‘Extending the regular season to 17 games – the logical next step – ostensibly would create uneven home-and-away schedules and an unfair advantage in a league that prides itself on competitive balance. Therefore, the scenario has launched speculation that the 17th game would be played at neutral sites, preferably international, in an effort to create new buzz and marketing opportunities for a league that lags behind Major League Baseball, the NBA and the NHL in cultivating global appeal. It could just be that the deal the Bills struck with Toronto is part of an overall league plan to see how the idea flies, both in terms of interest and logistics, before the NFL moves full speed ahead.’