Just a couple of weeks ago, brother Doug, gave the TheScore.coma big scoop about the city of Toronto soon acquiring the Saints from New Orleans. The interview was picked up by media outlets across North America.
Ford’s comments are dumb from various aspects. There is no other way to paint this.
It is dumb because the NFL doesn’t work in public like this and the Saints won’t be moved, if for no other reason than in the aftermath of Katrina, it would be political suicide and a public- relations nightmare for the league.
Ford soon apologized–saying it was “an off-the-cuff remark” and, get this, it was all based on a “rumour”.
Really, is this how the Fords are planning to court pro sports’ most successful league?
I wonder what commish Roger Goodell thinks of this duo behind the political wheel up in Toronto? And Goodell probably thought the failed Bills In Toronto series was enough Hogtown drama for him.
So at a press conference about the CFL and the 100 Grey Cup and the commish has to put up with the dogs in the Toronto media about an NFL team...only in Toronto
Those two piggies are kidding themselves. The NFL will never setup shop in Canada. The Show does not need Toronto's money in fact it may be a negative in terms of the value of it's tv contract. There is also a whole set of labour and immigration laws that they may become hostage of. When you can't even sell the Colts coming to town and you lambast a city that draws 60+ thousand paying fans. You squarely fall in the full of hot air category in their case more like orange goo and hot air.
Toronto may have five million people but the Jays are bleeding money, bleeding. The Raptors are subsidized by the Leafs. Toronto is a hockey town and let's face it the other half of the city would be more interested in a grass hockey franchise than an NFL team. Not to mention the damage to the CFL would likely cost the NFL more fans nationwide that strongly resents anything from the navel of the universe than it would gain in Toronto.
LOL ! The NFL can ignore a 12 million people market in LA but it can't do without the center of the Universe :lol:
There will be interest in any league if someone shows the money bigtime though. I guarantee you to a tee if someone said to Bettman, here's $600 mill or so for a team for Hamilton and I'll toss another $100 mill to MLSE to keep them happy and another $100 mill to Buffalo, there would be an NHL team in Hamilton as fast as you can say whatever.
If some group in Toronto has big bucks and shows they will build a super NFL type stadium, not the easiest thing to do in a sport where you only play some 8-10 home games in a season, the NFL will listen.
They really have no clue. The response to the question about the NFL not liking politicians with big mouths was absolutely idiotic.
Do the Ford brothers and other NFL to Toronto supporters actually believe the NFL is going to change their ownership rules for Toronto? There are some really rich people in Canada but I can't imagine any single person or small group wanting to spend $2+ billion on a sports team and stadium especially after the Bills in Toronto fiasco.
And yeah, it was really classless by the media and the Ford brothers to be talking NFL at a CFL event.
I am not sure if I appreciate the anouncement of the 100th grey cup turned into an Nfl controversy... Politicians are supportive of everything positive cause that's there job. In small towns they will show up for grand openings for stores that are in competition with each other because they support the community. It's the job of the press to find controversy with politicians. I liked the article, but this was a chance go take after the ford brothers. Not a direct support o CFL or nfl. Now all that being said... Sometime a little controversy can work positive... Give some more free
publicity for the grey cup... And get people talking.
This is good news for the CFL! The more these clowns show themselves for what they are, the more the NFL will realize what a gong show it would be to move there and will stay away. Even if Ford wanted a team, they need a billionaire to buy it. Teddy Rogers is dead and nobody else is stepping up as far as I know.
All Dumb and Dumber were claiming is that attracting a Fortune 500 company (billion-dollar NFL enterprise) to set up shop in Toronto would be good for the economy...creating hundreds of construction jobs (for the free billion-dollar NFL stadium) and hundreds of ongoing jobs to maintain and service the new stadium. Getting an NFL team would put Toronto on the map in the eyes of many Americans, attracting more visitors to the North American/World Class city. The reasoning is the NFL would have no choice but to award Toronto the Super Bowl within 3 years...creating even more buzz in the World's Greatest City (next to Chicago). The chances of the NFL failing in Toronto are one in a million...so there is that chance.
One of the brother said “thousands of jobs” in my books that would be at least 2000 jobs. There is no way in hell an NFL team creates 2000 jobs. These guys are full of …
I think the CFL is doing the right thing staking their ground in Toronto. It will take some perseverance and a steady hand. I think they have that now. What the opponents of the CFL are trying to do is discourage them and hope they walk away
Yes, agree they are trying to discourage the CFL certain sorts. The Fords saw this coming the 100th and they are going out of their way to try and scare Braley and the CFL even though they say they are Argo fans. I can appreciate as has been said the economic aspect of the NFL and all of that but it really looks like, with their timing on all of this spouting, that they are trying to use scare tactics. It really makes them look a bit cheesy and somewhat smallish in thinking IMHO that they allowed themselves to be somewhat exposed like that at the hands of the CFL. :o As you say Hf.
Bringing an NFL team to Toronto is a 1.5-2 billion dollar project.
It's not happening. Nobody in Toronto will step up for that. If you understand the history of Toronto sports, you know Toronto teams have never really been owned by a single figurehead. If you understand NFL rules, it's obvious why this would be a big issue.
Lastly, the NFL has no interest in the Toronto market. With the Bills (who I believe will not be relocating TBH), the NFL will not put another team in the immediate region.
The Fords talking just cements the fact that this 40 year fantasy, remains just that.
TORONTO - NHL hockey returned to Winnipeg Tuesday because a lot of serious people worked quietly and professionally to make it happen.
How did they do it?
By keeping confidential discussions with the commissioner and other league officials confidential. By putting themselves in the right position at the right time.
What they didn’t do was shoot their mouths off, making ill-advised statements.
Which brings us to Toronto and Mayor Rob Ford’s brother, Coun. Doug Ford.
As you say Hf.