NFL to Toronto, Eh?

The owners of the Toronto Argonauts of the CFL have decided to aggressively seek out an NFL franchise for Toronto. That would make them the second major group looking for a team for North America's second largest city without a NFL team, behind only Los Angeles, and we all know how that is going. The NFL has no expansion plans so look for the groups to go after an existing franchise. The three most likely candidates are the Bills, Vikings and Saints, with Buffalo as the leader.

The Bills are likely to be sold when owner Ralph Wilson dies, if not before, for estate tax reasons and a move to Toronto could be claimed to be a relocation within the same market, since it's only about 90 miles away.

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TylersaltAll-Star

330 days ago

Score 1

I would hate to see the Bills move. They're really the only thing that the city of Buffalo has going for it.

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Steel TownAll-American

330 days ago

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I think the Sabres might have a larger fanbase than the Bills.

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TylersaltAll-Star

330 days ago

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Also, the Saints moving would be a disaster for the city of New Orleans. Save the Saints!

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Dcsundevil2002Div-I Stud

330 days ago

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Moving the Bills would be bad, but it would also make alot of sense, giving the ballclub a major media market.

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DonatevoMajor Leaguer

330 days ago

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Why doesn't the NFL just add a couple more teams?

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Silencer76AAA-er

330 days ago

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A major media market? As someone that lived near Buffalo for over 20 years, I can say with authority that the Bills would not get the same kind of support anywhere else. The fan base is similar to what you find in Green Bay. If you took the Packers out of there and put them in a bigger city, no one would give a damn. Toronto eats, sleeps, lives and breathes one sport, and that is hockey and the Maple Leafs.

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SSreportersLegend

330 days ago

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Toronto eats, sleeps, lives and breathes one sport, and that is hockey and the Maple Leafs You don't watch soccer do you? Anyway, I hope the Bills stay in Buffalo. If Toronto wants a team, just have an expansion team. In that case, add a Los Angeles team to balance out the divisions.

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TylersaltAll-Star

330 days ago

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No love for the Raptors? :-p

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Taytay 24All-American

330 days ago

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That would balance the conferences, not divisions. Would need to add eight teams to do that.

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Silencer76AAA-er

330 days ago

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Are you honestly going to sit there and try to tell me that you think that Toronto follows soccer more than hockey?

I have spent plenty of time north of the border...the Leafs are an institution in the city, with a rich tradition as an Original Six club...the ACC is sold to beyond capacity every game...Leafs fans flock to other cities to see their team play by the thousands since tickets are so hard to come by.

Throwing soccer into the conversation is a flat out insult to all that hockey means to the city.

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SSreportersLegend

330 days ago

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http://www.y...=ikFxdIaLb8Y. Except the part where the MLS team currently has more fans than the Leafs.

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Pittsburgh GunnyDraft Pick

330 days ago

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Silencer I have no doubt that the Leafs are a true Toronto tradition, I have relatives their so I know. But, it cannot be denied that Toronto FC have made a huge impact on the sporting culture in Toronto.

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DonatevoMajor Leaguer

330 days ago

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Ever seen the movie Buffalo 66? God, I love that movie.

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Silencer76AAA-er

329 days ago

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Rofl more fans based on what, attendance? The ACC holds 18,819 for hockey, yet they cram over 19,000 on a regular basis in there... Go to the city, ask 100 people on the street about sports in TO, and see the response you get about soccer...then come back and talk to me...

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Pittsburgh GunnyDraft Pick

330 days ago

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I thought the NFL and CFL had a signed agreement whereby the NFL would not place a franchise in Canada. I know it existed many years ago but I don't know if it is still valid because the CFL did have teams in the United States for a bit of time.

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Steel TownAll-American

330 days ago

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I beleive it is the Argonauts owner that is attempting to aquire a team. The CFL is on board with this.

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BigPPupMajor Leaguer

330 days ago

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Yup the Bills have a new home, and they'd only have to moe the team about 200 miles not bad at all.

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Oh No RomoDraft Pick

330 days ago

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To Toronto! I would think it would make more sense to move Detroit to Toronto.

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TrizzAll-American

330 days ago

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Screw you Canada....but then again why does New York have 3 football teams, yet Boston has to share our team with all of New England...move the Bills!!!!!!

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The PipDiv-I Stud

330 days ago

Score 0

Adding a team to both Toronto and LA makes sense when you look at it from an Owner's POV. Each franchise would cost the new owners at least $1Billion each, so each existing owner of the NFL would receive a $62.5 Million payday.

From a quality of play standpoint, there are already not enough QB's or RB's for the NFL as it is. Needing 6 more QB's and 8-10 more RB's would mean that Vinny Testeverde would not retire until about 2035. It was like the pitching/HR issue after baseball expanded. Just look at how bad the Quaterback play is right now, and then add the potential for two more QB's to get injured each year. So I say no, please NO!

Moving any of those three teams would make me cry.

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Pittsburgh GunnyDraft Pick

330 days ago

Score 2

There's no crying in football ;-) Just ask Kordell Stewart.

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