The St. Louis Rams are taking the show overseas. At least for the next few years.
Rams, Patriots Will Meet In London During 2012 Season
The Rams are going to be “hosting” a game in London for the next three seasons. Up first is the Patriots, who they’ll play on Oct. 28 of next season.
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The NFL and the Rams announced on Friday that the Rams would be the team playing in Wembley Stadium this year. The league has been sending one game to London, England each year and they announced on Friday that the Rams would be the home team in 2012 -- and for 2013 and 2014. So that’s three seasons of one game in London for the Rams.
On Oct. 28, 2012, they'll "host" the New England Patriots at Wembley Stadium.
“This is a tremendous honor for our franchise, the city of St. Louis and our fans throughout the world,” said Rams owner E. Stanley Kroenke. “We are excited about the opportunity to reach new audiences globally. This is a great platform to showcase the city of St. Louis to London and the UK.
“We’ve seen first-hand the increased popularity of the NFL not only in London but throughout Europe. To play a role in that growth over the next three years will be incredible and is a testament to the many good things happening not only in the NFL but also in the St. Louis Rams organization.”
This is now going to make folks wonder whether the Rams are going to be the team that eventually moves to London on a full-time basis. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were the other team some figured could be London-bound more often. It's unclear whether and to what extent the league is interested in having a team in England on a full-time basis.
One connection between the Rams and Bucs and playing in the overseas game is that both owners -- Rams’ Stan Kroenke and Bucs’ Malcolm Glazer -- also own international soccer teams. The Rams and Bucs also struggle to sell out their stadium, which is likely a significant part of this.
Check out Turf Show Times for more on the Rams and their London trips.
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