It’s been a big week, sports media consumers, with the National Football League (NFL) holding its first game at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). So, instead of doing The Coverage: Better Late Than Never, I have decided to do an NFL edition.
A lot of noise surrounded the first NFL regular-season game between the LA Rams and the San Francisco 49ers. Some of it was positive; the rest was negative. The game looked like a success, with 100,021 people showing up to watch. Roger Goodell told ESPN they already want to be back here.
Like all things, though, some people didn’t like the game being played ‘Down Under,’ and actually don’t like international games altogether.
Anyway, here’s what’s been happening in the world of sports media NFL edition.
The Jet Lag Bowl
If you are not used to American Football, one thing you should know is that they don’t call the game where their two best teams play in the grand final, as Aussies do. They call it the Super Bowl.
When I finished work on the day of the game, a new episode of The Bill Simmons Podcast was ready for me to listen to. Simmons had Joe House, Simmons’ college buddy and frequent guest on numerous Ringer podcasts.
They first discussed the game, with Simmons mentioning how ESPN Sportscaster Peter Schrager posted how the LA Rams came up with their crazy travel plan on X/Twitter. For those who don’t know, instead of showing up in Australia and adjusting to the new time zone like the 49ers did, the Rams flew in 28 hours before the game.
Schrager, who is banned from appearing on Simmons’ podcast (a story for another time), said that the Rams had sent 15 staff members to Australia and tracked their sleep.
In the end, the 49ers had a big win, 27-7, which may have proved the science behind the Rams’ travel plans didn’t work. But some people think the 49ers coming over early to adjust will hurt them in the long run. We will have to wait and see.
Simmons called the game the ‘Jet Lag Bowl,’ which is a clever name. Maybe they can make a trophy-shaped plane, and we can have Simple Plan sing ‘Jet Lag’ for the entertainment.
No more international games
It’s fair to say that former Super Bowl-winning coach Jon Gruden is not a fan of the NFL’s trip to Australia. Actually, Gruden is not a fan of any international games at all.
Gruden’s coaching resume includes the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Las Vegas Raiders, and New Orleans Saints, winning a Super Bowl with the Buccaneers in 2002. So he knows what he’s talking about. On his Barstool Sports show, The Gruden Family Football Show, he said that instead of playing games overseas and growing the game internationally, the NFL should focus on growing the game in America.
As an American sports fan, I was so happy to see an NFL game played here finally. Honestly, it should have happened years ago, and the only reason England got one first is that they are closer. But I also feel Gruden’s pain. The National Rugby League is doing the same thing here in Australia.
When I was a kid, I wondered why rugby league wasn’t a bigger sport internationally. As I grew up, I found out why, but I always wanted rugby league to grow internationally. The man in charge of the NRL, Peter V’Landys, is trying to do that. For the past three seasons, we’ve seen the opening round played in Las Vegas, while V’Landys has said that he wants to hold a global opening round, where teams play in different countries.
I admire V’Landy’s vision, but more needs to be done at the grassroots level (junior grades for US readers). We need more kids to play the game, especially with the Perth Bears and PNG Chiefs joining the competition and the possibility of a 20th team down the track. But we also can’t let those clubs in regional areas such as Griffith, Wagga Wagga, and Dubbo fold either.
The rest of the Barstool Sports guys also weren’t fans of the game in Australia, with some complaining that the crowd was too far from the action. The MCG is built for sports such as cricket and AFL.
But as an Aussie, I have to laugh at an American sports outlet complaining that a stadium is too big. That’s a new one.
You came to the MCG, mate. It’s our thing.
So what do you think? Should the NFL keep taking games overseas to grow the international audience, or should they listen to Gruden and focus on cities in America that don’t have an NFL team?
Melbourne Gridiron Ground?
Speaking of the MCG, sports broadcaster Gerard Whateley said post-match that NFL games coming to Australia should not be played anywhere else.
Wheatley is Melbourne-born and raised, so he may be biased toward the city, but he may also have a point. The MCG is the only ground in Australia that can hold 100,000 people. But as I mentioned above, the Barstool guys and other fans weren’t happy being so far from the action.
Accor Stadium in Sydney can hold around 84,000 people and is better suited to rugby league, which could make for a better viewing experience. Surprisingly, Sydney didn’t get the game. But that’s a fumble they will have to live with. After seeing the game’s success in Melbourne, I have a feeling other states will put on their thinking caps and figure out how to bring it to their capital city.
It’s Mel-bin, not Mel-bourne
The son of one of America’s most beloved commentators apparently divided Netflix viewers with how he was pronouncing Melbourne.
Noah Eagle, son of Ian Eagle (pronounced Iron, not Ian), was part of the Netflix team for Friday’s game. According to the New York Post, Eagle divided fans with his pronunciation of the Victorian city.
I hate to break it to you, my dear American readers, but he got it right. We say Mel-bin, not Mel-bourne, even though technically you’re pronouncing it the way it’s spelled. Also, that’s what a good broadcaster does; he gets the pronunciations correct—nothing like someone pissing off other people by doing their job properly.
Transcending sports
To show you how big the NFL is globally, an Australian comedian who dabbles in a little sports content reached people who don’t normally watch any sport.
Jimmy Rees is a comedian known for playing Jimmy Giggle on the ABC Kids show Giggle and Hoot. Rees left the show in 2020 and then started doing comedic videos on YouTube and TikTok.
The comedian had fun with the NFL’s first game in Australia.
The NFL’s first regular-season game in Australia has shown just how much appetite there is for American Football Down Under. I was lucky enough to see the NFL come to Australia finally; hopefully I will be in the crowd when it comes back.
That’s all for the NFL edition of The Coverage. Until next time, take care.
Merce
