1:29 Minute Drill by Favre

[Joe4]

Ted Rogers, unfortunately, passed away, about a year ago. I'm not quite sure who owns the Blue Jays right now - his family?

Ah yes, I forgot about that. It says they are currently owned by Rogers Communications. So that is probably why they are looking to sell.

I grew up in Toronto, and I don't agree with that. I very much preferred the NFL over the CFL. I never watched the Argos, oddly enough, I was a Vikings fan.

I am not saying that there aren't a lot of NFL fans in Toronto -- it just appears that there may not be enough of them to support an NFL team.

According to my cousin (who is also sports nut and lifelong Toronto native), he says there are really two factions -- those who like NFL, and those who prefer the Argos (it seems to be a point of national pride for many). However, it appears that there doesn't seem to be enough of those rabid NFL fans to justify moving an NFL team there. It was quite an embarrassment last year when they couldn't sell out the game last year (without a lot of gimmicks, discounts, giveaways, etc). There still are a ton of unsold tickets for the game this year too.

This "experiment" the Bills have with Toronto has been a real-eye opener and deemed a failure by many. It appears that they may have over-estimated the amount of interest Toronto has in an NFL team.

 

[NateO]

Hopefully they stay in Buffalo - I hate seeing teams move. When the Winnepeg Jets went to Phoenix, which is now a disaster, I wasn't too happy. When the Quebec Nordiques went to Colorado, I felt ill.

Red McCombs was obviously thinking about moving the Vikings to San Antonio, and the pilot of that fell flat on its face. So, I hope they stay - perhaps set up a Green Bay type model?

Toronto's a really big market, one if its suburbs, Mississauga, alone has 1,000,000 people. The entire area has to be well over 5,000,000 people - it makes Minneapolis look small. If they're serious about NFL football, they could probably expand. However, I guess I don't know.

 

[Joe4]

Hopefully they stay in Buffalo - I hate seeing teams move. When the Winnepeg Jets went to Phoenix, which is now a disaster, I wasn't too happy. When the Quebec Nordiques went to Colorado, I felt ill.

I was astounded when the Nordiques left Quebec, especially considering how many players come from there! They obviously love hockey and should have a large fan base there.

Red McCombs was obviously thinking about moving the Vikings to San Antonio, and the pilot of that fell flat on its face. So, I hope they stay - perhaps set up a Green Bay type model?

That model that Green Bay created was pure genius. Many in Buffalo were hoping that the Bills would try to adopt that model. Unfortunately, the NFL changed the rules and that is no longer allowed. I think the owners put that rule in place after Green Bay did what they did. The billionaires protect their own!

Toronto's a really big market, one if its suburbs, Mississauga, alone has 1,000,000 people. The entire area has to be well over 5,000,000 people - it makes Minneapolis look small. If they're serious about NFL football, they could probably expand. However, I guess I don't know.

I think that is what really surprised the Bills, NFL, and Toronto. They figured with a base that big, they should have no problem finding enough interest to support an NFL team. Maybe if the Bills were good, it would be a different story.

BTW, I can't believe you have never been to a CFL game, even I have been to one!

I actually took my kids to their first Jays game this year. They got to run the bases down on the field after the game. I was amazed at the low attendence, though.

 

[NateO]

BTW, I can't believe you have never been to a CFL game, even I have been to one!

Actually, I have been to at least two, per my shoddy memory. One was the Grey Cup, the CFL's playoff championship game, at BC Place, in Vancouver. The other was was an Argos game at what was then known as the Skydome, now known as Rogers Centre. I've just always preferred the NFL.

That whole thing with the Quebec Nordiques moving really put me off - there have been so many great players to come out of that region. But, it comes down to cash. When Norm Green (grrr) moved the Minnesota North Stars to Dallas? They were selling out every game in Minnesota. But he got a brand new arena and some serious subsidies to do so, big cash in his pocket.

I didn't realize that Green Bay model had been shut down. Loop-holes, they tend close?

Yeah, the attendance at Jays games leaves something to be desired, it creates vicious cycle, where it's hard to improve the team without the cash.

I've been to a Jays game, at the Rogers Centre, with none other than MrExcel and Starl, themselves.

 

[Joe4]

I've been to a Jays game, at the Rogers Centre, with none other than MrExcel and Starl, themselves.

Yes, I remember that. I would have liked to have made it up there and joined you then, but my wife was very pregnant at the time.

I saw my CFL game at the old Ex. I used to go up to Toronto every year for my cousin's birthday and we would go to the CNE and a Jays game. Those were fun days. Not that I am some world traveller or anything, but Toronto and Sydney are my favorite "big" cities that I have been to.

 

[NateO]

I saw my first MLB game at Exhibition Stadium. Part of the reason I haven't been to a lot of CFL games is that neither one of my parents are big sports fans, or weren't.

When my old man had Grey Cup tickets, he was trying to give them away, until I found he out had them. And my Mom made my Dad take me to my first Leafs game at Maple Leaf Gardens (not a cheap experience). Just wasn't his bag.

I think Toronto's a cool town.

Back to Favre for a minute - Monday night football against the Packers, in Minneapolis this week. This town is going to be crazy.

 

[Joe4]

Back to Favre for a minute - Monday night football against the Packers, in Minneapolis this week. This town is going to be crazy.

Sorry, didn't mean to "Truby" your thread!
(I imagine that Greg would take pride in that fact we use his name as a verb on this forum...)

Should be a very interesting game! I can't wait to see the game in Green Bay later in the season. Hopefully, Favre will stay healthy until then. I know he has never missed a game, but at 40, your body can't take the repeated poundings like it used to.

 

[NateO]

I know he has never missed a game, but at 40, your body can't take the repeated poundings like it used to.

Does it help when you decide to run upfield and block the nastiest defender on the field, LB - Patrick Willis? Favre decleated Patrick Willis. Wow.

 

[Joe4]

Nate,

Looks like it should be a very exciting next few days in Minnesota!
Good week to be a sports fan there!

 

[NateO]

Yeah, there's already people tailgating in Vikings jersey in Minneapolis, on a Monday.

Then there's tomorrow night's playoff game. I have to pace myself, here - 1 game at a time. Gosh I love beating the Packers, this going to be good.