How 'bout them Cowboys? Well, probably not in London

Dolphins owner Wayne Huizenga, being lauded by the NFL for sacrificing a home game, said he believes more than half the owners gladly would play a game overseas for the exposure it gives them and the league.

And Giants co-owner Steve Tisch doesn't think Jones speaks for everyone, either.

"Jerry's entitled to his opinion - his is one of many opinions he's had," Tisch said. "I think overall, the league is going to come out of this very, very pleased."

The 90,000 tickets for the game were sold out almost immediately after they went on sale. There's almost universal agreement that though Londoners aren't considered huge football aficionados, they know they'll get the real thing Sunday.

Nick Szczepanik of The Times of London said the interest began in the 1980s, before soccer was as huge in England, and around the time Londoners started receiving regular doses of American football coverage on TV.

"People saw those sunkissed fields in Dallas and Miami and Los Angeles. It was new and stunning and fresh, and we bought into it," Szczepanik said. "A lot of people spent a lot of time pretending to speak knowledgeably about third downs and tight ends for a while, and the whole thing worked."

Szczepanik believes there is a residual effect of that early introduction, and now the NFL must market to a new set of fans if it wants to meet its next goal.

"It's really not about this game," he said. "It's the third, fourth and fifth games they do here. If you get to where it's the Jaguars and Texans two years from now and that's still a sellout, then you've got something."

The question is, what would they really have?

Goodell, probably rightfully, believes globalization in a society brimming with new technology is the only way to stay relevant in the future.

Waller is leading that effort. To make a real go of it, he'll have a fight on his hands with coaches and players, who may not mind taking six-hour flights for exhibitions, but have a much different view of things when the real games begin.

"My reaction was that it is an away game, and it still is an away game," Giants coach Tom Coughlin said, treading gingerly on the topic. "And that is as political as I can say it."

Waller said opinions of players and coaches will play a role in the NFL's next step, though turning back does not sound like an option.

"We have a league resolution to play up to two games a year overseas," Waller said. "We intend to fulfill that next year."

Germany, Mexico and Canada are also in the mix to host these games. Any effort to expand into China's burgeoning market has been pushed back to 2009, after the Olympics end. In fact, the NFL doesn't even know who will operate Olympic Stadium after the Beijing Games.

Waller insists the entire project is about finding more fans.

"We don't have a business projection," he said. "This is really about growing our sport and our fan base. If it was about money, we'd be playing this game in Miami on Sunday at 1 p.m."

Of course, Waller acknowledged, building the fan base and making money go hand in hand.

Even Jones is on board for that.

"I think this is all good for the league and good for some teams. My hat is off to Wayne Huizenga," Jones said. "But it just doesn't work for us."