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The NFL is ready to play a regular-season game in China. The challenge arises primarily from what happens after the game played in China.

“The main focus of the work now is as much about how does a team come back from China and then play and be competitive after a trip like that?” NFL executive vice president of international Mark Waller told Alex Marvez of Sporting News. “It’s less of the focus on the game in China itself.”

Some would say the focus shouldn’t be China at all, and that the NFL should focus on the “National” aspect of its title. At a time when TV ratings are sharply down domestically, the league could keep mining for gold in other countries, or it could devote assets to renew the zeal and passion of existing fans.

It’s far cheaper and simpler to keep existing customers than to harvest new ones. Maybe China, Mexico, Australia, Brazil, England, and elsewhere should take a back seat to the United States, with the overriding goal being to make American football great again.

“Trademark.”