Good morning where you are.
The desire to stage NFL games at White Hart Lane is evident.
Asking why? is posing one of the daftest questions ever mumbled. The broadcasting rights and foot-long sales could potentially dwarf the revenues of the actual football matches.
I happened upon this clip below and it provides some interesting views from across the pond with which to help us soccer fans, frame our thoughts.
So, exactly how will the new $700 million stadium, which will be built on land adjacent to the current home of Tottenham, be packaged as an NFL venue?
Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk answers all that and more in the video above.
The question of the locker rooms was raised last time we discussed this and Gladys the tea lady tells me that all is required is a bit of imagination.
The obvious locker room appears to be located in the East Stand..
If we cast our eye over to the North Stand, you can spot a similar sized area that could be converted to somewhat mirror its counterpart.
The square footage available to play with is notionally similar and you have to remember that planning permission at this stage for any conducive/minor internal adjustments will pretty much taken as a given.
The question is, has our illustrious chairman actually done the deal with our colonial cousins, or is the champagne on ice?
It is understood that discussion have taken place, but (as to be expected) over a considerable period of time.
Aside from the innate desire to shroud everything in a cloak of commercial sensitivity’, there is clearly no hurry to make anything public as we are years away from the damn thing being built.
However Gladys is wondering if ENIC are the boys to see the project through.
Our gal with the sweet scent of Mr Sheen behind her ears believes that there is potential for a standoff from the Americans, because they want to know who they will be dealing with longterm.
Daniel Levy’s reputation as a tough negotiator precedes him, to an extent whereby the Yanks are used to mapping out deals that are at least, ‘immediate future proof’. Is that a guarantee that can be convincingly honoured in N17?
The official party line from ENIC has always been that THFC has been and will continue to be for sale, subject to the right number being agreed.
The problem is, the Yanks are very hesitant about a scenario whereby they tie up a deal with ENIC, only to then discover that THFC ownership is changing hands – they’d rather cut out any prospective middlemen and deal direct with the people they are going to be working cheek by jowl with for the next decade.
This would be deal with a global impact, you can understand their position.
It might be the case that Levy, a man who has been forced into a shambolic situation of keeping a Director of Football on the payroll (who by rights should’ve fallen on his own sword this season) just to act as a buffer when negotiating with football clubs, isn’ the Americans ideal business partner.
It might be the case that someone like Cain Hoy who can offer a Spurs fan in David Goldstein to head up the business in London, backed by a collosus financial organisation in the USA. After all, wouldn’t you expect the show to be overseen by people who actually new the commercial ins and outs of the game?
As I say, it’s unlikely we’ll get an answer anytime soon from anyone, there is after all little pressure on ENIC to show their hand.
The good news is that slowly but surely we are approaching the point where ENIC have to decide if they need to sh*t, or get off the pot.
