K-9 Posted July 23, 2010 Posted July 23, 2010 I just don't see any way that Jerry Jones rolls over and lets another franchise drop into what he considers to be his secondary markets. I'm not saying this won't happen. I'm saying it won't happen without a fight. And that dude has a lot of money and clout to fight the fight. [i just re-read this before I posted it, and acknowledge the fact that it's turned into a long post. My apologies. Read on if you wish.] That's the part that posters on this board don't face when talking about "untapped" markets. There's a reason that markets are untapped. Screw the Rust Belt. Just look at the "growth" areas of the United States with respect to the NFL: Carolinas are done. Florida's done, and might lose a franchise in Jacksonville. Georgia's done. Arizona is done. California is done (this is obviously debatable, but I welcome the debate, since no team has landed in LA since Moses.) Los Angeles couldn't give a #*%@ about the NFL, the economy is in the #($%, and there's no public-sector OPM to fund a stadium. And San Diego is constantly scrambling to hang onto THEIR existing franchise. Texas is done. San Antonio and Oklahoma City are secondary markets for the Dallas Cowboys' VERY greedy and powerful (within the NFL) owner. Colorado is done. Lousiana is done (and Louisiana was not a growth market even before the oil spill). So...where are you looking to land a multibillion-dollar enterprise? Portland, OR? Little Rock, AR? San Antonio, TX? (Deal with Jerry Jones). Oklahoma City? (Deal with Jerry Jones). Birmingham, AL? As odd as it may seem, the Buffalo Bills may remain in Buffalo simply by dint of the worst economic downturn in modern history. Hell, it might not even be that modern. This one might stretch back to the 1930s. I'm not a rocket surgeon, but this recession seems to "have legs". Things may not get back to normal - "normal" being a situation where an entrepreneur can leverage him/herself to the ends of the planet to borrow a billion dollars on very little capital - for 3-4 years. Seriously. If RW passes in that time frame....oh, hell, I don't know. But looking at it as rationally as I am able, I don't see a whole lot of venues lining up to accomodate the franchise. Are there a lot of billionaires out there? Certainly enough of them. But - with the exception of Mark Cuban - they became billionaires by running the business properly. Perhaps it would make the most sense to keep a franchise - with a VERY SOLID brand loyalty, by the way - in the same market, rather than to move said franchise to (e.g.) Portland and start it all over. I mean, gee, things in Jacksonville and St. Louis have gone SO well. By the way, this is not a tirade directed at K-9. It's pretty much the same argument I trot out everytime this board rolls out the "OMFG, THE BILLS ARE MOVING TO (fill in the blank)" issue. Obviously, it doesn't matter that I trot it out everytime this board rolls out the "OMFG, THE BILLS ARE MOVING TO (fill in the blank)" issue. But, what the hell, it's always easier to panic than to deal with things. "Indian Lake" - The Cowsills Excellent points, all. Can't disagree with any of them. I don't think the Bills will move, either. My only point is that there's a difference between having no debt service on a 25k investment that's now worth over $800m compared to what the new owner will pay in interest alone on the $800m when the Bills are eventually sold to whomever. As it stands now, The Ralph just can't generate enough revenue to service that kind of debt. At the very least a new stadium will have to be built and ticket prices will have be raised significantly. I don't see how a businessman/woman can manage it under the current circumstances with an antiquated stadium vis a vis luxury suites, a narrow corporate base, and the lowest ticket prices in the league (I believe). Love the reference to The Cowsills. I remember their TV show as a kid. So, I've got two words for you: Bobby Sherman. My sisters loved that guy. I used to have fun drawing mustaches and eyeglasses on his posters just to tweak them. They exacted their revenge on my Farrah poster. Ah, the memories. GO BILLS!!!
Whites Bay Posted July 23, 2010 Posted July 23, 2010 Love the reference to The Cowsills. I remember their TV show as a kid. So, I've got two words for you: Bobby Sherman. My sisters loved that guy. I used to have fun drawing mustaches and eyeglasses on his posters just to tweak them. They exacted their revenge on my Farrah poster. Ah, the memories. GO BILLS!!! Glad you didn't take it as an attack. It's just a topic that gets very old around here, and I can do my best to apply logic to it, and it still ends up like BigGovernment.com. (That was probably an unnecessary comment, but I'm going to leave it in there). A million years ago, Bobby Sherman (or his record label) had a promotional gig with Frosted Flakes in which they would put a cheaply produced 45-rpm vinyl on the back of a box of cereal. You could pull/cut it off and it would actually play (schittily, of course). And there was Bobby Sherman's face spinning around on your record player. So what did WE do with it? Hell, we'd tack it to a post, stand off 100 yards, and use it for target practice with the .22! We were all pretty good shots in those days! The joys of growing up in Upstate New York in the 1960s! Kids in California just don't understand. Now, Farrah was HOT. Leave the Farrah poster alone.
K-9 Posted July 23, 2010 Posted July 23, 2010 Glad you didn't take it as an attack. It's just a topic that gets very old around here, and I can do my best to apply logic to it, and it still ends up like BigGovernment.com. (That was probably an unnecessary comment, but I'm going to leave it in there). A million years ago, Bobby Sherman (or his record label) had a promotional gig with Frosted Flakes in which they would put a cheaply produced 45-rpm vinyl on the back of a box of cereal. You could pull/cut it off and it would actually play (schittily, of course). And there was Bobby Sherman's face spinning around on your record player. So what did WE do with it? Hell, we'd tack it to a post, stand off 100 yards, and use it for target practice with the .22! We were all pretty good shots in those days! The joys of growing up in Upstate New York in the 1960s! Kids in California just don't understand. Now, Farrah was HOT. Leave the Farrah poster alone. LMAO, WB. I remember that stupid Bobby Sherman record on the back of the Frosted Flakes. My brothers and I frisbeed that sucker in the yard until it broke. Of course, we knew nothing about it when my sisters inquired. They ended up getting it on another box anyway. Not as exotic as shooting it with a .22 though. I mourn for my Farrah poster to this day. Pitiful commentary on my life, I know. But there is less and less to cling to as I grow older. GO BILLS!!!
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