Now this is what the NFL had in mind.
The most popular professional sports league in the United States once again took its glitz-and-glamour show to the United Kingdom on Sunday. It was just another step in marketing “American” football to a world-wide audience more suited to its own version. Last year’s introduction at London’s Wembley Stadium was played before a sellout crowd. But that game did little to wow its hosts as the New York Giants and Miami Dolphins stumbled and bumbled their way through a rain-soaked 13-10 snoozer. But Sunday’s return trip could have a bigger impact. This time, 83,226 British fans witnessed a combined 69 points as the New Orleans Saints held on for the thrilling 37-32 win over the San Diego Chargers.
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Linebacker Jonathan Vilma intercepted Philip Rivers’ pass with just over a minute left as San Diego drove for the game-tying touchdown. New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees was 30-for-41 for 339 yards and three touchdowns against his former team. For his part, Rivers was 25-for-40 for 341 yards and three touchdowns. That kind of high-powered, aerial attack is exactly what NFL commissioner Roger Goodell envisioned when he brought the sport to Europe.
“This game is going live on BBC. That’s never before happened. [NFL] television viewership (in England) after last year’s game went up 40 percent,” Goodell told reporters in London on Friday. “The BBC will run the Super Bowl live this year (along with Sky Network), and that’s extraordinary. Go to Mexico in the fall. It’s like being in the United States.”
The NFL is also trying to keep pace with its rival North American sports leagues as each stakes a claim in the international marketplace. Major League Baseball now routinely plays a series in Japan to start its season. The NHL sent two teams to London in 2007 and four teams traveled to Sweden and The Czech Republic earlier this month to start the 2008-09 campaign. Also this month, the NBA played preseason games in Paris, London, Berlin and Barcelona and that league has long focused on building its brand in China.