NFL in London
Prince Akeem: Oh sir, the Giants of New York took on the Packers of Green Bay. And in the end, the Giants triumphed by kicking an oblong ball made of pigskin through a big "H". It was a most ripping victory.
Now I probably know as much as Prince Akeem from Coming to America about the game of American football but decided to accept the offer from my brother of a free £100 ticket to the NFL game at Wembley. To be honest, I didn’t even know who was playing until I got to the stadium.
I arrived at the Tailgate event a couple hours before kick-off, and despite the grey skies and light rain there was certainly a good atmosphere with lots to see and do. Although Lloyd summed it up well when he guessed it was probably a pale imitation of a tailgate party in the States which is essentially turning up hours before the game with beers and a barbeque.
As it turns out it was the San Francisco 49ers playing the Denver Broncos – both of whom have had a less than stellar start to the season. It also turns out that £100 gets you tickets with an amazing view. We were right in front of the journalists and there were probably around £4k’s worth of empty seats around us.
Pre-game “entertainment” was My Chemical Romance, Michelle Williams (her from Destiny’s Child) and Jeff Beck doing the electric guitar version of God Save the Queen – proof positive that the American sports don’t do understated.
The first half was as drab as the weather with Niners leading 3-0 at half time after a field goal. The second half was a much better affair with the Broncos pulling ahead, and one point looking like the likely winners. However San Francisco took control of the game in the fourth quarter and won the game with a final score of 24-16.
Really enjoyed the my first experience of the NFL, and also meant I’ve now been lucky enough to have seen all the four major US sports live.
- Baydr
