I think it can be a part of the Olympics. It's one of the most popular sports in the world. There might be an issue on which players they will use, NFL? NCAA? or a mix of both? It would be like the Dream Team '92 but there are other countries that have good teams like Canada, Mexico, and Japan. Any comments.
No, it won't be. It's not that popular. Are there any other professional leagues anywhere in the world (other than the CFL)? I've seen some of the World Cup they hold. The US goes out with lower level college players and still dominates. There's not enough countries that play. I believe that's part of the reason they dropped baseball and softball.
not sure why they dropped baseball, but a lot of the world plays it. The Central American, and Caribbean countries, the Far East Asian countries, and surprisingly, some European countries.
I dont think football is going to be in the Olympics, Its not very popular outside US, Canada and Mexico, and when they play the world cup US plays with Division III players and still dominate. just like Rugby is just popular in some countries from Europe and Oceania.
Huh?? Really? One of the most popular in THE WORLD? Other countries with good teams? Honestly the one country that could probably put together a good team outside of Canada, Mexico, one of the Pacific Islands, is Nigeria. A number of Nigerian/Nigerian-American players in the NFL and NCAA DI. Regardless moot point when you consider that Rugby has been off the Olympics list for a little bit and is only returning in 2016 in Sevens format. Rugby is played in more countries around the world than Gridiron/American Football.
Rugby is popular in many countries in Europe not just some, as well as in Asia, South America and Africa-when compared to Gridiron/American football. Plus it's easier to play more rugby matches in the few short weeks of the Olympics than it would be to play Gridiron/American Football.
Letting NFL in would be akin to letting NASCAR in...both are extremely popular in the US, but not in the world. Besides they already have football in the Olympics.
Can't see gridiron football being a part of the Olympics for a good, long while. It's just not popular enough worldwide and there just aren't enough good players worldwide. Every year, a group of DII and DIII- level college players goes over to Japan to play the very best that country has to offer in the sport and they win pretty routinely.
Making it an Olympic sport would be good for the game of American Football. It would help spread the global brand of Football, countries would invest more time and effort towards it, to field an Olympic team perhaps, idk jus my 2 cents
Your two cents are correct but the NFL leadership and teams don't have a genuine interest in growing the game globally with the exception of one or two owners(Bob Kraft the main one). The NFL seems to think global means the United Kingdom or Mexico. (I know NFL Europe was in other countries/cities on the European continent and that the NFL has played games in Asia before) It's not as genuine an interest or effort as the NBA did for years in the 80s and 90s imo.
Agreed on all accounts. That poster's instincts are correct. Putting American football into the Olympics would grow the sport, but the problem is that the IOC won't put a sport in if it isn't already global. NFL Europe is actually good proof that the sport isn't ready to spread to other parts of the world. By the time the league was disbanded, all but one team in NFL Europe was in Germany, the one European nation that latched on to the sport.
I dont know if it would grow the sport for sure. Look softball, when that sport was in Olympics, I didnt see a clear growing of the sport globally, and I dont see a clear growing in sports globally like field hockey, and some others.
