INDIANAPOLIS – At the NFL’s annual press conference, Commissioner Roger Goodell announced that NFL Network will televise five additional regular-season games next season as part of its Thursday Night Football package.
The network will carry Thursday night games in Weeks 2-11 and 13-15. NBC will carry the season-opening game in Week 1 on Thursday night and the Thanksgiving day primetime contest in Week 12.
“Adding these games to the NFL Network schedule will give more players, teams, and cities the primetime stage,” Commissioner Goodell said. “Our fans can now get an early start on the NFL weekend in the season’s first 15 weeks.”
As part of the Thursday Night Football schedule expansion, all 32 teams are guaranteed a primetime game next season.
GLOBAL GROWTH
Earlier this year, it was announced that the St. Louis Rams would host games in the United Kingdom for three consecutive seasons as part of the NFL’s International Series. The Rams are the first NFL team to commit to playing games abroad on a regular basis.
On Friday, Goodell announced that the popular channel NFL RedZone will be available in Spanish beginning next season. NFL RedZone is produced by NFL Network and shows viewers live look-ins to the various games in action on NFL Sundays.
The commissioner talked about making international growth a priority and opened up the possibility of playing games in Mexico and Europe in the future.
“There is a great deal of interest in Latin America to play a game,” Goodell said. “We would like to get back to Mexico with another regular season game. We’ve discussed it with our partners in Mexico and it is something we would like to get done sooner rather than later.”
Goodell said that the league wouldn’t expand its International Series without careful consideration and planning.
“This is all about a collective strategy to make our game more successful on a global basis, and the effort that we are putting in with the U.K., and London as an example, are all designed to build a model that is going to grow our game and its popularity in the U.K. If that’s successful, we will expand throughout Europe. The same thing is true in Mexico, and what we can do in Latin America if we’re successful there.”
SUPER FUTURE
Although the weather has been unseasonably warm in Indianapolis this week — and was unseasonably cold in Dallas last year — the 2014 Super Bowl that will be played in the New York/New Jersey area has given other cold-weather cities like Denver hope of hosting the event in the future.
“We are a city worthy of hosting the Super Bowl,” Broncos president Joe Ellis told the Denver Post this week. “It’s definitely something we’re looking at.”
Goodell said that while he is all for playing the game in all sorts of weather elements, the league will look at the New York/New Jersey Super Bowl to determine its plans going forward.
“I’m a big believer that the game of football is played in all elements,” Goodell said. “We see it, and some our classic games were played in snow or ice or cold. … We do have another side, which is they believe that when you get to the Super Bowl, it should be played in conditions that are not impacted by weather. That’s a balancing act. We’re going to play an outdoor game in new York, in 2014 for the Super Bowl. … Let’s see how that event comes off. We think it’s going to be very positive and let’s go from there.”
The Broncos front office will be watching that event closely, hoping it will open the door for cities such as Denver to enter the Super Bowl hosting rotation.
“Who wouldn’t want the Super Bowl?” Ellis said to the Denver Post. “I think it would be great for Denver, and our city deserves an event like that.”
-Stuart Zaas
Tags: Roger Goodell
No Bait there Bay… I already know how you feel… Just an oppinion… I’m sure the Blog is aware of our positions on this player!!!
Turtle, I`m hoping it`s Dontari Poe at #25. I`m just guessing at this point since FA hasn`t started yet.
WHERE’S OUR BEEF!?!?!
I’m with whoever said, Luck is no lock. Applies to RG3 even more.
If Tim Tebow doesn`t progress in 2012, we can get Matt Barkley as our future franchise QB, but until then Tebow has to prove us Broncos fans wrong. Thats only fair, Timmy deserves the shot.
I hope the Bronco’s make some trades also, not just FA signings… last year that is how we brought in Bunk, and hopefully Jarmon steps up and makes the roster this season after giving up Gaf for him last year… (Jarmon signed a future contract already for 2012 for those of you that were wondering)
I want a guy like Calias Campbell out of AZ…
And how do we go at getting Matt Barkley if we win 8 games again, which could be very likely btw.
Donati Poe is one big dude and a freakish athlete at his size, 6’5″ 350lbs. A mass of flesh, ouch!
Now that would be a dilemma.
That is some BEEF!!! Strand… I’d smile if we added him… Jerel Worthy is a good option there as well…
Saying those two QBs are no lock is like saying there is no guarantee of a tomrrow for any of us, it’s a gimme, but I like both their odds better than many college QBs I have seen in many years.
Calias Campbell was born in Denver in 1986.
I`d be happy to get Luck or RG3, but not at the expense of axing Tebow. IMO
I`d be content with Worthy also.
Elway will figure it out.
Next year if we win at least 8 games we can draft a guy like Collin Klien (K.State) in the 4th or 5th round… He’s Tebow 2.0 for those of you that are not familiar… (Not really the one I’d go for, but could run our Run first offense as well as anyone… I personally like the guy out of ARK, Wilson and think he will be the best Pro of the 2013 Draft, again, that’s here nor there as it’s light years away in terms of NFL reality)…
As a big man I’m starting to lean Fletcher Cox, has a great ring to it, Fletcher, one of the Broncos all time great.
No dilemma, Strand. Getting Barkley next year shouldn’t be anymore difficult than getting RGIII this year, should it? If a deal with RGIII can be visualized for this year, why not Barkley next year? I see no difference in the finesse it would take, but I guess it depends upon whom is doing the visualizing and the reasons behind it….:wink:
I read up on Fletcher Cox. He sounds like a young man of good charactar too. He`s a man of faith so Fletcher will be in good company. LOL
And I`m a die hard USC Trojons fan too. I`d want Matt Barkley if Tim doesn`t work out. Call me selfish! LOL
Simon Fletcher was awesome!
If only you thought your comments through instead of just throwing childish jabs at me as always, this year we have the Jacksonville owner dying for a Tebow trade, by next year it would be all up in smoke if he fails.
But anyway that’s not what I’m suggesting, just talking hypotheticals as always and I only wish you were big enough a man to let it go as I asked you and let me be, but no, you take this world as your classroom and want to teach it the goody two shoes way you wallow in through your blog policing wanna be. Your game is getting lamer by the post. Small, small man.
Next.
Bay – I get and agree with the Fletcher reference, but how do you explain the Cox reference?? LOL
Tim Tebow will work out the kinks in the offseason, it shouldn`t even be an issue from what I`ve heard from other coaches across the league, small details is all, no biggy.
It’s not a perfect world, obviously, LOL.
The one who speaks the loudest isn`t always right and you roar like a lion. Just like in any conversation it goes both ways so the feelings are mutual. You take by force and shut everyone else up as if the other persons opion is of no value.
I wasn’t talking to you strand.
OVERKILL is what I`m saying.
Well, you rather I’m gone then?
Because I sure as heck ain’t going to change.
Bay, I`m a huge tebow fan dude, but the Broncos are my first love and only love as a NFL team.
So what’s your point?
We can’t discuss Tebow, just the Broncos?
I respect you big time and still see you as the blog father, but it affects me when you want Tebow gone.
I just want to win the SB and I believe Tim can do some fantastic things for us.
Ummm…. I see some flawed reasoning… this is how I see it
A. If Tebow wins at least 8 games next year Jax’s new owner will still want Tebow, as his stock will be just as high…
B. If we lose more than 8 games then we will be in the top half of the draft and will be able to move up by offering a 1st or 2nd in 2014…
‘Can’t we all just get along?’ ;o)
the only ‘X’ factor would be how Jax does in the 2012 season… Gabbert might be the answer (Like RGIII might be the answer, big 12 defenses have a way of making a guy look real good, cough, Landry Jones)… and that’s considering Barkely doesn’t regress or get injured… alot of what if’s really to make any tangible arguments
anyway… back to the Broncos…
PUM PUM PUM… WHERE’S OUR BEEF?!?!
The GM of JX who chose not to draft Tebow is still there. And Khan has backtracked on his earlier stmt by clarifying that he didn’t mean he’d draft Tebow in the 1st.
Tebow is a dilemma for all front offices. His upside is astronomical if he becomes a proficient passer. But (and it’s a big but), if he doesn’t, then he’s a situational backup at best. I don’t think Denver passes on the upside probability this year. Besides, I think Fox really likes Tebow. Elway, not so much.
If Denver succeeds with Tebow, they won’t need to draft a QB next year. If Tebow doesn’t get significantly better, we won’t go 8-8. More like 3-13 That mush rush pretty much shut us down by the last few games. That’ll put Denver in the run for a top tier QB.
Play the Tebow hand for 2012. Then we’ll know the direction for 2013.
For the record once again I never said I wanted Tebow gone, I thought you and I had an understanding about that the last time we talked, I just would like to make sure every possibility is explored, like earlier it was said Luck is no lock, well as far as I can see Tebow is no lock either. I don’t know that he is a lock like you basically often say, I’m rather hoping he is, so therefore I don’t mind exploring, just difference of opinions about him is all.
Bay, if I`m over-reacting, I apologize, but I`ve bent stewing over this for awhile now. Call me human. I just like Tebow is all, and I`m taking it all personal. I just get the feeling the you flat out hate Tim Tebow, and I just don`t understand.
AJ, to me the odds are like 80/20 that’s exactly what will happen, Tebow will be given a full shot this season, but the 20% part is intriguing to me to say the least, Tebow lovers should be maganimus enough to understand that.
magnanimus, if that’s even a word, haha.
I`m reading you wrong then. You come across as if you want him gone. I guess you think there is much better QB`s out there.
I think Tebow is a great guy, I just don’t know that he is a bonified potential pocket passer, and neither does Elway from everything I read, so I’m not like an Anti Tebow or anything like that, just a Tebow realist I guess.
denver broncos first two draft picks should be beef in dontari poe and fletcher cox if he is still available.
well, whatever EFX does in the future I`ll deal with it. BRONCOS FOREVER!!!
Oh yes, I definitely think RG3 and Luck have much greater NFL potential than Tebow, and I would probably even rate guys like Foles and Tannehin ahead of him, as far as pocket passing in the NFL that is.
But I love his will to win which is unequalled and that’s so far the main reason he seemingly will have a full shot this season.
Bay writes: “If only you thought your comments through instead of just throwing childish jabs at me as always, this year we have the Jacksonville owner dying for a Tebow trade, by next year it would be all up in smoke if he fails.
But anyway that’s not what I’m suggesting, just talking hypotheticals as always and I only wish you were big enough a man to let it go as I asked you and let me be, but no, you take this world as your classroom and want to teach it the goody two shoes way you wallow in through your blog policing wanna be. Your game is getting lamer by the post. Small, small man.
Next.”
******************************
I wasn’t addressing you, Bay, so back off. Just making a point that a plan had been posted to get RGIII this year, but when Strand was informed that it would be a problem next year to get Barkley if we had an 8-8 season, I thought it was ironic.
Nobody cares whether you change. It’s just interesting to watch others express their opinions, only to get rebuffed by you, yet you go totally ballistic if your opinions are challenged, and resort to calling names and using your same old belittling tactics. As I’ve said before, the irony is rich.
First and foremost, he must learn to QB from the pocket and thats a given. He`s got to prove himself there. If Tim Tebow doesn`t improve from the pocket it all for naught. I think he` can do it. We`ll see.
Whatever, it was clear as day what you intentions were:
“but I guess it depends upon whom is doing the visualizing and the reasons behind it….:wink:”
When it comes to NFL football I`m a kid at heart!!
Anyway, got to do honeydos so have a good one and peace out.
I spoke my peace.