The SBP Archives - Your less than frequent dose of SBP!

Lots of talk about an expanding NFL lately, and their commissioner suggested an appropriate expansion might take place outside of the USA. With one of the largest populations in North America, Toronto would seem like a good candidate. But, even though I know little about football, I do know something about the Big Smoke to realize this won't happen.

Well, it could happen I guess, but in all honesty the citizens of Toronto have shown time and time again they don't care for anything outside of their precious Toronto Maple Leafs. 40 years have passed without a Stanley Cup, and they still flock to the Air Canada Centre and have sellout after sellout. Their loyalty is true.

But even though American-based sports leagues, like Major League Baseball and the National Basketball Association, have infilitrated the Toronto market, they have proven Toronto doesn't care much for them, especially if they aren't a winner.

NBA's Toronto Raptors were the talk of the town when they played their first season. However, average attendance has dropped by about 6,000 fans per game since their debut. The Raptors lose, and Toronto becomes as flaky as Senators fans.

Everyone across not just Toronto but Canada watched the Blue Jays when they won back-to-back World Series in the early 1990s. But since then, and perhaps resulting a bit from the sting of the baseball strike, no fans go to the ballpark to watch them anymore. Even now, when they have a competitive team and new ownership put more money in to get more talent, Rogers Centre is nearly always less than 1/2 full.

There's also talk the CFL would die if the NFL came to town, but in my view it's already dead. The Argonauts are winning Grey Cup championships, and a big yawn can be heard throughout the city.

When something new comes to town, interest is shown, but that flash-in-the-pan interest is trumped by indifference every time. NHL rules, and nothing else. Even the Leafs' farm team, the Toronto Marlies, can't draw good attendance. They bid for the World Junior Hockey Championships, but few actually watch their OHL clubs.

If somehow the NFL awards an expansion franchise to Toronto, there better not be one cent paid by taxpayers to build a new stadium, or upgrade the exisiting one (it's already been said Rogers Centre is too small). Ontario taxpayers were milked for it when it was first built, and it always makes me roll my eyes when these billionaire owners get "corporate welfare" to build their stadiums while people who get a higher tax bill like me don't see any benefits from it.

Sorry Toronto, stick to enjoying your Leafs and why not cheer for the nearby Buffalo Bills while you're at it? I hear they need all the help they can get.