Buffalo Bills news

NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue is scheduled to attend Sunday's game, during which the Bills will host their annual Canada Day celebration.

Several thousand fans from up north are expected to attend the game and festivities, which will include the Canadian national anthem, bands and a Canadian-themed tailgate party behind the Buffalo Bills Fieldhouse. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police will serve as the color guard for the Canadian anthem.

Over the past several seasons, the three teams that border Canada - the Bills, Lions and Seattle Seahawks - designate one home game per season to recognize their fans who cross the border every Sunday to attend games or watch them on television.

"Our Canadian fan base is very important to us," said Bills President and General Manager Tom Donahoe. "This past summer a few of our players were in Mississauga for a Practice with the Pros' clinic, which generated a great response. Hosting a Canada Day event is another way for us to say "We appreciate your support."

FYI-the Buffalo-sthrn Ontario area kind's forms one huge market. There was even talk once of Toronto trying to steal the Bills. Toronto gets Buffalo's news stations and Buffalo gets Toronto's news. A friend from Toronto would tease me that in Buffalo we always had house fires. Well, in Toronto, they always have car accidents and this is the stuff of the five o'clock news.

I was thinking today of the merits of Canada being the 51st state. That would be an interesting arrangement, too many things to work out. If would weaken Federalism in the U.S. but it would definitely tip the scales in favor of the Democrats in the House and Senate.

Anyway, I like Canada, but I wouldn't want to live there.