Ah, the 2020 NFL season, where to begin ...
No, seriously. Where should the season start?
That's one of the questions Commissioner Roger Goodell will be deciding this offseason, with new stadiums opening in Los Angeles and Las Vegas, and the Kansas City Chiefs fresh off their first Super Bowl victory in 50 years.
The league broke with tradition in the season that just ended with Green Bay playing at Chicago in the Thursday night opener, a slot otherwise reserved for the defending Super Bowl champion. That champion, the New England Patriots, made their season debut in the Sunday night slot.
So one of the questions this year is how to cut the ribbon on SoFi Stadium, the biggest and most expensive (by far) venue in league history. Although it will be home to the Rams and Chargers, presumably the Rams will get the first game there, seeing as owner Stan Kroenke is the driving force and financial engine behind the Inglewood stadium.
Then, there are the Raiders, who are opening Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. The NFL wants a splashy debut there too, and is staging the 2020 draft in that city. Fortunately, there are a lot of marquee TV windows: Thursday, the Sunday afternoon national game, Sunday night, and a Monday night doubleheader in Week 1.
How to showcase those two sports palaces is but one of the many questions the league is facing as it begins its second century with its 101st season. A look at some of the other topics that will move to the front burner in the coming months:
