Apparently, the NFL is tired of insulting its fans here at home and is now working on the fan base overseas.

Four members of the Jacksonville Jaguars were taken into custody in London early Saturday after trying to leave a bar without settling a $65,000 tab. The Jaguars were in Britain for a game on Sunday with the Philadelphia Eagles.

NFL.com's Ian Rapoport says, "The four players detained were safety Barry Church, safety Ronnie Harrison, cornerback D.J. Hayden, and safety Jarrod Wilson."

No Eagles players were involved. The Jaguars issued a statement on the matter:

"We are aware that four of our players were detained over restitution of a bill. The matter is being resolved and the players are with the team. Any discipline will be handled internally."

NFL.com reports:

"The players went to a club on Friday night, were sent bottles of champagne and other high-end liquors and ran up a huge bill. The players believed that the bottles were comped, but instead, they were on their bill. When the bill arrived, the players refused to pay it, believing that it was not what they owed. An argument ensued and local police made several arrests."

Would this kind of behavior pass the Bill Bellichick smell test? Doubtful!

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The players were released, no formal charges were filed and the bar tab was settled.

It's great to see American sports such as football and baseball becoming more popular overseas. A game in London is a business trip. Our players serve as representatives of their league, their team and their country while overseas. You'd think team management would be able to keep the players from getting arrested in bar conflicts after drinking $65,000 worth of booze the day before a game.

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Upon further review, maybe the whole thing was not such a good idea after all.

Did they kneel for "God Save The Queen?"

The Eagles won the game 24-18.

Barry Richard is the host of The Barry Richard Show on 1420 WBSM New Bedford. He can be heard weekdays from noon to 3 p.m. Contact him at barry@wbsm.com and follow him on Twitter @BarryJRichard58. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author. 

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