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The NFL has a delicate balancing act as it attempts to make inroads north of the border: It needs to attract Canadian fans and Canadian dollars without the PR problems that would come with appearing to step on the Canadian Football League’s toes.
Some CFL players clearly feel that with the Bills preparing to play a game or two a year in Toronto, their toes are being stepped on.
”I definitely hate the idea of Buffalo coming up here. I really dislike it,” said Toronto Argonauts defensive end Jonathan Brown. “I mean, they’re stepping on our turf. This is our turf – this is the CFL. They definitely have no business coming up here.”
Brown added that he worries that football fans in Toronto will turn away from the Argonauts and toward the Bills, and that Toronto is “teetering on losing the team.”
Of course, that will ultimately be up to the fans of Toronto: If they decide that the Bills satisfy all their football needs and they no longer want to buy Argonauts tickets, well, that’s how capitalism works.
Brown’s comments were part of a round table discussion on Canadian TV. The funniest idea came from quarterback Michael Bishop, who suggested that the CFL could give the NFL a taste of its own medicine by having the Argonauts play the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in Buffalo.
I have a feeling the Bills aren’t losing sleep over that.
July 23rd, 2008 at 11:11 am
Like you said, its capitalism and its what drives economies to prosper. If you have a superior product, you have the right to market it and attempt to sell it against the other competition. Not to crap on the CFL, but who the hell cares what they think. The NFL is the superior league its not even close. thats why these guys are all nervous. If they had the kind of talent the NFL did, then this wouldn’t be an issue. Clearly they know they cant match the product
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Rating: 5 / 5 with 2 rating(s)
July 23rd, 2008 at 11:15 am
Im Canadian. The CFL runs to November. The Bills play afterwards in TO. And all Canadians who aren’t Bills fans now, won’t become Bills fans because of a game in Toronto. Two Canadian networks already show NFL games every sunday and Global(one of Canada’s top 3 networks) shows every Bills game. The CFL players are just worried because the CFL is always ready to fold.
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July 23rd, 2008 at 11:15 am
Pfffffffff
that’s funny. i am a proud Canadian and i also hail from the province with the most die-hard fans, Saskatchewan. i would be the first to admit that the CFL is a poor product and a boring game. the last grey cup was in toronto and my home team of Sask was playing and i still couldn’t watch it. i tried for 5 minutes then *click*. i’d rather watch NFL replay.
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Rating: 3.65 / 5 with 3 rating(s)
July 23rd, 2008 at 11:17 am
The CFL is weak out east but strong here in the west. I’m in Saskatchewan and the Riders have a strong fanbase with consistent sellouts (close to 30 thousand). The Riders sold more merchandise than all other CFL teams combined last year. It’s a strong successful leauge but the CFL struggles in the Toronto area. There is simply too many other sports teams to follow and the Bills are just a quick trip away. Bishop is a loser and I think the threat is pretty funny. Toronto has been struggling to keep their team for years and I’m sure a game at Ralph Wilson isn’t going to save the franchise.
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July 23rd, 2008 at 11:18 am
Thanks for the lecture on how capitalism works, but up here in Canada things aren’t really that simple. Sometimes our government has to step in to protect our cultural institutions against more powerful American economic forces. I’m not saying that people shouldn’t have the choice to pay to see the Bills, but they already do. They can make the 1.5-hour drive from Toronto to Buffalo.
I’m an NFL fan first and I would love to have an NFL team in Toronto (preferably not the Bills, but whatever), but I would hate to see the CFL suffer. It’s a special league that means a lot to many Canadians. Should die-hard fans in the Prairies suffer because of “capitalism” in Toronto?
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July 23rd, 2008 at 11:21 am
“the CFL could give the NFL a taste of its own medicine by having the Argonauts play the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in Buffalo.”
In other news, Brian Westbrook will not get a new contract because the Eagles are broke now that the Philadelphia Soul is in the championship game.
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July 23rd, 2008 at 11:22 am
He’s obviously conceding the NFL is a superior product if he is so worried the Toronto fan base will demand it over his CFL offering. I’d feel a little threatened, too, if my livelihood was about to be challenged by superior competition.
But you nailed it, MDS. Such is supply and demand. By gaining more control of the supply, do you really influence demand? Perhaps the Argonauts should go after speculators to make the CFL more interesting…
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July 23rd, 2008 at 11:29 am
The CFL is so funny with their made-up team nicknames like Tiger-Cats, Argonauts, Bear-Sharks, and Arseuvers!
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July 23rd, 2008 at 11:33 am
this is so funny. as a canadian i can tell you that attending a CFL game is a huge miss versus heading south of the border for an NFL ‘event’. The on-field experience is a wash really… certainly, the NFL has bigger names - so there’s some additional excitement there, but the real difference is the event itself. CFL cities typically won’t allow for tailgating - no open liquor - and in many cases, you can’t even park near the stadium (see Edmonton)… If the Bills play in Toronto and the city opens up these crazy restrictive laws and actually allows the organizers to pull together a pre/post game experience - then the CFL will take a huge hit. If, instead, they produce an experience that involves hopping off of city transit - attending a game and then promptly leaving - then the CFL has nothing to worry about - their sub-par entertainment will continue to be a reasonable value.
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July 23rd, 2008 at 11:55 am
Whoa whoa whoa! Slow down there Jonathan Brown. “Our turf”??? Ummm… i live in Toronto and i’ve never heard of you.
The business the NFL has coming north of the border is with us- the football fans who don’t consider the CFL a worthwhile investment of two hours on any day, let alone enough to fill a schedule (of only 8 teams???). How many Argos jerseys do you think i have? None! Compare that to my 2 Marino Jerseys, my Zach Thomas, my Ronnie Brown, and my Tory Holt (i never wear it out of the house… and hardly ever inside either, since there’s no Dolphin on it. But it cost me $6 at a thrift shop so i grabbed it).
okay fine. i would like to have a Ricky Williams Argo jersey. i admit it.
Maybe a Hamilton Tiger Cat can claim that southern Ontario is their turf, but if you play football in Toronto the thing you should hate is that you don’t have a NFL logo on your uniform. In the meantime the CFL should be worrying about improving it’s product. Hating the NFL won’t save the CFL, and if Toronto goes… well… you do the math, Jonathan… ummmmm… oh ya! Jonathan Brown.
now i can go back to forgetting that name.
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July 23rd, 2008 at 12:03 pm
Dooger does have a great point.
But i still think the onus is on the CFL to improve. And i don’t see too much wrong with a die hard fan losing their team because of “capitalism”. It happens, and people live.
Maybe the die hard fans aren’t doing enough to save their sport, if saving it is that important to them.
i’m sure some kid REALLY missed Crystal Pepsi, as it was a great example of American culture. I’m sure that kid is enjoying Coke Zero as we speak, or whatever other frivalous thing (like drinking sugar or watching football) entertains him.
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July 23rd, 2008 at 12:28 pm
Of course Brown is insecure on this thought. He couldn’t make it in the NFL and found a home in the CFL and if that folds, he’s out of a professional football career.
But, that’s how life works.
Maybe the CFL can start their seasons earlier or later to offset the NFL if it gets that far.
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July 23rd, 2008 at 12:35 pm
Nice to get the perspective of the Canadians out there….and at the risk of opening Pandora’s box, I have a question for my northern neighbors…..someone posted that they would love to have an NFL team in Canada, but preferably not the Bills…hypothetically, if the Patriots were available to play out of your area, would you be interested? I know how the anti-Pats feel, as they have made their feelings clear ad nauseum….but how do you unbiased football fans feel? Would the supposed “tarnished”, “cheating” Patriots be welcomed and/or desired north of the border?
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July 23rd, 2008 at 12:39 pm
“The Riders sold more merchandise than all other CFL teams combined last year. It’s a strong successful leauge….but the CFL struggles in the Toronto area.”
“Sometimes our government has to step in to protect our cultural institutions against more powerful American economic forces……….it’s a special league that means a lot to many Canadians. Should die-hard fans in the Prairies suffer because of “capitalism” in Toronto?”
Just read those comments above and you’ll see the truth. How is it a strong successful league if one tem sells more than all others combined?
How can the loss of Toronto market, the admitted weakest link, cause an entire League collapse?
If Canadians love it so much, why are so many worried about a couple games a year by one team?
The CFL is a joke as evidenced by many Canadian commenters.
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Rating: 2.35 / 5 with 3 rating(s)
July 23rd, 2008 at 12:47 pm
Ah Canada…always looking to “protect cultural institutions” against the big, bad Americans. If the CFL had a better on the field product, then it wouldn’t matter who played where. Do you think that the MLS can even compete in Europe? But I doubt we’d stop Europeans from coming over here to showcase the games.
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July 23rd, 2008 at 1:03 pm
Prefix - I was born and raised in Edmonton, played 3 down football my whole life and even tried out for the “made up nicknames” Hamilton Ti-Cats. As well I have coached HS football up here as well, So if anyone should be sticking up for the CFL its me…..and I cant.
The NFL is sooooo much better. If you cant beat em join em, CFL take note of this. Why stubbornly stick to gigantic fields and 3 downs? It stinks, going to a game is ok but its nothing compared to the NFL. Get with the program. Turn the CFL into a farm league for the NFL, have 8 Canadian teams and 8 American teams. Then the Canadian team can play te American team in a “mini superbowl”.
This wouldnt work? 3 downs suck, huge fields suck, 12 players suck, even the CFL ball sucks (its huge). From a broader perspective why not give our Canadian athletes a better chance of success at the next level and let them learn in a 4 down league. I swear to god Canada is the only country in the world that so stubbornly sticks to ridiculous traditions. (You should see what Natives get away with in our country)
With the possible exception of the whole “right to bear arms” thing. Americans (headshake)
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July 23rd, 2008 at 1:30 pm
The seating capacity of Rogers Centre is 52,300 and that’s too small for a permanent NFL franchise. This is a non-issue. Let the Bills play a couple games a year there and the NFL can capitalize on the marketing and improved tv ratings north of the border. But keep at least 6 of the 8 home games in Buffalo.
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July 23rd, 2008 at 1:40 pm
Wow.. I’m shocked by ignorance here..
“mregister2 says:
The CFL is so funny with their made-up team nicknames like Tiger-Cats, Argonauts, Bear-Sharks, and Arseuvers!”
‘Argonauts’ is a made up name?!? My goodness, go to school, read a book, take a history class. The only made up names on that list were the two you provided.
“Jolly says:
July 23rd, 2008 at 12:39 pm
The CFL is a joke as evidenced by many Canadian commenters[sic].”
5 comments does not a consensus make.
Canadian football is the superior sport. Period. The NFL is a league that gives its players an extra down on every series to make it easier for them. The CFL is about speed and agility, the NFL is about being big. The CFL is moving the ball down field with big plays. The NFL is 2 yards and a cloud of dust. The CFL is about players making over 200 appearances in the off season in their communities and schools, whereas the NFL is players spending more time on their TD celebrations than staying out of trouble with the law. The NFL is a player like Ricky Williams being an elite athlete. The CFL is Ricky Williams not having a 100 yard rushing game because he wasn’t fast enough to play the sport.
The NFL is a league full of wife beaters, murderers, drug users, dog killers, and pimps. There are running jokes in the Canadian press about what NFL player will be arrested this week. One of the local papers actually has a counter going that shows the number of total NFL players arrested in the off season.
I’ve been to NFL games in Seattle and Buffalo, and believe me, they’re awful. They look pretty on TV, but attend one and I felt I’d been raped afterwards. A 9 - 6 Bills game, good lord.
But all that aside, the fact of the matter is that this has nothing to do with being a better product or shying away from competition. It’s no different than Walmart opening a giant box store in a neighbourhood and putting 5 other stores out if business. Those 5 stores could have been selling the best products in the world but there’s no way to compete against a megalodon like Walmart. It’s the same with the NFL. You’re talking about businesses driven by 300 million people moving into a country that has 30 million people spread over an area twice as large. The larger business is going to dominate regardless of how bad they are.
This is why ALL countries, including the US have protection laws. Do you know how hard it is for any business outside of the US to establish a foothold or get setup in the US? It takes years of red tape and politics. Why? Because the US has the same laws as everyone else to protect the interests of that country. What Canada is doing is no different than any other country. It’s putting laws in place to protect Canadians from Cultural Rape. And I use the word Rape on purpose because that’s what it is. Teddy Rogers, the guy trying to bring the Bills to Toronto made his fortune off of these protection laws. Do you think Rogers communication would last 5 minutes if Canadian protection laws were not in place and AT&T moved in with its 100 million subscribers? No. Not five minutes. Yet now this same guy wants to circumvent these laws to add something fluffy to his box of toys.
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July 23rd, 2008 at 1:45 pm
“RyanHarris says:
July 23rd, 2008 at 1:03 pm
This wouldnt work? 3 downs suck, huge fields suck, 12 players suck, even the CFL ball sucks (its huge). ”
Ryan, you completely blew away your whole argument right there. The CFL ball and the NFL bar are the same size +/- .25 of an inch. They’re manufactured on the same assembly line for heaven sake. So if you know that little about the subject, the rest of your claims are obviously untrue.
” I swear to god Canada is the only country in the world that so stubbornly sticks to ridiculous traditions.”
Every country on the planet protects its traditions. No country more so than the USA. That’s a country that INVADES other countries in ilegal wars to protect its traditions and way of life.
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July 23rd, 2008 at 1:55 pm
CanuckSportsFan,
What a post!! Entertaining and informative!!! (I’m not being a smart-ass……it was a great read!!!)
Except for the part about the CFL being better than the NFL….!!!!!!
:^)
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July 23rd, 2008 at 1:59 pm
Now you’ve gone and lost me, CSF!! It was a Canadian guy putting down Canada, not an American…..no need to get into the political BS in here….keep it civil!!
JMHO
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July 23rd, 2008 at 1:59 pm
Funny story - The Bills are the ONLY NFL team to ever lose to a CFL team - 38-21 in ‘61 to the Hamilton Ti-Cats…talk about embarrassing team history…wait, it’s the Bills - that loss is only the 21st most embarrassing loss we’ve suffered.
http://www.mmbolding.com/BSR/CFL-NFL_Hamilton_Tiger-Cats_vs_Buffalo_Bills_1961.htm
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July 23rd, 2008 at 2:18 pm
CanuckSportsFan:
“The NFL is a league full of wife beaters, murderers, drug users, dog killers, and pimps. There are running jokes in the Canadian press about what NFL player will be arrested this week. One of the local papers actually has a counter going that shows the number of total NFL players arrested in the off season.”
Umm, don’t those players, once kicked out of the NFL, go on to play in the CFL? Off the top of my head…Lawrence Phillips, Ricky Williams, Onterrio Smith, Todd Marinovich, R. Jay Soward, Bernard Williams, and so on.
Yup, strong argument you’re making there.
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July 23rd, 2008 at 2:26 pm
Hey didnt Baltimore win the Grey Cup in the 1990’s? I was hanign with a girl who lived right past memorial stadium and I specifically recall going to a cfl game there….
So hte CFL came to the US, and now these panty wearers are complaining about the bills?
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July 23rd, 2008 at 2:29 pm
CanuckSportsFan:
Im glad you can use google to find out where products are manufactured. If you have ever thrown a CFL ball and then thrown an NFL ball you WOULD ABSOLUTELY know the difference. Hell watch the game and you can see the difference. The CFL ball is WAY fatter than the NFL ball which really affects its flight. So instead of talking why dont you go and actually play with each ball and then come back and tell me its “+/- .25 inch”. (That sentence sounded so gay; not that theres anything wrong with that)
I know all about the US protection laws, and I am not suggesting that Canada abandon theirs. BUT WHY USE THEM FOR THE CFL? What tradition does the CFL have? Are you from Vancouver(the canuck name)? Why cant the BC Lions ever sell more than 20000 tickets? They have a whole frickin province to draw from and they still rarely ever have a full house.
Let me guess CanuckSportsFan; you were probably one of those folks who didnt want shoot outs in the NHL?
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