carolinatony

Think there's a chance that Toronto could get a NFL team?
I know the economy in and around the city of Buffalo is dead. I work with people from this area and there is no growth at all. Most people are moving south for jobs.
Their owner Wilson has been complaiing about being a small market city.
Not starting a rumor ,just asking

Seymour93

No.

First of all, the Bills are not moving in this decade or the next. The more likely franchises to move are the Jags, followed by the Chargers, IMO, and they'd move to L.A. or if that doesn't work... Chicago. The NFL is not an international sport.

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richpats

Ha!

Preseason game in China.

Regular season games in Mexico City and London.

Just give it time.

EDIT: I do agree that the Jags will be the first to go- they have to cover seats and didn't look to even sell out the seats for our game. Not a big league town.

NEPat

Do you live in the area? I've heard the rumors too, but I didn't know if it was realistic or a serious thing, or just things getting thrown around in the press. I'd be curious to know if and how the local media is reporting on it, and what the fans think.

Oh God, I've forgotten all about that. Can't wait for Belichick's press conferences in China

Seymour93

Big difference in playing exhibition games overseas and moving a team to a foriegn country. They've been playing baseball and basketball around the world for years, meanwhile football is relatively new to them.

The NFL wouldn't make it in Toronto because it's the Phoenix of Canada. Also Canada already has a slightly successful professional league that's popular in the western provinces. If you were to move a team to Canada it would be to Calgary or some cowboy town like that, but there's plenty of cowboy towns in America that would be ahead in line for an NFL franchise than a city in another country.

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AzPatsFan

Toronto is certainly an international city of sufficient size to support a team,and probably more attractive than some current venues. But the NFL would instantly involve itself in a massive lawsuit by the CFL. And it would be adjudicated in a Canadien Court before a Candien Jury. That probably means the NFL loses the lawsuit and mega-millions if not Billions of dollars of awarded damages.

So it won't happen.

If the CFL folded, then Toronto becomes a possible expansion of move site immediately. Pro basketball, Pro hockey and Pro baseball call Toronto home but the NFL wouldn't dare as long as the CFL were around.

OntarioPatsFan

Exactly. Unfortunately we have the CFL. It's not a bad brand of football, it's very pass-oriented with lots of big plays, few big hits and fewer big bodies on the line. I find it to be much more like NCAA football (except with crowds 1/10th the size). I do go to the occasional game, but I would gladly see it leave if it meant the NFL would come North. It's simply not the same game. I actually think that the CFL and NFL have an agreement regarding expansion, and even some merchandising restrictions.

I think many of you would be surprised at the number of folks up here who follow the NFL. While it certainly isn't the most popular league (obviously the NHL is), I would certainly say it rivals the CFL & NBA. And ever since the lock-out I haven't heard much baseball talk. I know of many people in the GTA (Greater Toronto Area) who trek to Buffalo to see the games, and many of them are season ticket holders.

carolinatony

Toronto is certainly an international city of sufficient size to support a team,and probably more attractive than some current venues. But the NFL would instantly involve itself in a massive lawsuit by the CFL. And it would be adjudicated in a Canadien Court before a Candien Jury. That probably means the NFL loses the lawsuit and mega-millions if not Billions of dollars of awarded damages.


I didn't think of the legal issues. I do know if the Buffalo market dries up much more in the next few year their season ticket base will erode. My boss is from Buffalo and tells me there's not much left in that town.

primetime

The city's disappearing. The suburbs are pretty strong though, and a good deal of their fan base comes from Toronto/Hamilton anyways, as well as Rochester. Upstate NY, outside of basically Albany because of Tech Valley and its status as state capital, is very economically depressed. Cities like Schenectady (birthplace/former HQ of General Electric), Syracuse, and Buffalo have all fallen apart.

I think if you detached upstate from NYC, it'd be more economically depressed than Montana or something like that.

Box_O_Rocks

Surely you don't mean that sink hole for State tax revenue on the southeastern corner of the state? Why I'll have to get my gal a new gingham dress and mount the old pick-up truck to go see what they're doing with those funds. I wonder if Ed Koch will have us in for tea if we make it there early enough?

I can't speak for Buffalo, but Syracuse seems to be pulling itself back together and smaller cities like Rome and Utica are recovering after major hits like the Griffiss Air Base closure. Frankly, I think Buffalo is it's own worst enemy, just as I think ol' Ralph is the Bills' own worst enemy.

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