As of Friday, the prospect of removing the ability of teams hosting international games to block any of their nine home games from selection was regarded as a possibility. Four days later, it became a reality.
Via Ben Fischer of Sports Business Journal, owners voted on Tuesday to eliminate the current privilege to protect two games.
“That really is less about international, though that’s a component of it, and more about optimizing the schedule,” NFL executive V.P. of club business, international & league events Peter O’Reilly said, per Fischer. “Making sure the schedule makers have as much flexibility and opportunity to deliver the best possible schedule in every window for our partners.”
NFL V.P. of broadcast planning Mike North didn’t characterize it that way on Friday. As he told it, it was out of respect for the international fans.
“You know, you can’t have a team say, ‘Well, I don’t want my two best games ineligible for international.’ What kind of message does that send to the international fans?” North said.
Regardless of the reason(s), teams hosting an international game will have, moving forward, no ability to shield any of their home contests from being shipped to wherever. That said, there will surely be plenty of behind-the-scenes politicking — as there always is — regarding the selections made. Favors get traded in back rooms — as they always do.
That said, when push comes to shove, the league now has the power to tell the teams to take their objections to a specific game being taken to London or wherever and shove it.
