They loom over the border not more than a few hours away, a football team that has had more than its fair share of heartbreak, frequently leaving its fans silent in wonderment at another taste of failure (hmm, sound familiar? Maybe they belong after all) and now they cast a covetous eye at the largest television market in Canada, hoping to make it theirs.
They are the Buffalo Bills, they of the NFL and while not official guests at this Grey Cup festival they seem to be on the mind of a good number of those celebrating all that Canadian football can be. Whether they are a gorilla, an elephant or any other large hard to ignore animal, they have been the topic of many an unofficial conversation this week.
And on Friday, the NFL with its glitz, glamour and mega millions or billions, was the main talking point for CFL Commissioner Mark Cohon. Holding his first of the annual examinations of the state of the league seminars, Cohon did not shirk or spin the prospect of an NFL franchise in the CFL office’s hometown. Nor did he however, offer up any kind of battle plan for what he feels may lie ahead.
The Bills are coming to Rogers Skydome for two games next season that is a fact, it's the beginning of what is expected to be a gradually increasing presence on the northern frontier and one that could eventually place an NFL franchise in Toronto as a regular presence.
It’s a possible scorched earth scenario for the CFL, one that Cohon at least seems to be trying to avoid with his tentative steps into finding some common ground with the would be owners of a Toronto franchise, the NFL itself and even some of his more hot headed CFL owners who may be inclined to just ignore the vacuum cleaner as it crosses the border.
It wouldn’t be the CFL without a crisis of sorts to deal with, the short term visiting team scenario, is not as dire as the potential troubles that any long term relocation might provide.
There are still quite a number of pieces that would have to fall into place before the CFL would have to launch into a crisis management session, but it’s best to be as prepared for any possibility.
Cohon has been pro-active on that front; to the degree that he's at least not sticking his head in the sand and pretending that there's nothing to worry about. The league will still have to come up with a plan however to deal with all the possibilities and one that will ensure that the CFL remains a strong brand and a continued part of the Canadian landscape.
They are the Buffalo Bills, they of the NFL and while not official guests at this Grey Cup festival they seem to be on the mind of a good number of those celebrating all that Canadian football can be. Whether they are a gorilla, an elephant or any other large hard to ignore animal, they have been the topic of many an unofficial conversation this week.
And on Friday, the NFL with its glitz, glamour and mega millions or billions, was the main talking point for CFL Commissioner Mark Cohon. Holding his first of the annual examinations of the state of the league seminars, Cohon did not shirk or spin the prospect of an NFL franchise in the CFL office’s hometown. Nor did he however, offer up any kind of battle plan for what he feels may lie ahead.
The Bills are coming to Rogers Skydome for two games next season that is a fact, it's the beginning of what is expected to be a gradually increasing presence on the northern frontier and one that could eventually place an NFL franchise in Toronto as a regular presence.
It’s a possible scorched earth scenario for the CFL, one that Cohon at least seems to be trying to avoid with his tentative steps into finding some common ground with the would be owners of a Toronto franchise, the NFL itself and even some of his more hot headed CFL owners who may be inclined to just ignore the vacuum cleaner as it crosses the border.
It wouldn’t be the CFL without a crisis of sorts to deal with, the short term visiting team scenario, is not as dire as the potential troubles that any long term relocation might provide.
There are still quite a number of pieces that would have to fall into place before the CFL would have to launch into a crisis management session, but it’s best to be as prepared for any possibility.
Cohon has been pro-active on that front; to the degree that he's at least not sticking his head in the sand and pretending that there's nothing to worry about. The league will still have to come up with a plan however to deal with all the possibilities and one that will ensure that the CFL remains a strong brand and a continued part of the Canadian landscape.
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The league has had a remarkable year in both game attendance and television ratings, so the brand still resonates with the nation. It’s how this latest development is handled that will show us if the CFL has learned from its past mistakes and can bring together a collective approach to solving what could be a very large problem.
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CFL.ca--State of the league address
Globe and Mail--Cohon faces NFL threat head-on
Winnipeg Sun--Elephant on parade
London Free Press--Cohon refreshingly honest on NFL
Toronto Star--NFL coming to Toronto, CFL commissioner believes
USA Today-- CFL: NFL in Toronto is a threat
CBC Sports--CFL boss sees NFL coming to Toronto
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