NFL in London

National Football League in London

covoid 19

Heating Up-Podcast

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We should be enjoying the NFL preseason right now, but 2020 had some other plans. We’re still left with many lingering questions about the potential of the 2020/21 NFL season, and with summer winding down and autumn looming, it’s starting to heat up.

Wade & Ryan take a break from doing nothing to deliver a blistering podcast-literally. With an unending heat wave in London (no really), the boys sweat it out to prognosticate on the upcoming NFL.
They tackle a myriad of topics and issues around the NFL season so that you don’t have to.

What if Tom Brady Dies?

Shocking headline, but what if a high profile player dies of Covid? It’s a morbid thought, but it’s one that could be on the minds of everyone in the NFL. How will they be able to manage a bubble, and keep everyone safe?

McCoy is a Buc

Congrats LeSeann, you have now joined one of the oldest teams in the NFL. McCoy is quietly making his rounds to every NFL team, before he sets his sights on every XFL team. What will Shady being to an already high powered offence? He was set aside by the Chiefs in the SuperBowl, so how will TB12 find ways to use and abuse him?

Sky Sports NFL

Congrats to Sky Sports for signing a new NFL deal securing 5 more years of American football in the UK. For anyone who doesn’t have Gamepass, Sky sports is an essential element for any NFL fan in the UK. The new deal means that we will have more football programming on a new, dedicated channel. There is also the potential for some UK organically created content for fans. Ahem…two Canadian comedians talking NFL? Just sayin’.

Saturday NFL

If the NCAA Football season blows up as it looks like it will, what will the NFL do with those nights?
Under an archaic TV rule, the NFL wasn’t allowed to compete with high school and college games, but if all of those are cancelled, will the NFL start showing games on those nights? It could be a punch for UK fans, as those games would most likely be schedule at night, meaning we won’t see them until the wee hours. More games, more nights, more NFL. Hooray?

London Viewings

Sadly, it doesn’t look like many places will be keen to show the NFL on Sunday nights in the UK. Sports bars won’t be pushing for late Sundays in this ‘new normal’, and casino’s are a petrie dish of virus potential. We asked UK fans where you plan on watching the games this season and a whopping 90% said at home. We will be working to develop some new ways to watch this season. Watch this space.  Stay safe and keep in touch.

Podcast-The New NFL

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The NFL is coming back, but it certainly isn’t going to look like it did in the past.
Players getting temperature checks between plays, cardboard cutouts of fans with EA Sports fan noise pumped into an empty stadium.
Buffalo will fare even worse, as no fans will be thrown through tailgate tables, and a dildo-less field for Patriots games. Zero dildos.
Are you happy Covid-19?

In this safe distanced podcast, Wade and Ryan look at some of the top NFL news in this sports bereft landscape.
If tumble weeds were to somehow start rolling across our plains, these guys would bet on them

Among some of the other NFL news to discuss:

NFL Preseason

We all know how much we love preseason games! Players you have never heard of trying to make that crack at the final roster, while named players try to get their shit together after a fat summer.
The league has reduced the preseason to 2 weeks, but that could be zero weeks if the NFLPA has anything to say about it.

Johnny Manziel

Johnny Manziel has finally left the field. JM has publicly posted what all of us have known for years, Johnny Football is no more. Don’t shed a tear for him yet, he still has big plans.
Let’s not forget that he was BANNED from the CFL. How much of a douche can you be if even Canadian football has to ban you. We still don’t know what it was for exactly, but it has to be nasty.

Ocho is a Nice Guy

He’s got a big mouth, and even bigger heart. Chad Ocho Johnson has been giving away his own cash to people in need. He’s promised to give $245k away, and has so far delivered over $150k to fans across the states. While he may never play in the NFL again, this guy needs to be rewarded someone how being an awesome human. Give him a chance at game pundit.

Redskins

It’s that time again. What are we going to do about Washington? Loads of sponsors & investors have had enough of a BLM movement that has seen them seemingly ignore the plights of protestors.
Will Snyder and co. finally give in to the public and change their Skin? If there was any time to do it, now might be a good one.

Cam Newton

The old man has a job, which is something you wouldn’t think to hear in this climate.
Cam is with the Patriots and everyone seems to have lost their rag. He hasn’t played in a while and was plagued by injuries and weekly beatings by opposing defences, so it will be intriguing to see what he can bring to the table. A title seems too lofty.

Enjoy the podcast. Have a listen and a laugh, and reach out for anything.

Stay safe.

New Helmets

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What’s the new NFL going to look like? That’s a question that gets updated every week. With the virus still popping up in the southern states, it will be interesting to see how many waves to expect.

Fans won’t be expected in the same capacity at all this season. It will be doubtful if food & drinks will be a part of these games. Given the success football has had piping in artificial crowd noise, the NFL will be keen to replicate this.

As for the players? These mock up helmets for the Bears could be a sign of the future. The air filter will be important in the huddle, so look to the league to employ some NASA like tech. No spitting, eye protectors & gloves you can burn after the game.

Maybe it’s being blown out of proportion, maybe the worst is yet to come, maybe we get a vaccine. Too many maybe’s for it to be a full go ahead season.

It’s too bad the London games were cancelled, but fortunate as they would have been a logistical nightmare.

As for watching the games live in London, that’s not looking like a possibility for anyone’s safety. Let’s figure out a way we can do this,

Stay safe, & watch for our NFL Quiz in July.

Sports Bed

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Sports bars look to be done & dusted for the foreseeable future, so it looks like the home is where the game is.

Even if games do resume, there have been numerous discussions around how these will be played for safety of players & fans alike. Spaced seating, higher prices, limited food & no alcohol all loom in the future. We all know how disgusting stadium washrooms are & they are a hotbed if viruses to begin with.

Can you really enjoy the NFL on Zoom with your mates? You’re going to have to. Sports bars will be staggered as the season starts, & fans will be hard pressed to want to go out to watch Sunday games. It was a hard enough sell for many bars to show NFL games before, that slope just got steeper.

Here’s the ideal situation for NFL viewing in the age of Corona. A bigass bed with seats, buckets, & room galore. This is the new NFL.

2020 NFL Schedule

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The NFL season is ready to go? It seems so according to the NFL who have bravely pushed through with a regular season schedule released this week full of exciting contests. Corona virus is going to have the final day in how all this is going to play out, but at least they have tried.

International games are scuppered, & there’s doubt that fans will be able to attend the first half of the season. Alcohol also looks to be banned as frequent urination embraces the virus quite easily. Who wants to go to a game with no beer anyway.

Key Games

Week 1-Bucs vs Saints

Brady vs Brees in an epic NFC South showdown. This game will be Corona spotlight as we blow into this new dilemma season. These guys are chasing records, so this will be a blast off to the most interesting NFL adventure in history.

Week 3-Chiefs vs Ravens

It’s a massive AFC battle as the two most magical QBs in the league shoot it out to see who take as an early season loss. One of these teams will not have a perfect season & that’s what makes it a great game.

Week 4-Patriots vs Chiefs

The Chiefs will have just played the Ravens the week before so this will be a slug fest for both teams. Mahomes will look to solidify his dominance over the league with a demonstrative hometown performance.

Week 6-Bucs vs Packers

Brady vs Rodgers (?) if they’re both healthy in this new league, but this will be a new NFL dynamic. Who will really GOAT out in this contest, & how will this affect the NFC? Week 6 is always a breakpoint in a team’s retrospect as they gauge their 5 game record, & look to where they can be by week 10. This game will have huge implications.

We will be looking at safe distancing NFL parties for 2020, but let’s think of ways we can watch this season together.

Listen to our podcast for all the great game predictions.