17 Game Season

[YoungMoney]

Americans always seem to want more pro football. Yet it's the folks abroad who might be getting an extra taste of the NFL in the future.
Link (http://www.nfl.com/news/story/10174851)

[OpIv37]

and this would be the first step towards international expansion, which means Toronto, which is extremely bad for Buffalo.

[Earthquake Enyart]

Here's my plan. Go to 18 games. Have expanded rosters in the first two games like preseason. Have the first 2 games be interconference (the games that mean the least).

It would be great for the Bills to play a home game on Labor Day weekend. An interconference game may be a harder sell, but people like me who moved away might make the trek if I could had the next Monday off. It could be a big homecoming.

[OpIv37]

also the 17 game thing would be one more way for the NFL to screw the Bills. We'd still get our 8 home games, but I get the feeling that our "home" game against the Patriots or Dolphins would end up in an international location where the fans would NOT be on our side.

[Earthquake Enyart]

also the 17 game thing would be one more way for the NFL to screw the Bills. We'd still get our 8 home games, but I get the feeling that our "home" game against the Patriots or Dolphins would end up in an international location where the fans would NOT be on our side.
Ralph will be more than happy to pick up the gate when they sell 100,000 tickets in Wembley Stadium.

[Bill Brasky]

this is overkill, IMO.

i could see where they might make the Bills "international" game a yearly occurance in Toronto.

[Generalissimus Gibby]

and this would be the first step towards international expansion, which means Toronto, which is extremely bad for Buffalo.

Why Toronto and not Vancouver? BC place is a hell of a lot more NFL ready than the Skydome, but yes if Toronto gets a franchise it is bad news for us. Though, truth be told I think we'd see Jacksonville relocating there way before we would. That and if they did a division realignment where we got Buffalo, Toronto, Cleveland, and Pittsburg would be a hell of a rivalry filled division.

[The Spaz]

and this would be the first step towards international expansion, which means Toronto, which is extremely bad for Buffalo.

What pro sports have lasted long in canada? Grizzlies left. hockeys even left Canada.

[OpIv37]

Why Toronto and not Vancouver? BC place is a hell of a lot more NFL ready than the Skydome, but yes if Toronto gets a franchise it is bad news for us. Though, truth be told I think we'd see Jacksonville relocating there way before we would. That and if they did a division realignment where we got Buffalo, Toronto, Cleveland, and Pittsburg would be a hell of a rivalry filled division.


Toronto is a hell of a lot bigger- that's the main reason.

[Generalissimus Gibby]

I agree with what OP says. So what I would propose is that each team would play one off shore game a year, but to ensure there is no real home bias and to reduce playoff implications to any more than won/lost any game held at the neutral site should be interconference, and against an opponent that was not a common opponent to other teams in the division

[OpIv37]

What pro sports have lasted long in canada? Grizzlies left. hockeys even left Canada.

Well, the Raptors, Leafs and Blue Jays are doing just fine. Canada in general has not been very good at supporting pro sports teams in American leagues but Toronto is definitely the exception.

[The Spaz]

Well, the Raptors, Leafs and Blue Jays are doing just fine. Canada in general has not been very good at supporting pro sports teams in American leagues but Toronto is definitely the exception.

People who are Bills fans in the area are both from Buffalo and Canada and I don't see th eloyal ones switching to be a Toronto fan if in fact they do get a team. Also from watching some games the Blue Jays stadium looks pretty dead most of the time IMO.

[OpIv37]

People who are Bills fans in the area are both from Buffalo and Canada and I don't see th eloyal ones switching to be a Toronto fan if in fact they do get a team. Also from watching some games the Blue Jays stadium looks pretty dead most of the time IMO.

there is a lot more money in Toronto for luxury boxes, partnership deals, etc than in Buffalo. Also, once they start requiring passports to cross the border, Canadian fans will be more likely to switch.

[Throne Logic]

Well, the Raptors, Leafs and Blue Jays are doing just fine. Canada in general has not been very good at supporting pro sports teams in American leagues but Toronto is definitely the exception.

Just for a laugh, put on the Red Sox / Blue Jays game on tonight. The Sox are one of the biggest road draws for teams. Opposing owners love when the Sox and Yankees come to town because they dramatically increase ticket sales. That said, there were so many empty seats in that dome over the past two nights it is laughable. These were interdivision games that featured Beckett going for his 7th win and Matsuzaka vs. another Japanese born pitcher.

Canadian teams have a harder time making a profit because they play by the same rules in an economy that comes at a 20% discount. It won't be easy for an NFL team to launch north of the border.

[The Spaz]

Just for a laugh, put on the Red Sox / Blue Jays game on tonight. The Sox are one of the biggest road draws for teams. Opposing owners love when the Sox and Yankees come to town because they dramatically increase ticket sales. That said, there were so many empty seats in that dome over the past two nights it is laughable. These were interdivision games that featured Beckett going for his 7th win and Matsuzaka vs. another Japanese born pitcher.

Canadian teams have a harder time making a profit because they play by the same rules in an economy that comes at a 20% discount. It won't be easy for an NFL team to launch north of the border.

That's what I thought.

[OpIv37]

Just for a laugh, put on the Red Sox / Blue Jays game on tonight. The Sox are one of the biggest road draws for teams. Opposing owners love when the Sox and Yankees come to town because they dramatically increase ticket sales. That said, there were so many empty seats in that dome over the past two nights it is laughable. These were interdivision games that featured Beckett going for his 7th win and Matsuzaka vs. another Japanese born pitcher.

Canadian teams have a harder time making a profit because they play by the same rules in an economy that comes at a 20% discount. It won't be easy for an NFL team to launch north of the border.

We don't get the Blue Jays or the Sox this far South.

But football isn't baseball. Baseball has 10x the number of home games as football and I can't speak for Canada, but in the US, football is the more popular sport by far. So, it's the simple law of supply and demand. A tenth of the available tickets and more popularity make football more viable than baseball.

Also, I haven't heard anything the Blue Jays folding or leaving because of attendance problems- have you? RFK (where the Nationals play) is empty most games but the Skins still have no problem drawing 90,000+ for each game at a stadium only a few miles away.

[Throne Logic]

We don't get the Blue Jays or the Sox this far South.

But football isn't baseball. Baseball has 10x the number of home games as football and I can't speak for Canada, but in the US, football is the more popular sport by far. So, it's the simple law of supply and demand. A tenth of the available tickets and more popularity make football more viable than baseball.

Also, I haven't heard anything the Blue Jays folding or leaving because of attendance problems- have you? RFK (where the Nationals play) is empty most games but the Skins still have no problem drawing 90,000+ for each game at a stadium only a few miles away.

Very good points. My only rebuttal for the Red Skins thought has nothing to do with the draw. It would be related to the 20% discount on ticket prices. I'm not an economics wiz, but that seems to put any Canadian team at a disadvantage.

As far as Toronto leaving, I've heard nothing to that end. However, how much notice was there when North Stars and Grizzlies up and left? That's an actual question, I don't remember hearing much until they packed up and moved south. That said, I really don't see Toronto leaving. MLB would make take some serious actions to keep them there. Now, am I imagining this? Wasn't Toronto a serious candidate for relocating to DC and becoming the Nationals?

[Pinkerton Security]

Just for a laugh, put on the Red Sox / Blue Jays game on tonight. The Sox are one of the biggest road draws for teams. Opposing owners love when the Sox and Yankees come to town because they dramatically increase ticket sales. That said, there were so many empty seats in that dome over the past two nights it is laughable. These were interdivision games that featured Beckett going for his 7th win and Matsuzaka vs. another Japanese born pitcher.

Canadian teams have a harder time making a profit because they play by the same rules in an economy that comes at a 20% discount. It won't be easy for an NFL team to launch north of the border.

I'm not sure if this is what you're referring to, but the canadian dollar is worth nearly as much as the American dollar. It has been gaining ground steadily, just like the Euro did and has continued to do.

[Philagape]

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