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La historia de la NFL International Series en Londres
Por: Travis Brody
Traducido por: Daniel Solano Torrente
Editado por: Guillermo Moratalla
Cuando la NFL anunció que iba a concluir la NFL Europa en el año 2007, la NFL rápidamente declaró que iba volver a Europa con un partido de la temporada regular ubicado en Londres, a finales de aquel año. Ellos han demostrado que pudieron cumplir con su promesa y aún más. Lo que comenzó como un partido se transformó en la NFL International Series, algo que ya lleva ya once partidos en Londres durante siete años y no muestra síntomas de perder su impulso.
Antes de la creación de la NFL Europa (inicialmente conocido como el World League of American Football), la NFL sondó al mercado internacional cuando inicio el American Bowl Series. La American Bowl Series fue un conjunto de partidos de la pretemporada de la NFL que fueron jugados en varias ciudades alrededor del mundo como Londres, Berlín, Barcelona y Dublín. Desde el inicio de su inicio en el 1986 hasta que terminó en el 2005. Durante la American Bowl, la NFL tuvo 40 partidos sobre 12 ciudades en cuatro continentes diferentes.
La NFL Europa logró un éxito moderado. Sin embargo, a cada intento le faltaba una cierta algo que se podía mejorar. En este caso el problema fue la ausencia competitividad los partidos de alto nivel y las grandes apuestas. Con la NFL Europa, la NFL estaba ofreciendo a hinchas europeos un nivel de fútbol americano con calidad, aunque todavía consistía de jugadores que no pertenecían a un nivel suficientemente alto para mantenerse en un equipo de la NFL. La mayoría de los jugadores se quedaban por una temporada y después se regresaban, resultando en una afición poco consolidada en la NFL Europa.
Con la American Bowl Series la NFL ofreció a su afición internacional partidos con equipos de alto nivel, pero no necesariamente les estaba ofreciendo el mejor nivel ni siquiera el mejor nivel de talento. Los partidos de pretemporada no influencian las victorias o derrotas de la temporada regular ni ayudan ni perjudican las oportunidades de llegar a la postemporada, y normalmente incluyen a jugadores que jamás van a jugar en la NFL. Debido a eso, los equipos no tienen el incentivo de jugar para ganar, ya que ellos buscaban darles oportunidades a sus suplentes para que muestren que se merecen un puesto en el equipo durante la temporada regular. Hasta en los Estados Unidos, a los aficionados no les interesan mucho estos partidos, debido a que no tienen mucha importancia. En un caso famoso, en el 2001, un partido entre los Baltimore Ravens y los Philadelphia Eagles fue cancelado debido que la grada de la sede los Eagles, Veterans Stadium, estaba en malas condiciones. Nunca hubo se volvió a cambiar la fecha del partido.
En aquellos tiempos la NFL no entendía que le estaban ofreciendo al mundo un producto de segunda clase y sin embargo esperaban que se enloquecieran por eso. Esto no quiere decir que estos esfuerzos no dieron experiencias positivas de aprendizaje o que ningún objetivo fue alcanzado, simplemente que esta estrategia no era sostenible. Cualquier deporte mejora sus lazos con el publico general brindando partidos clásicos y momentos inolvidables. La primera persona en entender esto fue el comisionado de la NFL Roger Goodell. Así nació la NFL International Series.
La seria empezó en el 2007 con un partido de la octava semana de la temporada regular entre los New York Giants y los Miami Dolphins en Londres. Los Giants ganaron con un marcador final de 13 a 10 en un campo empapado de lluvia en el Wembley Stadium. Debido al tiempo, fue un partido desorganizado con el quarterback de los Giants, Eli Manning, sólo completando 8 de sus 22 pases intentados para un total de 59 yardas, algo bien mediocre pero al fin terminó siendo lo suficiente para que los Giants ganaran ese día. Después de ese partido, los Miami Dolphins quedaron con cero victorias y ocho perdidas en la temporada regular, pero sin embargo significaba un logro para la NFL, siendo el primer partido de temporada regular jugado fuera de Norte América. Quizás más notable de todo fue que los Giants continuaron ese año a ganar el Super Bowl, por poco superando a los New England Patriots con un marcador final de 17 a 14. De hecho, no fue un mal inicio para la serie londinense.
Durante la temporada del 2008, la liga continuó teniendo otro partido en Londres que incluía a los New Orleans Saints y los San Diego Chargers, los Saints quedaron victoriosos con un marcador final de 37 a 32, el año antes que ganaron la Super Bowl XLIV contra los Indianapolis Colts, 31 a 17. Las siguientes cuatro temporadas mantuvieron el mismo formato del pasado de un partido al año hasta que la seria se expandió a tener dos juegos en el 2013. Ese año, los espectadores recibieron a los San Francisco 49ers, un equipo que apenas acababa de perder contra los Baltimore Ravens en el Super Bowl XLVII con un resultado de 34-31. Los 49ers otra vez terminaron avanzando lejos dentro de la postemporada, pero terminaron perdiendo un partido bien luchado contra los que serían los ganadores del Super Bowl, los Seattle Seahawks, con un marcador final de 23 a 17. Después de lograr gran éxito teniendo dos partidos en Wembley, La NFL decidió expandir la serie a tres partidos en el 2014.
La liga tenía tres juegos programados para el 2015, y como lo había reportado American
Football International, La NFL quizás hubiera agregado un cuarto partido si no fuera por el Rugby World Cup del 2015 con sede en Inglaterra. Siendo Inglaterra la sede del mundial de rugby, el Wembley Stadium lógicamente se iba utilizar para varios partidos del torneo. El vicepresidente de la NFL International, Mark Waller, había dicho que él estaría “muy desilusionado si no estaríamos juagando más de tres partidos allá en el 2016.” Parece ser que la NFL International Series está destinada solo a crecer.
Estos partidos permite la NFL de evaluar varias áreas logísticas como el viaje, de semana de descanso, factores de impuesto y muchas más. La siguiente temporada va representar unos primeros instantes para la serie, la primera siendo semanas de partidos uno tras la otro (los Bills contra los Jaguars en la séptima semana y los Lions contra los Chiefs en la octava semana) algo que va testear la durabilidad de la cancha, también como el primer partido entre dos equipos que pertenecen en la misma división en forma de los Miami Dolphins contra los New York Jets en la cuarta semana.
La NFL ha considerado oportunidades de jugar en otros sitios en Europa, específicamente en Edimburgo (Escocia), Cardiff (Gales), Dublín (Irlanda) y Berlín (Alemania), pero han visto que la accesibilidad, infraestructura y afición de Londres ofrece una ventaja distinta. En vez de enfocándose en acceder a muchos mercados al mismo tiempo y correr el riesgo de no dejar algún impacto de sostenibilidad, ellos están tratando de penetrar un solo mercado y dejar una impresión que dure.
Hasta ahora, la NFL International Series en Londres en cada partido ha agotado todas sus entradas, a excepción siendo en la temporada del 2011 en que las entradas se empezaron a vender tarde debido a negociaciones entre la NFL y la unión de jugadores de la NFL. Desde que la serie no ha mostrado indicaciones de perder su rápido desarrollo, parece ser que el cielo es el límite para el fútbol americano en la ciudad londinense.
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