Football fans in Los Angeles have clamored for an NFL team after the Raiders left for the Bay Area in 1995, but the league may have another place in mind before going back to Southern California — Europe.
The NFL has hosted numerous games across the pond in London, England over the past few seasons, and the Atlanta Falcons will be one of the teams that will play a game across the Atlantic Ocean in 2014. Atlanta owner Arthur Blank believes that the league is so popular in Europe, that a team could play all of its eight home games overseas.
The games in London have drawn large crowds, and the three games that are scheduled in 2014 have already sold out.
Previously, football was played in Europe at the professional level in the now-defunct NFL Europe. That league did not have star players, as it was mainly comprised of younger players and coaches that NFL teams were looking to develop. With quality talent, though, Blank thinks a team could succeed in London.
“I think that it’s proved conclusive that fans will come out when they see the real players playing games that are really meaningful, as opposed to NFL Europe,” Blanks said in an interview with Peter King of MMQB.si.com. “There’s been discussion about potentially having a franchise in London. I’m very optimistic.”
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