Your new NFL franchise (almost): the Toronto Bills

Right on the money, micropolitan.

2006 was rough. Half the home schedule was played after Thanksgiving, and with seasons at 43K (leaving 30K for single-game sales), every one of those games was blacked out. They pulled 63K each for Jacksonville and San Diego, 54,765 for the Christmas Eve game against Tennessee. The team has since asked the NFL to schedule fewer late-season home games.

Other than that, though, I believe the 2004 Arizona game (crappy opponent, horrible weather) was the only non-sellout in the last six years. 48,236 seasons were sold in 2007 -- the highest number since 1993, the year of their last Super Bowl trip.

By the way, <bleep> the PR dept. for taking attendance data out of last year's media guide, but not putting it anywhere on their website.

Very logical. Fifth-largest city on the continent, and they already have a potential ownership group in place. Even if Kelly is fronting for someone with a large bank account -- Golisano, perhaps? -- they may not be able to outbid Rogers and Tanenbaum. The Rogers Centre is too small to be a long-term solution, but with the ticket/suite prices they'd be charging, they could afford to stay there until a new stadium is built.

Oh, and about the Orchard Park weather? Believe it or don't, the 40-degrees-and-rain games are FAR worse than the subfreezing ones, and the coldest game I've attended in the last ten years was a road trip to Cincinnati in 2004. Add an extra layer or two, and you're fine... and looking on the bright side, you don't need to buy ice for the beer cooler.

 

Who is going to pay for a new stadium in Toronto?

 

My guess? Indirectly, the customers of Rogers Communications, Inc., which recently announced a $344 million net income for the first quarter of 2008.

 

Skydome, or the Rogersorama or whatever they call it, is not exactly decrepit just yet.

With a capacity of 52,000, they'll have to charge $250 a ticket, but that's never slowed down anybody before.

The Bills will simply demand all the revenue (tickets, luxury suites, concessions, parking) from all events held at the stadium -- in other words, the same deal most other NFL teams get from their stadiums. (The privilege of having a National Football League team play in your community is assumed to be an equitable trade-off.)

Basically, all they want is all the money, and to have somebody else pay for the stadium. Pretty simple.

What the Blue Jays will say about this, who knows. I suppose within a couple years, somebody will want a new stadium.

 

I can tell you one thing (and this will make Starman happy)--there is no way--I mean no way--that the city of Toronto or the provincial or federal governments will put in a dime of public money if there's going to be a new stadium. None. Zilch.

We were burned by the Big Owe in Montreal and taxpayers ended up footing the bill for Skydome--Rogers bought it for $25 million or, about ten cents on the dollar.

Personally, I couldn't give a shit if the NFL came to Toronto but if they do, any politician who supports public money for a new stadium might as well jump off the top of the CN Tower.

 

Isn't that law?

 

I think it's more mindset. Especially after the Big O ended up costing about $1 billion and the now rediculously escalating price to build a stadium.

The Edmonton Oilers are in the process of replacing Rexall Place (former Northlands coliseum) but much of that will be privately funded (New owner has already committed at least $100 million towards the project as well as building other facilities around town and I think more may come if it means getting the project done). I think the city may be chipping in a bit, but not on the tax payers dime, I believe the city is hoping to cash in on a complete revitalization of the downtown core (Jasper Ave and north) and help use the influx of cash from that to be put towards the stadium. If I understand the process properly. The mayor, who is very much in favour of the new building has said many times tax payers will not foot the bill. I know the Calgary Flames are paying close attention with an eye towards replacing the Saddledome.

 

The Toronto market - probably five million poeple within a two-hour drive of Toronto, very doable on 8-10 game days - would be a massive one for the NFL, which is huge here. But JR's right, public financing for a new stadium would be an insurmountable obstacle.

 

Agreed, the stadium is the sticking point. PSLs? The ACC was privately funded, wasn't it?

I also remember reading about a suggestion to wipe out the hotel in the RC and replace it with regular seating. Is that actually feasible, or merely someone's pipe dream?

 

Yep, you can layer for the cold. No way to dress for freezing rain unless you Beiring Sea Survival Suit. You just get soaked.

 

Giants had the lowest payroll.

http://content.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/salaries/totalpayroll.aspx?year=2007