Will American Football ever go International?

[CJ_18]

We have seen the NBA recently, with it's 'european invasion' of late and i just want to know your opinions on if this sort of thing will ever happen with the NFL?

There are many Europeans in the NBA, many guys from the Carribean area in MLB, and Players from all over Europe and North America in the NHL. Meanwhile, i'm pretty sure 100% of players in the NFL are American, or atleast North American with the 5 or 6 Canadians in the League.

So do you ever think that someday the NFL will have a large invasion of Talent from another country?

[Da Schwab]

There have also been a few Aussies in the league, though the only one I can think of now is Sav Rocca, and I think that's as far as it will go.

I don't think American football will ever become an international sport, NFL Europe folded for a reason and the Wembley game won't last much longer, IMO.

[Mr Awesome]

Well those other sports, Basketball, Hockey, Baseball, etc... are actually played in other countries. American football has just never seriously caught on any where else. It's unfortunate, but it's just how it is.

[SteveScheffler]

it already has, i almost went and played in japan after highschool but at the last second an american school tole me they wanted me...

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/h ... sey02.html

[Da Schwab]

Which school did you end up going to?

[jaywalker22]

I don't believe that it will ever come close as being any major outside North America. Many European countries have football leagues: France, Italy, Germany, and others just to name a few. Most of the people that make up these rosters are Europeans that range from 18-40, and make very little money. Most of them have a regular day job and practice when theyhave a chance after work or whatever. Pro football over there is more or less a pick-up leauge over here. They play in stadiums that bring only a few thousand people each game, and that's if there are no soccer games that day.

There are usually 2-3 American players that are allowed on each team, and they make a significant amount of money compared to the other players, like 20,000-30,000 thousand.

So I think that it will never come close to the popularity as it is here, even 15 years down the road. The skill level there is terrible. I play at a D3 school right now and we are trying to set up a summer game in France to play against one of their top-tier teams, and if we were to win by less than 30 points, it should be considered as a moral loss.

That being said, Europeans are too concerned with their own football that American football will never become popular anywhere else.

[studcrackers]

There have also been a few Aussies in the league, though the only one I can think of now is Sav Rocca, and I think that's as far as it will go.

I don't think American football will ever become an international sport, NFL Europe folded for a reason and the Wembley game won't last much longer, IMO.

yea him and mat mcbriar, so i guess no non-punters that are international. the only asian players i can think of are dat nguyen and hines ward has some in him. but im sure im missing some

[J.Kim]

There have also been a few Aussies in the league, though the only one I can think of now is Sav Rocca, and I think that's as far as it will go.

I don't think American football will ever become an international sport, NFL Europe folded for a reason and the Wembley game won't last much longer, IMO.

yea him and mat mcbriar, so i guess no non-punters that are international. the only asian players i can think of are dat nguyen and hines ward has some in him. but im sure im missing some

Hines Ward and Will Demps are half Korean I believe.

Football in Korea has risen quite a lot in popularity, but nowhere near the popularity of Soccer or Baseball. And that's the case for a lot of countries around the world. Most have Soccer or Baseball as their First/Second sports, and then for some Basketball is in there as a third sport. Football has a long ways to go in catching up.

[El Turco]

There have also been a few Aussies in the league, though the only one I can think of now is Sav Rocca, and I think that's as far as it will go.

I don't think American football will ever become an international sport, NFL Europe folded for a reason and the Wembley game won't last much longer, IMO.

yea him and mat mcbriar, so i guess no non-punters that are international. the only asian players i can think of are dat nguyen and hines ward has some in him. but im sure im missing some

haruki nakamura

not only football has to compete against already popular games like soccer and basketball but also has to compete against similar game in rugby, which has a lot of room to expand. i dont see it happening in my lifetime.