The NFL is the runaway favorite as far as US sports are concerned. While commissioner Roger Goodell is happy with the situation, he still believes that there is room to change and grow. The NFL as a year-round pastime is something that Goodell believes is well within reach and may already be happening.
"We are talking about the entire calendar year. We have a draft that attracts record audiences. We have camps. We have [scouting] combines," said Goodell.
These points are well taken as other sports are already put on the back burner whenever there is news relating to football. The NFL draft has become a huge event resulting in parties similar to those held for the Super Bowl. Of course the draft is not as widespread and is mostly watched by the more dedicated fans, but this used to be the case for the Super Bowl as well.
In addition to these events drawing more fans, Goodell has been hinting at the first overseas franchise. London is the target market and games that have been played at Wembley stadium since 2007 have been extremely successful. While the commissioner did not come out and say that there was anything in the works he did say, "We will be continuing to invest in that marketplace and find ways to engage those fans even more deeply. I'm optimistic that they will respond positively."
There has also been some serious discussion about expanding the NFL playoffs. This could be the best way to give football fans more of the game they love without actually adding more weeks to the season. Speaking on this topic, Goodell explained,
"We think we can make the league more competitive. We think we can make the matchups more competitive toward the end of the season. There will be more excitement, more memorable moments for our fans. And that's something that attracts us."
This process is not as simple as a comissioner's signature, there would have to be approval from at least 24 of the 32 NFL owners. It could be a long road, but since it would make more money for teams and owners it seems like a change that is likely to happen. For fans, anything that will bring more football, so long as it is not watered down, is a very exciting prospect.
