I had to think long and hard as to whether to say something about the announcement of the NFL Europe league folding. I had hoped that, after reading NFL Europe Managing Director Jim Connelly’s future plans for the NFL Europe** last year, that the league would continue to grow and flourish. However, somewhere along the line, the plans changed. I now join the many thousand fans here in Europe in mourning the passing of the NFL Europe. The pre-game Power Parties, the camaraderie, the rivalries will all be missed.
World Bowl XV, June 2007
I differ with the opinion of the esteemed NFL Commissioner who thinks that the dedicated NFL fan base will be appeased with one pro game in Europe per year. He underestimates the appeal of the other sports here – mainly soccer – which will welcome the abandoned fans into the fold. The last 15 years of NFL will soon be shelved and forgotten; the one game to be held in Europe will be like the circus coming into town – some will want to go see it and others won’t bother. My husband and I will no doubt be the latter case; I don’t see the need to attend a game if I normally don’t follow the team during the regular season.
To the front office of the Frankfurt Galaxy who was kind enough to allow me a pass to take my equipment in, I thank you. Being able to record the last few years has been a joy.
Frankfurt CB Bill Alford hangs on
To the players, thank you for bringing a bit of home here to Germany. My husband and I have had the time of our lives attending the games.
Galaxy DE number 95, Ulrich Winkler (top right) proves what the fans knew all along…the Galaxy players were Supermen!
To the fans, you showed class. In the years that we’ve been attending, never have we seen any problems. No hooligans, no drunken fights, no fights among opposing teams’ fans. All fans were treated with respect – even the visiting ones. I had told my husband for years about how the American football fans were so unlike the soccer fans – I always got the feeling he didn’t believe me. Now he does. This was his introduction to this American sport and there were times when he cheered louder than I did. I think that he will miss it as much as I will.
Galaxy Fan
It’s bittersweet as I work on the photos from the final two games of the NFL Europe. But for three hours every couple of weeks between April and June, everything was forgotten except the good German beer, chicken sandwiches and the eleven men down on the field known as the Frankfurt Galaxy.
**May 27, 2006
NFL Europe Managing Director Jim Connelly today outlined plans for the future of the NFLEL…
…Connelly added: “In addition, the Board heard updates on the status of other German markets that remain interested in securing an NFLEL franchise. The top two market candidates are Hanover and Leipzig. These discussions and levels of interest will serve us well when we finally implement expansion and we remain optimistic we can attain our long-term goal of an eight-team, two-division, 12- game season by 2010.” (http://www.nfleurope.com/news/story/9465005)
