Out and about, with thoughts on the NFL in Toronto

By Michael J.W. Stickings

Alas, it's been a quiet day here at The Reaction. I was out pretty much the entire day and then came home and watched some of the Bills-Jets game from... Toronto?

Yup, the game was right here in T.O., at the Rogers Centre, and it was both a miserable game and, from what I could tell, a miserable atmosphere, and I feel sorry for Bills fans, and for the Bills themselves, that they have to put up with one regular-season home game a year away home as part of this stupid "Bills in Toronto" series, all so that Ralph Wilson can pocket some extra cash. Toronto would probably make a decent NFL city, for its own team, but these Bills games are just trendy events for some and a forgettable shows for others. It was sellout, I think, but I heard that tickets were on sale on the secondary market for less than face value, and the whole thing just smacked of corporate phoniness, just like last year. Most people I know either didn't know the game was in Toronto or didn't care, and I think it's fair to say that most people in the city just ignored it. (The Leafs played tonight, after all, and that's of much greater interest than a heavily marketed and overhyped game with Buffalo as the "home" team.)

It's bad for the Bills, bad for the NFL, and bad for this great city, and, honestly, I'm embarrased by it.

Anyway...

We'll be back tomorrow with new posts. As always, stay tuned.