NFL in London

National Football League in London

2021 Jaguars London

Coming Home

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The summer of sport 2021 has been all about England, and cries of ‘it’s Coming Home’.
England is in the Euros final, the UK has set a rapid vaccination rate, and we are chuffed to have two NFL games in October.
Indeed, it’s coming home.

In this episode of the podcast, Wade McElwain and guest Callum Squires look at some of the top sporting stories from the Summer of ’21.
Wade also chats to Callum about his impending marriage and move to Las Vegas, and whether or not he will remain a Dolphins fan, or slide down into the fiery hell that is being a Raiders supporter.

The boys output a playlist of NFL hits in this episode, touching on a myriad of fun topics, including:

The Match

Aaron Rodgers has been playing loads of golf lately, but not a lot of football.
Is he just having some fun before the start of the season, or is this a calculated PR move to send a message to the Packers?
Hard to tell at this point, but given that Green Bay is owned by the fans, they can’t be too pleased with the way he is handling his summer of ’21.
Rodgers and DeChambeau laid a beating on Phil and Tommy Boy, but it was the banter that made this gold.
Training camp is only a few weeks away…your move A-A-Ron.

Lamar’s Mommy

Lamar Jackson is also looking for a new deal, but he’s using an old ally to help get the desired result.
Mommy.
Despite Mrs. Jackson not being formally trained in athletic contractual negotiations, mother knows best, and that’s what LJ is hoping to secure with a new contract with the Ravens.
That’s right, Lamar Jackson’s mom is handling his new contract and negotiations. This could either go horribly wrong, or just a little bit wrong.
If Lamar was ever trying to dispel rumours of being a ‘mama’s boy’, this will be the final nail in his coffin.

Apple NFL

DirecTV’s deal with the NFL is about to end in 2022, which means that the media sharks are circling the blood in the water.
Apple TV, Disney, and Amazon are all circling, and sharpening their teeth for a easy ratings meal that could last a decade.
Despite DirecTV claiming that they lost ‘billions’ in the NFL deal, many of the major streamers aren’t worried, because they can prop up their bottom line with product.
In this new digital age, the DirecTV is an antiquated relic. Old school cable boxing, cheesy packaging and tech problems galore, doth not make for something fans want to shell out shingles for.
It’s only a matter of time (and money) before one of the big three secures global NFL rights.
Having a one stop NFL solution, will not only make for more viewing options, but also allow for a more worldwide coverage, so that UK fans aren’t left out of the conversation.
Going digital means going global, and the NFL could use more of that now.

London NFL

The October games are full throttle ahead, so what does that mean for UK NFL fans?
Callum and Wade talk about the games, and how they think they will go down.
The guys also touch on the difficulty of showing NFL games in pubs, and the nature of pub chains to ‘ruin’ the experience for NFL fans.

Go England

The guys would also like to remind all our fans that we believe that it’s ‘Coming Home’ to England in the 2021 Euros.
There hasn’t been much to celebrate in English football for the past 4 decades, but Sunday’s final versus Italy will bolster the spirit of the country.
We believe that it will ‘come home’, and England will ride that wave of euphoria into 2022.

C’mon England!

CFXL

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One of the main side effects of COVID-19 is the loss of smell.
This is particularly worrying for football fans, who are unable to smell what ‘The Rock is Cooking.’
In this case, it’s a burnt melange of the XFL and the CFL.
The potential marriage is now dead, after the XFL announced it would not be moving ahead with merger plans.
The CFXL is dead.

Cracks in the Foundation

The coming together of the XFL and CFL was a lofty exercise to begin with.
Firstly there is the obvious lack of a league for the XFL, they went bankrupt, sold all off of their stuff, then the Rock and his VC firms swooped in to grab the bits and bobs left over.
The XFL isn’t really bringing anything to the table except The Rock, who won’t be playing in any games.
The CFL however has an actual league, with stadiums, team names, and a fan base going back over 100 years.
The CFL doesn’t need the XFL.
Canadians have long been pestered by Americans to the south ‘showing us how it’s done’, so negotiations would have stalled on any ‘demands’, as they really had no position to stand on.

1 Down

Even if the CFL and XFL did merge, what rules would they play?
The CFL is a 3 down game, with a wider and longer field than the NFL, would American fans accept such football treachery?
Canadian football has struggled on American TV, and these ‘new rules’ (even though they are older than the NFL) are a bugaboo for US fans.
The whole ‘how do we play’ would have been an obvious issue that pitted America vs Canada.
The XFL wants to be a feeder league for the NFL and tap into its heat, whereas the CFL is like a honey-badger, and they don’t care about nothing.

Teams

The CFL has The Saskatchewan Roughriders, the Winnipeg Bluebombers, and the Hamilton Tiger Cats.
The XFL has teams in Seattle, Houston, St. Louis, New York, LA & Tampa Bay. You know who else has teams in those cities? Everyone!
While the Canadian cities don’t exude a sense of sporting legacy, these teams are older than loads of actual leagues, and boast fans that are willing to come out in even the coldest conditions.
Competing with not only the NFL, but the NBA, MLB, MLS, NHL, and even new sports like e-Gaming and cornhole in major cities is a logistical and scheduling nightmare.
The CFL already has its identity, supporters and Canadian-ness, no American business is going to threaten that.

Finding Identity

The XFL really needs to define what it is, and when it will be played to forge ahead.
Loads of new leagues are lining up to take pot shots at the NFL, but none have ever really threatened the king’s dominance.
Sure, The Rock is the biggest movie star in the world right now, but that’s not enough to put bums in seats week after week.
Fans do want more football during the offseason, but not the kind of crap that has been peddled out the past few years.
Releasing a league to be able to ‘tinker’ with it in progress only hurts the league and the fans, and stymies any chance of future leagues developing.

The CFL will keep rolling on.
Ratings in Canada are enough to keep the lights on, and solidify its status as ‘Canada’s league to watch just before the NFL starts.’

The XFL however has one last shot before it joins the monorail as a foolish endeavour.
Dwayne Johnson is going to need put a lot of energy (and money) into it if he wants to see results.
The XFL might be positive about their future, but after this deal fell apart, it’s tough to see how they will be able to go it alone without a massive commitment NO MATTER WHAT.
Does The Rock have the mettle?

NFL Pride

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The offseason in the NFL is usually just a slew of arrests, mental breakdowns, and ego posturing of young men, suddenly flush with cash.
Occasionally, some truly cool news will come out of the league, which is why we call this podcast NFL Pride.

In this podcast, Wade McElwain and Ryan Cull look at some of the top stories kicking around the NFL while we wait for the season to officially start.

Some of the biggest news that the guys ramble on about this week, includes:

Carl Nassib

Some heart warming news from Las Vegas this week, as Raiders DE Carl Nassib announced he was gay.
While Nassib might not be the first openly gay player, he does help push the conversation forward, as well as serving as an inspiration for any gay players out there who might be nervous about coming out in their sport.
Even bigger and better news was that Nassib’s jersey quickly jumped to the top of the sales charts, evidence that the fans are proud of Carl.
It’s nice to see that we have moved beyond the myopic sexual hysteria of our early ages & into a generation where we judge players not on their sexuality, but on whether or not they play for the Patriots.

Frank Clark

To some more consistent NFL news, Chiefs player Frank Clark was arrested once again for gun violations.
Clark’s bodyguard apparently was in possession of an ‘uzi’, taking this case back to the 1980s’.
This isn’t the first time that Clark has been in trouble, with gun and domestic violence issues following him since his Michigan days.
What will Kansas City do here?

Guice

Derrius Guice has had various charges dropped stemming from a past domestic assault issues. Guice was also dropped by the Washington Football club after the incident, and might have teams looking at him to bolster their 2021 squads.

AB

Antonio Brown also got some lucky law this week, as his probation for assault was reduced.
You might remember Brown moved to Florida to be closer to TB12 and the Bucs, when he was arrested for assaulting the guy delivering his furniture.
Not surprisingly, Brown will have to attend MORE anger management classes, and potentially face a civil suit from the driver.
Oh AB!

XFL

Former XFL players hoping to get paid took a shot in the chin this week, as it was announced that outstanding fees owed to the players would be reduced.
Brokeass amateur athletes hoping for the $14,000 that they were owed to pay off their bills were told that they can now only expect $580.00, minus fees.
On the bight side, the new league is due to form next year…so maybe they can apply to be a part of that one?

London Games

The London NFL games are still good to go for October, so fans should start to get ready!
While we don’t know too much information yet, it’s looking like fans that are fully vaccinated will be allowed to attend.
Given that many people under 18 haven’t been given the shot, there is no word yet whether they will be required to do so.
Honestly, with this summer of sport on, and variants popping up like incarnations of ‘Loki’, we won’t know much until end of August.
When we do, we will let you know.

Here is the latest episode.
Have a listen, a laugh, and maybe even a guffaw.
As soon as more NFL news pops up, we will let you know!
In the meantime, make sure you follow us on social media for all the latest news about the 2021 London NFL games.

Memes of June

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When life gives you lemons, you throw them at the team when they start playing poorly, those are the new rules of NFL survival.

Given that this time of year is historically boring for NFL news, we present to you another selection of pithy pictures with titles, in our Memes of June post.

NFL Memes are not only a perfect distraction from the lack of the sport, but also a perfect way to serve up one of your buddies with a massive ‘burn’ as to their favourite player, franchise, or the very way that they live their lives themselves.
That’s how good an NFL Meme can be.

Here’s a selection of memes to kick off the end of your June, and rip you right into July.

June Memes

GIF Giving

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To break up the boredom and monotony of waiting for the NFL season to begin, we have been sharing silly videos and GIFs with each other to pass the time.
After all, isn’t it just as fun to burn your buddies with a quick video torch of their team in a way that publicly shames them, and gets your point across?
Exactly girlfriend.

To that point, we have put together some GIFs that fit some of the current woes of certain NFL teams.
They are the GIFs that keep on Giving!

Buffalo Bills

The Bills look ready to rock the AFC in 2021, the only thing that stands in their way…is themselves. Playoffs have never been kind to the Bills, which is why we present the Bills Playoff chances.

Kansas City Chiefs

Back it up, beep beep. That’s the attitude of the Kansas City Chiefs this season, as they are confidently heading into the 2021 season.
Sure, they got whooped in the Super Bowl by the Bucs, but they seem pretty confident they’ll be backing that truck back up to the Super Bowl this year.

Dallas Cowboys

America’s team has been having some issues lately. Despite not having won the Super Bowl since the internet and social media existed, dem Boyz are pretty cocky heading into the 2021 season. Be careful what you wish for, and don’t shoot your eye out.

Tampa Bay Bucs

TB12 and the team might be old, but that doesn’t mean that they still don’t have a few tricks up their sleeves. Just like grandma whipping your ass at beer pong, the Bucs will be back to bring in some olde fashioned shaming for the 2021 season.

Chicago Bears

Justin Fields is in! What could possibly go wrong? Ask any Bears fan, and they will give you a list of reasons that doom could be on the horizon. All seems to be going well, until getting hit in the nuts. Is it the front office?

Jacksonville Jaguars

Everyone in the pool, it’s time to party! The Jaguars once again have reasons to be proud, but will this translate into wins?
Jacksonville is banking on its young stars to lead the way for 2021, but could they just be making waves, instead of a splash?

Carolina Panthers

Sam Darnold is out of NY, but will that still stop him from seeing ghosts?
The Panthers are hoping that Christian is back and healthy, and their new crop of stars are going to lead them to glory.
But are these just shadow games?
Will the REAL Carolina Panthers show up this season?

New York Jets

You spin me right round baby, right round.
That’s the feeling of New York Jets fans who get the circle jerk spin every season.
How many times can they tank to get good draft picks, before it’s time to address the real issues?

Cleveland Browns

You’re driving down the highway, thinking that everything is going to be ok…then BAM! Ice crashed into the windshield, and you’re questioning the validity of everything.
Sounds like the Browns in the playoffs?

That’s it for some of the GIFs for this week. We will continue to hunt for funny little videos that you can use to burn your friends, or just to watch in pain as the truth of your own team sets in.

Heck, it’s only June. The NFL will be here soon!