Truth & Rumors > NFL
Buffalo fans cool to Toronto 'home' game
This Sunday, the Buffalo Bills play host to the Miami Dolphins -- in Toronto. An alleged home game for the players, but not for many of their loyal supporters in western New York. As of last week, various reports said only several thousand tickets for Sunday's game were purchased by customers in the Buffalo area. It's easy to see why. From business owners in Orchard Park to season ticket holders who have braved rain, sleet, snow and ice at The Ralph -- sometimes all during the same quarter -- there are feelings of bitterness and paranoia toward the Toronto game. Most of all, they feel robbed of the experience -- and, in some cases, revenues -- that home games here provide. "It hurts the whole area, from parking to concessions, everyone," Sharon Kaiser said yesterday. "As for the fans, a lot feel betrayed. That's pretty much the consensus." Kaiser, who works at the Big Tree, has just finished serving liquid refreshments to a handful of locals. The topic de jour? Being screwed out of a home game, of course. "A lot has to do with the (ailing) economy," Kaiser said. "A lot of people here want to spend their money in Buffalo. If someone has season tickets, why would they want to drive two hours to watch a game? It's such an inconvenience." "And don't forget, they are taking the Miami game away from us," chipped in a nearby patron. "Our biggest rival. It sucks." Kaiser said local business owners met at the Big Tree earlier this week to discuss the impact Sunday's home-away-from-home game will have from a financial standpoint. Whatever the numbers are, they are not good.
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Kim Cloutier
Alison Preston



Comments (92) Add A Comment
Toronto has always seemed to me like a city that could sustain an NFL team regardless of it's proximity to Buffalo. Way before Jacksonville should have.
twelve is next
Toledo, OH
Total Comments (568)
I don't think a two hour drive to support your team is that big a deal for one game.
DurkDiggler
Iron City, PA
Total Comments (976)
Absolutely... I live just outside of Toronto and am huge fan of NFL.... but I would have to agree with Bills fans that this is not fair to them.... when I want to see NFL football, I go to Buffalo - this is their team... I'm not interested in sharing them...
That been said, they should either move a team here on a permanent basis, or grant an expansion franchise.... Toronto could easily support a NFL team...
Fonzie
Total Comments (859)
Not really fair to the home team, same goes for European trips....
Not sure what the NFL is thinking? Over reaching IMO
+40yrCowboyFan
Total Comments (3610)
the nfl is thinking that if they do more of this stuff they'll expand on their the fan base by reaching untapped markets. It just comes down to money - they're more than willing to get rid of the advantage in "home field advantage" in the interest of the league.
kida
Goleta , CA
Total Comments (2)
Hell, I live 30 miles from Texas Stadium and it's still a two hour drive because of traffic. LOL!
HOOAH05!
Total Comments (15369)
the nfl is thinking that if they do more of this stuff they'll expand on their the fan base by reaching untapped markets. It just comes down to money - they're more than willing to get rid of the advantage in "home field advantage" in the interest of the league.
kida
Goleta , CA
Total Comments (2)
I live outside of Toronto and I love the Bills and the Hamilton Tiger Cats. I DO NOT WANT the Bills in Toronto. The Bills are a Buffalo team, a permanent move into Canada is a death sentence for the CFL and a robbery to the people of Western New York.
A.Hendry
Total Comments (400)
Canada has its own football league - the fans in Buffalo are getting screwed by the NFL - as always money is the motivating factor
SnakeDriver
Total Comments (14332)
Yeah playing in Toronto is stupid. Buffalo has great fans IN BUFFALO. They don't need to pick Canadians' pockets. This is up there with this stupid yearly visit to London, and soon to be China. When will Sheriff Goodell figure out no one outside the US gives a crap about the NFL before the Super Bowl?
NEPatsFan1
Boston , MA
Total Comments (992)
Get ready for the Toronto Flop!!! Overpriced tickets leaving many unsold seats (tho considered sold as the Rogers bought all the tickets to turn and resell them at an insane price), a sport that they view as inferior to their version, a small field which forces slower speeds of the game, something called "4th down".... and no tailgating allowed. Sounds like a blast! This will be worse than the London games... at least the English go to see it out of curiousity.... Canadians know what it is, and don't like it. Ticketmaster shows 5000 seats left, and it's a guarantee scalpers have theirs left. Will easily be a third empty in that tiny stadium come Sunday at 4.
Naturally, all 2 Canadian NFL fans had to show up in this thread... but I'd wager that's more because of proximity to Buffalo and being exposed to it more than the common Canadian... people closer to the border may even be Sabres fans instead of Leafs fans... but that's understandable, at least the Sabres only have 2 years of futility instead of 30.
BuffaloTF
Total Comments (2126)
As a Dolphin fan, I agree, that the Bills fans are getting hosed. But this is great for the Dolphins because the Bills lose their fans and cold weather advantage.
Mr. Truth
Oh Boy, FL
Total Comments (2647)
You can live right next to FedEx field and it will take 4 hours.
this sucks for buffalo. the economy has been sucking there for years and I'm sure the bills generate a lot of revenue. And the fan are a loyal bunch....drunk, but loyal. you have to love the non-domed stadium in one of the coldest areas of the country.
Canada has their own football league.
ME DUM DUM
Total Comments (13511)
what's in this for Buffalo fans? nothing.
pw
New Baltimore , NY
Total Comments (2906)
I agree. You don't see the Canadian Football League coming into the U.S. to play any of their games, do you? That's why we have the Arena Football League, its the smaller version of the CFL.
PROFESSOR X
Total Comments (95)
This is a horrible idea by the NFL. I understand the thinking behind it, but the price paid by the Buffalo fans is too steep. Taking away home games to play in Europe or Canada or anywhere else for that matter is a bad idea. Stop trying to globalize the game.....it is perfect the way it is.
TenRingsSTL
Total Comments (4218)
LOL...GO MIAMI.........!
Mayor of Debonair
Riverdale , GA
Total Comments (7)
As an NFL fan living in Toronto I must disagree with many of these comments posted. There are tons of NFL fans in this city; I???m willing to bet more NFL than CFL. I have gladly flown to Philadelphia many times to see my favorite team play, and been to games all over the United States. The problem with this particular game is that Rogers is gauging its NFL fans (Buffalo & Toronto) and we won???t support it. Please 105 dollars for horrible tickets in a dreadful environment to see a game, when great seats in Buffalo only cost 77 dollars. I have heard of some people buying cheap season tickets in Buffalo as appose to a great seat for this one game in Toronto. Let???s not forget that about 15% of Bills season ticket holders are from the Toronto area.
Brods
Total Comments (2)
Just a few points of clarification:
- The game is sold out. Huge gate for the Bills in comparison to what
they usually take home.
- The game is being played indoors, so it won't be frigid.
- The NFL is massive in Canada, much bigger then the CFL. The CFL is
more like AAA baseball. People follow it a bit, but no where the level
of support of the NFL. The situation can't be compared to the European
game in any way. People follow the NFL really closely; tons of people
have the full Sunday package, etc. This game is not about creating new
fans. It's about giving the Bills a big source of revenue for a week.
Hendrixismyidol
Carson City , NV
Total Comments (1)
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