Roger Goodell: "Football Should Absolutely Be An Olympic Sport"

[G.O.A.T]

Roger Goodell: Football should “absolutely” be an Olympic sport
Posted by Michael David Smith on August 3, 2012, 11:12 AM EDT
Roger Goodell AP

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell isn’t satisfied with just running the most popular sport in the United States. He wants to see American football grow abroad until it reaches the point where it becomes an Olympic sport.

Goodell told Mike Florio on the Dan Patrick Show that football has taken many of the steps necessary to get recognized by the International Olympic Committee.

“Absolutely. We’re already taking steps to gain that IOC recognition. We have, I think, 64 countries that are playing American football now, and that’s one of the requirements. That’s been growing dramatically — I think it was 40 just five years ago,” Goodell said.

Goodell said he doesn’t have a specific timetable for when that could happen, but he does hope the IOC continues to keep an eye on the growth of the sport internationally. He noted specifically that the NFL has been successful with its annual game in London, and that it won’t be long before the league has two games a year in London — and after that, maybe eight a year.

“Our point is just to keep growing the game,” Goodell said. “We’re having a tremendous reaction in London and the UK for the game of football, our regular season game over there is sold out again this year, we are seriously contemplating as early as 2013 playing two NFL games next season and I think we’ll do that. It’s a response to the tremendous fan reaction and the growth of the game. If we can continue to grow the game there and have the fan reaction that we have, there very well may be a franchise in London.”

With the potential for an NFL franchise in London, and perhaps some day dozens of amateur teams representing their countries by playing football in the Olympics, international expansion is clearly a goal that Goodell wants to be a major part of his legacy as commissioner.

 

[NYC Rebel]

Bwahahahahahahaha.

On the real though, the Brooklyn semi-pro team I played for back in the day before I joined them was the FIRST american football team to play an England based team back in the early 80's.

Unless Samoians and NIgerians come up with their own team's, I don't see this happening.

 

[Da_Eggman]

that be so awesome crushing every country

 

[Jplaya2023]

2 things why this won't ever happen

1. No other country except canada plays "football"

2. Players Union/ Coaches/ MGTMT etc.. would never allow their player(s) to participate in 4+ weeks of playing football while others are in training camp getting ready for the season. The injury risk is to high

 

[#1 pick]

Nnamdi locking down Megatron for Team Nigeria.

 

[West Coast Avenger]

as much as I would like it to be in the Olympics.....If we had a top tier team like we do an NBA team or even a team with elite college player's there would be murder on that field literally.....

 

[Real]

maybe eighty years from now...seriously...eighty years.

 

[MikelArteta]

flag football on a beach no robert edwards

 

[Colejeezy]

 

[Jamal514]

I wouldn't mind. Canada would pretty much be guaranteed a silver medal.

 

[GreatestLaker]

They would need to stop calling it football first of all. Football is soccer to everyone outside of the US.

 

[Da_Eggman]

They would need to stop calling it football first of all. Football is soccer to everyone outside of the US.

fukk everyone outside of the us

 

[obarth]

Biggest problem with this is the QBs or lack there of. You could probably field a few teams with legit NFL talent at a few different positions, but QB is one of the least diverse yet most important position on the field. And are these teams gonna have training camps before hand? It would be some sloppy ass play and cats would be getting hurt every other play.


The ratings would be through the roof.

 

[NYC Rebel]

I played a game in Panama against their Panamanian team.

Just 15 of us playing on both sides of the ball....in Panamanian heat.....after fukking some beautiful Panamanian women the night prior.







































I almost died of heat exhaustion!!!

 

[Jamal514]

They would need to stop calling it football first of all. Football is soccer to everyone outside of the US.

They'd call it Gridiron Football