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At the CFL’s 100th birthday bash, the Brothers Ford crash the party and talk NFL again

By John Michael McGrath
At the CFL’s 100th birthday bash, the Brothers Ford crash the party and talk NFL again
The Brothers Ford love them some football (Image:

At the CFL’s 100th birthday bash, the Brothers Ford crash the party and talk NFL again

There’s an old rule about weddings: nobody is allowed to look better than the bride. We couldn’t help but think about that when we heard that Rob and Doug Ford would be attending the launch of the Canadian Football League’s 100th Grey Cup Festival on Monday morning. And what did the brothers Ford talk about at this most auspicious anniversary and most decidedly CFL affair? Somebody who looks just a touch snazzier than the guest of honour: the National Football League.

Apparently, it didn’t go over so well:

Doug Ford really knows how to crash a party.

The rookie Toronto city councillor and trusted advisor of Mayor Rob Ford wasn’t even invited to the 100th Grey Cup Festival on Monday morning, but that didn’t stop him from declaring the pair’s intention to bring an NFL team to Toronto before their four-year term in office is over.

The fact that it was at a CFL press conference where he made this statement and the idea that the arrival of the NFL might be the death of the CFL, apparently isn’t a concern of his.

Naturally, CFL commissioner Mark Cohon wasn’t too impressed. Referring to the NFL’s ongoing labour dispute, he opined to reporters that his colleagues at the NFL “have much bigger issues that they’re dealing with right now rather than thinking about expansion.” Now, it’s possible that Cohon’s wrong and the Fords are right—although it’s probably worth mentioning that only one of the trio is the commissioner of a professional football league.

Of course, bringing the NFL to Toronto remains a pipe dream for the Fords at this point, in part because they continue to pitch the idea in a way that seems destined to annoy league brass south of the border. Perhaps the Fords should ask Jim Balsillie how well that turns out.

Doug Ford a party crasher [Toronto Sun]Ford Bros. talk up Toronto’s potential as NFL destination [Globe and Mail]Ford brothers aren’t giving up on NFL [National Post]Toronto’s Doug Ford continues clumsy quest for NFL team [NBC Sports]

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