Canada loves the NFL. Canadians make up a chunk of the Buffalo Bills fan base in season tickets, tailgating, and viewers. Outside a pandemic, Canadians in southern Ontario cross the border for the Buffalo Bills home games.
The 2020 Buffalo Bills had an amazing season: a 13-3 record and won the AFC East for the first time since 1995. QB Josh Allen and WR Stefon Diggs led on offence.
The Bills won 9 of the last 10 games in the regular season. As the #2 seed in the AFC, Buffalo got to host a pair of playoff games. The games had limited attendance: 6,772 on January 9 against Indianapolis and January 16 against Baltimore. The Bills hadn't hosted a playoff game since 1996.
Canadian fans would have to fly to Buffalo, get a car to get to Orchard Park, fly back to southern Ontario, and quarantine for 14 days back in Canada.
The closed Canada-U.S. border has disrupted lives and local economies on both sides. As we learned during the Buffalo Bills Toronto series, there is a solidarity with the NFL team and Canada's largest city. We also learned Bills fans in Toronto would rather tailgate in Orchard Park than not tailgate in Toronto.
Canadians wanting football are stuck watching the NFL on TV
Super Bowl LIV through the eyes of Canada
Toronto fans can finally root for the Buffalo Bills in the NFL playoffs
Southern Ontario fans of the Buffalo Bills have to hope the team remains in good shape. Kansas City thwarted the path for Buffalo to Super Bowl LV last night.
CFL fans saw the NFL play a complete season, including Super Bowl LV in Tampa on February. Still think the CFL could have had a 2020 season.
Laurent Duvernay-Tardif chooses health care over the NFL
Laurent Duvernay-Tardif — Montréal native and Kansas City offensive guard — would normally be getting ready for Super Bowl LV. Duvernay-Tardif worked in the off-season in long-term care homes and chose to stay, despite the temptations of the NFL.
Duvernay-Tardif made a good decision, but watching his team get to another Super Bowl has to be a bit frustrating to not be there with his teammates.
CanadianCrossing.com NFL coverage
The Weeknd will be the halftime musical guest at Super Bowl LV. In case you haven't kept track, CTV won't be able to run the U.S. Super Bowl ads. We will report on Canadians in Super Bowl ads.
logo credit: Buffalo Bills/NFL
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