Two hours after the game, Frankfurt Central Station was still under siege; visitors from all over Europe and the USA learned firsthand that German trains often do not leave as quickly as planned. But many took it with humor, the fans of the Kansas City Chiefs started a song called “Tomahawk Chop”, the long-drawn out ooooohs filled the high hall – a melody, by the way, that has the potential to soon make it into German football stadiums.
Last Sunday, the US professional league NFL brought its game idea to Germany for the second time, and this time it was again very well received. At times it was louder in the stadium than almost a year earlier at the game in Munich, which for once has nothing to do with the fact that the fans in Munich are not that loud per se, both times the spectators came from everywhere. It was more like the noise in the Chiefs stadium was a kind of trademark. And the German fans wanted to imitate that. It’s entirely possible that Tua Tagovailoa had to take a timeout on the Miami Dolphins’ first play because it was so loud.
There was a strong sense in the stadium that it was primarily about sport
Before the Chiefs’ game against the Miami Dolphins, a lot had been written about Taylor Swift’s visit, which ultimately did not take place. About the players who went on a shopping spree in Frankfurt. Or about the fact that only fans with tickets were given the chance to buy merchandise next to the stadium. The impression quickly arose that German fans were only interested in the fuss. But in the stadium you could clearly feel that it was primarily about sport. Anyone who impresses both the opposing quarterback and the TV reporters from the USA is not just there, but feels part of the whole thing.
And so many may have dressed extravagantly and celebrated themselves, but the most important thing was still to see Patrick Mahomes live. Mahomes is the highest-paid player in the NFL who has special skills, and most importantly, he has been using these skills regularly for years. There are also many flashes in the pan in the NFL; there are no two-time Super Bowl champions like Mahomes. His strengths only flashed through at times in Frankfurt, but they were visible, not on a flat screen, but live: how the quarterback somehow managed to get a precise pass in difficult situations; how he himself slalomed through the opponents when no pass receiver was free, in short: how he put his stamp on a game.
This time, the 28-year-old also thanked his defense, which contributed a touchdown to the 21:14 victory and often kept the also quite unique Dolphins playmaker Tagovailoa in check like a trapped king. And Mahomes thanked the fans quite credibly: “You can tell that they watch football here regularly. They really understand the game.” Mahomes also made it clear that players like him are taking for granted the NFL’s long-term plan to continue playing regular games in Europe. “I hope I get to come here again. I hope Clark takes the opportunity when it comes.” Clark Hunt is the owner of the Chiefs, who have a cooperation with FC Bayern Munich.
The plan to attract more audiences with singer Taylor Swift probably won’t work
And the Dolphins were also worth watching. Quarterback Tagovailoa is currently the only left-handed bat at that position in the NFL. This is significant because it essentially turns a team’s entire offensive game inside out, and with it the opponent’s defensive game as well. In addition, “Tua” has a pass receiver in Tyreek Hill who has already run the 100 meters in under ten seconds – but the former Chiefs player had the worst possible day against his old team. When Oliver Pocher was asked the rather clueless question in the live broadcast on RTL about where all this hype about football actually came from, he replied succinctly that they just wanted to experience the best.
It seems advisable that RTL should be told this so clearly again. Most reporters and experts moved along when RTL ended a seven-year era at ProSiebenSat1 last year. Football anchorman Patrick Esume knows that despite all the show, he also has to provide material, and so before kickoff on Sunday, for example, he explained the special feature of Tua’s left-footed throws. But the broadcaster gave the Taylor Swift topic significantly more time, and this plan to attract a new audience doesn’t seem to be working. RTL celebrated the ratings, up to 1.5 million watched, 7.8 percent market share, 39 percent among men between 14 and 29 years old. But RTL did not reach the numbers of the Munich game on ProSieben; at that time, 200,000 more people watched at the peak and the market shares were higher.
At least the TV market doesn’t seem to be growing anymore. The numbers in the upcoming game on Sunday between New England and Indianapolis will be revealing: these teams are currently not flanked by any non-football stars, they have little chance of making the playoffs in January, it’s a game for real football nerds.
But there will be a few more of them after game one in Frankfurt, Police Chief Inspector Sebastian Müller for example. He made an announcement over the stadium loudspeakers before the game and concluded with the words: “I wish you a lot of home runs.” He meant touchdowns, home runs is something you can only hope for in baseball. It’s quite possible that this was a deliberate, self-deprecating slip of the tongue. When it comes to Germans, you often don’t know exactly how well they know their way around.