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Today in sports: The Wall Street Journal knows what the Patriots and Giants did last summer, the NFL is adding more Thursday night games, and Peyton Manning's doctor clears him to resume playing.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell gave his annual "state of the league" address on Friday. Such speeches are usually perfunctory and kind of boring, but this one was full of actual news: Goodell's biggest revelation was that the league-owned NFL Network will air 13 games on Thursday night next season, up from eight this year. (Time Warner Cable subscribers, feel free to begin mumbling obscenities.) He also walked back comments he made to Bob Costas last night about the possibility of giving Los Angeles an expansion franchise, declaring -- somewhat unconvincingly -- "We want to keep our teams where they are." He wants to play an exhibition game in Mexico, and mustered a defense of the much-maligned London game, which he insists is part of a well-planned "global strategy," rather than an ingenious plot to inconvenience teams and turn the English off the idea of American football forever. [NFL.com]
Speaking of the London game: Wembley Stadium has halted ticket sales for the scheduled October game between the New England Patriots and St. Louis Rams, since the city of St. Louis is continuing to insist the Rams would be in violation of their lease if they played a "home" game anywhere but the Edward Jones Dome. The NFL UK Web site -- which is fantastic -- posted a statement insisting that the delay was would enable the league and St. Louis to "finalise the technical amendments to the lease required under the terms of the Rams' commitment to London," but Goodell seemed less optimistic. "We're going to play the London games," he said. 'We hope it will be with the Rams and Patriots next year." [Sky Sports]