Offside Number 76 Posted October 30, 2011 Share Posted October 30, 2011 Easy solution: "XXXXX Field at Ralph Wilson Stadium", just like Invesco Field at Mile High Stadium. Git'r'dun Russ! Figure $1.5M/yr for 20 years. That'll cover a third of the renovation costs. Since Erie County owns the stadium, don't they have the right to do it? PTR Seems low for an NFL stadium. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoSaint Posted October 30, 2011 Share Posted October 30, 2011 Seems low for an NFL stadium. I have no idea, but you also figure it's not nearly as multipurpose as some. One sport, no colleges, no bowls, very limited concerts, etc... Not even a full slate of NFL games, with very few on national tv or meaningful for a decade. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Offside Number 76 Posted October 30, 2011 Share Posted October 30, 2011 I have no idea, but you also figure it's not nearly as multipurpose as some. One sport, no colleges, no bowls, very limited concerts, etc... Not even a full slate of NFL games, with very few on national tv or meaningful for a decade. The link in San Jose's post above gives a range (it does take forever to load)--and a lot of those deals were reached quite a while ago and don't necessarily reflect the going rate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. WEO Posted October 30, 2011 Share Posted October 30, 2011 No way Ralph goes for this. He's cheap and wants to squeeze every penny out of the franchise possible. He wouldn't be interested in getting a few measly millions by selling the naming rights to The Ralph. Remember, ralph is only interested in lining his pockets. Oh, the irony of the Ralph is Cheapers. Ralph is clearly a man who is keen on creating and maintaining his legacy. He was able to get 78 million dollars from the Canadians--all he had to do was lease out his beloved Bills twice a year. That's more money than any likely naming deal over the same 5 year period---AND he gets to keep his name on "his" stadium. If the naming is up to Ralph, I'm sure he has his price at which he will clearly surrender his vanity. If the naming is up to the county--they should, ethically--on behalf of the tax paying NYers, be aggressively going after any naming deal that they can before agreeing to the Bills latest "renovate or we may move" nonsense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ICanSleepWhenI'mDead Posted October 30, 2011 Share Posted October 30, 2011 (edited) From the current lease, as posted on an Erie County website: http://www.erie.gov/billslease/stadium.phtml 4.2 Naming of Stadium Complex. (a) The Bills shall have the exclusive right to name, or contract from time to time with any Person or Persons on such terms as the Bills may determine with respect to the naming of the Stadium Complex or any portion thereof; provided that (i) the term during which any such name shall apply shall expire no later than the end of the Term (whether due to the attainment of the Stadium Lease Expiration Date or any earlier termination or cancellation thereof) and (ii) given the substantial interest of the County and the ECSC in the Stadium Complex and the public character thereof, the Bills shall not permit any name to be given to the Stadium Complex or any portion thereof except in accordance with this Section 4.2. (b) In the event the Bills name the Stadium Complex or any portion thereof themselves, any name chosen by the Bills (i) shall be consistent with the NFL's policy with respect to the promotion and image of professional football (taking into account the fact that the game has substantial appeal to youth) and (ii) shall not unreasonably cause embarrassment to the County or the ECSC (such as names containing slang, barbarisms or profanity; names that could be construed to encourage the use of alcohol by minors or the use of tobacco by persons of any age; or names that relate to illicit drugs or any sexually oriented business or enterprise). © In the event the Bills contract with any Person or Persons with respect to the naming of the Stadium Complex or any portion thereof, such name shall be subject to the prior approval of the County and the ECSC, which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld. Each of the County and the ECSC shall be deemed to have given its approval to any name requested by the Bills unless, within forty-five (45) days following such party's receipt of the Bills' written request for such approval, such party notifies the Bills of its disapproval in writing. (d) The Bills agree to indemnify, defend and hold harmless the County and the ECSC from any Losses arising out of the exercise by the Bills of their rights pursuant to this Section 4.2; provided, however, that the foregoing indemnification shall not be construed so as to include any revenue or income which the County or the ECSC might have realized upon the sale or other conveyance of the naming rights to the Stadium Complex or any portion thereof. (e) Following the selection, and, if necessary, approval by the County and the ECSC of a name for the Stadium Complex, the County shall use commercially reasonable efforts: (i) to cause all existing County road signs which reference the Stadium Complex to identify the Stadium Complex by such name within thirty (30) days of its receipt of written notification of the selection of such name, and (b) to cause all County brochures and literature published thereafter which reference the Stadium Complex to identify the Stadium Complex by such name. Notwithstanding the foregoing, (i) the County shall not have any obligation pursuant to the preceding sentence other than with respect to the initial name given to the Stadium Complex pursuant to this Section 4.2, and (ii) the preceding sentence shall not be construed so as to impose any obligation on the County with respect to any signage, brochures, literature or other media promulgated by any other Governmental Authority. Looks to me like Ralph controls the right to name the stadium through the end of the current lease. At that future date, the naming rights revert back to the County as the owner of the stadium - - at which time the County can again relinquish such rights in the new lease if Ralph still wants them. Edited October 30, 2011 by ICanSleepWhenI'mDead Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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