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Philagape
10-19-2007, 08:26 AM
Bills want an annual game in Toronto
By Matthew Spina

The Buffalo Bills’ proposal to play a regular season game in Toronto is not a one-year idea, an NFL spokesman revealed Thursday. It’s a multiyear plan that would start next year.

http://www.buffalonews.com/home/story/187429.html
OpIv37
10-19-2007, 08:56 AM
yeah, the loss of a home game is definitely gonna sell those open luxury boxes....
OpIv37
10-19-2007, 08:57 AM
btw, this should only be allowed if the NFL lets it count as the Bills' international home game- losing 2 home games a year would be suicide.
Michael82
10-19-2007, 09:34 AM
If it helps bring corporate sponsors/people to buy suites and luxury boxes here and keep the team in Buffalo, then I don't mind losing 1 or 2 games a year. :up:
OpIv37
10-19-2007, 09:41 AM
If it helps bring corporate sponsors/people to buy suites and luxury boxes here and keep the team in Buffalo, then I don't mind losing 1 or 2 games a year. :up:

actually you bring up an interesting thought- if we have 7 home games instead of 8 (actually 9 instead of 10 counting pre-season), then we won't be able to charge as much for luxury boxes. So, some bean counters need to do some quality number crunching: will the added revenue from a game in Toronto and potential for more luxury box sales off-set the lost revenue from charging less for luxury boxes and season tickets?
Philagape
10-19-2007, 09:43 AM
actually you bring up an interesting thought- if we have 7 home games instead of 8 (actually 9 instead of 10 counting pre-season), then we won't be able to charge as much for luxury boxes. So, some bean counters need to do some quality number crunching: will the added revenue from a game in Toronto and potential for more luxury box sales off-set the lost revenue from charging less for luxury boxes and season tickets?

Can we assume they'll lower the prices? I wouldn't count on it.
OpIv37
10-19-2007, 09:55 AM
Can we assume they'll lower the prices? I wouldn't count on it.

Well I think they have to do one of two things:

1. Reduce prices by 1/10 since luxury box/season ticket holders are losing 1/10 of the services

2. Provide tickets/luxury boxes in Toronto for the people who hold those seats.

Otherwise, what you have is a thinly veiled ticket price increase, which is bad publicity and will probably lead to some people dropping season tickets or not buying the luxury boxes.

As the price of tickets goes up, demand goes down, and there's a point on the supply/demand curve where increasing prices will no longer result in increased revenue due to decreased demand. The Bills risk reaching that point if they don't somehow compensate people for the lost home game.
lordofgun
10-19-2007, 09:58 AM
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Bufftp
10-19-2007, 10:01 AM
It will help raise the what Ralph's estate can charge for the Bills to a Toronto buyer with fan base already installed. Brilliant.
Inetpub
10-19-2007, 10:17 AM
1/2 of the Buffalo bills fan base is in Canada anyways. Toronto/Hamilton = millions of people. You are underestimating its size.

Can it support an NFL game? yes. Can it support an NFL team? no. will 1 game a year sell out the dome? for sure. Is ralph going to rake in more money? Definately. 1 game in Canada and expanding your market = money in ralphs pockets. Good idea? makes many people happy so it must be.
OpIv37
10-19-2007, 10:37 AM
1/2 of the Buffalo bills fan base is in Canada anyways. Toronto/Hamilton = millions of people. You are underestimating its size.

Can it support an NFL game? yes. Can it support an NFL team? no. will 1 game a year sell out the dome? for sure. Is ralph going to rake in more money? Definately. 1 game in Canada and expanding your market = money in ralphs pockets. Good idea? makes many people happy so it must be.

you say people are underestimating it's size but then you also say that it can't support an NFL team. Depending on which estimate you use, greater Toronto is either just over or just under 5 million people.

Estimates for the DC metropolitan area are in the 5.5 million range, and the Redskins consistently sell out the league's largest stadium (96,000 capacity), and this is despite the fact that the Ravens' stadium is a mere 40 minute drive up I95.

I think Toronto/Southern Ontario is more than capable of supporting an NFL franchise.
TheGhostofJimKelly
10-19-2007, 10:45 AM
Like it was said, if it keeps the Bills here then fine. But I see a few issues that will come up sooner or later.
1. The seating capacity for the SkyDome is like 10-15 thousand less than the Ralph. Does this mean that the revenue is going to be made up from luxury boxes that Ralph will have to wrestle away from the SkyDome?
2. How are you going to get teams to sign off on going up into Toronto to play a game, I know it isn't that much farther, but it is still crossing international lines.
3. How are you going to determine which team to take off the Bills schedule and take away from the Buffalo fans? It can't be a divisional opponent and it can't be the NFC teams they play, you can't take that away from the Buffalo fans.
4. Are you going to throw skates on them and put Leaf jerseys on them? Just kidding.
THATHURMANATOR
10-19-2007, 10:53 AM
This is ******ed
DraftBoy
10-19-2007, 10:54 AM
Just a quick Q about crossing international borders are there going to be any issues if a guy has a criminal history and is going to play a game in Canada or any other international site?
Forward_Lateral
10-19-2007, 11:02 AM
you say people are underestimating it's size but then you also say that it can't support an NFL team. Depending on which estimate you use, greater Toronto is either just over or just under 5 million people.

Estimates for the DC metropolitan area are in the 5.5 million range, and the Redskins consistently sell out the league's largest stadium (96,000 capacity), and this is despite the fact that the Ravens' stadium is a mere 40 minute drive up I95.

I think Toronto/Southern Ontario is more than capable of supporting an NFL franchise.

Not only would they support it, I would bet that the games would sell out, quickly. People don't realize how big the NFL is in Canada. If a team were in Toronto, it would draw fans from at least 100 mile radius, and I'd guess the population in that area would be well over 5 million, probably closer to 10. Remember, big cities like Hamilton, London, even Windsor are only a few hours drive away.
Michael82
10-19-2007, 11:04 AM
Just a quick Q about crossing international borders are there going to be any issues if a guy has a criminal history and is going to play a game in Canada or any other international site?
yup.
BlackMetalNinja
10-19-2007, 11:11 AM
:(
THATHURMANATOR
10-19-2007, 11:34 AM
Just a quick Q about crossing international borders are there going to be any issues if a guy has a criminal history and is going to play a game in Canada or any other international site?
People with a Dui or dwi cannot cross the border
mybills
10-19-2007, 12:00 PM
People with a Dui or dwi cannot cross the border
There goes a few players on some rosters.
TheGhostofJimKelly
10-19-2007, 02:10 PM
Just a quick Q about crossing international borders are there going to be any issues if a guy has a criminal history and is going to play a game in Canada or any other international site?

That is what I was getting at, do the Bills schedule the Bengals so half of their team can't cross, easy W for the Bills?
Mudflap1
10-19-2007, 02:26 PM
How can the NFL teams' players crossing the borders be an issue? The NBA and NHL do that to play games every day!

Jon
ajsdx
10-19-2007, 02:41 PM
How can the NFL teams' players crossing the borders be an issue? The NBA and NHL do that to play games every day!

Jon

lol. maybe they have some sort of temporary worker's visa that lets em get through or something.
netsan
10-19-2007, 08:28 PM
Here's an Article from Canadian Sportsnet's Perry Lefko: I'll believe it when I see it...

http://www.sportsnet.ca/football/nfl/2007/10/19/lefko_toronto_buffalo/





If the Bills play in Toronto, will the Jays and Raptors play in Buffalo?

Immediately after news spread this week of the Buffalo Bills' intent to tap into the Toronto market by playing a pre-season game there in 2008 and at least one regular-season game thee in 2009, I was reminded of a conversation I had with a source more than a year ago.

Actually, the conversation was one of many I had with this individual, who claimed to have some insight into the Bills' thinking and the plans of Paul Godfrey, the president of the Toronto Blue Jays and the mastermind behind the plan to place a National Football League team full-time in Toronto.



edited: please do not publish articles in their entirety due to copyright violations. thanks.