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NFL Europa, auf Wiedersehen!

MrOrangeman

By MrOrangeman
in Sports In General

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MrOrangeman

MrOrangeman

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A WORLD WITHOUT A WORLD LEAGUE

A league source tells us that the death of NFL Europa will be announced on Friday, June 29.

Auf wiedersehn, adieu, ciao, hasta la vista, aloha, and all that crap.

It's been a poorly-kept secret of late that the NFL is ready to pull the plug on its 15-year effort to export the game of American football to the land of hairy, stinky armpits (the men need to work on their hygiene, too).

The original idea was to drop quasi-NFL teams on foreign soil and hope that the presence of the sport would cause fans in other nations to discover the greatest pastime on the planet. Instead, the fever has spread only a bit faster than democracy in the Middle East.

Still, the league formerly known as NFL Europe and before that the World League and before that the World League of American Football served its purpose. Unlike our temporary fascination with Australian Rules Football back in the 1980s, when ESPN was making the gradual transition from tiddly winks to major league sports, the NFL acted on the interest that was rising in other countries by creating a minor league that played there.

The real challenge will be to get folks in Europe (and elsewhere) to respond to the "real" version of the greatest sport in the world. If they do, the NFL could eventually do to soccer what it has done in the U.S. to baseball.

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Sodboy13

Sodboy13

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And now, the wait for clearance sales on merchandise begins.

What? I could use a Sea Devils jersey.

On 1/25/2013 at 1:53 PM, 'Atom said:

For all the bird de lis haters I think the bird de lis isnt supposed to be a pelican and a fleur de lis I think its just a fleur de lis with a pelicans head. Thats what it looks like to me. Also the flair around the tip of the beak is just flair that fleur de lis have sometimes source I am from NOLA.

PotD: 10/19/07, 08/25/08, 07/22/10, 08/13/10, 04/15/11, 05/19/11, 01/02/12, and 01/05/12.

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Viper

Viper

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well when all but one teams is in germany, its all but doomed, just go minor league in the u.s. plain and simple.

Tell that to the folks running the UHL/IHL, four of whose six teams are based in Michigan.

CCSLC signature.png

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Sodboy13

Sodboy13

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well when all but one teams is in germany, its all but doomed, just go minor league in the u.s. plain and simple.

Tell that to the folks running the UHL/IHL, four of whose six teams are based in Michigan.

God almighty, I hope that's doomed.

On 1/25/2013 at 1:53 PM, 'Atom said:

For all the bird de lis haters I think the bird de lis isnt supposed to be a pelican and a fleur de lis I think its just a fleur de lis with a pelicans head. Thats what it looks like to me. Also the flair around the tip of the beak is just flair that fleur de lis have sometimes source I am from NOLA.

PotD: 10/19/07, 08/25/08, 07/22/10, 08/13/10, 04/15/11, 05/19/11, 01/02/12, and 01/05/12.

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Bleujayone

Bleujayone

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I would think this might give the United Football League a larger talent pool from which they can get players from.

Many of the players from this league played in the NFL, CFL, Arena, XFL and semi-pro circuit . Now with one less venue to play in the UFL might have a slight upgrade in what players might be available.

We all have our little faults. Mine's in California.

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Puck

Puck

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Wonder if we can bring the league here, use the teams in the Oliver Stone Air Biscuit. I want NFL Minors in Mexico City and coaches that wear leather jackets on the sidelines.

That would rule!

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AndrewPF

AndrewPF

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I want an Amsterdam jersey

http://i.imgur.com/4ahMZxD.png

koizim said:
And...and ya know what we gotta do? We gotta go kick him in da penis. He'll be injured. Injured bad.

COYS and Go Sox

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STL_Ian

STL_Ian

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A WORLD WITHOUT A WORLD LEAGUE

The real challenge will be to get folks in Europe (and elsewhere) to respond to the "real" version of the greatest sport in the world. If they do, the NFL could eventually do to soccer what it has done in the U.S. to baseball.

What is the most ridiculous statement EVER?

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Sir Donald

Sir Donald

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NFL folds Europe league, to focus on regular-season games abroad

Associated Press

FRANKFURT, Germany -- The NFL folded its development league in Europe after 16 years on Friday, calling the decision a sound business move that will allow for a stronger international focus on regular-season games outside the United States.

The announcement came less than a week after the Hamburg Sea Devils beat the Frankfurt Galaxy 37-28 in the World Bowl title game in Frankfurt before a crowd of 48,125. Five of the league's six teams are based in Germany, with the other in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

A statement on the German-language edition of the NFL's Web site said the NFL decided to concentrate its "strategies and resources" on regular-season games outside the United States in an effort to reach as many people as possible.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell thanked the fans for their support but said it was time to develop a new international strategy, terming the move to fold NFL Europa the ``best business decision.'' The league reportedly was losing about $30 million a season.

"From now on we will focus on regular-season games and use new technologies to make NFL more popular worldwide," he said.

NFL team owners decided in October to play up to two regular-season games outside the United States. The first such game is Oct. 28 in London between the Miami Dolphins and the New York Giants.

The league said it is looking toward other regular-season games in Germany, Mexico and Canada, with Germany a strong candidate for 2008.

"NFL Europa has created thousands of passionate fans who have supported that league and our sport for many years," said Mark Waller, senior vice president of NFL International. "And we look forward to building on this foundation as we begin this new phase of our international development."

The league began in 1991 as the World League of American Football, with 10 teams from the United States and Europe, spreading from Scotland to Spain. After closing for two seasons in 1993 and 1994, the league returned with six European teams and retained the same format until the end.

The league was used by NFL teams to test young talent and produced players such as quarterback Kurt Warner, who led the St. Louis Rams to the 2000 Super Bowl championship and won two NFL Most Valuable Player awards; Carolina Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme; and star Indianapolis Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri.

NFL Europa managing director Uwe Bergheim said the league had succeeded in establishing a fan base for football in important European markets.

"Despite the great support of fans, business partners and the cities where we were active, we decided that it was time to change the strategy," Bergheim said.

Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press

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JH42XCC

JH42XCC

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Wonder if we can bring the league here, use the teams in the Oliver Stone Air Biscuit. I want NFL Minors in Mexico City and coaches that wear leather jackets on the sidelines.

That would rule!

Now that we've lost NFL Europa, anyone got ideas for a new developmental league for the NFL?

YOZXkBG.png?1

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