国家橄榄球联合会在中国?

[JBPerry]

The next breakthrough

NFL set to announce 2007 preseason game in China

The New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks will make history twice next summer. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is expected to announce Sunday night that the Patriots and Seahawks will play the league's first game ever in China on Aug. 8, 2007.

For New England and Seattle, the other half of the story is that they'll become the first teams in modern NFL history to play back-to-back preseason games against each other. The Patriots, on their trip to the Far East, will stop in Seattle and play the Seahawks in the preseason opener for both teams on Aug. 2.

The game in China will be played at a stadium in Beijing and telecast on NBC.

The NFL has long wanted to break into the Chinese market, and the Patriots have been a leader in trying to gain a foothold there. New England has a Web site written in Mandarin Chinese, and owner Bob Kraft has business interests in China. Kraft, one of the leading proponents of the NFL's return to Los Angeles, has also been bullish on the NFL expanding into new territories.

The NFL's entry into China will follow the National Basketball Association's by three years. Houston and Sacramento played two games there in 2004, and the NBA has a television and webcasting presence there now.

The trip could be a windfall in a business sense for the league and for the teams, the first to plant their flags in a football-virgin country of 1.3 billion people. But it will be interesting to see how the teams will respond to the news, particularly Patriots coach Bill Belichick. It could be a training-camp nightmare for the clubs. Belichick hates any distractions and prefers camp to be run on a strict routine. But camp will be broken up for 10 days in the middle of the summer with a six-hour flight to Seattle, then a game, then a 12-hour flight to Beijing, then practices and public displays in a country totally unfamiliar with the game, then a game against the same team, then a 16-hour flight back to New England. And don't think Mike Holmgren will be too thrilled with the arrangement, either -- assuming he's still the Seattle coach next summer.

The NFL has played preseason games overseas for two decades. This year was a rare season without an international game, but next year could make up for it. It's believed the Dallas Cowboys want to play an exhibition game in Mexico next summer.

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I say why not, except for the fact that it should be two different teams, cause you know both teams are going to be tired from their first game vs. each other. I'm just glad those of us who don't have cable will get to see it since it'll be on NBC unlike the Tokyo Bowl, which is usually shown on ESPN.

[Pharos04]

There's a logo on the field of Gillette Stadium at tonight's Broncos-Patriots game that says "China Bowl" with some Chinese characters underneath and the NFL Shield above it. HOpefully someone will be able to get a screenshot from the game

[HedleyLamarr]

Didn't the Seahawks and 49ers play a home-and-home in the preseason a few years ago? (Before Seattle joined the NFC)

[FrankCostanza]

Didn't the Seahawks and 49ers play a home-and-home in the preseason a few years ago? (Before Seattle joined the NFC)

In 1998, they played twice in the preseason. Once in San Francisco, once in Vancouver.

[Pharos04]

Here's the logo that, without the helmets and date, is located on the 25s

[xxjdm66]

Here's the logo that, without the helmets and date, is located on the 25s

Is it just me, but does that logo remind you of this:

[Brian in Boston]

Didn't the Seahawks and 49ers play a home-and-home in the preseason a few years ago? (Before Seattle joined the NFC)

Yes, but the 1998 Seahawks-49ers pre-season contests weren't back-to-back games. That's why the NFL is promoting these games as the first back-to-back pre-season contests between two teams in the league's modern era.

If my memory serves me, in 1998 they played each other in the American Bowl in Vancouver, BC. The following week, Seattle played at Arizona and San Francisco hosted Miami. They closed out the pre-season schedule on Thursday, August 27th at Seattle.

[Alphabet Man]

I think they played a game years ago at Telstra Stadium in Sydney (Olympic venue)....I would like to see them play in Melbourne at Telstra Dome or MCG, they'd sell it out for sure.

Hope the China Bowl game works out well, because it is a good sport, if promoted well it will work. Like the old saying 'Build it and they'll come' but ya need some marketing behind it (otherwise marketers wont have a job). But, i'm sure it'll work out well.

[Cyclopsis Joe]

China Bowl? Who cares?

[CC97]

China Bowl? Who cares?

You win again