A bunch of years ago, when the Washington Capitals were a punching bag for the rest of the NHL, one of the ad campaigns was to come see them based on who was coming to pummel them next.
There has been quite a bit of discussion about the merits about the Buffalo Bills in Toronto. The natives up there don’t seem to get too excited about the NFL presence. I can’t really blame them as the past three years have shown the Bills to be less than a hot commodity.
I don’t know about how the regionalizing of the franchise is going with the series. According to the Bills, 10-12,000 people journey to Orchard Park to see each game. I’m not sure that is happening with the Rogers Centre games. Everything seems a little off inside the former Skydome. The TV coverage has looked like it was the first time anything has been televised in there.
Now, the good folk there don’t get too excited. It might be one of the few ballparks where you are tempted to wipe your feet upon entering. My dad and I took in a Blue Jays game a few years ago and some of the hallways are nicely carpeted. The good plays get applauded, but nothing too crazy.
Jerry Sullivan has a piece in the Buffalo news today that outlined how the former Skydome isn’t any form of real advantage for the Bills and I’d be inclined to agree. You can’t help but wonder if the noise 75,000 Bills diehards might have forced a mistake or two from a visiting QB, or the Western New York winds. Up there, a team just has to worry about getting the air conditioner at their back.
Granted the team hasn’t been very exciting during this deal and some of the perception in Canada is that Wilson got the better of the late head of Rogers. Winning does solve a lot, but turning the lovely city of Toronto into Bills Country is a tall order.
Maybe we should add a 55 yard line to make it familiar to the canadian faithful as lord knows at 0-8, the Bills could definitely use the 12th guy
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