Munich, Germany is home to one of the best soccer clubs in the world. It’s also home to the biggest concentration of American football fans in Europe.
That made it a natural extension for the NFL’s International Series. On Sunday, the league brought Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to the home of Oktoberfest for its regular season debut. A packed crowd at Allianz Arena brought a distinctly European feel to Brady’s 21-16 win over the Seattle Seahawks by going arm-over-arm for a singalong in the final two minutes.
The song of choice for a game between a team from Florida and another from Washington? Why, John Denver’s ode to West Virginia, of course.
They're singing Country Roads in Germany. This atmosphere is pretty cool. pic.twitter.com/kHpnUYT3pS
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) November 13, 2022
It wasn’t as out of left field as you’d expect — Country Roads is a staple for most Oktoberfest tents and a prized drinking singalong in a country that helped invent them. The chorus was a stark display of the difference between American fans and their German counterparts. The patrons in Bavaria held true to their standard of watching football, providing their own entertainment in the breaks afforded between plays, quarters, and the two minute warning. It was a beautiful mix of two cultures coming together to make something better.
Fans took notice.
🇩🇪🏈🎵 pic.twitter.com/gYvojlyLWa
— American Football International (@AFIReview) November 13, 2022
The stadium turning off the audio and the crowd continuing to sing loud enough to drown out the game is just not something you see at NFL games. College sometimes. Absolutely rules pic.twitter.com/dP0zogmyis
— Rodger Sherman (@rodger) November 13, 2022
Listen to that crowd. ♥️
What a game in Germany.
📺: #SEAvsTB on @NFLNetwork
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/M32DOwdJzl pic.twitter.com/MPJ9asGGr9— NFL (@NFL) November 13, 2022
And yes, that Bavarian classic, “Country Roads,” sung with passion by the Munich crowd. pic.twitter.com/2c00o4bFVH
— Greg Auman (@gregauman) November 13, 2022
Cue Country Roads: @NFL in Munich edition 🗣 pic.twitter.com/bGPz9g2KH2
— West Virginia Football (@WVUfootball) November 13, 2022
the nfl is playing their first game in germany ever right now between tampa bay and seattle and for some reason all the germans are singing "take me home country roads" at the top of their lungs. international football will usher in the second great american century
— america's lounge singer (@KrangTNelson) November 13, 2022
Lotta WVU fans in Munich
— PodKATT (@valleyshook) November 13, 2022
I love the random cultural exports from the United States, which leads to a stadium full of German people singing “Take Me Home, Country Roads” as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers play the Seattle Seahawks.
— Tyler Nettuno (@TylerNettuno) November 13, 2022
Wondering how many Germans can point out West Virginia on a US map (I struggle with it personally tbh) https://t.co/vTt4LZuHqx
— Brad Spielberger, Esq. (@PFF_Brad) November 13, 2022
Country roads bangs everywhere apparently
— Tone Digs (@ToneDigz) November 13, 2022
Just watch the entire stadium at Allianz Arena singing to John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads” (very popular with the Oktoberfest crowd, I have learned) in the final two minutes pic.twitter.com/PwMUG2Z08n
— JennaLaineESPN (@JennaLaineESPN) November 13, 2022
The German crowd singing Country Roads was MAGIC.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) November 13, 2022
