NFL to touchdown in Ireland with Pittsburgh Steelers?

[Count Steeler]

The NFL is looking at the possibility of staging a second regular season game overseas, following the success of matches held in London.

Since 2005, the NFL has played a regular season game - a competitive mid-season match rather than a friendly or pre-season game - at Wembley Stadium in London, in front of enthusiastic crowds of around 80,000 each time.


read more at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-18522442 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-18522442)

NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[X-Terminator]

Not a fan of this idea, sorry.

[steelreserve]

Given that Ireland has like 5 million people ... they're asking 2% of the country to come to a football game that most of them probably don't even care about. Not gonna happen.

I hope they go for it anyway. When nobody shows up, that could finally be the wake-up call that this type of shit has a limited appeal and shelf life.

[Count Steeler]

And I repeat... NNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

[fansince'76]

I've got ten bucks that says we get dicked out of a home game for this BS if it does happen.

[Count Steeler]

To be clear, I can't stand these idiotic overseas games.

I can't stand that the Bills play in Toronto 1 game a year. AND they extended it. How can you play in a city where you can't tailgate? I would rather drive to Buffalo and have the full NFL experience than watch a game here in Toronto. This whole arrangement just screws the real Bills fans in Buffalo. Bad, bad arrangement.

[ShutDown24]

I've got ten bucks that says we get dicked out of a home game for this BS if it does happen.

No doubt in my mind it would replace a home game for us. The league would think it's cute with Dan Rooney over there.

Edit: Actually, I'd be willing to bet any game the Steelers played out-of-country would be a "home" game. The league would have to know more Steelers fans will show up than fans of whatever team we would play.

[Psycho Ward 86]

Omg. Rooney, please do not let it happen.

[Chidi29]

Omg. Rooney, please do not let it happen.

If Dan has his way, we'll see one soon enough.

http://www.steelersdepot.com/2012/06/steelers-dan-rooney-ireland-croke-park/

[crcsnail]

i totally agree with u all . but its a one hour flight for me so i would be there like a shot :)

[tihmtahm]

I would like the idea if it were an exhibition game well before the season starts or sometime after the season ends.

[Austin87]

i totally agree with u all . but its a one hour flight for me so i would be there like a shot :)

Lucky bastard! Why don't they hold a game here in South Africa,we've got a couple of huge stadiums.

[Bluecoat96]

I think Homer Hensley over at BSPN is starting to be *gasp* a little more impartial.


Hensley's slant: I've never been in favor of moving regular-season games from fans here in the United States, especially the ones who pack their home stadiums.

http://espn.go.com/blog/afcnorth/post/_/id/50126/wake-up-call-steelers-to-play-in-ireland

[ALLD]

The stadium will lose too much revenue and it's a dumb idea even beyond that.

[tube517]

As long as this commissioner is in office and Dan Rooney is/was the ambassador of Ireland you know the idea was bounced around. Don't like it but the Steelers do have a global following.

Sent from my Thrive using Tapatalk 2

[BnG_Hevn]

I've got ten bucks that says we get dicked out of a home game for this BS if it does happen.

Well, one of the two teams will lose a home game. Maybe it comes down to a coin flip. What should happen is that the game is one where the visiting team has to travel across country. So, for example, if the Steelers were playing the Chargers in Week 8 in San DIego, make THAT the Ireland game. At least then the Steelers wouldn't have to travel to San Diego AND Ireland.

[Craic]

Personally, I think they should go to a 17 game schedule. The extra game should be played in a neutral site, whether overseas or a neutral site in North America. As far as the travel overseas is concerned, I think that's easily overcome. Start the Thursday games a little earlier in the season, say at the beginning of Novemember. Every team that travels overseas has a Thursday game either the previous week, or a bye that week. Make the following game either a Monday night game, or their bye week.

So,

Thursday game - 9 days until the next game a week later on Saturday, and then 15 days until the next game following the bye week.
Bye week - 14 days between games until the overseas game. Then back and 9 days until the Monday night game.

Oh, and if the league really wants it, they should have to provide two top of the line jets that fly the teams over.

That gives the league it's extra game. It gives the players the extra time to recover. It also doesn't take away from any home games.

[Chidi29]

According to the SteelersDepot article, our lease with Heinz Field says we must play 8 games there each season. So we'd probably be the away team.

[86WARD]

Horrible idea. Horrible.

[Devilsdancefloor]

bad idea! we would probably have to playin Ireland and then come home and play at m&T the next weekend

[Moose]

I don't care if the game is BEFORE the season starts ( a preseason game of sorts)...or AFTER the season ends ( 2 teams out of play-off contention), any game DURING the season I feel isn't beneficial to the players or the teams. With the overseas flights and time frames, their bodies and systems wouldn't adjust properly and therefore would affect the regular season record. Just doesn't make sense in the first place, but our thoughts aren't going to matter. It's all about the all mighty buck.

[86WARD]

No player supports playing in Europe...

[Craic]

I don't care if the game is BEFORE the season starts ( a preseason game of sorts)...or AFTER the season ends ( 2 teams out of play-off contention), any game DURING the season I feel isn't beneficial to the players or the teams. With the overseas flights and time frames, their bodies and systems wouldn't adjust properly and therefore would affect the regular season record. Just doesn't make sense in the first place, but our thoughts aren't going to matter. It's all about the all mighty buck.
I've been saying that for a long, long time now. You are exactly right. All the rule changes, the crackdown on hits, the fining of players, the suspension of Ben, it's all about the league being able to look like it's putting its best foot forward.

As far as the games themselves are concerned. If every team had to travel overseas, then there'd be no problem with it, since they all would have to deal with the same issues to one degree or another.

[steelerdude15]

I honestly feel there are better places where they could do this.

[Craic]

I honestly feel there are better places where they could do this.

I don't know, it honestly feels like a nod of the head to Dan Rooney, a show of respect.

[Iron Steeler]

I don't care if the game is
BEFORE the season starts ( a preseason game of sorts)...or AFTER the season ends ( 2 teams out of play-off contention), any game DURING the season I feel isn't beneficial to the players or the teams. With the overseas flights and time frames, their bodies and systems wouldn't adjust properly and therefore would affect the regular season record. Just doesn't make sense in the first place, but our thoughts aren't going to matter. It's all about the all mighty buck.

I feel ya brother

[The WH]

To hell with all your whining, that's a three hour flight for me. Cry me a river.

[steeldevil]

Notre Dame's first game of this season is in that stadium. Against Navy I think.

[XxKnightxX]

Id love to see the Steelers play one in Mexico City, James Harrison and Brett are down there right now and they have a huge following.

[The WH]

Looking at their schedule, you won't see them play outside of the US this year. Unless their schedule game-dates get changed. They aren't scheduled to play a single game, against the right opponent on the right day to justify taking the game overseas. The only team with home-game attendance crappy enough would maybe be Tennessee. But that is a Monday night game. Meaning they would play at 1am in Ireland to keep that timeslot.

Pittsburgh won't play overseas until they have a Sunday 1pm game away scheduled against a team with a less than stellar home attendance record.

This year isn't the year. The only team that they would remotely consider would be the Bengals game, but that is a rivalry game that would sell out either teams stadium any day of the week.

[CPanther95]

There's more than enough Irish in Pittsburgh. Just replace one of the hypocycloids on the helmet logo with a shamrock for one of their home games and send a crate of Terrible Towels to some Dublin sports bars. That should be tribute enough.

[SteelGhost]

Id love to see the Steelers play one in Mexico City, James Harrison and Brett are down there right now and they have a huge following.

Playing in Mexico City makes more sense than playing in Ireland IMHO, there are A LOT of Steelers fans and it's nearer, a game against the Cryboys would be sold out in minutes.

[The WH]

Don't think for a second that Jerry Jones is going to lose a homegame.

I'm tellin' ya, you guys probably have nothing to worry about.