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In 1995, the NBA took a giant leap forward in international growth when they established a pair of franchises north of the border in Toronto and Vancouver.  Almost eighteen years later, commissioner David Stern says that we will see multiple international teams within the next twenty years.  This isn't the first time that we've heard one of the big four leagues talk about franchises on another continent, but the NBA might be the one to really see it through.

The NFL started playing one game per season in London, England in 2007 and they will stage two at Wembley Stadium in 2013.  The UK games have drawn an average of more than 82,000 fans and subsequently the idea of international expansion is floated about every fall.  However, even the most hopeful proponent for football in England knows that they're a long way away from gaining enough of a foothold in Europe to make that happen.  Hockey is massively popular in parts of Europe, particularly Russia, but the NHL obviously has some much bigger fish to fry at home.  Baseball is expanding its international presence beyond Latin America through the World Baseball Classic, but the tournament is still in its infancy.  Some may scoff at Stern's proclamation, but I like Adam Silver's chances of bringing a team or two overseas further into his tenure as commish.

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