2017 London Games

The Minnesota Vikings are going back to England next season. They will "visit" the Cleveland Browns at Twickenham Stadium in London in either Week 7 (October 22, 2017) or Week 8 (October 29, 2017) Final details will become known when the full 2017 NFL schedule is released in the spring.

The Vikings-Browns game is one of four games to be played in London next season. That's one more than usual. The others:

Week 3 or 4: Baltimore Ravens "at" Jacksonville Jaguars, Wembley Stadium
Week 3 or 4: New Orleans Saints "at" Miami Dolphins, Wembley Stadium
Week 7 or 8: Minnesota Vikings "at" Cleveland Browns, Twickenham Stadium
Week 7 or 8: Arizona Cardinals "at" Los Angeles Rams, Twickenham Stadium

The NFL boosted the number of London games from three to four. The suits at 345 Park Avenue sure do like their international games. The back-to-back games at Wembley and Twickenham are an interesting new twist. It should cut down on the back-and-forth movement of the invaluable people behind the scenes that make the games possible. It's my understanding that these games won't have the early starts that the league implemented the last two seasons. From my perch that's a good thing. The 9:30 AM starts were a hit with the folks on the east coast of the United States. The 6:30 AM starts on the west coast were horrible. The Ravens, Browns, and Cardinals will be playing in London for the first time. The Vikings and Saints are playing overseas for the second time. It's the fourth time for the Dolphins. The Jaguars should have their own facilities in London. They will play a home game in London for the fifth consecutive season. That's really been no treat for the NFL-loving fans in England.

NFL football debuted at Twickenham earlier this season when the New York Giants and Los Angeles Rams played a thriller. Primarily a Rugby Stadium, Twickers was a hit. The fans were more engaged but that was probably due to the game being more interesting than most London games. Sloppy, but more interesting. Perhaps it was because the stadium was new to most U.S. viewers, despite being older than even the original Wembley, but there was something intriguing about the environment. If the Vikings "have" to play in London I'm glad that it's going to be played at "the Cabbage Patch." Many stadiums have nicknames but Twickenham has more than I've ever seen. Although a couple are derivations of another.

Billy Williams' Cabbage Patch
The Cabbage Patch
Twickers
Headquarters
HQ

Before the site of the stadium was used to play rugby it was used to grow cabbages. That was before Billy Williams bought the lot for the Rugby Football Union in 1907. That explains the first two nicknames. The stadium is such a fixture in rugby, which makes it a complete mystery to Americans, that it's known to many in the know as the Headquarters of the sport. At least in England. That explains the last two nicknames. Anyone should be able to figure out the origins of the middle nickname.

The only present problem that I have with these London games is that for every game over there is a home game pried from the fans over here. There are only eight home games each season so losing even one game is a significant loss. Roger Goodell often spouts that everything that he does is for the fans. Very few of his actions in recent years would support that and yanking a home game from the fans destroys it. The future problem that I have with these London games is the apparent plans of Goodell and his suits to eventually place a team over there. With heartfelt apologies to the fantastic fans in England but that plan is ludicrous. The logistics will be a nightmare. At least eight games rather than four. One team flying back and forth throughout the season. The logistics for having a single game in London are a nightmare for two teams. Game planning and practicing are condensed, abbreviated, truncated, shortened, and hacked-up prior to a London trip. Why would Goodell, or anyone, put a team through a season of it? The NFL has always preached parity but this idea throws a team in a permanent hole.