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April Showers

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It’s raining NFL free agents this month, as we delve into the state of the league in our April Showers podcast.

Wade McElwain and a hungover Ryan Cull take to the waves to discuss some of the landing spots and potential trades that could shake, rattle and roll some of the teams heading into the start of the 2021 season.

Teams are QB-rabid heading into the draft, but is this clouding the overall judgment for the team going forward?
One of these young men will turn into a bust, but which one will it be?

Among some of the hot topics that Wade & Ryan twerk on in this April Showers episode includes:

Dam Sarnold

Sam is gone from the Jets, so now we can figure out whether it was him, or the putrid Jets.
New York has traded away 6 straight number one picks, which is a troubling sign for a franchise that has trouble shooting straight.
The Jets have spent too long being bad, and if they aren’t able to right the ship after the past few years of opportunities, then they really do suck.

Draft Chat

Colts stud Darius Leonard thinks that the current Draft class ‘talks too much’, which could just be a sign of youth.
Thanks to social media, many of these youngsters are actually engaging and responding to criticism prior to the draft.
It’s one thing that we have learned from Twitter and the ilk, saying something stupid in your youth will NEVER come back to haunt you.

Sorry Buffalo

It took long enough! The Buffalo Bills finally received an apology from the NFL this week after admitting that they got a playoff call ‘wrong.’
A blindsided chop-block called against Cody Ford in a 2019 playoff game against the Houston Texans was deemed a ‘bad call’ in hindsight by the league.
Not only did the chop-block call take the Bills out of potential field goal range, but Ford was also fined $28,075 for the dirty deed.
No word from the NFL if they plan on repaying the huge fine to Ford, or whether they are happy to just to ignore him.
The real anger must stir with Bills fans who are now only getting the apology a few years later, and not a lot of justification.

Drunkest & Most Stoned Fans

Real fans of the NFL are passionate across every facet of the league.
So when it came down to determining which fans not only draw the most, but consumed the most weed…one could see what fans became so darn patriotic.
After all, Buffalo prides itself on throwing it’s drunken fans through tables-surely that must put them on top of the heap?
Surprisingly…no.
In terms of potheads, weed isn’t fully legal across the country, so it would be expected that a ‘green’ state would once again lead the way in cannabis culture.
Again…wrong.
So what team leads the league in both alcohol and marijuana consumption?
It’s the Atlanta Falcons!
Not surprising, since they blown more leads than a pitbull owner.
Maybe it’s the cheap food and drink, or southern hospitality, but ATL is the place to partay.
Can’t wait to have you guys in London this year!

We are still patiently waiting on news about who the Atlanta Falcons coming to London this year, but given recent data-we will be stocking up on booze and weed to make them feel right at home.
Let’s see how that goes!

Here’s the podcast!
Make sure that you share it, listen to it with loved ones, or blare it really loud to get back at neighbours that you might hate.
It’s a pretty pliable podcast.

SB55 Podcast

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It’s been a week since the Tampa Bay Bucs slapped around the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl. Now that the dust is settled, it’s time for our SB55 Podcast.

Wade McElwain and Ryan Cull reflect on the big game a week later. Why did this game get away from the Chiefs? Do the Chiefs need another wide receiver? Is drunk Tom Brady the best Tom Brady of all time?
All these questions and more in this post Super Bowl review show.

Among some of the other things that the guys discuss in the podcast includes:

Defence

They say that a ‘D’ wins a SuperBowl, and boy was that the case on Feb 7th. Patrick Mahomes was rushed, chased and stuffed as the Bucs D broke through the Chiefs line with ease. The big talking point heading in was how the Chiefs were hoping to contain the Bucs with 3 weak O linemen up front.
This was the story of the game, as the Chiefs had no way to stop the rush, and give Mahomes an iota of breathing space. The Bucs were essentially able to negate the running game with this blistering pace as well, as the line of scrimmage was snuffed out very quickly.
Maybe the Bucs didn’t have the best D in the league on paper, but all that matters is the big game.

JJ Watt

The Texans released JJ Watt without a whimper this week, signalling that all was not well on the home front.
Houston has continued to blunder their front office in the past few years, letting Bill O’Brien flip the switch like an entitled stepdad, and mismanaging numerous high profile contracts.
The way that the Texans handled the Deshaun Watson scenario must have made Watt’s ears bleed, and he must have just been totally fed up to the point he wasn’t even going to discuss terms anymore.
JJ Watt has been a shining example to the city of Houston. His performance on the field has been matched by his community efforts off the pitch. When a hurricane battled Houston, Watt did everything he could to wrap his arms around the city. That kind of class is hard to find.
Watt will have plenty of options for his broken, bent, but still able body.
Moving to Steeltown to be with his brothers might be creepy, a jump up to the Bills could be fun, but a return trip home to Green Bay seems more than likely.
Who’s got the cash to spot JJ?

Wentz

Imagine being the ginger step-child of the league, both literally and figuratively, and that’s called being Carson Wentz.
Wentz and the Eagles are hoping to find a way to offload the QB, as well as not eat a big chunk of useless money in the process.
Watching Wentz trying to get out of Philly is like watching one of those baby turtles try to make it for the open ocean. You hope he can make it to the clear blue, but there is an expectation that a huge wave or hungry gull is going to swallow it all up.
Carson isn’t done in the league, but he has a hell of an audition ahead if anyone wants to consider him as a starter in this fast moving league.

Trophy Karen

Leave it to the press to kind the most annoying person to talk to post Super Bowl. Apparently a ‘Trophy Karen’ is all upset because when Tom Brady threw the Lombardi trophy, it was disrespectful to her father and other silversmiths, and she would PERSONALLY like an apology. Entitled much?
First her father worked on the trophy in the 1960s, and didn’t design the trophy. He just worked there.
Secondly, a new Lombardi Trophy is made every year for each team, so it’s up to them what they want to do with it. (ask Gronk).
Thirdly…who the hell cares? Why did the press give this odious woman coverage time? In the age of Covid, BLM, equality, war, and a whole host of problems…an entitled woman with nothing to do with a headline, wants something to do with a headline…and an apology.
Say goodbye to your social media ‘Trophy Karen’, pretty sure you’re going to need to go away for a while.

This was our first SuperBowl on record that we weren’t able to throw a London party this year and we’re gutted.
With the NFL 2021 season a scant 6 months away, we will work hard to see if we can find a way for us all to enjoy the games in public once again.
The 2021 NFL London games are a go (fingers crossed), hopefully we can all get together soon.

Have a listen, a laugh, and make sure you share this podcast asap or Tom Brady wins again next year.
It’s true.

Super Memes

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What a heck of a SuperBowl! Sure, it wasn’t that great if you hated Tom Brady, or if you were a Patrick Mahomes fan, but what a game! Ready for some Super Memes?

Every Monday morning QB went through the motions of what ‘went wrong’ for the Chiefs, and how they were able to get blown out so much.
The answer to this is defence and coaching-something that the Chiefs were unable to counter with.

Of course the best way to enjoy the aftermath of the SuperBowl is to reflect on all of the memes that were flying around afterwards.  Bless all of you out there who take the time and energy to make these little creative nuggets.

In keeping with this, we offer you some of the best memes we have found since the Super Bowl.
Enjoy!

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.

 

 

49ers vs Saints-TB

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With the SuperBowl less than a week a way, it’s time to take a hit of nostalgia as we take a look back at one of our NFL in London events. It’s time for some NFC playoffs throwback as we look at the 49ers vs Saints game from the 2012 playoffs.

For those of you who might remember some of our NFL in London early locations, we use to host NFL viewing parties in the basement of the Sports Bar & Grill in Marylebone station.
Back then the SB&G wasn’t a Stonegate chain just yet, so the owner liked to have a lot of fun, ad wasn’t swayed by things like ‘late licenses’ and all that.
We would gather to watch the games until the wee hours of the basement, and those who needed to pop out to have a smoke, made sure not to draw attention to themselves.

Who could forget the loveable staff, amazing wings, funky smelling backroom, and next door Travelodge-where you could get a room for £25 a night, and a hooker knocking on your door a few hours offering company and a continental something-something.

Comedy was also a big part of these NFL nights, as we tapped into some of the biggest comedy acts on the circuit to entertain at halftime to a generally non responsive audience. Comedians like Scott Capurro, Dave Hill, Tom Rhodes and Reggie Watts all performed at the Sports Bar basement for a few beers and the chance to watch the NFL from home. Good times.

The date in question of this video is January 14th, 2012..although given that we are in the early hours here, it’s most likely already the 15th.
New Orleans had built up a pretty solid lead on the 49ers, until they were unable to withstand the comeback momentum of Alex Smith.
All of the fans in attendance had a great night, and the beers were flowing.

Have a little watch of the video and reminisce to the good old days. If you were there that night, please feel free to reach out and say hello.

We miss being able to host all of you guys during these trying times, but hopefully we will all be back soon again.

Stay safe, stay sane and we will all be back together again soon.

If you would like to see the epic final drive of the 49ers as they went on to munch on the Saints in an incredible game, here is the link.