BIlls vs. Dolphins in Toronto Today

73SC · A Poncho Legend!

BIlls vs. Dolphins in Toronto Today

427carl · A Poncho Legend!

Have fun... glad its you, and not me biggrin

-22 yuk

Canadian Poncho · A Poncho Legend!

I'm going to Ray's house first whenever I get to the GTA. Looks like he gets all the cool tickets!

2drpost · Uber Guru

"ticketmaster"......"raymaster" wink

427carl · A Poncho Legend!

Tickets! Appliances! anything you need!!! lol

73SC · A Poncho Legend!

I'm back.....Bills weren't very good today but everything else was awesome.

Tailgate party in this huge tent at Spadina, our VIP passes mean we jump the line, Jr. gets carded on the way in but then they tag him so nobody asks after that. They give us these Bills toques, Free Buds, Free Chilli, Free pulled pork sanwich, Free ribs, Free cokes. They had all these huge outdoor heaters set up so it's not totally numbing. Live bands playing, the Flutie bros. and Otis Day who does the animal house romp SHOUT. Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas wandering around!

Ok, after an hour of that over to the Rogers centre level 200. Free food by Mark McEwan, crab cakes, shrimp C0cktail, roasted turkey, apple crumble PLUS all the regular stadium food, giant pretzels, hot dogs, nachos, more free drinks....I'm stuffed!

One of the funniest things I ever saw at a sporting event in Toronto was the anthem. The US one was great then I don't remember who did ours, but it was brutal so the crowd took over and I have never heard O Canada sung so loud and well by 50,000 people.

As I said Bills played like a real Toronto team but the Dolphins were very very good in a 16-3 rout. We had a great time!

-- Edited by 73SC at 20:07, 2008-12-07

4SPEED427 · A Poncho Legend!

I feel a Rod Stewart song coming on.....

Some guys have all the luck.

2drpost · Uber Guru

sounds like it was a real blast ray. wink

73SC · A Poncho Legend!

It was a blast, I was at the Argos game vs. Alouettes in Novmber and that was fun but the atmosphere here was something else. A large contingent of Americans there , I sat with a few guys from Virginia, really nice guys but boy can they whoop it up. They would stack their beer glasses one on top of another when done, I counted 8 for the one guy and he was a dyed in the wool Dolphin fan so he was real happy. They have no problem standing up and yelling at somebody cheering for the other team in the next section, they exchange profanities for a bit then walk out into the aisle high five each other laugh like H and go back to their seats.

4SPEED427 · A Poncho Legend!

Totally off topic, I appreciate your courage Dave, saying "Merry Christmas" in a public place!

Astro Jet · Poncho Master!

I watched the second half, boy, did the Bills stink. Lossman as quarterback is hopeless.

On TV the stadium didn't look full, there appeared to be a lot of empty seats, even though they announced it was a "sell-out". I think they only way they could get a lot of people to come was to give away a lot of seats for free through promotions. As Ray mentioned, the pricing of the seats was absolutely outrageous, more than twice as much as the equivalent seats would have been in Buffalo. Who was your benefactor Ray?

Quite frankly, now that the novelty of "the first ever NFL regular season game in Canada" has worn off and the Bills stunk out the place so badly, I think they will be hard pressed to ever sell out again, especially at those prices, which is the whole reason they came here in the first place. Plus the Canadian dollar has dived over 25% since this deal was first announced so even less revenue for Buffalo.

How was the crowd support Ray? It didn't really sound like a pro Buffalo crowd, I know several people who went today to root for Miami.

73SC · A Poncho Legend!

My good friend, the owner of Whistler's provided the tickets and VIP passes.

There were empty seats by second half but it was full to begin with. I heard some guys say "I've seen NFL so lets go" at half time. Take me and Ryan, our section had a few boistrous fans but mostly quiet just before half time we went to the Club bar on level 200, that was great in there.

Generally it was a lot louder than an Argos game but then they only draw 15,000 to 20,000. I was annoyed because I couldn't hear the bands playing, pre game was Combined Central Command Canadian Forces and Half time was Syracuse University Marching Band.

The Bills did stink, either that or Miami is awesome, 16 sacks and no TD allowed, plus as you said Losman in a Loss Man but he is the back up. I think alcohol has a lot to do with an NFL crowd being what it is and as usual the stadium police were out in full force, no more that two beers at a time and dressing down those fans who got too loud.

Almost forgot, saw Paul Godfrey wandering around before the game, he looked happy.

-- Edited by 73SC at 20:40, 2008-12-07

2drpost · Uber Guru

Carl Stevenson wrote:

Totally off topic, I appreciate your courage Dave, saying "Merry Christmas" in a public place!

thanks carl. wink

politically correct i ain't.

Astro Jet · Poncho Master!

69 belair wrote:
Carl Stevenson wrote:

Totally off topic, I appreciate your courage Dave, saying "Merry Christmas" in a public place!

thanks carl. politically correct i ain't.

You would be shocked, even here in politically correct Toronto they have started acknowledging that the reason for all the fuss at this time of year is "CHRISTMAS" and not "a winter holiday". They even call the tree in Nathan Phillips Square a Christmas tree again instead of a "holiday tree".

73SC · A Poncho Legend!

Astro Jet wrote:

You would be shocked, even here in politically correct Toronto they have started acknowledging that the reason for all the fuss at this time of year is "CHRISTMAS" and not "a winter holiday". They even call the tree in Nathan Phillips Square a Christmas tree again instead of a "holiday tree".

...and it looks great as does the entire square this year, we just drove by on our way home from the Bills game.

Astro Jet · Poncho Master!

73SC wrote:
My good friend, the owner of Whistler's provided the tickets and VIP passes.

There were empty seats by second half but it was full to begin with. I heard some guys say "I've seen NFL so lets go" at half time. Take me and Ryan, our section had a few boistrous fans but mostly quiet just before half time we went to the Club bar on level 200, that was great in there.

Generally it was a lot louder than an Argos game but then they only draw 15,000 to 20,000. I was annoyed because I couldn't hear the bands playing, pre game was Combined Central Command Canadian Forces and Half time was Syracuse University Marching Band.

The Bills did stink, either that or Miami is awesome, 16 sacks and no TD allowed, plus as you said Losman in a Loss Man but he is the back up. I think alcohol has a lot to do with an NFL crowd being what it is and as usual the stadium police were out in full force, no more that two beers at a time and dressing down those fans who got too loud.

Almost forgot, saw Paul Godfrey wandering around before the game, he looked happy.

-- Edited by 73SC at 20:40, 2008-12-07

Did Steve actually fork out the coinage for those passes? I bet you one of his major suppliers, like one of the breweries, gave him those passes as part of a promotion. We have gotten similar deals at The Pilot in the past.

I think Mr. Godfrey's smiling was a bit premature. After having watched the various sportcasts last night and read the papers this morning, the game was not sold out as previously announced. About 2,000 seats remained unsold or should I say, they couldn't manage to give them away, plus various reports put the actual number of people in the building at about 48,000 tops, a large number who bled away at half time after "having experienced the NFL in Canada". You certainly could see lots of empty seats disguised as fans on TV. The Bills complained it was like playing an away game, it was far too quiet when they had the ball, even in the first quarter when the game wasn't out of hand yet.

Unless the Bills come into next year's game undefeated (fat chance) or there are some other extenuating circumstances, I predict they will be lucky to get the stadium more than 1/2 full in the future, and won't that look great on TV? The novelty factor is over now and with those outrageous ticket prices that most Torontonians were too smart to pay and a recession that will be no where close to being over next fall, Rogers' investment of $78 million to bring those games to TO will end up being one of the worst business decisions they have ever made - one that no doubt they will try and make up for by increasing our cable rates!!!

73SC · A Poncho Legend!

Indeed Hillar these VIP passes and tickets were complimentary all round. The game was terrible no question, in fact our game is probably more interesting. The tickets were priced into the stratosphere and I would never have gone if it wasn't free. What made it fun was all that free stuff so Ryan and I had a blast, in fact he didn't want to leave, but that was what was fun, wandering around at will with this VIP card and having people falling all over you to give you some food or drink.

If I actually paid I would have been some upset. Would I go again, in a second on the same deal but not on my own dime.

427carl · A Poncho Legend!

Astro Jet wrote:

You would be shocked, even here in politically correct Toronto they have started acknowledging that the reason for all the fuss at this time of year is "CHRISTMAS" and not "a winter holiday". They even call the tree in Nathan Phillips Square a Christmas tree again instead of a "holiday tree".

So nice to hear that! A Christmas tree is what it is...

4SPEED427 · A Poncho Legend!

73SC wrote:

Indeed Hillar these VIP passes and tickets were complimentary all round. The game was terrible no question, in fact our game is probably more interesting. The tickets were priced into the stratosphere and I would never have gone if it wasn't free. What made it fun was all that free stuff so Ryan and I had a blast, in fact he didn't want to leave, but that was what was fun, wandering around at will with this VIP card and having people falling all over you to give you some food or drink.

If I actually paid I would have been some upset. Would I go again, in a second on the same deal but not on my own dime.

Ray

1) Buys a Caddy to make us all jealous

2) Takes a warm vacation to make us all jealous

3) Gets free tickets to make us all jealous

There's more but I don't need to go on.

Is there some reason he isn't

???

Canadian Poncho · A Poncho Legend!

We all live vicariously through him!

Astro Jet · Poncho Master!

I think Ray should have his own reality TV show so that we can all live vicariously through him!

73SC · A Poncho Legend!

Carl Stevenson wrote:
Is there some reason he isn't ???

That's because I am so knowledgeable, personable, generous and incredibly good looking!

As for the Reality show etc...notice that Jack Nicholson and I have the same Ray Bans, eh .

On another matter would someone mind vicariously paying my bills ?

-- Edited by 73SC at 17:31, 2008-12-09

427carl · A Poncho Legend!

Wow!

for a second there, I thought it was, a picture of Jack Nicolson!!! biggrin

65Camino · Uber Guru

He has great neighbours who put up with him as well...

73SC · A Poncho Legend!

65Camino wrote:

He has great neighbours who put up with him as well...

Thanks D, I knew I knew I could count on you! biggrin