Goodell Delivers "State of the League" Address

NFL Commissioner Rodger Goodell gave the annual "State of the League" address Friday. Among the topics included were out-of-country games/teams and the NFL/CFL relationship.

Goodell highlighted the benefit of the two Buffalo Bills games played in Toronto this year, saying that the games were "tremendously successful" for the league. As Goodell stated, "We said the objective was to regionalize the Buffalo Bills and it achieved those objectives.” Goodell added, “When we first got into this, we wanted to make sure it was a good experience for the two teams ... and we achieved that objective. I'm very confident that next year's game is going to be bigger and better"

Goodell was asked of the possiblility of a permanent London-based team, and replied, “They have demonstrated that they’re tremendous football fans and that we’re continuing to grow our game over there. ... If that passion continues, maybe someday they will have an NFL franchise. But I’ve never put a timeframe on that."

While the NFL and CFL (Canadian Football League) do not have any current interactions, Goodell, in response to a question, said the two sides have a "great relationship." Said Goodell, "We had long negotiations with them and they determined in their best interests that they did not need an alliance or any type of formal arrangement. We will continue to do what's in the best interest of football. We would love to see our CFL partners be successful and we'll continue to communicate with them."

It seems as though the NFL is going global, or at least intends to. This can be seen both as a benefit and a detriment to the American game. The games played outside America have and will likely continue to draw large crowds. This is necessary to the continuation of the league, as money is a huge issue these days.

Despite this, the NFL is an American league. Shouldn't the games be played in America?? If Packer fans had to give up season tickets so a game could be played in Canada, many would be extremely angry. I can see teams such as Detroit who are struggling to fill their stadiums going outside the country for fans. (I guess even the Lions would impress the Canadians), but as long as successful teams are leaving the country to play, many American fans will be disgruntled.