XFL in Birmingham

[XFL_FAN]

Toronto is on my short list of expansion markets. Consider:

- The original XFL wanted to go the Skydome before they were boxed out by the Argonauts.
- We know McMahon is comfortable doing business in Canada and there's a healthy WWE fan base.
- We know that Toronto fancies itself as bigger than the CFL.
- We know that the XFL has challenges placing teams in this area of the continent due to the weather, and Toronto has a dome.
- And we know the path to sustainability lies in the broadcast rights, and we know that adding a Canadian team to the portfolio opens up a new market.

Good reasons Tank. Maybe we'll see XFL Toronto one day? I wouldn't rule it out.

[Tank55]

So you think that the fan support for a Canadian based XFL team will be there? I have my doubts on that one. It's one of the reasons that the XFL should never go up North.

What are the other reasons?

[MikeMitchell]

Toronto is on my short list of expansion markets. Consider:

- The original XFL wanted to go the Skydome before they were boxed out by the Argonauts.
- We know McMahon is comfortable doing business in Canada and there's a healthy WWE fan base.
- We know that Toronto fancies itself as bigger than the CFL.
- We know that the XFL has challenges placing teams in this area of the continent due to the weather, and Toronto has a dome.
- And we know the path to sustainability lies in the broadcast rights, and we know that adding a Canadian team to the portfolio opens up a new market.

Toronto is one of the fun markets to consider.

In a fantasy world, there would be a pro football team in Mexico and London as well. It would be much easier to make it a reality in Toronto than those two. There is always issues with logistics with travel etc, but places like Toronto are big league considerations.

[GDAWG]

So you think that the fan support for a Canadian based XFL team will be there? I have my doubts on that one. It's one of the reasons that the XFL should never go up North.

What are the other reasons?

- The CFL would likely see a Canadian based XFL team as competition.
- Potential visa issues involving players and coaches.
- XFL Canada teams would get very little coverage because the media in Canada will see the XFL as a joke because of Vince McMahon.
- If the XFL decides to expand into Canada, there will be opposition from people in the Canadian government by threatening to enact the Canadian Football Act which prevents all professional football leagues from going into Canada, basically giving the CFL a monopoly.

Basically, I would think that if the XFL tries to come to Canada, The Canadian Government would try to do everything they can to sabotage it. It's not worth the money or the effort.

[GDAWG]

Toronto is on my short list of expansion markets. Consider:

- The original XFL wanted to go the Skydome before they were boxed out by the Argonauts.
- We know McMahon is comfortable doing business in Canada and there's a healthy WWE fan base.
- We know that Toronto fancies itself as bigger than the CFL.
- We know that the XFL has challenges placing teams in this area of the continent due to the weather, and Toronto has a dome.
- And we know the path to sustainability lies in the broadcast rights, and we know that adding a Canadian team to the portfolio opens up a new market.

Toronto is one of the fun markets to consider.

In a fantasy world, there would be a pro football team in Mexico and London as well. It would be much easier to make it a reality in Toronto than those two. There is always issues with logistics with travel etc, but places like Toronto are big league considerations.

The main issue with a possible XFL team in Mexico City is security. There is zero guarantee that the players, coaches and personnel would be safe living there from February to April.

This is not an issue I have with Toronto. My issue main with Toronto is the fact that there's the possibility that Canada could sabotage the XFL's efforts to expand into Canada because they want the CFL to be the only pro football league playing in Canada.

[Tank55]

- The CFL would likely see a Canadian based XFL team as competition.

It would be competition. So what?

- Potential visa issues involving players and coaches.

Luck ran NFL Europe. I think they can navigate it.

- XFL Canada teams would get very little coverage because the media in Canada will see the XFL as a joke because of Vince McMahon.

Is this more of a factor than in the US?

- If the XFL decides to expand into Canada, there will be opposition from people in the Canadian government by threatening to enact the Canadian Football Act which prevents all professional football leagues from going into Canada, basically giving the CFL a monopoly.

That was two generations ago. If the government wants to block the move, so be it, but I don't think that theoretical government action should rule out exploring the best markets available.

[Tank55]

My issue main with Toronto is the fact that there's the possibility that Canada could sabotage the XFL's efforts to expand into Canada because they want the CFL to be the only pro football league playing in Canada.

There are no perfect situations -- original eight included -- and they're going to have to fight through some "possibilities" and "coulds" if they want to make it. They need to pick their battles, but Toronto is one worth fighting for, IMO.

[GDAWG]

I just think that there are a lot more hurdles for Toronto than there are for other 8 teams. I think that they can try, but the Government will probably block them.

[johnnyangryfuzzball]

- If the XFL decides to expand into Canada, there will be opposition from people in the Canadian government by threatening to enact the Canadian Football Act which prevents all professional football leagues from going into Canada, basically giving the CFL a monopoly.

That was two generations ago. If the government wants to block the move, so be it, but I don't think that theoretical government action should rule out exploring the best markets available.

It's been brought up every time a league tried to put an American football team in a CFL market. They threatened to reintroduce the bill in 1983 when the USFL wanted to put a team in Hamilton.

They let Montreal have a World League team, but that was more because the Alouettes had already folded twice. I'd definitely think it's still a threat.

Also, some other reasons:
Football is not quite as big in Canada as it is in the U.S. Hockey's the big sport there. There is definitely a cultural difference that needs to be accounted for when you start talking about Canada. The Bills certainly didn't have boffo success when they played in Toronto.

Plus, you have the markets themselves. Toronto has NHL, NBA, MLS—all stiff competition for the sports dollar. Vancouver and Montreal also both have NHL and MLS. The other NHL/CFL markets are obviously way too small to even consider as options, especially with NHL competition and the fact that it's going to be in the dead of winter, which is even worse in most of Canada, and all the stadium options outside those three cities are outdoors.

[Tank55]

1983 was 36 years ago. It might not work, but it's worth looking into. The much more relevant speed bump is that the Blue Jays just effectively evicted the Argonauts. The XFL season and number of games might be more palatable, but maybe not enough to make it worth their while. And without a dome, this is DOA.

As far as NHL, NBA, MLS competition, what you're describing is an XFL city! (DC, Dallas, Los Angeles, and New York all fit this bill, with relevant college basketball programs in the area for good measure.) No one has to like it, but understand that the XFL is thinking big, and that means cities with crowded sports scenes. Look where their markets land in this graphic:



When you're thinking about expansion markets, look at that dead center and the second most-inner ring as your starting point.