2019 NFL Season Thread - Page 52 - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

Flacker · 09-30-2019, 11:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by troutman

https://www.si.com/nfl/2019/09/30/br...-london-week-4

The biggest issue with expansion to Canada, as I see it, is that that two mostly likely markets, Toronto and Vancouver, would be parasitic to existing markets (Buffalo and Seattle).

Strange Brew · 09-30-2019, 12:10 PM

Being a Texans fan stinks. There is serious talent on this team but O’brien’s coaching on Sundays is so bad. And yet he has ownership support so no end in sight to his regime.

ResAlien · 09-30-2019, 12:12 PM

Denver’s seasons keeps getting better. Chubb blew out his ACL and is gone for the year. Let’s get CHJ on the Eagles stat.

Sainters7 · 09-30-2019, 12:12 PM

Good point. Also our largest cities are not places where the sport of football is overly popular, in comparison to other parts of the country. It's a shame that where football is most popular - the prairies - the cities are pretty small market in NFL standards.

(yeah yeah I know..Green Bay. They're kind of their own entity though, and tonnes of history and football culture to support that team)

CorsiHockeyLeague · 09-30-2019, 12:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flacker

The biggest issue with expansion to Canada, as I see it, is that that two mostly likely markets, Toronto and Vancouver, would be parasitic to existing markets (Buffalo and Seattle).

Let's be honest; there's only one realistic market, and that's Toronto.

Except to the extent that you're talking about GTA people going across the border to the USA not doing that and staying in Canada, I don't think there'd be much parasitic effect. That is, US fans are not waiting in a border lineup to go see the Canadian NFL team any more than they are to go see the Blue Jays.

Is NFL really less popular in TO than elsewhere in Canada? Significantly so? Because it seems like a big deal in BC whenever I'm there, so I just assumed it was relatively popular nationwide. Not sure why it'd be a Western Canada thing.

Erick Estrada · 09-30-2019, 01:10 PM

I don't think Toronto is a football city. Given its population it's pathetic they can't get more than 15k to a CFL game and when the Bills played their the attendance was not great.

Jiri Hrdina · 09-30-2019, 01:31 PM

Woah the NFL suspended Burfict for the rest of the regular season.

Surprised but good on them.

CorsiHockeyLeague · 09-30-2019, 02:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

I don't think Toronto is a football city. Given its population it's pathetic they can't get more than 15k to a CFL game and when the Bills played their the attendance was not great.

I don't think NFL and CFL fandom are particularly good indicators of each other. The Bills game though is potentially a bad sign, depending on ticket prices.

The thing I've found with Canadian NFL fandom is that it's pretty all over the map. So it wouldn't surprise me if people said "meh, I'd go if it were a good matchup, but it's the Bills, so who cares", especially if ticket prices are high. There are fans of basically every major franchise that's had success in the last 20 years... And also the Cowboys! In seriousness, I guess my point is, I would be surprised if you put an NFL team in Toronto and they couldn't get at least the following of the Raptors, much more quickly than the Raptors did.

Joborule · 09-30-2019, 05:03 PM

The Bills trial was a disaster because the Bills were/are crap, and it was in a crappy venue, probably for crappy prices, and really not offering something new for fans of the Bills in Toronto since they may already be making the journey to go watch games in Buffalo. Most importantly, it's not their own team, it's someone else's.

I think NFL in Toronto would be very successful. The CFL team having no support is a byproduct of the market not having respect for the CFL. It's viewed as lesser to the NFL (which it is by definition), and Toronto has teams for every other major league sport. Toronto market would embrace a NFL team if it's their own.

Toronto Raports and Blue Jays have had seasons were it's had lukewarm attendance when the teams weren't competitive, but when the teams were good enough to make playoffs, and even be contenders, we saw how much the city rally behind the teams. Can't see how it wouldn't be any different with a NFL team. Even if they have a mediocre period, with how limited home games are for the NFL, they should still yield decent draws.

The big hurdle for Toronto though is getting the funding, and a good location for a brand new NFL stadium. Need a ~70K stadium made specifically for football.

transplant99 · 09-30-2019, 05:11 PM

Attendance in Toronto isn't the motivating factor here though.And even at that, if the team is competitive, they will sell out, or get cloe, Rogers with ease after a year or two.

The NFL just watched what happened with the Raptors and how much revenue could be generated when an entire country gets on board with a team. The NFL is already very popular in Canada, and I'm guessing they want to capitalize on that with eyeballs on TV...remember the ratings the Raps drew.

Canada is a potential 30+ million people viewing area......it would be the largest TV market in the sport.

That being said, current fans already have their favorite teams, but if they take the long range view on this they could cultivate an entire generation of TO fans in the 20 years following the granting of a franchise.

I have no doubt this happens at some point, but it could be a decade away yet.

Senator Clay Davis · 09-30-2019, 06:43 PM

Not that Tomlin is unique on this, but one of the very worst coaching idiocies is when they burn the 40 second clock and call a timeout on a 4th and short to eventually go for it anyway. I always do a fist pump when they fail the conversion to maximize the stupidity.

Senator Clay Davis · 09-30-2019, 06:52 PM

LOL what in the #### was that challenge by Tomlin? Might have been the very worst ever.

devo22 · 09-30-2019, 08:05 PM

don't get to say this often, but Fichtner is calling a really smart game today with all those options and wildcats. Bengals can't deal with Samuels.

EDIT: and now the wheels come off for Cincinnati. It's comforting to know that even when things are dire in Pittsburgh you can always trust the Bengals to throw them a lifeline. Too bad that tank commander Dalton will probably lead them to a new franchise QB.

savemedrzaius · 10-01-2019, 01:22 AM

Just saw the Bills game.

Basically all Bad Josh except for one drive.

He got his bell rung so I doubt he's back for the game against the Titans. Lucklily Singletary should be back though.

This defence continues to be amazing which is great.

I believe if Allen wasn't injured he would have led them down the field for the scoring drive. He seems to have that in him. He can play like crap but then play great for a few drives.

It's going to be tough to beat the Titans without Allen but they might be able to pull it out.

It was a fun game to watch though. Beat the spread at least.

Sylvanfan · 10-01-2019, 08:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by savemedrzaius

It was a fun game to watch though. Beat the spread at least.

Wasn't the spread for that game 4.5 points?

Nsd1 · 10-01-2019, 08:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sylvanfan

Wasn't the spread for that game 4.5 points?

It was at 7 points by game time.

Sainters7 · 10-01-2019, 11:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joborule

The Bills trial was a disaster because the Bills were/are crap, and it was in a crappy venue, probably for crappy prices, and really not offering something new for fans of the Bills in Toronto since they may already be making the journey to go watch games in Buffalo. Most importantly, it's not their own team, it's someone else's.

I think NFL in Toronto would be very successful. The CFL team having no support is a byproduct of the market not having respect for the CFL. It's viewed as lesser to the NFL (which it is by definition), and Toronto has teams for every other major league sport. Toronto market would embrace a NFL team if it's their own.

Toronto Raports and Blue Jays have had seasons were it's had lukewarm attendance when the teams weren't competitive, but when the teams were good enough to make playoffs, and even be contenders, we saw how much the city rally behind the teams. Can't see how it wouldn't be any different with a NFL team. Even if they have a mediocre period, with how limited home games are for the NFL, they should still yield decent draws.

The big hurdle for Toronto though is getting the funding, and a good location for a brand new NFL stadium. Need a ~70K stadium made specifically for football.

Yeah good points. I think another issue is that - unlike in London - in Canada we are already close enough to the U.S. that getting to an NFL game really isn't that difficult, so having a game up here isn't as much of a novelty as it would be to Europeans.

The problem is, the NFL may not see it that way, and just be looking at Toronto attendance figures during those games and decide it's not a great idea right now. It certainly sounds like Canada may not even be the first international market the NFL would consider giving a franchise to anymore.

Erick Estrada · 10-01-2019, 11:21 AM

The last two games of the Bills Toronto series had attendance figures of 40k and 38k. Yeah the Bills were bad but but you can't sugarcoat attendance figures like that.

Senator Clay Davis · 10-01-2019, 11:48 AM

The Bills were bad, but the Toronto series also got some terrible matchups. But that's how these international games are. London games do better because fans there can't just drive two hours to experience the same thing like Torontonians can. I think a Toronto team could do fine, but it'd be kinda similar to LA where it would need to be a good team to keep interest. I also agree it'd be harder than the Raptors because while the NBA had fans in Canada prior to the Raps, they were a small minority with huge potential growth. The NFL audience in Canada might already be capped and everyone has a favorite team already.

Lubicon · 10-01-2019, 11:54 AM

i Just don't see where the money would be for a team in Toronto (or Canada). Last expansion was in the neighborhood of $1 billion USD to get a team (counting stadium I believe). Is there that kind of money in Canada for a sports team? Second issue would be the stadium. Rogers is not suitable long term and there is essentially zero public interest in a taxpayer funded stadium which is basically a requirement since no owner is going to build one on their own.