SI.com Morning Jolt: Jags, Saints candidates for NFL Canadian relocation

[MattFancy]

While sports fans in Winnipeg wonder about an NHL franchise relocating, it seems fans in Toronto can wonder about an NFL franchise coming to town. Toronto councillor Doug Ford says he was told last week by NFL Canada that Toronto is "right up there on the list" of cities awaiting NFL teams. "They have to take care of the problem in Los Angeles first," said the candid Ford, who is the brother of Toronto mayor Rob Ford. "Two teams are kind of in play here: Jacksonville's number one; New Orleans is the other. So there's two teams. Once they take care of Los Angeles, we're going to fly over to New York, set up a meeting with [NFL commissioner Roger] Goodell and give him our pitch." One problem, Mr. Councillor. The city lacks an NFL-ready venue, according to Goodell.

Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/morning-jolt/05/05/saints-jaguars-nfl-canada/index.html#ixzz1LUBnHtPO

Please don't move a team to Canada. I understand LA, but no one wants to play there and the Canadians have their own football league, so why would the care about the NFL?

[Hitman21ST]

Please don't move a team to Canada. I understand LA, but no one wants to play there and the Canadians have their own football league, so why would the care about the NFL?

And why would they move the Saints? I can understand the Jags, but a team that's one year removed from hoisting the Lombardi? Really?

[Gibbs Hog Heaven]

I call B/S on the Saints rumour.

The Saints are not just NO's team, but Luisiana's as the owner Benson is proud to push and stand behind. They symbolize that City as much as Jazz and Cajun cuisine. Who can forget the Superdome being a beacon of sanctuary in the aftermath of Katrina? The Saints and New Orleans are tied at the hip, and the owner knows and appreciates that being as he's from the City too.

I call B/S on that one.

Hail.

[ptr77]

The Saints moving is complete BS, and this guy is clearly in no position to be saying anything. The only reason this is a story is because he is the mayor's brother not because he is Joe Schmoe councilor.

I could see the Vikings, Bills, Jaguars, or Chargers moving to LA or Toronto. However there is no NFL-ready venue so Toronto isn't happening anytime soon. Plenty of Canadians love NFL football and would welcome it, especially in a city the size of Toronto. The CFL is fun to watch but any real football fan knows the stars in the CFL make about as much as the practice squad players on an NFL team. The talent pool for the two leagues isn't comparable.

Toronto will get a team IMO, just not anytime soon.

[Drew_Fl]

I call B/S on the Saints rumour.

The Saints are not just NO's team, but Luisiana's as the owner Benson is proud to push and stand behind. They symbolize that City as much as Jazz and Cajun cuisine. Who can forget the Superdome being a beacon of sanctuary in the aftermath of Katrina? The Saints and New Orleans are tied at the hip, and the owner knows and appreciates that being as he's from the City too.

I call B/S on that one.

Hail.

not saying i disagree with you, but just pointing out that i think many people in new orleans have a different opinion on the superdome after all the rapes and crimes and completely unsanitary conditions that people lived in for those days.

[pjfootballer]

not saying i disagree with you, but just pointing out that i think many people in new orleans have a different opinion on the superdome after all the rapes and crimes and completely unsanitary conditions that people lived in for those days.

I was going to say that also. The Superdome was a horrer hell-hole after Katrina.

If any team goes to Toronto, it would be the Bills. I don't want any city outside the US representing the NFL. Europe, Mexico, Canada can have the NBA, NHL and MLB. Leave the NFL alone.

[FanboyOf91]

Ugh, Canada. :doh:

The Goodell era!

[Spunkush]

I dont have a problem with a team in Toronto, its really close to america, and they are all bills fans anyways.

[Gibbs Hog Heaven]

not saying i disagree with you, but just pointing out that i think many people in new orleans have a different opinion on the superdome after all the rapes and crimes and completely unsanitary conditions that people lived in for those days.

The unsanitary conditions I can appreciate given the circumstances, but there where crimes as bad as rape going on in there? Wow, not naive by any extent to think it wouldn't of been the pleasantest of places to have to shelter, all things considered; but I honestly never knew things were that bad.

Hail.

[dreamshatterer]

I call B/S on the Saints rumour.

The Saints are not just NO's team, but Luisiana's as the owner Benson is proud to push and stand behind. They symbolize that City as much as Jazz and Cajun cuisine. Who can forget the Superdome being a beacon of sanctuary in the aftermath of Katrina? The Saints and New Orleans are tied at the hip, and the owner knows and appreciates that being as he's from the City too.

I call B/S on that one.

Hail.

Benson was using Katrina as a ticket to move the team permanatley to San Antonio. Saying that the Super Dome was unuseable and trying to get out of his lease. But the league said "Hell No". Then they got Breese, coach Payton and won a superbowl. That city should be thanking the league for keeping them in town. The league kept them there...would not be surprised if they move them out

http://www.houmatoday.com/article/20051023/SPORTS/510230314?p=3&tc=pg

[terrifNick21]

It is selfish of me to just want the NFL to be AMERICA'S sport? :whoknows:

[Gibbs Hog Heaven]

Thank you for that dreams man. Interesting reading.

Benson sure has changed his tune with the upsurge in fortunes for the Saints and subsequent house full notices at the Superdome. Maybe I had him pegged wrong. I thought as a NO's native, and with what I'd read on him recently, he had the Saints and City's best interests at heart. Having read that, it seems he's just another owner in it for the money.

Hail.

[Mr. Sinister]

Benson sure has changed his tune with the upsurge in fortunes for the Saints and subsequent house full notices at the Superdome. .

Of course he did, it was because they started winning, and I'm sure he didn't want to just up and leave after that. Everyone knows however, that he wanted nothing more than to get out of New Orleans during Katrina. It's actually kind of funny when you look at the way is portrayed now, when he's just like any other businessman. It's all about the $$.

[praise_gibbs]

Pretty soon we will have a team in the Middle East, Asia, Africa, Australia, and England.

Probably not in that order though.

[elkabong82]

wouldn't surprise me if Tornto eventually does have a team so long as they can prove they'd be a profitable location. The NFL has relocated teams throughout its history when a team couldn't cut it financially, and also has historically sought more and more expansion to new cities and venues.

The only teams likely to be candidates for a move are the ones with the lowest attendance numbers. Definitely not the Saints. Bills, Jags, Detroit are all big possibilities.

Plus, Toronto's pro sports teams, the Blue Jays, Raptors, and Maple Leafs, are all established. The raptors are the only ones without multiple decades of existence, but they are coming up on their 20th anniversary in a couple years, and when they made the playoffs in the early 2000s w/ Vice carter they were setting league attendance records. The reasonable qualm about Tornot I think is that they already have the CFL Argonauts there.

---------- Post added May-8th-2011 at 06:10 PM ----------

I was going to say that also. The Superdome was a horrer hell-hole after Katrina.

If any team goes to Toronto, it would be the Bills. I don't want any city outside the US representing the NFL. Europe, Mexico, Canada can have the NBA, NHL and MLB. Leave the NFL alone.

From a business perspective it would be silly to not at least investigate Toronto as a new team candidate given that the other major pro sports leagues have been able to maintain a team in that city, Raptors being the only one without at least 30 years there.

[Hubbs]

The backlash from the Saints leaving would be enormous. There's no way that's happening.

The Bills have always been the most likely team to move to Toronto, and that hasn't changed. Hell, we're playing them in Toronto this year. I don't want them to leave - Buffalo is the AFC's Green Bay, IMO, and I'd love it if a similar "citizen-owned" structure could somehow be worked out after Ralph Wilson kicks the bucket - but the odds of them staying aren't particularly good. Toronto is a logical choice. I hope the name would be changed if that happens, though. There's only one place that deserves to have the Bills name. Besides, Toronto Bills doesn't make any sense at all.

But please, get rid of Jacksonville. Move them to LA, Toronto, San Antonio... hell, I'd rather see them in ****ing Wyoming. The Jacksonville experiment has failed. And for God's sake, get rid of that awful teal on their uniforms. Horrendous color. The only thing worse would be pink.