That 2018 NFL season opener that was going to be played in China?
Not so fast.
The Rams and 49ers would be the teams to play if the NFL opens the 2018 season in China, but in a stunning turn of events, the league is actually recognizing that it might not make sense to play a game overseas.
NFL Executive Vice President of International Mark Waller told Albert Breer of the MMQB that two years might not be enough time to jump through all the logistical hoops.
“I would say there’s a low likelihood of it happening,” Waller said. “But we’re working hard to see if we can make it work.”
There’s a 12-hour time difference between the East Coast of the U.S. and Beijing, and a 15-hour difference on the West Coast. It’s almost impossible to start the game at a time that’s palatable for all four time zones. A noon start in China would be 9 p.m. on the West Coast and midnight on the East Coast.
Perhaps that’s why two West Coast teams would be involved. The NFL already has been pushing the envelope with its Week 1 Monday Night Football schedule. This year’s season opener between the Rams and 49ers began at 10:20 p.m. for New York viewers. It might as well be on at midnight if it’s not a must-see for most fans on the East Coast.
Then again, maybe the teams the NFL chose to go out there is part of the problem. The 49ers beat the Rams 28-0 in that Week 1 game. Perhaps enough Chinese people saw that and just aren’t interested in hosting that kind of snoozer.
