Bills To Toronto?!
 

Just got done reading this on ESPN.com... The fact that it is even a possibility makes me shudder.

As a lifelong Browns fan, I really hope it doesn't happen to Bills fans.

I mean... L.A. is understandable.... but CANADA?! Come on... They would probably play in a Dome.... That is NOT Bills football...

Re: Bills To Toronto?!
 

Toronto >>>>>>>>> LA

Re: Bills To Toronto?!
 

What would be the point of this?

This would be like moving the Browns to Columbus...not really sure what it accomplishes.

EDIT: Also, aren't they really pushing the CFL in Canada right now, and they won't even be able to show NFL games up there?

Not to mention that Bills fans are fairly loyal. I really don't get why they would do this.

Re: Bills To Toronto?!
 

I dont know what the fuss is about, Canadians have been filling the Bills stands for years. Its about time they saved us the gas.

Re: Bills To Toronto?!
 

this is one of the dumber things i've ever heard

Re: Bills To Toronto?!
 

There are enough football teams in New York.

Re: Bills To Toronto?!
 

They aren't "pushing the CFL" anymore than they always have. The games are played Weds-Suns and are on TV most Thursday and Friday nights. But Canadian networks with the NFL broadcasting rights are allowed to show NFL games, of course, not to mention any Canadian with a decent satellite package gets every American network anyhow. Basically, every game of the NFL season is available on tv up here, and its become extremely popular the last decade, at least on part with the CFL in terms of television ratings.

The Bills in Toronto permanently might miff the Toronto Argonauts of the CFL, but they wouldn't be able to stop it from happening if big investors like Ted Rogers get behind the bid, and certainly every game would be on Canadian TV one way or the other.

I'd feel bad for the Bills because of the tradition, but I hope it happens because I'd love an NFL team in Canada. Not to mention that half the fans in the stands at Bills games are Canadian anyway. The Canadian economy is booming and there are 6 million potential fans in the greater Toronto area who would support this team. It would basically be a slam dunk in terms of it working out. Only problem would be needing a new NFL calibre stadium instead of skydome.

Re: Bills To Toronto?!
 

Sheesh some of the ignorance in this thread is off the charts.

Donovan made a lot of good points but i'm just going to talk about things in general.

1. The Bills are VERY popular in the Southern Ontario market. You can make the case that at least 25-30% of the season ticket holders are from the area as well. The Bills also have a Canada Day game where about half the stadium is filled with Canadians. The Bills are in the unique position of having a very strong market right next to them that props the team up financially in a lot of ways. It just happens that the market is in Canada.

2. Everything that the Rogers people are saying right now doesn't indicate outright stealing the Bills from Buffalo. I think Ted Rogers would have the sense not to alienate the Bills fans if it happens that he ends up getting the team when Ralph dies. It's not even clear that the team would just go to Rogers because Jeremy Jacobs and his family are very interested in buying the team as well as Jim Kelly in partnership with Tom Golisano.

3. The original poster makes it seem like this is a new story, no no my friend this story has been percolating for 40 years, not always involving the Bills but involving Toronto getting a team. Paul Godfrey who now works for Rogers has been trying to get an NFL franchise here for 30 years fer cryin' out loud!

4. I'd be against permanently moving the team to Toronto not because it's a bad market (because it isn't. If Toronto was in the US it'd be the 4th largest TV market) but because you just can't rip that team away from Buffalo. If the Bills were to move then Buffalo which has been hurting economically for years will become like a lot of former rust belt/industrial cities namely becoming a ghost town (not likely) or shrinking to the point that it loses all relevance.

Last but not least, if indeed the Bills were to move here permanently Rogers Centre wouldn't be the home stadium for very long. We all know that Rogers Centre's seating capacity is not up to NFL standards at best it can hold 55-60k though making it 60k would require serious construction work to the actual stadium. There is already prime real estate by Woodbine which would be perfect for a new stadium.

Let me stress again that it's not very likely at the moment that the Bills are an automatic to be Toronto's team. Right now the situation is akin to a guy nearly bankrupt who's depending on someone with more money to help him out. The Bills in Toronto series is more or less a cash version of a blood transfusion.