NFL commissioner would like to see European expansion

LONDON - Football is in the land of futbol to stay - and with an even bigger presence if NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has his way.

When the San Francisco 49ers take on the Denver Broncos at Wembley Stadium on Sunday, they'll be the latest teams that went across the Atlantic to do their part in helping the league grow its international fan base.

And despite the long travels and disrupted team schedules such a trip brings, the NFL is charging ahead with plans to increase the number of games it plays overseas.

This marks the fourth regular-season game to be played in London, and Goodell said the success of the previous three sellouts has buoyed his hopes to succeed with his ultimate expansion goal - having a full-time franchise in London.

"Each year, the different barometers indicate that our popularity continues to rise," Goodell said at an annual sports conference the NFL organizes together with The Economist magazine in London. "I think the next step will be multiple games (in Europe). And if that's successful then I think the idea of a franchise here is realistic."

Like the teams that came before them, the Niners and Broncos have only had good things to say about their trans-Atlantic trip - focusing more on the team-building opportunities than the jet lag and time spent away from home.

"I've never been out of the country, so this is definitely a good experience and opportunity," Niners cornerback Nate Clements said. "And I look to take advantage of this and make the most of it."

Of course, it's not exactly easy to bring the full NFL circus abroad.

Traveling logistics are one of the biggest challenges for teams coming over for games, highlighted by the Niners (1-6) and Broncos (2-5) choosing drastically different strategies for how to approach Sunday's matchup.

San Francisco arrived on Monday and has spent the week in a five-star hotel in the countryside outside London, getting adjusted to the time difference and practicing on a field with the same wet and slippery conditions expected at Wembley.

The Broncos, meanwhile, chose to stay home longer and only arrived Friday.

"Everyone was kind of like walking zombies off of the flight," Broncos offensive lineman Chris Kuper said. "Once we catch up on sleep we should be fine. We got two days to catch up on sleep."

The Niners have the added disadvantage of being listed as the home team, meaning they get one less game to play in San Francisco.

But with the city turning the spotlight to the Giants playing in the World Series, it's not a bad time for the struggling football team to be elsewhere.