Dolphins in Toronto
In a perfect world, the Buffalo Bills would play all of their home games at Ralph Wilson Stadium in front of sellout crowds, with the club suites overflowing with high rollers, the walls covered with sponsors' signs, and the sun shining in the Orchard Park sky.
Now, let's get real. As tough as it is to accept, the Bills will play eight-games over the next five years in Toronto, in a good-faith effort to draw that city's massive populace and sponsorship opportunities into the team's realm of influence. That means one regular season game per year in Toronto.
Would I prefer the Bills play the Dolphins in Orchard Park? Of course. But given a choice, I'd much rather have the Patriots, Chargers, Browns and Jets at Ralph Wilson Stadium this year. The key is, Bills fans, we don't have a choice. The NFL determined which game will be played in Toronto based on a variety of factors, not the least of which is network TV. The fact that the Dolphins game will be in Toronto this year means nothing more--it's not a harbinger of dire consequences for the franchise, it's not a slap in the face for loyal Bills fans--it's just scheduling.
The fact is, the Dolphins were the worst team in the NFL last season, and may not be that much better this year. The fact is, last year's late season Bills-Dolphins game in Orchard Park barely sold out, with an 11th hour ticket purchase (on Friday, not Thursday) by Frey Electric ensuring the game would not be blacked out. And the year before that, the Bills-Dolphins December game in Orchard Park was blacked out. So it's tough to argue that the Buffalo-Miami rivalry remains red -hot, or that Buffalo fans will die without a chance to see the Dolphins in Ralph Wilson Stadium this year.
No question, it's going to be uncomfortable in the next few years, getting used to the idea of sharing the Bills, even for one game, with the fans in Toronto. But that uncomfortable feeling is only made worse by the over-heated, self-serving "sky is falling" rhetoric put out by sports talk hosts in Western New York.
We are entering uncharted waters with the Bills over the next few years. I suggest we enter it with eyes wide open, and emotions in check.
Now, let's get real. As tough as it is to accept, the Bills will play eight-games over the next five years in Toronto, in a good-faith effort to draw that city's massive populace and sponsorship opportunities into the team's realm of influence. That means one regular season game per year in Toronto.
Would I prefer the Bills play the Dolphins in Orchard Park? Of course. But given a choice, I'd much rather have the Patriots, Chargers, Browns and Jets at Ralph Wilson Stadium this year. The key is, Bills fans, we don't have a choice. The NFL determined which game will be played in Toronto based on a variety of factors, not the least of which is network TV. The fact that the Dolphins game will be in Toronto this year means nothing more--it's not a harbinger of dire consequences for the franchise, it's not a slap in the face for loyal Bills fans--it's just scheduling.
The fact is, the Dolphins were the worst team in the NFL last season, and may not be that much better this year. The fact is, last year's late season Bills-Dolphins game in Orchard Park barely sold out, with an 11th hour ticket purchase (on Friday, not Thursday) by Frey Electric ensuring the game would not be blacked out. And the year before that, the Bills-Dolphins December game in Orchard Park was blacked out. So it's tough to argue that the Buffalo-Miami rivalry remains red -hot, or that Buffalo fans will die without a chance to see the Dolphins in Ralph Wilson Stadium this year.
No question, it's going to be uncomfortable in the next few years, getting used to the idea of sharing the Bills, even for one game, with the fans in Toronto. But that uncomfortable feeling is only made worse by the over-heated, self-serving "sky is falling" rhetoric put out by sports talk hosts in Western New York.
We are entering uncharted waters with the Bills over the next few years. I suggest we enter it with eyes wide open, and emotions in check.
posted by John Murphy at
9:02 PM
1 Comments:
So, John, it sounds like you, too, expect the Bills to jet for Toronto as well, eh?
Sad.
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