CFL-MLS-NFL Clusterfuck

Presently in Toronto, there is big controversy as the city's main teams play stadium musical chairs. If you believe what you read in the papers, the Toronto Argonauts (CFL) are looking to move from their present home at Rogers Centre to the smaller-capacity BMO Field, the soccer-specific stadium home to Toronto FC (MLS).

This would require renovation of BMO, specifically lengthening it, and require ugly football lines laid down on top of the soccer lines. I like football. I like soccer. Just not on the same field.
TFC already has a reputation as one of the best home supporters in the league, and moving them farther away from the action would certainly lessen the unique atmosphere at BMO. Fans currently sit only about 20 feet from the endline. The Argos are citing fellow CFL team Montreal Allouette's move from Olympic Stadium to a smaller stadium and how the team rebounded from there.

Like I said, this is how it's all going to go down if you believe what you read in the media. However, as an unlicensed member of the media, let's cut through the bullshit here. This isn't going to happen. Or at least, it's not going to happen for long. What the Argos should realize is that if they move from Rogers Centre to BMO Field, that leaves a perfectly functional NFL-sized venue unoccupied every year once the Blue Jays have finished another run to mediocrity. With the Buffalo Bills already playing pre-season games there, and probably desperate to escape one of the NFL's smallest markets, you think they'd stay in Orchard Park long after this option opened up?

If the Bills move to Toronto, it will be the end of the Argos. While the Argos may be the oldest professional football team in North America, the Bills have made serious inroads. The Bills already draw a sizeable portion of their gameday crowds from Toronto. After all, it's a shorter drive from Toronto to Buffalo than it is from Milwaukee to Green Bay. This whole thing is a ploy by the Argos to get a better lease on the stadium from Rogers and the Blue Jays.

I'm calling it right now.

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Shoe(s)-in of the Week

No, it isn't football season (anticipated rebuttal from Mike: "What about the EURO?"), but I'm bringing you a special baseball edition of the Shoe-in of the Week, where I share my expert gambling advice with odd-defyingly terrible results.

However, this time I'm putting my money where my ass can't cash. Wait... I think I did something wrong there. Anywho... My dad, who's in Nevada, called me to see if I wanted to bet on any of today's games. So I put a fin (five dollars, for you squares) on two of this afternoon's games.

I'm calling the Royals (+155) over the Yankees. The still-adjusting-to-starter's-innings Joba Chamberlain is going up against the excellent Zack Greinke, and the Yankees' bullpen has been horrible.

I'm also putting a fiver on the Orioles (+210) over the Blue Jays. I'm completely banking on the power of the unfamiliar, as the O's will be sending Radhames Liz to the mound to make his sixth major-league start against Roy Halladay (hence the lopsided line).

So if you happen to read this in the next twenty minutes before these games start (almost 100% sure not to happen), follow my advice. I'm never wrong!

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Best Part: The acting

Second-best part: The thud.

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