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National Football League in London

2021 Jets London

July Memes

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The end of July is almost upon us, which means August is almost here!
NFL fans all know that August is that magical month that kicks off training camp, bringing with it the impending NFL season, and the joys of fans everywhere.

To celebrate the kickoff of the 2021 season, we present you some July Memes, a selection of funny photos that have kept us entertained during this wet, miserable summer.

Whether it’s memes around the incorrect pronunciation of ‘Kelce’, rumours of Rodgers riding out to pasture, or just Covidiots in general, the memes reward us all.

July Memes

Rodgers That!

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The ‘what will he do’ moment is now upon us, as the NFL world waits in anticipation for what Aaron Rodgers will finally do.
Will he succumb to the public pressure and return to the Packers training camp on July 28th, or will he flip a cheesy bird to the team, and pursue retirement?
Or will he just do his own thing?
Rodgers That!

The A-aaron drama took an end of July shift, when major sports books finally gave in to the notion that the reigning MVP might not be driving to Wisconsin for the fall.

Westgate Sportsbook has pulled all NFC North odds for the moment, including win totals, playoff odds, and weekly lines.

Other Las Vegas sports books including Bovada & Bet online have changed their prices and odds for the Packers to repeat.
In fact, Circa Sports has released their own new odds, which favours the Minnesota Vikings winning the NFC North, ahead of the Packers.

So what are Rodgers options really then?

Back at Pack

It’s no secret that Rodgers hates Packers GM Brian Gutekunst, he hates him so much-he could actually be family with him.
Aaron had said in the spring that he ‘wouldn’t be back’ so long as Gutekunst was on the team, and yet he’s still there.
Given that AR has been so vocal about his disdain for the leadership of the team, that he would be willing to forgive and forget over a summer of very little contact.

Rodgers (former) teammates were all quite bullish on the prospect of him slinging up for the Cheeseheads in 2021, but that too has started to fizzle out as July has.

With words that Davante Adams is now opting out of renegotiating a new contract, it would seem that even he knows that Rodgers time in Wisconsin is done.

Even if Rodgers were to return to Green Bay at the end of July, would the fans forgive him?
As the only ‘fan owned’ franchise, the Packers are more like a family than a global corporation.
By ‘playing games’ with his future he’s not just fucking with Jerry Jones, he’s trifling with mom and pop America, and they’ve had a rough couple of years.

Even if he were to retire, how much tension is going to fill that locker room?
Too much to fit a championship in there most likely.

Retire

There’s retirement, and then there is retiring for a bit.
Rodgers has too much competition in him left to whomp out of the league for good, but he could take a little break to show them what they are missing.

Having just announcement his surprise engagement, there are rumours that he wants to use this time to get married and enjoy his honeymoon phase before getting back to work.

Sure, he’ll lose some money on the season, but there are plenty of other ways for Aaron to grab some cash.
From appearances at ‘Game of Thrones’ fan expos, judging on ‘America’s Next A Capella Sensation’, our recreating the movie ‘The Fault in Our Stars’ with puppets, with fiancee Shailene Woodley.

It’s no secret that the kid from Chico, California would also LOVE to be the next host of Jeopardy. Given his lack lustre week of hosting this year, that might be tough. If he thinks Packers fans are emotional, wait til he pisses off the elderly nerd crowd.

Family Counsellor

The Rodgers family are a reality show waiting to happen.
Imagine a series where Aaron returns to the homestead to make peace with his religious family, as well as performing a series of pranks on them.
Hilarity ensues.
This would also provide Aaron with the ability to get back at his brother Jordan, who sullied the family name on ‘The Bachelor”.
For shame.

Of course, we won’t know what is really going to until July 28th, when (and if) he doesn’t appear at training camp.

If he’s not there on Wednesday, make sure to check on your Green Bay Packers fans to make sure that they don’t do something stupid.
Like switch to being Buccaneers fans.

What do you think he will do?

All Filler

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Training camp is almost here to kick off the 2021 NFL season, but until then, we are grasping at NFL news.
Which is why we call this podcast ALL FILLER, as it is mostly a collection of offseason antics and hilarious stories.

Join Wade McElwain & Ryan Cull, as they deliver a heat induced episode of NFL news, predictions, and general jackassery.
Ryan is off of a 2 week vacation to the ‘islands’, and he can barely contain his enthusiasm.

Among some of the nuggets of NFL that the boys talk about in this episode includes:

Sherman Tanked

Poor Richard Sherman. He got wasted in SoCal and all he got to show for it was an embarrassing video of him losing to a door.
A very wasted Sherman is seen trying to bust back into his gated community house while his distraught (and calm) wife describes the harrowing encounter.
Most people who listed to this call point to the very ‘nasty’ 911 operator on the receiver, who definitely made the call worse.
Sherman is going to need to dry out, rethink, and figure out if he’s better off on the field…or maybe the booth.

Tooth Haskins

Poor Dwayne Haskins.
First he gets cut by the Washington football team for erratic play and behaviours, then his love life came back to punch him in the face.
It’s not easy being a young man trying to make it in the NFL.
There is lot of pressure not only to succeed, but also from the Instagram set looking to to cash in on your young fame.
Hopefully this guy gets help before he gets piled on.

Ping You

While we are under Operation Pingdom here in the UK, in the US teams are still struggling to get their players vaccinated.
There are 4 teams whose vax rate is currently below 50% for whatever reason they choose to submit.
Those teams?
Washington, Indianapolis, Arizona, and the LA Chargers.
It’s going to be a long training camp until the players get the jab.

Hold the Chi

You’re a horrible person if you have been pronouncing Travis Kelce’s name wrong this whole time.
Yes, after years in the NFL, it turns out we have been pronouncing his name all wrong.
It’s Kell-se, not Kell-chee.
Boy are we embarrassed!

Younghoe Jeep

Welcome to the ATL Koe! Falcons kicker Younghoe Koe got a slap in the south when his Jeep was stolen from the city last week.
This is probably why they never let Atlanta have nice things.
In true Georgia fashion, Koe claimed he only ‘wanted his cleats’ back.
Who steals a man’s dirty cleats anyway?

TB10.5

It turns out that TB12 played ALL last season with an MCL problem.
Ha ha, wow!
If this is true, it’s quite admirable for a man of his age to play through the pain.
If it is also true….then Tampa Bay cheated their way to the Super Bowl.
Teams have to disclose injuries, and Tom Brady not disclosing his is a MAJOR league violation.
Will the league investigate this, or will they just consider it Brady Banter?
Depends on how true it is really.

Rodgers Out

The final question that remains, is whether to not Aaron Rodgers will suit up for training camp on July 27th.
Aaron made it clear at the end of the 2020 season he would not be retuning to the Packers, but many fans haven’t given up hope.
Ryan is convinced that Aaron Rodgers will be back, and everything else is silly talk.
Wade thinks that Rodgers will call their bluff, go into semi-retirement as a broadcaster until injury forces a team to offer him the moon.
We shall see.

Here is the latest podcast.
Listen, laugh, love, Karen, enjoy.

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?

London NFL 2021

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Ding dong, Covid is dead!
The birds are singing, the pubs are ringing, and all signs are pointing to normal.
So what does that mean for the 2021 NFL games in London?
Hopefully…normalcy.

If you haven’t been living in a bubble for the past 2 years, then you’ll know that it has been a wonky-donkey wave.
The 2020 London NFL games were cancelled, as were a holy host of sporting events, and even leagues that couldn’t weather the viral storm.
As the clouds clear, it looks like we might have a better indication of what might go down in London for the October 2021 games.
We are not the NFLUK, just a bunch of fans…so our word is a fart in the wind when it comes to legitimacy.
That being said, let’s look at London NFL 2021.

Covid Great Britain

Great Britain has navigated this Covid storm better than most.
With over 60% of the population double vaxxed, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has set out a timetable for July 19th for life to return to normal.
This means no more social distancing, limits on numbers of people at a table, and late night venues can open up again.
Best of all…no vaccine passports required!
Normal might be normal again!
While these might not be the rules where you live, those are the impending rules in the UK.
As far as foreigners entering the UK, provided you’re double vaxxed, it’s thought that there will be no issues.
So far so good, but watch this space.

Tottenham Watching

Tottenham and the NFLUK will set their own rules when it comes to letting people into the stadium, but it’s thought that they will follow current conventions in place.
Every NFL stadium is planning on full crowds for the 2021 season, so there’s no reason to think that Tottenham won’t do the same.
The only bugaboo for fans might come from those who aren’t quite ready to sit 3 cm from a stranger who is screaming spittle into your warm Stella.
While many of the football matches are alcohol free in the stands, that could change once October rolls around.
The area surrounding the stadium isn’t known as much of a ‘party zone’, so time will tell what requirements for pubs and bars in the area will impose on visitors.

Late Night London

London is not a late night town.
Unlike New York which is dedicating itself to a 24 hour future, London is mostly shuttered after 11pm, even earlier due to Covid.
Sunday evenings are particularly dead in the capital, and that will probably continue as the trepidation of this ‘new normal’ sets in.
Watching the NFL on a Sunday night for the 9pm (4pm EST) games has gotten more difficult in London, as few pubs are willing to stay open past 10pm.
Areas like Leicester Square have only gotten dirtier, with more gangs and stabbings…so we’ll avoid that area for 2021, as people have already been poked enough.
We are working on a few options for after the Sunday games at Tottenham, and will keep you updated.

Things We Are Keeping an Eye On

As we have learned time and time again over the past few years…nothing the government promises us is locked in stone.
Variants are popping up quicker than ‘Loki’ clones, jabs can only do so much, and the virus continues to surprise us like a pyrotechnic gender-reveal.
Things like booster vaccines, on site testing, temperature checks, and social distancing could all make an ugly return like Josh Gordon, but how much they factor into play needs to be seen.
Book your tickets and be positive, that should be worth something.

We are neither the NFL, nor health experts…so what do we know?
Once we hear the real truths, we will let you all know what the word is.
Hope to see everyone in October.