Emotions are all over the map in Western New York these days. A few are excited by the five-year plan that will have the Buffalo Bills playing three preseason and five regular season games in Toronto, Canada.
More seem to be paranoid that this signals the end of the nearly fifty years of Bills football in Western New York.And who can blame them? The Buffalo Bills message boards are replete with frustrated fans following not only each move of the plan dubbed the "Toronto Initiative," but all of the comments made by the aging Bills owner, Ralph Wilson.
"I can't speculate what's going to happen in the future. But don't worry. Don't worry right now," Wilson said at last week's press conference in Toronto. This comment, among others, (including Wilson referring to this "Initiative" as a "trial basis") has led many Bills fans and media pundits to speculate on the Bills future.
With the end of the current 15-year lease of Ralph Wilson Stadium in Orchard Park, NY coinciding with the end of this "trial" in Toronto, there are many reasons to speculate that the team could well end up north of the Border by 2013. Or even sooner, if Wilson were to die before that time is up, as he has publicly stated that the team will be sold to the highest bidder following his death.
But a closer look at who is saying what reveals that there is much more to be hopeful about for Western New Yorkers. More positive than negative regarding this "Toronto Initiative."
First there are comments from the Buffalo Bills themselves. Wilson has repeatedly said—including most of his comments from last week's press conference—that his intention all along has been to keep this team in Buffalo.
"We've always been on record saying we were going to try to regionalize our brand north of the border," said Bills new Chief Operating Officer Russ Brandon. "We think this is another step in keeping our franchise financially viable in the Buffalo marketplace."The Bills have already begun to regionalize the team by moving their annual training camp to St. John Fisher College in Rochester, NY. This has been a big success according to the team. Toronto is merely the "next step" as Brandon says.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell (a native Western New Yorker) was asked about the Toronto Initiative in a press conference and responded by saying the Bills "v
ery thoughtfully" put this plan together and carried it out.
He also has said that the NFL is not looking to expand right now, and that the Bills would play a "limited number of games" in Toronto over the next five years. Granted, five years is a long way off, but his words have to be reassuring to Bills fans. (And it can't hurt that he is a native of the area, and so, a Bills fan!)Add to these voices the somewhat public rumors that former Bills Hall of Fame QB Jim Kelly has designs on buying the Bills when they become available. Kelly is rumored to be building a team of people—including perhaps former Buffalo Bills Thurman Thomas and Steve Tasker, among others—to purchase the Bills following Wilson's passing.
Western New York billionaire, and current Buffalo Sabres' owner, Tom Golisano is one potential investor in Jim Kelly's plan. This past week Golisano was interviewed during a Sabres' game and said, "If the situation arises, I would do what I can to try to keep the team in the area.''
This again buoyed Buffalo fans hopes that this talk of losing the Buffalo Bills was just that. Talk.In the end, Wilson is right, we can not know what will happen in the future. But it's also true that worrying about the future doesn't change anything either. Bills fans can worry that the team will move (I think that has been a fear of Bills fans since I moved to Buffalo back in 1986!) or listen to the voices of the people who really matter.
Sportswriters can say what they want, and fearful fans can say what they want, but right now the people who make the decisions are saying the Bills are staying in Western New York.And, for now, that's who I'm going to listen to.
Related Article: 10/25/07 (BBR)
Comments (6) Add a comment »
from 3 months ago
Great article. As a bills fan from NYC, to me if they are the TORONTO bills i can deal but it would be tough. If they changed everything from name, color, ownership etc..I would be torn and need to decide on what to do. If i was ever forced to jump ship, I would be a Packers fan and would love to hear what other bills fans think about this.
As for now I agree with you. Lets focus on positive, hope for a big year in the next five to revive the city and team and maybe help us keep the team in buffalo and use toronto's strong market as a positive to keep them in buffalo.
from 3 months ago
I think calling them the "Toronto Bills" is a little bit of a stretch at this point. They only have a five year contract to play one home game in Toronto. It's not like the old Montreal Expos who played games in Puerto Rico. I don't know the geography of the area, but Toronto and Buffalo aren't that far apart, right? And if they are still the Toronto Bills with the same logo and color scheme, it wouldn't seem necessary to me to jump ship to me. If the Packers became the Milwaukee Packers, I would still be a fan. I do agree that it would be much tougher to stay loyal if they moved and became the Milwaukee Pincushions and changed their colors and logo and everything, but Bills fans don't have anything to worry about at this point, in my opinion.
from 3 months ago
as a big fan of the bills (boy i love losing super bowl's!) and a regular down to ralph wilson stadium once a year, i'm pleased that they'll be playing meaningful games in toronto...
my only question is: where the FCUK are we going to tailgate!?!?!?
from 3 months ago
Until Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. is layed to rest along with the rest of the originals from the "All Fools League", we Bills have nothing to worry about and it's only one regular season game a year and one preseason game this year and in 2010 & 2012 that those with season tickets lose out of having to pay for. So this year, 2010, & 2012 you only have eight home dates and 2009 & 2011 you only have nine home dates. My only complaint is there are still 355-356 dates that the "Ralph" isn't used. Sure it got used New Years Day for the 2008 Winter Classic and there are the high school playoffs in November, on Friday nights and a couple of Saturday games for that purpose. Yet then in the Spring and early Summer it remains empty and void of life that could raise some much needed revenue for the area.
I remember years ago there were rock concerts, and the big draw then was the Grateful Dead. If the Bills move, due to new ownership, out of Western New York, what then happens to the stadium?
I could see if the team moved back into the city of Buffalo with a domed stadium, yet it doesn't have to be, that the names of the "Wall Of Fame" goes with the team. And every Bills fan has their name on that wall. Yes Bills fans, I'm talking about us, better known as "The 12th Man". If the Bills leave and go to, God forbid, L.A. they can take all the names but that one.
So as a member of "The 12th Man" I say LET'S GO BUFFALO!!!, and The Bills make me want to "SHOUT!", because we in Buffalo are " TALKING PROUD!"
from 3 months ago
I'm a big fan of the bills but I'm not paying $250 to go see the bills in Toronto when I can see an equivalent game in Buffalo for $50. Its all about the dollar bill. Check out what a concerned torontonian has to say: http://borderdeals.ca/2008/02/10/tailgate-in-toronto/
from about 1 month ago
As far as tailgating in Toronto goes, apparently you can't. No parking lots and the Canadian laws prohibit alcohol in public places, much lie a parking lot. Read what this guy has to say.
http://www.tailgatingideas.com/2008/04/04/buffalo-fans-bitch-slapped/
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