Should NFL mandate early travel for Week 1 international games?
As the conversation continues on the Rams' apparent misfire regarding the decision to barnstorm into and out of Melbourne, there's another question that needs to be asked about Week 1 international games played a long way away from the U.S.
Following the Rams' apparent misstep in their Week 1 travel to Melbourne, there is an important question that must be addressed: Should the NFL mandate early travel for Week 1 international games? Michael Holley suggested on PFT Live's Friday episode that the league should treat the Week 1 international game like the Super Bowl and require teams to arrive early.
This approach would make the effort to export the game more comprehensive, involving local appearances and multiple press conferences in the host country. By requiring teams to travel early, the league would eliminate the issue of one team being more acclimated than the other. The Rams' experience could potentially influence the selection of other teams to arrive early without being ordered to do so.
While the Rams' situation may be enough to convince the chosen teams to travel early, it is unnecessary to leave this variable in play. The NFL has already burdened the teams by scheduling a game on the opposite side of the world; it would be a small additional step to mandate the itinerary.
Written by urgent.news from Yahoo Sports's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
