sharper802 Posted February 6, 2010 Posted February 6, 2010 One of the main differences between the Bills and the Jags is that the Bills actually have fans that care about the team! Regardless of what some say here, that does make a big difference in the eyes of the NFL and the future of this franchise. Unfortunately for the Jags, you can tell the people down there JUST DON'T CARE ABOUT THE TEAM. The Jags could be moved in the middle of the night and I don't think anyone would care or even notice. The Bills are different. They are important to the fans and are a part of the fabric of the community. WE LOVE THIS TEAM WITH A PASSION and WE SUPPORT THIS TEAM!!! The Bills and Jags should never be mentioned in the same sentence (unless we are playing them). Or better said people in Jax care about other things like SEC football and NASCAR more than NFL football. Or people in Jax have other interests and people in Buffalo have nothing but the Bills and Sabres in their lives....
nucci Posted February 6, 2010 Posted February 6, 2010 I agree with you. As long as the stadium sells out there is NO REASON to move the Bills. I don't live in Buffalo so I can't go to games. I urge all you Buffaloians to support the team, no matter what. The will get to the playoffs in the next year or two. If you sellout, they won't move. That is simple enough. Tell that to the Baltimore Colts fans. There are many more important things than ticket sales. Actual revenue for example..
BillnutinHouston Posted February 6, 2010 Posted February 6, 2010 The Browns sold out for years and that didn't stop Art Modell. Do you really think the guy who buys the Bills when RW dies will care if the stadium sells out? He could move the team to a bigger market sell 10K less seats a game and make double the money with corporate boxes and seat licenses. Sadly, you are correct. Ultimately it will not be about butts in the seats, it's the bottom line (revenues). They are NOT one and the same when you are the cheapest tickets/corporate boxes in the league.
BillyBaroo Posted February 6, 2010 Posted February 6, 2010 I think the Bills future is some kind of sharing of the team with Toronto. The NFL wants the larger market but Goodell doesn't want the black eye moving the Bills completely would create. PTR I hope Goodell thinks like this - I say Vive la revolution if there is any more talk -- I watched part of a Jags game this season and there was no way the stands were even half full - I was shocked. We get more at a preseason game for a bad team!!
BillyBaroo Posted February 6, 2010 Posted February 6, 2010 Sadly, you are correct. Ultimately it will not be about butts in the seats, it's the bottom line (revenues). They are NOT one and the same when you are the cheapest tickets/corporate boxes in the league. Raise the prices then - us idiots will keep paying!
nucci Posted February 6, 2010 Posted February 6, 2010 Raise the prices then - us idiots will keep paying! Will you pay $150,000-$200,000 for a suite/box like most teams charge?
PromoTheRobot Posted February 6, 2010 Posted February 6, 2010 And Goodell also thinks that the Bills need to upgrade their stadium in the near future. Don't worry, he's happy to lay the groundwork for justifying a Bills move. http://sports.espn.go.com/los-angeles/nfl/...tory?id=4891541 Hardly. But Goodell is letting it be known there are standards to be met. I personally have no problem with RWS. But it will be 40 years old in 2013. If Buffalo wants to stay in the exclusive NFL club it must maintain an NFL facility. I say build a dome either in downtown Buffalo as part of the Canalside development, or build it right next to the Rainbow Bridge in Niagara Falls. PTR
BillnutinHouston Posted February 6, 2010 Posted February 6, 2010 Hardly. But Goodell is letting it be known there are standards to be met. I personally have no problem with RWS. But it will be 40 years old in 2013. If Buffalo wants to stay in the exclusive NFL club it must maintain an NFL facility. I say build a dome either in downtown Buffalo as part of the Canalside development, or build it right next to the Rainbow Bridge in Niagara Falls. PTR What good does a new stadium do if revenues don't increase?
PromoTheRobot Posted February 6, 2010 Posted February 6, 2010 What good does a new stadium do if revenues don't increase? Well for one it keeps the team in Buffalo. Ticket prices would definitely go up. There may even need to be some level of PSL to get the stadium built. But being in the NFL club costs money. I think the NFL respects the support the Bills get but the franchise has to make some effort to keep pace with the rest of the league. But before a stadium can be built the question of ownership needs to be settled and what role Toronto will play. If it's 2 games a year, then a new stadium here will be needed. If it's 5-6 games a year then building a stadium isn't worth it. Then maybe an upgrade to RWS would be sufficient. PTR
GrudginglyPessimistic Posted February 6, 2010 Posted February 6, 2010 The Browns sold out for years and that didn't stop Art Modell. Do you really think the guy who buys the Bills when RW dies will care if the stadium sells out? He could move the team to a bigger market sell 10K less seats a game and make double the money with corporate boxes and seat licenses. The big difference between the time when Art Modell skipped town for the $ and now is that the correct question is no longer addresses to the individual owner like a Modell but to the NFL as a corporate effort at profit-making. As every new owner team will have to be approved by 3/4 of the current owners, the NFL as an effective veto on who is an individual owner and under what circumstances he will agree contractually and in advance of this person taking ownership. Jerry Jones knows flat out that he can maximize his individual take from the team by taking a variety of mercenary actions. However, he also realizes flat out that his take will be lessened by a lot unless he subordinates his individual interests to the needs and desires of the NFL as a whole. Jones and almost the whole rest of the NFL ownership (minus Mr. Ralph and Cincy) voted to take the current CBA which gives them a clear minority take in total league revenues for one reason. They made more $ by taking the deal than they would by sticking to their guns. 39.5% of a ton of $ was a lot more than 60 or 70% of a ton less $. The era of the individual owner died right there.
Mr_Blizzard Posted February 6, 2010 Posted February 6, 2010 Jacksonville to L.A. is almost money in the bank! I have relatives in Jax, and I still remember how excited the community was that they were getting an NFL team. I think that changes to the economy have really hurt Jacksonville.
first_and_ten Posted February 6, 2010 Posted February 6, 2010 The big difference between the time when Art Modell skipped town for the $ and now is that the correct question is no longer addresses to the individual owner like a Modell but to the NFL as a corporate effort at profit-making. As every new owner team will have to be approved by 3/4 of the current owners, the NFL as an effective veto on who is an individual owner and under what circumstances he will agree contractually and in advance of this person taking ownership. Jerry Jones knows flat out that he can maximize his individual take from the team by taking a variety of mercenary actions. However, he also realizes flat out that his take will be lessened by a lot unless he subordinates his individual interests to the needs and desires of the NFL as a whole. Jones and almost the whole rest of the NFL ownership (minus Mr. Ralph and Cincy) voted to take the current CBA which gives them a clear minority take in total league revenues for one reason. They made more $ by taking the deal than they would by sticking to their guns. 39.5% of a ton of $ was a lot more than 60 or 70% of a ton less $. The era of the individual owner died right there. The owners need to come to a revenue sharing agreement amongst themselves before they tackle the CBA. The results of that agreement will play a major role in the Bills survival in western ny
Astrojanitor Posted February 6, 2010 Posted February 6, 2010 How much sense does the LA Lakers make? Or the Utah Jazz? are you kidding? Mormons are known for their jazz.
Astrojanitor Posted February 6, 2010 Posted February 6, 2010 Hardly. But Goodell is letting it be known there are standards to be met. I personally have no problem with RWS. But it will be 40 years old in 2013. If Buffalo wants to stay in the exclusive NFL club it must maintain an NFL facility. I say build a dome either in downtown Buffalo as part of the Canalside development, or build it right next to the Rainbow Bridge in Niagara Falls. PTR oh man, a dome? No way. I can not see the Bills ever becoming a dome team.
Chalkie Gerzowski Posted February 6, 2010 Posted February 6, 2010 Tell that to the Baltimore Colts fans. There are many more important things than ticket sales. Actual revenue for example.. Baltimore attendance dropped under Irsay's ownership... he wanted it to drop to give himself an excuse for a new stadium, or threaten to move.
Chalkie Gerzowski Posted February 6, 2010 Posted February 6, 2010 I wouldn't go building a new stadium unless you're guaranteed all 8 regular season home games are at that stadium. Downtown Buffalo would be a freakin nightmare for an NFL stadium location. Knock down ECC South and build a new stadium there.
PromoTheRobot Posted February 6, 2010 Posted February 6, 2010 I wouldn't go building a new stadium unless you're guaranteed all 8 regular season home games are at that stadium. Downtown Buffalo would be a freakin nightmare for an NFL stadium location. Knock down ECC South and build a new stadium there. Why would it be a nightmare? There's plenty of empty land east of HSBC Arena with plenty of access from three directions. As for Astrojanitor's comment about the dome, why do you say that? The Bills have not been a cold weather team for years. And frankly, I'm getting old and don't feel like freezin' my azz off anymore. Don't you think if we had a dome it might make getting free agents a little easier? No one wants to play in snow. PTR
Chalkie Gerzowski Posted February 6, 2010 Posted February 6, 2010 Why would it be a nightmare? There's plenty of empty land east of HSBC Arena with plenty of access from three directions. As for Astrojanitor's comment about the dome, why do you say that? The Bills have not been a cold weather team for years. And frankly, I'm getting old and don't feel like freezin' my azz off anymore. Don't you think if we had a dome it might make getting free agents a little easier? No one wants to play in snow. PTR city streets could never deal with that kind of traffic. the only way I could see it possibly working, you'd need a 190 exit/flyover to this new stadium as well as the same from route 5... access roads that lead to a stadium... knocking down ECC South would be the easiest way to go. that's the perfect location for a new stadium.
RyanC882 Posted February 6, 2010 Posted February 6, 2010 Jacksonville to L.A. is almost money in the bank! Jax to LA!!!!!
DarthICE Posted February 6, 2010 Posted February 6, 2010 Bottom line, the Bills can't stay status Quo and them stay in Buffalo 5-10 years from now. It will take a drastic increase in ticket prices, a new stadium, selling naming rights etc for them to stay. I still believe watching how Goddell does business that we won't have 32 teams 5-10 years from now. We will be back to 28 or even less.
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