| Bills QB Ryan Fitzpatrick says the atmosphere of a "home" game in Toronto is different than it is in Buffalo. (Getty Images) |
The Bills will travel roughly two hours by bus and spend the weekend in a hotel north of the border before Sunday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks.
Doesn’t sound like much of a “home” game, does it?
It’s time for the annual Toronto Week at One Bills Drive. The Bills will head to Canada this weekend for their fifth regular season game at the Rogers Centre as part of the Bills in Toronto series.
Results from the controversial agreement between the Bills and Rogers Communications have been mixed. The Bills pocketed $78 million (Canadian) in 2008 for the series (which also included three preseason games, though that number was later reduced to two) and have worked diligently to increase their fan base above the border. Tapping into Toronto’s massive population is seen as a top priority for the small-market Bills and their regionalization plans.
The event was not well received initially by fans in both Buffalo and Toronto. In Buffalo, fans voiced their discontent with the idea of moving one game a year to Toronto. In Toronto, fans had their voices heard at the box office. They balked at the high price of the tickets and there were large pockets of empty seats at the first games in Canada. Ticket sales have improved in recent years -- due in part to a large decrease in prices -- but are still not great. As of a week ago, 80-90 percent of the tickets for this year’s game have been sold.
Even with some improvement in ticket sales, complaints about the atmosphere at the Rogers Centre persist. The crowd has been neutral at best over the years, with some games featuring more fans of the opponent than the Bills.
Members of the Bills have been diplomatic in their responses to questions about playing in Toronto.
“I don’t want to make any headlines or be controversial here ... the atmosphere is different, I think everybody knows that,” QB Ryan Fitzpatrick said. “Much different than the Ralph in terms of the noise, the intensity and all that, but we’ve got to be able to take advantage. We’re going to have more fans there than they will and we’ve got to take advantage of that.”
There has yet to be an official announcement, but the Bills are almost certain to continue their relationship with Rogers Communications moving forward. The Bills are expected to sign another five-year deal to play more games in Toronto once their own stadium lease in Orchard Park is finalized.
Practice update: Six Bills did not practice Wednesday: LB Nick Barnett (knee), FS Jairus Byrd (shin), DT Marcell Dareus (shoulder), DT Spencer Johnson (knee), CB Leodis McKelvin (groin) and DT Kyle Williams (ankle). DE Mark Anderson (knee) returned to practice for the first time since Week 5 and was limited.
For more updates on the Bills, follow correspondent Mark Ludwiczak on Twitter @CBSBills and @MarkLud12.