Blame Canada

These rich old codgers might destroy Buffalo. Ted Rogers, left, is the third richest man in Canada, and Ralph Wilson, right, is the 89 year old owner of the Buffalo Bills. Yesterday they held a press conference regarding the Bills' plan to play one regular season game in Toronto for the next 5 years. The Bills brass call this expanding the base of the team's fans, while the team's fans see this as a Trojan Horse that will lead the team to go to Toronto permanently. The quotes from Mr. Wilson were not encouraging: ""What am I going to say to the fans of Buffalo?" said Ralph Wilson. "I'm going to say, 'Hey, I can't speculate. I can't speculate what's going to happen in the future. But don't worry. Don't worry right now.' " Thanks Ralph! Ted Rogers, owner of the Blue Jays and almost everything else in Canada, has made it known that he wants an NFL team in Toronto. Ralph Wilson has made it known that the Bills will be sold to the highest bidder after his death - the team will not be given to his wife or inherited by his children.

There's only so much Chuck Schumer and local congressmen can do - if Rogers offers the highest bid, what legal recourse would there be? Former Bills great Jim Kelly made some sounds about having a group in place to buy the team - but could they really compete with Rogers - who also has Larry Tannenbaum, owner of the Toronto Raptors and Maple Leafs, in tow? Probably not.

I've already told my Torontonian wife that I would never visit her family if those dirty Northerners took my beloved, miserable Bills away from Buffalo. And as for the city - the team's departure might as well be its epitaph.