The NFL Experiment in Canada Begins Tonight

If you thought preseason didn't mean anything, you are wrong.

Tonight in Week Two of the NFL preseason there will be a first for the NFL.

There will be the first NFL game in Canada that will be played annually.  It will be the Pittsburgh Steelers being "hosted" by the Buffalo Bills.

This is will be an important indicator for the NFL in whether Toronto will be a viable location for an NFL franchise.  According to ticket sales there will be a capacity crowd tonight at 54,000. 

Since this is only preseason, fans will only get to see the stars of each team for about a quarter, even if that. Then they will hand it over to the second, third, and fourth stringers to play the rest.  Many fans might be disappointed by that considering that some websites are selling tickets in the high triple digits.

Depending on the fan's reactions to the game and the feedback from the players, this game will play an important role in Roger Goodell and the owners' decision whether to place the Bills or another franchise in Toronto.

Personally, while this may seem like a good idea to move a franchise to Canada, which is one of the largest cities in North America, it will be a hassle.  There are two huge obstacles that the NFL will have to deal with: the CFL and the new security measures that are imposed by the United States.

First, the CFL has two teams in the area.  The Toronto Argonauts and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats are right there.  So there will be major protests from them about moving the NFL into their territory. Toronto has already voiced their displeasure of Buffalo playing eight games over the next five years in Toronto, so you can only imagine their reaction if the NFL tries to move a team there.

Second, the United States now requires everyone flying into the United States to have a passport.  Canada will also require passports for flying into the country as well.  This will cause massive hassles for players, families, and fans to go across the border and back in order to play/see the game.  So there will also be that problem, unless the NFL can work out something with border patrol to make is easier.

Too Bad the game isn't televised!