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It's time the NFL came Down Under again

The New England Patriots have won a fifth Super Bowl. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Roar Guru
10th August, 2014
5

Over the last few years we’ve seen the NFL try to expand outside the US, with London at the forefront of this expansion. The UK capital has hosted regular season games at Wembley Stadium every year since 2007.

This season we’ll see three regular season games played in London, with the Jacksonville Jaguars hosting one regular season game in London for four years as of last year.

So what does this mean for Australia? Could we see NFL games, even if they’re just pre-season games, being held in Australia? Can the NFL attract 80,000-plus people to a game in Australia as they have at Wembley Stadium?

The NFL has come down under before, back in 1999 when the Denver Broncos and San Diego Chargers gave Sydney a taste of NFL action. It’s about time the NFL came back, right?

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, acting New South Wales Minister for Sport, Stuart Ayers, has outlined a plan to bring NFL, NBA and NHL games to Sydney on the back of the success of the MLB series last year.

Queensland premier Campbell Newman has also expressed a desire to bring a game to Brisbane, but at this point you’d have to say Sydney is more likely to get an NFL game.

There is also a petition to bring a game to Australia.

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees has endorsed a game being played here, as well as Minnesota Vikings defensive lineman Shariff Floyd.

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If the NFL really is serious about growing the game globally, it has to show it has countries other than the UK in mind. What better way to make their mark than a pre-season game held in Sydney within the next five years?

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