Captcoolhand
01-16-2007, 11:15 AM
LONDON (AP) -- London will hold the NFL's first regular-season game outside North America, beating out several German cities for the 2007 contest.
The opponents have yet to be announced, and the most likely venue is the new Wembley Stadium, which is to open this spring after years of delays.
"There is no better place to begin this initiative than London," NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said Tuesday. "It is one of the great cities of the world with an established and growing fan base for our game."
The Miami Dolphins are believed to be a front-runner as the host team. Goodell is expected to announce game details before the Feb. 4 Super Bowl in Miami.
NFL owners voted in October to play up to two games outside the United States every season for the next five years. Britain, Germany, Canada and Mexico have been identified as the top markets for NFL games outside the United States. China and Japan were ruled out of the running.
"There are many NFL fans in London -- both American and non-American -- and this will be a spectacular sporting occasion," London Mayor Ken Livingstone said. "After it success in winning the 2012 Olympics and Parlalympic Games, we want to bring Londoners the greatest of non-Olympic sports."
The NFL staged its first regular-season game outside the United States in 2005. The Arizona Cardinals played the San Francisco 49ers before a crowd of 103,467 in Mexico City.
London hosted several NFL American Bowl preseason games in the 1990s. The city also had the London Monarchs in the World Football League -- now NFL Europe -- but the team folded.
How far will you travel to see your favorite team play?
I can see going to Canada to watch the Steelers, but Damn, all the way to England!
The opponents have yet to be announced, and the most likely venue is the new Wembley Stadium, which is to open this spring after years of delays.
"There is no better place to begin this initiative than London," NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said Tuesday. "It is one of the great cities of the world with an established and growing fan base for our game."
The Miami Dolphins are believed to be a front-runner as the host team. Goodell is expected to announce game details before the Feb. 4 Super Bowl in Miami.
NFL owners voted in October to play up to two games outside the United States every season for the next five years. Britain, Germany, Canada and Mexico have been identified as the top markets for NFL games outside the United States. China and Japan were ruled out of the running.
"There are many NFL fans in London -- both American and non-American -- and this will be a spectacular sporting occasion," London Mayor Ken Livingstone said. "After it success in winning the 2012 Olympics and Parlalympic Games, we want to bring Londoners the greatest of non-Olympic sports."
The NFL staged its first regular-season game outside the United States in 2005. The Arizona Cardinals played the San Francisco 49ers before a crowd of 103,467 in Mexico City.
London hosted several NFL American Bowl preseason games in the 1990s. The city also had the London Monarchs in the World Football League -- now NFL Europe -- but the team folded.
How far will you travel to see your favorite team play?
I can see going to Canada to watch the Steelers, but Damn, all the way to England!