Looks like it's a possibility...Toronto Vikings?
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Toronto Vikings?
- Thread starter nathaniel
- Start date
Cdnfavrefan
Cheesehead
That's interesting cause all the talk up here on tv has been about the Bills coming to Toronto. Personally I would like to see the NFL stay American
all about da packers
Cheesehead
Yeah Cdnfavrefan, all the talk has been about the Bills moving to Toronto/playing one home game in Toronto.
Personally, I hope the Vikings don't relocate to Toronto, it'd be a nightmare for the city.
I live about 15 minutes away from the only place suited to host a NFL game (Skydome aka Rogers Center in downtown Toronto) and I have to say that place is already cramped as it is. The highway that would be used by people in the East to watch the game is almost always packed.
The NFL would need a strong TV deal for local games and I have a hard time imagining that would happen in Toronto. The Toronto CFL games do about between 3.0 - 4.0 in ratings, and the NFL games shown on local stations do about 1.5 - 2.0 (and sometimes have been lower than 1.5). That combined with the interaction I've had with other Torontonians makes me really wonder if there is a market for the NFL in here.
Toronto is first and foremost a Hockey market. The Toronto Maple Leafs play about a 10 minute walk away from the Rogers Center, and the ticket prices are just out of this world. There is a home game every Saturday for the Leafs, so I wonder how many people would be willing to spend such a great amount on tickets for games less than 24 hours apart.
Furthermore, the NBA's Toronto Raptors have some Sunday home games scheduled that might very well conflict with the NFL schedule of any team in Toronto. The Raptors play in the same building the Maple Leafs do (about a 10 minute walk from Rogers Center) and the Sunday games start at 1:00 PM also.
Finally, the CFL wants assurance that an NFL team in Toronto will not come at the expense of Toronto's CFL team. That is to say that Toronto's CFL team will not lose money, and if it does then the NFL will compensate it. Does anyone really think the NFL will be very receptive of this?
It seems to me (and a few other local journalists that have looked at this issue) that a permanent team in Toronto just doesn't have the means to subsist and not lose money.
The Bills playing one home game in Toronto might be much more realistic, and certainly more doable.
Personally, I hope the Vikings don't relocate to Toronto, it'd be a nightmare for the city.
I live about 15 minutes away from the only place suited to host a NFL game (Skydome aka Rogers Center in downtown Toronto) and I have to say that place is already cramped as it is. The highway that would be used by people in the East to watch the game is almost always packed.
The NFL would need a strong TV deal for local games and I have a hard time imagining that would happen in Toronto. The Toronto CFL games do about between 3.0 - 4.0 in ratings, and the NFL games shown on local stations do about 1.5 - 2.0 (and sometimes have been lower than 1.5). That combined with the interaction I've had with other Torontonians makes me really wonder if there is a market for the NFL in here.
Toronto is first and foremost a Hockey market. The Toronto Maple Leafs play about a 10 minute walk away from the Rogers Center, and the ticket prices are just out of this world. There is a home game every Saturday for the Leafs, so I wonder how many people would be willing to spend such a great amount on tickets for games less than 24 hours apart.
Furthermore, the NBA's Toronto Raptors have some Sunday home games scheduled that might very well conflict with the NFL schedule of any team in Toronto. The Raptors play in the same building the Maple Leafs do (about a 10 minute walk from Rogers Center) and the Sunday games start at 1:00 PM also.
Finally, the CFL wants assurance that an NFL team in Toronto will not come at the expense of Toronto's CFL team. That is to say that Toronto's CFL team will not lose money, and if it does then the NFL will compensate it. Does anyone really think the NFL will be very receptive of this?
It seems to me (and a few other local journalists that have looked at this issue) that a permanent team in Toronto just doesn't have the means to subsist and not lose money.
The Bills playing one home game in Toronto might be much more realistic, and certainly more doable.
TOPackerFan
Cheesehead
The Greater Toronto Area (GTA for short) has around 4-5 million people. It's also the economic hub of Canada, so there is more than enough corporate support available. The problem is that it is full of some of the worst sports fans in North America. Torontonians will tell you that they're wonderful sports fans, but they're Maple Leafs fans and then fans of any other team that's winning.
The real issue I see with this is that the Rogers Centre is not a good stadium for football (nor Major League Baseball for that matter), so a new stadium will be a necessity for a team to be feasible. While there is enough private money to build the thing, the guy that will be a 50% partner in any NFL venture already owns the Rogers Centre and thinks it's under utilized. I have a hard time believing he's going to want to build a new stadium to get an NFL team when he already owns the Rogers Centre.
The real issue I see with this is that the Rogers Centre is not a good stadium for football (nor Major League Baseball for that matter), so a new stadium will be a necessity for a team to be feasible. While there is enough private money to build the thing, the guy that will be a 50% partner in any NFL venture already owns the Rogers Centre and thinks it's under utilized. I have a hard time believing he's going to want to build a new stadium to get an NFL team when he already owns the Rogers Centre.
The article also mentioned Los Angeles, which to me seems like a more viable choice. But, teams have been shipped out of L.A. before, so who knows if they'd risk it again. I say move them to Iowa City and change the name. That way we have no more Vikings, and I'll have a team within 20 minutes of my house! Haha! But seriously, hopefully it won't come to that. The Pack/Vikings rivalry is too good to see it go.
Yeah..........if they moved out to LA, it would really be hard for them to have their "Love Boat" tours. The ocean is ALOT rougher then a little Minnesota lake!The article also mentioned Los Angeles, which to me seems like a more viable choice. But, teams have been shipped out of L.A. before, so who knows if they'd risk it again. I say move them to Iowa City and change the name. That way we have no more Vikings, and I'll have a team within 20 minutes of my house! Haha! But seriously, hopefully it won't come to that. The Pack/Vikings rivalry is too good to see it go.
They'd probably end up stranded on "Gilligan's Island!"
I wish they would keep the nfl here in the U.S. I think there would be more U.S. cities that could hold an NFL and we should do that first. Who cares about the NFL outside the U.S.? just a way for the NFL to tap into a new market. make more money. not good for the league. they make enough money.
I don't think expanding to Canada would hurt the NFL at all, but I think the reason the league is pursuing the idea is because of the success they've had with having games in other countries. Yeah, the games in London and Mexico City sold out in a matter of minutes, but who's to say they could draw a similar crowd every game? Are Canadians as attached to the CFL as we are to the NFL? How would they respond to another league from another country coming in to their cities? Wasn't there also talk a while ago about the CFL expanding to the US?
Cdnfavrefan
Cheesehead
Actually the CFL did try expanding to the US a few years ago and it was a disaster. For some reason Baltimore actually thrived but then the Ravens came to the city and drove them out
Wow, I didn't know that they actually DID expand to the US. Crazy. Do you remember what the team was called?
EDIT: I just found some info about the team on Wikipedia. Green Bay's long snapper Rob Davis played for the Baltimore Stallions in 1995.
EDIT: I just found some info about the team on Wikipedia. Green Bay's long snapper Rob Davis played for the Baltimore Stallions in 1995.
jdlax
Cheesehead
San Antonio Texans
Sacramento Gold Miners
Las Vegas Posse
Baltimore Stallions(were called the Baltimore CFLers for a season, after the NFL sued them for calling themselves the Baltimore CFL Colts)
Shreveport Pirates
Birmingham Barracudas
Memphis Mad Dogs
I feel like I'm missing a team here.
Sacramento Gold Miners
Las Vegas Posse
Baltimore Stallions(were called the Baltimore CFLers for a season, after the NFL sued them for calling themselves the Baltimore CFL Colts)
Shreveport Pirates
Birmingham Barracudas
Memphis Mad Dogs
I feel like I'm missing a team here.
V
Vikeman
Guest
It would be deflating to see the Vikings move...I would be done with the nfl.
San Antonio Texans
Sacramento Gold Miners
Las Vegas Posse
Baltimore Stallions(were called the Baltimore CFLers for a season, after the NFL sued them for calling themselves the Baltimore CFL Colts)
Shreveport Pirates
Birmingham Barracudas
Memphis Mad Dogs
I feel like I'm missing a team here.
They really had a teams all the way down south? Crazy. I had no idea.
It would be deflating to see the Vikings move...I would be done with the nfl.
I'm a Packers fan, and I don't want to see the Vikings move either.
TheKanataThrilla
Cheesehead
The Vikes move to Toronto would make sense only from a Divsional standpoint. It would allow the move without re-shuffling the Conference which is what a move to LA would do. HOWEVER, the Viking move makes no sense. Toronto NFL fans are by and large Bills' fans with around 10K+ fans making the trip south to Buffalo home games (myself included this upcoming Sunday). There is no fan base for the Vikes in the T-dot so I really don't know why they would take Minny, when it looks like the Bills will be going up for sale in the not so distant future who are already entrenched in the Toronto fan base.
I do believe both the CFL and NFL can survive in Southern Ontario. It is not like many fans of NFL couldn't make the trip to Buffalo if they really had their mind set on only watching NFL ball.
On the plus side of a move to T.O it would allow me to catch my Packers once a season with very little effort. I am still kicking myself in the *** for missing the game in Buffalo last season.
I do believe both the CFL and NFL can survive in Southern Ontario. It is not like many fans of NFL couldn't make the trip to Buffalo if they really had their mind set on only watching NFL ball.
On the plus side of a move to T.O it would allow me to catch my Packers once a season with very little effort. I am still kicking myself in the *** for missing the game in Buffalo last season.
Rios39
Cheesehead
Toronto would most certainly support an NFL team well. And what better place to put them then in the ice division with the Packers-Lions-Bears.
PackinSteel
Cheesehead
The article also mentioned Los Angeles, which to me seems like a more viable choice. But, teams have been shipped out of L.A. before, so who knows if they'd risk it again. I say move them to Iowa City and change the name. That way we have no more Vikings, and I'll have a team within 20 minutes of my house! Haha! But seriously, hopefully it won't come to that. The Pack/Vikings rivalry is too good to see it go.
Personally I'd rather have no team than have the Vikings out here! We get to see our teams every couple years when they make a West Coast swing. Having a local team would just F up the TV scheduling!!
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