Quote Originally Posted by Downtownfan View Post
You know, despite all the "buying the Argos as a chip to get the NFL" talk, I really do think that is pie- in the sky. I think the NFL is playing Toronto (again).

Sure, say old man Wilson passes on in the next three or five years. Anybody in Toronto who wants to buy the Bills (there is NO expansion on the horizon, and Toronto is now Bills territory) would have to: come up with about $1 billion US (with a Canadian dollar dropping; Tannenbaum and/or E. Rogers would have to sell their stakes in MLSE/Rogers) to beat out any other bidder from Buffalo or the US; get past the NFL itself (which has a veto on potential owners); get past Senator Schumer and Governor Cuomo (who wants to run for president in 2016); get past the US TV networks (which make no money off this); pay a $400 million exit fee from a newly renovated RW Stadium; build a stadium (Rogers Centre won't cut it-- Goddell himself said Toronto has "stadium issues"); get past a really pissed off WNY fan base, and then drop a team on Toronto, a city that has shown really no appetite for NFL football when it comes down to it.

This is pretty damn hard to overcome-- but in the meantime, MLSE/Tannenbaum have to be "good owners" to prove to the NFL that they are ready-- the Argos cannot be neglected, as it would defeat the rationale for having the team in the first place. I think we will be fine with MLSE or Tannenbaum, and before you know it, the Argos will be the only other profitable MLSE franchise in the stable.

This is going to happen fairly soon, looks like, and we will finally have stable ownership for a long time. There may be some spin ("we had to buy the Argos," "its how we get an NFL team," "this is charity") but the reality will be that we will be insulated from all kinds of media/CFL haters attacks by being part of MLSE. And we will have a newish stadium. And we will have a new TV deal. Things are looking up.
exactly, The stepping stone to an NFL team is purely media speculation ( it become so fashonable in the toronto media to have a hate on for the CFL ), and should the Argos start generating significant revenue and growth, do you think MLSE or Tannenbaum would want to then gamble billions on an NFL team that would most certainly disrupt that. Bottom line is they are buying the argo for the potential profit, grey cups and govenment kick backs to renovate BMO, they know dam well properly marketed in Toronto the Argos are a cheap cash cow ( one grey cup pays for the team and some, this is why the 2012 grey cups revenue was just posted ), all you have to do is convince the toronto population the CFL is cool again, and MLSE has the media influneces to do this. Dont be suprised if the CLF has already made a deal to MSLE for several grey cups over then next two decades. This all good