A Visit to NFL Europe

January 15, 2020 by knystrom

Today the group here in London set off for the NFL London headquarters to meet with David Tossell, who is currently the NFL Director of Public Affairs for Europe. The question that many of us had on our minds was whether an NFL team could ever be based in London. For various reasons we did not think that the UK would ever be able to support a competitive NFL team. We were very interested to hear from someone like David and see whether he thought it would ever be possible to bring a team here.

Dressed in shirts and ties or dresses, we boarded the tube and were at the NFL London headquarters in under ten minutes, which was much shorter than our journey to Kingston University the day before. We met in the lobby and then took the lift (elevator) up to the NFL offices, which to an NFL fan, as most of us are, was absolutely amazing. There were team helmets, jerseys, and pictures everywhere in the offices. It felt like we were in an NFL museum. Our meeting was in a big conference room where we all sat around a big table and listened to David talk about the history of the NFL in London. He began by talking about the timeline of football in Europe and how over time fans in the UK have become more and more interested in the NFL. For example, he talked about the first game that came to London in 2007 when the Giants played the Dolphins, and how horrible the field and game were. However he said that it sparked an interest from fans here that has grown so much since then that at Tottenham Spurs’ new Stadium they actually built a football field under the soccer pitch for NFL teams to play on. In addition to the field, the NFL now plays at least four games a year in London, all of which have had huge turnouts from fans. David estimated that there are around four million loyal NFL supporters in the UK right now! However, he did not seem incredibly optimistic that a team would ever be coming to London. With too many unknowns such as the time difference and whether players would want to play in London, it would be hard to guarantee the success of a new team coming.

We found all of this information very interesting. Before the talk with David we assumed that there was little to no fan support in the UK at all. On the other hand our concerns about the player interest and time difference were also some of the major concerns that David had. Therefore after the talk while we realize that there is a large enough fan base here to support a team, we are still not convinced that an NFL franchise will be based in London in the near future.

The trip was one of the best we have been on yet. Seeing a major sport league’s international office was an experience that we will never forget.

The team in the conference room at NFL Europe!

Hands-on at Kingston University

January 14, 2020 by knystrom

Today, we made the journey from Camden to Kingston University. There, we took part in several mini-labs that dealt with Sport Science, particularly the physiology concentration of the subject. Kingston University’s Sport Science program is ranked 2nd in the United Kingdom, so we were very fortunate to be exposed to some of the best equipment and study techniques in the world.There were two labs, each dealing with a different aspect of the major. Both of the labs were hands on, and we got to take part in some exercises.

One lab was centered around endurance and how it affected different types of athletes in different ways. This was run by Hannah Moir, whose research specializes in the effects of exercise on immune function, and by Chris Howe, who runs ultra marathons. One group had Kenyon, a long-distance runner, run to max exhaustion. He wore a mask that measured oxygen-intake and carbon dioxide-output. It was interesting to see how as Kenyon became more fatigued, the levels of these two things had changed. The other group had Dae’Kevion, an athlete who runs more short-distance events, do the same thing. We then compared and contrasted the data collected in these exercises. After this part of the lab, we moved on to an exercise oriented around power rather than endurance. In this, our group picked Sean to test his power on an exercise bike. However, this exercise bike was not ordinary. It contained monitors which measured things such as power and how fast it took Sean to reach his peak power. Sean plays running back for the Carleton football team, so he was a very fitting candidate for the activity. Also, because of this, it was surprising to everyone when the other group’s contestant actually out-performed him. Oliver, the selected student in the other group, happened to reach a higher amount of power on the bike than Sean had. It was awesome to be able to have the freedom to ask Chris and Hannah any question we wanted as they were obviously very knowledgeable. I think everyone learned something new from not only the lab but also from side conversations with them.

Between labs, our group was able to look at some interesting technology Kingston University has such as a heat chamber and an altitude chamber. These are used for research to see the effects of heat and altitude on the body during workouts. In addition, athletes come in to Kingston University to use the chambers in preparation for sporting events. Obviously, the United Kingdom is not as hot as the Sahara Desert. So, if someone were to have an upcoming race in such an environment, they can use the heat chamber to prepare. After we finished the first lab, we went to work with Ivan Vatolik, who specializes in biomechanics. As the name suggests, this lab dealt with movements of the body and muscle use. Volunteers attached reflective sensors to their joints. Then, using a special camera, we were able to see the outline of our body as we performed various tasks, such as kicking a soccer ball. This would be used to help with form in sports. Average athletes are able to compare their own way of striking a ball to that of Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo. After that, other volunteers attached sensors to their biceps, and they performed curls. The sensors measured muscle activation, and it was very clear when someone was lifting a weight compared to when they were not.

Daniel lines up for to kick a football while wearing reflective monitors

The labs were very interesting, and it showed our whole group how advanced sport science is. For us, we follow some training rules because we are told to and don’t ask questions. For example, rest days are important, and one should not over-exert their body. Someone ran tests to find that out. It was intriguing to see those kinds of tests being performed. I think all students who attended the sport science lab at Kingston would agree that a big thank you is in order for Hannah, Chris, and Ivan. Because they were willing to share their time and expertise with us, we were all able to learn a lot about various research techniques used in sports science. We all had a great time, and it is a memory that will not soon be forgotten.

A Trip to Villa Park

January 12, 2020 by knystrom

On Sunday we boarded the train from London to Birmingham, where our destination was Villa Park. Aston Villa (ranked 18th in the Premier League) played host to Manchester City (ranked 2nd) on what was a perfect evening for us to enjoy our first English Premier League fixture together. After reading soccernomics, visiting Arsenal’s stadium with football historian Simon Inglis, and having some discussions about football in the classroom, we were all very excited to view some live action.

A handful of us on the trip are avid fans of American football, so wewere keen to notice any differences between our experiences attending American football games and our experiences at what was for many of us our first European football match. As we made our way towards Villa Park from the station, we noticed that there were no vast swaths of parking lots filled with jersey draped, tailgating fans as there typically are at many NFL stadiums. Most fans filed off the trains just like us, or flocked to the game on foot from local neighborhoods, dressed in street clothes. Similar to Emirates Stadium, Villa Park rises out of the local neighborhoods which surround it, creating a sense of community around the site.

The outer facade of Villa park, clearly in the style of the neighborhoods around it

One thing we were familiar with were the hamburger stands which surrounded the stadium, catering to hungry fans chowing down before entering the stadium. The match itself was a rout, with Manchester City out-scoring Aston Villa 6 goals to 1. It was very clear that Manchester City the superior club in all facets of the game. They always seemed to be on the attack while Aston Villa was constantly on the defense. Although the game was not very close, it was a treat to watch the fluidity with which Manchester City advanced the ball downfield. Unfortunately for us, we did not have the opportunity to hear much chanting amongst the fans of the home team. However, there was an entire portion of the stadium set aside for Manchester City fans that erupted in song after each and every goal they managed to score throughout the contest.We have learned that since there is no salary cap enforced in the English Premier League, wealthier clubs such as Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool tend to have a major advantage over clubs that are not as rich and therefore can’t afford to spend as much on their players. After viewing such a lopsided game, some of us began to question whether the league would be more entertaining if this advantage was somehow limited, and lower budget teams could compete more evenly with richer clubs. Over the remainder of the trip, we will be interested in finding some ways this could perhaps be achieved.

Learning About Arsenal with Simon Inglis

January 10, 2020 by knystrom

The sport and globalization class had the opportunity to learn about the famous English football team Arsenal. We had famed Football Historian Simon Inglis talk to us about the history of football in London. We learned about the origins of football, from when it was less a sport than a community event, with goals being town landmarks. We also learned more specifically about the history of Arsenal Football Club, taking note of the difference between what they consider their heritage (like their red jerseys with white sleeves) and their actual history, which they overlook at times (like when they were mysteriously promoted to the First Division despite finishing fifth).

Simon going over the history of Football

Mr. Inglis was very generous with his time–after talking with us for about an hour and a half, he rode the tube with us and gave us a tour of Highbury Stadium (Arsenal’s former ground, now an upscale housing complex). You can still see the old facade of the stadium, but it has been gutted other than the entrance. It is clear that the stadium was meant to stand out with its bright colors and art deco style, yet blend in to the neighborhood with its relatively low profile and proximity to other houses. It was really amazing to be standing in a place with so much history, now nothing but a group of apartments.

Next, we went and ate at a small cafe, a traditional thing for fans to do before a game. The atmosphere was certainly a bit mediocre, but the food was cheap, hot, and tasty, the perfect combo for a fan looking to warm themselves up for a cold-weather match. The owners were kind and churned out our food in no time–an impressive feat considering the size of the group.

We capped the day off with a tour of the Emirates Stadium, Arsenal’s current home. We got to see the director’s entrance, the executive suite and restaurant, the owner’s box, the players’ dressing rooms (both home and away), the trophy case, and even a pitch-side view! Needless to say we had fun, and occasional tidbits from Simon made the experience far better than the average tour. All in all, it was an exciting day!

The gang walks across the bridge to the Emirates

Scavenger Hunt in London

January 9, 2020 by knystrom

Today, to introduce ourselves to the city, we took part in a scavenger hunt around London. The exercise split our group of around twenty
students into three groups. Before we went off on the hunt, we stopped by the Camden Market, which is right across the street from our housing accommodation. Along with a number of street shops, the Camden Market is famous for its wide variety of food stands selling all kinds of international foods. We were each given some pounds to spend, and we all ate in our groups so we could introduce ourselves to the people we didn’t yet know. Just about everybody ended up with a different food item, ranging from Katsu Curry wraps to Yorkshire burritos–and boy were they delicious!

Ty and Jer choose Indonesian Pulled Beef!

After lunch, each group was given three famous locations around the city to visit over the course of the early afternoon. These locations included the Tower Bridge, the Shard, Buckingham Palace, the Westminster Cathedral, and many more. However, there were several requirements that made the activity a little more interesting. Between locations, we had to utilize the tube (underground rail system in London) once, use the public buses once, and walk once. In addition, each group had to use their phones to meet certain photographic requirements. Every group had to take a picture of something they were unfamiliar with, something they were familiar with, the Union Jack, and the English flag. Each group got an extra credit task as well, such as taking a picture of a royal guard, also known as a “beefeater”.

At the end of the day, we met at our classroom within London to look at all the photos taken during the scavenger hunt. Every group was able to meet all the requirements, and some people went above and beyond, snapping countless selfies along the way.