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June 16, 2018

Gridiron Football: NFL representation in the largest metropolitan statistical areas (USA & London, England).

Filed under: NFL/ Gridiron Football — admin @ 12:02 pm

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Gridiron Football: NFL representation in the largest metropolitan statistical areas (USA & London, England)



Sources…[note: data was retrieved on 2 March 2018; some population data may have changed depending upon when the links below are later accessed]…
-List of metropolitan statistical area [in the USA];
-London Commuter Belt (en.wikipedia.org).

The chart shows all cities in USA (plus London, England) which have a metropolitan statistical area population of over 1 million. The NFL teams from each city are shown at the far right (via current [2018] helmet-logos).

I made this chart because, like millions of other sports fans, I am very curious about what the NFL’s short-term – and long-term – plans are, with respect to expansion and re-location of franchises. The average NFL fan would undoubtedly be interested. But fans of embattled franchises would be even more interested in the subject. That is, fans of such teams as the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Los Angeles (formerly San Diego) Chargers, the Oakland (formerly Los Angeles) Raiders, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the the Buffalo Bills…because their team might be one that moves out of their present location. And that moves to London, England (or, in the Raiders’ case, to Las Vegas, Nevada).

It looks like it is inevitable that there will be an NFL team in London: all signs point to it. {See this, Potential London NFL franchise (en.wikipedia.org).} And there doesn’t look like there is any real wish on behalf of the NFL, or its owners, to have another round of expansion. Because it does not appear that the market would bear it (it would really have to be a two-team-expansion). And also, a 32 team league, as the NFL currently is, is just too perfect a number to mess with. Perfect in the sense that divisional-alignments, playoff set-up, and scheduling are very optimal in the current 32-team format.

So, once again, some NFL fanbase is most likely going to get screwed, and the home-town-fans of that team will be absolutely devastated to see their team re-locate to England. But that’s how the NFL rolls. Treating their fans like pawns. However much joy will be bestowed upon sports fans in England to see an NFL team grace their shores…that joy will NEVER outbalance the grief that will be bestowed upon one set of fans in the USA who lose their NFL team. When that NFL franchise uproots and moves to London, it will be just one more example of the diabolical nature of the NFL.

This chart is similar to the one I made for Major League Baseball {here}.

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