The Bucs are coming to London!

Well what news this is!

I'm proposing that we have a 606v2 get-together where we all get horribly drunk the night before the game.

Yes, the Buccaneers will play the Bears in this year's NFL International Series game. The game has not been properly scheduled yet but, assuming that the season goes ahead, it should be around the end of October.

For me, this is great news and it should be a good matchup. Chicago went the the NFC Championship game last season and the Bucs are a team on the rise.

I'll be up for that if I can get tickets, being a cheesehead, i'll be a bucs fan for the day.

Pr4wn - I assume this the Bears giving up homefield advantage ?
I'm sure the Buccs game v Pats in 2009 was a Buccs home game.
And I hate to dampen your enthusiasm but plenty has to happen over the next couple of months before we can be sure we get any football next season, though the Judge ruling on supervised mediation is a positive step IMO

It will be a Bucs home game. Good news for us imo, more publicity over here, the Tampa market will get to watch it on local television as it won't be blacked out too.

I still remain positive that we will have a season come August.

So the Buccs have given up 2 home games in 2 years ?
The Commish was telling us last year that he had a wiating list of sides that want to play in London who are prepared to give up a home game ?

Smells of a Glazer deal to me - check the merchandise shops on the day, he'll be sneaking a few Utd shirts and Norwich scarfs in lol

I bet mate, and so he should, too. Love them or hate them, by pulling this deal off, they're doing a lot to popularise the sport in the UK.

It also makes sense. RayJay didn't sell out once last season. The recession has hit Florida harder than any other US state and many people have had to move away as the value of their house has fallen through the floor.

At least by giving up a home game, the local Tampa Bay market can watch their team on TV as it won't be blacked out.

Two times in 3 years for Tampa... didn't really see that coming!
At least they are a much more effective side than the one facing the Pats 2 years ago because that was a little one sided (though we did get the Josh Freeman debut in a late cameo!)

Grizzly wrote:So the Buccs have given up 2 home games in 2 years ?
The Commish was telling us last year that he had a wiating list of sides that want to play in London who are prepared to give up a home game ?

Smells of a Glazer deal to me - check the merchandise shops on the day, he'll be sneaking a few Utd shirts and Norwich scarfs in lol

If there's a discount on the Utd shirts I win all round, lol.

crazy_dave23 wrote:Two times in 3 years for Tampa... didn't really see that coming!
At least they are a much more effective side than the one facing the Pats 2 years ago because that was a little one sided (though we did get the Josh Freeman debut in a late cameo!)

And we intercepted Tom Brady twice, and we go a nice fade TD throw from Josh Johnson to Antonio Bryant....


Wasn't much else to shout about though tbh...

35-7 wasn't it ? And you're looking at the positives ?
I can see you're a glass 'half full' man !

Pr4wn wrote:

crazy_dave23 wrote:Two times in 3 years for Tampa... didn't really see that coming!
At least they are a much more effective side than the one facing the Pats 2 years ago because that was a little one sided (though we did get the Josh Freeman debut in a late cameo!)

And we intercepted Tom Brady twice, and we go a nice fade TD throw from Josh Johnson to Antonio Bryant....


Wasn't much else to shout about though tbh...

Oh, there were some bright points for Tampa... but it was a bit of a walk over and I do remember somebody (Sam Aiken maybe) scoring a breakaway touchdown off some shoddy defensive work!

crazy_dave23 wrote:

Pr4wn wrote:

crazy_dave23 wrote:Two times in 3 years for Tampa... didn't really see that coming!
At least they are a much more effective side than the one facing the Pats 2 years ago because that was a little one sided (though we did get the Josh Freeman debut in a late cameo!)

And we intercepted Tom Brady twice, and we go a nice fade TD throw from Josh Johnson to Antonio Bryant....


Wasn't much else to shout about though tbh...

Oh, there were some bright points for Tampa... but it was a bit of a walk over and I do remember somebody (Sam Aiken maybe) scoring a breakaway touchdown off some shoddy defensive work!

The bucs - shoddy defence, never!

I know, such a change from the Bucs of old! I think the person in question was maybe Wes Welker, but you might be right with Aiken. That was some terrible tackling...

Our offense just couldn't get going, though. And the pick-6 no the second play of the entire game certainly didn't help.

Grizzly wrote:35-7 wasn't it ? And you're looking at the positives ?
I can see you're a glass 'half full' man !

You have to be mate! Still, it was better than last year's game, even though we lost. What a snore-fest the 49ers vs Broncos game was!

Mate, I spent 3 whole years in our 10-38 stretch looking for positives, got to say I found very few....

But now you have Jamaal Charles

True, but we still got Cassel !
We play a few decent pass rush teams this year, watch the sack machine return !

Might give me an opportunity to see them but will have to see how much tickets are.Should be a good event anyway.Looking forward to it!(if there's a season!)

I really want to go to one of these games eventually, I missed the Giants-Dolphins game by 4 months because I didn't watch AF at the time and my Dad is a Phin, would of been perfect, but then I'd probably of been a Phin too. I'll try to get tickets if there's a season, and I'll definitely be there if the Giants ever come back.

I think I'll be back in the U.K. visiting the family then. Hmmm, if the lockout is over and the game played, should see if me and the cousin can get a couple of tickets.

Being absolutely skint I can never manage to go down and see the games, I was pretty PO'd when the BBC stopped showing the Wembley game live, and only did highlights instead. I don't think they've showed a live game in London since the saints beat the chargers in 08- the best of the Wembley games, imo.

It'd be good if they spread it about the UK a bit more, I'd love to see one at Murrayfield. I'm suprised the NFL hasn't done one in Germany yet either considering the large popularity of the game there now.

I would love to go and watch a live AF game. If there is one this year i'm definately going to see how much tickets are, hopefully be able to afford it.

My ticket last year was £60 in the upper tier in what was the "corner" zone, but turned out to be slightly more sideline that end-zone which is what I wanted.

Prior to that I have always gone for upper tier sideline tickets which are normally around £80-£90 from memory.

Prices will be up around £5 from last year... just because.

You should definitely try to go as it's a great experience!

I really want to, maybe meet up with some of you guys too if i can.

Went to 49s Bronco last season, a fantasic day out. Just a shame that the Bills are very unlikely to play in any international series game because of the toronto games.

If a new CBA is not sorted out by the the ast of August then the game would be cancelled and moved back to Tampa.
Would hate to see this happen as this looks a decent game, would be hard to top the Chargers Saints game thou.

Surely something will be sorted out before then.... SURELY!

Gaelic-Warrior wrote:Being absolutely skint I can never manage to go down and see the games, I was pretty PO'd when the BBC stopped showing the Wembley game live, and only did highlights instead. I don't think they've showed a live game in London since the saints beat the chargers in 08- the best of the Wembley games, imo.

It'd be good if they spread it about the UK a bit more, I'd love to see one at Murrayfield. I'm suprised the NFL hasn't done one in Germany yet either considering the large popularity of the game there now.

That Saints-Chargers game was fantastic. I would love it if the NFL sent the Colts vs Patriots. Doubt that would ever happen but that's always a blockbuster matchup.

Pr4wn wrote:Surely something will be sorted out before then.... SURELY!

You would hope so, both sides lose more the longer the talks drag on, and I believe they are continuing the court ordered talks today.

uberfunction wrote:

Gaelic-Warrior wrote:Being absolutely skint I can never manage to go down and see the games, I was pretty PO'd when the BBC stopped showing the Wembley game live, and only did highlights instead. I don't think they've showed a live game in London since the saints beat the chargers in 08- the best of the Wembley games, imo.

It'd be good if they spread it about the UK a bit more, I'd love to see one at Murrayfield. I'm suprised the NFL hasn't done one in Germany yet either considering the large popularity of the game there now.

That Saints-Chargers game was fantastic. I would love it if the NFL sent the Colts vs Patriots. Doubt that would ever happen but that's always a blockbuster matchup.

Something tells me that the Colts vs Patriots game is so big the NFL probably wouldn't allow it to come over, I think they believe they can sell out wembley no matter the teams involved, but they try to ensure it will be a good game hoping this will develop the fan base for the sport.

Both teams have such huge national fan bases that neither owners would even consider giving up a home game to come to London.

For those that haven't seen it...

http://www.nfluk.com/news/registry-of-interest-early-bird-offer-20411.html

some early information on tickets and procedures etc...