NFL in London

National Football League in London

NFL international series

Week 1 BBQ

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Where did you watch week 1 of the NFL? Normally we would be organising NFL viewing parties across London & the UK, but then a thing called 2020 happened.
With all the rules changing, with pubs closing early and fans wary of heading out in public, we opted to host our Week 1 viewing party at Wade’s house.

Wade was up early on Sunday morning, smoking 3 yummy briskets for 11 hours in time for kickoff. If that wasn’t enough, he also cooked 100 chicken wings for the NFL in London gang. Add to that homemade cheese dip, blue cheese dressing and loads of flavours, everyone went home a winner. (and with a doggy bag).

Thanks to the magic of NFL Gamepass, we were able to watch 4 games at once, with the inside and outside rocking the NFL for all fans in attendance. Everyone was safe distanced, and quite drunk once the night was over.

We will look to host more live NFL events in the future, but as of right now, it’s just too tricky to pull off. With the rules changing weekly in terms of fan attendance, and the potential of another lockdown or curfew looming, it’s a rather uphill battle for us at the moment. Bars would also rather not show the first 30 minutes of NFL games to satisfy Premier League fans in attendance. Who wants to miss the first quarter?

Watch this space, we’ll be back with more live events as the season continues.

NFL Game Viewings

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For over 13 years, we have had the pleasure of putting on and hosting NFL viewing parties across London & the UK. We have hosted some amazing nights at iconic venues across the country,  met great NFL stars of present and past, as well as helped shaped the UK policy for public viewing.
Sure, we have also worked with some total D-hole promoters and venues, but that’s for another story

2020 however is the most unhinged year yet though, so we will let you know how we will be approaching NFL viewing parties.

Our main goal has always been to provide an authentic NFL viewing experience that allows fans to share in what a truly North American NFL night is like, as well as provide expats with a taste of home.
This involves finding venues that are centrally located, have loads of TVs, are willing to stay open late, and can commit to showing the games regularly.
This isn’t as easy as it seems, as football is still king in the UK, & venues & managers are particularly predatory when it comes to bringing in a new audience & keeping it, even if it means not providing a service.
Essentially they want to bend the promoter over backwards, not pay them, and then try to steal their audience without providing anything in return.
Which is often why we move around like a foster kid, we don’t want to you guys to get screwed over.
Pub chains are not like US bars, but local ones are.

In 2019 we focused more on private viewing parties, as they allowed us to show a bunch of games, stay open late, and offer food trucks and other authentic food until the tube reopened.
Then 2020 hit us a like a double doink in the butt-fumble.
Now we must adapt, so here are a few of the challenges we are dealing with this year.

Rules

Trying to understand the government rules on Covid distancing is like trying to explain the game of cricket to an American. The rules seem to change all the time, you have no idea who is in control, and the whole damn thing seems to last forever.
Even in recent weeks we have seen changes from ‘groups of 6 under only’, to the potential of a lockdown being imposed after 10pm. 10pm? On a Sunday night? That pretty much kills the NFL sports pub right there.
Like marriage it’s difficult to commit to the long haul if you think that your partner is crazy, so until the rules and virus have been somewhat managed, we are going to chill-ax this until it all becomes clear.
Add to this lower audio levels, no fan screaming, and distanced tables, and the whole sports night out loses its lustre.
Playing the Covid rules is like playing the Tom Brady Patriots at home, the rules will always change & not in your favour.
He’s moved on, and so can we.

Locations

Areas that use to be popular are now not popular because no one wants to risk infection, which means central London is pretty much a dead zone now. London has never really been a ‘late night’ city, which applies even more on Sunday nights when most pubs tend to shut at 10:30pm. We have previously worked with some of these loser pubs, who have no qualms about kicking fans out before the 6pm game has even finished. Totally classless.
Areas like Leicester Square, Camden, Victoria & Old Street are about as appealing to NFL fans as a ‘Keeping up with the Kardashians’ marathon now as it is mostly druggy drunks.
The big trend in 2020 is to ‘think global, but eat local’, meaning many neighbourhood pubs are more likely destinations for NFL parties.
We already work with some pubs in North and East London that are family owned and operated, and will be looking to help host NFL parties at these locations going forward.
Pop-Ups are also in the future for 2020, as they allow us to invite and control the event for your maximum viewing pleasure.
We are always on the look-out for new venues, locations and partners, so please get in touch.

Insurance

Promoters need to get promoters insurance in case anything happens to you lovely people on our watch. Insurance shows that we are not only legit, but that if we get sued as a result of something happening to a fan, we have a procedure in place. Sadly in 2020 it is impossible to get this insurance due to the unquantifiable nature of the virus and its resurgence. So if someone gets Covid at one of your events, you could be in some serious trouble. Pubs can’t get this either, but they just hope you can’t prove you caught it at one of their locations. This makes it very troubling for promoters of any kind, which is why live events are struggling to rebuild.

Special Events

We will be looking to host special events as the season progresses. This will of course depend on how bad of a beating the virus continues to lay down on society.
We are still planning on several Super Bowl parties for 2021, as well as playoff parties leading up to it.
What those will look like at this point are anyone’s guess.
Thanksgiving 2020 is also in the works, and we are working with a few venue partners to hopefully pull this off without Covid hitches.
Please watch this space for more info, and we will release news as the government trickles down their Corona double-speak.
If you are a venue, manager or promoter keen to host NFL events-please get in touch to discuss further.

We are also exploring hosting virtual NFL parties with ex players, weekly NFL quizzes that are interactive and loaded with prizes, and Madden e-gaming tournaments.
Again, this is all dependent on how this bloody year goes.

Most importantly is that we all stay safe and sane this season, and that the NFL continues to play without a hitch.
There might no ‘I in Team’, but there is one in ‘I really want the NFL’, and that’s what we need to focus on this year.

Please get in touch if we can help make your NFL viewing experience better this year!

 

 

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.

Follow us, subscribe, stay safe.

 

 

Lady QBs-1

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Lockdown has led to lunacy! Have you noticed?
One of the triggering elements that I have noticed is that the more bored people get, the more they play around with apps and memes to occupy the darkness that envelopes our everyday life.
Case in point-NFL QBs as ladies.

FaceApp is one of those hokey apps that allows you to cross the gender barrier to see what you would look like as a member of the opposite sex. This self-serving digital switch not only allows you to revel in your curious side, but also gives your mates the opportunity to rank how they would ‘do you.’
Nothing creepy about this at all.

It was only a matter of time then that someone would take a look at some of the biggest names in the NFL and think, ‘yep, it’s your time.’
As if racism wasn’t a hot enough issue, let’s toss a little misogyny in for good measure.
Of course I kid, but it seems like everyone has their knickers in such a knot these days it’s hard to be able to joke about anything.

As a comedian however, I reserve the right to be able to throw around some playful banter.
Therefore I have decided to look at some of the best QB face-swaps and measurements their potential as a girlfriend.
No lady bashing here, just equating their dateability with some of their on and off the field misadventures.
A lampoon of all their foibles and fuck-ups.
If this offends you…seriously…just go away.

Here we go.

Thomasina Brady

First off she’s a cheater. You’ve heard it from everyone, and even worse there’s a rumour she might deflate your balls. Don’t get me wrong she’s a stone cold stunner, and can turn any bad situation into a good one at the last minute.
Don’t worry about her wanting to share her food with you, as she’s on some weird diet where she only eats odd plants and nuts. The burger and fries are all yours.
While Thomasina is a trophy wife who you can see staying with forever, chances are she’s going to fuck off to Florida with her big friend Roberta Gronk to see out there retirement.
Doubtful she will let you keep any of her fancy rings when you split either.

Drew Brees

No need to change the first name, as Drew swings both ways in this scenario. If you want to date this one, you better have deep pockets, as Drew loves the bling. This ‘Diamond Lady’ is known to blow half her wad on the sparkly trinkets, but don’t worry-she couldn’t spot a fake if jumped on her finger.
Drew does have a big weakness when it comes to social media postings, as she often will post something without thinking. Most people know her intentions are good, but you might want to wear a helmet on this ride, as she is known to backpedal.

Erin Rodgers

Whatever you do, don’t bring up her family. The Rodgers clan love to make money off Erin’s success and her sister even made an appearance on a reality show to capitalise off of her fame.
If you’re looking for a drama-free relationship, don’t stop here.
Erin is known for her fiery personality & competitiveness. She is more likely to beat you at beer-chugging, wing eating and arm-wrestling then lose it on you for being a ‘loser.’
She’s the kind of girl to get you through the end of the night, but will probably end up dumping you behind you back and moving on quickly.

Lamara Jackson

Imagine a girl who can do everything better than you, but is too humble to make you feel about it.
She’s the kind of girl your friends would ask ‘what is she doing with him’ while secretly making fantasies about her and what life would be like if she was theirs.
Young, hot, and full of energy, Lamara is most likely to get tired of you, but when she dumps you, you will feel like it is totally your fault.
She has a bit of a chip on her shoulder from last year, which is only going to make her hotter in the future.
When you think of Lamara, you will always ask ‘what if’?

Michelle Trubisky

Michelle is what happens when you meet someone online, but they turn out to be nothing like what you were promised.
The relationship starts out fast and exciting, until you realise that she has serious spatial awareness.
She is the Mr. Magoo of girlfriends.
The kind that leaves the car in drive when she gets out, constantly loses her phone, her keys, and trips over her own feet. When you get frustrated she cries, then you feel even worse.
As soon as you started dating her you realise that it was a mistake, so you keep doing things so that she’ll dump you.


Jody Burrow

‘She’s way too young!’ That’s what all your friends say as soon as they meet her.
You try to explain that she’s out of college and was so hot and smart there, and you can’t wait to move her back to your shitty hometown so that everyone can be blown away by her talents.
Deep down however, you’re not sure yourself and every time you go out in public you wonder what people are saying about you.
Will she stay with you forever, turn out to be a bust, or end up leaving you once she gets bored of this town.
She’s too young…wait a few years.

Of course, what do I know…I’m single and have a horrible track record with dating women. I have enough crazies in my back pocket to form a new ‘Suicide Squad’.

I’ll be back with another edition of Lady QBs. Who would be your ideal QB to date.
No judgement, no gender bias, just a fun look at the world we live in.
Stay safe, stay sane, bring back the NFL.