Brit NFL Fans Love Their 80's Football

Ask random British sports fans to name their favorite NFL team, and they'll probably say the Bears, the Patriots or maybe even the Dolphins. That's because the NFL peaked in British popularity in the the mid-80's—4 million Britons watched the 1986 Super Bowl between Chicago and New England—and their tastes haven't changed much.

But as the Giants prepare to take on the Dolphins at Wembley Stadium for the first NFL regular-season game outside North America, it's clear English interest in the sport is returning. Brit fans all but disappeared in the 90's—but the sport has found its way back into English hearts this century, with young fans aligning themselves with the ultra-successful Patriots.