Die-hard NFL fans from around the globe showed up for a wide-ranging Q&A with commissioner Roger Goodell Saturday afternoon. Â He touched on a wide-range of issues, including the possibility of expanding with a franchise here in the United Kingdom at some point, the kind of long-range planning that is possible now for the league with the ink still fresh on a 10-year collective bargaining agreement. Â Read more after the jump.
But the first step, Goodell said, is more football here. The Chicago Bearswill play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday at Wembley Stadium. The goal is to have two regular-season games here starting in 2012 and the league is looking for ways to strengthen its fan support here.
“Thirty-two has been a great number for us,†Goodell said. “It works from a scheduling standpoint. What we want to do is make sure all of our teams continue to be successful. The greatest thing about the CBA is it’s 10 years so it gives you an opportunity to really plan into the future and that’s a big plus for us and that also may include expansion at some point. When we know we have the stability of understanding the system over that period of time, that’s going to benefit everybody. Who knows? Expansion may be the way we need to do it over here internationally. It might be the best solution for us. So I don’t think anything is off the table. It has not been a major focus for us in the past but now with this labor agreement, it might be.â€
