bills in toronto

[matchuk]

i see (and im glad to see) lots of empty seats for the bills game today

[LLB997]

not according to our buddy Brady at 590. he says and I quote "the stadium is filling up and then some" lol

[Mulder]

Lmao. And more. How much did rogers pay him to say that

[ArgoRavi]

Announced attendance is 38,969 which is the worst "announced" figure yet for any of the regular season Bills games.

[Ballstothewall]

Announced attendance is 38,969 which is the worst "announced" figure yet for any of the regular season Bills games.
It is also the worst. In bills history I believe, I heard someone say. Of the 38,000 I bet 18,000 actually paid

[Argo57]

Rogers is really "beating a dead horse" with this Buffalo Bills series!!!

[mac_davy]

well I know its just the singing of the anthems and not every body is seated but still how can anyone think moving the bills will be a good idea.

[mac_davy]

just got this one from the riders forums 5 mins before kick off

[Deerkeeper]

Looks like the few who attended got their moneys (or is that their freebies) worth. Looked like a pretty good game. Overtime finish.

[mac_davy]

there are better pictures to how dead the event was minutes before kick off on the riders forum
http://www.riderfans.com/forum/showthread.php?121251-Only-40-000-expected-in-Toronto-for-the-Bills-game

[ArgoGabe22]

Bills fan on their forum says.....

"This is clearly the Bills playing a extra away game a year... Was there and they were handing out tickets today. I paid nothing to get in folks.... There were STACKS of tickets being handed out and no takers. One woman working the mobile vending said they are giving tickets out because there are no buyers and they hope to cash in on vending... Very sad! Attendance: 38,969 As per ESPN and NFL .com sites Capacity (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seating_capacity)
American football: 54,000[5] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rogers_Centre#cite_note-5) "

[AngeloV]

There was even less media attention given to this game than any of the previous in the series. Rogers didn't even try this time, as I guess they realize it's not going to sell. They obviously are only keeping the series going in hopes of getting the Bills once Wilson goes. I still can't help but wonder if even having their own team would sell as easily as everyone thinks. I still don't think Toronto is a good sports town, and people have no interest in these games because the experience they get when going to Buffalo for a game can not be duplicated here with the public drinking laws. I sincerely hope these laws never change.

[ArgoRavi]

There was even less media attention given to this game than any of the previous in the series. Rogers didn't even try this time, as I guess they realize it's not going to sell. They obviously are only keeping the series going in hopes of getting the Bills once Wilson goes. I still can't help but wonder if even having their own team would sell as easily as everyone thinks. I still don't think Toronto is a good sports town, and people have no interest in these games because the experience they get when going to Buffalo for a game can not be duplicated here with the public drinking laws. I sincerely hope these laws never change.

Remember when the likes of Ted Rogers and Stephen Brunt said that people would be lined up for blocks for tickets to these games? Then the excuse was that ticket prices were too high. They have since dropped ticket prices considerably and the excuses now range from not being able to see good teams to this not being Toronto's own team. The NFL in Toronto folks say that people would support their own team only but what if that team isn't good? Furthermore, visits from the likes of the Patriots and Cowboys don't happen every week. Most of the time, a Toronto team would be playing the likes of Atlanta, Jacksonville and Carolina with 2% of the U.S. population getting to see that game.

Toronto is simply not an NFL town. It loves to gamble on the games but that is about it.

[AngeloV]

Remember when the likes of Ted Rogers and Stephen Brunt said that people would be lined up for blocks for tickets to these games? Then the excuse was that ticket prices were too high. They have since dropped ticket prices considerably and the excuses now range from not being able to see good teams to this not being Toronto's own team. The NFL in Toronto folks say that people would support their own team only but what if that team isn't good? Furthermore, visits from the likes of the Patriots and Cowboys don't happen every week. Most of the time, a Toronto team would be playing the likes of Atlanta, Jacksonville and Carolina with 2% of the U.S. population getting to see that game.

Toronto is simply not an NFL town. It loves to gamble on the games but that is about it.

It's amazing that London sells out Wembley, now multiple times annually for an NFL game, yet Toronto can't even SELL 30k tickets.

People like Greg Brady and that idiot sun blogger can kiss my @$$!!

[Mulder]

Guys. Remember Rogers media kept letting everyone know last week there were no freebies this game. None. It would be an official 40K.

I saw this on a friends twitter account

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Babx3DoCAAESuEU.jpg

[Will]

I noticed that as well, Mulder.

[Argocister]

Guys. Remember Rogers media kept letting everyone know last week there were no freebies this game. None. It would be an official 40K.
..........[/IMG]

There were no freebies..... You paid it on your cable bill ;)

[ArgoRavi]

Every year since this series began Rogers has claimed that there are no freebies and every year we find out otherwise.

[jerrym]

Bills fan on their forum says.....

"This is clearly the Bills playing a extra away game a year... Was there and they were handing out tickets today. I paid nothing to get in folks.... There were STACKS of tickets being handed out and no takers. One woman working the mobile vending said they are giving tickets out because there are no buyers and they hope to cash in on vending... Very sad! Attendance: 38,969 As per ESPN and NFL .com sites Capacity (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seating_capacity)
American football: 54,000[5] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rogers_Centre#cite_note-5) "

Can you spell superdud?

[Mulder]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Bills CEO Russ Brandon tells WGR 550 that he will &quot;review&quot; Toronto series. Casts some doubt on future of series</p>&mdash; Mike Rodak (@mikerodak) <a href="https://twitter.com/mikerodak/statuses/408221780373798912">December 4, 2013</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Host asks if Bills can get out of 5-year agreement. Brandon: &quot;I&#39;m going to look at everything.&quot;</p>&mdash; Mike Rodak (@mikerodak) <a href="https://twitter.com/mikerodak/statuses/408221943347699712">December 4, 2013</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Brandon stresses need for Bills to stay viable in WNY. Notes they only have 7 home games and have only 2 true sell-outs this season.</p>&mdash; Mike Rodak (@mikerodak) <a href="https://twitter.com/mikerodak/statuses/408222747576123393">December 4, 2013</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Got sense that Brandon fired a warning shot this morning. Hinted at possibility of 8th home game returning, but need increased ticket sales</p>&mdash; Mike Rodak (@mikerodak) <a href="https://twitter.com/mikerodak/statuses/408223911021510656">December 4, 2013</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[AngeloV]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Bills CEO Russ Brandon tells WGR 550 that he will "review" Toronto series. Casts some doubt on future of series</p>— Mike Rodak (@mikerodak) <a href="https://twitter.com/mikerodak/statuses/408221780373798912">December 4, 2013</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Host asks if Bills can get out of 5-year agreement. Brandon: "I'm going to look at everything."</p>— Mike Rodak (@mikerodak) <a href="https://twitter.com/mikerodak/statuses/408221943347699712">December 4, 2013</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Brandon stresses need for Bills to stay viable in WNY. Notes they only have 7 home games and have only 2 true sell-outs this season.</p>— Mike Rodak (@mikerodak) <a href="https://twitter.com/mikerodak/statuses/408222747576123393">December 4, 2013</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Got sense that Brandon fired a warning shot this morning. Hinted at possibility of 8th home game returning, but need increased ticket sales</p>— Mike Rodak (@mikerodak) <a href="https://twitter.com/mikerodak/statuses/408223911021510656">December 4, 2013</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Problem is, that I think Brandon might have a hard time convincing Ralph Wilson to give back the $10 million he gets from Rogers for every game played in Toronto.

[mac_davy]

Was listening to the team 1040 out here in Vancouver this morning and Mitch Burger ( retired NFL kicker ) was saying the same thing about the Bills being reviewed, then said moving the Bills to Toronto was a bad idea, and that he loved the CFL and its doing great right now why mess with it, they then discussed the national poll and said why would the NFL want to piss off 40% Canadians foot ball fans of which some travel to Detroit, buffalo and Seattle to watch games. Not that he has any say in the matters, but it does say something, that there are most likely voices in the NFL that don't want to harm the CFL, and that there are other areas in the US that can sustain growth for the NFL and Canada isn't necessary. This whole Bills in Toronto was the miss guided brain child of Phil Lind, and when Ted passed Phil found a new partner in Larry Tanenbaum, Rogers renewed this in spite of all the reasons not to, for two reasons, they knew the CFL was growing its foot print area again and their window was closing, and they knew once the series was cancelled that would be admitting it didnt work, and it would be a decade or more before the NFL reviewed it again. I think with MLSE buying the Argos, Rogers tied up with five billion on hockey and both the poll and now the review of the series i think its safe to say a two billion dollars investment for 8 home games a year isn't looking like a wise investment As for the vocal minority who cant belive the CFL is popular, these are all twenty something kids, there tech savy so they are on all the tweets and posting, but their primary knowlege of football comes from playing madden on theirs x-boxes, so they really don't have a clue.

[LLB997]

Was listening to the team 1040 out here in Vancouver this morning and Mitch Burger ( retired NFL kicker ) was saying the same thing about the Bills being reviewed, then said moving the Bills to Toronto was a bad idea, and that he loved the CFL and its doing great right now why mess with it, they then discussed the national poll and said why would the NFL want to piss off 40% Canadians foot ball fans of which some travel to Detroit, buffalo and Seattle to watch games. Not that he has any say in the matters, but it does say something, that there are most likely voices in the NFL that don't want to harm the CFL, and that there are other areas in the US that can sustain growth for the NFL and Canada isn't necessary. This whole Bills in Toronto was the miss guided brain child of Phil Lind, and when Ted passed Phil found a new partner in Larry Tanenbaum, Rogers renewed this in spite of all the reasons not to, for two reasons, they knew the CFL was growing its foot print area again and their window was closing, and they knew once the series was cancelled that would be admitting it didnt work, and it would be a decade or more before the NFL reviewed it again. I think with MLSE buying the Argos, Rogers tied up with five billion on hockey and both the poll and now the review of the series i think its safe to say a two billion dollars investment for 8 home games a year isn't looking like a wise investment As for the vocal minority who cant belive the CFL is popular, these are all twenty something kids, there tech savy so they are on all the tweets and posting, but their primary knowlege of football comes from playing madden on theirs x-boxes, so they really don't have a clue. About the last part. I have noticed a large increase in CFL fans posting positive league info and stats on non CFL boards which is fantastic. HF Boards and the like are really becoming a good destination to discuss CFL ball in a positive environment. For the few negative comments there are I see a lot of pro CFL posters putting them in their place nicely with simple FACTS like tv ratings and confirmed league stats that really cannot be argued in an intelligent manner. You know who you are. keep up the good work.

[Tau Ceti]

Spent some time reading through posts on the Bills fan board this week. Today there was a lot of excitement over hints of ending the Toronto series mixed with a lot of suspicion over Brandon's motives. They really have hate-on for their ownership and felt he may just be saying what they want to hear. A minority view the games as a necessary evil to keep the team afloat (it's hard to argue with economics of regionalizing their fan base, IMO) but the vast majority are resolutely opposed to the series.

My most striking thought is that Bills fans at present are rather like Argo fans on a larger scale. They feel besieged and powerless over large economic players making choices over their beloved team while having no control themselves. Everyone loves an underdog, of course, so I found myself reconsidering my long-standing commitment to never becoming a Bills follower.

[Ballstothewall]

I see John Kyk? Is reporting on the NFL coming to T.O again and how the new Bills owner would have no issue with a T.O NFL team. Just can't let this story die. What gets me is he reports that a NFL run poll, suggest (4) years ago that the NFL is the second favorite sport in all of Canada's big city. You would think as a journalist he would at least mention that this is counter to what REAL polling states, like The Agust Reid Poll. Someone at least sent him that poll on on his twitter account and called him out on it

[1argoholic]

Who's John Kyk? Never heard of him. The guys a DICK if he believes that poll.

[ArgoRavi]

Who's John Kyk? Never heard of him. The guys a DICK if he believes that poll.

It is John Kryk and he is the NFL writer for the Sun.

[Argo57]

It is John Kryk and he is the NFL writer for the Sun.

I guess it's time to resurrect the NFL to Toronto BS again??

[argonaut11xx]

Here`s what i find VERY funny....the Bill`s are losing a home game again this year, as the team is scheduled to play a game in London.

hehe