NFL a big draw in dreary London
There was a light but persistent drizzle, long lines at the tube station and football shirts on the backs of thousands of fans.
All the makings of a typical Sunday afternoon game in London in October. Only this time the red of Arsenal and blue of Chelsea gave way to football jerseys of the NFL variety.
Rebuilt Wembley Stadium hosted the first regular-season NFL game in Europe, and fans of all teams flocked to northwest London to see the Miami Dolphins play the New York Giants. Many in the sold-out stadium came from the United States, and the dreary fall sky posed no problem.
Some Dolphins fans who made the trip from Florida were already struggling with the team’s 0-7 start. They looked at the game as a break from day-to-day life back home.
“We made a vacation of it,” said Candace Hartsell, who came from Fort Lauderdale with five other Dolphins season-ticket holders. “Our seats here are almost identical to our seats at home.”
Those British fans at the game clearly made a choice: Giants-Dolphins instead of watching Liverpool host Arsenal in a top Premier League match.
They still got to see a few of their favorites athletes on the field for the coin toss. The Giants were represented by England soccer captain John Terry, who plays for Chelsea and was booed by many in the stadium. Former England rugby captain Martin Johnson stood in for the Dolphins.
Neil Taylor, a 34-year-old driver, is a member of Dolfan UK, a Dolphins fan club in England with more than 100 members.
“I turned on the TV in 1985, the playoff game against Cleveland, and I was hooked,” Taylor said. “I go to 6-7 games a year.”
Peter Fairclough’s family got turned on to the NFL the same way.
“We’ve loved American football for 20 years,” said the 60-year-old electrical manager from Rotherham, wearing a Minnesota Vikings hat and sweat shirt. “We have a Super Bowl party every year.”
Urlacher’s back ailing
Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher all but confirmed an Internet report that he has an arthritic back after a subpar performance in the 16-7 loss to the Detroit Lions.
The six-time Pro Bowl selection told foxsports.com that his back has been bothering him since training camp and that he recently had a specialist in Pittsburgh examine it.
Former Packer honored
Paul Hornung recalled his wild days with Max McGee as hundreds of people gathered at a megachurch in Eden Prairie, Minn., to remember the talented and quirky Green Bay Packers receiver who caught the first touchdown in Super Bowl history.
Hornung, Bart Starr, Fuzzy Thurston and other players from the dominant Packers teams of the 1960s spoke at a service that drew as many laughs as tears.
McGee died at age 75 on Oct. 20 when he fell while clearing leaves from the roof of his home in Deephaven, a Minneapolis suburb.