NFL Considers Los Angeles, Expansion: Roger Goodell Says 34 Teams Likely If L.A. Included

INDIANAPOLIS -- Commissioner Roger Goodell says if the NFL puts a team in Los Angeles, it is probable the league would expand to 34 franchises.

Appearing Thursday night on "Costas Live" on NBC Sports Network, Goodell said the league "doesn't want to move any of our teams."

"We probably don't want to go to 33" teams by adding just one new club if a suitable stadium is built in the Los Angeles area, Goodell said. Instead, the league would consider adding two. An odd number of teams would pose scheduling problems, including at least one club being off each week, and would create one division with five teams.

There has been speculation an LA stadium could house two NFL franchises, although Goodell did not address that with host Bob Costas.

Goodell says there are several issues that must be solved in LA, particularly which of two current stadium proposals is best. He didn't suggest any timetable for returning to Southern California.

Goodell talked about head injuries and said the NFL was helping other sports and the military through its research into concussions.

"We're in a leadership position in sports. People look up to the National Football League," he said. "We do have a game that's rough. There are inherent risks playing it. But the second-highest incident of concussions is girls' soccer. So what we're learning about concussions in football is helping other sports. Not just every level of football, but every other sport.

"Now the NFL is sharing our research with the Defense Department to help treat our military personnel in the field."

Earlier in the program, Patriots owner Robert Kraft and several current and former players were asked about lawsuits against the league by ex-players who claim they weren't warned about or protected enough against brain trauma during their careers.

The Associated Press published a story Thursday based on interviews with a dozen former players who have filed suits against the league. What emerged was, at best, a depiction of a culture of indifference on the part of the league and its teams toward concussions and other injuries. At worst, there was a strong sense of a willful disregard for players' well-being.

"We have to protect our players," Kraft said. "The league is very strong in this area and I hope we are prolonging careers" with the NFL's concussion research."

Added Colts center Jeff Saturday, a member of the players' union executive board: "The reality is we don't know what kind of damage it is doing long term. It's the biggest problem we face in the NFL now."

Comments

[PulseNewsMe]

05:17 PM on 03/08/2012

would love a team in LA i hope we get one

[airrborne]

10:13 AM on 03/08/2012

I'm from Southern Calif and I lived through the Raiders and Rams era in L.A. I get what everyone is saying about the lack of support for those teams and I agree that it lacked. However, times are different now. Aside from SC and UCLA, there are huge fan bases for football in general. There's a ton of semi-pro football organizations out here as well.

I'm all for bringing the NFL back to LA. Expansion team makes more sense, but I also wouldn't mind seeing the Jags come out here. The theme has a connection with Latin America which makes up for a big chunk of the population.

[Candw1]

11:20 AM on 02/05/2012

In a word...NO

[IndependentAndProud]

05:26 AM on 02/05/2012

LA belongs to the Lakers and the Dodgers. Any NFL was and would always be second banana, which is fine. Just because LA is a huge city doesn't mean that it has to have an NFL team. Yeah, there are rabid NFL fans here...just not enough of them.

[Joshua Bynum]

09:53 PM on 02/03/2012

You would need to add 8 new teams. 4 NFC and 4 AFC for 2 new Divisions. 8 cities that would be awesome for NFL teams are:

L.A.
San Antonio
Omaha
Honolulu
Louisville
Portland
Las Vegas
Boise

I think that would be 8 strong cities for the NFL market. You could also try a couple cities in Canada if you prefer but I like it being in the U.S.

[Realist Optimist]

01:53 AM on 02/04/2012

dont forget about london

[Todd Sirois]

02:09 AM on 02/04/2012

This post should be written in "sarcastica" font.

[Forrest Malcom]

05:34 PM on 02/03/2012

I am in support of a NFL team in LA i have always believe it should be a expansion team not a existing team. At the same time i dont trust the NFL i remember in the late 90s when LA was awarded the 32 nd expansion team , and the nfl took the franchise away & gave it to Houston. They were once again using LA as leverage for Houston could pay a outstanding about of money for the new team. What i want to know is another city going to compete for the new team as well , and the NFL is going to screw LA again like it did in the late 90s because that other town is going to give out more public funds. BTW i am tired of you folks coming on here & saying LA is not a football town. Angelinos watch High School football games on tv.

[Gritsfalcon]

02:36 AM on 02/04/2012

You guys screwed youself!!!! Your elected officials in Orange County and the LA Colisium wouldn't work with Georgia Frontiere and Al Davis, respectively, to keep either the Rams or the Raiders. Furthermore, your people wouldn't show up for the games.....Atlanta used to play in the NFC West in those days and Angels' stadium in Anaheim ALWAYS had a bunch of empty seats when they came to town to play the Rams. Al Davis wanted to put a stadium up in Irwindale but nobody would work with him. So he had to move back to Oakland. Whenever the N. York city based NFL awards franchises to cities they will ALWAYS keeping them as close to the eastern TV markets as possible!

[ladyvader]

01:28 PM on 02/03/2012

34 is too many. Hell, 32 is too many.

Look, if LA can't keep a team, there has been three there so far, what makes Goodell think LA really wants NFL football. It may be the 2nd largest TV market, but that didn't matter when LA had NFL. People still don't go to enough games to keep the teams they have had.

Chargers, Rams, and Raiders are the three teams that have moved from LA..

[Thomas Nagano]

03:43 PM on 02/03/2012

The NFL is desperate.

Los Angeles NFL fans have been blessed with no television blackouts of their favorite team or teams.

When you have access to all 32 teams and every game, why would you want to hassle traffic and sit in the stands with obnoxious, aggressive fans of the home team, i.e. Raiders, Dodgers, even some Lakers fans, now that the Clippers have become competitive.

The NFL has worked hard at watching broadcast games more enjoyable at home or at a sports bars, with replays and visual summaries and all the food and beer commercials, enforcing Monday, Sunday and most recently Thursday night football with your friends.

In other words, Los Angeles Football fans are spoiled.

Fight on for USC...the real home team experience.

- TK

[Gritsfalcon]

02:44 AM on 02/04/2012

Excellent point(s) !!!