Keeping the Bills in Buffalo? GASP!

[rob021275]

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=ap-bills-golisano&prov=ap&type=lgns

The NFL can't be too happy that somebody is trying to stop the moving vans from heading to Toronto (or elsewhere). There's a lot of money to still squeeze out of some city, somewhere through the relocation threat.

The almighty dollar should trump any loyalty to the people of Buffalo.

/sarcasm off

 

[Eeyore]

The exchange rate is 1 U.S. dollar to 1.0006 Canadian dollars right now. Not really a big difference.

The NFL desperately wants to expand to other countries and they may see this as a way of getting a very small foothold outside of the U.S.

I doubt that the die hard Bills fans will disappear because they aren't that far from Toronto anyway. It would be nuts to have to get a passport to attend games though.

 

[RJ in Lafayette]

There are two ways to look at the Bills playing a home game each year in Toronto. One way is to see Toronto as a way to ensure that the Bills stay in Buffalo. The distance between the two cities is small. A possible result will be that Buffalo and Toronto split home games, much as Green Bay and Milwaukee did until recently. Playing up to three home games in Toronto helps keep the franchise economically viable and really pulls in the mularger Toronto market.

 

[St. Anger]

I've said before that Goodell doesn't like the idea of moving a team away from its city ala the Saints. I think what the NFL will do is expand by two teams: Los Angeles and Toronto. Out of the big four (MLB, NBA, MLB), the NFL is the only one that does not have a Canadian team.

 

[Eeyore]

I've said before that Goodell doesn't like the idea of moving a team away from its city ala the Saints. I think what the NFL will do is expand by two teams: Los Angeles and Toronto. Out of the big four (MLB, NBA, MLB), the NFL is the only one that does not have a Canadian team.

I can see somebody wanting to try it but I seem to recall a rule that teams within 75 miles of a proposed site get the right to approve or deny.

The straight line distance is 60 miles and the driving distance is 98.

I'm guessing that the NFL goes by straight line.

 

[Jay In Buffalo]

If the Bills leave, this city will implode. The only things going for this place are 4 things:

1.) The Buffalo Sabres
2.) The Buffalo Bills
3.) The bars are open until 4am.
4.) The best food on earth (That's right, go to hell Willis McGahee. Moron.)

This place is in love with the Bills and if they went to Toronto, it would rip a very damaging hole in the city. The city is just starting to turn itself around and a move to Toronto would be crippling. Yeah, it's an hour and a half drive. But they would wind up playing in the Rodgers Centre (spelled correctly before any Canadians here yell at me), where there will be NO place to tailgate, which is not even a hobby here, it's a way of life. The Buffalo fans here would honestly just not go just to not support the Toronto Bills.

 

[Canadian #12 Fan]

Rodgers Centre (spelled correctly before any Canadians here yell at me)

It's Rogers , got the Centre part though haha.

But I completely agree. Downtown Toronto, especially the area of the Rogers Centre isn't really able to support any tailgating. It's all in a tight urban area.

 

[49erKiller]

4.) The best food on earth (That's right, go to hell Willis McGahee. Moron.)

 

[tarusman28]

Canada can't support an NFL team...hell they could not even support the NBA Raptors.

 

[all2neat]

Canada can't support an NFL team...hell they could not even support the NBA Raptors.

You are thinking of the Vancouver Grizzleys which are now in Memphis. Toronto still has the Raptors.

 

[Saintvan]

You are thinking of the Vancouver Grizzleys which are now in Memphis. Toronto still has the Raptors.

And to be honest, the Grizzlies would have done well in Vancouver if the front office hadn't have been such a joke. People wanted basketball out here, but refused paying money to see a team that had owners obviously wanting to leave from the onset.

 

[BoNcHiE]

If the NFL does add two new teams, how will that work with divisions? I just don't see it. I know its been done before, and baseball currently has some out of whack divisions, but the way the NFL schedules are set up now I don't see how they could do it without screwing up the whole system.

 

[Eeyore]

They need to focus on starting children's leagues, High School leagues and College leagues in other countries before they think of expanding to other countries.


The talent pool is nearly dry now. Every new team dilutes what is available.

 

[Joe OKC]

I've said before that Goodell doesn't like the idea of moving a team away from its city ala the Saints. I think what the NFL will do is expand by two teams: Los Angeles and Toronto. Out of the big four (MLB, NBA, MLB), the NFL is the only one that does not have a Canadian team.

I like that idea, but with it add 2 extra wildcards to the playoffs for each Conference.

Joe

 

[rob021275]

If the NFL does add two new teams, how will that work with divisions? I just don't see it. I know its been done before, and baseball currently has some out of whack divisions, but the way the NFL schedules are set up now I don't see how they could do it without screwing up the whole system.

I think the only way they could do it evenly would be to scrap all of the divisions completely and have every team play every other team in the conference once (sort of like what baseball did pre-interleague, except they play each other way more than once).

Of course, teams like Dallas would veto such a plan because they would have to alternate years where they played home/away versus their precious rivals. Unless they made the season longer, that would probably put an end to AFC-NFC games (beside the Super Bowl) -- another reason it would probably not happen.

But tiebreakers would be less complicated as head-to-head would always be applicable (but not necessarily decisive), and there is absolutely no way to divide 17/34 teams evenly.

 

[eels]

Toronto is a great sports town, but I hope they don't move the Bills. There are too many great fans up there to move the team. I'm a big hockey fan and it's funny to see how Canada is suddenly becoming a desirable location. In the 90s, teams were leaving because the exchange rate was so bad. Now that it's just about even, people are realizing that it's a country with passionate sports fans.

I agree with adding LA and Toronto as expansion teams. The NFL wants a team in LA, even if there isn't a whole lot of clamoring in the city for one. Hopefully it would help keep teams like the Bills (and Saints) from relocating.