Pollution a concern for planning of China game

Eleven months ago, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell disclosed his intention to play a regular-season game in China in 2018, likely to open that season. The clock is ticking, and no game has been announced yet.

Reasons include the usual suspects, from government permission to logistics, but another issue is also a big concern: pollution.

Mark Waller, NFL executive vice president of international, said scheduling the game around China’s infamous heavy pollution days is a challenge. The league has not found a solution yet, he said.

Before the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the Chinese government shut down nearby coal plants and seeded clouds, which is unlikely to occur for an NFL game. Other sports have dealt with the issue, including tennis, which has tour stops in the major cities of China. At the 2015 China Open, spectators donned protective breathing masks during matches.

It’s reasonable that the NFL could wait until the May owners meeting to decide on a 2018 game in China, Waller said.