The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will host the New England Patriots when the NationalFootball League continues its International Series at London’s Wembley Stadiumon Sunday, October 25, 2009, the NFL announced today.

The Buccaneers and Patriots have been two of the NFL’s most successful teams inrecent years, combining to win four of the past seven Super Bowls. Both clubsare strong contenders for a return trip to the playoffs this season.

The contest will mark the third consecutive year of a competitive(regular-season) game at Wembley. On October 26, the New Orleans Saints beat theSan Diego Chargers 37-32 in front of an 83,226 crowd, while the New York Giantsovercame the Miami Dolphins 13-10 in October 2007 on their way to winning SuperBowl XLII.

The NFL has committed to playing at least one game in the UnitedKingdom for each of the next two seasons.
“Over the past two years, we have seen first-hand the excitement that existsfor our sport in the UK,” said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. “The games havehelped us to deepen our connection with our UK fans as well as create new ones. We are looking forward to another outstanding game in 2009.”
Joel Glazer, Buccaneers Executive Vice-President, said: “The Tampa BayBuccaneers organization is extremely excited and honored to be chosen toparticipate in the NFL International Series. We look forward to being part ofthe NFL’s global outreach and playing our great game in front of Buccaneers fansoverseas.”

The game between the Buccaneers and Patriots, both of whom are currentlychallenging for places in this season’s playoffs, will take place in Week Sevenof the 2009 season and will be shown live in the United States on CBS, kickingoff at 5:00 p.m. UK time (1:00 p.m. ET).

Tickets for the game will be available for sale in mid-January 2009 – unlikeother years in which the first wave of seats have been sold in April. Prior tothat a Registry of Interest will be made available to people interested inpurchasing tickets. All those that apply for tickets via the Registry ofInterest will be given priority in purchasing tickets before seats go on sale tothe general public.
Click here for more information on ticketing for the 2009International Series game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New EnglandPatriots. http://www.nfluk.com/tick...ation.html

NFL UK Managing Director Alistair Kirkwood said: “We are very excited at theprospect of welcoming two of the NFL’s leading teams to Wembley. The continuedcommitment of the NFL to the UK is a tribute to everyone who has made theprevious games such a success, from the fans and our partners to the teamsthemselves. Both the Buccaneers and Patriots have strong fan bases here and arenames that will be familiar even to those who don’t follow the sport closely. Weexpect this to be another fantastic game and an outstanding event.”

The Buccaneers captured Super Bowl XXXVII following the 2002 season and arechallenging for their third NFC South division title in the past four years. Tampa Bay will be in the global spotlight prior to next season, as Super BowlXLIII will be played at Raymond James Stadium on February 1. The Patriots won the Super Bowls XXXVI, XXXVIII, XXXIX following the 2001, 2003and 2004 seasons and won their first 18 games last season in advancing to SuperBowl XLII. The team is bidding for its sixth consecutive AFC East divisionchampionship.

Sorry ...


cary on

Maybe preseason but not a regular game. God hope they are not trying to bring back NFL Europe

They need to let this failed experiment go. Don't nobody outside the US give two pumps and a stroke about the NFL.

SCNDLS said:

I agree 20000% Stop it NFL!!!! It didn't work in Europe. It also didn't work when Buffalo Bills played in Canada (ratings and attendance were below what was expected).

kpowers said:

No, no... it's a regular season game as we've had this season (Saints and Chargers) and last year (Giants and Dolphins).

Apparently there may be 2 games in 2010... and during the Saints/Chargers game the NFL Commissioner stated that he hadn't ruled out the possibility of an International team... bring back the London Monarchs

SCNDLS said:

80000 tickets sold for both of the last 2 year's games at Wembley Stadium with over 1 million people entering the ballot both years...

You're right, absolutely no one cares for the NFL anywhere but in the US )

harveya said:

Yes, Yes I know it's a regular season game. What I'm saying if the NFL is going to have a game in another country it should be a pre-season game (even that I don't want).

harveya said:

I loved all those empty seats in the NFL Europe days

harveya said:

Just because folks attended an OVERLY hyped, once a year event, does not mean anyone in Europe is going to support a full season of NFL games. How many American football teams can the UK support to sustain a European league??? Besides, all the players and coaches that played in those games said that the international travel adversely impacted their performance at that game and their next game. So, there is NO upside to doing this shit during the regular season. Makes no sense.

Ahhh spandex and shoulder pads, it will be just like Fame came to town

SCNDLS said:

Well said

kpowers said:

So maybe the Superbowl winners should stop calling themselves World Champions?

SCNDLS said:

There won't be another NFL Europe - that was all 3rd string no-hopers trying to catch someone's eye... the aim is to have a UK based NFL Franchise team within 10 years, playing in the regular NFL.
8 home games a season x 80000 people = 640000... leaving another 360000 people without a ticket

And the Giants said that it improved their togetherness as a team and they went on to win the Superbowl... The Saints aren't the most consistent team so they're using the trip as an excuse for a couple of bad performances...

Anyway... it's 10 years away... and the powers that be will have the final say.

harveya said:

I agree to that, Do you want the NFL in Europe??? Think it would fail. Cost would also be a factor

um. they have rugby. a REAL sport. why the fuck would they even be remotely interested in our football?

harveya said:

I just call them Superbowl Champions. It's kinda like the miss universe contest, only Earth is represented.

mdiver said:

evenstar3 said:

evenstar3 said:

exactly

I'm just affraid in return England will try to import Rugby to the U.S

kpowers said:

http://www.usarugby.org/

doh...

harveya said:

Oh no..... the British are coming, the British are coming

harveya said:

when did this happen? I'm a Saints fan and I haven't heard them complain about the game other than to lament the loss of a true home game...

Patriots focus on Seattle game, not London

By Howard Ulman
Associated Press


FOXBOROUGH — New England Patriots players are spending little time thinking about next year's game in London. They're more concerned with the long trip they'll make in the other direction.

They travel to Seattle for to face the Seahawks on Sunday, a critical game for the Patriots' playoff prospects after their 33-10 loss at home to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

They avoided a trip to China in August 2007 when the NFL canceled a planned exhibition game against the Seahawks because, it said, it wanted to concentrate its "global resources" on that year's regular season game in London between the New York Giants and Miami Dolphins.

The league announced yesterday that the Patriots would play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Oct. 25 at Wembley Stadium.

"I don't really want to go to London but I guess if we have to, we have to," guard Logan Mankins said yesterday. "I don't want to go to China. But this week we're going to Seattle and it's going to be a tough week. It's a big game. We need a win, so that's what I'm going to focus on right now."

The Patriots (7-5) should be a solid favorite over the Seahawks (2-10). But Mankins and his teammates can't afford an upset loss, not with them trailing the New York Jets by one game in the AFC East and Indianapolis and Baltimore by one game in the wild-card race.

New England could have wide receiver Wes Welker back Sunday after he was leveled by Steelers safety Ryan Clark late in the third quarter and missed the rest of the game.

"He's a little firecracker. He's a tough little guy," Mankins said. "I think he's all right. Hopefully, he's all right. ... I saw him today, though. I told him that had to hurt. He said, aw, he didn't feel nothing."

New England is just 5-5 against AFC opponents, one of the criteria for a tiebreaker if teams finish tied for a postseason berth.

"I'm worried about Seattle," linebacker Mike Vrabel said. "I don't give a (darn) about London."

They will next season when they'll face the Buccaneers in the eighth game. Both teams will have a bye the following week.

Owner Robert Kraft said he thinks the Patriots are the most popular team there.

"Part of it probably is because of our name," he said. "We're the New England Patriots. We're going back to the mother country, for some, and it's pretty exciting."

Coach Bill Belichick didn't want to play in China, and Kraft said most coaches prefer to stay within a routine.

"Bill was the number one cheerleader to get this game and to have it over there. He had really preferred to go to China," Kraft joked. "When your team gets little bit better, then you get these changes in the schedule and, needless to say, he preferred England over China."

Belichick doesn't care about either this week. And his final three regular-season games against Oakland, Arizona and Buffalo aren't on his mind much.

He's busy preparing the Patriots to come back from their worst offensive outing of the season Sunday. Against the Steelers, their offense managed just 267 yards, absorbed five sacks, committed four turnovers and was 1-for-13 on third down conversions. Matthew Slater also lost a fumble when he dropped a kickoff.

"I am confident in the team," Belichick said. "We have had our highs and lows and we bounce back from those. ... There has been a good effort and good attentiveness to try to correct things, improve and get them right. I don't see any reason why that would change."

The Patriots reached the playoffs in each of the last five seasons and have three Super Bowl wins in the decade. They lost that game last February on a last-minute touchdown by the New York Giants, their only loss of the season.

Now they might miss the playoffs even if they win their remaining games.

"The best thing we can do is go out there and win," Belichick said. "We are not worried about anybody else but Seattle."

harveya said:

Obviously you've never heard of the California Golden Bears rugby team.

[edit] History

Rugby union began play at Cal in 1882 and continued until 1886, when it was ditched in favor of American Football. Rugby would make a return in 1906 after football was deemed too dangerous to play. From 1906 to 1914, Cal rugby garnered a respectable 78-21-10 record. 1914, however, saw the return of football and Cal would not field a rugby team for almost 20 years. In 1931, rugby returned under alumnus Ed Graff. It was during this time that Cal began to compete for the World Cup, which is awarded to the winner of the annual series between Cal and the University of British Columbia.

1938 began the era of Miles "Doc" Hudson, who guided the Bears for 37 years and an incredible record of 339-84-23. His successor would be Ned Anderson, an alumnus and former rugger for the Bears.

National collegiate championships for rugby union began in 1980 and Cal has been utterly dominant, winning 24 titles out of a possible 29.[3] Under Anderson, Cal reeled off four consecutive titles from 1980 to 1983. Current head coach and Cal alumnus Jack Clark took over the team in 1984, and has achieved even more prolonged success, leading the Bears to 20 national titles including a string of twelve consecutive championships from 1991 to 2002 and five more from 2004 to 2008.

http://en.wikipedia.org/w...ugby_Union

kpowers said:

[Edited 12/4/08 20:07pm]

The Seattle Seahawks have fans in the UK too.
www.seahawkers.org.uk

mdiver said:

Nothing wrong with spandex