Lawmaker to pitch Toronto franchise

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d...orth-of-border

Quote:

---

Toronto politician aims for NFL franchise north of border

Toronto councillor Doug Ford told TheScore.com that the National Football League just might be ready to become the International Football League.
Ford said NFL Canada told him that Toronto is high on the list of cities awaiting a franchise, and he believes Los Angeles is the only city with a higher priority.
"Once they take care of Los Angeles, we're going to fly over to New York, set up a meeting with (NFL Commissioner Roger) Goodell and give him our pitch," Ford said.
Ford said he believes the Jacksonville Jaguars and New Orleans Saints are in play for possible relocation.
Saints vice president of communications Greg Bensel disagrees.
"Reports about the Saints as a potential team moving to Toronto are completely false," Bensel told USA Today on Thursday. "The New Orleans Saints are committed to the city of New Orleans."
According to The Times-Picayune, the Saints recently signed a 20-year deal with the state of Louisiana to play at the Superdome.
Goodell said in February that Toronto lacks a stadium that lives up to NFL standards. No problem, said Ford, who envisions building a new waterfront venue. He also suggested that Rogers Centre, where the Buffalo Bills have played regular-season games, could be expanded to meet league requirements.
"(The NFL) want(s) to expand internationally," Ford said. "But what better expansion than down the street to Toronto? They can't keep ignoring a market this size."
With a population of aproximately 2.5 million, Toronto is the fifth-largest city in North America behind Mexico City, New York, Los Angeles and Chicago.

---

If the Bills move to Toronto, please change their name. It would completely take the play on words out of it...

I think the Vikes are more likely to end up in toronto than the Bills.

The NATIONAL football league doesn't need a Canadian team. ;-)

Just move the Jags to L.A. and we're done.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by GrizzlyBear91

I think the Vikes are more likely to end up in toronto than the Bills.

---

I could see that happening. Better there than LA if they want to stay in the NFCN. The Bills have to be a strong contender for that honor as well though.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by soulman

I could see that happening. Better there than LA if they want to stay in the NFCN. The Bills have to be a strong contender for that honor as well though.

---

30% of bills Season ticket holder are from toronto already Soul, and think an even larger $ own the suites..So moving a franchise that already ahs the fanbase makes alot more sense han moving anothr team.. not to mention the obviously would need buffalo's permission to move another team to toronto because inside the "non compete radius". which buffalo struggles now, can't imagine how much worse it would be if same market had 2 teams in it, not pretty. When Wilson passes away the team will be sold for estate tax reason's and be shocked if not brought by a canadian company( its why already splitting season with a game in toronto already.. getting feet wet)

I'm leaning heavily towards Buffalo because of the closeness to Toronto and the fact that old Ralph has allowed the Bills to play some games in Toronto...its like trying on a new pair of shoes to see if its a good fit...it's no secret in Buffalo that Ralph is in a selling mood or should I say his adult children are in a selling mood.

No question that Buffalo would be the odds on favorite to move there. I just didn't know that the Wilsons were so anxious to sell out.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by soulman

No question that Buffalo would be the odds on favorite to move there. I just didn't know that the Wilsons were so anxious to sell out.

---

goes back a few years: here's from 2008..

Quote:

---

February 7, 2008 -

---

Quote:

---

Ralph Wilson did everything but take the Buffalo out of the Buffalo Bills in his apparently off-the-cuff remarks at Wednesday's press conference in Toronto.,,But when the format turned to questions and answers, Wilson painted a portrait of Buffalo as a dying town in a dying market. He contrasted Buffalo's economy with all the construction going on in Toronto and Dallas. He talked about Buffalo dwindling in population and jobs. And he mentioned that the Bills had run out of rocks to overturn in marketing the team in Western New York.
http://blogs.buffalonews.com/inside_...wilson-gi.html

---

Quote:

---

Leaving the team to his wife ensures that the Bills stay in Buffalo for the foreseeable future. She would not … unlike if Wilson left the team to his daughters … have to pay an estate tax bill of some $270 million, which would necessitate selling the team in order to get the money to pay the bill.
Wilson recently said that the team would be sold upon his passing. There is talk of a local ownership group bidding for the team. But odds are slim that a local entity could financially compete with prospective owners from more prosperous parts of the country. With Los Angeles and other large markets lacking an NFL team, odds are that the Bills would leave Buffalo if the team was put on the open market.
http://buffalonews.typepad.com/insid...s-for-ral.html

---

[quote]

There seems to be a lot of momentum in the “Bring the NFL Back to Los Angeles” campaign, but is the push for an NFL team in downtown LA or the City of Industry just an illusion? It is a question worth pondering even if soon-to-be former New York Governor David Paterson thinks the Buffalo Bills franchise could end up in the Southland in 2014.

Under Governor Paterson’s scenario, Buffalo Bills owner Ralph Wilson’s estate tax will be so high that his heirs will have to sell the team to the highest bidder and that someone will scoop up the franchise and move the team elsewhere. Governor Paterson doesn’t think Toronto will support an NFL team and that Los Angeles is the logical alternative once the Bills lease in Orchard Park expires in 2013.


Continue reading on Examiner.com: Why Los Angeles may not get an NFL team - National Business of Sports | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/business-of-...I1S[/quote]

I wonder if they would keep their whole name tho..i remember sometime in the 90's there was talk of moving the bears to gary indiana. if they would have done that, it would have been the gary bears, which sounds too close to care bears...