Doc Posted June 22, 2011 Share Posted June 22, 2011 Current owner has repeatedly stated he's not moving the team to LA. Talk is cheap. I'm betting it's the Jags and Raiders that move to LA, assuming they do decide to put 2 teams there. Al Davis has been looking to leave Oakland for years and go back to LA, while the Jags can't even sell-out a stadium with 20K seats tarped-up and making the playoffs every other year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buftex Posted June 22, 2011 Share Posted June 22, 2011 (edited) If the LA stadium proposal goes through, which is not a done deal, and Ralph is still alive, there is zero chance the Bills will be the team moving to LA. Without question, Ralph has a succession plan, regardless of what he says publicly. It's the ultimate head-in-the-sand drivel from Jerry Sullivan to say that he doesn't, just because he hasn't announced it. If there are not one, or even two teams in LA when the unfortunate passing of Ralph does occur, there is a very slight chance the Bills will move there. Extremely small, IMO. The NFL wants a team in Buffalo regardless of the small market. It will almost for sure be a west coast team that moves there because of TV contracts. There are several "players" in the Buffalo area or willing to keep the Bills here who are just waiting to pony up when they become for sale, if they even do. I fully believed that, until recently. I also beleive that Ralph will not move the team to Los Angeles. Where they move to is of little importance to me...if they leave, so long... I guess I have less confidence than you, that the team will remain in Buffalo a lot longer. Maybe I am too pessimistic, but it seems like this new CBA (at least what is rumored so far) is a sign that the values of the old school NFL owners are not necessarily the same as the newer breed of owners. Isn't the Bills lease up after the 2012 season? Given the economic climate in WNY, that will be telling. Doesn't it seem that, eventually, the stadium the Bills play in will become a bigger issue for the other owners? The shrinking population? Edited June 22, 2011 by Buftex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thewildrabbit Posted June 22, 2011 Share Posted June 22, 2011 (edited) What gets me is that Al Davis moved his team out of Oakland to LA and they played in the coliseum which held over 100k people, he thought 100k+ seats = more money. But he couldn't make it work so he went back to Oakland. There is just to many things to do in LA, and if the team falters and has a losing record people will find something else to do. OTOH Buffalo has a very large devoted following and keeps the stadium filled no matter what their record it seems. For the life of me I can't understand why so many flock to the stadium year after year despite the constant losing. Is it that unlike LA there simply isn't much to do in upstate NY ? In my view anyone who buys the Bills when Wilson passes and then moves the team away from Buffalo is an idiot, I don't care how rich they are. If Buffalo can sustain a losing franchise for the last decade imagine what they could do with a winning franchise. Its Wilson and his close to the vest policy's that has kept this team in Buffalo, but also kept them from realizing their potential. Edited June 22, 2011 by Harvey lives Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homey D. Clown Posted June 22, 2011 Share Posted June 22, 2011 (edited) For the last few years it has been common practice to try and predict whether or not the team will be in Buffalo after ralph moves on, and truthfully nobody really knows, but it's starting to look more and more like the team is not long for WNY. And for those of you fans that seem so sure the team will never leave have got to either be the most positive thinking people on the planet or truly in denial and kidding yourselves because the indicators that are beginning to pile up are getting way to hard to dismiss. I commend you for your optimism, but i can no longer look the other way. This also goes hand in hand with how people feel about Ralph Wilson, I personally don't find his actions in the last few years as positive moves to ensure the team stays here, and no longer think his motivations are anything but keeping the team in good financial position only until he is gone. Hell I bet he doesn't even buy green bananas, so how can I think this man cares if the team makes the playoffs ever again, especially if we all know he wouldn't be here to see it. Edited June 22, 2011 by McKinleys Curse Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buftex Posted June 22, 2011 Share Posted June 22, 2011 What gets me is that Al Davis moved his team out of Oakland to LA and they played in the coliseum which held over 100k people, he thought 100k+ seats = more money. But he couldn't make it work so he went back to Oakland. There is just to many things to do in LA, and if the team falters and has a losing record people will find something else to do. OTOH Buffalo has a very large devoted following and keeps the stadium filled no matter what their record it seems. For the life of me I can't understand why so many flock to the stadium year after year despite the constant losing. Is it that unlike LA there simply isn't much to do in upstate NY ? In my view anyone who buys the Bills when Wilson passes and then moves the team away from Buffalo is an idiot, I don't care how rich they are. If Buffalo can sustain a losing franchise for the last decade imagine what they could do with a winning franchise. Its Wilson and his close to the vest policy's that has kept this team in Buffalo, but also kept them from realizing their potential. Maybe it is the combo of big city/warm weather? Big cities like New York, Chicago and Washington don't have a problem drawing NFL fans, whether the team is good or bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
It's in My Blood Posted June 22, 2011 Share Posted June 22, 2011 I'm confused, where's the news here? There may not be any known plans for ownership but that doesn't mean there aren't any. Bills are much better off than several teams in the league right now. Not worried about it, think this topic should be closed. Exactly. The transition/sale of the Bills into new ownership is nearly billion dollar deal and is most definitely a topic of high sensitivity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JinWPB Posted June 22, 2011 Share Posted June 22, 2011 I see the Bills biggestv drawback being the lack of corporations in and close enough to Buffalo to sell enough suites. So this big mnarket area isn't working if you include Toronto because to my knoowledge their corps are not buying them en masse. Canadians certainly account for a large number of individual tickets and I would think would be willing to pay higher prices also. The problem is singularly Buffalo. I 'm sure not a expert on this , only sharing my viewpoint. To me it seems for a large Canadian/Toronto or other company to plunk down big money , Bills seats have to add promotional value to their bottom line. That will never happen with the team playing in a (sorry) old stadium in the middle of an old south towns corn field. It needs a glitz and glamour waterfront, Falls or revitalized downtown location. Something that can put the area back on a path to reconstruction. Otherwise,well maybe everyone can just follow the Bills to LA or Austin and begin life anew. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrappy Posted June 22, 2011 Share Posted June 22, 2011 Denial is a lonely place, we need a new stadium / corporate support ASAP. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snorom Posted June 22, 2011 Share Posted June 22, 2011 the fact is there aren't that many larger markets Who is significantly larger then Buffalo and its suburbs and doesn't have a team ??? When you include southern Ontario Rochester, and Buffalo and its suburbs we are a decent sized market. http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0763098.html there are a few options but most of the options are already close ot existing teams, or are more of a college football cities. A new stadium with better boxes would help, and ticket price increases are coming.... but if we can meet those requirements I think there is a solid chance Buffalo can keep the Bills for a long time... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Offside Number 76 Posted June 22, 2011 Share Posted June 22, 2011 the fact is there aren't that many larger markets Who is significantly larger then Buffalo and its suburbs and doesn't have a team ??? When you include southern Ontario Rochester, and Buffalo and its suburbs we are a decent sized market. http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0763098.html there are a few options but most of the options are already close ot existing teams, or are more of a college football cities. A new stadium with better boxes would help, and ticket price increases are coming.... but if we can meet those requirements I think there is a solid chance Buffalo can keep the Bills for a long time... I think you're right on sheer market size. Now, on whether our market is well-off, well, it isn't. We don't have as many large corporate HQs as other markets do, so luxury boxes don't generate nearly the revenue that they do in other markets. It doesn't help that the luxury boxes are crappy, with crappy food. As usual, the Bills could take a page out of the Sabres' book on this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. WEO Posted June 22, 2011 Share Posted June 22, 2011 Talk is cheap. I'm betting it's the Jags and Raiders that move to LA, assuming they do decide to put 2 teams there. Al Davis has been looking to leave Oakland for years and go back to LA, while the Jags can't even sell-out a stadium with 20K seats tarped-up and making the playoffs every other year. In some instances, it is. But here we have team's owner repeated and recently saying he's not moving. No reason not to believe him. Since there won't be 2 stadiums there won't be 2 teams. The Chargers are the most likely to go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
San Jose Bills Fan Posted June 22, 2011 Share Posted June 22, 2011 (edited) I agree with Offsides Number 76. In some ways, this discussion of demographic market size, specifically population, is irrelevant. I say that because ultimately it is a matter of what price for admission the market will bear. Our ticket prices are among the very lowest in the league. What would happen if we brought them all the way up to near the league average? Would attendance or revenues based on attendance go down? Probably it would so all that market size stuff becomes a bit less meaningful. There IS one demographic that is important from the standpoint of the Bills' geographic market... As several have pointed out, the unshared revenues generated by preferred seating… all the club seating and suites… the prospective customer base for those is pretty damn small when you consider how many companies and rich folk live in the area of the stadium. So our market population, regardless of Southern Ontario, etc. is only part of the equation when judging the true market. I will add one caveat though: It's really damn unfair to judge this market in view of the team's craptastic performance on the field over the past decade plus. Edited June 22, 2011 by San Jose Bills Fan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chilly Posted June 22, 2011 Share Posted June 22, 2011 I hear ya, Tex. I've got a sister in Austin. I've been there. It's great. I have a hard time believing those folks would go head-over-heels for the NFL when the Longhorns are their passion. And if San Antonio counts (as well it should), then so do Toronto, Rochester, Syracuse, etc. If the Broncos can get fans from Idaho, a 2-hour drive for the NFL isn't a big deal. I know. I make it eight times a year. Austin/San Antonio are working to get recognized as one metropolitan statistical area from the US government for the purposes of attracting an nfl team. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buftex Posted June 22, 2011 Share Posted June 22, 2011 (edited) Austin/San Antonio are working to get recognized as one metropolitan statistical area from the US government for the purposes of attracting an nfl team. Whether an NFL team was located in San Antonio or Austin, with competition from the Cowboys and Texans, I still think the area would support an NFL team. I hope to god that team isn't the Bills. There is lots of big money in Texas...and interest in football never wanes...high school football playoffs might give teams like Jacksonville a run for their money! _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Ramifications of the new CBA for the Bills: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/743924-2011-buffalo-bills-ramifications-of-the-new-collective-bargaining-agreement Not the best written article (slide show, it is the Bleacher Report after all!) but it raises some interesting issues that the Bills could face, as well as some of the new CBA stuff (16 game Thursday night schedule?) Edited June 22, 2011 by Buftex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RTW2012 Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 In some instances, it is. But here we have team's owner repeated and recently saying he's not moving. No reason not to believe him. Since there won't be 2 stadiums there won't be 2 teams. Except the talk is that 2 LA teams will share the same stadium. See Giants/Jets as an example. It is highly unlikely that LA will be able to get two stadiums built. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. WEO Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 Except the talk is that 2 LA teams will share the same stadium. See Giants/Jets as an example. It is highly unlikely that LA will be able to get two stadiums built. Didn't see that. Did Roski give up on his stadium plan? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lurker Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 "... I eluded to the fact the Bills were still among the favorites to move west or at least to Toronto during an appearance on the Josh Pacheco Show on ESPN Hawaii Friday morning. ..." That's all I needed to see before I realized this is just another hack writer trying to find relevance for his point of view. GO BILLS!!! Doh!! I just cut that same paragraph to paste into essentially the same response. I'm a day late and a dollar short....and that guy's still a dweeb. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K-9 Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 Doh!! I just cut that same paragraph to paste into essentially the same response. I'm a day late and a dollar short....and that guy's still a dweeb. I think this guy is used to eluding facts when he writes. GO BILLS!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basskik11 Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 So, I just listened to Mike Florio on WGR, and I gotta say that as much as I HATE to acknowledge it....Buffalo is going to lose the Bills. This hurts my heart to say, but with this Lockout and a New CBA looming, we're !@#$ed. So now is the time to put it all out on the table and go for broke. We haven't beaten New England in years, The Jests are simple, but have a great defense and Miami is just a pain in the ass. If I'm Buddy Nix and Chan Gailey...I go nuts in Free Agency and come gameday, I let Fitzy throw over the top and live and die with our new defense, and at the same time, do whatever I can to win the line of scrimmage both offensively and defensivley. I know that this is a little too much "Minor League", but since Ralph is getting up there, and the fact we have a couple of "good 'ole boys" runnin' the show in the FO, and that the clock is ticking... it's time to win the "Whole !@#$ing thing!" GO BILLS, LET'S GET IT!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buffalo Barbarian Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 You guys need to quit worrying about the sky falling, Some how some way the Bills will stay here even if Kelly, Golisano, Pegula, Gundlach and any other hidden investor come together as one group to buy the team to keep the Bills here. If Not Ralph's body will be exhumed and burnt at the stake for not bringing in a partner the way Art Modell did with Bisciotti. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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