Kirby Jackson

That’s one of my thoughts. Don’t know exactly what it looks like but have a feeling he has a role in it. Oh I know, that’s why I prefaced it. It may be at the county level or whatever but there will absolutely be public funds involved. That’s just the way that is in 2020. The Bills will point to the countless other teams in broke states that already got it. The precedent is too strong for an exception.

It really was. He did probably 30 rolls, sashimi, a seafood salad and took requests.

The state will be contributing something like that. Before someone goes to “the state is broke” or whatever. It will end up happening. That’s just the way it is.

On the menu thread I hosted a dinner last night. We had a sushi chef that owns Rock N’ Sake come and cook for the group. We had 15 in total and he made sushi for 2 hours. It was a hell of a party

Yep, you are the only one that thinks that. He will forgo $400m(ish) from the state? Absolutely not

Well we definitely DID want him. I highly doubt he’s on anyone’s team this year. He went off the deep end and has a pending suspension hanging out there.

@Virgil can I make a request (and it’s a big ask)? I think it would be fun if with one of these we have @thebandit27 @GunnerBill @BuffaloHokie13 or someone else that follow the draft closely grade the teams. I don’t want to volunteer them because it’s a lot of work but think that would be a really fun twist. Which teams hit? Which missed? Where was the value? Cole Kmet will go in the 1st 2 rounds

OMG, you have no idea how difficult she can be!! She’s here now and the temperature in my house is set at 62 degrees!! Just an example, i like to sleep in the cold but my God!! 2019 on both

He got you too?!? Damn it!! In terms of the more affluent fan it’s a bit of a gamble. They will certainly have to cater to them at some level. It will need to be insulated (in some ways) from the weather. They will have to have amenities that appeal to the wives (which believe it or not teams suck at). I have this girl that I’m kind of seeing and she has extremely high expectations and tastes. She would never make it as it currently is (even in the clubs). There are a segment of people that aren’t coming without their wives. You’d need to bring them in. They will have to expand the geography (which has been happening for a while). It will be a challenge to be able to attract the “new fan” without alienating the base. The passion is so strong IMO that the base will be there even if it’s kicking and screaming. I tend to believe they will build more with the “new fan” and gamble that the base will be there.

Oh I agree!! How about the decades of tax-exempt status? You said it perfectly “the horse left the barn long ago.”

I just think there is such a precedent for it at this point. The Yankees, Mets, MSG have all benefited from public funding. I don’t know what was at the local level and what at the state level. With the Bills being the ONLY NY NFL team (the only time this is important) they will certainly ask. Speaking of which, I bought a bunch of land out there from him. I would like to sell it if anyone is interested???

I think there is certainly some of that. At least they will be more segmented. There is a certain type of buyer that currently isn’t interested in attending as it stands. The Bills will be tasked with current traditions without alienating the more affluent fan. It’s a bit of both. It will be a challenge but they have smart people that can figure that out.

So I made some bets this weekend. We will see if my theory works. I bet the over, the over, the over, the over and a parlay over, over, over, over.

I wasn’t skipping over anything. When the example of other teams are used why do we go to what they charge in Dallas or NY? That’s not what we are talking about. We are talking about places like Indy, Cleveland and New Orleans. The studies have been done and the market can bear more than it currently is. Again, if you want my entire detail (including numbers associated with it) it’s all on here somewhere. I just really don’t feel like going through it again. As some background (and without sounding like a know it all) I have a Master’s Degree is Sports Management and worked in pro sports for almost a decade. I worked in a situation where the team was sold twice and potentially going to be relocated. My thoughts as to what it it takes come from real world experience. I’ve been a part of the negotiations with the state, concessionaires, NBA, NBAPA, sponsors and fans. I promise you that Buffalo can sustain a lot more than it currently is. With that being said, they aren’t going to build some new stadium and start charging Dallas prices. They are going to operate near the bottom of the league in revenues but the gap between them and others will be smaller. You need to think in terms of the CBA. The Kraft’s and Jones’ of the world are going to argue for LESS of the current revenue being shared. They will argue each team should be responsible for a greater share of the pie. “Why should we subsidize the Bills of the world?” When that inevitably happens, it will be imperative that the Bills are generating more revenue to remain competitive.

Well, the prices will increase as part of it. If the average ticket price in 2019 was $105, I don’t think it’s crazy to see that average at like $125.

Man, I’ve laid out my thoughts on here a zillion times on the topic. I really don’t feel like going through it again but I’m sure it’s in the archives somewhere. Long story short, I’m guessing about 1/2 state, 1/2 private (between team and fans). That will come in the form of concession deals, PSLs, naming rights, the Pegulas themselves. The bottom line is you can’t function like a minor league team in the NFL. You’re either going to have to get with the program or get left behind. The Bills are never going to be a top 5 revenue club but they don’t need to be the least valuable team in the NFL either.

- I think you’ll see some PSL’s (but don’t think SF think Minnesota). They will be mostly in like the $500 range. There will be some higher but we aren’t talking $100k PSLs. - Additionally, they can build out around the stadium like New England. The Bills will own/control some bars and restaurants in the area and can generate revenue that way (whether directly or indirectly). They can do membership type clubs within the stadium (kind of like the Harbor Club). - They can create revenue generating assets. When we renegotiated our state deal here in New Orleans they basically offered us a check. What we countered with were some infrastructure assets that we could monetize. We felt that was a better long-term strategy. That’s why you see the video boards on the outside of the arena in NOLA. You are trying to create “things” to sell to sponsors. - You’d also have a “clean slate” with a new stadium. New Era is a weird situation where the best amenities are not tied to the best locations. In a new stadium you can pair the best locations with the best amenities to drive revenue. Think about the “Legends Club” in Yankee Stadium (obviously with lower prices). If you want to sit 1st row behind home plate, you get an open bar, 5 star buffet, etc.. That’s better than having to pick elite amenities or elite location. You can scale it out. These are just a few ways off the top of my head but there are tons and tons more.

That’s what I’m thinking. I really trust Wawrow when it comes to this stuff and that seems to be what he believes. It’s the more likely scenario for a lot of reasons. I wouldn’t say that it’s a definite at this point.

The least valuable franchise in the league: https://www.forbes.com/sites/mikeozanian/2019/09/04/the-nfls-most-valuable-teams-2019-cowboys-lead-league-at-55-billion/amp/ 30th in revenue: https://www.statista.com/statistics/193553/revenue-of-national-football-league-teams-in-2010/ They charge significantly less than other markets. The stadium doesn’t generate the other revenue streams of others, etc.. I PROMISE, PROMISE, PROMISE, a new stadium or complete renovation ($500M+) will be happening. This is not something that “might” happen.

-The NFL ratings are up again. -The NFL cares about revenues 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc... - The Bills are at or near the bottom of the league in local revenues. That’s a competitive disadvantage that will become an even bigger disadvantage with the new CBA - A new stadium is coming or a complete renovation (new stadium more likely) This really isn’t a complicated situation. You need to generate more money to compete. The Pegula’s know this. It will come in the form of a public/private partnership as most are these days. This isn’t an “if” conversation, it is a “when” conversation.

I just know what I’ve heard from the Steelers people and it was pretty much done. It doesn’t look good for anyone the way that it ended so I think that’s why the narrative came out as it did. It’s easier to say “everyone was misinformed” than to say “we thought it was done and were wrong.” Maybe you’re right and it wasn’t there. The truth is probably somewhere in between. Either way, the point being that they are willing to look into suspect characters remains. The whole “process guy” thing shouldn’t impact our line of thinking this offseason. I’m not saying that the Bills will bring in Greg Hardy, Tyreke Hill, and Johnny Manziel, etc... We should not however, be at all surprised if we see a guy or 2 that aren’t stereotypical “process guys.” The culture and leadership is in place that they would now be comfortable with a guy with some questions. If the Bills were to trade for OBJ (as an example) we shouldn’t be shocked. The Bills aren’t only looking at stereotypical “process guys” at this point. They are looking at EVERYONE that they think can make them better. Their pursuit of Antonio Brown is all the evidence that we need.

That seems to be the general feeling. It’s unlikely any of them see 15 IMO. We need guys that keep coordinators up at night. We don’t have a guy that does that but Josh. We need to stop with the antiquated thinking that “because we have speed we now need size” or vice versa. In the analytics world sports have changed. The Rockets are playing a lineup of guys 6’6” and below. They just killed the best team in basketball. They aren’t worried about “we are too small.” They are forcing teams to adjust to their game. The same thing that the Chiefs do with speed. They dictate what happens. The Bills don’t need a certain type of guy because they don’t have it. They need guys that are elite playmakers. If they are WR, TE, RB, 4’10”or 7’3”. It really doesn’t matter. We are so set on passing on superior talent because we have guys like them. That’s a MASSIVE mistake IMO. Get the best talent and then put them in a position to maximize that ability. I’ll get off my soapbox because this isn’t the thread for this. Sorry Virgil!!

He’s 15 on McShay’s big board, 11 on Matt Miller’s big board, 12 on Daniel Jeremiah’s big board, etc... Not sure how he is “a huge reach at 15?”

I may be in the minority but the more I hear, at least at this point, I don’t want Shenault or Higgins. Shenault is too raw and Higgins has a lower ceiling. Again, that is my opinion but we don’t need “another guy.” We need “a guy.”

We had the terms worked out but couldn’t reach the terms we needed with him. If Antonio Brown agreed, he would have been on the Bills. The point being the Bills were (and will be) willing to overlook a suspect character if they think he helps them win. That’s why it’s stupid, at this point, to cross guys off the list because they aren’t “process guys.” That’s dead. The culture and leadership is in place. The Bills will look at anyone and everyone that fits a need at the right price.