Moose Jaw Forum

Plans by Toronto to bring an NFL franchise into this country will soon be illegal in Canada.
Under Bill C-360 it will be illegal for a foreign based football league or any player representing that league to play a regular season game in this country. Exhibition games will still be allowed but any ideas of hosting regular season games as a means of moving a franchise or expanding into Canada will not be allowed.
Likewise setting up an NFL Canada league or other NFL light league will be illegal.
The legislation will also not allow CFL expansion into the United States nor will it allow the CFL or any of its players to hold a regular season game anywhere other than in Canada.
Any plans of future expansion south of the border will also be illegal.
The bill allows an injunction to be granted and if the injunction is ignored jail time of up to two years.

As a Rider fan I am sort of wondering why tbis was never thought of before.
It does not prevent any team from folding, but what it does do is to insure that that team is not used as a stepping stone to an NFL franchise and the "big time" at the expense of other teams in the league.

The act of bringing a NFL team to Canada is far from being made illegal. Although Peter Julian, the NDP Member of Parliament representing Burnaby - New Westminster, has proposed such legislation in a Private Member’s Bill, it has only passed the introduction stage with its first reading in Parliament on November 25th last year (http://www.parl.gc.ca/LegisInfo/BillDet ... Id=5260879). The success rate for the passing of Private Member Bills is very low and, as this one is not being put forward by a member of the governing party, there is little likelihood that it will ever become law. With only so much time to consider legislation, I would think (and hope) that proposed bills such as that of our local MP for a missing person DNA database, would be higher on the priority list.

I think if you look at the priorities of the government - finding money for the Grey Cup whilst telling everyone else the cupboard is bare - that this one is a no-brainer. It costs the government nothing while guaranteeing the entertainment and distraction of the masses. The government has seen great value in the CFL to market their values.
Perhaps I should not have used the term "soon" but given what the loss of Toronto would mean to the CFL (do you really think that the Argos could survive an NFL competitor?) I am certain this or similar legislation will make it through the Commons.
For many this is a priority.

I should add that if you do not think that sport and recreation is not a top priority, take a look at the all party golf caucus.
We have the government looking to cut expenditures and here you have a group of MPs - including many in the NDP - that want to give businesses a break in their green fees.
This while many ordinary Canadians are working very hard to just find a job.
The government has used the CFL to help promote the military - I am certain it will pass.

I really hope not. Talk about misplaced priorities. CFL and NFL are so far apart that I can't see any crossover ever happening. The Argos have trouble competing in the CFL. An NFL club would make them look like highschoolers.

I wish the government could put more emphasis on the real issues...

If Toronto got a nfl team, it would be moving from Buffalo, not the Argos.

catrain13 wrote:If Toronto got a nfl team, it would be moving from Buffalo, not the Argos.

Sorry I did not make that clear but if the NFL did move into Toronto I personally believe that first the Argos would fold and shortly afterwards the CFL would disappear.

I am not convinced that the NFL wants to expand to Canada.

If they did, the Argos could always relocate to Halifax.

catrain13 wrote:I am not convinced that the NFL wants to expand to Canada.

If they did, the Argos could always relocate to Halifax.

For the CFL they need all of the revenue they can obtain. The deal with TSN helps, but if Toronto folds they lose a lot of the media attention and most likely the television deal as the Toronto centered media moves to the NFL.