The city of Toronto has been trying for the past few seasons to show that it can support an NFL franchise and get a (real) football team of their own. They have recently succeeded, with the Buffalo Bills having provided a helping hand. For any sports franchise it's a good thing to broaden their fanbase, so for the Bills to play a few games in Canada is a smart move. They're also getting a fat chunk of change in exchange for playing 8 games in Toronto; $78 million dollars to be exact. While this is Canadian money, George Bush has been kind enough to weaken the dollar (and kill off a great joke) so this is roughly $78 million US dollars as well. Some games will be pre-season, and others will be regular season. For example this upcoming season the Bills are playing a pre-season and a regular-season game in Toronto. The per-game payout works out to about 9.75 million dollars per game, which is a lot more per game than the Bills make playing at the Ralph.
It's no secret that the future of the Bills franchise is up in the air. Ralph Wilson will not be leaving the franchise to his children as inheriting it would bankrupt them thanks to our tax laws. Also, Ralph will not sell the franchise while he is still alive. So, when Ralph goes...the Bills may as well. Thankfully the guy has shown a Montgomery Burns-like ability to live forever, so I'm not worried. Yet.
However, this little adventure north of the border leaves me a little nervous about the future of my favorite team. But if there ever was a city that knew how to love a team no matter what, it's Toronto, home of the Maple Leafs.
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