THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
WEDNESDAY, MARCHVEMBER 50, 2015
PAGE 7A
THE DAILY DEBATE
Where should the NFL put another franchise?
Jesse Pinkman
@TotallyKafkaesque
NORTH KOREA
It's no secret that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell wants to add
more franchise teams to the league. Whether it is in Los Angeles or London, adding more teams to the NFL can only help create more worldwide interest in football, as well as create more interesting matchups and rivalries.
My sources, who shall remain anonymous, have informed me that Goodell is interested in establishing an NFL franchise in Pyongyang, North Korea. While this may not make much sense at first, North Korea is the perfect place to set up a new NFL franchise.
One of the main reasons why North Korea is such a fitting place to establish a new NFL franchise is that it would open up a whole new fan base to American football. It would also give the people of North Korea a team that they can cheer for. With the advertising sponsors that are sure to pop up, the North Korean fans can also get a taste of Western culture.
North Koreans can also get jobs building and working at the new stadium. The hundreds of jobs the construction of the new stadium would create would greatly benefit the North Korean economy, possibly encouraging American audiences to come to the country to watch their favorite team compete against the North Korean team.
As he has already proven, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has a love of certain sports, such as basketball. There is little reason to suspect that he would not also like football. He would also be interested in the prospect of serving as the owner, president and general manager of the team — sort of like a North Korean Jerry Jones (the owner, president and general manager of the Dallas Cowboys).
Some may be worried about the long travel time from America to North Korea. The approximate flight time from Kansas City to North Korea is 17 hours. That is not much longer than the flight time from Kansas City to London, which is about 11 hours. The NFL already schedules yearly football games in London during the regular season, so
"NORTH KOREAN LEADER KIM JONG-UN HAS A LOVE OF CERTAIN SPORTS, SUCH AS BASKETBALL. THERE IS LITTLE REASON TO SUSPECT THAT HE WOULD NOT ALSO LIKE FOOTBALL."
spending some more time on a plane shouldn't be too much of a problem for NFL teams or American fans.
With all the talk of expansion going around the NFL. it only makes sense to expand the league to international locations. North Korea could provide a brand new frontier for a new NFL franchise to thrive. Just think about it. It won't be too much longer until NFL fans are tuning in on Sundays to watch the Kansas City Chiefs vs. the Pyongyang Raiders.
Sli Hughes
@poopypoop
BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA
The NFL is a $9 billion industry, but the league has yet to
tap into the biggest part of its market. The league and commissioner Roger Goodell have identified Europe as the target for NFL expansion and major NFL profit.
"The NFL may be profiting in the United States,but our goal as an organization is to spread the joy of pure football to the rest of the world," Goodell said.
"IT MAKES SO MUCH SENSE TO PUT AN NFL TEAM IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA THAT FRANKLY, I'M STUNNED THE NFL HASN'T MADE THE MOVE ALREADY."
If the team placed in Bosnia and Herzegovina is successful, word will spread to the rest of Europe that football is a profitable industry, and other European countries will adopt NFL franchises.
Despite that not one NFL player has publicly expressed interest in moving to Bosnia and Herzegovina, the small European country is still the perfect place to put an NFL franchise. Football is growing in its popularity around the globe, and in order to spread to Europe, the NFL has to find a place to start. Never mind that Bosnia and Herzegovina's population is roughly 1 percent of the United States, it's still the ideal place to put an NFL franchise.
Our players have expressed interest in going to Europe, and many of them saw Bosnia and Herzegovina as a place they'd love to spend their time," NFL Players Association President DeMaurice Smith said.
The NFL has identified Bosnia and Herzegovina as its target audience for a new expansion franchise.
A franchise in Bosnia and Herzegovina will allow expansion into Europe gradually, as most European
fans don't even know they want an NFL team in their country yet.
Fans will get excited to see the game, and the construction of the necessarily massive stadium will strengthen the economy and the value of entertainment in the country. Once the NFL begins to expand outside its borders and create teams all over Europe, Bosnia and Herzegovina will be able to claim that they have the oldest NFL franchise overseas.
It makes so much sense to put an NFL team in Bosnia and Herzegovina that frankly, I'm stunned the NFL hasn't made the move already. NFL executives have been pushing for a team in Europe since 2008, and now they have the opportunity to put a team in the ideal European country.
But don't ask NFL executives how badly Bosnian and Herzegovinian fans want an NFL franchise,ask Edin Dzeko the captain of Bosnia and Herzegovina's national soccer team and the so called "Bosnian Diamond."
"If they put an American football team here, I'm applying for citizenship in England," Dzeko said.
TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE
Marcus Foster regrets his time at Kansas State, wishes he had signed with Kansas
Former Kansas State guard Marcus Foster was released from the men's basketball team March 24. After his dismissal, Foster expressed regret for not choosing to play at the University of Kansas instead.
GRETCHEN WIENERS
@SoooFetchGretch
Former Kansas State guard Marcus Foster was dismissed on March 24 by coach Bruce Weber for being "unable to live up to the standards expected of (Kansas State) players."
A week after being kicked off the team, Foster said he made a mistake in choosing K-State.
"I know you can't change the past, but at this point in time, I realize going to K-State was wrong for me," Foster said.
Foster was a three-star recruit in the class of 2013 and averaged 26.9 points, 11.7 rebounds and three assists per
game during his senior year of high school, and had scholarship offers from Kansas State, California, Creighton, Lehigh, Oklahoma and SMU, according to Rivals.com.
He wasn't recruited by Kansas, but he said he wishes things were different.
"I wish I would have worked harder in high school, so Kansas would have looked at me," Foster said. "You have to be among the best of the best to be recruited by KU."
Kansas coach Bill Self caught wind of Foster's statements and shot down the idea of recruiting him.
It's a shame that Marcus was
eos in his two years as a Wildcat. He also was found wandering the corridors of Allen Fieldhouse after the Sunflower Showdown this season.
dismissed from the K-State program," Self said. "Unfortunately, our team is stacked in his position, so signing here wouldn't do him any good."
"If I hear Sandstorm one more time, I'm going to rip my eardrums out. If someone shouts 'EMAW' at me one more time, I'm going to lose my mind."
MARCUS FOSTER
Former Kansas State guard
Foster has been known for watching the entirety of the Kansas basketball pregame vid-
"The tradition at KU is so rich," Foster said. "You can't not be a part of something
In comparison, Kansas started its basketball program in 1898, and has a 2,101-812 all-time record, and is 188-93 against Kansas State. Kansas has won five national championships (1922, 1923, 1952, 1988, 2008), and has been national runner-up six times (1940, 1953, 1957, 1993, 2003, 2012).
Kansas State began its program in 1902, and is 1,612-1,121 all-time in competition. The Wildcats have advanced to the Final Four on four oc-
"If I hear Sandstorm one more time, I'm going to rip my eardrums out," Foster said. "If someone shouts 'EMAW' at me one more time, I'm going to lose my mind."
like that. At KU, they make shirts for championships. At K-State, they make shirts for beating KU."
Ire didn't leave it at that. He jumped into specifics.
Foster isn't sure what the future holds for him, but he knows one thing for sure.
"The traditions that KU has are in every way superior to the traditions of K-State," Foster said.
casions and were national runners-up in 1951.
"Whatever school I go to next,
I hope it's one that has even half
the appeal of KU". Foster said.