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As fans watched a "Monday Night Football" game on TV and heard Howard Cosell deliver the news that John Lennon had been shot and killed, all they saw on TV was Patriots kicker John Smith preparing for a field goal attempt.

The NFL had a passionate following in the U.K. in the 1980s but its appeal since has dwindled. The historic Giants-Dolphins' regular-season game in London could put the league back on the British sporting radar.