NFL in London

National Football League in London

NFL podcast

London Balling Podcast

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The NFL is officially returning to London!
That’s right, in 2021, the Atlanta Falcons will pop over the pond to Tottenham for a non-divisional contest in October.
So what does that mean for NFL fans around the world?
Wade McElwain and Ryan Cull break it down in this London Balling Podcast.

Covid 19 was definitely the player of the season in 2020, gashing the league for over 85% of their profits from the previous year.
Virus be damned, the games are back on and Mr. Goodell is promising 100% capacity at the stadiums this season.
It all seems very positive…

Among the hot topics in this edition of the podcast include:

London Games

We have one game in the can for 2021, with a whole host of potential games over the next eight years. Sure, we have to split them with Germany, Mexico and even Canada…but at least the games will be spread across the globe.
Wembley looks to be out of the mix for now, but you would have to expect the stadium to make a push a Khan to help heal the wounds of his downtown Jacksonville implosion.
Tottenham already has a head start on the rest of the world by building a purpose built stadium for the NFL, it’s a matter if other countries are willing to build up to keep up.

Falcons at Tottenham

We know that Atlanta is playing in London in October 2021. Further breadcrumbs reveal that the opponent will be non-divisional, which only leaves 5 teams to choose from.
The Eagles last played in London in 2018, so they would be the least likely to return.
The Lions, Jets and Washington are all fan ‘duds’ when it comes to drawing a crowd, so it would be tough for the NFL to promote such a lack lustre game.
New England Patriots are no longer the massive draw that they once were under the TB12 dynasty, but they are still a much bigger ticket than any of the other bum teams available.
If you only have one game this season, go out swinging.
Bring back a 28-3 iconic Super Bowl game for UK fans to enjoy.
It’s doubtful that any foreign fans will be attending the game, so let’s make Britain ‘New England’ again.
That’s our two cents anyway.

Green Bay for $200

Aaron Rodgers tests out a new career path this week, as he hosts Jeopardy for 2 whole weeks. A huge Jeopardy ‘nerd’, Rodgers will be looking to open up his lexicon and fan base by hosting the nighttime quiz for a fortnight.
Don’t worry Packers fans, he won’t be leaving you…this season.

AB Gone

Antonio Brown is ready to get paid! Again.
After finally winning a ring (thanks to the generosity of TB12), Brown is ready to hit the free market and see what he’s worth.
This ageing and outspoken player might find that the turf is a bit frosty in the league, especially given that he still has some pending lawsuits lined up every month.
While Brown doesn’t exude the same drama that he did in his younger Steelers years, his petulance is far too advanced for a man of his age.
It’s nice to get paid, but if the team can only muster 4 wins in a season, was it worth it?

Sam Darnold

Darnold was traded to the Panthers just after this podcast was recorded.
This will have some big implications for the Jets, and their 2021 Draft.
By all accounts, it looks like that the Panthers got a great deal off the Jets for Sammy D.
New York has a lot to change, so it’s good to get the bad memories out of the way.

London Stuff

London is going to host a game! Will you need a vaccine passport?  Can you visit from the US? What does that mean for you and I?
We will be exploring all of this in the weeks ahead, and letting you know as soon as we do. We are still hopeful that we will be hosting NFL events this season, just watch this space for more info.

Here’s the podcast:

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.

Flee Agents

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What a wild and crazy week in free agency!
The Patriots throw money at every problem, Trubisky is gone from the Bears-but so is Kyle Fuller, Corey Davis, Marvin Jones, even JuJu got a deal.
All is discussed in our Flee Agents podcast.

Wade & Ryan look at all the frenetic action taking place last week in the league. With so many moves, shakes and potential shakedowns going on, there is a lot to discuss.
Although there were hundreds of pieces moved last week alone, the guys will look at some of the big trades, and what kind of implications that they might have in the 2021 season.

The guys also chat about some of the not so pretty hot topics that have been bouncing across the food court of the league. Some of this stuff is all rumour, and we hope that you look at it that way as no one has gone to jail..yet.

Our big Flee Agent topics in this episode include.

JuJu

Juju is back on the Steelers, and he promises no logo dancing! Actually, he doesn’t promise anything, but not as much is as expected. Juju probably thought the free agent pool would be a clear and crystal body of warmth and support. Instead the pool called him a ‘jackass’ and told him to stop peeing on his chances at future success.
Juju returning to Pittsburgh is like the hot girl in your small town who announces she is ‘going to Hollywood’, only to be spotted working at an Arby’s at the town over 6 months later.
He talks a big talk, but he might be shell of Claypool in 2021.

Andy Dalton

Andy Dalton is the starter for the Chicago Bears! This is something that might have been appealing in 2018, but not so much now. Dalton went from unappreciated in Cincy, to unblocked in Dallas. For a guy who seems pretty darn nice, he hasn’t had a pretty nice ride.
Maybe things will turn around in Chicago?
Given that Bears fans are warming fires and sharpening sticks for Pace and Nagy, that doesn’t seem bloody likely.
Dalton may indeed be the goat here…scape-goat.

Hunter Henry

Bill Belichick loves him a sweet tight end. Robert Kraft probably does as well, we have no idea.
Billy B blew a load on TE’s by adding Hunter and Jonnu to reclaim the glory days of Gronk and A Hern.
Of course, you still need someone to THROW the ball, which Cam Newton has struggled on last year,
Henry was a great touchdown catcher in LA, but being the star of the Pats is a different story.
3 years for $37.5 million? Hope you catch a lot of balls Hunter.

Mitchell Trubisky

Ding dong the Mitch is dead, the wicked Mitch, the wicked Mitch is dead!
Ok, so he isn’t dead, and he isn’t wicked, but he is gone…from Chicago.
Mitch didn’t asked to be moved up the draft and forced into the Bears, but sometimes that’s how life goes.
Buffalo saw something in Mitch and decided ‘what the heck, throw him on the bench.’
Trubisky offers the Bills another running option at QB, even if that option is about as accurate as a millennial.
This could be good for Mitch, and even better for Bears fans to watch him on the bench in the AFC.

DeShaun Watson

Let’s address the naked man on the massage table, shall we?
Firstly these are accusations.
Nothing has been proven, no one has been charged, but a man’s life hangs in the balance.
Let’s not forget that a young man who challenged his lot in life being manipulated by nefarious billionaires, now finds that they system is against him.
Robert Kraft was in a similar situation with actual evidence, and that disappeared faster that you can say ‘Ambassador Woody Johnson.’
Before everyone goes out and torches DeShaun in the media, let’s just see what other information comes out first.
Besides, it’s early off-season, there are plenty of more meltdowns to come.

Make sure you follow us on social media, as we will have big news coming out this summer!

March Meme-ness

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March. In like a lion…how many freaking years will we be in lockdown?
With Covid fading off into the distance like Johnny Manziel’s career, it looks like we might be back to some degree of normalcy in NFL life.

March is the official start of the 2021 season, as teams need to begin figuring out who should stay, who should go, and who they have no money to pay.

The 2021 offseason brings with it plenty of opportunities for many teams, and many opportunities to continue to screw up their teams. (Looking at you Bears).
Chicago is so bad at drafting, they should switch ff beer to a pinot grigio and let the adults handle it.

Of course we kid, that’s pretty much all you can do in the offseason. So to help you with the shifts and giggles to start the new NFL season, here’s a selection of funny and silly memes to tickle your NFL funny bone.

We still have no idea what will happen with the London NFL games-but if we do hear anything, we will let you know.

Stay Safe and sane!