MLSE & Bon Jovi to Pursue NFL/Buffalo Bills

[themarc]

http://www.thestar.com/sports/footb...onto_inside_track_on_buffalo_bills_kelly.html

 

[Johnny Au]

Well, after Ralph Wilson dies (he is well past his life expectancy anyways), when the Bills relocate to Toronto on a permanent basis, Rob Ford would no longer be mayor. Mark my words.

It would also facilitate Toronto having a much larger stadium (as the NFL minimum stadium size is 60,000 seats), which can boost our chances of getting the Summer Olympics and the FIFA World Cup. If the stadium has a roof (fixed or retractable), then it can be used to host the Super Bowl as well.

 

[taal]

The article mentioned they may not relocate to Toronto ! Rather keep them in the area; I think it'd be a hard sell any other way.

 

[typezed]

Not much interested in whether or not Toronto can score an NFL team, aside from not wanting to see significant public funds dedicated to it. But happy to see this happening at least for a couple months of news cycle. While not fitting punishment, it will be a small punishment for the Fords. What more would they want than to attach their names to the drive for a new NFL time, especially with an 80's American music hero for stoners involved, but - too bad - anyone invested in the project will want to keep far, far away a guy who has become known recently throughout the States as a crack-smoking, drunk-driving, sexist pig. Won't be an image welcomed by the NFL.

 

[MisterF]

I don't get the fascination with getting an NFL team in Toronto. It's like people here consider it the city's destiny or something, like the Americans would finally pay attention to us. The NFL has no interest in Toronto. If they ever expand outside the United States it probably won't be to Canada. Mexico City has a much larger untapped market and unlike Toronto, they actually sell out their stadium when the NFL comes to town.

Ignoring the fact that we're in a different country, the story of the Baltimore Ravens has some lessons for Toronto football fans. The Baltimore Stallions, the lone bright spot in the CFL's otherwise disastrous expansion into the States, were wildly popular in Baltimore. They were not only the most successful American franchise, but arguably the most successful in the entire league. Baltimore fans didn't have an NFL-or-nothing attitude, they just wanted to see good football. They routinely got crowds that the Argos can only dream of. That's exactly the kind of fan base the NFL is interested in, and it's a major reason that they put a team there. It's kind of ironic that so many in Toronto ignore the Argos (not to mention CIS football) while dreaming of the NFL.

 

[RPM]

you wonder why people in Toronto prefer the NFL ? probably the same reason CFLers are just players that can't make the NFL... because it's the top league.

As for Baltimore, ask some of the CFL players from Baltimore, fans would ask them when they are going to turn pro...

the CFL is a great league for cities that are too small for the NFL... maybe the Argos can move to Buffalo ?

 

[One Nut Kruk]

NFL football is like watching paint dry. It is so bloody boring and slow. I don't really care for the CFL or any professional sports anymore, but the CFL is at least somewhat entertaining to watch. The game is much faster and higher scoring. I read somewhere once that a typical NFL game contains something like 8 minutes of actual play; the rest is wasted on huddles, etc... There's way too much stop and go in football, in general, to keep me interested for long.

 

[RPM]

The article mentioned they may not relocate to Toronto ! Rather keep them in the area; I think it'd be a hard sell any other way.

I think it means if they did move to Toronto it would still be a regional team...

 

[RPM]

NFL football is like watching paint dry. It is so bloody boring and slow. I don't really care for the CFL or any professional sports anymore, but the CFL is at least somewhat entertaining to watch. The game is much faster and higher scoring. I read somewhere once that a typical NFL game contains something like 8 minutes of actual play; the rest is wasted on huddles, etc... There's way too much stop and go in football, in general, to keep me interested for long.

the NFL scoring is way up from the days you speak of...

 

[MisterF]

you wonder why people in Toronto prefer the NFL ? probably the same reason CFLers are just players that can't make the NFL... because it's the top league.

As for Baltimore, ask some of the CFL players from Baltimore, fans would ask them when they are going to turn pro...

the CFL is a great league for cities that are too small for the NFL... maybe the Argos can move to Buffalo ?

Thank you for proving my point! Your attitude is very common and that's a major reason that Toronto isn't on the NFL's radar. Let's compare the two cities. Toronto can barely support a team from its own country's league, that has a history as storied as any in professional sports. Baltimore had an expansion team in a foreign league most people had probably never heard of, playing rules they weren't familiar with. And they embraced them with open arms because they love the game of football. The NFL isn't impressed with a city that puts down its own team trying to get something bigger. It cares about proven markets filled with people who love football at every level.

 

[JMSRead]

Shoalts speculates that MLSE could look to build an NFL stadium around Downsview or Woodbine racetrack. Also (as has been recently speculated), states MLSE has been looking at keeping the Argos alive at BMO to avoid the bad press killing that team off would entail.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/spor...um-would-be-a-2-billion-play/article15581107/

As a big NFL fan, I'd love to see a team here. As long as there's no use of public funds, why not? Would be fun.

 

[Uncle Teddy]

Thank you for proving my point! Your attitude is very common and that's a major reason that Toronto isn't on the NFL's radar. Let's compare the two cities. Toronto can barely support a team from its own country's league, that has a history as storied as any in professional sports. Baltimore had an expansion team in a foreign league most people had probably never heard of, playing rules they weren't familiar with. And they embraced them with open arms because they love the game of football.

NFL would be major in Toronto if we had our own team.

The NFL isn't impressed with a city that puts down its own team trying to get something bigger. It cares about proven markets filled with people who love football at every level.

The NFL is about money. The problem is Toronto is in Canada which doesn't help with the television money.

 

[ChesterCopperpot]

Bob Hunter, who was MLSE’s chief facilities and live entertainment officer, was put in charge of two special projects. These projects are so important to Tanenbaum and Leiweke that Justina Klein was recently brought back for a second stint at MLSE to do Hunter’s old job.

Hunter is now in charge of two things – redesigning BMO Field to accommodate both Toronto FC, MLSE’s soccer team, and the Toronto Argonauts of the CFL, who would be most affected by Hunter’s second project. And that task is to design an NFL-style stadium to accommodate the Bills. So far, we’re told, there is a design for a stadium that would cost $600-million but our informants say that won’t get much these days and the final number will be closer to $1-billion plus another $1-billion (U.S.) or so to buy the Bills, making this a $2-billion play.

Yes - this will end up being closer to a billion. The Vikings and Falcons are building new 65,000 to 70,000 seats stadiums at the minute and their price tags are coming in just about $1billion

 

[RPM]

Thank you for proving my point! Your attitude is very common and that's a major reason that Toronto isn't on the NFL's radar. Let's compare the two cities. Toronto can barely support a team from its own country's league, that has a history as storied as any in professional sports. Baltimore had an expansion team in a foreign league most people had probably never heard of, playing rules they weren't familiar with. And they embraced them with open arms because they love the game of football. The NFL isn't impressed with a city that puts down its own team trying to get something bigger. It cares about proven markets filled with people who love football at every level.

The only reason Toronto isn't on the NFL "radar" is because of the Bills and the CFL lol.

Rogers will buy the Argos, ensuring the CFL whiners will have a team we will all pretend is important for the vitality of the CFL, and the Bills will stay the regional franchise after moving to Toronto... all issues resolved. We now have people in the process that have deep NFL connections. This is something that was missing before. First off Wilson needs to kick the bucket, then the auction can begin.

 

[RPM]

NFL would be major in Toronto if we had our own team.



The NFL is about money. The problem is Toronto is in Canada which doesn't help with the television money.

i'd say the opposite. The Bills are a pin drop in the TV bucket... a team in Toronto will bring an additional TV contract that Buffalo could never garner for the NFL. Do you think losing Buffalo would reduce a national contract ? pfft nope. whereas Toronto would be a new revenue generator.

The NFL is thinking Global, they want a team in London, does the TV contract prevent that too ? nope... it too will be a new revenue stream.