Winning Hearts & Minds: Taking the NFL Global

May 31, 2009

Your correspondent has happened to be in Istanbul over the last week, and every taxi driver, bellboy and barman has struck up a conversation with the wandering Englishman about Wednesday’s Champions League final – even though it contains no Turkish team, no Turkish players, and took place in Rome. Every bar and hotel screened the full 90 minutes, and international news channels (including CNN) had both pre- and post- match analysis as part of their news bulletins for days surrounding the game.

"What I gatta go to make you love me?"

"What I gatta go to make you love me?"

No-one will have been watching more closely than Roger Goodell.  The NFL Commissioner’s accelerating efforts to internationalise the American version of football are aiming to create the sort of global interest that the Champions League effortlessly generates, and the 2009 final provides the league and the owners with both a clear goal and a demonstration of how far they have to go.

Tug at my heartstrings

Wednesday’s Champions League final was watched by over 200m people in 230 countries, generated around $435m in revenue, and billions of column inches and screen hours in news and other free media round the world. Within the world’s most popular sport, the European club final is the premiere global annual match, and is only surpassed by the quadrennial World Cup in cash and media attention.

At the risk of stating the bleeding obvious, the NFL is a long way behind. With a few exceptions in specific countries (Mexico, the UK, Germany, Canada), previous few of the world’s 6bn residents pay any attention to the NFL. Despite periodic marketing drives – and in contrast to many countries’ adoption of other US cultural exports -  the NFL has failed to connect with potential audiences worldwide. 

Not a man of the people

Not a man of the people

International sports fans, especially in blue-collar areas, tend to have other sports (soccer, rugby or cricket) embedded in their culture at an early age. Not only is the competition therefore well entrenched, but to make matters worse the foreign equivalents of the demographic groups which form the bedrock of the NFL’s support at home have a disdainful view of the sport.

Partly this is historical – the league embraced glossy theatrics and flashy divas some decades ago, at a time when most global fans preferred earthier, seemingly less money driven sports. It’s also cultural: men (and it’s usually men) who fanatically follow sports and pour their free cash into TV packages and merchandise are often a little macho in their outlook, and will take some convincing that a sport played in “suits of armour” isn’t, well, a little soft.


Fortress NFL

To some degree, however, world fandom’s shunning of US sport in general is also a reaction to its shunning of them.

This isn’t purely a football thing – the American cultural milieu unfortunately has an exceptionalist streak which sees the world as stopping at the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, and this turns off many global citizens. Whilst evangelising about the US as the “shining city on the hill” is an important part of the American national identity, it can leave others feeling patronised and unwelcome – whether it’s over Iraq, the economy or the World Series.

In sporting terms, this is shown through rhetoric and marketing – holding annual “World Championships” containing only American teams does nothing to make others feel welcome. Until recently, NFL games were held in the US, starred (almost) solely American players, and seemed to pay little regard to whether the rest of the world noticed or cared. This unfortunately exacerbates the wider anti-American sentiment that has become  prevalent in recent years, which casts the country as myopic, self-obsessed, culturally hegemonic and unwilling to adjust its own views to accommodate those of others.


Chief Salesman, America Plc

Chief Salesman, America Plc

Yes We Can

Commissioner Goodell therefore faces an uphill struggle to make football the world’s game, though the international strategy – combined with a general downturn in Americaphobia following November’s election – is starting to put a dent in reflexively hostile attitudes. To move beyond this and make serious contact with hearts and minds abroad, the league will have to demonstrate in some highly public ways that it’s serious about engaging with the global social fabric – and this means US fans will have to give up some of the exclusive rights and access they currently enjoy.

As with other aspects of the international strategy, the Commish isn’t waiting for an invitation – the current furore over holding a Superbowl in London could be Goodell’s “Clause Four” moment, where a public fight with the reactionary “America First” elements of the fanbase helps position the league as a liberal beacon of inclusivity.

The lights of Rome have illuminated the glittering prize this week, and the NFL isn’t wasting any time in moving towards it. If they are to grasp it fully, however, Commissioner Goodell and the owners have a huge diplomatic and cultural mountain to climb.

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Posted by redemigre

Quantum leap or leap of faith? The Michael Vick debacle

May 25, 2009

Just hours after the once-famous-now-infamous Michael Vick was released from jail and returned home, questions were already being thrown around media outlets and doubtless some NFL front offices: Can he still play? Will he be allowed to? Do we want to sign this guy? The man who has become the face of NFL player misconduct was one of the most exciting players in recent memory, and aside from flippin’ the bird to some angry fans and, y’know, being involved in the biggest NFL scandal in the last decade, Michael Vick was once the face of the Falcons franchise and more than a few corporations. He was the first visiting QB to win a playoff game at Lambeau Field and, despite his erratic play, he led Atlanta to the NFC Championship game.

Vick: responsible for smashed controllers worldwide in 04.

Vick: responsible for smashed controllers worldwide in '04.

Idolized by Madden players everywhere, Vick was a nightmare for defenses with his running ability and although his passing lacked the accuracy of Manning or Brees, it was still always a threat. However, on the flip side, he ran an illegal dogfighting ring in which some atrocious actions were taken against dogs who lost fights (click here all gluttons for punishment – he makes Cruella DeVille look like St. Francis Assisi).

The question now circles as to whether he’ll ever play in the NFL again: he’ll have to be reinstated by Roger Goodell after having lied to him in a face-to-face wherein he denied having been involved in the dogfighting at all (miiiiistaaaaaaaaaaaaaake) and a team will have to take a chance on a player who has got an erratic statistical record and a downright appalling off-the-field one too. Vick never had a quarterback rating higher than 81 for a season, only played 16 games once in 6 years, and was accused league-wide of being a running QB and not a passer. However, he was also selected to 3 Pro Bowls and holds the record for the most rushing yards by a QB in a single season (1,039 in 2006).

In this commentor’s opinion, Vick should never be allowed on the field of play in the NFL again. Ever. His off-the-field actions were way above and beyond what any recent offender has done, and the horrific level of cruelty to which these innocent animals was subjected was inexcusable. Regardless of the man’s talent, he is not only a recently incarcerated felon but also lied to the NFL Commissioner (and a court) when he could have confessed. Given Roger Goodell’s reputation for zero-tolerance, it would be extremely surprising if Vick was given anything less than a lifetime ban from the NFL and anything to do with it, and I, for one, would applaud that action. Ex-cons deserve a second chance at life, true, but ex-cons do not deserve a second chance at one of the most prestigious and best-paid jobs in the world when they have patently shown they are not worthy of it.

Anyway, ranting aside, if Vick is reinstated then he will face an uphill struggle to even get picked up by an NFL team. The proliferation of the Wildcat offense makes him an attractive weapon, but Bill Parcells in Miami is not the kind of man to sign Michael Vick, especially given that they selected ex-Mountaineer Pat White in the draft to use as a Wildcat knuckleball. The most obvious landing spots for troubled-but-talented players in the past have been Oakland and Dallas. However, with the Cowboys’ cutting of T.O., Tank Johnson and Pacman ‘make it rain’ Jones in the last 2 seasons, it’s becoming apparent that Jerry Jones realizes when risk outweighs reward and acts accordingly by cutting out low-character players.

That leaves Oakland as the most obvious place for Vick to land. However, with the Raiders already having a talented young nucleus on offense – JaMarcus Russell, Darren McFadden, Michael Bush, Johnnie Lee Higgins and Darrius-Heyward Bey – even a man as craz-*cough* interesting as Al Davis may not want to introduce an erratic veteran who will bring more media scrutiny to the Bay Area and possibly destroy team chemistry.

All told, I think Vick has played his last down in the National Football League. Even if he is reinstated (and that’s the biggest ‘if’ in pro sports right now) then a team will have to deem that enormous media attention and the very possible spectres of fan disgust and locker room division are worth the price of a talented athlete who hasn’t done any meaningful football training in 2 years. Vick’s only possible re-entry into the NFL will have to come from an incredibly forgiving commisioner’s reinstatement and a team willing to take a big chance. In this NFL age of financial crisis and risk minimizing, it seems unlikely that Ron Mexico will be back in an NFL uniform.

And in this man’s opinion, that’s how it should be.

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Posted by distantblues

Escape strategy: players’ requests for trades bear little fruit

May 10, 2009

It seems increasingly common in the NFL that players are trying their utmost to get out of contracts and use the considerable media attention the NFL receives to try and manufacture a trade for themselves, usually based on either hating the coaching staff (see Ochocinco, Chad) or wanting a better contract (see Boldin, Anquan). In this offseason alone we’ve seen the two aforementioned wideouts request trades, as well as the likes of Carolina pass-rusher Julius Peppers, Philadelphia cornerback Sheldon Brown, Broncos-now-Bears QB Jay Cutler and Arizona DT Darnell Dockett.

However, NFL teams are becoming increasingly frustrated with these seemingly perpetual gripes and are standing much firmer on their belief of not trading players just because they’re being asked to. The Chad Johnson saga has been raging on so long that he’s had time to change his name, but still Marvin Lewis and the Bengals’ front office refuse to get rid of him because he is still under contract and required to play. So why do players want to leave? Every player who requests a trade is disgruntled, that much is obvious, but it seems that their frustration can be attributed to three main factors.

Factor 1: A falling-out with the coaching staff

As with Cutler, Johnson and indeed the Brett Favre debacle of last offseason, players want to leave when they feel they’ve lost the trust/faith/respect of the coaching staff around them. It is taken as a given that every NFL player has an ego, and when that ego stops being fed or respected the player is usually inclined to leave (Terrell Owens is an obvious example of this). A personal rift between player and coach can be enough to trigger a trade, and as we’ve seen with Cutler the coach will almost always look to shift the player rather than have him cause huge locker-room disruption: McDaniels traded Cutler, McCarthy shipped Favre and Phillips/Jones cut Owens. Players will not play hard for a coach they don’t respect and want to play for a coach they do, so they want to get the fuck outta Dodge, and understandably so.

Factor 2: Contract demands

Drew Rosenhaus family motto

Drew Rosenhaus' family motto

Most NFL players are probably unhappy with their contracts (well, apart from this year’s rookie class), but the brighter your name shines, the more likely you are to be given a wheelbarrow full of money. Usually this sudden dissatisfaction with a contract comes from another player at the same position (or even a teammate) receiving a big fat deal. All of a sudden that contract you signed 2 years ago isn’t looking so lucrative: Anquan Boldin and Chad Ochocinco have had this issue as Larry Fitzgerald and TJ Houshmandzadeh got a lot of money (and in the case of Ochocinco the insult was compounded when Houshmandzadeh left). At a time when multiple-receiver sets are becoming increasingly popular, the likes of Boldin and Ochocinco can demand more because their roles are likely to increase year on year. Long gone are the days where a player would play for the duration of his contract, and although perhaps their market value has increased, demanding a new contract after 2 years of a lengthy deal is not going to endear any player to their franchise or fans.

Factor 3: Desire for a new challenge

Sometimes when a player has played for the same team for years, they desire a new challenge. Tony Gonzalez is a Kansas City favourite but requested (and received) a trade because he wanted to leave and the team felt it was time. Gonzalez felt that he had done enough for the Chiefs over the last decade to merit a trade elsewhere and managed to get his wish without a media hailstorm. Julius Peppers felt much the same way after his years of production in Carolina, but he has not been traded as Carolina is desperate to keep him around. Not every player is a one-team man, and after a while even legends have to move (think Joe Montana’s brief swansong in KC) so it comes as no surprise that elder players can sometimes simply want a fresh start elsewhere. And sometimes, it must be said, they deserve the opportunity.

Over the last decade, players’ egos have increased and the NFL has become an even more profitable league, so everyone wants more money. However, an increasing number of franchises are deciding that enough is enough and refusing players’ requests to move. The day cannot be far off when players realize that the more they complain, the less likely they are to have their wishes granted. The NFL is getting more old-school in its actions, from player discipline to contract renewal, and the players will have to learn the hard way to keep their head down and shut up. Complaining, it seems, won’t get you anywhere.

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Posted by distantblues