I'm mildly intrigued by the fact that Sunday's Giants-Dolphins game will be taking place in London, the first regular season game to be played outside North America (although it can be argued that the Giants and Jets playing at the Polo Grounds and Shea Stadium involved games on islands near of the coast of North America). More intrigued is Brian Tennent, head of the Dolphin's UK fan club. Londonist has an interview:
What first attracted you to the NFL in general and supporting the Dolphins in particular?When it was first regularly broadcast on Channel 4, it looked more exciting and glamorous than UK sports. The games, with their bright colours, sunshine (in Miami at least), cheerleaders, etc. brought a ray of sunshine into the middle of a dark British winter. The presenters explained the game well and taught us how to follow the game, what to watch, and how to appreciate the standout plays of the day. Soon I came to appreciate the athleticism of the players, the way that they are specialists at their own position, and therefore the very best there is at that task.
Yes, nobody puts on a show like the NFL. One wonders if the British would like college football, with its marching bands and far more rabid fans. If you can believe it, I used to watch the World League (Go NY/NJ Knights!). With a few exceptions, Americans just like different sports than the rest of the world, and I doubt that any publicity stunts will change that.
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