem to change all the time, you have no idea who is in control, and the whole damn thing seems to last forever.
Even in recent weeks we have seen changes from ‘groups of 6 under only’, to the potential of a lockdown being imposed after 10pm. 10pm? On a Sunday night? That pretty much kills the NFL sports pub right there.
Like marriage it’s difficult to commit to the long haul if you think that your partner is crazy, so until the rules and virus have been somewhat managed, we are going to chill-ax this until it all becomes clear.
Add to this lower audio levels, no fan screaming, and distanced tables, and the whole sports night out loses its lustre.
Playing the Covid rules is like playing the Tom Brady Patriots at home, the rules will always change & not in your favour.
He’s moved on, and so can we.

Locations

Areas that use to be popular are now not popular because no one wants to risk infection, which means central London is pretty much a dead zone now. London has never really been a ‘late night’ city, which applies even more on Sunday nights when most pubs tend to shut at 10:30pm. We have previously worked with some of these loser pubs, who have no qualms about kicking fans out before the 6pm game has even finished. Totally classless.
Areas like Leicester Square, Camden, Victoria & Old Street are about as appealing to NFL fans as a ‘Keeping up with the Kardashians’ marathon now as it is mostly druggy drunks.
The big trend in 2020 is to ‘think global, but eat local’, meaning many neighbourhood pubs are more likely destinations for NFL parties.
We already work with some pubs in North and East London that are family owned and operated, and will be looking to help host NFL parties at these locations going forward.
Pop-Ups are also in the future for 2020, as they allow us to invite and control the event for your maximum viewing pleasure.
We are always on the look-out for new venues, locations and partners, so please get in touch.

Insurance

Promoters need to get promoters insurance in case anything happens to you lovely people on our watch. Insurance shows that we are not only legit, but that if we get sued as a result of something happening to a fan, we have a procedure in place. Sadly in 2020 it is impossible to get this insurance due to the unquantifiable nature of the virus and its resurgence. So if someone gets Covid at one of your events, you could be in some serious trouble. Pubs can’t get this either, but they just hope you can’t prove you caught it at one of their locations. This makes it very troubling for promoters of any kind, which is why live events are struggling to rebuild.

Special Events

We will be looking to host special events as the season progresses. This will of course depend on how bad of a beating the virus continues to lay down on society.
We are still planning on several Super Bowl parties for 2021, as well as playoff parties leading up to it.
What those will look like at this point are anyone’s guess.
Thanksgiving 2020 is also in the works, and we are working with a few venue partners to hopefully pull this off without Covid hitches.
Please watch this space for more info, and we will release news as the government trickles down their Corona double-speak.
If you are a venue, manager or promoter keen to host NFL events-please get in touch to discuss further.

We are also exploring hosting virtual NFL parties with ex players, weekly NFL quizzes that are interactive and loaded with prizes, and Madden e-gaming tournaments.
Again, this is all dependent on how this bloody year goes.

Most importantly is that we all stay safe and sane this season, and that the NFL continues to play without a hitch.
There might no ‘I in Team’, but there is one in ‘I really want the NFL’, and that’s what we need to focus on this year.

Please get in touch if we can help make your NFL viewing experience better this year!