Editing NFL Europe (section)

===WLAF/World League (1991–92)===

[[File:Twin Towers, Wembley Stadium - geograph.org.uk - 1125645.jpg|thumb|right|[[World Bowl '91]], the league's first championship game, was held at [[Wembley Stadium (1923)|Wembley Stadium]]; the [[London Monarchs]] defeated the [[Barcelona Dragons (NFL Europe)|Barcelona Dragons]] 21–0.<ref name="One To Remember" />]]

The World League of American Football, described by ''[[The New York Times]]'' as the "first trans-Atlantic major sports league", began play on March 23, 1991, with three games held in [[Frankfurt, Germany]], [[Birmingham, Alabama]], and [[Sacramento, California]], respectively.<ref name="Live From Barcelona: W.L.A.F.'s Kickoff on TV">{{cite web|url=http://www.nytimes.com/1991/03/24/sports/pro-football-live-from-barcelona-wlaf-s-kickoff-on-tv.html|title=Live From Barcelona: W.L.A.F.'s Kickoff on TV|last=Eskenazi|first=Gerald|date=March 24, 1991|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=August 18, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140528020205/http://www.nytimes.com/1991/03/24/sports/pro-football-live-from-barcelona-wlaf-s-kickoff-on-tv.html|archive-date=May 28, 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> After the conclusion of the regular season, the WLAF playoffs were held, featuring the three division champions ([[London Monarchs]], [[New York/New Jersey Knights]], and [[Birmingham Fire]]) and one wild-card team ([[Barcelona Dragons (NFL Europe)|Barcelona Dragons]]).<ref name="Scoreboard">{{cite news|url=http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=O5IiAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ha4FAAAAIBAJ&hl=de&pg=1430%2C6436739|title=Scoreboard|date=May 28, 1991|work=[[The Item]]|pages=4B|access-date=August 18, 2013|archive-date=June 14, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220614211649/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=O5IiAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ha4FAAAAIBAJ&hl=de&pg=1430%2C6436739|url-status=live}}</ref> London and Barcelona won their playoff games to meet in [[World Bowl '91]] at [[Wembley Stadium (1923)|Wembley Stadium]], which London won 21–0.<ref name="One To Remember">{{cite magazine|url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1139871/index.htm|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140422080718/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1139871/index.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 22, 2014|title=One To Remember|last=Reilly|first=Rick|date=June 17, 1991|magazine=[[Sports Illustrated]]|access-date=August 18, 2013}}</ref>

Following its first season, the World League of American Football was at risk of folding. It suffered a loss of nearly $7 million, and none of its teams made a profit. In addition to the monetary loss for the league, television ratings on ABC and USA network were poor. According to [[Dan Rooney]], the NFL chairman of the World League, cost estimates were accurate, but the league overestimated the amount of revenue the WLAF would make. The league's television contracts were also at risk due to poor ratings, with USA Network having lost money.<ref name="Initials For W.L.A.F. May Soon Be R.I.P.">{{cite web|url=http://www.nytimes.com/1991/08/25/sports/football-notebook-initials-for-wlaf-may-soon-be-rip.html|title=Initials For W.L.A.F. May Soon Be R.I.P.|last=Smith|first=Timothy W.|date=August 25, 1991|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=August 18, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140528015843/http://www.nytimes.com/1991/08/25/sports/football-notebook-initials-for-wlaf-may-soon-be-rip.html|archive-date=May 28, 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> The WLAF averaged around 26,000 fans a game in its first season; the European teams had a higher attendance than the North American teams, bolstering the average.<ref name="It's Baaack! World League Set to Begin Second Season" /> Ultimately, the NFL decided to bring the league back for a second season in 1992. The league name was shortened to World League by league officials, who felt the surprising success of the league in Europe made the "American football" part unnecessary, and the [[Raleigh-Durham Skyhawks]] folded, replaced by the [[Ohio Glory]].<ref name="It's Baaack! World League Set to Begin Second Season">{{cite web|url=http://www.nytimes.com/1992/03/21/sports/football-it-s-baaack-world-league-set-to-begin-second-season.html|title=It's Baaack! World League Set to Begin Second Season|last=Eskenazi|first=Gerald|date=March 21, 1992|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=August 18, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150411085251/http://www.nytimes.com/1992/03/21/sports/football-it-s-baaack-world-league-set-to-begin-second-season.html|archive-date=April 11, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref>