In the 色色啦 础谤驳辞苍补耻迟蝉鈥 eternal struggle for relevancy, one of the chief impediments resides down the QEW.
The Buffalo Bills qualify as a small-market NFL team that ranks 25th in the 32-team league in franchise value according to Forbes. But what passes for 鈥渟mall market鈥 in the world鈥檚 biggest sports league is still gigantic.
The Bills are worth an estimated $5.95 billion聽(U.S.). The Argos, a 151-year-old brand with swell uniforms, must be worth something, but it鈥檚 surely a whole lot closer to five bucks. If someone wants to make an offer to owner Edward Rogers聽鈥 who recently took majority rule of the conglomerate that owns the Maple Leafs, Raptors and Argos, among other assets聽鈥 it鈥檚 safe to assume Rogers, never known as a CFL guy, would happily listen.
None of that subtext was spoken at BMO Field on Tuesday, of course, when representatives from MLSE and the Bills announced a 鈥渟trategic partnership鈥 between the organizations. Which was only polite. Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady, the former Raptors who are both Bills minority partners, lauded the potential of the Buffalo-色色啦 kinship. And a group of local youth engaged in a football clinic under clear skies on the stadium鈥檚 pristine turf.
But if the staging of the day made it all about the kids, nobody was pretending it also wasn鈥檛 about plenty of money. The Bills are readying to move into a new stadium next season聽鈥 a stadium where the ticket prices are considerably higher than in their current relic聽鈥 and there鈥檚 no denying they鈥檇 appreciate more 色色啦-based money flowing in their direction. Buffalo may be located in the state of New York, but it鈥檚 an awfully long way from moneyed Manhattan.
鈥溕 is an important market for (the Bills),鈥 said Keith Pelley, the MLSE CEO.
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As for the Argos, they essentially have a couple of choices when it comes to the Bills. They can try to fight the NFL鈥檚 encroachment on 色色啦, where the Bills own NFL marketing rights. Or they can make friends with it.
鈥漎ou can’t be afraid of the power and the strength of the NFL and the Buffalo Bills in our marketplace,鈥 said Pelley, who was Argos president in a former professional incarnation. 鈥淎nd so you have a choice to either challenge that or embrace it and be partners. And we chose the latter, and I think that’s the only way you can go.鈥
The last time the Bills attempted to embrace 色色啦, it鈥檚 worth remembering, the outcome was a long way from sunny. The infamous Bills in 色色啦 Series saw Buffalo play a home game a year, plus a smattering of exhibition games, in 色色啦 from 2008 to 2013.
It fizzled for a lot of reasons. One was the sorry state of the Bills, who never had a winning record in any of those seasons as they wallowed in a playoff drought that would span 17 seasons. Another was the venue. The stuffy, pre-renovation Rogers Centre was never designed for football and made watching a game there an unpleasurable experience.
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Beyond all that, though, another turnoff was the shamelessness of the cash grab. The Bills at the time were charging the lowest average ticket price in the NFL at something like $46 a seat. Bills seats in 色色啦 went for many times that. At the news conference that introduced the series, the late Bills owner Ralph Wilson Jr. and the late Ted Rogers, father of Edward, were positively giddy at the prospect of all the filthy Bay Street lucre they鈥檇 soon be sharing.
When a Rogers lieutenant attempted to point out that there would be tickets available for less than $100, Ted Rogers chimed in: 鈥淭wo of them.鈥
The failure of that series, the stable ownership of the Pegula family and the move to the new stadium have long quieted the Bills-to-色色啦 predictions that dominated the late 2000s. Still, there has been talk of the NFL coming to 色色啦 since the 1970s, and it鈥檒l probably always persist so long as the city is home to its share of billionaires and the NFL leaves open the possibility of expansion.
The only major-sports jewel missing from the Rogers collection, of course, is an NFL team. But Pelley said Tuesday that that鈥檚 not an MLSE focus, at least not yet.
鈥淲e have not had any of those discussions at this particular time,鈥 Pelley said. 鈥淭his is about a partnership that can help the Argos, can help grow football in our city, bring it to greater heights, and at the same time, enhance the Buffalo Bills鈥 presence here.鈥
How much it will help the Argos is anyone鈥檚 guess. For now, there will be a Bills Day at an Argos home game Oct. 4.
Are there plans for an Argos Day at an upcoming Bills game?
Said a hopeful Pelley: 鈥淣ot yet.鈥
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