Internal wrangling means there could be no season in America, let alone an NFL game in London, in 2011
For the fourth time in as many years the NFL descended on London and for the fourth time in as many years it found an enthusiastic audience.
Despite grey skies and the presence of two teams who had managed three wins between them in their first seven games each of the season, Wembley Stadium was packed out with fans in replica jerseys who had paid anything up to �100 for a ticket (and more for 'club level').
Approximately 38,000 had attended the previous day's fan rally in Trafalgar Square, even if that number included more than one bemused passer-by.
The game itself, in which the San Francisco 49ers played nominal hosts to the Denver Broncos, started slowly ? very slowly ? but came pleasantly to the boil in the second half after Tim Tebow piled over for the game's first touchdown.
All seemed lost for the 49ers, despite the backing of a partisan crowd, when Jabar Gaffney pulled in a Kyle Orton pass in the end zone with less than a minute remaining of the third quarter but the play was soon called back for a penalty.
Instead of an 11-point lead, Denver had to settle for seven. Buoyed, San Francisco scored the next 21 points to build an unassailable advantage. Troy Smith, filling in for his namesake Alex at quarterback exceeded all expectations that could be put on a quarterback making his first start since 2007. Having completed four of nine passes in the first half, he finished 12 of 19 for 196 yards and one passing touchdown. He also ran in another.
London had been due an entertaining fixture. Of the previous three games at Wembley the first had been of shockingly low-quality and the third a lopsided blow-out. Only the 2008 encounter between the New Orleans Saints and San Diego Chargers, won by the Saints 37-32, had provided entertainment to match the pre-game shows and tailgate parties that the NFL does so well.
Not that there seems to have been any great risk of losing the audience. The NFL commissioner, Roger Goodell, claimed Sunday's game could have sold out "five or six times over" and it is clear league has a following in Britain and Europe that extends beyond curiosity.
The crowd in Trafalgar Square on Saturday demonstrated the sincerity of their passion with a hearty booing of the US Ambassador's declaration that he supports the Chicago Bears.
International expansion, though, is no longer the league's most pressing concern. Over the past week Goodell has faced fewer questions about whether there will be an NFL game in London next year than whether there will be any games at all.
The league's Collective Bargaining Agreement, a contract between players and owners that sets out everything from minimum salaries to the rules of the collegiate draft, expires at the end of this season. Without a replacement there will be no season in 2011.
"I've been reluctant to characterise because it doesn't really serve any purpose," replied Goodell when asked by reporters to assess the progress of negotiations over a new deal.
"There are discussions going on. As I keep saying, it's not just about discussions. It's about progress and I would like to see more progress."
He has already been waiting some time. Owners voted unanimously to opt out of the existing agreement in 2008 ? with March 2011 being the earliest point at which they could do so. Since that decision there has been a virtual stalemate.
The owners claim the existing business model, in which close to 60% of league revenue goes on player salaries, is unsustainable as they seek to replace and modernise old stadiums. The NFL Players' Association ? the players' union ? is refusing to agree any reduction in that figure until the owners agree to open up their books.
"Frankly I don't know [why the owners' won't open up their books]," the NFLPA spokesman George Atallah told the Guardian.
"The reason that we were given was a direct quote from [the owners] in a meeting where they said 'none of your business'. The only public information we have on the teams' finances is what gets published in Forbes magazine ? aside from the Green Bay Packers who are publicly owned.
"So I don't have a clear understanding, and neither do the players, of why this deal is 18% bad."
The 18% figure refers to the NFLPA's claim that the league wants to reduce the players' cut to 50%.
That figure has been disputed, with the owners claiming that in real terms the players might not see any reduction at all, as they are proposing reinvestment of the funds into different areas that they believe will generate greater revenues for the league as a whole.
It has been suggested that a solution to suit both sides might be found by extending the regular season from 16 games to 18, with a reduction from four to two pre-season fixtures per team.
Goodell is known to be enthusiastic about such a plan but many players are less so. Where it might not always be easy to find sympathy for well-remunerated sportsmen, NFL players have it tougher than those in many other sports.
The average playing career lasts not much over three and a half years, contracts are not guaranteed if a team chooses to release a player and studies have shown life expectancy to fall by two to three years per season in the league.
Whilst Goodell argues that each team is still playing 20 games in total, starters are likely to spend more time on the field in an 18-game regular season. Atallah points out that no studies have been undertaken showing the potential healthcare implications.
"Currently a player has to play for three years to get five years of post-career healthcare," he says. "So if you add two games, don't you increase the barrier to getting that post-career healthcare? What are the post-career disability and other benefits that go with two extra games? American football is unique because of the virtually 100% injury rate that exists for the players and the lack of guaranteed contracts."
The injury issue was already a sensitive one, after high-profile recent studies highlighted the long-term damage done by head injuries suffered within the sport.
The league has attempted to send a message this season by issuing a series of large fines on players for illegal helmet-to-helmet hits but the NFLPA is wary of what they feel could become little more than a publicity stunt.
"The issue of player safety is bigger than just hits on Sunday," said the union's president, DeMaurice Smith, in a statement last month.
But the NFLPA's greater fear is that the league is positioning itself for a lock-out, with the owners having sewn up a television deal for 2011 that will reportedly see broadcasters hand over close to $4bn even if no games take place.
The league's decision to appoint the lawyer Bob Batterman, who represented National Hockey League owners during that sport's season long lock-out in 2004-05, has also been interpreted by the NFLPA as a statement of intent.
The union has its own defence mechanisms and has been advising players to put aside 25% of their income for the past season and a half.
It is also considering decertifying itself, a legal manoeuvre that would effectively mean the union ceases to represent its members. That would theoretically allow players to pursue individual anti-trust lawsuits against the league.
What it all means for the immediate future of the London game is uncertain.
Goodell is committed to holding further games outside the US, seeing the potential to raise revenues for all by tapping into an international audience.
NFL UK's managing director, Alistair Kirkwood, said it would be no disaster to miss a year but added that from a logistical standpoint it would be possible to organise another game as late as next April.
But it hardly seems likely that once players, coaches and officials are all back Stateside another game at Wembley will be top of their agenda.
Ashley Tappin Carmen Electra Amanda Marcum Leila Arcieri Kate Mara
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