T master Posted December 27, 2011 Posted December 27, 2011 Saw our last home game Saturday at the Ralph - after 10 years as a season ticket holder in the club seats (sad)! And 50 years of going with my Dad to games and sitting in his season seats. Never thought we would give them up - but this whole smoking ban really made us mad. Guys from the Press Box are allowed to walk 5 feet outside the gate, smoke their cigarette, and then come right back into the stadium. You or me -NO. I am a considerate smoker (would only smoke away from non-smokers), but this is ridiculous. There is enough smoke in the parking lot every Sunday to cloud the air when the wind is still. When we bought our seasons, we had heated seats, minimal hassle getting into the game, and staff that made you feel appreciated. All of that is gone. Did some research, and found that only 3 of the 31 stadiums have rules similar to the Ralph. The other 90% of the stadiums either have smoking areas or allow fans to go to their cars and then re-enter the stadium. Washington even has a cigar bar in their stadium. I am not defending a bad habit - but the overuse of alcohol is an equally bad habit. This is okay since the organization makes money on this one! I am surprised that the Bills did this to further reduce their season ticket base - but it is their business to run. Looking forward to road trips next season to see our Bills - and ENJOY the experience. That must be one hell of a monkey you got on your back !!! To give up a 10 yr season ticket & 50 years of hanging out with your dad at games i think you got your priorities all up . What you need to do is grow a set and kick cigarettes ass instead of letting them control your life !! Besides you'd smell a lot better take it from some one that smoked for 27 years !! It ain't worth the time or money & memories you can continue to make with your dad !! If I had the chance to hang with my dad or smoke i would take the first one but seeing as my dad passed 16 years ago i don't have the luxury but you just continue to make those good decisions !!! Hell if you quit smoking you could save enough money to pay for the season tickets & not even miss the money . Well look at it this way you won't have to be out of breath any more by walking to the stadium you can just sit in your chair in the living room you don't get winded doing that !! I ain't sayin but i'm just saying !!!!
UConn James Posted December 27, 2011 Posted December 27, 2011 Uh, how about smoking sections? And insurance rates? Are you saying for the reason of fire? Because if so, that's silly. The Ralph is almost entirely concrete and steel. Amen. On top of this, I'm from the live and let live generation. I'd rather not live in a society which tells me or others how to live our lives. I'm old enough and smart enough that I don't need anyone "protecting" me. If I'm not harming others and if they're not harming me (again smoking areas, not smoking in your seat) why should I be treated as a "2nd class citizen?" For insurance costs, I'm only basing that on a reason the U gave when they banned smoking and grills in the stadium and lots... they said insurance costs were a factor in creating the rule. I would imagine it's also a factor in the Bills' decision. If it were a case where there were no immediate second-hand health effects to people other than the user, I'd be saying the same. But it's not. It would be one thing if smoke could be controlled. In the physical world, smoke drifts. And in the Ralph, it drifts everywhere. Your right to slowly kill yourself with cigarettes ends when others have to inhale the fumes.
buffaloboyinATL Posted December 27, 2011 Posted December 27, 2011 New warning lable on cigarettes: WARNING: may cause you to sacrifice a 50 year family tradition and give up football seats you've had for 10 years.
Kim653 Posted December 27, 2011 Author Posted December 27, 2011 Life is tough, so did you give up flying, shopping, movies, hockey, baseball, quit work, etc. Of all the reasons to quit supporting Ralphs "teams" Yours takes the cake. I do all these things - you miss the point! At the local hockey game, I go to the smoking area. It is not the team I am giving up on - road games are still the same team.
Best Player Available Posted December 27, 2011 Posted December 27, 2011 I do all these things - you miss the point! At the local hockey game, I go to the smoking area. It is not the team I am giving up on - road games are still the same team. No I missed nothing. I smoked for almost 40 years. This thread is pretty darn pathetic from the standpoint that an addiction can set one's priorities. Its sad, that a addiction can end 50 year tradition, 10 years tix,(if true). No I get your point. You don't see the stupidity of the action because your addiction to nicotine now rules your world. trust me smoking laws will be getting stricter everywhere, you're in a heap of trouble.
uticaclub Posted December 27, 2011 Posted December 27, 2011 I hear you buddy, no rules against dipping yet
Kim653 Posted December 27, 2011 Author Posted December 27, 2011 That must be one hell of a monkey you got on your back !!! To give up a 10 yr season ticket & 50 years of hanging out with your dad at games i think you got your priorities all up . What you need to do is grow a set and kick cigarettes ass instead of letting them control your life !! Besides you'd smell a lot better take it from some one that smoked for 27 years !! It ain't worth the time or money & memories you can continue to make with your dad !! If I had the chance to hang with my dad or smoke i would take the first one but seeing as my dad passed 16 years ago i don't have the luxury but you just continue to make those good decisions !!! Hell if you quit smoking you could save enough money to pay for the season tickets & not even miss the money . Well look at it this way you won't have to be out of breath any more by walking to the stadium you can just sit in your chair in the living room you don't get winded doing that !! I ain't sayin but i'm just saying !!!! My Dad passed away many years ago - but you are right!!!! Those are days I would love to have back!
chaccof Posted December 27, 2011 Posted December 27, 2011 My Dad passed away many years ago - but you are right!!!! Those are days I would love to have back! Try the new solid tobacco laced lozenges that have come out from Philip Morris recently - Not sure if they're available nationwide but we can get them here in Virginia and they provide enough nicotine to get you through those times when you can't smoke (or dip in my case).....
JOE IN HAMPTON ROADS Posted December 27, 2011 Posted December 27, 2011 They should ban cigarettes everywhere. Those things just cause cancer. You want to smoke - cool. Just be prepared to be treated like a 2nd class citizen. You will get no sympathy There should be no second class citizens in America. That's kinda the idea of . . . America.
McBeane Posted December 27, 2011 Posted December 27, 2011 On top of this, I'm from the live and let live generation. I'd rather not live in a society which tells me or others how to live our lives. I'm old enough and smart enough that I don't need anyone "protecting" me. If I'm not harming others and if they're not harming me (again smoking areas, not smoking in your seat) why should I be treated as a "2nd class citizen?" Exactly my thoughts as well. If you want to smoke, that's fine. Who am I to tell you what to do?
CBD Posted December 27, 2011 Posted December 27, 2011 (edited) What about what Kim says about some stadiums having smoking areas and other stadiums allowing fans to leave and return? It is not a league wide ban - only the Bills, Bears, and Packers have these bans. That she was going on road trips to enjoy games instead of viewing them at the Ralph. If she's not going to games at the Ralph because she can't smoke it wouldn't make sense to drive to other stadiums that have the same policies. I made this statement under the impression that the Bills made it a smoke free facility due to an NFL mandate, apparently this is incorrect. However according to this: http://www.no-smoke.org/pdf/smokingpoliciesNFLstadiums.pdf it's far more than just the Bills, Bears and Packers as Kim claims. I'd also add that the new Bills policy has actually made it worse. Previously smokers would leave and smoke in the smoking areas, instead they now smoke at their seats hiding it from security. So now I have to smell it. Edited December 27, 2011 by Carey Bender
HuSeYiN1978 Posted December 27, 2011 Posted December 27, 2011 Saw our last home game Saturday at the Ralph - after 10 years as a season ticket holder in the club seats (sad)! And 50 years of going with my Dad to games and sitting in his season seats. Never thought we would give them up - but this whole smoking ban really made us mad. Guys from the Press Box are allowed to walk 5 feet outside the gate, smoke their cigarette, and then come right back into the stadium. You or me -NO. I am a considerate smoker (would only smoke away from non-smokers), but this is ridiculous. There is enough smoke in the parking lot every Sunday to cloud the air when the wind is still. When we bought our seasons, we had heated seats, minimal hassle getting into the game, and staff that made you feel appreciated. All of that is gone. Did some research, and found that only 3 of the 31 stadiums have rules similar to the Ralph. The other 90% of the stadiums either have smoking areas or allow fans to go to their cars and then re-enter the stadium. Washington even has a cigar bar in their stadium. I am not defending a bad habit - but the overuse of alcohol is an equally bad habit. This is okay since the organization makes money on this one! I am surprised that the Bills did this to further reduce their season ticket base - but it is their business to run. Looking forward to road trips next season to see our Bills - and ENJOY the experience. As a former smoker I'm not gonna tell you to quit smoking but if it's a cigarette that's stopping you from attending a Bills game then I would question you as a fan... On the other hand maybe you should do what I did and enter the stadium with an electronic cigarette... At least until the game is over to fix your urge and then when you get to your car or outside the stadium you canm light a real cancer stick..........
GeorgeEdwardsTeeth Posted December 27, 2011 Posted December 27, 2011 You don't get it... When we drink beer you don't get drunk . But if you smoke anyone who sits around you inhales that nazty nicotine. No not right. I support the smoking ban in the stadium
agardin Posted December 27, 2011 Posted December 27, 2011 Having smoking outside by the fences was fine. This is over kill. Going to the game, for some, involves having some beers which also brings in the social smokers. I would bet that 1/4 of all people attending the games partake. ( NY has a 17% smoking rate over all) Why not accomodate all of the fans, keep the smoking to the outside areas and out of the concourses. If the smoking areas really bother you then I think you should take it easy, you might give yourself a heart attack. Live and let live. This was likely driven by someone other than Ralph. I would bet it came from Erie county as they are involved with the stadium. If you smoke get used to it, politician will always make hay at your expense. The Onion had a funny pictorial of this point http://www.theonion.com/articles/cigarette-tax-hike-to-pay-for-iraq-war,9753/
San Jose Bills Fan Posted December 27, 2011 Posted December 27, 2011 You don't get it... When we drink beer you don't get drunk . But if you smoke anyone who sits around you inhales that nazty nicotine. No not right. I support the smoking ban in the stadium Maybe there's something that you're not getting. How about all of the drunk drivers, people who are barfing on other people, cursing, swearing, making the stadium an unpleasant place to bring women and children? How about the drunk drivers who endanger the lives of others as they drive home intoxicated?
Luvbills Posted December 27, 2011 Posted December 27, 2011 Having smoking outside by the fences was fine. This is over kill. Going to the game, for some, involves having some beers which also brings in the social smokers. I would bet that 1/4 of all people attending the games partake. ( NY has a 17% smoking rate over all) Why not accomodate all of the fans, keep the smoking to the outside areas and out of the concourses. If the smoking areas really bother you then I think you should take it easy, you might give yourself a heart attack. Live and let live. This was likely driven by someone other than Ralph. I would bet it came from Erie county as they are involved with the stadium. If you smoke get used to it, politician will always make hay at your expense. The Onion had a funny pictorial of this point http://www.theonion.com/articles/cigarette-tax-hike-to-pay-for-iraq-war,9753/ This poster is correct. It is an Erie County rule....not put into place by Ralph....
Just Jack Posted December 27, 2011 Posted December 27, 2011 That she was going on road trips to enjoy games instead of viewing them at the Ralph. If she's not going to games at the Ralph because she can't smoke it wouldn't make sense to drive to other stadiums that have the same policies. I made this statement under the impression that the Bills made it a smoke free facility due to an NFL mandate, apparently this is incorrect. However according to this: http://www.no-smoke.org/pdf/smokingpoliciesNFLstadiums.pdf it's far more than just the Bills, Bears and Packers as Kim claims. I did a quick count and out of the 31 stadiums, 12 do not permit smoking. Green Bay even does not allow the new e-cigarettes.
NyQuil Posted December 27, 2011 Posted December 27, 2011 Why don't you bring a water bottle in and dip if you can't go 3 hours without a cigarette?
Just Jack Posted December 27, 2011 Posted December 27, 2011 How about all of the drunk drivers, people who are barfing on other people, cursing, swearing, making the stadium an unpleasant place to bring women and children? How about the drunk drivers who endanger the lives of others as they drive home intoxicated? Saw some guys in the lower bowl scoreboard end zone carrying their buddy out who must have passed out at the game Saturday, looked like pallbearers at a funeral, since they had him on their shoulders.
GaryPinC Posted December 27, 2011 Posted December 27, 2011 Uh, how about smoking sections? And insurance rates? Are you saying for the reason of fire? Because if so, that's silly. The Ralph is almost entirely concrete and steel. Amen. On top of this, I'm from the live and let live generation. I'd rather not live in a society which tells me or others how to live our lives. I'm old enough and smart enough that I don't need anyone "protecting" me. If I'm not harming others and if they're not harming me (again smoking areas, not smoking in your seat) why should I be treated as a "2nd class citizen?" Sorry to say, any organized society makes rules telling us how to live our lives (licenses, crimes, taxes, toxic chemicals, exposure limits in the workplace,etc). Society creates rules to preserve order and safety. Smoking is a health hazard to the smoker and anyone exposed to the smoke. I generally believe in "live and let live" and agree that the laws probably go a bit too far when they disallow even an outdoor "designated smoking area", but before these laws began being passed smokers never gave a damn who they affected with their smoking in public. These laws were not made to force smokers to give it up, they were made to correct inconsiderate public behavior by smokers. These laws "protect" me from having to either put up with toxic smoke or go ask the person to stop, which would probably result in an altercation since most smokers fail to distinguish their right to smoke from the right of nonsmokers not to be exposed to their toxic fumes. In Ohio, these proposed laws were voted on by the public in a general election and won easily. The majority voters dictated that the government put these rules in place. It's as democratic as it gets.
Recommended Posts