PRO FOOTBALL SPOTLIGHT : L.A. Benched / Week 15 : When Roger Goodell Talks, They Listen

Peter O’Malley, R.D. Hubbard, Disney--they all talk to Roger Goodell, and while most football fans may not be familiar with the NFL’s senior vice president for league and football development, the future of pro football in Los Angeles revolves around his counsel.

“Our objective is to return an NFL team to Los Angeles in a successful situation,” Goodell, 36, said. “Our focus right now is on a stadium and creating the right stadium environment for a winning franchise.”

Goodell supervises a number of areas, including policy matters such as realignment, as well as international development. He has worked on the NFL’s American Bowl and on international games, plus the World League.

To date Goodell and the NFL have refused to play any favorites.

Will the NFL try to fill the L.A. market through relocation, or will it come via expansion? Goodell said that answer will not be forthcoming until a team has a state-of-the-art football facility to play in.

“We are not restricted by a timetable,” Goodell said. “I think the process of finding the right stadium situation will be much further along when the NFL owners conduct their annual meetings in March. But I don’t anticipate a resolution selecting a specific site in March.”

O’Malley, Hubbard and Disney be advised.