NFL Relocation Carousel, New Stadiums, International Talk...

Every year at this time, prominent voices in the NFL suggest that London eventually could have its own franchise. And then no tangible progress is ever made toward it happening.

On Saturday, Commissioner Roger Goodell teased London once again with the possibility of a franchise, saying this at an event in connection with the final regular-season London game of the year: “I feel this market without question could have an NFL team. There’s no question a team could be successful here.”

In many respects, it’s a carrot the NFL continues to dangle, in order to keep the London fans fascinated by where these flirtations could lead. But there’s still no reason to think it will ever happen.

Even if supersonic flight were to make a comeback, putting a team in England (ideally, there would be two) raises plenty of tough questions. Starting with this one: Where will the team(s) come from? Unless the NFL expands (the proliferation of competent young quarterbacks actually could make the proposition viable), someone will have to move. So who will it be? Other than the Jaguars, who play there every year but whose owner insists a move isn’t happening, there’s no obvious candidate.

Second, can a London team really be successful on the field given the disadvantages inherent to playing on the other side of an ocean? Plenty of players won’t want to live and work there (don’t be shocked if draft picks demand trades and/or threaten to sit for a full year and re-enter the draft), and the travel, the exchange rates, the tax rates, the extended road trips (surely, they’ll be playing two or three U.S. games in a row), and all other logistical issues will force the league to try to erase the competitive imbalance with extra cap space or extra draft picks or other things aimed at allowing the London team(s) to be more competitive.

So then what happens if the London team(s) thrive? Every other team will complain that the league is making it too easy for the London team(s), undermining their success, jeopardizing their league-created benefits, and creating real questions about the overall integrity of the game.

Mayor Ron Nirenberg told KSAT-TV San Antonio will have an NFL team within ten years.

During a one-on-one interview, Nirenberg said the city's economic growth and efforts by city leaders would lead the football league planting a franchise here in the short term.

“I really believe the momentum that San Antonio has experienced over the last few years," Nirenberg said. "Most recently with the announcement of major jobs coming to Brooks City Base as well as the downtown UTSA campus and the rise of Texas A&M, the community college districts as well, you will see an NFL team in San Antonio in the next 10 years.”

Earlier this year, upstart league the Alliance of American Football made S.A. one of its inaugural markets, although the city didn't put up cash to land the deal. Local leaders have also courted the Oakland Raiders, and speculation has swirled that it might do the same for the struggling Los Angeles Chargers.