Jason Taylor, a star of the Miamia Dolphins (who are so bad, apparently, that they can be seen as the equivalent of Derby County, the "soccer" team at the bottom of the English Premier League although, unlike in English football which has NINETY proffesional teams, teams in the NFL cannot be relegated into a division below them if they finish in the bottom three of their division), says that American football will never overtake "soccer" as the top sport in Britain, despite its attempts....
American Football will never be as big as Beckham, admits Dolphins ace Jase
By MARK FLEMING
28th October 2007
Daily Mail
Miami Dolphins superstar Jason Taylor accepts that no matter how many giant robots they make of him, he will never be as big as David Beckham.
Taylor was the 'ambassador' chosen to become the world's biggest animatronic model as part of the glitz surrounding today's groundbreaking American football clash at Wembley between the Dolphins and the New York Giants in front of 95,000 fans.
Jason Tayler will play for Miami at Wembley today
In the same way that Beckham has become the figurehead used to promote football in the States, so Taylor is the leader of the PR push for the American game.
The enormous robot, complete with helmet and shoulder pads, has been popping up all over London in the past week to drum up interest in the USA's latest export.
However, Taylor — big enough in his own right at 6ft 6in — accepts that Britain is unlikely to take to gridiron.
"Soccer is just so ingrained into British culture," he said. "It would be very tough for us to rival it. It is the same for soccer in America. It will never be at the same level as the NFL.
"David Beckham brings some credibility to it in the US. He is certainly a good ambassador for the sport. But no matter how they promote the NFL around the world, I will never be as big as him. I mean, he's got the rock star wife and he's then got the whole global appeal of soccer."
American football is breaking new ground as today's clash is the first regular season NFL game to be played outside of North America.
The sport has chosen well in picking Taylor as their ambassador. One of the best defensive players in the league, he is also smart and articulate, turning up for a press conference on Friday wearing an England football shirt (size XXXL).
Taylor's calm self-assurance, however, is not shared by all his team-mates.
Channing Chowder admitted a little too honestly that before he flew over, he did not realise people in London speak English (he was joking, of course, but some gullable souls in the press corps were taken in).
South London-born Marvin Allen is a member of the Dolphins' practice squad and although he will not feature in Sunday's game, he is one of very few Britons to get even this far in the American sport. He has done it the hard way.
"My dad was a coach and I was around it as a kid. I just picked up a love for the game," he enthused.
Having played flag football, a non-contact version of the game, Allen progressed to playing full-contact football in the British amateur league.
He played for four years with London Os in the British Senior League, winning three titles, before spending three seasons in NFL Europa.
He was a practice squad player for Pittsburgh Steelers in 2006 and was then allocated to Miami in June.
Allen is now hoping the game grips the British public as much as it did him as a child and believes the response the London match has received is an indicator that American football is welcome on these shores.
He added: "It wasn't a surprise to me when the game sold out as quickly as it did. Slowly, through television and NFL Europe, people are understanding the game more and I think it's going to be a pretty big deal this weekend."
In contrast to the cosmopolitan nature of the English Premier League, the NFL is horribly provincial in terms of playing personnel.
Osi Umenyiora of the Giants is one of the few players to actually come from outside the US. He was born in Golders Green, north London, before moving to Nigeria when he was seven and then on to the States when he was 14.
He sounds nothing but American now, however. "I feel Nigerian but I'm actually British," he said. "The guys tease me by doing things like standing up straight like the guards at Buckingham Palace. But in truth I don't really remember much about London. Hopefully the fans will give me an extra cheer."
Umenyiora agrees with Taylor that American football is unlikely to take hold in England, no matter how many games they stage in London.
"Look, soccer is in the blood in England," said Umenyiora. "It's still in my blood and I haven't been here for 14 years."
It seems the players themselves do not believe all the hype surrounding American football's attempt to gain a greater share of the world audience.
They accept they are novelties on the British sporting stage, a fleeting diversion that will win over few, if any, converts.
dailymail.co.uk
American Football will never be as big as Beckham, admits Dolphins ace Jase
By MARK FLEMING
28th October 2007
Daily Mail
Miami Dolphins superstar Jason Taylor accepts that no matter how many giant robots they make of him, he will never be as big as David Beckham.
Taylor was the 'ambassador' chosen to become the world's biggest animatronic model as part of the glitz surrounding today's groundbreaking American football clash at Wembley between the Dolphins and the New York Giants in front of 95,000 fans.
Jason Tayler will play for Miami at Wembley today
In the same way that Beckham has become the figurehead used to promote football in the States, so Taylor is the leader of the PR push for the American game.
The enormous robot, complete with helmet and shoulder pads, has been popping up all over London in the past week to drum up interest in the USA's latest export.
However, Taylor — big enough in his own right at 6ft 6in — accepts that Britain is unlikely to take to gridiron.
"Soccer is just so ingrained into British culture," he said. "It would be very tough for us to rival it. It is the same for soccer in America. It will never be at the same level as the NFL.
"David Beckham brings some credibility to it in the US. He is certainly a good ambassador for the sport. But no matter how they promote the NFL around the world, I will never be as big as him. I mean, he's got the rock star wife and he's then got the whole global appeal of soccer."
American football is breaking new ground as today's clash is the first regular season NFL game to be played outside of North America.
The sport has chosen well in picking Taylor as their ambassador. One of the best defensive players in the league, he is also smart and articulate, turning up for a press conference on Friday wearing an England football shirt (size XXXL).
Taylor's calm self-assurance, however, is not shared by all his team-mates.
Channing Chowder admitted a little too honestly that before he flew over, he did not realise people in London speak English (he was joking, of course, but some gullable souls in the press corps were taken in).
South London-born Marvin Allen is a member of the Dolphins' practice squad and although he will not feature in Sunday's game, he is one of very few Britons to get even this far in the American sport. He has done it the hard way.
"My dad was a coach and I was around it as a kid. I just picked up a love for the game," he enthused.
Having played flag football, a non-contact version of the game, Allen progressed to playing full-contact football in the British amateur league.
He played for four years with London Os in the British Senior League, winning three titles, before spending three seasons in NFL Europa.
He was a practice squad player for Pittsburgh Steelers in 2006 and was then allocated to Miami in June.
Allen is now hoping the game grips the British public as much as it did him as a child and believes the response the London match has received is an indicator that American football is welcome on these shores.
He added: "It wasn't a surprise to me when the game sold out as quickly as it did. Slowly, through television and NFL Europe, people are understanding the game more and I think it's going to be a pretty big deal this weekend."
In contrast to the cosmopolitan nature of the English Premier League, the NFL is horribly provincial in terms of playing personnel.
Osi Umenyiora of the Giants is one of the few players to actually come from outside the US. He was born in Golders Green, north London, before moving to Nigeria when he was seven and then on to the States when he was 14.
He sounds nothing but American now, however. "I feel Nigerian but I'm actually British," he said. "The guys tease me by doing things like standing up straight like the guards at Buckingham Palace. But in truth I don't really remember much about London. Hopefully the fans will give me an extra cheer."
Umenyiora agrees with Taylor that American football is unlikely to take hold in England, no matter how many games they stage in London.
"Look, soccer is in the blood in England," said Umenyiora. "It's still in my blood and I haven't been here for 14 years."
It seems the players themselves do not believe all the hype surrounding American football's attempt to gain a greater share of the world audience.
They accept they are novelties on the British sporting stage, a fleeting diversion that will win over few, if any, converts.
dailymail.co.uk
