CFL Fans in Canada fear the Bills

[The Answer]

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The NFL in Toronto: Be very afraid, Canada

GARY ANDREW POOLE
Special to Globe and Mail Update
June 26, 2008 at 1:03 AM EDT


Back in 1982, I was a 57-day fan of the Canadian Football League. It was a strike season for the National Football League and I became enchanted with the Canadian game — the wide-open style and the players who had real jobs in the off-season.

This was like the NFL 50 years before — it was played by real people, and it appealed to my democratic spirit, possibly because it almost looked like I could be playing out there. But when the NFL players went back to work and the CFL coverage in the United States ended, sports coverage took me in different directions and the CFL faded from my sports-infused brain. Even when my Canadian friends encouraged me to watch last season's Grey Cup, alas, I couldn't find it on my satellite television.

The Canadian Football League season opens today, but many Canadian fans are ambivalent, especially in Toronto. That's because the NFL's Buffalo Bills are coming to Toronto this year for an August preseason game and a regular-season contest against the Miami Dolphins on Dec. 7. Many Canadians are thrilled that the big-league NFL is coming to northern North America. But if you love the CFL, Canadians, be afraid. Be very, very afraid..................

~The Answer

[PECKERWOOD]

Re: CFL Fans in Canada fear the Bills

This is why I have hope that the Bills will stay in Buffalo. I heard that the Canucks are trying to pass legislation that would ban any NFL team from moving to Canada in fear of their fans losing interest in the CFL. The idea is to convert loyal CFL fans into Bills fans in hopes that they will all pay homage to the only NFL team that cares about them by making the trips to RWS each year. I love the idea of the NFL travelling internationally to play games on certain ocassions. American football is a growing sport, I think the future of the NFL has to be a part of an international solution. Picture places like Hamburg, Manchester, Moscow and Dublin having football teams! That would be really exciting to see Europe embrace football as well and have their own expansion teams and stadiums. Hell, if Moscow had a football team it could re-ignite the old rivalry between the Americans and Russians!