Bob Donnan-USA Today Sports Images
The ACC is considering playing some future games in Europe.
This is, without a doubt, the most asinine idea I have ever heard of.
How did this go in the meeting?
“Ok. Picture this…ACC FOOTBALL IN EUROPE! YES?!”
The rationalization in an article I read was based on the premise that since Notre Dame in Dublin, Ireland was such a success why not take some conference teams across the pond for a few games.
Here’s why; the Notre Dame Fighting Irish were successful overseas because it was Dublin, Ireland. I know its hard to believe, the Fighting Irish in Ireland, that’s crazy, right? So, naturally, putting the Miami Hurricanes against the Florida State Seminoles or Virginia Tech against Georgia Tech will be a tremendous success. Or maybe it won’t.
Maybe I’m being too harsh.
But the article on CBSSports.com suggesting that Notre Dame’s success in Dublin and the growing popularity of the NFL in London are both green flags for the ACC is ridiculous. Not to mention, the fact that the writer included the USA basketball team’s popularity in last summer’s Olympics is so off-base with what we are talking about it’s laughable.
I feel like the ACC may be a bit outside of their boundaries on this one, though. The NBA and the NFL are a huge success internationally because, well, it’s the NFL and the NBA. They are both businesses that bring in billions of dollars and each has global icons. People want to see Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Adrian Peterson just as much as they want to see LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Chris Paul. I find it hard to believe somebody overseas wants to see how North Carolina State’s sophomore QB is developing.
To use the “Notre Dame success in Ireland” argument or to compare the recent success of the NFL in Europe or the USA Olympic basketball team’s popularity internationally is naïve and just plain silly.
There are good ideas and bad ideas, but, the idea that the ACC, of all conferences, will play games overseas and draw a crowd as well as popularity is the worst idea I have ever heard.
And by-the-way, they want to play basketball games in Europe, too.
