NFL in London

National Football League in London

2021 London NFL

Shadow Moves

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What lurks in the the shadows of the NFL?
What secret moves are happening in free agency?
Turns out, a lot-as Wade & Ryan look at Shadow Moves in this podcast.

Miami flipped a flop on the 49ers and Eagles, trading then sliding back in with some nifty picks.
All signs point to QB heaven as the teams line up to grab the next bigbit of  quarterback Mccheese.

The boys look at some of the other big news in this podcast including.

Bucs Start Kicking

Tampa Bay brings back a whopping 22 players, pointing to the fact that the Buccaneers are kicking to win another Super Bowl this season.
Tom Brady has all his weapons, and only time will tell if they can kick their late season run into a near perfect season.
Once you win the big show, everyone wants to steal your limelight.

Wilson!

Will Wilson drift away from the Seahawks raft, or will he let them paint his face and be the head on the stick again. When someone wants to leave that bad, it’s hard to see the lockerroom feeling the love if he does return.
The Seahawks have a lot of shoes, issues, and issues in shoes.
Maybe Petey should walk away this season.

Falc Off Matt

What’s the deal in Atlanta? If only they could vote on what to do with the team. Oh, that’s right.
Atlanta is in the fist flock frenzy of QB grappling and Matt Ryan may have more than a protégée.
The Falcons could also play it smart and trade their pick the dozens of teams willing to slit a fans throat after the anthem if they could get a sniff of Zach Wilson.
Ryan said it.

Benglosity

The Bengals have a great slice of picks, and it would be wise to load up that front line in the early going.
TB12 got a Wirf of a boost this season and Joe Burrow deserves a shot at not getting his head torn a sunder.
Cincinnati also benefits from grabbing a few wide receivers to make them a little more solid at points next season.

Aging Ravens

Baltimore went full The Wire, by bringing back a couple of old crows to flock the sidelines.
Sanu and Sammy Watkins signed with the Ravens in a chance to give Lamar Jackson two solid number 3 receivers.
If both of them stay healthy, they might be able to play 8 games this season and average 4 fantasy points.

Watson, Watsoff

Deshaun Watson is in the news again but for some not so good reasons.
It ‘seems’ that several Insta-masseuses claim that Watson did yada yada, and they felt blah blah.
Not to seem insensitive, but it’s all conjecture at this point.
Deshaun Watson is not charged, and he hasn’t said anything.
An interesting convenience in a legal battle to extricate himself from the grasp of a billionaire, only to find himself in the very position of one.
Kraft cooked his tapes, and added some orange cheese to offer a meal of of innocent denial.
In Robert Kraft’s case though, they had tapes and titilating testimony.
Let’s not forget that Deshaun Watson is also a young man under an extraordinary amount of pressure professionally and personally.
Kneeing him in a his mental nuts is not cool.

That’s it for this podcast, make sure that you listen to more in our library.
We’re glad to keep chatting about the NFL, and excited about the future of the league here and making you all laugh.

Sad Nachos

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Good food can help make a great football game better. Bad food turns a bad game into a travesty.
So what quantifies as bad nachos, or even sad nachos?
Pretty much everything you’ll find at a UK pub chain.

Nachos have been a struggle menu item for most British restaurants.
To many it’s just a matter of ‘putting cheese on crisps’, which rewards the eater with bland taste, sharp edges and no reminder of home.

The first time a North American orders nachos from a ‘Spoons, you quickly realise what kind of mistake you have made.
Shortly after a server appears with a plate of Doritos that have been microwaved covered in some cheese slices. No extra toppings, flavour, or even good corn chips…just plain old Doritos.
It’s the NFL equivalent to showing up to a game, only to find out it’s a New York Jets practice, with only 3rd string players.

Expats quickly learn what NOT to order on a British menu to avoid tainting the taste of home.
Hot dogs that come in jars in the canned goods aisle? Hard pass.
Cheeseburgers pre-made and sold in a gas station. No thanks.
Asking for ‘lemonade’ and getting a warm can of Sprite. Oh geez.
Nachos could easily stand for ‘No American Cheese, Habaneros Or Salsa’.

So how does someone learn to just not give a crap about cooking?
Follow the lead of this guy, who apparently is the only one with some kind of cooking acumen at this network.
His nachos recipe looks more like a cry for help or a sign of suicide rather than a cooking segment.

Our man Weber is a microwave kind of guy, and you get the impression that this is not only his ONLY recipe, but that he probably eats this every night sitting in his tight-whiteys watching late night runs of the dating show ‘Studs.’
This is the nacho recipe for the everyman.

If you’re looking for a way NOT to make nachos, or the spirit animal of the sad divorcee, than this is the video for you.

There are some good nachos in the UK by the way. we just have yet to taste them.
If you have any recommendations for the best nachos in the UK, make sure to give us a holler.
We’ll all be eating crap nachos and watching the games together soon.

Free Agent Fiesta

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Dak signs a massive Dallas contract, Tom Brady rejigs his contract to give more money to the team, and Drew Brees finally retires.
The 2021 NFL season is about to begin, so it’s time for a Free Agents Fiesta podcast!

This week, Wade & Ryan look at some of the top news in the league, as well as offering some insight into where they think some of the biggest players in the league might end up.
So many players available, and so many teams with gaping holes in their teams.

Just think, a year ago we had NO IDEA that Tom Brady would sign with the Bucs, bring in Gronk, then march his way to winning a Super Bowl. But then here we are.
What are some of the other big signings this offseason that could resonate to the start of the new NFL season?
Let’s have a look, shall we?

Cam Newton

After a tough season with the Patriots, Cam is back! And Boston is feeling it!
Cam Newton finished last year ranked 22nd amongst active quarterbacks, and only had 8 passing touchdowns.
Without the Pats, Cam would be looking for backup work this season, as his inaugural start with New England was less than stellar.
Luckily for him, Bill Belichick is cashing in his faith chips with Cam, and will most likely reward him with…a backup role.
The Patriots will be looking to either draft or trade for a QB this season, and having the 3rd highest amount of Cap Space would hurt either.
Ready to ride the pines Cam?

Chiefs

Kansas City has been struggling with cap space all year, and it all had to come to a close when the Chiefs released Mitchell Schwartz and Eric Fisher.
Fisher famously ruined himself prior to the Superbowl, so it’s not a massive loss for the team.
The Chiefs will need to find some guys to block for Mahomes lest he go the way of Joe Burrow this season.
The road ahead gets a lot tougher when you’re pinching pennies.

Bear Necessities

What a pickle the Bears find themselves in. With two less than average QBs on the roster, an expensive defence, and a wicked wide receiver who doesn’t want a tag. What’s a team to do?
Knowing the Bears, they will probably mess it up-giving away too much for too little, and getting nothing in return.
Chicago will need to be patient in the post season, let every other team scramble for what they think are the best/last players, then move in for an inexpensive & smart move.
Stop bum rushing the plays, and let them come to you.

Cap Space

Covid totally crushed the cap space for this season, so teams are going to have to get innovative if they want to stretch their dollars.
Jacksonville once again is Mr. Moneybags, with a luscious $73.6 million to spend on fancy pants players.
Interesting the next two teams on the list the NY Jets and New England Patriots. With both teams boasting just under $70 million in space, they should be able to target some of the top talent to broaden their squads.
But does anyone want to come to New England anymore?

London NFL Games

The good news is that the UK should have crossed the threshold of vaccinations by the end of the summer, allowing life to get back to normal. Hooray!
The bad news is that we won’t be able to let anyone in for a year or so.
While the world battles covid, new variants, and the logistics of vaccination passports, the real question is ‘will anyone be able to enter the UK’?
Sadly thus far it looks like the answer is ‘computer says no.’
Jaguars coach Urban Meyer is confident that they will play at least 1 regular season game here this year.
Hopefully we will all know more soon.

Have a listen to the latest podcast. Then rinse, repeat and listen again.

Season Starter

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The Super Bowl is a distant hangover for some, as we all get set to reset, and begin the 2021 NFL season. While the season kicks off on September 9th, player options and clauses start to get figured out on March 18.
So what happens until then?
We break down some of the news in Season Starter podcast.

The sun is shining in the UK, and it’s not just down to global warming.
Boris’ Blighty is on track to to vaccinate all Brits sometime this summer, which means the UK will be open for sporting business in 2021! Or should be, according to estimates.

With the London NFL games a ‘go’, there are still too many questions to answer before we get an idea what could happen.
How many teams would come? How many fans can attend? Can foreign fans attend? What if the NFLPA doesn’t want to come? What if there is another variant? What if Tom Brady just wins it all again anyway.
Too many questions to answer.

Wade McElwain and Ryan Cull take this podcast to not only channel all of their remaining energy into NFL joy, but also touch on the following hot topics.

JJ Watt

The big man gets a big deal, and does what all NFL players do when they get old-head to the sunshine to rest the bones. Watt is Arizona bound, as the often broken 32 year old signed a new contract to be with Baby Yoda Murray.
This 2 year, $31M contract rewards Watt if he can finally help the Cardinals plug the gaping holes in their D.
Arizona could have just built a border wall instead and saved some money.

Alex Smith

Aside from being a leg model, the outlook for Smith doesn’t look good this season.
Washington needs the room to allow Heinicke to implode, so Smith will be shown the door despite his heroics to return to the squad.
Smith is a smart QB, but you won’t find too many teams willing to uncover their eyes to watch him play.
A backup somewhere, but a starter…unlikely.

Brees Freeze

Brees loves the bling, so it’s no wonder that he sees himself as a diamond in the rough.
But will Drew really try to hang on for one more season?
The Saints looked finals bound until Brees broke 19 ribs in a crunch session. 19 ribs? How many do we have?
Drew only costs the Saints $1M per season, so maybe he does return.
Screw you Jameis, this is my team again.

17 Weeks

The NFL is wringing out the players to squeeze another game into the regular season. NFL preseason fans are livid, but since there are only 3 of them-no one really cares.
This new schedule will push the Super Bowl back to the second week of February, and means that there will be more Christmas games this year. Ho Ho Ho.
What no one talks about is how the records are affected.
One more game can be a huge difference in the overall stats, and can skew the records of some the early GOATs.
But at least we get another game right?

London Games

We still don’t know what will happen with the 2021 London NFL games, but we are patiently waiting. Thanks to that ass-clown Covid, the sporting world is a very different place and we need to wait it out.
While it’s a good thing that the UK is ahead of the world in terms of vaccinating the peeps, it doesn’t bode well for foreigners looking to come here for fun and frolic.
If there are London games, they might only be available to UK citizens, which would be…awesome.
Of course, we will let you know if we hear anything.

In the meantime, enjoy the podcast. Listen, laugh, lather, share and repeat.

Super Bowl Food

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Game day is here, and we’re all stuck at home getting fat.
So what do you have on tap for Sunday in terms of food and fixins?
Since we all can’t gather in public, it’s time to consider your nosh options for watching SuperBowl 55 in the UK.  So here are some ideas for some Super Bowl food to make your Sunday Funday.
It’s great, it’s on real late, it’s Covid times.

Our American counter parts often make us jealous of their hormone laden food choice pairings, meal deals, influence & indulgence, but we’re alone in the UK, so make your own Sunday Funday menu.
I’m a Canadian farm boy, Bears fan, bbq geek, lazy ass, who loves to throw NFL parties, so I’m going to offer my best Super Bowl Food tips for Sunday.
These recipes are based on parties of less than 6, so none of us get arrested.

Delivery

Seriously the best option for the lazy Super Bowl watcher. Pop & lock your phone to Grease Street and Delivepoo or Must Eat yourself to ease. Problem is that kickoff is 11:30pm GMT, so you won’t really get something warm and ready.
Consider the indie. There are loads of great independent restaurants that are offering eat in options of their food. This makes it easy for anyone to follow instructions and heat up when needed.
Timing is everything, so make sure that you balance the warming times of your meats and sides.
Don’t try to pull off the fact you didn’t make it though. In a game of transparency, call out the teammates of delivery.

Wings

Chicken wings are easy to do, and a staple for NFL viewing. Wings are full of fat, so it’s good to boil them first for a few minutes to render it off for a crispy result.  Throw them in heavily salted boiling water until white, then dab, and oven dry at 30c with a few pats of a towel to get all the water out. Put the wings in a bag of seasoning to rope up the goodness & put in the fridge to cool before cooking. Baked wings work best with this method, but make sure you get the air flow going to circulate the meat. As soon as they’re crispy to your liking, pull them out and shake them in a bowl of your best sauce. Serve hot.

Nachos

Nachos are a tough treat in the UK, because we lack some of the basics to make them really cook.
A proper corn tortilla is key to nachos, as well as knowing what stays dry and what stays wet.
Nacho amateurs will be quick to splooge the nachos in salsa, dips and juices prior to cooking, but you need to be patient. We all have our ideal nachos, so listen to your crew who is going to eat it.
As for chips, Marks & Spencer sells a close to authentic Cantina Tortillas which are more viable than the UK Dorito options. Salty, crispy and a solid balance.
Nacho reminder…
It’s better to basic and cheese first…then to toss a bunch of shit on and piss everyone off.

Chili

I’m doing a beef short rib chili for Super Bowl Sunday, and a slow cooker/ crock pot is key here. A good chili ideally takes at least 8 hours to cook, 24 if you want full flavour, and 48 hrs if you’re cooking human (wikipedia).
If you’re cooking ribs get a butcher to help you out. Trim all the fat first as it makes for greasy chili, then braise the meat by either a bbq or in an oily pan. Don’t cook it fully, just give it a crisp then trim the fat again and put in in the slow cooker. Add beans, tomatoes, lentils, whatever the flock you want for a chili. Have fun with it. The idea of a chili is to cook all the crap you couldn’t eat before, but you boiled it down with some stuff.
As a Bears fan, that’s my season.

BBQ

Cook meat like you want to eat it, not like you want to hurt it. Living in Britain for 15 years have shown me how mean some foodies can be to their potential next course. Chicken is supposed to have moisture after being on the bbq, not to look like it’s a chimney sweep apprentice.
If you want to eat it, watch it, and give it time to rest.

If you’re going to Super Bowl BBQ, keep it quick and focused. All beef hot dogs are a great treat if you can find them in the UK, although a package of 5 cost me £10, so be prepared to pay. They’re good quality too, not just regular old lips and assholes

Enjoy your Super Bowl and reach out for any menu tips.
If you want to learn how to cook any other greasy, comfort food, let me know.

Good eating everyone, and enjoy Super Bowl 55. We’ll all be back eating with each other again soon.