As the first decade of regular-season games in London came to a close Sunday, when the Washington Redskins faced the Cincinnati Bengals, the "mutual fascination" between the city and the NFL does not "seem to be slowing down," according to Zac Boyer of the WASHINGTON TIMES. Tickets to each of the 17 games, including Sunday’s, have been sold out. TV ratings, slumping in the U.S., have "nearly doubled" in the U.K. since the start of last year. Participation in British adult leagues is up nearly 20%. Those numbers "point to the potential of a franchise taking up residence in the city, which a number of league officials have said over the years remains a possibility." Contracts already call for the NFL to host a minimum of two games in London through '27, with the "escalation from three games this year to four games next year appearing likely." A number of "logistical hurdles still need to be overcome before such a move becomes permanent, but as overseas games continue, they are starting to show it’s feasible." L.A. Rams coach Jeff Fisher, whose team has played two games in London, said, "The enthusiasm and the support is clearly here." Minor or major, every facet of the game experience "is challenged in some way by a trip to London" -- and the NFL, which provides charter flights and luxury accommodations for team personnel, "can do only so much to mitigate the differences." A five-hour time difference and a seven-hour flight mean those flying to the city lose the better portion of a day -- "and that’s just from the East Coast." The volatility of the int'l markets "would mean those coaching, playing or working for a London team would be paid and taxed differently." Ultimately, the success of an overseas franchise "rests on fan support, which appears to be there." All but two of the 15 games at Wembley drew more than 83,000 people, and tickets at Twickenham, with capacity reduced to 74,000 this past Sunday, "sold out in a matter of hours" (WASHINGTON TIMES, 10/27). In Washington, Tommy Chalk wrote unlike some teams that have chosen to arrive as much as a week ahead for NFL games in London, the Washington Redskins "decided to minimize the team's time in England -- arriving early Friday after an eight-hour overnight flight." But even with a Friday practice and a Saturday walk-through at Wembley Stadium, the site of Sunday’s game with the Cincinnati Bengals, several Redskins said they "plan to make time for sightseeing in one of the world’s great cities." Defensive end Ricky Jean Francois said, "A lot of people said I'm going to be tired by the time I get there, but, believe me, I'm not going to be tired. Once practice is over with, I will be on the road and around taking pictures." Cornerback Josh Norman is "even taking in a professional soccer game." He said, "I’m going to the Tottenham game [against] Leicester City. Leicester City, they gave me a jersey last year" (WASHINGTON TIMES, 10/27).
