5 Ups & 3 Downs From NFL 2019 Live At Wembley

Downs...

3. The Tailgate

If anyone who knows what a real tailgate is could bend NFL UK's ear, they'd say, "Guys, we need to talk".

The car park at Wembley (or part it) was turned into a big fan zone before Rams/Bengals, but it was barely reminiscent of the grill-heavy party atmosphere games have in the States. Cheerleaders danced, fans posed with jerseys and milled around the various bars selling diverse products like Budweiser or Bud Light, and...that was about it.

For those who could tolerate an interminable queuing system, there was a pop-up NFL shop shifting overpriced shirts, hats, flags and other merchandise. It was all rather empty-feeling, and lacked the same kind of pre-kick off excitement games traditionally do. This wasn't lost on those who had either come from the US or travelled there for games before.

In the future, the UK organisers should try to distance themselves from vapid DJ sets or cheerleader performances and actually use the space to create community between folks who really do enjoy the sport.

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.