Toronto Does Not Deserve An NFL Franchise

We interrupt my regular non-posting with this post.

After watching a bit of the Grey Cup last night and the highlights this morning I just had to come here and get some things off my chest...

The city of Toronto does NOT deserve an NFL franchise, period. It hasn't been any clearer to me than it is right now. In fact, I'll go as far as saying that before Toronto even be considered for a franchise, the NFL should take a good hard look at Montreal, Calgary, Edmonton, Regina, Winnipeg and yes, even Vancouver.

Of course the only reason Toronto is even IN the conversation is money. It certainly isn't because there are many football fans here. Sure there are NFL fans but no football fans. Because of this, an NFL franchise in Toronto would be certainly doomed to failure.

Sure in the beginning, people would come out. Especially if there was a new stadium involved. If the team somehow became successful, people would continue to come out. But as soon as that team faltered, you'd see the true colour of Toronto's so-called football fans.

This city has already shown what it will support only one team in mediocrity and that is one team and one team only...I'll leave it to you to figure out who...but let me say this, despite what you might think as conventional wisdom, this city isn't much of a hockey city either. Toronto may support that one horrible franchise, but it doesn't do much for any of the other pro and minor hockey franchises in the area. But I digress..back to football...

Why would the NFL even WANT to come to Toronto, even with all of its riches? Toronto doesn't even support it's OWN professional football team. In a country where people turn out in droves for college, university, even high school football, they must look down their noses at Toronto and wonder why we would even care. At least in Quebec, Saskatchewan and Alberta, football of all levels is supported.

What kills me is that most Canadians would look down their noses at most American NHL franchises and say that they're not deserving because they're not REAL hockey fans and then in the same breath say that Toronto deserves and NFL team. It's Laughable!

For those that argue that Canadian Football just isn't as good, it's not a valid argument. As I've stated, Americans will watch ANY kind of football, even High school football. Even Canadian Football!

During the CFL's short-lived and ill-advised American experiment, the American teams did very well attendance-wise. The Americans gobbled up the Canadian game, they loved it! Why? Because Americans LOVE football and therefore support it at every level regardless of the rules. Heck they even supported football played in arenas for a good while there.

Say what you will about the CFL and the Argos. What I witnessed last night at the Grey Cup was NOT a minor league. Last night was a true football experience. 60k+ loud fans. The crowd was into it, the players were into and for the most part the country was into it...well...that is...except people in Toronto. So why not give them the NFL franchise? Yeah, that makes a lot of sense...

One last thing. Of the few sporting events I attended live this year, the two I enjoyed the most were Cito's last home game as manager of the Blue Jays and the Argo's last homegame of the season. They were both amazing experiences and I'll take one of each of those over 10 boring Leaf games.

It's just sad really, in a city that has gotten used to so many bad sports teams, we seem to completely ignore two of there better success stories.

The only professional Toronto team to make the post-season this year was the Argonauts. Yet they can't draw the crowds they deserve and the CFL can't get any traction in their most important market despite being very healthy everywhere else in the country.

And it's all because the so-called sport fans in this city will settle at nothing less than the best teams from the best leagues. The irony of course is that if they supported their Argonauts with anywhere near the passion and fervor that they support their beloved Maple Laughs. They probably would have already gotten an NFL franchise. Instead, they expect to be given one without actually deserving one.

Will they get it? Probably, but it will be one of the worse moves made by the NFL. Regina, Calgary, Edmonton or Montreal would be better choices. MUCH better choices football-wise anyway. And I bet they would even stop supporting their CFL teams. They'd support both.

Comments

[Gump]

An interesting point that you put here, which is something that should be examined, is why are Canadian's irrelevantly interested in the Maple Leafs, but would fail to become as invested in a new team.

So when we look at that - here is the question I come back to - what is it that makes the hockey team successful in spite of the fact that its been poorly run; and what would make a Football team unsuccessful.

You touched on several of the ideas, but I do think that the team and city have a relationship. And certainly culture to a standpoint have a great deal of weight to play in this too. Certainly though we have to admit that if Hockey can work in Tampa Bay and LA, in theory Football should would in Toronto?

So - I've noticed that certain places do not have successful football franchises. Arizona, San Diego, and Jacksonville - to name a few, and while Arizona had a good year, its classically blacked out. So - whats going wrong in those cities.

It can't be "other sports". Look at Boston. Thick or Thin - 4 sports for a small market that isn't growing. Arizona has no other options. San Diego doesn't support any of its teams. Its a terrible sports market.

Now a large argument is the "warm weather" - because people in San Diego don't want to spend 3 hours at a game. But like people in Green Bay want to spend 3 hours in the freezing cold?

So I think it all boils down to culture. I think you hit on a direct cord. Toronto doesn't WANT a football team. Its taken a stance - it gets a splattering of the Bills (which I am guessing mostly fill up with Bills fans who drive 3 hours to see a crappy team get whipped). Toronto football fans have picked their teams and more important - Toronto has an identity.

This is why there is basketball in Oklahoma City. Who would guess OK City would get a popular supported team? Who would have guessed that city This is why Hartford still has (they do) parades for the Hartford Whalers. This is why they rally around Woman's college basketball.

Teams are a part of a cities identity. Some cities (Baltimore, Hartford, Seattle) have an identity because of the team that's left - and left a scar. Others are cut with the suffering of the team (Boston, Leafs fans, Cleveland).

But Toronto has 3 things that should be Red Flags to ANYONE thinking about putting a team there.

1) Toronto has an identity, and it would be like putting football in London. Toronto doesn't need a "new team" unless they were really pushing for it from a fan level.

2) Toronto has a rich sports history. Its got teams - and a new team would be a "new feel" but it wouldn't feel like a pilar to the city nor a part of the city. Honestly would it be an event after year 2? - Is it something the city is clamoring for? Would people be willing to pay hundreds of dollars for tickets? I think the people of Toronto have life figured out - and football isn't part of that.

3) Would Toronto ever adopt something that feels purely american? Honestly? Is Toronto the city that adopts an American sport with open arms? Clearly baseball hasn't gone well. I just feel that a new team should match the city. Toronto is cool and established. Football would be a dressing - where for another city, it would be a pillar of the cities identity.

Final note - Would American football players play in Toronto? Its been shown in the past (for the Blue jay ans Raptors) that players tend to not gravitate towards that city.

[Al]

"An interesting point that you put here, which is something that should be examined, is why are Canadian's irrelevantly interested in the Maple Leafs, but would fail to become as invested in a new team."

It has to do with history I suppose. Only the Argonauts have just as much history (maybe even more, 90+ years worth) but they lost a generation of fans in the 80s due to bad teams and TV blackouts. Also the grassroots support for football is non-existent. When I was in high school, many schools were dropping their football programs because of expense. The same went for hockey...but with hockey there were plenty of alternatives outside of school to play. There are no such alternatives for football.

"So when we look at that - here is the question I come back to - what is it that makes the hockey team successful in spite of the fact that its been poorly run; and what would make a Football team unsuccessful."

I come back to grassroots interest. There is no better hockey system in the world. I can start my kid with skating at 3 years-old and he can play on a hockey team by 4-5 right up to the pros. Heck, even old people have hockey leagues geared toward them. For football, if it isn't in school, it's nowhere...at least not in Ontario. Other provinces have better grassroots support for football and as a result, they have better support period.

"You touched on several of the ideas, but I do think that the team and city have a relationship. And certainly culture to a standpoint have a great deal of weight to play in this too. Certainly though we have to admit that if Hockey can work in Tampa Bay and LA, in theory Football should would in Toronto?"

Financially it would work. There is a lot of money in Toronto. It's the 4th largest market in Northa America. But because it's a false football market (just like Phoenix and Nashville are false hockey markets) it won't work on momentum forever. At some point the team has to produce and we're seeing now what it means to have a team in a false market not produce (ie: the Jays) if it weren't for their two world series back in the early 90s I honestly believe the Jays would have gone the way of the Expos by now. BTW, in the NHL LA is a bit of a bad example because it has some history with the league. That's why they've been able to sustain some pretty bad years. Tampa, has a chance, they have a recent Stanley Cup, but it may be more because of all the transplanted Canadians in living in Florida.

"So I think it all boils down to culture. I think you hit on a direct cord. Toronto doesn't WANT a football team. Its taken a stance - it gets a splattering of the Bills (which I am guessing mostly fill up with Bills fans who drive 3 hours to see a crappy team get whipped). Toronto football fans have picked their teams and more important - Toronto has an identity."

I think you give Toronto sport fans too much credit. So did Rogers, the Jay's owner and people who brought the Bills to Toronto for those few games. They thought the appetite for NFL was so high that they could charge anything they wanted for those few games and people would come...well they were wrong...VERY wrong. They charged unbelievable prices. In some cases they charged more for one seat than it would cost for the entire season in Buffalo and people voted unanimously with their wallets, "NO!". This resulted in Buffalo fans not coming to Toronto to watch the game and Toronto Football fans not going because they have their own favourite NFL teams and most of them are not Bills fans. Why would they support a team that's so bad? Just because they're close geographically?The last game they played here had a better crowd, but it was more because of the Bills' opponent.

"Final note - Would American football players play in Toronto? Its been shown in the past (for the Blue jay ans Raptors) that players tend to not gravitate towards that city."

These are some interesting points. As I said, if the city were to get an NFL team, whether it worked or not would depend solely on their success. Not because of the love of football. If the team is successfull, it will work, but for only as long as the success lasts. But to my original point, the city doesn't even deserve a shot, because we've shown that football isn't a priority. Being a frontrunner is. Toronto has shown in the past couple of decades that it's not very good at being a frontrunner.