Kirby Jackson

Barry Sanders is, without question, the best that I have ever seen. I’m not old enough to remember OJ or Brown or Sayers or Sweetness. Peterson is probably next. FWIW, I spent a good bit of time with Marv Levy (LAMP). I asked him one day who the best football player that he had ever seen. Without hesitation he said, “Gayle Sayers.” I said, “Marv do you want to think about that?” He said, “No, it’s Gayle Sayers.” That’s enough for me.

Everyone hopes to uncover late round gems. That goes with out saying. Percentages say that the top of the draft produces stars though.

I 100% buy it. For one, JW is plugged in. For two, that’s been Beane’s MO. For three, the Bills roster is pretty full. They are looking for stars and not bodies.

No, they ABSOLUTELY headed to those places. Just over the last decade and a half they have returned. Houston was New Orleans west for a couple of years.

Honestly, the overwhelming majority of Saints fans are in the Gulf South. Bills fans are spread much more widely. In New Orleans, you are born here, live here and die here. They do love the Saints though. It is a little different from Buffalo in one way. The BIGGEST Bills fans (ie us) care more about the Bills than the biggest Saints fans. The casual Saints fans comprise a much bigger percentage of the area than casual Bills fans.

The Bills fans and Saints fans are so similar in a lot of ways. They are both, without question, the most important part of their city (at least to the residents).

Tag some falcon fan accounts

Yep, that’s an unpopular take

AAC is the spot that they need to get to.

“Who loves ya bay bay?!?” Who ah

Ha ha ha

Bae Adams ???

Again, you asked his leverage, that’s leverage. He could entertain Toronto or even London. If the state draws a line in the sand he will have the support of other owners to play that card. These public/private partnerships are commonplace in sports. The Yankees and Mets are the 2 most recent examples of stadiums, in NY, that were heavily funded with tax dollars. I believe they were NYC dollars, but tax dollars nonetheless. This isn’t some rarity. This is the norm. The Pegulas have invested heavily in WNY and will put up their share on this. The taxpayers will be contributing though and if you think otherwise, you are crazy.

Well, he does own the only NFL team in the state... I’m not sure that he would ever play that card but he certainly can. He could certainly entertain other locations. That’s the nuclear option but it’s an option...

This isn’t being done tomorrow. The project isn’t being bid out yet. The Pegulas aren’t going to accept the “you can afford it” argument when it is commonplace elsewhere. The NFL (located in NY) will back them. They want a new stadium for the Bills. The Bills will pick up their share but they won’t be paying for all of it.

Yep, Hammer has the most at stake for sure. He should feel like he does. We all would feel the EXACT same way.

Sadly, this is 1,000% true.

There is the crux of the decision. If given truth serum, both the NFL (and the Pegulas) would say that revenue generation is the entire conversation. Fan experience goes into that but is a secondary factor. They will have the amenities that people want, assuming that they pay for them. It is about $$$ Yep and I think that it will be similar moving forward (just require a longer commitment). Additionally, they probably won’t let people out of those contracts as easily.

I hear you but everyone else is doing it. It is not going to be something that the Pegulas pick up alone. There are so many new revenue streamson the horizon (marijuana, sports betting, etc..) that they can find their portion.

Yet that is the $150M number that you are saying is a stretch. $7.5M x 20 years is $150M naming rights deal

Is it doubtful to think that an NFL team (even in Buffalo) could get $7.5M a year in naming rights? That’s not aggressive (at all). $100M through PSLs isn’t that crazy either. 10,000 seats at $5k, 20,000 seats at $2,500 and you are there. Obviously those are averages but that is not a stretch at all. That’s especially true if they are paid off over 5 years.

We are looking at $1B all in, not $1.5B. They will basically split it down the middle IMO. The Pegulas (and the Bills) are on the hook or $500M. The naming rights, concession deal and PSLs probably account for $350M of that. We had a team of probably 10-15 on the team side that worked on the revenue goals and the state’s responsibility. My role was primarily on “the ask.” The group that I was a part of was responsible for past, present, and future revenue projections and how we could get the most out of the state. We wanted to find creative avenues to monetize the building as opposed to getting a check. We figured that we could generate another $10M plus a year by doing it that way. That’s why there is that giant video screen on the outside of the arena if you guys ever drive by it in New Orleans. We asked for things that we could sell.

Look, I’m not trying to be rude but there is a reason that EVERYONE (outside of the state) wants this to happen. The league wants it for more money. The Pegulas want it for more money. The government isn’t on board because it will cost them $500M. Regardless, it’s coming and the groundwork is in place. The Bills NEED to close the non-shared revenue gap or risk getting left behind. If the TV deal ever hits a tipping point it is catastrophic to the Bills. They need to insulate themselves by closing this gap. They know that and the other owners do too.

Lucas Oil was $122M for 20 years (in like 2008). Hard Rock, more recently, was $250M for 18 years. It isn’t even remotely a stretch to think that the Bills could get $150M over 20 years. It’s probably conservative. $100M In PSL’s is what the Vikings did with, what I believe, will be a similar structure. We aren’t talking $100K PSL’s or whatever SF charged. They had like $500 PSL’s (and they weren’t on every seat). Also, I haven’t even factored in the NFL loan program. I’m being conservative.

No they wouldn’t. They are looking at $500M (private) and we have $150M with naming rights alone. They can generate another $100M in PSL’s (easily). That’s leaves $250M private (without a concession deal). Call the concession deal another $100M. That leaves $150M. That stadium can EASILY yield an additional $25M a year. This is clear as day (which is why everyone is pushing it). Ain’t going to happen. No one else is doing that anymore (especially in similar markets). The Pegula’s are asking for half (and will get it). I do have a master’s degree in sports management and worked closely on a lease deal for an NBA team with the state and the league. I am not an idiot on the topic. ??‍♂️