After more than a century of play confined largely to North American soil, the National Football League has carried its regular season competition across the Pacific, planting a historic contest between the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers on Australian ground. The move is less a novelty than a declaration — the NFL signaling that it believes the appetite for American football can be cultivated far beyond its traditional borders. With playoff implications on the line and a global audience watching, the game asks a question that only time and attendance figures can answer: can a sport s