B.C. Provides Maximum Protection for CFL

Having the Canucks play a game vs. Toronto at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday a few years ago to appease the fans in the East.

Seeing the Leafs' pursuit of Eric Lindros as the lead story on Sportsdesk (remember Sportsdesk?) for a month straight even after it was clear there would be no deal.

The examples are seemingly endless.

Fans of three down football also have a reason to get their hate on for T.O. as a group of Torontonian businessmen (including Ted Rogers) are attempting to bring a National Football League team to the "Center of the Universe" and that has people around here irked.

It will start off with exhibition games but some say the group has designs on bringing the Buffalo Bills north of 49, which many predict will put the Canadian Football League and B.C. Lions on life support--the thinking is that the big corporations will throw their weight behind the NFL rather than the CFL.

It won't be a smooth ride though as former Vancouver mayor turned Senator Larry Campbell and Lions President and CEO Bob Ackles (pictured) intend to put up as much resistance as possible.

Campbell has introduced a bill that seeks to block the NFL from expanding north and Ackles recently wrote an editorial for the National Post detailing the history and defending the CFL.

Some are behind Campbell and Ackles, some are not while some think it's misguided.

Me? As long as Toronto doesn't get what it wants, I'm happy.