Russ Brandon on WGR

[May Day 10]

How bad can it be? The Bills sell out games in one of the poorest areas of the country for a team that hasn't made the playoffs in 12 years. The only games they struggle to sell out are December games when the weather is bad and the team is out of the playoffs. The Bill struggled to sell out games in the 90s when they were great.

 

Brandon is probably the best friend the fans have in keeping the Bills in Buffalo. A WNY guy who loves the area.

 

They are good at selling hope and impersonating a franchise that wants to win.

 

There is no marketing, the team perpetually sucks, they cant sell tickets late in the season and it kind of gets thrown onto us. They claim the market is tapped which is why Toronto is 100% necessary. I would like to see a more serious effort (at winning and at marketing) before claiming WNY is tapped and consistently pointing to % of Canadian ticket holders.

 

It almost feels like the tracks are being greased for a move up there.

Edited October 10, 2012 by May Day 10

[C.Biscuit97]

They are good at selling hope and impersonating a franchise that wants to win.

 

There is no marketing, the team perpetually sucks, they cant sell tickets late in the season and it kind of gets thrown onto us. They claim the market is tapped which is why Toronto is 100% necessary. I would like to see a more serious effort (at winning and at marketing) before claiming WNY is tapped and consistently pointing to % of Canadian ticket holders.

 

It almost feels like the tracks are being greased for a move up there.

 

Dude, it's Buffalo. I love it but there's not a lot to do. Is a commercial really going to make someone buy a ticket? I highly doubt it. If the Bills have a shot at the playoffs in December, I'm sure ticket sales will be fine.

[All_Pro_Bills]

There is information regarding to what is going to happen to the franchise when he passes. You and others should know exactly what is going to happen at that point. The team is going to be auctioned off. There is no hidden agenda with Ralph.

 

From a financial standpoint there isn't much challenge for the state and county to make the numbers work to finance a stadium renovation. The only thing standing in the way is for the owner to agree to some sort of committment to stay for a reasonable time frame. The franchise side of the negotiation, at least to this point, is not going to agree to it because from their perspective it would diminish the value of their asset to outside bidders.

 

Ralph Wilson has clearly stated that as long as he is the owner the team will stay in the region. He is 94 yrs. old. That is all he is promising. He has also made it clear that the team is going to be sold when he passess. What more clarification do you want?

You are right, the team will be sold and another owner or ownership group will take over control of the team. What people are looking for is some insight into the relocation question. And they are not going to get it.

 

An answer to that question at this point would do great harm to current ticket sales. With the exception of hardcore fans if it was known the team would relocate then the majority of people might not attend games any longer. And if they knew the team was staying they'd probably hold onto their funds until a new owner took over with the hope that things might change for the better. Its likely that the interested parties are known but the specific outcome of the bidding is not so the exact result, stay or move, is not clear.

[RyanC883]

Maybe he is doing a good job, I don't know or care unless he helps the team succeed, which we don't seem to be doing. Playing Seattle in Toronto instead of Orchard Park doesn't seem like it helps the team, I think it hurts us.

 

I do know that he's the worst interview ever. Never says anything of substance, total corporate lingo, avoids every tough question.

 

My favorite Russ reply was after Schopp asked him who makes the final decision in the draft "Well we have a committee for that, but Buddy has complete autonomy"

 

Okay that clears it up dude. Perfect. Thanks Russ.

 

"our last two performances have been unacceptable" Really? Because we all thought that setting ALL TIME NFL records for worst defensive performance ever was perfectly fine.

 

Nah. He sounds just like Neil Huntington, Clint Hurdle and Cooley the idiots who control the Pirates. Being a fan of both teams is amusing and frustrating

[dwight in philly]

No info? Well...No details yes...But heck even Goodell is on record saying there is a plan in place that they have been working on for some time...It seems to me that, for whatever reason, Ralph is insistent on one thing...No one talks about it while he is alive...So no, we're not going to get the details of exactly what the plan is because Ralph does not want it out there...And we can assume anything we want...But I'm assuming we're all going to be surprised at how quickly it all becomes clear once...well you know what has to happen first...

There is information regarding to what is going to happen to the franchise when he passes. You and others should know exactly what is going to happen at that point. The team is going to be auctioned off. There is no hidden agenda with Ralph.

 

From a financial standpoint there isn't much challenge for the state and county to make the numbers work to finance a stadium renovation. The only thing standing in the way is for the owner to agree to some sort of committment to stay for a reasonable time frame. The franchise side of the negotiation, at least to this point, is not going to agree to it because from their perspective it would diminish the value of their asset to outside bidders.

 

Ralph Wilson has clearly stated that as long as he is the owner the team will stay in the region. He is 94 yrs. old. That is all he is promising. He has also made it clear that the team is going to be sold when he passess. What more clarification do you want?

well, there is two distinct views, im hoping beyond hope that there is a plan in the works, but why not be forthcoming if there is?

[Gordio]

How bad can it be? The Bills sell out games in one of the poorest areas of the country for a team that hasn't made the playoffs in 12 years. The only games they struggle to sell out are December games when the weather is bad and the team is out of the playoffs. The Bill struggled to sell out games in the 90s when they were great.

 

Brandon is probably the best friend the fans have in keeping the Bills in Buffalo. A WNY guy who loves the area.

 

I see this statement thrown out on this board time & time again. How do you figure that WNY is one of the poorest areas in the country? Where do you get this information from. I am actually really curious. I live here(Lancaster to be exact) & all I see is new developement after new development go up in the surrounding suburbs. Someone must be buying these 3-4 hundred thousand dollar houses or they would not keep building them. Are we New York or Dallas or Boston. Of course not. But poorest in the country please. Contrary to popular believe on this board we are not living on dirt floors & eating cans of Spam for dinner every night just to survive in poor old WNY.

 

Here is a crazy marketing idea. Why don't they try to win for a change. What a novel concept. The product would sell itself. & save the BS about people would not be willing to pay top dollar in this area for a winner. Last year when the team was 5-2 in 1st place & the Jets were coming to town I was in Florida that week but my brother in law said you could not touch a ticket from the scalpers for less then $200 that day. He said even a few minutes after the game started. He tried to buy a ticket from a scalper but did not want to pay that much. Ened up watching the game down the road at Buffalo Sports Bar.

Edited October 10, 2012 by Gordio

[dorquemada]

 

Here is a crazy marketing idea. Why don't they try to win for a change. What a novel concept. The product would sell itself. & save the BS about people would not be willing to pay top dollar in this area for a winner.

 

Hey Kid, great idea, but maybe you haven't heard, it's hard to win in the NFL

[Best Player Available]

I see this statement thrown out on this board time & time again. How do you figure that WNY is one of the poorest areas in the country? Where do you get this information from. I am actually really curious. I live here(Lancaster to be exact) & all I see is new developement after new development go up in the surrounding suburbs. Someone must be buying these 3-4 hundred thousand dollar houses or they would not keep building them. Are we New York or Dallas or Boston. Of course not. But poorest in the country please. Contrary to popular believe on this board we are not living on dirt floors & eating cans of Spam for dinner every night just to survive in poor old WNY.

 

Here is a crazy marketing idea. Why don't they try to win for a change. What a novel concept. The product would sell itself. & save the BS about people would not be willing to pay top dollar in this area for a winner. Last year when the team was 5-2 in 1st place & the Jets were coming to town I was in Florida that week but my brother in law said you could not touch a ticket from the scalpers for less then $200 that day. He said even a few minutes after the game started. He tried to buy a ticket from a scalper but did not want to pay that much. Ened up watching the game down the road at Buffalo Sports Bar.

I think what the OP was saying is. The city of Buffalo is ranked the second poorest city in the country. Motown is number 1. People like Forbes publish this stuff all the time. They may move up or down a slot. But that's where Buffalo has been for quite some time. Obviously the equation is a little more complex than how much pocket change people have or a development in a suburb. Which is outside city limits anyway. I don't have a link but really you never have seen that before?

[BillnutinHouston]

It almost feels like the tracks are being greased for a move up there.

 

If there was greasing going on, the Bills would DEMAND a new stadium. Simple as that.

[MarkyMannn]

How bad can it be? The Bills sell out games in one of the poorest areas of the country for a team that hasn't made the playoffs in 12 years. The only games they struggle to sell out are December games when the weather is bad and the team is out of the playoffs. The Bill struggled to sell out games in the 90s when they were great.

 

Good post C Bisc. This part should be a sticky when new stadium discussion comes up on the board. While some people love the outdoors in December, it keeps a lot of people away that would go to a game

[May Day 10]

If there was greasing going on, the Bills would DEMAND a new stadium. Simple as that.

 

I disagree. Wilson has zero motivation to move the team himself and pay for the relocation fees, while he will likely only have < a decade to live.

 

If the team is lease free, they will be at maximum worth, Rogers will swoop in and pay top dollar for the team to the delight of the rest of the owners, maximizing the Wilsons' estate worth. Then in the court of opinion, the NFL will say that 20% of ticket holders were from Canada anyway and Buffalo couldnt sell out December games.

 

 

I really do hope the optimists are correct, trust me.

[MarkyMannn]

I see this statement thrown out on this board time & time again. How do you figure that WNY is one of the poorest areas in the country? Where do you get this information from. I am actually really curious. I live here(Lancaster to be exact) & all I see is new developement after new development go up in the surrounding suburbs.

 

I think what the OP was saying is. The city of Buffalo is ranked the second poorest city in the country. Motown is number 1. People like Forbes publish this stuff all the time. They may move up or down a slot. But that's where Buffalo has been for quite some time. Obviously the equation is a little more complex than how much pocket change people have or a development in a suburb. Which is outside city limits anyway. I don't have a link but really you never have seen that before?

 

Get in your cars guys and drive around the area. The whole city is hurting except for some parts of north and very south Buffalo. Go throught the west part of Tonawanda and the cities of Ton and N Ton. Check our north and west Cheektowaga, Lackawanna and Blasdell, these areas if not now in poverty are soon to be.

 

Here's another. My son looks at an older house in the City of Tonawanda. Where else but here can you buy a house for $60k and pay taxes of $5500 a year

[CodeMonkey]

I see this statement thrown out on this board time & time again. How do you figure that WNY is one of the poorest areas in the country? Where do you get this information from. I am actually really curious. I live here(Lancaster to be exact) & all I see is new developement after new development go up in the surrounding suburbs. Someone must be buying these 3-4 hundred thousand dollar houses or they would not keep building them. Are we New York or Dallas or Boston. Of course not. But poorest in the country please. Contrary to popular believe on this board we are not living on dirt floors & eating cans of Spam for dinner every night just to survive in poor old WNY.

 

http://www.reuters.c...E62248O20100303

 

From this page that shows Buffalo (29.6%) compared to the rest of NY (14.2%):

http://quickfacts.ce...36/3611000.html

 

We see:

Persons below poverty level, percent, 2006-2010 29.6% 14.2%

 

And this page that shows the numbers for the US:

http://quickfacts.ce...ates/00000.html

 

Persons below poverty level, percent, 2006-2010 13.8%

Edited October 10, 2012 by CodeMonkey

[Gordio]

Get in your cars guys and drive around the area. The whole city is hurting except for some parts of north and very south Buffalo. Go throught the west part of Tonawanda and the cities of Ton and N Ton. Check our north and west Cheektowaga, Lackawanna and Blasdell, these areas if not now in poverty are soon to be.

 

Here's another. My son looks at an older house in the City of Tonawanda. Where else but here can you buy a house for $60k and pay taxes of $5500 a year

 

Every area has their bad parts. You forgot to mention how nice it is in Williamsville/Orchard park/Amherst/Clarence. Not questioning your fact but seriously why would anybody buy a house in NT if the taxes are like that. My house in Lancaster is assessed at $230K & I pay $5,500 in taxes.

 

http://www.reuters.c...E62248O20100303

 

From this page that shows Buffalo (29.6%) compared to the rest of NY (14.2%):

http://quickfacts.ce...36/3611000.html

 

We see:

 

 

And this page that shows the numbers for the US:

http://quickfacts.ce...ates/00000.html

 

He did not say Buffalo was the poorest region he said WNY. Is there a study showing that WNY is the poorest in the country?

[FitzShowUsYourTitz]

that is that is what frys my behind.. no info whatsoever from the F O on the teams future.. unacceptable!

 

Hey, I agree. But at the same time, it's been the standard answer for about a decade or so. They said it would not change. I think a lot of us accepted their answer a while back. Not that it's not frustrating. It's just reality. Sometimes Reality Bites.

 

Go Bills! By the way....I can't believe nobody is talking about Brown Bagging it at the Ralph. With the records we've set the last few weeks for ineptitude.

I got to believe the Brown Bags over the head may to be coming soon.

:bag: :bag: :bag:

[CodeMonkey]

He did not say Buffalo was the poorest region he said WNY. Is there a study showing that WNY is the poorest in the country?

Ahhhh if you are including Rochester for example, then no it would not be on that list.

[KOKBILLS]

well, there is two distinct views, im hoping beyond hope that there is a plan in the works, but why not be forthcoming if there is?

 

From what I understand Ralph has a pretty big problem with talk that centers around the fact that he's going to die soon...I'm pretty sure he put the muzzle on Jimbo a couple years ago...I've even heard Kelly say specifically that Wilson does not like talk that assumes he has already passed...

[San Jose Bills Fan]

How bad can it be? The Bills sell out games in one of the poorest areas of the country for a team that hasn't made the playoffs in 12 years. The only games they struggle to sell out are December games when the weather is bad and the team is out of the playoffs. The Bill struggled to sell out games in the 90s when they were great.

 

Brandon is probably the best friend the fans have in keeping the Bills in Buffalo. A WNY guy who loves the area.

 

The lowest ticket prices in the NFL.

[Buffalo Barbarian]

that is that is what frys my behind.. no info whatsoever from the F O on the teams future.. unacceptable!

 

Amen Brother! Is Ralph still that egomaniacal that us peasants shouldn't concern ourselves with HIS team? I'm Glad Ralph brought and kept the team here but why are we left in the dark about the future? All we can hope for is Jimbo is for real about keeping the Team here.

 

There is information regarding to what is going to happen to the franchise when he passes. You and others should know exactly what is going to happen at that point. The team is going to be auctioned off. There is no hidden agenda with Ralph.

 

From a financial standpoint there isn't much challenge for the state and county to make the numbers work to finance a stadium renovation. The only thing standing in the way is for the owner to agree to some sort of committment to stay for a reasonable time frame. The franchise side of the negotiation, at least to this point, is not going to agree to it because from their perspective it would diminish the value of their asset to outside bidders.

 

Ralph Wilson has clearly stated that as long as he is the owner the team will stay in the region. He is 94 yrs. old. That is all he is promising. He has also made it clear that the team is going to be sold when he passess. What more clarification do you want?

 

How about not being a greedy SOB! How much money does the family need, you can't take it with you.

 

This team is part of our culture in Buffalo and ripping it out would be like ripping out the Irish or Polish sections of Town.

 

If Ralph had any heart all he would have brought in a minority owner that would take over when he passes and his kids would still get the money from selling his portion to the Minority owner.

[JohnC]

Amen Brother! Is Ralph still that egomaniacal that us peasants shouldn't concern ourselves with HIS team? I'm Glad Ralph brought and kept the team here but why are we left in the dark about the future? All we can hope for is Jimbo is for real about keeping the Team here.

 

 

 

How about not being a greedy SOB! How much money does the family need, you can't take it with you.

 

This team is part of our culture in Buffalo and ripping it out would be like ripping out the Irish or Polish sections of Town.

 

If Ralph had any heart all he would have brought in a minority owner that would take over when he passes and his kids would still get the money from selling his portion to the Minority owner.

 

Ralph has a different mind set from you and me. He is an absentee owner not rooted in this community who believes he is entitled to do whatever he wants with his business. He believes that the peasants have no right to know what the courtly aged owner is going to do. In his entitled world he finds it insulting to have the little people ask what his plans are.

 

Your suggestion that Ralph could have brought in a minority owner is not something he would ever consider.That is not how he runs his football business. It is a solo operation where he makes the decisions but also takes in all the profits. In Baltimore, Art Modell brought in a minority partner who had a first option to buy when the team was going to be sold. Could Ralph have taken that approach? Absolutely. But that is not how Ralph cares to do business.

 

It has been obvious to me for a very long time what he is going to do. Many people find the notion of the team be auctioning off so troubling that they won't believe the obvious. The reality is if the winning bidder wants to keep the team in the region it will stay; if not, the team will be moved.

Edited October 11, 2012 by JohnC