Saints and Chargers Delight Fans, As NFL Finally Makes Its Mark in Britain

For a country so reticent to see it’s national game exported around the world, British fans certainly greeted the import of American football with great enthusiasm.

While the Premier League continue to struggle to convince anyone that a 39th game—played abroad—would be a good idea, the power-wielders in the National Football League must have been delighted at the success of the second foreign adventure of their preferred “product”.

Unlike last year’s inaugural event, where the weather prevented the New York Giants and Miami Dolphins from getting out of first gear, this year the New Orleans Saints and San Diego Chargers put on a great display of offensive football to more than satisfied the 83226 fans who packed into Wembley Stadium.

The 37-32 scoreline—the highest of the weekend’s action—ensured that the international fans got more than their money’s worth. It also ensured that the whirlwind tour would be welcomed back with open arms in future.

It was the two quarterbacks, Drew Brees and Philip Rivers, who provided the majority of the excitement. Coming into the game with impressive records for the season, both men showed their reputation was not an accident, as they each passed for over 300 yards.

Brees in particular was outstanding, skilfully evading onrushing defenders and distributing the ball around his receivers with clinical precision. Currently on course to surpass Dan Marino’s single season passing record, it was glaringly obvious the great form the 29-year-old was in—and the crowd showed their appreciation.

Led by the vocal minority of American fans in their midst, the British fans did their best to give the players the atmosphere their performances deserved. Although pre-match moods had been dampened by Reggie Bush’s knee injury, once Nate Kaeding had kicked the game off there was little thought for the absence of the Saints’ No. 25.

The battering ram drives of Deuce McAllister and elusive runs of Ladainian Tomlinson were greeted with equal enthusiasm, and great defensive plays (although, as the scoreline suggests, there were not too many) were also applauded with great fervour.

The greatest cheer of the night however, was reserved for Lance Moore’s celebration after his second quarter touchdown. Doing his best Fernando Torres impression, the Saint’s No. 16 slid on both knees across the Wembley endzone—imitating a football (soccer) celebration to the delight of crowd.

The initial catch wasn't bad either.

While the overall event was an overwhelming success, it is likely that Commissioner Goodell and his team will look to improve many aspects for next year’s now inevitable excursion.

For a start, the attempt to make Wembley Stadium a surrogate Superdome was a disappointing failure. With supporters wearing jerseys from all 32 teams in the ground, it was never likely that the crowd could emulate the terrific support the Saints enjoy during their “regular” home games.

While the Saints inarguably enjoyed the majority of the support throughout most of the game, tellingly the whole ground seemed to be cheering for the Chargers late on, as the possibility of overtime became increasingly clear.

If the NFL want the British fans to be more vociferous, they need to try a new tactic. With so many spectators supporting divisional rivals of the teams on display, it will never be easy to create the partisan atmosphere that meets most games.

Secondly, more thought needs to be put into the entertainment surrounding the game. While the pre-match “Tailgate Party” was a great idea, the enormous popularity of it seemed to surprise the organisers. Enormous queues formed next to every stall (to such an extent that few people had the opportunity to purchase any merchandise), and—despite all the advertisements to the contrary—there was little of real interest to do.

Nevertheless, it was the game itself that fans had come to see—and all went home delighted with what they had witnessed. It was everything they had seen on T.V.—heavy hits, breathtaking catches, powerful rans—and more.

Certain aspects might have been disappointing—the penalties for “excessive celebration” proved most unpopular with fans who appreciate the showmanship the game is known for—but all in all it was an incredibly successful occasion.

Much of the credit for this must go to the game’s organisers, but equally a lot of it must go to the two quarterbacks, Brees and Rivers. After the disappointment of last year’s game, the two men ensured that American football firmly entrenched itself in the British sporting psyche.

As Goodell et al look to take the game to other international destinations on the back of London’s success, perhaps they will acknowledge the debt they owe to both QBs. They picked the two teams for their attacking flair—and were repaid handsomely.

As advertisements for the product they could not have done better—and surely now many other cities around the globe will be lining up for the chance to host a similar match-up.

British fans will just be happy that they got the opportunity first.