Why no NFL in Alabama or Oklahoma?

[Damaramu 0]

Portland could be considered to be too close to Seattle and could draw away Seahawk fans from the lower areas of Washington state.

 

Yeah but wouldn't that be something for the owner of the Seahawks to worry about not the NFL? I thought when it came to things like that the owner of the competing team tried to block the other team from moving there. Kind of like the Orioles owner having a problem with the Nationals?

[Lightning Flik 0]

The NFL could work in Edmonton or Calgary on paper, but I doubt fiscally it would work. Even with the current strength of the Canadian dollar, you're still 10% in the hole from the get-go. Also, keep in mind (although it wouldn't keep fans away in droves, but would make a difference nonetheless), that the CFL is June-October for the regular season. Selling tickets to an outdoor game in Edmonton in December likely wouldn't be that easy (certainly not 65,000 or 70,000, anyway. Anyone remember Ty Conklin bitching before the Heritage Classic in 2003?)

 

10% in the whole isn't bad as long as we're revenue shared. I'm quite sure Calgary or Edmonton's markets could handle the 10% minus. As long as you get a GM in that's either A) like Kevin Lowe or B) has much of a Patriots like staff. I guess I should've mentioned this before but probably the hardest part for Edmonton would be that Commonwealth is an outdoor stadium and playing games in December as you say isn't easy.

 

However, if you put a good NFL team there, trust me, Edmontonians would show up. We're that passionate about a franchise when it gets here. And while playing in and watching a game in December wouldn't be nice, I do believe if you could shore up the backing for one, Edmonton would be able to find someway to get an indoor stadium.

 

Now, the flip side to this is Toronto, which seems to get the most attention when talk of NFL expansion is brought up. Southern Ontario is basically the only region in which the CFL isn't really followed (more on that in a few). Even Hamilton, which gets plenty of media attention, has trouble selling out its 29,500 stadium, except during the Labour Day Classic each year. Although, the Ti-Cats are currently 2-9, lost in the conference finals last year to Toronto, and went 1-18 the previous year. So, take that for what it's worth.

 

The biggest problem is the consistantly screwing up in Ontario. Its not really like they had a choice. It's hard to justify going to to a team when they play like crap or just seemingly never try to improve. Hamilton Ti-Cats, Toronto Blue Jays, and Toronto Raptors all seemingly say "oh we've improved" when any fan can look at the team and go "how's that improving?" and realize its a lot of hot watery steam.

 

I double-took upon reading a survey released about a month ago, in which the NHL was regarded as the most avidly followed sport by Canadians at 33% , followed by the CFL at around 23. The NFL came in at around 7.5/8 percent. Which I'll admit stunned me. But, as it turns out, the NFL seems to rule Southern Ontario, but the CFL has indeed the market share in the rest of Canada.

 

Its hard to follow the NFL when really the only way out West can watch is, is via the NFL Network and that costs money. Sure you can watch some games on TV, but I follow the Falcons, and frankly I'm stuck watching the Seahawks 9 of 10 times. If you actually had a channel that was devoted to the just coverage of a few different teams, you'd probably get a better response to it.

 

I'd also like to take this moment to say that TSN is getting NFL now, so that survey number will probably increase.

 

To sum it all up: CFL Hotbeds in the most likely candidate cities in Calgary/Edmonton. Big gamble by trying out the biggest market in Toronto. We will never see an NFL franchise set up shop in Canada in my lifetime. (Although it would be kinda cool).

 

I'm surprised that someone agrees with me on that Edmonton and Calgary are the best places to even think about it. I thought someone would for sure call me a homer on the subject.

 

Flik, good call on the government funding. I hadn't even factored that in.

I think it could happen, but you'd need to actually make it like a loan from the government and hafta pay it back. Therein lies the problem because if the NFL did that for a Canadian team, it couldn't use the "oh we'll leave factor and get a better deal" on cities. Same with baseball and any other sport.

[Guest Felonies!]

I think the NFL's official relocation/expansion policy is Los Angeles or nothing.

[CanadianGuitarist 0]

The NFL could work in Edmonton or Calgary on paper, but I doubt fiscally it would work. Even with the current strength of the Canadian dollar, you're still 10% in the hole from the get-go. Also, keep in mind (although it wouldn't keep fans away in droves, but would make a difference nonetheless), that the CFL is June-October for the regular season. Selling tickets to an outdoor game in Edmonton in December likely wouldn't be that easy (certainly not 65,000 or 70,000, anyway. Anyone remember Ty Conklin bitching before the Heritage Classic in 2003?)

 

10% in the whole isn't bad as long as we're revenue shared. I'm quite sure Calgary or Edmonton's markets could handle the 10% minus. As long as you get a GM in that's either A) like Kevin Lowe or B) has much of a Patriots like staff. I guess I should've mentioned this before but probably the hardest part for Edmonton would be that Commonwealth is an outdoor stadium and playing games in December as you say isn't easy.

 

However, if you put a good NFL team there, trust me, Edmontonians would show up. We're that passionate about a franchise when it gets here. And while playing in and watching a game in December wouldn't be nice, I do believe if you could shore up the backing for one, Edmonton would be able to find someway to get an indoor stadium.

 

Now, the flip side to this is Toronto, which seems to get the most attention when talk of NFL expansion is brought up. Southern Ontario is basically the only region in which the CFL isn't really followed (more on that in a few). Even Hamilton, which gets plenty of media attention, has trouble selling out its 29,500 stadium, except during the Labour Day Classic each year. Although, the Ti-Cats are currently 2-9, lost in the conference finals last year to Toronto, and went 1-18 the previous year. So, take that for what it's worth.

 

The biggest problem is the consistantly screwing up in Ontario. Its not really like they had a choice. It's hard to justify going to to a team when they play like crap or just seemingly never try to improve. Hamilton Ti-Cats, Toronto Blue Jays, and Toronto Raptors all seemingly say "oh we've improved" when any fan can look at the team and go "how's that improving?" and realize its a lot of hot watery steam.

 

I double-took upon reading a survey released about a month ago, in which the NHL was regarded as the most avidly followed sport by Canadians at 33% , followed by the CFL at around 23. The NFL came in at around 7.5/8 percent. Which I'll admit stunned me. But, as it turns out, the NFL seems to rule Southern Ontario, but the CFL has indeed the market share in the rest of Canada.

 

Its hard to follow the NFL when really the only way out West can watch is, is via the NFL Network and that costs money. Sure you can watch some games on TV, but I follow the Falcons, and frankly I'm stuck watching the Seahawks 9 of 10 times. If you actually had a channel that was devoted to the just coverage of a few different teams, you'd probably get a better response to it.

 

I'd also like to take this moment to say that TSN is getting NFL now, so that survey number will probably increase.

 

To sum it all up: CFL Hotbeds in the most likely candidate cities in Calgary/Edmonton. Big gamble by trying out the biggest market in Toronto. We will never see an NFL franchise set up shop in Canada in my lifetime. (Although it would be kinda cool).

 

I'm surprised that someone agrees with me on that Edmonton and Calgary are the best places to even think about it. I thought someone would for sure call me a homer on the subject.

 

Flik, good call on the government funding. I hadn't even factored that in.

I think it could happen, but you'd need to actually make it like a loan from the government and hafta pay it back. Therein lies the problem because if the NFL did that for a Canadian team, it couldn't use the "oh we'll leave factor and get a better deal" on cities. Same with baseball and any other sport.

 

Remember in 2000? Dollar was 57 cents of the American one. Ottawa was just about bankrupt? Calgary had no owners, and 80% of Canada was sure the Houston Oilers were about to re-happen. The plan was for the Canadian government to throw some money to the Canadian teams. Which they agreed to....then reneged on a week later.

 

If they didn't for the NHL, they won't for a NFL team, either, IMO. And this isn't meant to be a shot at the Tories or start a left vs right war, but I don't really see Stephen Harper INCREASING spending for just about anything.

 

No, I didn't really see you as being a homer. The six cities that already have NHL franchises are really the only markets big enough to host an NFL team...I already explained Toronto, Ottawa I just don't see, Montreal has enough European flavour and interest in other things to not really need a team (although the Als are the highest drawing team in the CFL).

[Precious Roy 0]

I remember hearing speculation that if Vegas got an NBA team they would have to take NBA games off the books. I don't know how much truth there is to that (I do know that they're taking the 07 All-Star game off the books as a condition of having the game played there), but the gambling issue seems to be one of the biggest roadblocks.

 

And for Alabama, Oklahoma and Nebraska it's definitely the competition from college. I think Oklahoma City or Omaha could support teams though. Football is so huge in this country, if you build it they will come...

[Guest Felonies!]

I'm surprised that Toronto got the MLS club and not Montreal. As if Toronto is gonna give a shit about anything that isn't Maple Leafs hockey. You could say that about Montreal and the Habs, though (see exhibit A: Montreal Expos)

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

I'm surprised that Toronto got the MLS club and not Montreal. As if Toronto is gonna give a shit about anything that isn't Maple Leafs hockey. You could say that about Montreal and the Habs, though (see exhibit A: Montreal Expos)

Montreal used to be a great baseball city before its owners actively pissed on the franchise.

 

With Toronto, Miami, etc., wins translate into attendance. It's that simple. Fans won't come out to support a bad franchise no matter how great a baseball town they are.

[bob_barron 0]

Yea, all the Jays fans in TO are awful bandwagon jumpers who stopped giving a shit in 94.

[treble 0]

The Toronto MLS team is owned by the Leafs, so that'll help them a bit. Toronto's getting the team because that's where they're building a new stadium.

[Guest Felonies!]

Unless Mats Sundin is going to moonlight as a midfielder, how does that help the team's fortunes?