Tanenbaum is optimistic about the NFL coming to Toronto

[shayman]

I find this really disappointing.

http://3downnation.com/2015/05/21/new-argos-owner-still-sees-nfl-in-torontos-future
New Argos owner still sees NFL in Toronto’s future



Earlier this week Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment Chairman Larry Tanenbaum formed part of a group that purchased the Toronto Argonauts, and Thursday morning he spoke to local financial professionals about his optimism for the future of pro football in Toronto.

Four-down pro football.

The kind they play in the NFL, which Tanenbaum vows will place a franchise in Toronto eventually.

...
While Tanenbaum says a Toronto-based NFL team is inevitable, he says his immediate priorities remain MLSE and the Argos,

[Invader]

In fairness, LT was asked the question and he gave an honest answer. Diplomatically he might have side-stepped the question, especially so soon after the announcement he'll be buying the Argos on Dec. 31st...but that was probably his true feelings. I also agree the NFL will eventually expand to Canada but probably not for another 50 years or more. By that time America might be mired in an economic abyss with the remaining NFL teams merging with the resurgent CFL.

[Rocket]

I got news for tanenbaum why not first start working on how to improve the Argos off the field instead of this nonsense of bring an nfl team to Toronto. Screws up with the whole maple leaf/Argo situation yesterday where the Argos got buried in every news outlet in the city no mention of them anywhere today. How hard was it to avoid that situation yesterday Babcock even mentioned to everyone that he was going to make his announcement by Wednesday, even if he didn't sign with the leafs him signing with buffalo or who ever still would of took all the attention away. Didint surprise me one bit that the leafs over paid for this guy don't know how in the hell tanenbaum didn't no any of this was going on. Not off to a good start in my books I still can't see him being any worse then the worst owner in cfl history in Braley. I just hope other Argo fans will raise there voices at the new owners if they are going to act the same pathetic way that Braley treated the franchise with. Don't get me wrong here I still holding out hope that these new owners are going to be different and actually care for this franchise.

[doubleblue]

The stories were out there a few years ago that Tanenbaum and MLSE were told by the NFL that they would have to look after the Argos if the NFL was ever to be allowed into Toronto. If Tanenbaum owned both NFL and CFL teams the thinking was that Toronto NFL subscriber tickets would include the Argos. Along the lines of the 2007 Grey Cup where our GC tickets included the CIS Vanier Cup. Might work in theory but a successful NFL team in Toronto would soon start to over shadow the Argos IMO.

[Will]

The stories were out there a few years ago that Tanenbaum and MLSE were told by the NFL that they would have to look after the Argos if the NFL was ever to be allowed into Toronto. If Tanenbaum owned both NFL and CFL teams the thinking was that Toronto NFL subscriber tickets would include the Argos. Along the lines of the 2007 Grey Cup where our GC tickets included the CIS Vanier Cup. Might work in theory but a successful NFL team in Toronto would soon start to over shadow the Argos IMO.

As opposed to now where the Argos are already overshadowed?

[doubleblue]

As opposed to now where the Argos are already overshadowed?

Like the Bills did?

[ArgoRavi]

Tanenbaum can be optimistic all he wants but I don't see the NFL coming to Toronto any time soon as there are just far too many obstacles - and very expensive ones at that - in the way.

[1argoholic]

I made a post on the bottom of that crap. I went from excited to pissed off. He looks sort of like a guy you can't trust and apparently judging by his comments just days after our so called good news, you can't trust.

[Fumblitis]

Tanenbaum can be optimistic all he wants but I don't see the NFL coming to Toronto any time soon as there are just far too many obstacles - and very expensive ones at that - in the way.When the last story broke about the NFL to Toronto rant, Goddell said something to the effect that Toronto was an important market, but so is all of Canada. I don't see an NFL team in Canada. But IMO I could see them purchasing the CFL and running it as not a farm league but as a subsidiary of the NFL knowing that our unique game is woven into the fabric of this country. All the NFL would do is rake in the revenues from the CFL, adding to their goal of 25 billion in revenues by 2027.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/monteburke/2013/08/17/how-the-national-football-league-can-reach-25-billion-in-annual-revenues/

[DanoT]

The greatest value that the NFL derives from the CFL is the "protection" that the CFL provides against anti trust legislation in the US. So if the NFL ever came to Canada it would not be to own the CFL, just maybe the Argos and an NFL team and fans would then have to buy and Argo and NFL combined season ticket package thus guaranteeing the continued existence of the Argos and the CFL.

Since Rogers had trouble giving away Bills in TO tickets, I would say it is safe to bet that those future potential Argo/NFL dual season ticket holders haven't even been born yet.

[hugoagogo]

Well, it probably will happen but not in the next 20 years or so. First of all, there are important US markets like LA that need to come first. Second, you need an NFL quality stadium, so you're looking for at least 500 million to build that sucker, not counting cost of land. Don't see that happening any time soon. I think we'll see at least 2-4 more new NFL franchises before Canada is considered as NFL expansion territory. Argos are the only game in town for a long long time.

[argolio]

Argos are the only game in town for a long long time.Longer than that. SI writer Don Banks said a bunch of NFL owners grumbled about expanding to 32, and there's been zero talk of expansion despite the NFL being desperate to have a team (or two) in L.A. I see the NFL never expanding in any of our lifetimes.

So the only option is for a team to move here, and we just saw a local group being left in the dust bidding on the Bills.

[Fumblitis]

The greatest value that the NFL derives from the CFL is the "protection" that the CFL provides against anti trust legislation in the US. So if the NFL ever came to Canada it would not be to own the CFL, just maybe the Argos and an NFL team and fans would then have to buy and Argo and NFL combined season ticket package thus guaranteeing the continued existence of the Argos and the CFL.

Since Rogers had trouble giving away Bills in TO tickets, I would say it is safe to bet that those future potential Argo/NFL dual season ticket holders haven't even been born yet.Ah yes but American Football is being played professionally in Europe now. All the National Football League has to do now is point towards that.I.E. Italian Football League and the CFL becomes easy game.
http://www.ifleague.it/2015/

[DanoT]

Ah yes but American Football is being played professionally in Europe now. All the National Football League has to do now is point towards that.I.E. Italian Football League and the CFL becomes easy game.
http://www.ifleague.it/2015/

The very fact that the CFL would become "easy game" kinda proves that the anti trust concerns are legit. This would be especially true if the Italian players were to make less $ then the collapsed CFL league players. The NFL is not going to take any chances when it comes to anti-trust laws. Not now and not in the future.

[1argoholic]

Yah keep expanding so the Minnesota Vikings of the world never ever will win. Still floors me that these leagues want more..more..more when teams that have been around for 50 to 60 years have never won squat. Viking fans have lived and died having never seen their team win. They blow coin on merch and seasons year in and year out for a crazy dream.

Another reason I love our league. You get to know each team and develop rivalries with each. You have a better shot of winning the Grey Cup unless you go through the long drought suck as Winnipeg is on now. Every team has it eventually.