8-8 Forever?

At least Jets fans will have team to root for in 5 years.

hard to imagine a more meaningless game than this one… oh wait… I just thought of one,, next week at Jax

All good thinking. And obviously a new stadium with taxpayer money is totally out of the realm of possibility in WNY. Heck, took San Francisco 20 years to get that done.

The average fan does not realize the economics of an NFL franchise revolve around the TV contract, seat licenses and merchandise. The Bills might get max $2m per game in their half of ticket sales, times 16 is $32Million per season. Big Deal. Each team gets well over $100Million per year on the TV deals (networks + Directv) . Boycott the games all you want. Ticket sales to the average man don't matter much compared to media revenue, seat licenses and merchandise. And with the huge out-migration from WNY since 1980 there are actually more Bills fans like me and my kids outside of Erie County than inside (who drive the TV ratings). We fantasize about the in-market fan base (hey i used to be one) , but other than nostalgia value, they don't figure into the economics as much as you might think. The NFL is not a gate revenue business, its a TV business enhanced by fans in the stands.

No potential buyers? Are you insane? When this team is put up for auction, it will be the wildest "can you top this" event in the history of the NFL. When has an NFL team (there are only 32 of them in the universe) ever (ever) been put up for open auction? I believe the answer is "never" (someone needs to look this up). This will be wild, with many bidders coming out of the woodwork for whom money is no object. The whole GB thing is very quaint, but you guys need to wake up and smell the coffee… this auction will be wild and any cute little group from the ole B Lo who thinks they will get the home town discount is in for a rude awakening.

Other than NFL loser retreads, those like Marrone was all they had to look at.

Are we going to go around on this again? OK, let's F ing do it again for the 100th time. No top top coaching candidate will look at this franchise until long term ownership and management is in place to commit to and hire them. Any new owner paying over $1Billion (with a B) will clean house top to bottom within 12 months and bring their own people in. You can take that to the bank. Every coaching candidate knows that, so all you will get during the Ralph Wilson "lame duck" period are the Chan Gaileys and Doug Marrones of the world for whom the Bills are their only shot to either get back to or get into the NFL as a head coach. Assuming other more secure positions are available in larger markets with more player and coach appeal, why take a job in a tiny market with a lame duck owner that you are one heartbeat away from losing? Answer: you wouldn't, unless you are Chan Gailey or Doug Marrone and this is your only shot. Don't get me wrong, I like both guys and I think we lost a lot on the offense with Gailey's departure, but the Shanahans and Kellys of the world call their own shots and will go with the best gig with the least number of variables.

Correct. EJ is not losing games. He may not be doing enough yet, but he is not Andrew Luck either. He is doing exactly what a rookie QB should do.. not lose games. Now he lost at least 2 by taking that knucklehead hit, but he won't do that again. RGIII learned that being a human pinball cost the Redskins this season. These kids figure it out that guys hit a lot harder and a lot lower in the NFL. He'll be fine. The team will be better next season. This was always a reload, rebuild year. They teased us again, but at the end of the day, this will be 6-10 and draft 11th again.

This is a good point. When EJ has to, he delivers. Now he just needs to bring that all 4 quarters. he will

Agreed. Shut 'er down. The party is over. Again. Well, on the bright side, EJ looked good I believe, so that is a positive. But just like the KC game, this team fumbles at the worst times.

It is amazing how they always find a way. Quote MultiQuote =2990393&st=&auth_key=270f25e7b0b2f24b1362b753f529dca8"]Delete Edit

It is amazing how they always find a way.

EJ is back in?? not watching game

i wonder what attendance would be like if open fires and alcohol were banned within a mile of the stadium .. just wondering how much people come for the cheap all day get bombed anything goes party vs. actual primary interest in rooting and pulling intelligently for the team in the stadium.. or if tickets were priced in line with other NFL franchises… i think we all know the answer to this

lets win today and go from there people..

His agent wants top money. He is not backing down now. Unless Byrd tells his agent to back down (which he won't) he is leaving. Searcy/Williams next year for sure.

If the Bills win out I wouldn't care if they make the playoffs or not. What an ending to a rebuilding season with all new organization and rookie QB who missed training camp and was out for effectively 6 games. Would be absolutely thrilled to win out. To be right there needing a win in NE and getting it week 17. Wow.

That's exactly why the Bills will be gone as soon as Ralph dies. Because there are a half dozen cities full of fans ready willing and able to do just that.

"taking something that is ours" ?? what ?? ours? Ralph Wilson owns the franchise. He can do whatever he wants with it. The fans own nothing other than what is known as "reflected glory" or bragging rights, and that ain't much. He's been loyal to WNY for 50 years but he says he is auctioning it off to the highest bidder and none of his heirs want it. It is what it is.

With a healthy EJ, we win the Cleveland game, with a healthy EJ or freakin TL, we win the KC game. Anyone can see that. 5-4 and they are in ahead in the wild card race, QBs go down and we go 1 and 4, with them I truly believe 3 - 2. At key positions or position groups, big injuries end playoff runs. "Next man up"….. what a bunch of garbage.

Atlanta season ended by wipe out of their O Line; Packers' season crippled by Rodgers injury. When it comes to key positions groups or QB, injuries in key groups simply kill seasons. The "next man up" idea is garbage at key positions. The drop off is too great when you lose your o line or the QB. Packers get 3 early turnovers today and cannot do crap with a back up QB. comment.

Good post. I would draft another QB #1, plus OL and a big TE. This draft is pretty easy to predict I think. Love the Cousins comment.

Anyone who thinks a rash of IR type injuries to key position groups (O Line, QB, DB) don't utterly kill seasons look no further than this years Atlanta Falcons. In a repeat of what happened to a very very good Jax 3 years ago, the O Line has been blown up by injury and the team has struggled for the last 6 games. You simply cannot plug in a bunch of backups and practice squad guys and win any games. Cannot do it. not in this league. "Next Man up" is a bunch of garbage.

Don't get me wrong, I don't want the team to move. But this opportunity only comes along once every 20 or 25 years; an open , high-bidder -wins auction for an NFL franchise. Whether or not a pure comparable situation exists, big money will be pursuing this auction , and the higher the bidding goes , the less likely the franchise will be operated in the severely limited WNY marketplace, the latter fact offset by the cost of new stadium construction, relocation fee, etc. Will be interesting how the owners and league play this one. On one hand, the Bills have a legacy, etc, on the other hand, the NFL needs to expand, increase revenue, etc. and WNY brings none of that. Should be fun to watch when the time comes. The Redskins auction in the 90's was huge drama.

Open auction, highest bidder wins, that's what his will purportedly says.