Khan’s Jaguars facing travel sickness

SURPRISINGLY, there has been no formal clearance at governance level of the NFL for Shahid Khan to switch Jacksonville Jaguars to Wembley. If the proposal happens, it will go the way of all other major NFL decisions: it will be put to a vote of the 32 franchise owners, requiring 75 per cent support. If 24 or more back it, the move will go through. The chances are that it will. An afternoon start in London means a breakfast game in America and an entirely new television package to sell. The owners, it is thought, will definitely like that. Then the complications begin. For while the 32 may support a London-based franchise and the global expansion that represents, the Jaguars need players. And in a country as inherently insular as the United States, that is not straightforward. Soccer players, for instance, are used to moving and living abroad. They go to countries where they do not speak the language or have great familiarity with the culture and are programmed to adjust. They form little cliques of countrymen — part of the souring of Antonio Conte’s regime at Chelsea appears to be the deterioration in his relationship with the Brazilian contingent — or just do their best to fit in. The cosmopolitan nature of not just the Premier League, but leagues throughout Europe in particular, are testament to the adaptability of footballers and their families. Not so in America. Largely, American athletes play American sports. Certainly, those at the elite level of the NFL would not expect to live or work abroad. There may be a shared language and, to some extent, culture and our capital is a great city, but the average NFL player would still rather live in Cleveland than London. There is fear a London-based franchise may struggle to secure players in the annual draft if the team were to be based here permanently. The likelihood, then, is the Jaguars would reside on America’s east coast and fly into Britain several days in advance for matches. In effect, every game would be a road game. They would have no great advantage on any of their opponents. Equally, sudden injuries or illness could cause problems with the team roster. How many would have to travel to counter unforeseen difficulties? Then there is the weather on the east coast. It is not unknown for severe storms to cause huge disruptions. What if the Jaguars cannot travel or are late? It does not seem a very stable existence. And if all of these difficulties make the Jaguars an ordinary team, how long will the fascination for NFL last? Once the novelty of occasional visits wears off and NFL in the capital becomes just another fixture, will Wembley sell out each week for an unsuccessful team? Khan has big ambitions, but this remains a complex project, with no guarantee of success.