Read today in the Globe and Mail that the NFL is thinking of playing a few games outside of their own country. Canada, ie Hogtown, is mentioned as one possible location.
So according to what I've read and heard, we may as well fold the CFL right now. Because once the hallowed NFL comes up here us hicks across the coutnry will quit supporting our teams and all gather around the TV en masse to watch Toronot's NFL team! LIke they did for the Maple Leafs and Foster Hewitt in the 1930's! You know some people actually beleive this?
And of course the NFL team will play in a publicly funded by you and me 80,000 seat Taj Mahal stadium just for Torontonians to use!
Because of course all of us outside of Toronto want the best for that city. And we don't care how much it costs of our tax dollars to build them a stadium!
And forget our own leagues. Like who needs the NHL and CFL when the NFL is bestowing this great honour and priviledge upon us? WE may as well postpone the hockey season until the Toronto team's NFL season ends! Becuase who needs anything else when Toronto's NFL team will be playing!
Of course I jest, but thats the mentality of some people up here. But like, baseball didn't hurt the CFL. Basketball hasn't hurt the CFL. The XFL, USFL and Arena Football haven't hurt the CFL. In fact the competition is dead or dying, while the CFL is getting stronger.
So I say bring on the NFL. It'll make the CFL even stronger. Because in the end, Canadian support Canadians first and foremost. And anybody in Hogtown who mentions a taxpayer paid for stadium?
I guess they'll have to raise their property taxes in Toronto 1000%. But don't even think of touching my money! IF they do Harper will have to build spanking brand new domed stadiums for every CFL city that hasn't got one.
An NFL game in Canada is a win-win situation for the CFL. Why? For one, if the game is a snoozer, then everyone will say man, our CFL is pretty darn exciting compared with this. And secondly, if the game is excellent, a lot more very casual fans will say hey, football in general is pretty exciting, never been to a CFL game but even if it is half-exciting as this NFL game, I think I'll take in a CFL game or two.
And before the NFL game, there will be some sort of a little ceremony lauding the long history of football in North America and mentioning the CFL. It will be great for football in general IMHO.
...Torontonians...have already got a great glimpse of the nfl....that being the play of one of the 'so-called' best backs in that league... Ricky Williams....i rest my case....stick with the CFL people...
Geez, you sure are one bitter dude. Isn't there a pill that you could take to put you out of your misery? (thats a joke)
Like it or not, Toronto is a massive city full of people from every corner of the planet. If they want an NFL team, who cares? If it affects the attendance in the CFL - who cares? its a persons individual right to choose whatever sport they would like to support. Competition is healthy. Just like its your right to b!tch and whine everytime something occurs in the sporting world that does not jive with your ideals. Why not view this NFL possibility positively? I mean, sport preference aside - we are talking about a mega-multi million dollar business venture potentially coming to Canada .. isn't that a good thing?
As far as tax dollars are concerned .. it would be spit in the bucket compared to much larger, and far more important tax money issues that are occurring in this country ...
I too, hate having the Toronto Sports Network jam bluejays, raptors, and leafs games down my winnipeger/calgarian throat... However, I am capable enough to recognize why this is occurring. 'the needs of many, outweight the needs of a few' ... its just a matter of semantics.
dont worry so much dude .. its not that big of a deal.
Check out the comments to this article in the Globe Sports section at Globeandmail.com.
I swear some of those guys plain hate the CFL and its fans. They not only run down the cFL, they run down Canadians as well. And they're effin Canaidans themselves? These people definitely need help.
Stati my boy.
This is a message board, and I am giving my opinion. If you read the anti-CFL comments on the Globe website, then you'll see bitter.
And for you to say you wouldn't care if the goverenment spent a billion of our tax dollars for a NFL stadium for Toronot? After no other city in Canand got one cent for their hockey arenas or football stadiums? Right there you've lost me.
You may not care that the media and loud mouths keep telling us we should be embarassed to support Canadian institutions. Or act patriotic. But I do. And if we don't say anything, it will just get worse.
The reason Don Cherry is so popular is because he says what we think. But are afraid to. Notice how the only ones who don't like him are in the media as well?
So if you don't like this post, start your own. Like one on why Winnipeg can't sellout the Grey Cup. Answer me that one.
berezin, I just read the comments on the Globe & Mail site, no big deal. We've been reading comments like this for decades here. To me, and using what Statik says, look at the positive here. These comments actually show that the people who trash our league are actually jealous of the great history of the CFL and Canadian football and are such pea-brained morons, the only thing they know how to enjoy is putting others down, especially their own, and have to be entertained by all flashy glitzy stuff like how the NFL comes across on the TV with all the money they have. These are not very bright people and actually make CFL fans look very good, very smart and heads above them. It's so obvious these idiots don't even know that they look stupid saying this. Hey, lets just keep laughing at them, ok. We'll get the last laugh because Canadian football rocks American football big time, and they know it and they can't stand it. I love it. All that being said, I still like watching some NFL as well. Class my boy, class, we have it and "NFL only counts" fans don't have it.
The test with me is class, if you don't have it, I don't want you then as a friend. Remember that.
I guess I have more Don Cherry in me than Don Juan. We are part of the large silent majority though. Too bad so few speak for us. Boss is coming. gotta go!
Remember the numbers the CFL gets for TV and the Grey Cup, the numbers are there to prove that the CFL is very popular in Canada, despite what some might like to try and shove down our throat and try and prove otherwise.
The CFL is not government funded... I do beleive the Government of Canada was a minor sponsor placing 1 or 2 'Canada' signs on sidelines several years ago. I'm certain this isn't the case anymore & I doubt it ever made up any significant portion of league or club sponsorship revenues.
Some of the "CFL haters" are pretty serious in their hatred.
Myself and some friends almost got into a fist fight in TO in 1989.
Picture us poor hapless Rider fans the day before the Grey Cup game, all decked out in our colours and we are in a pub (go figure) tipping back a few, when some guys at the next table start pointing at us, then making certain off colour comments. We ask them what we have done to offend, and a couple of them start yelling at us that we are stuck in the past and are preventing TO from its true destiny of getting an NFL franchise.
A little bewildered, we at first tried to just argue/discuss the issue, but when a couple of guys at the other table made it clear they wanted to fight, we made it clear to their friends that there were 11 of us and only about 4 or 5 of them, and that as we didn't want to fight, maybe they should tell their friends to get a grip....
Welcome to the big city!
Anyway, the problem in TO is that, while telling everyone how great and grand they are, with all their, "world class" this, and "world class" that, is that they have self-esteem problems.
The CFL haters are just insecure about their own identity.
In reality, if TO were such a great sports town, they could easily support both the CFL and the NFL.
But for them it isn't about sports, it is about image.
Personally, I doubt there is much danger the NFL will be moving a team to Canada anytime soon, but I don't mind them holding a game or two here each year.
I just hope they don't just go to TO every year.
BC, Montreal and Edmonton could all host a game (actually with bigger crowds), and if they were truly daring, so could everyone else. It would actually be a nice, thanks but go away to the TO CFL haters if the first NFL game were held in Edmonton.....
Just don't market against the CFL, do it in a partnership.
Arius, always remember that when you come in contact with these dipsticks, you are dealing with people that are not all there upstairs. I basically just treat them like I would people at an institution if you know what I mean, sort of realize that they are missing a few. 8)
IMO i think that CFL is WAY better and the NFL is WAY overated 8) i dont care if they come maybe Toronto should because there a bunch of band wagon jumpers anyways :cowboy: TO has trouble supporting there CFL team, i dont think they can support a NFL team so who cares
The thing I always find interesting, is CFL fans seem to be "fans". They love sports, they love their cities and communities, they love football. They watch CFL because it is "their" team. That is what "fans" do.
The people who refuse to watch the CFL, and I know far to many of them, don't really seem to like football all that much. Seldom would I see them as overly knowledgable, or even passionate. They just buy the NFL product for the same reason they buy Nike shoes or Tommy Hilfager pants--because of the marketing, the image, the "brand".
Anyone who is truly a "fan" of football, knows that both brands are good.
yea. (And this is coming from a guy who was in Winnipeg when the Jets were moved). The difference is, bringing a new business opportunity vs maintaining one that is stable or losing money. (I can only assume this however). Like I said, there are far greater concerns I have with government spending than building an iconic football stadium with tax money ... I personally have no problems with that kind of spending - especially when we are pointlessly spending Canadian lives in Afghanistan.
You are no Don Cherry.
I suspect much like it was in '91 - the weather in Winnipeg can be fierce factor. If its +5c, i'd guess it sells out. If its -42c with a 50 wind-chill, it wont. All and all - i don't believe there is much to be concerned with. The CFL is not going anywhere, under any circumstances.
I agree with Earl and Statik. This may have win-win possibilities. I wouldn't get bent out of shape on what the Globe and Mail think.
Earl makes a great comment on if the NFL game is exciting it will turn more fans onto the CFL game. If its a 9-6 snooze fest, it will re-inforce the argument of the CFL being exciting.
Here's something else I learned more about a couple weeks ago when I was at the BC Calgary game. a half dozen fans sitting with us have Season tickets for both the Lions and Seahawks. They just plain love football for all the right reasons. They tell me even though its a different game/ style, the atmosphere is different as well. (I'm going to have to do a Seahawk game soon!) The people I talked to like both leagues for different reasons.
To follow-up on what Sportsman is saying, it was my going to Bills, Wolverines, Irish and Lions (Detroit) games, in addition to Argos and TiCats games but more so the American games, that really got me turned onto to football where now I am a season ticket holder for the Cats. Watching the Americans at these games have such a great time said to me that football is one heck of a sport to follow and go to. I was raised by my Dad who was hockey, hockey, hockey and baseball, he never took me to football games.
So I have to partly thank the NFL and US college football for getting me into what a great experience football can be attending. And I want to do it mostly now in my own country, with my own team, spending my money here mostly but maybe still take in the odd game down south. It's what I think the scientists call a synergistic effect. Americans have taught me, in part anyway, to love the great game of football.
maybe Toronto should because there a bunch of band wagon jumpers anyways :cowboy: TO has trouble supporting there CFL team, i dont think they can support a NFL team 