San Francisco 49ers fans muttering over the team giving up a home game to go play in London this weekend should know that the Yorks have their sights set on an even bigger game being played in London.
Dr. John York, 49ers co-owner and Jed York's dad, told Comcast SportsNet Bay Area that he'd love to see the Super Bowl eventually moved out of the United States. "I can tell you if you had a game in London, a Super Bowl, the fans in the U.K. and Western Europe and even in the United States, would go nuts," York said. "They would have a great time with a game there."
Oh, fans in the United States would "go nuts", alright, but not in the appreciative sense Dr. York envisions.
The elder Dr. York is the chairman of the NFL's International Committee, the league's body promoting the game internationally with the intent of eventually setting up franchises abroad. I'd hate to hear where this guy would threaten to move the team if they don't get their Santa Clara stadium.
The 49ers are currently in London, where this Sunday's Broncos game will be played at Wembley Stadium. Start time is still 10 a.m.
Dr. York doesn't see the London Super Bowl happening right away, "The Super Bowl, I would've thought that that would not have happened until after we have a team outside the United States," York said. "But I know people within the league have talked about that."
In England, they don't call it a game. They call it a "fixture". That sounds like some kind of lamp.
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In a separate interview, Dr. York shot down a fresh batch of internet rumors about the tenuous job security of coach Mike Singletary. "Mike is our head coach," York told the Sacramento Bee. "We were grumbling because we lost the game. I think we grumble any time we lose a game."
Your team's fans grumble any time a 49ers home game is played 5,000 miles away from San Francisco, Dr. York.
Joe Kukura is a freelance writer who's suddenly worried the 49ers will play the whole 2014 season in Stratford-upon-the-Chumberland.
