Eagles Avoid the Disaster of the Annual London Game

Written By Bob Cunningham On Saturday, January 16, 2010

The London game is played in Wembley Stadium.



It was rumored a couple weeks ago that the Eagles were the most likely team to face off against the San Francisco 49ers in the NFL's annual game over in London, England. A few days ago, however, it came out that the Broncos, not the Eagles, will play the 49ers in the NFL's attempt to promote their brand overseas.

It's a close call for the Birds, as playing in London has seemingly had lasting effects on the two teams who make the trip. Teams appear lethargic the next week as playing a football game overseas has got to be mentally and physically draining.

The game is nothing more than a new way for the NFL to make money, but like the 18-game season proposal, it's an effort to make money at the expense of the players' health and safety.

It's especially difficult for a team like the 49ers who already have to make the trip the East coast, but now they have to go twice that distance just to play a game in a country where people really don't care about the sport. Sure, they come out and watch, but it's not like these are people who are devoted NFL fans.

I guess what I'm saying is that it's just not worth the trouble. Make it easier for them to watch the games overseas, but actually shipping the players over is insanity.

The Eagles dodged the bullet this year, but their time will come as the NFL looks for all 32 teams to eventually play in London, and possibly more than once per year. Now the hope just has to be that when the Eagles do get their turn that it's not at the expense of a home game.

Teams like Jacksonville or Cincinnati, for example, who are always on the verge of a blackout should be the types of teams that lose home games -- not a team like the Eagles who are consistently selling out their games.

I believe that we will find in time that in an effort to bring football overseas that the NFL will begin to alienate the American audience that has made it a juggernaut in the professional sports arena.


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