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After going to the NFL International series game on Sunday between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Chicago Bears at Wembley, I couldn't help but feel that the FA should have been watching and hopefully taking a few notes on how to put on a showpiece event.
There has been plenty of talk recently about trying to boost the FA Cup's appeal and a number of different ideas have been doing the rounds, including having evening games and changing the kick-off time of the final.
American Beer giants Budweiser have become the new sponsors of the 'oldest cup competition in the world' which could be a step in the right direction, (I just hope they don't follow through with any of the ideas in their adverts from a few years ago).
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But the American's certainly know how to put on a show with all the razzmatazz of fireworks, cheerleaders and perhaps most importantly fan participation.
Growing up the FA Cup used to be the biggest day of the football calendar and I, like many others, would wake up at 8am to watch the two teams leaving their hotels as a helicopter would follow the team coaches to Wembley stadium. It was just 90 minutes but it was a day long event.
The FA Cup along the years has lost that bit of magic, but with a number of big league American sports such as the NBA and NFL coming over here for regular season games on an annual basis the FA have the perfect excuse to experiment.
There will always be the purists that want to sing along to 'Abide With Me' but the fact of matter is the majority don't.
When it comes to putting on a spectacular sporting event the Americans don't hold back. It might not always be the best game but people who go to the Super Bowl will always remember the occasion for everything else surrounding the event.
The NFL certainly know how to put on an epic show and they did a great job of reconstructing the atmosphere you get in the States. Before you even enter the stadium there is the classic Tailgate Party which had a host of events to keep everyone entertained, including a number of music and dance acts on the main stage.
As you enter the stadium the pre-game show gets the crowd in the mood, if they weren't already, as The Goo-Goo Dolls performed a couple of hits before the national anthems rang out round the stadium. All this was before the players came out in spectacular fashion with a crescendo of fireworks and cannons that hyped the crowd into a frenzy. 
During the breaks in the game the crowd are kept entertained with novelties such as 'Fan Cam' and the crowd respond to the 'DEFENCE' chants popping up on the giant screens.
The game was very entertaining especially heading into the final quarter as the Buccaneers rallied but eventually lost to the Bears to make it a miserable day for the club's owners the Glaziers who had already seen their Manchester United side lose 6-1 to Manchester City earlier in the day.
Not a single person dared make their way for the exit as they were captivated by not just the game on the field but everything that happens off it.
If the FA took the American approach of having a pre-game show or half time entertainment it could be the face lift that the FA Cup desperately needs to attract a world wide audience.
