have you ever heard of the Barcelona Dragons? Probably not, unless you’re a big fan of American football and the short-lived NFL Europe (formerly known as the World League of American Football), a league that acted as a minor development league for the National Football League between 1989 and 2007. Only one Spanish team participated in this league (most were from Germany, plus one from England, one from Scotland, and one from the Netherlands), the Dragons of Barcelonache giocavano all’Estadi Olímpic de Montjuic.
The club was founded in 1991, but lasted only 12 years, and with NFL legend Jack Bicknell as coach it was quite successful, winning a “World Bowl” in 1997, and winning four more. For a short time it was owned by FC Barcelona under the name FC Barcelona Dragons, but the lack of fan support caused financial problems for the team, which disappeared in 2003.
But one person who remembers them is Gordon Bellamy, an EA Sports veteran who recently chatted with our own David Caballero at San Diego Comic Con Malaga. While talking about how he helped shape the Madden games (and his influence on FIFA/EA Sports FC) he excitedly told us that he was the first to put the team in the Madden games.
“I just remembered something. I was also the first person to put the Barcelona Dragons in Madden“he started laughing, to the visible confusion of the audience.”I’m just going to say it. It was me. I loved European football“.
You can watch the charming moment at the end of the interview below.
