The importance of the Green Bay Packers playing overseas
It is hard to believe that the Green Bay Packers are the final NFL team to get the green light to play in the United Kingdom. Earlier this week, the NFL made an official announcement saying that next fall, the team from Northeast Wisconsin will be traveling to London, England to play at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Before Packers fans in the UK get well-deserved applause, a little interesting piece of this puzzle is that there are now 17 games in the NFL regular season. For each conference, the number of home games flips every year between eight and nine.
Last season, Green Bay had just eight home games. This year, they were supposed to have nine. That is why there could be some mixed emotions stateside about Green Bay going to play in Europe. They lose an extra “home” game.
But, it is a surprise that the NFL took this long to get them to London considering the type of brand of the Packers. They are one of the premier, cornerstone franchises in the National Football League.
According to the UK & Irish Packers Group on Twitter, Packers fans all over Europe are excited for the Packers to finally be coming across the pond. From England, Ireland, and Scotland, to all of Scandinavia and Germany, Packers fans will be out in full force for their upcoming game across the pond.
Not only will those diehard fans have a chance to watch their team on their turf up close and personal, but other football fans will have a chance to fall back in love with the game and possibly label the Packers as their favorite team.
Inside the Packers facility, the front office, coaching staff, and players are very excited about this opportunity.
Packers President and CEO Mark Murphy stated via the team’s official site that it’s “a great opportunity for NFL fans in Europe to become more familiar with the Packers and be more likely to come to Lambeau for a game in the future”.
Head Coach Matt LaFleur has previously gone to play in London twice, once with the Tennessee Titans and once with the Los Angeles Rams. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers has previously expressed his desire to go over and play in London. Everyone is on board.
Possible teams that they might face include the New York Jets, New York Giants, or the New England Patriots. The NFL tends to be a less aggressive with scheduling big matchups for overseas games considering they are being broadcasted in the early morning window in the United States.
Look for Green Bay to be heavy favorites in this game due to their “home-field advantage” with the waves of European Packers fans showing up and the hope that they will be the better team at that particular time in the season.
This is a win-win-win for the league, the Packers, and their fans all across Europe. The franchise will get great exposure. The team should be playing a very winnable game. Fans will get to see their favorite team, a championship-level team in the midst of a possible championship season, play on their home turf.
The countdown for London is on in Green Bay and in Western Europe.