Real Football
After nearly a year without watching a pro football game, we were shocked and excited to find out that there would be a game in London of all places during our visit. While the actual game between the Pats and Bucs was a blowout and not the best example of American football, for us it was a treat.
The game was at Wembley Stadium and it was cool just to see it and be among the 84,000 people streaming into and out of it. The atmosphere can only be described as a spectacle – the NFL pulled out all the stops to make it a “home” game for the Bucs. There were the usual cheerleaders and pyrotechnics, but also huge hot air “helmet” balloons, pirate flags for everyone in the stands, live music, and of course two national anthems before the start (Toni Braxton sang the US one).
The craziest thing was the fans. I think that anyone in England who owns some sort of NFL jersey wore it to the game. Between us we spotted every team represented except for the poor Jaguars. It was really strange to be at a game and see fans and colors from all the teams, not just the ones that are playing. Aside from the Pats, the Dolphins and Green Bay seem to have a lot of fans here too.
The final part of the experience was getting back to central London on the Tube with everyone else. The police kept everyone moving, but slowly enough for the trains to handle. The queues were orderly and it was amazing how quickly everyone got out of there. Other cities and venues should take note.
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