NFL in London

National Football League in London

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Kevin Cadle

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It’s been 3 years since we lost ‘Ma Man’ Kevin Cadle, and the UK sports broadcasting scene still has a gaping hole in talent from his passing. We really miss you dude.

I first saw Kev hosting sports on Sky, and I thought ‘wow, this guy is actually really good.’
Having moved to London from North America, I was struck at generally how bereft the UK scene was for quality sportscasters. Flipping through Channel 5, BBC and Sky Sports the presenters not only seemed like that they had no experience or personality or presence, but they also seemed to be responsible for their own wardrobe.
One pundit on C5 was so bad, my friends and I would tune in just to watch the train wreck unfold. He was a pretty obese guy with a penchant for wearing tight purple sweaters, we nicknamed ‘Grimace’.
Kevin Cadle stood head and shoulders above the rest of the crowd. Literally.
Kevin was always well dressed, dapper, and could helm a show as a proper presenter.

The more I got to know Kev, the more I was drawn into his aura. He epitomised cool, and his relaxed demeanour on screen was just as chill when you were having a drink with him.
This made him a ‘star’ in the UK, as fans genuinely gravitated towards him, because he was the man who helped them not only learn about North American sports, but love them.

One would think that this ‘fame’ would feed his ego as it did to several Sky Sports presenters, but it did quite the opposite. It made him appreciate the love from the UK, and he would spend hours talking to everyone who approached them, giving them his full attention and flashing that wonderful smile that charmed us all.
His laugh was something that could rip across a room, and as a comedian it gave me great pleasure in unleashing it in public. When he laughed, people looked (and usually laughed as well).

Few Sky Sports viewers knew just how famous Kevin Cadle was. Not only was he the most successful UK basketball coach in the history of the sport here, he is also recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records for his time coaching the Kingston Kings in the late 80s, early 90s.
Basketball might have been his jam, but he certainly knew how to butter up every other sport with a thoughtful and balanced voice of a true journalist.

Like many UK sports fans I was shocked when his role on Sky Sports was continually relegated. From watching him as the main host to being shuttered to the sidelines, or even worse reporting from empty bars under the auspices that he was the man on the street.
Several times Kevin would text me asking if I could send some fans down to the bar in focus that week as it was ‘dead-ass’. Of course I did, as I couldn’t stand the thought of such a respectable man being disrespected.
I wasn’t alone in this feeling, as all you had to do was pop onto social media to see a flurry of hashtags wondering where Kevin was.

When Kev was eventually replaced by different flavours willing to trek out to Osterley, fans across the UK felt like a family member was missing from the dinner table.
I pushed the Hippodrome to bring him down for appearances during Sunday nights, convincing them that his presence would spur on the fans that came down to watch the games.
Boy was I right!
Upon entering the theatre in the casino, all eyes turned to the big man, as did the whispers. Then the chants came ‘Kev! Kev! Kev’, he waved to the fans and happily acknowledged the genuine love in the room.
Not only that Kevin took a picture with everyone who asked. EVERY SINGLE ONE.
He would sit and talk with fans for hours about everything and anything.
Occasionally he would look up to the scores, but never took his focus off the most important person in the room, the person talking with him.

Once Kevin was eventually led out to pasture by Sky, I made it my mission to get him back on the telly.
Not only was Kev a British sporting icon, but sports fans really missed him on their screens.
UK television commissioners were less enthused however, citing a lack of ‘passion for American sports’ Kevin’s age, and alternatively suggesting younger, female presenters whose only media experience came from reality TV.
Undeterred, I continued pitching the show until we got some solid interest to develop a program in September 2017.
Sadly Kevin Cadle passed on October 16, 2017.

In November 2017 we hosted ‘Kev-Giving’ at the casino, honouring Kevin and giving thanks to him for all that he gave to us as British sports fans.
His family said a few words, some fans shed tears, and the casino raised money for his family in this time of need.

It’s been three years since his passing, and every year as the NFL season starts I think about him and what life would like here if we still had him in our lives.
He brought smiles to all UK sports fans, and enriched our viewing experiences with class, dignity and a huge beaming smile.

I miss my friend, and I’m angry with the way he was treated by the British entertainment industry.
But I also know that Kevin wouldn’t want me to be angry, he would want us all to remember the joy he brought us every time the camera light flicked on.
He will always be ‘Ma Man’, and we will always be his.

‘Never accept good over best’-Kevin Michael Cadle

-Wade McElwain is a comedian, TV producer and host of NFL in London live. 

 

Week 5 Preview

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It’s Week 5 in the NFL, so Wade and Ryan are here with another rousing podcast looking at all the games ahead.
It was a bit of a brutal week 4 for both guys, as Wade second guessed himself changing his picks last minute and dooming himself to a 6-9 record for the week. Ryan was a bit better at 7-9 for the week, consistent with his picks thus far this season.
Heading into week 5, Wade has a 35-26-1 record, and Ryan is battling a 24-37-1 record.
What does week 5 hold? Let’s take a look at some of their top picks.

Week 5 Picks

Panthers (2-2) Falcons (0-4)
Falcons -1.5  +54.5

The Falcons are favoured by 1.5 points, despite boasting no wins for the season thus far. The plucky Carolina team has been getting some nice wins and close games despite being without the best running back in the league. The Panthers defence has been playing solid every week and Teddy Bridgewater is starting to groove nicely into his role as starting QB.
Atlanta has been poor and porous, letting in more than a drunken doorman. They have tonnes of tools at their disposal, but despite Matt Ryans best efforts, their D continues to allow huge gains to wide receivers.
Ryan likes the Falcons to take their first win of the season, while Wade is calling for a Carolina upset.
Even more upsetting, if they win, they must sing ‘Sweet Caroline’ with their masks on.
Tragic.
Ryan-Falcons 24 Panthers 20
Wade-Panthers 31 Falcons 26

Eagles (1-2-1) vs Steelers (3-0)
Steelers -7  +44

Pittsburgh has benefitted from a Covid week off, while the Eagles are currently sitting in first place in the trash-tastical NFC East division.
Three games isn’t really enough to get a full grip on the Steelers, but they have looked pretty solid across the board. James Conner is ready to bust out for the rest of the season and establish himself as one of the premier running backs for the rest of the season.
The Eagles beat a depleted 49ers team last week under the helm of Nick Mullens, which isn’t saying much.
They have no real receivers, Carson Wentz is inconsistent, and they have relied on Myles Sanders to do all the dirty work. They have a fast front 4, but that will only get you so far.
Ryan likes the Eagles to cover a Steelers team that might not be fully focused, whereas Wade thinks that the battle of Pennsylvania will go to the hosts.
Ryan-Steelers 24 Eagles 20
Wade-Steelers 30 Eagles 18

Dolphins (1-3) 49ers (2-2)
49ers -8.5  +47

Jimmy G is back, and so is Raheem Mostert, but the team still doesn’t seem like it has all the pieces together to look like a contender.
Their defence is still full of holes, which was evident last week when the Eagles were able to move the ball down the field with ease.
No one expected much out of the Dolphins this year, but for some reason they have been close in most of their games. Miami has started with one of the toughest schedules in the league, and the games ahead should bode well for them. Most importantly, they’re having fun which is nice to see.
Ryan think that the 49ers are ready to romp over the Dolphins at home, but Wade has another plan…a Miami upset.
Ryan-49ers 23 Dolphins 20
Wade-Dolphins 23 49ers 20

DraftKings

One of the best ways to enjoy the NFL is to play along with Draftkings fantasy NFL. We have our own league called ‘NFL in London’ where we host loads of Sunday contests. Join the league and you can play every week for free or for paid contests. Our paid contests are modest, so you won’t be spending more than $5 to have some fun with new friends.
Enter here:
https://dkn.gs/r/kwxDR0JIokKPkA6cPjCtNA

Happy Thanksgiving to all of our Canadian friends, hopefully you can get together with your friends and family.
If you’re in London, pop down to the Maple Leaf in Covent Garden which will be showing the NFL until 10pm.

Stay safe, and have a great week in the NFL.

 

MNF-Chiefs vs Ravens

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As if week 3 couldn’t get any more dramatic, now we have the epic Monday night match-up between Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, visiting Lamar Jackson at the Ravens. One of these teams will be 2-1 tomorrow, the other will be 3-0…who could it be.

UK NFL fans always get shafted on Monday nights, as the games don’t start until 1:20, and finish around 4:30am on a Tuesday morning. Unless you’re an insomniac, shift worker, or happen to be on cocaine, it is very unlikely you will get to watch these games in real time.
Of course we are in the middle of a global pandemic, so who the heck cares?

Lamar Jackson has yet to beat Mahomes, so you can imagine this is probably the top line of his vision board. Last year the Chiefs were able to smother him on D, as well as rely on PM to toss the ball all over the Ravens D. Unfortunately for the Chiefs, they don’t have a lot of those key players back, so Patty might find himself being run down a few times throughout the game.

The Chiefs struggled against the Chargers last week, so it gave Baltimore and insight into how to beat Mahomes. Pressure the hell out of him. The Ravens have a superior D to the Chargers, so they should be able to mess up his mojo throughout the game.
The Chiefs have an advantage in the weapons at Mahomes’ disposal. Tyreek Hill should be able to find some space, and Kelce will be looking to grab first downs in key situations.

This is a tough game to predict, and I have gone back and forth on this one, especially after watching the crazy scores on Sunday. That being said, I still believe in the Chiefs more in this one after their scare in LA last week. This will be a back and forth scoring fiesta, but I think that the Chiefs will be able to rally and win this one. Even if they lose by 1 point, I like them to cover in this game.

Prediction
Chiefs 30 Ravens 27

FanDraft your Draft

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Holy crap! The NFL is finally here in an eerie new way. Sure there’s a global pandemic wrecking havoc on our way of life, but football is back, so screw you Covid.

As the pumpkin spice springs back to life on the shelves, so do the Fantasy Football magazines, beckoning us to buy them to flip through those crispy pages on extended toilet breaks. Maybe magazines are old school, but there’s nothing like the nostalgia of dipping through the stats as you’re dropping the kids off at the pool.

Having run numerous drafts, the worst thing is the paperwork. And the alcohol. If you’re going to be a commish, make sure you don’t get too wasted or you’ll have a bugger of a next day trying to remember who had who and in what order.

Good thing there’s FanDraft, a wicked piece of NFL Drafting software that makes your draft simple and fun. With the pandemic blowing out the fun of a Draft Day outing, you can use FanDraft to virtually pump up your party, teaming it with streaming software for a fun few hours of bonding.

Here are some of the key features that makes FanDraft so wicked easy cool.

Draft Boards

Remember the days of the big old draft boards on cardboard that had sticky names on them? There was always one guy who had to build them, order the name tags, or worse-having to write them out manually. With FanDraft the board is a big screen of all the names, ordered in whichever way you like. The commish can switch between the DraftBoard, as well as top players by category and a précis of whatever guys you have drafted thus far. If you make a mistake or a glitch, the commish can simply fix it and the draft is paused until it’s ready to go. The players are also ordered by colour for position, so you can easily see what positions you still have to fill on your roster.

Draft Reports

In the olde days, the draft was written in a notebook, and some schmuck had to enter all the data into a document that would then be shared to the group. Some of you still do that? Damn! With FanDraft as soon as your draft is done you can export the results into an series of documents for the league and each player. This data is just a  copy & paste into whichever app you’re using. The process for a whole league can take less than 5 minutes and you’re ready to go.

Remote Drafting

Like any remote engagement, it all depends on the connection of the devices to really get one going. FanDraft has used an online method previously with increasing success each year. With the new platform for drafting, this is a fun way for everyone to play along in real time. Again your connection speed is going to be the key wherever you are, so run a few dry runs to see how it goes. Careful, some guys get pissed when they see what ‘could have been.’

Music & Pictures

It’s nice to have some tunes when you’re drafting, and FanDraft allows each player to choose 3 songs for their walk-ons. It’s a fun little addition, especially if you like to burn one of your fellow players. There has to be a loser every year, and why not rub it in with some cheesy songs to remind them of their loss? You can also add images, which are pretty handy when you want to see who’s on the clock.

Clock Management

There’s always one person who takes so bloody long, even in the early rounds. Make them pay by changing the selection clock to a shorter length. If you can get the draft down to 60 seconds per choice, you can get a good round down to under an hour. Some people might like the pause of a long and chatty draft, & other people have shit to do.

Conclusion

FanDraft is totally worth it. If you want to run an easy and efficient draft, this program will help you help you in so many ways. We love it so much, we want to give you 15% off the pro version with our promo code ‘FANDRAFTUK‘.
Just go here, sign up and start drafting. You can do as many drafts as you like, so have some fun.

https://fandraft.com/

Here’s a video that will help you run through how it works.

NFL Girlfriends-Part 2

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What would it be like to date an NFL QB if their female equivalent was just like them? Terrifying? Weird? Or just a big ole turn on?

Now before you get your egos offended or start to claim sexism or cognitive dissonance that turns you into an almighty troll. it’s just for fun ok? If you like to get easily offended, go watch some ‘Karen’ videos. This is purely the art of lampoon…and fantasy. Let’s just call it ‘Fan-poon’. Maybe I’ll have a rethink here.

Since someone took the liberty of Facetuning these NFL stars, let’s take a look at what dating them might be like. Who would be your ideal QB girlfriend?

Patricia Mahomes

She just got PAAAIIIDDDDD! Patricia is know NFL elite, somewhere what it would be like if a Kardashian was in the NFL. She’s cute, talented, and everyone loves her. This of course makes you insanely jealous, and you will most likely sabotage this relationship while she is completely innocent. She is a true ‘out of your league’ kind of girlfriend, and you can never really see what she sees in you.
Your friends can’t believe she’s with you, and her exes are always calling in the middle of the night and hanging up.
She’s also richer than you, and acts way cooler.
You will always tell your friends about her, and in the end no one will ever believe she dated you as she goes on to bigger and better things.

Jeri Goff

If anyone in the league looks like a true ‘Karen’, it’s Jeri Goff. She’s a true Cali girl, and loves the sunshine, the ocean, and of course the attention. She’ll always tell you how close she was to ‘making it’, but you feel sad for her the more she talks about it. Her parents split when she was young, so her daddy issues follow her around like a duck that’s been imprinted by humans.
She’s always talking up her ‘squad’, but you can see in their eyes that most of them would toss her off a cliff in a second.
When she’s not creeping through your phone, she’s saying things in public & under her breath that makes you question her sanity.
She may or probably did bang a few of your friends.

Daxi Prescott

I ain’t she’s a gold digger, but all of her friends are. So there’s that. Daxi likes to be the center of attention, with ‘all eyes on her.’ While she might not necessarily deserve the attention, she has a lot of fans and don’t you ever get in the way of her hype train. Does she have the goods to be a partner for life? Doubtful. She refuses a prenup, wants a bigger ring than all of her friends, and you’re pretty sure that she buys Instagram followers. She’s big, she’s strong, she has a heck of a temper.
Still you hold on to her so that no one else has her, even if you think there might be something better down the pipeline in a few years.

Jamie Garropolo

Jamie is an absolute smoke-show that draws attention wherever she goes. She turns heads, drop jaws, and trip over her own feet sometimes You’re not sure if she’s ‘the one’ or you are totally blinded and she is a total idiot. She’s calm, cool, collected and has a bit of baggage from her ex.
Did she really leave him, or did he dump her because he was still in love with his ex?
Whatever the answer, you really wish she would stop talking about it.
Last year was supposed to be ‘her year’, but with all of the crap going on in the world right now, you just want to enjoy the ride while it lasts.

Big Bertha

You know she has a troubled past, but boy can she ball! She has a history of loads of drama, and the posse she hangs out with use to be nothing but problems. She works hard, plays hard, and looks awful in a beard…but then again why would she look good? She’s put on a bit of weight lately, but that just makes her work harder. She might also shoplift from Walmart, but you just tend to turn the other way. She’s ‘been rode hard and put away wet’ more times than she can count, but that’s where she gets that winning smile. You can be hard on her, but deep down you think she might have one more magical moment. She’ll also never leave you.

Who would be your ideal QB gf? I think I would have to settle for a milfy Jim McMahon from the 85 Bears. Not only to satisfy my nostalgia for all things of that team, but also because you know she always has great sunglasses. And probably a meth problem…which is why she has no teeth and is so skinny.

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