Canada high on NFL’s host list
Romo’s status remains up in the air in Dallas, and Lynch is still retired
TPHOENIX, Ariz. he NFL didn’t conclude at its just-ended annual meeting whether, or where, to possibly expand its annual slate of international games to a new country in 2018. That includes Canada.
At the Super Bowl last month, Mark Waller, the NFL’s executive vice-president of international, told Postmedia the league had toured four potential stadiums in Canada, and others in Germany, for a possible “International Series” game in the near future.
The NFL last year visited Montreal’s Olympic Stadium, Toronto’s Rogers Centre, Edmonton’s Commonwealth Stadium and Vancouver’s B.C. Place Stadium.
The latter two venues play host to CFL games.
Waller said Canada is “high on the list” on the league’s list of countries in contention to join the U.K. and Mexico in playing host to a regular-season NFL game. Germany is, too.
Battling the CRTC
Meantime, Waller said his Canada focus now is to hold talks with the Canadian federal government, regarding the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission’s decision last year to allow U.S. commercials to be shown on FOX affiliates in Canada (via cable and satellite providers) during last month’s Super Bowl LI.
As a result, viewership for CTV, CTV Two and TSN tanked — plummeting 39 per cent — as millions of Canadians instead watched the game on the root American network, FOX, in part to catch the new, bigbuzz American TV commercials that can’t be carried in Canada.
CTV’s parent company, Bell Media, and the NFL jointly fought the CRTC’s decision last year, and will carry that battle into 2017.
“We definitely will focus now on talks with the government, to see what we can do,” Waller said.
Lynch still retired
Until he announces his retirement is over, maybe it’s time to retire speculation that former star Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch might return to the NFL with his hometown Oakland Raiders. Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll was asked about Lynch a couple of times Wednesday morning, and finally ended that track of discussion by stating: “He’s retired.”
Seriously, Ben?
New York Giants head coach Ben McAdoo told disbelieving reporters from the Big Apple on Tuesday night that he can see newly signed backup QB Geno Smith eventually taking over as successor to longtime starter Eli Manning.
“I can’t see why not,” McAdoo said.
Millions of those in New York and New Jersey who watched Smith lose 18 of 30 starts and throw more interceptions (36) than touchdowns (28) can see why not.
Quiet on Romo front
Dallas head coach Jason Garrett said Tuesday night there was “nothing really to update” regarding whether the Cowboys might trade or release their longtime former starting quarterback, Tony Romo.
“Nothing’s really changed since the end of the season,” Garrett said. “It’s a situation that we’re working through. He and (owner/GM) Jerry Jones are the principal people in working that situation through, and it’s really been status quo.”
That didn’t stop Garrett from talking up a player he clearly has immense respect for.
“Tony has been a great football player in this league for a long time, and has been a great football player for this organization.
“Durability has been an issue (for him) the last couple of years, so nobody really knows if he can handle the course of a 16-game season. But that’s true of everybody. You take that risk with every player on your roster. He’s been a great football player for us for a long time. We are fortunate to have him.”