Posted By: Five_X_Champs (02/07/2007 10:41:54 AM)
Comment: I feel bad for the German fans. The NFL was losing around $30mil per yer on NFLE so its understandable that they folded. But there were a lot of fans at the games. Some of the games saw 40k in attendance. Its just so sad that the NFL invested so many years into NFLE and is just throwing it away. I know that the fans in Germany must be pissed. I don't know what I would do if I were to lose the 49ers. Maybe a similar relationship to that of the MLB and the Japanese baseball league would have worked. In Japan, the players cannot make a move to MLB until they have served a minimum amount of years in the Japanese league. That way the Japanese fans can see the same stars each year. This wasnt the case in the NFLE since all the good players would be reallocated to their base team in the NFL after a good season.

Posted By: foreveryoung49ers (02/07/2007 12:14:17 AM)
Comment: Thank you Matt! My girlfriend and I and each NFLE Fan are so sad. Our most liked hobby is gone forever! It's so much different to watch the NFL on TV than to have live games with one team to rule for and a big event. One NFL Game somewhere in Europe with the Raiders playing the Texans or whoever can't make it easier. The fanbase in Duesseldorf was great and there is so much that ends in nothing. 120 unemployed is one thing, 8.000 season ticket holders is another. Our fan base was active in charities too, like collecting money for poor children or for meals for homeless. We had boat tours on river rhein to the rivalry game in cologne. And several couples met through all of this. Now it is all over and we are too sad. Tommorrow we will say goodbye to the office and everybody else at the last "Fire Talk". Goodbye NFLE

Posted By: Chinja (01/07/2007 9:28:33 AM)
Comment: It is sad to here that the NFL has given up on NFL Europa, even to a US fan like me. This was the first year I was able to actually watch Europa games thanks to NFL Network and I loved being able to watch some real football games before September. Maybe US fans would have gotten more involved in Europa if each team was actually connected to one or more US teams. So instead of spreading out US players all over the league each Europa team would have been seeded by 3 or 4 designated US Teams. That way each US fan would easily find a connection to their Europa team even if they have no connection to the Country or City.

Posted By: Reiner (30/06/2007 3:44:29 AM)
Comment: Thank you, Matt, for your words considering the end of the NFLE. I became an fan of the 49ers in 1985 when I first had one of the very few possibilities, to see an NFL game on German TV. And then in 1991 came the WLAF, and since 1992 I'm a fan of the Frankfurt Galaxy. I watched every home game since then and several away games (Düsseldorf, Schalke, Hamburg, Barcelona). So yesterday was a very, very sad day for me. With this deciscion the NFL has lost a lot of respect and credence in Europe. A notable part of the fan base here in Europe, especially in Germany, has been damaged. One or two regular season games in Germany or elsewhere in Europe can't compensate the loss of the NFLE.

Posted By: Martin (30/06/2007 3:18:12 AM)
Comment: Hey Matt, thanks that at least one guy covering the NFL has some nice words for the NFLE. I am a season ticket holder for the Galaxy since '99 and I will desperately miss the league come next spring. American Football is a game you have to see live in a stadium and one game a year will not be able to broaden or even keep the NFL fan-base in Europe. All though the quality of the game is far lower the local flavour adds much more to the game than big name players. I will regularly come to the US to see my beloved 49ers and try to catch as many NFL games in Europe as possible but I would rather route for the Galaxy take on the Fire instead for simply watching the Dolphins playing the Giants.

Posted By: Crazy49erfan (29/06/2007 8:30:03 PM)
Comment: Though I read the blog always, I never have posted on this site. However, I felt compelled after reading the several responses from our friendly European neighbors. It is a pleasure to read their perspective of the NFLE. With that said, having read all the Marcus Maxwell's posts on 49ers.com, and hearing about his accomplishments, I have become a fan. I hope he makes the squad and puts up some numbers.

Posted By: StonerLab (29/06/2007 3:50:44 PM)
Comment: I think Maxwell should feel very fortunate to have played in that League for the last season because he took full advantage of it & I believe he will make the 49er squad because of it. RIP Euro-League.

Posted By: Applespider (29/06/2007 1:56:27 PM)
Comment: Thanks Matt for writing something about the demise of NFL Europe other than the regurgitated AP stuff that the other outlets have put out. I live in the UK and was a keen Claymores fan; Jim Tomsula was our defensive line coach before he went to the Fire and when he got the SF job, I was even more delighted since I chose the 49ers as my team before the World League started. And your blog is firmly on my top RSS feeds. NFLE never really had a fair crack. The US media pretty much ignored it. And the Euro-media didn't take it seriously - not least since neither the GMs or coaches were accountable, there were league instructions as to which allocated players got playing time regardless of whether the 'second stringer' was better and 6 teams was never enough to make it a serious competition. Having 4 teams each in the UK and Germany say would have made it more worthwhile, UK champion plays German champion and it would have got more coverage and fans from the rival cities. The move of 5 teams to Germany was the deathknell of the league. It lost any credibility and press-coverage outside of the host cities and the goodwill of many fans who had supported their home teams. Still, it was enormous fun while it lasted and I have many, many happy memories of games, players, coaches and some of the most friendly and fervent fans I've ever had the pleasure of watching any sport with. It's the fans who lose out since many of them might never get to see another professional football game.

Posted By: Mike (29/06/2007 1:48:24 PM)
Comment: Hi Matt! Sad time for football fans in "Europa". I' am living in Hamburg and I was proud that the US was looking over to Germany and a lot of Niners fans watching how Maxwell is doing there, but thats over now. I think the international strategy of the NFL with up to 2 international games is a bad idea. For 08 regular season game frontrunner is a location in Germay, that is the only positive (acording to NFL.com) Thanks for your great work. You are one of the best sources for 49ers infos around the world. I' am in New York October 21st to see our Niners to crush the Giants. If football is not coming to us, you have to go ... From a huge, very huge 49ers fan from Germany.

Posted By: Jim in Walnut Creek (29/06/2007 11:18:34 AM)
Comment: Seems like Bill Hambrecht, Mark Cuban, etc had an insider preview that this was coming, when they began talking up the United Football League a few months back. I could see those investors doing some sort of joint venture with the NFL to provide a more cost effective development league. There is also still the Arena League (where many teams are owned by NFL owners) and the CFL.

Posted By: Sandeep (29/06/2007 10:46:32 AM)
Comment: This is unfortunate. I had the pleasure of attending a game in Cologne (and seeing Marcus Maxwell score 2 TDs) and while the stands were far from being full, I was surprised at how passionate some of the fans were. I saw many people with Cologne Centurions logos painted on their face, and plenty of jerseys in the crowd as well.