Auf Basis des kommerziellen Erfolgs der International Series Games im Wemley Stadion dachte Goodell zuletzt schon vor Fans in London laut über eine franchise in Europa nach. Auf NFL.com bezeichnete er nun diese Idee auf Anfrage eines norwegischen Footballfans als „gänzlich möglich“.
Goodell im Wortlaut:
„Our game continues to grow in popularity on a global basis. Our international regular season series in London has been a tremendous hit with the fans. As the fan base continues to develop it is entirely possible we could have an international franchise. We will keep focused on our mission to bring more football to more fans around the globe.“
„Mehr“ Spiele
Außerdem stellte Goodell bei diesem Online Chat fest, dass Fans wie Spieler die pre season Spiele nicht mögen, die Nfl daher darüber nachdenkt zwar beim 20-Spiele Format zu bleiben, zwei pre season Spiele aber zu streichen und dafür den Grunddurchgang von 16 auf 18 Spiele zu erweitern.
Dazu Goodell: „If we do an 18 game regular season, it has to be done right. We’ve said that from day 1. We hear consistently from our fans and the players that they don’t like preseason games. We are trying to address that issue in the best possible way for the fans, players and teams. What’s best for the game is the most important consideration. We are currently playing a 20-game format and would stay within those 20 games by switching two meaningless preseason games to regular season games. That is the concept. I’ve said repeatedly, it has to be done with consideration of how players prepare in the offseason, during training camp and during the regular season, and with a focus on player safety. These are some of the issues we are discussing within the NFL and through the negotiations with the union.“
NFC „Waste“
In der NFL West könnte es dazu kommen, dass ein Team die Division mit einem negativen record gewinnt und damit ein playoff Spiel hostet, findet Goodell weniger klare Worte: „This is not a new issue. We have considered many alternatives for our playoff format including the possibility of seeding all playoff teams on the basis of their records once they qualify for the playoffs. I’m certain this will get additional consideration by our competition committee and our membership in the offseason. As with any system there are pluses and minuses.“
In der Causa Brett Favre, der beschuldigt wird eine Mitarbeiterin der New York Jets belästigt zu haben und ein Statement der NFL dazu überfällig ist, versprach er eine baldige Entscheidung. Zum Thema Rückkehr eines NFL Teams in L.A. Sagte er, dass dies der Plan der NFL sei („We want to bring a team back to Los Angeles“).
