Memo to our good friends south of the border: contrary to what may be perceived, Toronto is NOT Hoth. You know Hoth, that freezing planet where Tauntauns roamed and Luke Skywalker nearly froze to death? It seems that for whatever reason, one of North America's largest markets is continually treated that way.
Take Sunday afternoon for example; it was a perfectly brisk autumn day for football. The Buffalo Bills and Chicago Bears, two teams that know all about frosty weather, were locking horns in Toronto. It wasn't raining, it wasn't snowing, and the sun was even shining through a bit. But the roof was shut tight. Why?
Listen, I get that having a controlled climate is the best-case scenario for TV and sponsors, but there was simply no excuse for not having the roof open. Think of the exposure across the US that it could have provided with the iconic CN Tower looking down during a spirited tilt on the field.
Instead, the roof was closed. I guess there's nothing to see outside but a barren wasteland. Why would anyone want to play for the Jays? Or the Raptors? It's too cold in Canada, and don't even get me started on the taxes.
How many times have the Jays been guilty of that? A beautiful spring day with the roof closed. It's Canada, for crying out loud! We put a jacket on and deal. No one seems to have a problem at Fenway when it's chilly. What about Minnesota? Cleveland? Or even Buffalo for that matter. Is Toronto soft?
It's not just a situation that reflects poorly on Toronto but the entire country. Sell the city and country! Don't sell it as Siberia and shut the rest of the world off, like we did to Mother Nature a few days ago.
James Cybulski's TSN Twitter feed