Tag: CFL

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Football Sports

Thirteen years later, Alouettes fans rejoice once again

Montreal streets celebrate as Alouettes parade with Grey Cup, winning finals 28-24 vs. the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Photo by Kaitlynn Rodney/ The Concordian.

The Montreal Alouettes defeated the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 28-24 in the 110th Grey Cup final.

The 110th Grey Cup, held on Nov. 19 in Hamilton, was a thriller. The Montreal Alouettes quarterback Cody Fajardo found wide receiver Tyson Philpot with only 13 seconds remaining to give the Alouettes the win by a final score of 28-24. This win came at the expense of the heavily favourite Winnipeg Blue Bombers, who beat Montreal in both of their regular-season matchups.

Thousands of Montreal Alouettes fans attended the team’s victory parade last Wednesday. It was the first championship parade in the city since 2010, the Alouettes’ last Grey Cup win. Following safety Marc-Antoine Dequoy’s emotional post-game speech, Quebec flags filled the Quartier des Spectacles’ Parterre, where the final celebrations took place.

The underdog mentality

“To see [the Alouettes] play this year was a model of courage and tenacity,” said Claire, a lifelong Alouettes fan. This victory is the sweetest she experienced: “…nobody thought they would win, and they did,” she said with emotion. 

Another fan by the name of René, has been getting season tickets for over ten years during the early 2000s. However he did not have a lot of faith earlier in this season. When the Alouettes won their last five regular-season games, he started believing in the team’s chances. “Even if they played a good game in Hamilton and lost, it would have been a good accomplishment. But they were able to win, so it is incredible,” he said.

The team in elation

Only one player from the 2010 championship-winning team was still with the Alouettes this year, former Concordia Stingers player Kristian Matte, and it was a special moment for the guard. “I have been playing football for 30 years. It is the first time I won a championship as a starter,” he said in an interview with The Concordian, “so for me, it is an incredible and unforgettable feeling, and we have the best fans in the world.” 

Defensive back Raheem Wilson had similar feelings and said it was the best moment in his football career. Luc Brodeur-Jourdain, the current offensive line coach and former CFL All-Star centre for the Alouettes, won two Grey Cups as a player with the team. He felt the same joy as when he had won as a player himself. “From the moment you step on the field, yes [it is the same feeling],” he said. “You’re like a kid; you feel the emotions.” 

For general manager Danny Maciocia, this win is the consecration of a stellar career. He won the 2005 Grey Cup as the head coach of the now Edmonton Elks and stopped Université Laval’s hegemony in the RSEQ as the head coach of the Université de Montréal Carabins. “It’s probably the number one [career accomplishment] on my list by far,” he said. “As a Montrealer who grew up watching the Alouettes, it doesn’t get any better than this.”

Mark Weightman, the president and CEO of the Alouettes, was slightly more nuanced. “Every time you win a championship, it’s always gonna be the top, so I would put it right there with all the other rings,” he said. A Concordia alumnus, Weightman first joined the Alouettes in 1996. He worked his way up the team’s hierarchy, eventually becoming president and CEO in 2013, until he was replaced in 2016. He came back to his old role earlier this year.

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Football Sports

Can the Montreal Alouettes win the Grey Cup?

Percival Moslon Stadium just as the sun is about to set. Photo by Matthew Piscina/ The Concordian

The Alouettes are playing their best football at the right time of year.

The Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League (CFL) just completed their most successful regular season in 11 years, finishing with 11 wins and seven losses. This effort earned the squad a spot in the Grey Cup playoffs with home field advantage in the first round.

The CFL is the Canadian equivalent to the wildly-popular National Football League (NFL) in the United States. Although there are some differences in the rules between the two leagues, the CFL puts out a good brand of football to the spectators that have watched over its storied history. Locally, the Alouettes have won seven Grey Cup championships, most recently in 2010. In 2023, they will try to hoist the historic trophy once again.

This season has been successful for the Alouettes. The 2022 offseason saw the Alouettes lose quarterback Trevor Harris, as well as star wide receivers Jake Wieneke and Geno Lewis, but the team filled the spots successfully. Newly-acquired quarterback Cody Fajardo stayed healthy, something the Alouettes desperately needed, playing all 18 regular season games this year. He also found a connection with former NFL player Austin Mack, who finished the season fourth in passes caught among all CFL receivers.

These statistics are in large part due to Concordia alum Kristian Matte, who was a CFL East All-Star in 2019 and 2021, and the rest of the offensive line. Montreal’s strong defense protected Fajardo from getting sacked and helped keep opponents off the scoreboard. Montreal gave up the second-least amount of points this season.

On Nov. 4, the Alouettes hosted the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the CFL Playoff East Semi-Final. In front of a 20,127 fan sell out at Percival Molson Memorial Stadium, the Alouettes punched their ticket to the CFL Playoff East Final with a 27-12 win. Running back William Stanback led both teams in rushing yards, finishing the game with 95 and giving Fajardo extra options when passing yards were hard to come by.

This year’s East Semi-Final was a rematch from last year’s and so will be the East Final on Nov. 11 against the Toronto Argonauts. Last year, the Alouettes beat Hamilton 28-17, but ran into the Argonauts (who would go on to win the Grey Cup), losing a heartbreaker, 34-27. Montreal is hoping history doesn’t repeat itself in 2023.

It will surely be a tough test for the Alouettes this year if they want to clinch a berth in the 110th Grey Cup Final. Toronto finished this season with 16 victories out of 18 games and haven’t lost a single game at home. However, the Alouettes haven’t lost since Sep. 15, winning five straight games and finding themselves two wins away from becoming champions.

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Sports

Two Stingers football players are headed to the CFL Combine

Stingers' wide receiver Jeremy Murphy in a game vs. the Laval Rouge et Or, 2022. Kyran Thicke/ Concordia Athletics

Quarterback Olivier Roy and wide receiver Jeremy Murphy will represent Concordia at the National CFL Combine

Over five days in March, Concordia Stingers’ quarterback Olivier Roy and wide receiver Jeremy Murphy will be evaluated by CFL general managers and scouts during the 2023 National CFL Combine.

The National Combine gathers 50 top-rated prospects from Canadian universities in preparation for the CFL draft. Out of all the prospects, Roy is the only quarterback invited.

“I wasn’t thinking about it too much, but I knew it was my draft year and I had some chances to go to the Combine,” said Roy.

The combine typically invites only a few prospect quarterbacks and instead features guest quarterbacks. This was the case for Roy last year who was a guest player, but wasn’t evaluated as a prospect.

Stingers’ football head coach Brad Collinson said that they value quarterbacks at the Combine to throw to the receivers, so having been a guest in 2022 helped him get invited in 2023.

Olivier Roy in a game vs. the McGill Redbirds, 2022. Catherine Reynolds/ The Concordian

“He deserves it and it gives him the opportunity to experience something on a bigger stage,” said Collinson.

Roy also participated in a training camp with the Ottawa Redblacks and another quarterback camp in British Columbia last year.

Collinson said that he expected that both Roy and Murphy would be invited to this year’s Combine. 

He also noted the accolades Murphy has racked up in the three seasons he’s played with the Stingers.

“He’s had a great career here at Concordia, being U Sports Rookie of the Year [in 2019],” said Collinson. “He was invited to the [U Sports East-West Bowl] last year so it didn’t surprise me.”

Murphy was a two-time RSEQ all-star in 2019 and 2022. He was also named to the first All-Canadian U Sports football team last year, so he was anticipating an invitation to the CFL Combine.

“If I didn’t make it to the combine, I would have been very disappointed in myself,” he said.

Murphy had participated in the Texas College Gridiron Showcase in January, where he was evaluated by both NFL and CFL scouts. He expects the experience he gained during that event to help him during the upcoming combine in March.

“It’s kind of the same thing,” said Murphy. “I know what to expect. It’s just the people I’m going to go against are different, the talent level is different.”

He also mentioned the possibility that scouts want to see his ability to compete against American players, as would be the case in the CFL.

“I think they wanted to see my ability to go against American players, because there are a lot of Americans that play in the CFL,” he added.

According to Collinson, the most important thing for Murphy and Roy to do is to be themselves.

“There are going to be a lot of eyes on them,” he said. “They’re going to be in front of a big crowd with a lot of scouts and general managers from all over the CFL. So they have to be able to deal with that stress and then be able to perform at a high level.”

Collinson added that players do their best when they’re calm and relaxed. Roy emulated that thought, saying he will be himself if he gets the opportunity to have interviews there.

“I think that the general managers and the coaches are going to appreciate my personality,” Roy said.

He also added that it’s hard to stand out in the Combine because of the high level of talent and the fact that the prospects don’t know each other very well. So, Roy will use his unique position as quarterback to “speak up and show [his] leadership skills.” 

Both Roy and Murphy are glad to have each other there.

“It’s great to have someone out there that you know and Jeremy is an awesome player,” said Roy. “Hopefully we can get some reps together, and I can help him show off his skills at the same time.”

“We already have this connection, this timing,” added Murphy, who said he’s glad to have his quarterback there.

The pair will leave on March 21 for Edmonton. They both look forward to the Combine and aren’t nervous yet.

“I’m excited to compete with the best in the country,” said Roy.

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Sports

Montreal Alouette Pierre-Luc Caron also serves as an emergency call dispatcher

Pierre-Luc Caron, Montreal Alouettes long snapper, 2021. Dominick Gravel / Montreal Alouettes

The Alouettes’ long snapper will play his sixth season in the CFL — and his second with Montreal —  in 2022

On Jan. 21, co-news editor Gabriel Guindi and I caught up with Montreal Alouette Pierre-Luc Caron on The Starting Rotation, our sports talk radio show that airs on CJLO 1690 AM on Fridays at 2 p.m. If you missed the conversation live, here’s the abridged version of the offseason interview.

The Starting Rotation (SR): What were some of the unique hurdles that you had to overcome last season, both individually and as a team?

Pierre-Luc Caron (PLC): I had my first big injury since I started playing football when I was eight years old. I tore my pec against Ottawa, I had to get surgery and I’m still doing rehab almost every day. So that was definitely the biggest challenge for me. It’s been a busy offseason trying to get back as quickly as possible. 

As a team, I think we were a really good team, definitely better than our record showed. I feel like we didn’t fulfill our potential, but overall we’re building something great in Montreal, and there’s a ton of great players in that locker room. It’s not a big margin between a Grey Cup winning team and a team that finishes 7-7. If a few key moments go our way, maybe add a few players that could bring a change of attitude and we’re right there in the discussion. 

SR: What’s the timetable for your return from this injury? Do you expect to be ready for the upcoming season?

PLC: The doctor said I should be back to 100 per cent around mid-March. But honestly, if we had a game this week, I feel like I could play, so that’s good news. I just don’t bench as much as I used to, but that’s not a big deal for now. 

SR: The CFL terminated the 2020 season due to the pandemic. What was it like to just not play football for a year? 

PLC: Obviously, it was really tough because at the end of the day, playing football is my income. At the beginning, there was a lot of confusion, none of the players knew whether or not there was going to be another CFL season. I took the opportunity to move back to Montreal with my girlfriend, since she had a job offer. Overall, I’m happy to be back home for now. Family-wise, it’s been great. I can have dinner with my dad on a Wednesday night, which is something I wasn’t able to do when I was playing in Calgary. 

I had a lot of free time so I started working as a 911 operator, and I really liked it. I have a kinesiology degree and I felt like I could be useful in helping others outside of football. I feel like the pressure I experience on the football field helped me handle the stressful calls. Obviously, with the CFL back now, I’m really focused on my training now but I still take calls when I can. 

SR: Before you entered the CFL, you were a part of Laval’s football program for four years and played the Stingers many times over the years. Did you get a chance to watch some of Concordia’s games from this year? 

PLC: I did, and I really like what the Stingers are doing right now. I have a lot of friends that are on the coaching staff and I know things are trending upwards [for Concordia]. They even beat the [Montreal] Carabins this year so that’s a huge step, and you got a young quarterback in Olivier Roy, so the future is definitely looking bright.

SR: What are some of the other sports that you like to play, or like to watch asides from football? 

PLC: When I have the time, I really enjoy golf. When the pandemic started, I started playing more because a lot of the courses were still open in Calgary, so I took advantage of that whenever I could. I’m not great at it, but I like it because it’s relaxing and you get to spend a lot of time with your friends.

SR: What are some of your individual goals for next season?

PLC: I try not to look too far ahead. With my injury, I’m taking things day-by-day, doing rehab, training, and making sure I eat well. Honestly, I don’t have any goals right now. I just want to play every game and I know the goals are going to come once I’m healthy enough to play.

 

Photograph by Dominick Gravel

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Sports

Are the CFL and XFL merging up?

The CFL and XFL have discussed a potential partnership

The Canadian Football League (CFL) has been hit hard financially by COVID-19. After cancelling its last season due to the pandemic, forcing many of its players to find another job, we’re still waiting to know if there will be a season this year.

The news of having a partnership with the XFL came as a surprise to fans. The XFL, which is a football league, but uses a few different rules to entertain fans and add some fun, filed for bankruptcy last year because of the pandemic.

However, a consortium, led by famous actor and former wrestler Dwayne Johnson, purchased the XFL. Since then, the league has apparently been focusing on working with the CFL to develop a possible partnership and advance their sport.

Such a partnership would mean the end of the CFL as we’ve known it for years. This would mean Canadian and American teams would play in the same league. Many rules would change, as the CFL and XFL don’t have the same rulebook. Players and coaches would need to adapt to a new game, literally. However, this doesn’t mean all CFL teams are up for a partnership, but, financially speaking, it could help CFL teams a lot, as games would be televised in the United States.

There’s still a lot to be announced on these two leagues possibly merging together. What’s sure now is that there’s a possibility that the next time we see CFL teams like the Montreal Alouettes play, it won’t be in the same CFL we knew before the pandemic.

 

Graphic by Rose-Marie Dion

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Sports

Maurice Simba is a giant football prospect

Maurice Simba came to Canada six years ago thinking he would be a plumber, but started playing football instead. Photo by Gabe Chevalier.

Fourth-year trying to stay humble with scouts watching

On Aug. 30, the Canadian Football League (CFL) announced the top-20 prospects for the 2019 CFL draft. Maurice Simba, offensive lineman on the Concordia Stingers, was ranked 18th on the list of top Canadian prospects from U Sports and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).

“It was special for me and I had tears on my face,” Simba said. “My goal now is to work harder to be number one and the best at my position.”

Simba stands at a commanding six feet eight inches, weighing almost 320 pounds. The Stingers’s offensive lineman is a pure powerhouse, and as described by fellow lineman Matt Halbgewachs, a true leader.

“I think of him as like our spark plug, once Maurice gets going, we all get going,” Halbgewachs said.

Born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Simba lived there with his grandparents until he was 18 years old. After that, he moved to Montreal to reunite with his parents. He had never played football and had a different idea of what his life and career in Canada would be like when he arrived.

“My first thought when I came here was that I was going to be a plumber,” Simba said. “I guess God had a different plan for me. My uncle was friends with a coach in Cégep at Montmorency. They set up a meeting and said I was going to play football. So, then my mind changed to ‘now I’m going to be a football player.’”

Simba began his path in football in 2013 with the Montmorency Nomades before joining the Stingers in 2015. Under the watchful eyes of Stingers offensive line coach Ted Karabatsos, Simba learned and excelled at the game.

Despite the guidance and proper coaching, Simba didn’t play much in his first year as a Stinger. This was in part due to his lack of experience, and because he started out with a gentle demeanor. Simba sat down with Karabatsos about why he wasn’t playing as much, and the coach said it was because he was soft, but offered up a great motivator.

“The most disrespectful thing a coach could say is you’re soft,” Simba said. “He told me one thing though: ‘If I walk into your house, you’re there and your mom is there, and I slap your mom. You’re just going to let me go?’ I said no. He said ‘every single play from now, imagine that guy in front of you [that you’re] supposed to block, imagine that guy walks into your house and tries to beat your mom.’”

Simba said that’s why he plays like he’s mad every play, because if someone were to touch his mom, he would make them pay twice.

This past May, both Simba and Halbgewachs were selected to take part in the annual East-West Bowl. The Bowl is a seven-day camp for CFL prospects that includes rigorous training exercises and a game. The camp is also heavily watched by scouts in the CFL and National Football League (NFL).

“It was really fun,” Simba said. “I feel very fortunate to [have been] selected for it. There were a lot of guys eligible on the team and I feel bad for them, because I felt that at least ten guys from Concordia should have gone. I thank God for that, and my coaches.”

Although a future in football looks bright for Simba, he still aims to complete his schooling. He is currently enrolled in the leisure science program, having transferred from religion last year, and he has some extra incentive to finish his schooling.

“Your football career could end in one second, so I realized being in university with the full scholarship, I’ve got to get my degree,” Simba said.

He added that, even if he ends up playing professionally, he wants to return to school every winter to complete his degree, because he promised his mom. “When I make a promise to her, it’s something I’m going to do.”

Even though Simba will be heavily watched by football scouts this season, he doesn’t believe he needs to prove himself to anyone else.

“It’s not fair to say that I’m proving myself to anyone but me,” Simba said. “We all work together and it’s not fair to say I work harder than anyone else. My goal every day when I step into that complex is I want to be better than the guy I was yesterday. Doesn’t matter how good practice was yesterday, I want to do better the next day.”

With an opportunity in the CFL and the potential for a shot in the NFL on the horizon, Simba’s focus remains on the season at hand at Concordia. From his humble beginnings in the Congo, to now being one of the top-20 prospects in Canada, his story of perseverance and heart is one to be admired.

“I’m going to keep doing what I’m doing, keep learning, stay humble and take it all day-by-day.”

Main photo by Gabe Chevalier. 

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Sports

Concordia hosts regional showcase for football prospects

Stingers linebacker among those chosen to participate in official CFL combine

On Wednesday, March 18, Concordia held the Canadian Football League (CFL) regional combine at the Loyola campus. It was a chance for Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) football players to show off their skills to CFL team scouts and representatives for the upcoming summer draft.

They arrived at the Stinger Dome bright and early. Forty-four hopeful players arrived in different colours from different backgrounds. Whether it was in Concordia maroon, McGill red or Sherbrooke forest green, soon enough, they were all equals fighting for the scouts’ attentions.

Photo by Keith Race

Concordia was well represented on Wednesday. Among those invited were Stingers linebackers Travis Brent and Eric Noivo, defensive lineman Shaquille Armstrong, offensive lineman Frederik Landry-Simard and wide receiver Michael Harrington. Although they are no longer a part of the Stingers team, Concordia alumnus, defensive lineman Jonathan Langma and defensive back Nathan Taylor, were invited to the combine as free agents.

“They don’t have film of me playing this year but they still thought enough of my athletic abilities to invite me again. It gave me the chance to train harder and improve on the numbers that I need to improve on,” said Taylor.  “It means the world to me that they still think highly enough of me to invite a free agent that hadn’t played last year.”

The day started at 8 a.m. for the players, as they had to register and weigh in. For the rest of the morning, they went through a series of individual tests such as bench press, vertical and broad jump, 40-yard dash and other standard tests for a professional combine.

“It’s different when you get into that [weight] room,” said Noivo. “Our gym isn’t the biggest to begin with and there are 15 chairs and it’s packed with guys watching you, plus there are cameras. That was the only thing I was really nervous for.”

For the rest of the afternoon, players participated in one-on-ones and special teams drills. The off-field testing can only tell the scouts so much about a player. The on-field tests were what everyone was waiting to see. On the sidelines, scouts, players and even family members watched with excitement.

“When we got on the field and in pads, I felt really good. I’m happy overall, it was a fun experience, long day though,” said Noivo.

At the end of the day only five players were chosen to go to the official CFL combine in Toronto this past weekend, but just to be invited to the regional combine was a great accomplishment for the players.

“It was an honour and it ended up being a pretty good experience. I [was] just trying to come out of this with positive thoughts and see what happens in the future,” said Harrington. “I did alright, I always feel like I can do a little bit better but that’s just the competitive side of me. Overall I did what I could and hopefully I impressed some people.”

Among those chosen to participate in the official combine in Toronto was Concordia’s Travis Brent. He will join 50 other players in Toronto, including former Stingers linebacker Max Caron, defensive lineman Quinn Smith, quarterback Reid Quest and wide receiver Kristopher Bastien.

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Sports

Concordia athlete chosen to play for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers

Kris Robertson was selected as the first defensive back in the CFL Draft (Photo by Dom Bernier)

On Monday May 7, TSN aired the first two rounds of the Canadian Football League Draft and live streamed the final five rounds on their website.

Kris Robertson sat in front of his television to catch the first two rounds, perhaps more curious than anything to see who he might be competing against in the near future.

While Robertson knew he was going to get selected at some point, he was definitely not anticipating hearing CFL Commissioner, Mark Cohon, announce his name as the Winnipeg Blue Bombers second-round selection (11th overall) on national television.

“I didn’t expect to get drafted on TV. I was completely, completely, completely shocked,” said Robertson. “I was expecting to go in the third or fourth round, but to be drafted in the second round was like…whoa. It threw me off. It was

Kris Robertson was selected as the first defensive back in the CFL Draft (Photo by Dom Bernier)

very humbling.”

A native of Pickering, Ont., Robertson spent four seasons with the Concordia Stingers football team, becoming a force in the defensive backfield and in the kick return game. Robertson averaged 115.8 all-purpose yards per game last season as the team’s primary return man, while picking up four interceptions and returning two of them for touchdowns.

Robertson was one of three Stingers selected in the draft. Former Stingers punter Dumitru Ionita was selected 59th overall by the Calgary Stampeders, and defensive back/linebacker Paul Spencer was selected one pick later (the last one of the draft) by the defending Grey Cup champions the Toronto Argonauts.

Robertson’s name shot up the draft boards after an impressive showing at the national CFL Scouting Combine where he ran the fastest 40-yard dash (4.42 seconds), had the highest vertical leap (43 inches), and recorded the longest broad jump (10 feet, 5.5 inches).

Robertson credits the environment at Concordia, as well as people who moulded him, for teaching him valuable lessons during his four years as a Stinger.

“I would say the values of hard work,” he said. “You’ve got to work hard if you want something in life. Being at Concordia, there were numerous pro athletes around from the school, and they all worked hard. I was just following in the footsteps of other guys from the school that made it to the pro level.”

“All my coaches and my trainers, they prepared me for this point. My last year I had a really great defensive back coach in Mike White, and he pretty much got us ready for the pro level.”

The roads to one’s dreams are never without obstacles. Robertson fought through the adversity of having to watch from the sidelines for most of his first two seasons as a second-string player, but once he was given the opportunity to show his worth as a starter he never looked back.

Now he has a chance to establish himself as a professional athlete, and while the high selection represents the culmination of his life’s work, Robertson knows that it’s only going to get harder from here.

“I came from humble beginnings,” said Robertson, “I feel it’s a great accomplishment, but there’s still work to be done. I still have to make the squad; I still have to prove myself at the pro ranks.

“Getting drafted is a very nice feeling, and knowing that [Winnipeg] believed in me, but I know I still have a lot to prove.”

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Opinions

You like football, eh?

Graphic by Phil Waheed

Graphic by Phil Waheed

In the midst of a mind-boggling, hair-pulling, rage-inducing NHL Lockout, only few things have kept us sports fans sane: replayed games on T.V., a lot more beers, and the National Football League.

Oh yes, we love our football up here, especially our Canadian football: we love our bigger fields, bigger end zones, and most of all, our bigger balls.

But there’s nothing quite like the NFL. It’s like a drug you can only get during certain times of the year and while you wait you are lost in an abyss, unsure of where to go or what to do.

And then, the first training camp whistle is blown and off we go on a six month roller coaster ride that leaves us captivated. But, in the blink of an eye, it’s all over.

So, no matter how much we love our Canadian football, there’s always a big spot in our hearts for the NFL.

Now picture a world where an NFL team calls a major Canadian city home … how sweet would that be? Well, here I come, ladies and gents, to stomp all over that dream.

The NFL will not come to Canada. It will not work in Canada. Let that sink in. It sucks, but it’s the cold, hard truth.

An NFL franchise is not a piece of IKEA furniture that you can simply purchase, bring home and build on your living room floor. An NFL franchise is a treasure, a priceless monument that breeds a standard that other North American professional leagues can only dream of achieving. There’s also the small matter of how incredibly expensive an NFL franchise is, not to mention the high costs of running one—and running it depends mostly on fans filling the seats.

Moe Khan, TSN 690’s top football mind, paints a simple but detailed picture of why the NFL wouldn’t work in a Canadian market.

“The NFL in Canada won’t work,” he said, “because Toronto doesn’t even have an NFL-approved stadium. The fan base is also spread out over all the different teams. To defend Toronto, they do have the population and the financial hub, but they haven’t shown enough to merit serious consideration for a franchise.”

Khan is right—the Buffalo Bills games played in Toronto over the past several seasons have yielded crowds and atmospheres described as listless and lacking energy, despite the rampant popularity of the league across the country. Compare that to the rambunctious crowds found at London’s Wembley Stadium for their NFL games; not to mention the ringing endorsement that New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, one of the league’s most influential owners, gave London, which has never been given in Toronto.

“I think London has shown with the way they’ve handled the Olympics and every other major sporting event that it’s time for you to have your own NFL franchise based in London,” Kraft said to the Boston Herald.

“The NFL dollar is different than the NHL dollar,” said Khan, “To run an NHL franchise is in the millions—to run an NFL franchise is in the billions, and any expansion [or relocation] would cost upwards of 600 million dollars.”

“I would rank Los Angeles, London and Mexico before Toronto as potential NFL destinations,” added Khan.

Personally, I don’t even think London would work. It’s an American game. It’s part of the American culture. When we hear Americans talk about hockey, we tend to scoff and brush them aside. Those silly Americans, showing up at their arena in Anaheim in flip-flops and sun hats. We’re the real hockey fans.

Well, the die-hard Buffalo Bills fan tailgating in the stadium parking lot eight hours before game-time in freezing cold weather is thinking the exact same thing about us and our big fields, big end-zones, and big balls.

Get used to it, Canadian NFL fans. The NFL is staying south of the border; right where it belongs.

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