NFL in London

National Football League in London

Wade McElwain

NFL..Assemble!

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Snap! The NFL is back and just in time, as this whole year has felt like Thanos has snapped us halfway back to reality.
Will the heroes of the gridiron save us from the banality of every day Covid life?
Hell yeah!

One NFL fan went the distance, using his editing skills to create superb hybrid of an NFL hype film, with an Avengers style trailer. (we don’t own any rights, just fans).

Always nice to see someone who is both an NFL Fan, and one heck of an editor.

If this doesn’t get you ripped for the season, maybe Thanos should have killed us all?

DraftKings Week 1

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The NFL is back, and so is your chance to win some money playing in our DraftKings Fantasy NFL contests. We have loads of great offers with DraftKings, including our deposit $10 get $10 back offer.
Adding Fantasy Football to your NFL week just makes things more fun, especially if you want to trash talk your friends.

To celebrate the start of the season, I have made some tips and picks to help you get some value with your DFS this weekend. Make sure you join our NFL in London League on DraftKings, where you can win cash and prizes. Hopefully we will also have a live event or two this season depending on how this whole nasty virus affects us all.

Here are some of my top picks to look at for Week 1.

QB

There are a lot of key match-ups to kick off week 1, so you want to make sure that you are getting value with every pick you make. In terms of QBs you want to see which guys are playing the worst D’s, then you can find out which guy is going to get you some solid points.

Joe Burrow-$5800

Welcome to the NFL Joe, first up is the speedy Chargers D-line. You ready? Surprisingly I think that he will be. Joe has loads of (old) tools at his disposal which should give the Chargers backfield some problems. If Joe Mixon can mix it up, it will take pressure off of Burrow who should have some time to hit some of his WRs downfield. He’s pretty good value for what he should produce.

Phillip Rivers-$6000

This is also Phillip Rivers first game, just not his first ever. Bolstered by one of the top O-lines in the league, Rivers should have lots of time to connect with TY Hilton down the field, burning the Jags D relentlessly. I see this as a high scoring game, so Rivers should factor in at least 3 TDs.

RB

Running backs have declined in the past few years in terms of points scored and definitiveness, so it’s hard to try to find the true value backs instead of splashing out on the big boys who can be inconsistent.

Sony Michel-$4600

Cam Newton will be looking to use his legs against the Fins, so who knows who he will be dishing off to. At $4600 Michel is a steal, as Cam will probably use him in short yard situations which could mean a few TDs.

Miles Sanders-$6300

A bit pricier for a guy who is still dealing with a lower body issue. Sanders is one of my faves for an outrageous season of fantasy points, and I like him to gash the frontline of the Washington D. Look for him to gain some big ground and even bigger points

WR

DeSean Jackson-$4900

The Eagles speedster may have declined slightly over the years, but he still stands up as the go to guy for Wentz. He has the potential to snag the deep ball and run ragged over the Washington team, causing mayhem throughout the game. Good value at $4900.

TY Hilton-$5800

As mentioned earlier, TY Hilton is now matched with the arm of Phillip Rivers. Given that these guys will have been practising all summer, I see them being in a good rhythm for a solid victory over the hapless Jags. At $5800 he should be good for a score of two.

TE

Jack Doyle-$3600

With Burton injured for the Colts, Rivers has another fine target in Jack Doyle. He’s quick, strong and will give the Jags midfield plenty of headaches. A steal at $3600.

Hayden Hurst-$4300

With Austin Hooper banged up, Hurst will be looking to fill some pretty big boots. Hurst has the wheels and hands to satisfy Matt Ryan and should feature heavily as they cross the Seahawks midfield.

DEF

Vikings-$2500

But they’re facing Aaron Rodgers! Yes, but they also have an incredible secondary that looks to feast on tip balls and ill-timed passes. For $2500 they will be able to put pressure on AR, and probably pick off a ball or two as well.

Bears-$3300

Sticking with the NFC North, the Bears are facing the broken back of Matt Stafford. They will apply plenty of pressure on MS, and Mack will be looking to toss the often injured QB around all day.

If you want to join some of our contests, feel free to click the links and play along.

Free Contest 1
https://www.draftkings.co.uk/contest/draftteam/91321103

Free Contest 2
https://www.draftkings.co.uk/contest/draftteam/91486054

And make sure you enter the $2 DraftKings Europe pool for a chance to win $500 in their contest

https://www.draftkings.co.uk/contest/draftteam/90978605

Good luck, and happy drafting in Week 1.

Week 1 Picks

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Praise to the NFL Gods! We’re back with the 2020 season, and Wade & Ryan couldn’t be happier.
This whole year has felt like a Cowboys vs Patriots Super Bowl, with screaming idiocy everywhere, but at least we can find comfort in the start of another year of football.
The guys might not be able to predict what the bloody hell is going to happen in the next 6 months, but at least they will steer you right in their NFL picks.

The first week of the NFL is always tricky to handicap, as there are so many unknown factors and new dynamics rolling off of training camp. 2020 is an even tougher year to predict, as the lack of preseason and physical preparation are all going to factor into some wild and crazy scores. Injuries will also be a major issue, as the lack of a preseason means some of these guys might be soft and brittle the first time someone plows into them.

Wade McElwain and Ryan Cull have done the research, looked at the tape, read a few fantasy magazines and are ready to prognosticate. Wade had a whopping 64% correct against the spread last season, while Ryan came in with 57% correct. Will Wade be able to repeat his wizardry this year? Let’s find out with some of their top picks.

TNF-Texans vs Chiefs (-9) +54.5

The reigning Super Bowl champs kick off the season at home against a foe they face early on in the playoffs last year. Despite trailing 24-0 to Deshaun and the Texans, Mahomes was able to rally his team to go all the way. So how much is changed the season?
Hopkins is gone, Cooks is in and the running game now rests in the hands of Duke Johnson.
The Chiefs have much of their magic back, although some of the blocking on the O line is weaker due to some trades and opt outs.
Both Wade & Ryan like the Chiefs to win here, although Ryan sees the Texans keeping this game closer, while Wade predicts a blowout in from of a smaller Chiefs crowd.
Wade-Chiefs 31 Texans 20
Ryan-Chiefs 31 Texans 28

Dolphins vs Patriots (-6.5) +43

This is the first time we see Bill Belichick without his Tommy Boy, so how will he react to his new NFL normal? He’ll be fine, as BB is known for his meticulous planning for any opponent. Cam will add a nice healthy dose of dip and dash to the offence, and old man Edelman will prove his worth in some quick cuts and short routes. Fitzmagic will need to find his magic wand, as many of his tools have either been traded or regressed in the offseason. Fitz will have some success, but the Patriots D is still one to be feared in the league. Ryan likes the Dolphins to cover, whereas Wade sees this as another beatdown.
Wade-Patriots 30 Dolphins 17
Ryan-Patriots 24 Dolphins 20

Seahawks (-2) vs Falcons +49

The Seahawks are out for a title this year, and many believe that this could be ‘their year’, but first they have to get through some tough competition. The Falcons have struggled with great talent and bad injuries in the past few years, and one wonders if Matt Ryan will ever make a trip back to the Super Bowl in his career. The dome might be lacking in fans, but there will be a lot of eyes on new acquisition Todd Gurley and whether he can stay healthy.
Ryan likes the Seahawks to rough up the Falcons, with Russell Wilson having an impressive day hitting Tyler Lockett.
Wade on the other hand is quick to point out the traditional slow start of the Seahawks, and Pete Carroll not covering the spread on Week 1 since 2014. He has Atlanta in an upset.
Wade-Falcons 30 Seahawks 28
Ryan-Seahawks 31 Falcons 21

For the rest of the predictions, have a listen to our podcast for all the games and scores.
How will the boys do this week?
Make sure you join us one weekend for an NFL event once all of this malarky is behind us.
Stay safe, stay sane, let’s go NFL!

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!

 

 

Fantasy Draft Party

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Like many at the start of September, we held our annual Fantasy Draft to commemorate the start of the season. Fantasy Draft’s are great ways to bond with fellow NFL fans to challenge each other in your game and playability knowledge of this great game. It’s also a good chance to emotionally bitch slap last year’s losers, bow to the finite rantings of last year’s winner, and plan for the future.

Our NFL in London Fantasy Pool is going on over a decade of play, with a melange of international fans who we have met in our hosting of NFL events across the city.
There are two leagues, the ‘Eh League’ which is comprised of the best of the best, and the ‘B League’, the relegation league where hopefuls can exchange a league win with that of the Eh loser. To be the best you have to beat the best.

We held this years draft at the Princess Alexandra Pub in Crouch End. It’s our lovely local run by our mate Nick Ford and his wife and 2 Alaskan Malmutes. With the crush of Covid, we opted for a nearby place that we could safely distance, as well as support an independent establishment. They have great burgers, Sunday roasts and stay open until 1am on Sundays so you can catch the second game, and be back in Kings Cross in 20 minutes.
https://princessalexandran8.co.uk/

We used the FanDraft software again this year, and cannot recommend this product enough. It is an easy and fun way to host your draft, and you can immediately export the results to input into your fantasy app. You can also make it fun with walk-on music, custom images and funny comments that I as the commissioner can input. We teamed it up with Facebook’s Messenger to create a private group that we could run for over 3 hours. Since we had folks in Dubai, New Zealand, Romania and Scotland, this was really a fun little addition.
https://fandraft.com/

It was nice to have a sense of ‘normal’ again, and hope that all of you also had a great one as well. It’s a messed up old world we live in, & a fantasy group is like a fraternity of sanity. No matter what shit people have to say about what on social media, NFL fantasy chat is all about the BS.
Let’s see what you have to say about it Monday morning.
Good luck everyone.