sullim4

"Bills Win"... there's something you'll only see next to a Bud Light can this season...

I too think they are going to go 6-10, but this is one game that sets up well for Buffalo... - They have the Jets' number. - It's the home opener. - Fitz self destructs when in the national spotlight. - It's early in the season and the Bills usually don't self destruct in September (this always happens in October or November). Frankly I was surprised by the number of people who thought we could beat Flacco and the Ravens in Baltimore on opening weekend. This one was set up for a loss IMO since the schedule came out.

unless they have a shot from the other side of the goal line, it's going to be inconclusive.

McCoy looks slow, even when he got that opening.

Taylor is not impressing...

Buffalo BEEOWS! It's like we have our own personal pbp/color commentator. Wilcots is going to get what, half of our games this season?

@Baltimore - L Jets - W Arizona - L @New England - L @Los Angeles - W San Francisco - W @Miami - L New England - L @Seattle - L @Cincinnati - L Jacksonville - L @Oakland - L Pittsburgh - L Cleveland - W Miami - W @Jets - W 6-10. They start 3-3 and then in classic Bills fashion, lose 7 straight in October/November. Then they win the meaningless games in December to knock themselves out of prime draft position. Rex gets canned.

At the very least, this thread possibly would get someone like JW to poke around and see if there is anything to this...

I know I will probably get flamed for this, but... I really like the name change. It's got a Buffalo connection, it's a good name, and it doesn't sound like a complete sell out like "Land Shark Stadium" or "Qualcomm Stadium". Other than "Rich Stadium", this would be my #2 choice. I frankly found it odd that RCW allowed the stadium to be named after him while he was alive. I feel like you should only name things like a stadium after people once they leave the organization, or they pass away. After having called the place "Rich Stadium" for my entire life, it felt awkward to call it "The Ralph". "New Era Field" doesn't feel as awkward for some reason.

OT, but this thread is an example of why I hate it when speculation threads turn into news threads... you have to wade through pages of outdated discussion, leaks, and bickering until you find the spot where the most recent news got reported.

Ranked by % capacity, we are #19: http://espn.go.com/nfl/attendance/_/sort/homePct

Well, I think that stat is skewed somewhat because different stadiums have different capacities... I think % capacity would be more interesting to look at. Anyway, I think two things have played into the good attendance numbers over this dark period for the franchise - the fact that the Bills are ingrained into the WNY culture, as well as the continued fears that the team would move away. Now that the second has been resolved for a few years, I will be curious to watch the actual attendance numbers for this season to see if there is any change (assuming the team's performance remains relatively consistent with the recent past).

I would agree. I sat in the M&T club and it's just weird being completely shut off from the crowd. It feels like you're in a bubble. It also doesn't help that you're sitting in the end zone, so you have some of the worst seats in the stadium. That said, the buffet and comp drinks are nice... but it is not a good value. The club seats at the press box level are significantly better.

Honestly, my biggest beef with time management in the NFL are QBs that take timeouts to avoid 5 yard delay of game penalties. Unless it is a critical third down or something, there is absolutely no reason to take the timeout - those are significantly more valuable than 5 yards of field position.

... and of course, Bills are on the clock, so commerical time!

Bills on the clock based on the screen in the auditorium!

Heh, Seattle would have been a match made in heaven.

ESPN has been reading TBD it seems... http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/15421505/ryan-fitzpatrick-sit-new-york-jets-budge

This is going to be heard en banc by the second circuit... no way NE* appeals this to SCOTUS. We are not out of the woods yet.

Outside of live sporting events, I stopped watching ESPN about 15 years ago. I'm not sorry that I did.

I tend to agree with those who say this is going to play out at the end of the current lease in 2022. Look, take away all of the frivolous amenities that the newer stadiums have, like the restaurants, luxury suites, etc. Even not considering those items, RWS is behind the times. Bleachers with backs went out of favor 40 years ago. Several of the club seats have broken heaters and can't be repaired. The flow of people coming into the stadium is slow due to its dated layout. Per capita restroom capacity is insufficient. Those are the reasons the team wants an improvement to their facility situation. Jerry Jones will not decide on the timetable to build a new stadium. I think the Pegulas are well aware of the angst PSLs cause the fan base and the questionable demand for the luxury suites in the Buffalo market. I think one possible outcome is a retrofit of the existing facility and a significant price increase to tickets in order to pay for it. This will price out the drunk college students, who the Bills lose money on anyway, and still keep it affordable enough for current season ticket holders to keep their seats. However, I also think they want a downtown stadium to feed into their other partnerships at Harborcenter. Such a project would take a significant amount of cash in terms of buying up land, and building infrastructure to support the facility. It would be hundreds of millions more expensive than a retrofit, require PSLs, significant public money, a large hike in ticket prices, and require corporate support to buy premium seating. It will be interesting to watch the process unfold.

Not a fan of this rule change at all for a couple reasons: - As you mention, this is going to encourage kickers to aim kickoffs somewhere between the 5 and 1 yard lines. On a majority of kickoffs, it seems like the return man is stopped either at the 20, or short of the 20. So, if you are the kicking team, why would you aim for a touchback and give your opponent 25% of the field for free? For that matter, why not try to pop a kick with lots of hangtime somewhere around the 15, forcing a fair catch? This rule change just feels all sorts of stupid. - Why the inconsistency between the 20/25 yd lines with respect to kickoffs and punts? I don't see how punt returns are any less dangerous than kickoffs, if player safety is the true intent behind the change. This feels like a Roger Goodell, "change for the sake of change" idea.

Restart the clock on ready-for-play on incomplete passes unless it's the last 2 minutes of the first half, or last five minutes of the second half/OT. This is the same rule they already have for OOB clock stoppages.

Don't make fun of the gerbil's speech impediment.