Bills Moving to Toronto?

[onfieldrush8141]

I just wanted to know what you guys think of the buffalo bills playing games in Toronto over the next 5 years. Is this a good move for the nfl?

 

[The Panch]

The Bills are just trying to stay alive. They need a bigger fanbase so they'll go to the nearest major market that hasnt been claimed.

 

[shooterware94]

Well we all know Buffalo fans are extremely passionate about there team, but this is life buffalo is losing money. I hate to see them from a buffalo perspective but its all about money in the nfl and toronto is the 4th largest market in the nfl, why there isnt a team there to begin with still shocks me. So much money to be made in that city. Good move for the nfl bad for the fans of buffalo but the good thing is that its extremely close.. i think.

 

[shooterware94]

and also after those 5 years are up once the nfl sees how much profit it makes the bills will be moved there permanetly. Ive been to Toronto once and they love football there. Sad for the bills but **** happens

 

[tunahelper]

I am tired of any outsourcing of jobs and revenue from our country.

I say HELL no!

 

[Oh_Canada]

Well we all know Buffalo fans are extremely passionate about there team, but this is life buffalo is losing money. I hate to see them from a buffalo perspective but its all about money in the nfl and toronto is the 4th largest market in the nfl, why there isnt a team there to begin with still shocks me. So much money to be made in that city. Good move for the nfl bad for the fans of buffalo but the good thing is that its extremely close.. i think.

I live in Toronto and can tell you that this seems like an inevitability....Buffalo has a large and loyal fan base, but the city is dying a slow death. There is no corporate money, the population is shrinking and there doesn't seem to be much future unfortunately. Besides, the potential ownership group in Toronto is salivating at the chance at an NFL team and has very DEEP pockets.

 

[sago1]

The reality is Buffalo is a small market and the owner needs more money to ensure his team can compete against the big markets. The Buffalo economic situation has been going down hill, like so many older northern cities, and Toronto is near enough for both cities to enjoy watching the Bills. Wilson has already made it known his children won't run the franchise so decisions will have to be made about the club's future. Wilson loves the city of Buffalo and its fans & the eventual move to Toronto is inevitable. Besides playing in Toronto makes a lot more sense then flying overseas to Europe.

 

[dfense]

Ralph Wilson isn't going to be around for much longer. He's like a thousand years old. His family lives in Michigan and doesn't want anything to do with the franchise. Before he's cold, the team will be sold to a group of former Bills and investors like Jim Kelly.

Wilson presently has a sweet heart deal in place. He gets ALL the money from parking to consession stands. Every penny goes in his pocket. Plus, he lobbied and got the blackout rule extended to 90 miles from the stadium. The most in the league. When the Sabres played that game outside a month ago guess who pocketed the $300 thousand plus? He knows how to squeeze all the juice out of an orange. He's just trying to market his team a little more.

This week the passport requirement at the Canadian border went into effect. How many American fans are going to buy passports to go see a game?

 

[HardHittingRoy31]

I just wanted to know what you guys think of the buffalo bills playing games in Toronto over the next 5 years. Is this a good move for the nfl?

This would be a horrible move. The NFL should have learned from moving teams and that bad pub it got when it moved teams like Cleveland to Baltimore and Baltimore Colts to Indi. Not wise IMO.

 

[big dog cowboy]

If that area of the counry wants to keep the Bills, they better accept the fact some games will be played in Toronto. Ultimately, the team might likely end up there permanently as well.

Do I like that? Not really. But the reality of the situation is that long term that team could end up in Toronto or even LA. How would the people around the Buffalo area fele about that?

 

[Royal Laegotti]

I am tired of any outsourcing of jobs and revenue from our country.

I say HELL no!

I agree. My job is constantly under that threat.

 

[burmafrd]

Economic reality is that any job where the cost of labor is a major factor in its production we will lose since there are MANY places in the world where the cost of labor is just about 0.

 

[vlad]

With the US Dollar in a downturn with no foreseeable end it makes more and more sense financially for the owners. If traditionally American sports teams were willing to go before (mlb, nba), even with the 5% or whatever higher tax rate, they'll definitely go now.

Below is long winded and probably more economics that you cared to hear about, so read if you like, but yes I think it would be good to the NFL as a company.
_____________________
The current FX rate is something like 1 USD = 0.997 CAD. So 1 USD is less than 1 CAD. The NFL likes money, so there you go.

Look at this chart and you can see the US Dollar has lost about 50% of its value compared to the Canadian dollar over the past 5 years for obvious reasons.
5 year chart, sad but true

This latest tax "rebate" will make the problem worse over time (immediately you may see a short term uptick), because it’s not really a rebate of anything we as Americans already paid the government, they’re just printing more money. All that does is in favor of trying to sell products across the border.

I don't think you can look at it as traditional outsourcing, where you are getting a better ROI buy using the strength of the dollar to get cheap labor. Now that the dollar is weak, jobs won't be outsourced for labor savings, they will be displaced merely as a support function to areas where more robust revenue generation can take place.

If India/Russia wasn't offering labor so cheaply with comparable or higher quality than here in terms of skill set, education, etc...you'd see us become the country where jobs were outsourced to by places like the EU.

Any person at the level of wealth of a NFL owner is going to be savvy enough to go where the currency is worth more.

Sorry Royal Laegotti, I know how tough it can be, here's to hoping it’s a worry that goes away, please protect yourself in the meantime.

On a positive note.... Cowboys 2008/9 Superbowl champs!

 

[Yeagermeister]

Please take the job and economic talk to the political zone.

 

[Royal Laegotti]

With the US Dollar in a downturn with no foreseeable end it makes more and more sense financially for the owners. If traditionally American sports teams were willing to go before (mlb, nba), even with the 5% or whatever higher tax rate, they'll definitely go now.

Below is long winded and probably more economics that you cared to hear about, so read if you like, but yes I think it would be good to the NFL as a company.
_____________________
The current FX rate is something like 1 USD = 0.997 CAD. So 1 USD is less than 1 CAD. The NFL likes money, so there you go.

Look at this chart and you can see the US Dollar has lost about 50% of its value compared to the Canadian dollar over the past 5 years for obvious reasons.
5 year chart, sad but true

This latest tax "rebate" will make the problem worse over time (immediately you may see a short term uptick), because it’s not really a rebate of anything we as Americans already paid the government, they’re just printing more money. All that does is in favor of trying to sell products across the border.

I don't think you can look at it as traditional outsourcing, where you are getting a better ROI buy using the strength of the dollar to get cheap labor. Now that the dollar is weak, jobs won't be outsourced for labor savings, they will be displaced merely as a support function to areas where more robust revenue generation can take place.

If India/Russia wasn't offering labor so cheaply with comparable or higher quality than here in terms of skill set, education, etc...you'd see us become the country where jobs were outsourced to by places like the EU.

Any person at the level of wealth of a NFL owner is going to be savvy enough to go where the currency is worth more.

Sorry Royal Laegotti, I know how tough it can be, here's to hoping it’s a worry that goes away, please protect yourself in the meantime.

On a positive note.... Cowboys 2008/9 Superbowl champs!

I guess the worry will go away to China or Mexico someday. I keep hearing I have 5 to 10 years before it happens but who knows. Our plant is very successful and profitable, I think that pleases upper management and share holders for now until China and Mexico are ready to take off on their own. I'm not really mad at our company over the possibility of my job going away, I understand the ecomonics of it and the reasons and I know it's just part of life. I'm making some plans for the future to take care of my family and myself but it'll probably take every minute of the 5 to 10 years for my plans to get accomplished. All in all I trust God to take care of us and that's good enough for me.

 

[TwoCentPlain]

Have you ever been to Buffalo? That place is horrible. No one wants to be there. Toronto is 100 times better than Buffalo. Even the players would welcome the move. Heck, even 80% of the people in Buffalo would be begging to go with the team to Toronto.

As soon as Ralph Wilson sells the team, the new owners are moving either to LA or Toronto. And Wilson is really old so the team will be sold soon, imo.

 

[vlad]

Please take the job and economic talk to the political zone.

Apologies, I thought it was relevant to the question.

 

[Rampage]

I just wanted to know what you guys think of the buffalo bills playing games in Toronto over the next 5 years. Is this a good move for the nfl?

it will be great for a lot of bills fans. when i went to the bills-cowboys game this past season almost everybody i talked to came down from canada.

 

[IronCowboy]

Toronto is the 4th largest media market in North America. Toronto has over 2.5 million people.

The NFL would be nuts as well as the Bills for not taking this opportunity.

 

[CF74]

What???