Some of the urgency surrounding discussion of public funding for a new Vikings stadium involved concerns that, without a vote this year by the Legislature, the team would relocate to Los Angeles, where officials are looking at plans to build a new stadium to house an NFL team.

But NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, who is in Indianapolis for the Super Bowl, seemed to put the skids on that concern when he said on NBC Thursday night that the league would consider adding two new teams to the league in conjunction with an L.A. stadium.

That, says an AP story in the Pioneer Press, "should be good news for Vikings fans wondering if the team would eventually bolt for L.A. if no new stadium deal in Minnesota is reached this year."

The story says Goodell told Bob Costas that:

if a suitable stadium is built in the Los Angeles area, "we probably don't want to go to 33" teams by adding just one new club. Instead, the league would consider adding two. An odd number of teams would pose scheduling problems. There has been speculation an L.A. stadium could house two NFL franchises, although Goodell did not address that ...