Pats’ Robert Kraft wants NFL team in London: “We’re starting to tap out in the U.S.”

SaintsBro · 06-29-2012, 01:38 PM

What Kraft doesn't get is that the Patriots do really well there, because they are a really good team, playing in London against bottom feeders, so the travel and distance and energy drain isn't a factor.

You can sorta cobble together a stat, or a theory, that the team that loses in London, pretty much never does anything much the rest of the year. No team that played in London has ever advanced to the Championship game or past the divisional round that same year. The only ones that make the playoffs lose quickly. I can't prove any of this, but it's got to have some kind of effect, especially on making a mediocre team tank and check out for the rest of the season. Just look at who's played and what's happened to them. Including the Saints the year we played. Last in the division.

I think he is more likely talking about having 8 teams play "away" games in London, against a London "home team," instead of 1 game a year there with 2 teams; and then the London team would travel to the US for lengthy road trips of 2-3 games each, where they would play "on the road" and then the players from the US would be spending all of their time except for "home" games, in the US. They would practice in the US, probably hold their training camp in the US, etc. You don't need to create 4 new teams or a whole new conference or anything. Think of it like 8 London games, and for the London team players, the "home" games are really likr "away" games and the "away" games are really like home games.

It'd be hell on the players, all the travel, but for a shot at the NFL? They'd do it.

06-29-2012, 01:38 PM	#31
SaintsBro Site Donor Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: in line with my ridiculous CLEAR PLASTIC BAG Posts: 3,650 Blog Entries: 3	What Kraft doesn't get is that the Patriots do really well there, because they are a really good team, playing in London against bottom feeders, so the travel and distance and energy drain isn't a factor. You can sorta cobble together a stat, or a theory, that the team that loses in London, pretty much never does anything much the rest of the year. No team that played in London has ever advanced to the Championship game or past the divisional round that same year. The only ones that make the playoffs lose quickly. I can't prove any of this, but it's got to have some kind of effect, especially on making a mediocre team tank and check out for the rest of the season. Just look at who's played and what's happened to them. Including the Saints the year we played. Last in the division. I think he is more likely talking about having 8 teams play "away" games in London, against a London "home team," instead of 1 game a year there with 2 teams; and then the London team would travel to the US for lengthy road trips of 2-3 games each, where they would play "on the road" and then the players from the US would be spending all of their time except for "home" games, in the US. They would practice in the US, probably hold their training camp in the US, etc. You don't need to create 4 new teams or a whole new conference or anything. Think of it like 8 London games, and for the London team players, the "home" games are really likr "away" games and the "away" games are really like home games. It'd be hell on the players, all the travel, but for a shot at the NFL? They'd do it. pherein likes this.