Thats kind of what it was tonight.Roberto Osuna replaced Schultz

The discussion surrounding the NFLs television ratings dip this season has spawned all kinds of theories. Among them: Has the league reached a plateau among its traditional fan base? After decades of growth, are there simply no more fans left to be captured?Those questions have put the NFLs international expansion into new light. As the league announces its schedule for next seasons London games, its goal is clear and public: Cultivate an international fan base that matches its stateside numbers.Speaking by phone this week, NFL executive vice president for international Mark Waller laid out the framework of a strategic plan that has become a mantra within the league. He hopes to develop a following that makes the NFL at least a top-five sport in five different regions or countries: The United Kingdom, Canada, China, Mexico and Germany.If you can do that, he said, and you measure the number of fans in those countries and add them up, that would give you a fan base that I would argue is the same as what we have in the United States.At the moment, according to Waller, the NFL counts between 180-200 million stateside fans. He estimates the league is about halfway there internationally, bringing its rough worldwide estimate of fans between 270 million and 300 million. Based on those numbers, the NFL is pursuing an audience of some 360-400 million people worldwide -- a big number until you remember that 7.4 billion humans inhabit the planet.New revenue is the obvious endgame, either as a net gain or simply to address a stagnant stateside market. At the moment, though, Wallers efforts are directed at building the structure and base for eventual monetization.To me, its always been a very much fan-driven set of goals, he said. If you build the fan base, everything else will flow out of that.The 2017 season will mark a new step in the International Series with four games in London, up from three in each of the past three years. This seasons games drew 242,373 fans -- including an NFL-record in London of 84,488 for a Week 8 game at Wembley Stadium -- but the league made its most notable progress in the local broadcast market.The BBC airs two NFL-related programs during the season, one on Tuesday nights and one on Saturdays. The latter, according to Waller, has brought the youngest demographic of any show on the network and the second-most ethnically diverse.The data there is good, he said. All the indicators that we have suggests that weve got good growth there and good momentum. Were finding that its real and domestic. Its not U.S. fans going over there for games and its not ex-patriots who are attending. Its very much a true U.K. audience.The NFL is now halfway toward a full regular-season home schedule in London, and there has been discussion about whether a franchise or a virtual franchise is the most likely consummation of its work there. Waller said a franchise is the ideal goal for maximizing interest -- The best expression of fandom is when you have your own team to root for, he said -- but its not clear if NFL owners prefer that direction. A virtual franchise would bring eight regular-season games to London, but spread out among multiple existing stateside franchises.As he works to prepare the market for a theoretical relocation, Waller compares the situation in London to the NFLs two-decade absence from Los Angeles.For 20 years, people talked about there not being an NFL team there, and there was always this speculation as to whether we would be there or not, he said. Ultimately, it happened when two or three owners decided it was time to make it happen.For now, the NFL will focus its efforts on staging recurring games in the five countries we noted earlier. The Week 11 game in Mexico City, a Monday night event between the Oakland Raiders and Houston Texans played in front of 76,473 fans, was incredibly positive, Waller said. He would like to see a return to Canada; the last game there was in Toronto in 2013. Germany is home to arguably the highest level of domestic leagues outside of the Canadian Football League.The NFL, meanwhile, has pushed back its timetable for staging a game in China because of travel and other logistical reasons. But Waller still thinks it can one day place a one-off game there to boost local interest.One of the things we need to show is that we can become a sustainable part of the sporting calendar in these countries, he said. There was always a sense that we would come into a market, play a preseason game -- a friendly, so to speak -- and then come back a few years later. When you take real regular season games there, you show that you can be part of the sport calendar.There was a time when that type of growth was considered a bonus for the NFL and its revenues. Does this years ratings discussion add a level of urgency to the dynamic? Is international development now a matter of league sustenance? Given weve seen this season, its fair to at least start asking those questions. Zapatillas Jordan España . The Barrie Colts defenceman, who impressed many with his play for Canada at the World Junior Hockey Championship, is the top-ranked skater in the February rankings. He has 19 goals and 24 assists for 43 points in 45 games with the Colts this season. Zapatillas Mujer Baratas .Y. - Nelson Mandela will be honoured by the New York Yankees with a plaque in Monument Park. https://www.zapatillasbaratasspain.es/zapatillas-baratas-spain-outlet-online-d2288.html . "Hes going to have hip surgery on Jan. 7, and hell be expected to rehabilitate for four to six months beyond that," Canucks general manager Mike Gillis said Friday in an interview. Yeezy Baratas Hombre . - Derek Wolfe says hes finally healthy after suffering a seizure in November that doctors now believe was related to the spinal cord injury he suffered in the preseason. Zapatillas Yeezy España . JOHNS, N. TORONTO -- In their first visit to Toronto, the San Diego Padres hit yet another home run but didnt manage much else against the Blue Jays.Aaron Sanchez pitched seven shutout innings to win his 10th straight decision, Kevin Pillar had three hits and Toronto beat the Padres 4-2 on Monday night.Playing their first interleague road game against Toronto, the Padres were held scoreless until Alex Dickerson hit a two-run homer off Bo Schultz in the ninth.Dickersons drive into the fifth deck extended San Diegos team-record streak of games with at least one home run to 23. The 2006 Atlanta Braves were the last National League team to homer in 23 straight games.Heck of a swing, Padres manager Andy Green said. If youre ever privileged to stand close enough to the dugout to listen to him on deck, he literally whistles the bat. Ive never heard anybody else swing a bat like that on deck.Dickerson acknowledged admiring his towering shot as he began to round the bases.I saw it the whole way, he said. It was one of my slower trots to first, honestly. It felt good, it really did.Still, after losses in six of the past eight games for the Padres, Dickerson didnt feel too much like celebrating.The streak is a fun thing to keep track of, but realistically, well take a win with a bunch of singles, he said.Sanchez (11-1) became the first Blue Jays pitcher to win 10 straight since Roy Halladay won 15 decisions in a row in 2003. Halladay and Roger Clemens (1998) hold the club record.Its legit stuff. Its top-of-the-rotation stuff, Green said about Sanchez. Its not surprising to see him do as well as he has this year.Sanchez has not lost since April 22 against Oakland, a span of 16 starts. An All-Star for the first time this season, he lowered his ERA from 2.87 to 2.72.Just a good night for me, Sanchez said. When you can command your fastball up and down, in and out, its a fun game. Thats kind of what it was tonight.Roberto Osuna replaced Schultz and got two outs for his 21st save.Padres right-hander Colin Rea (5-5) allowed three runs and five hits in six innnings.dddddddddddd He is winless in three starts.Blue Jays outfielder Jose Bautista was activated off the 15-day disabled list before the game. Batting leadoff and playing right field, he went 1 for 3 with a walk. Bautista had been out since injuring his left big toe when he jumped into the outfield wall June 16 at Philadelphia.WELCOME TO THE CLUBPadres bench coach Mark McGwire hit the first fifth-deck homer in Toronto in 1996, and had a special greeting for Dickerson when he returned to the dugout. He said I joined a very special club that hes also a part of, Dickerson said. That was a special moment for me.SITTING DOWN ON THE JOBPadres RHP Jose Dominguez sat on first base to complete a 3-4-1 double play in the seventh. Umpire Dan Iassogna initially called the runner safe, but the Padres challenged and the call was overturned.BULLPEN BOOSTSan Diego recalled LHP Keith Hessler from Triple-A El Paso and optioned RHP Kevin Quackenbush to its top farm club. The Padres needed help after four relievers combined to pitch six innings in Sundays victory at Washington.UPTON SITS AGAINPadres OF Melvin Upton Jr. sat out for the second straight game. Green confirmed that Upton, the subject of trade speculation, is healthy and could return Tuesday.TRAINERS ROOMPadres: Dominguez stayed in the game after being hit on the left forearm by a line drive off the bat of Devon Travis, the first batter he faced.Blue Jays: C Russell Martin (left knee) returned after missing three games. Martin was injured after he passed out and fell over in the shower following an extended spell in the sauna last Thursday.UP NEXTPadres: RHP Andrew Cashner (4-7, 4.79 ERA) has struck out 17 batters while walking none over his past two starts. He is 0-2 in two starts against AL opponents this season.Blue Jays: RHP Marcus Stroman (8-4, 4.90) has won his past two decisions and is unbeaten in four starts. He is 2-0 in four starts against NL opponents. ' ' '