Tailgate -- Tailgaters cheer on the stage happenings outside of the Rogers Centre in Toronto Thursday December 3, 2009 prior to the Buffalo Bills game against the New York Jets.Tim Fraser/The Globe and Mail
The Buffalo Bills Toronto series has shown that dropping an NFL game into Canada's biggest city, at any time of the season and at any price, is not a slam dunk.
And given the lukewarm response, it's no surprise that the Toronto market isn't waiting with bated breath for tonight's announcement of the NFL regular-season schedule, which includes the date and opponent for the Bills' annual Toronto game.
Right now the biggest obstacle to generating interest in the series is the Bills themselves, a team that is again a work in progress under new head coach Chan Gailey.
Which is why no one should be surprised if, for the first time, the Bills are playing in Toronto during the CFL season, instead of in December as they have in each of the past two years.
The problem with playing in December is the likelihood the game will be meaningless for Buffalo, just as it was when it faced the New York Jets last season, and just as it almost was the previous year when the Bills took on Miami. Both the Jets and Dolphins were coming off non-playoff seasons.
Neither of those games were classics but it would help organizers if, for a change, the NFL delivered a little star power and the Bills had something to play for in their once-a-year visit to Toronto.
So when are the Bills likely to play in Toronto this season? It's believed an early season game is unlikely. October is tough to book because of the need for Argo dates and the Blue Jays having to reserve playoffs and World Series dates.
Sundays during the CFL playoffs are out because the Argos have those dates reserved. Which leaves playing in Toronto on a Monday or Thursday in November. Or, perhaps most likely, playing on Sunday, Nov. 7, which just happens to be the final day of the CFL regular season when the Toronto Argonauts are on the road to face the Montreal Alouettes.
Such a move shouldn't come as a shocker since Rogers Communications made only a one-year promise to ensure the Bills did not play during the CFL season.
The notion of the Bills playing in Toronto on the same day the Argos play on the road might be a little too close for comfort for the CFL. But CFL commissioner Mark Cohon's strategy of not overreacting to anything to do with the Bills Toronto Series has served him well and he'll likely stick to that.
The Bills have already faced two division opponents in Miami and the New York Jets. Following that pattern would mean a visit from the New England Patriots, which would no doubt delight the folks at Rogers. The Pittsburgh Steelers, another strong brand with a huge following, would also be welcomed with open arms.
If it's not the Steelers or Patriots, it's a sharp drop-off to the Bills' other six opponents, the Jets, Dolphins, Browns, Bears, Lions, and Jaguars.
As for the Argos, their biggest concern should have nothing to do with the Bills invading their stadium on the final day of the CFL regular season. It's making sure that, by then, they're still worth talking about.