[Alberta's Child]

North Americans comprise more than 70% of the players in the National Hockey League. And that is a sport where European players are among the league's best, and where European national teams regularly win international tournaments (Olympics, World Championships, World Juniors, etc.). And remember that these countries had well-established professional leagues long before their players started coming over here in significant numbers, too.

I don't see how the NFL can get to that 10% level -- let alone 25% -- anytime soon.

I'd be curious to know if organized American football is played anywhere in great numbers in Europe these days -- among players at ANY age.

[discostu]

Alright, 30%, compared to 1% for the NFL. It’s still quite a few on one side, and basically none on the other. Really look at MLB, with the way the audience is shrinking here the Latin in flux is propping up the whole sport.

It isn’t soon, this is playing the long game. It’s the same as their investment in Pop Warner, winning them over when they’re 5 so you can draft them when they’re 21.

There is a British American football youth league: http://www.britishamericanfootball.org/ and a European one: http://www.americanyouthfootball.com/membershi/international/ Don’t know about great numbers, but these are the starting signs. Grow the audience, grow these leagues, prime the pump, have a future. It’s not possible to have too many people from too many countries trying to play in your league, it is highly possibly to have not enough people from not enough countries trying to play in your league.