While it is unfortunate for domestic fans, NFL international games are not only here to stay, but it’s becoming quite evident that those games are expanding both in quantity and location. Japan has recently been earmarked as a future destination for the league, and considering that the Los Angeles Rams are the only team in the NFL that has marketing rights within the entire country, they could be picked to play in that game.
This could be to the Rams’ advantage as West Coast teams have historically gotten the short end of the stick when it comes to dealing with International travel. While East Coast teams have to fly seven to eight hours to Europe, West Coast teams often take over 12 hours, with a layover to make the trek.
A Tokyo game could actually take the stress of traveling off the Rams.
Taking a flight from Los Angeles to Tokyo will usually take around 10 hours to complete. For comparison, the Rams will open their season in Melbourne, Australia. That flight will take over 14 hours. That’s a dramatic reduction in travel, compared to the NFL’s other locations where they’ll host games.
The Los Angeles Chargers played the Kansas City Chiefs in Sao Paulo, Brazil last season. That’s a 12-hour flight, making South America just as challenging to travel to. The benefit is that the Rams would stay near Eastern Standard Time, so their body clocks wouldn’t be off. The Rams also travel as close to game day as possible to mitigate those issues.
Tokyo represents an international destination that is easy to travel to, and a nation that the Rams have marketing rights in, while the rest of the NFC West doesn’t. While they could luck out with a Mexico game, most of those teams are taking 12-hour trips. In the NFL, especially after games, every second counts, and the faster the Rams get their players home, the faster they can recover.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Playing in Japan could be an advantage for the Rams
Reporting by Brock Vierra, Rams Wire / Rams Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
