Russ Brandon on WGR

[CodeMonkey]

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 even ask what his plans are.

I don't know about the "insulting" part, but the rest is true. He is entitled to do what he wants (within the rules of the NFL anyway) regarding the ownership and sale of his team.

And the fans don't have any right or say in that decision. Like it or not.

 

When Mr. Wilson passes we will find out. All the forum threads in the world won't change that basic fact.

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

If the bills won games, he'd be out of a job-- tickets would sell themselves.

[CodeMonkey]

If the bills won games, he'd be out of a job-- tickets would sell themselves.

Didn't happen even in the SB years. December games in an outdoor stadium in Buffalo do not sell themselves.

[JohnC]

I don't know about the "insulting" part, but the rest is true. He is entitled to do what he wants (within the rules of the NFL anyway) regarding the ownership and sale of his team.

And the fans don't have any right or say in that decision. Like it or not.

 

When Mr. Wilson passes we will find out. All the forum threads in the world won't change that basic fact.

 

I have a slightly different thought on the owner's sell issue. The team he paid $25,000 for more than half a century ago has been supported by the community and public authorities with taxpayer funds for over a half century. There were numerous stadium expenditures made by the taxpayers that helped to develop his business. While other owners were required to sizeably contribute to their stadium upgrades (new and renovation) Wilson never did so. The community has generously subsidized his private business. The majority of people agreed with this arrangement.

 

Does Ralph have a legal obligation to make arrangements to keep the team in the region after he passes? No, Does he have an ethical obligation to do so as long as he is getting maybe not maximum return on his asset but a fair-market return that still generously rewards his estate? That is an issue that will not cross his mind because he doesn't think in those terms. For him it is simply a business and estate issue that seeks the maximum.

Edited October 11, 2012 by JohnC

[Gordio]

Didn't happen even in the SB years. December games in an outdoor stadium in Buffalo do not sell themselves.

 

This is a myth that is commonly accepted by this board but it is just not true. I think everybody could agree that 1988 was the start of the Golden Era of the Buffalo Bills lasting thru 1994(the first season after thei 4th super bowl loss & 1st year they did not make the playoffs in that stretch)

 

1988 - Sold out all 8 games including 1 game in December where actual attnedance was over 77K. Average attendance that year - 77,849

 

1989 - Sold out 7 out of 8 games. Lone game they did not sell out was against New Orleans Dec 10th. Actual attendance that game was still over 70K. Average attendance that year was 77,464

 

1990 - 1st Super Bowl year, sold out all 8 games including 2 December games, one the day after Christmas. Average attendance was 77,693. In addition they also sold out 2 playoff games both in January. The actual attendance at the Raiders game was over 80K in the AFC Championship, ONLY 42 NO SHOWS AT THAT GAME.

 

1991 - Sold out all 8 games including 2 games in December, one being against the Lions 3 days before Christmas in which the game meant nothing to the Bills & they rested most of their starters. 635,889 bills fans walked thru the gates that year setting at the time an in house NFL single season attendance record. Average attendance that year was 79,486. They also sold out their 2 home playoff games, both in January & both with actual attendance over 80K.

 

1992 - Sold out 7 out of games including 1 in December. The only game they did not sell out was a game against Denver december 12th. They still had actual attendance of 71,740. Average attendance that year was 77,916.

 

1993 - Last of the Super Bowl years, Bills fans became kind of a spoiled bunch & an entitled fan base. Little did we know what lied ahead over the next 18 years we may have appreciated that team a little more. That year they sold out 7 out of the 8 games including a game against the Raiders in December. The only game they did not sellout was the Jets game on 12/14 in which it was one of the coldest games ever to be played @ Orchard Park. They still got over 71K fans at that game. They sold out their 2 home playoff games once again but only got 61K in the joint for the Raiders game which was even colder then the Jets game & I think was the coldest game in the history of Orchard Park(0 degrees, -32 wind chill).

 

1994 - Attendance started to fall off. They only sold out 6 out of 8 games. They still averaged over 74K per game in actual attendance.

 

 

So please for the last time spear me the crap, you & Promo & whoever else that says they had trouble filling up the place even in their super bowl years. Most other owners would of killed to have attendance like the bills had back in the late eighties & early nineties.

[jester43]

It has to be disappointing. Hell the amount of time we as fans devote to this team, it hurts us when they play poorly. I cant imagine the boss is enjoying it. Brandon helped write some awful big checks this offseason

the freaking MORONS had a chance to do a REAL SEASRCH for a REAL coach and gm....and the went the easy and cheap route yet agaiin....now here we are...again.

 

that's why Ralph, or whoever is making decisions these days is so goddam stupid.

 

and before you tell me it's not their fault because no one good wanted to come here...all they would have had to do is ridiculously overpay for whomever they wanted...like they did for the big pu$$y mario...and they would have wound up saving money and we'd have an actual nfl-caliber team to root for.

 

but this has been Ralph's m.o. for years, so there no surprise. just back up the mayflower vans and get it over with already...

 

what a loser failed owner this guy is.

 

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

gee i thought i was the only one. on the plus side, i haven't wasted money on a pro sports ticket in several years.

[weehawk]

It hurts? After 11+ years of utter failure, it still hurts? I would hope that folks have gotten over the hurt by now and are focused instead on pure anger over what this team has become. Pain is the last thing I feel. Rage and disgust are more appropriate descriptors. I hope the stadium is less than half full for the rest of the season and that it makes the national news. Fire Gailey and Nix. They are not the answer and in my opinion never were the answer. But I stand by my previous posts. No decent coaching or FO people will sign onto this team while the long-term ownership issue remains unknown.

 

 

 

 

It has to be disappointing. Hell the amount of time we as fans devote to this team, it hurts us when they play poorly. I cant imagine the boss is enjoying it. Brandon helped write some awful big checks this offseason

[weehawk]

I think FO and coaching people fall into a different category greed wise. Players have a limited shelf life and have to grab what they when they can. Coaches and FOs have long careers ahead of them and dont often grab the first big money offer. They're more worried about reputations and building networks. Players could care a rat's behind about that stuff. We'll always be able to get (supposedly) top-tier athletic talent via bribery. I dont agree that the same holds true for the off-field people.

 

 

the freaking MORONS had a chance to do a REAL SEASRCH for a REAL coach and gm....and the went the easy and cheap route yet agaiin....now here we are...again.

 

that's why Ralph, or whoever is making decisions these days is so goddam stupid.

 

and before you tell me it's not their fault because no one good wanted to come here...all they would have had to do is ridiculously overpay for whomever they wanted...like they did for the big pu$$y mario...and they would have wound up saving money and we'd have an actual nfl-caliber team to root for.

 

but this has been Ralph's m.o. for years, so there no surprise. just back up the mayflower vans and get it over with already...

 

what a loser failed owner this guy is.

 

gee i thought i was the only one. on the plus side, i haven't wasted money on a pro sports ticket in several years.

[LabattBlue]

This is a myth that is commonly accepted by this board but it is just not true. I think everybody could agree that 1988 was the start of the Golden Era of the Buffalo Bills lasting thru 1994(the first season after thei 4th super bowl loss & 1st year they did not make the playoffs in that stretch)

 

1988 - Sold out all 8 games including 1 game in December where actual attnedance was over 77K. Average attendance that year - 77,849

 

1989 - Sold out 7 out of 8 games. Lone game they did not sell out was against New Orleans Dec 10th. Actual attendance that game was still over 70K. Average attendance that year was 77,464

 

1990 - 1st Super Bowl year, sold out all 8 games including 2 December games, one the day after Christmas. Average attendance was 77,693. In addition they also sold out 2 playoff games both in January. The actual attendance at the Raiders game was over 80K in the AFC Championship, ONLY 42 NO SHOWS AT THAT GAME.

 

1991 - Sold out all 8 games including 2 games in December, one being against the Lions 3 days before Christmas in which the game meant nothing to the Bills & they rested most of their starters. 635,889 bills fans walked thru the gates that year setting at the time an in house NFL single season attendance record. Average attendance that year was 79,486. They also sold out their 2 home playoff games, both in January & both with actual attendance over 80K.

 

1992 - Sold out 7 out of games including 1 in December. The only game they did not sell out was a game against Denver december 12th. They still had actual attendance of 71,740. Average attendance that year was 77,916.

 

1993 - Last of the Super Bowl years, Bills fans became kind of a spoiled bunch & an entitled fan base. Little did we know what lied ahead over the next 18 years we may have appreciated that team a little more. That year they sold out 7 out of the 8 games including a game against the Raiders in December. The only game they did not sellout was the Jets game on 12/14 in which it was one of the coldest games ever to be played @ Orchard Park. They still got over 71K fans at that game. They sold out their 2 home playoff games once again but only got 61K in the joint for the Raiders game which was even colder then the Jets game & I think was the coldest game in the history of Orchard Park(0 degrees, -32 wind chill).

 

1994 - Attendance started to fall off. They only sold out 6 out of 8 games. They still averaged over 74K per game in actual attendance.

 

 

So please for the last time spear me the crap, you & Promo & whoever else that says they had trouble filling up the place even in their super bowl years. Most other owners would of killed to have attendance like the bills had back in the late eighties & early nineties.

Well done!

Edited October 11, 2012 by LabattBlue

[dancing_joker]

Ralph is a businessman who's business is in Buffalo, NY. He doesn't care what happens to the Bills after he dies. Sad, but true. If he cared, a plan would already have been announced. He needs you to keep showing up to keep his business running. He saw what happened with the Buffalo Braves and learned from it.

[seq004]

 

I've been to games with 20,000 during the '77 and '84 seasons.

Yeah I went to almost every home game in the 1984 season in which they won only 1 contest against the Dallas Cowboys. I sat in the stadium for the final home game I think the announced attendance that day was 23,000 people.

[Fan in San Diego]

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?

 

If he is so concerned about keeping the team in Buffalo he should sell the team now to a group who's going to keep the team in Buffalo. But since he won't do that, this team will be on a bus to LA when he passes.

[BMWR100RT]

So please for the last time spear me the crap, you & Promo & whoever else that says they had trouble filling up the place even in their super bowl years. Most other owners would of killed to have attendance like the bills had back in the late eighties & early nineties.

 

I've always thought of the attendance some of you kids form those days was bs. many of those games I was at, back when I would have paid anything. I f they rised the ticket prices 20 bucks each and put a contender out there, the stadium would still be filled. It hurts me to say that my trust in one bills drive is so shaken, I watch the games in tape delay, because they just aren't worth my time. My two boys would probably get on board if they were competitive, but they took these last two games as a "that's why we follow the Steelers" punctuation to me.

 

I laughed when I heard all the talk about MAtt Cassell being cheered when he got hurt. Nobody wishes him bad personally, the just want him out of their lives. I feel that way about Mr. Wilson. Not dead, just dead to me and my fellow suffering Bills fans. Whatever happens has to be better than this.

[WotAGuy]

This is a myth that is commonly accepted by this board but it is just not true. I think everybody could agree that 1988 was the start of the Golden Era of the Buffalo Bills lasting thru 1994(the first season after thei 4th super bowl loss & 1st year they did not make the playoffs in that stretch)

 

1988 - Sold out all 8 games including 1 game in December where actual attnedance was over 77K. Average attendance that year - 77,849

 

1989 - Sold out 7 out of 8 games. Lone game they did not sell out was against New Orleans Dec 10th. Actual attendance that game was still over 70K. Average attendance that year was 77,464

 

1990 - 1st Super Bowl year, sold out all 8 games including 2 December games, one the day after Christmas. Average attendance was 77,693. In addition they also sold out 2 playoff games both in January. The actual attendance at the Raiders game was over 80K in the AFC Championship, ONLY 42 NO SHOWS AT THAT GAME.

 

1991 - Sold out all 8 games including 2 games in December, one being against the Lions 3 days before Christmas in which the game meant nothing to the Bills & they rested most of their starters. 635,889 bills fans walked thru the gates that year setting at the time an in house NFL single season attendance record. Average attendance that year was 79,486. They also sold out their 2 home playoff games, both in January & both with actual attendance over 80K.

 

1992 - Sold out 7 out of games including 1 in December. The only game they did not sell out was a game against Denver december 12th. They still had actual attendance of 71,740. Average attendance that year was 77,916.

 

1993 - Last of the Super Bowl years, Bills fans became kind of a spoiled bunch & an entitled fan base. Little did we know what lied ahead over the next 18 years we may have appreciated that team a little more. That year they sold out 7 out of the 8 games including a game against the Raiders in December. The only game they did not sellout was the Jets game on 12/14 in which it was one of the coldest games ever to be played @ Orchard Park. They still got over 71K fans at that game. They sold out their 2 home playoff games once again but only got 61K in the joint for the Raiders game which was even colder then the Jets game & I think was the coldest game in the history of Orchard Park(0 degrees, -32 wind chill).

 

1994 - Attendance started to fall off. They only sold out 6 out of 8 games. They still averaged over 74K per game in actual attendance.

 

 

So please for the last time spear me the crap, you & Promo & whoever else that says they had trouble filling up the place even in their super bowl years. Most other owners would of killed to have attendance like the bills had back in the late eighties & early nineties.

 

 

 

 

Why are you obfuscating the argument with FACTS? There's no room for that kind of nonsense here...please go start a "fact" thread. (nice job, BTW)

[Donald Duck]

Russ Brandon as acting GM did more damage to the organization in my opinion then any other person in the history of the Buffalo Bills.

 

The Bills are still trying to recover from it...

Edited October 11, 2012 by Fig Newton

[Joe W]

Great job on laying out the true facts about December attendance in the Ninties. Brandon likes to state percentages when he stumbles and stammers on comparing the last ten years to the 2000's.

 

Another fact he glosses over is the increase in Canadian fans. He likes to use %'s to pat himself on the back for their increase, the main reason they have increased is simple: The Canadian Dollar has strengthened by 25 % in the last 5 years.

 

The sooner that everyone realizes brandon's a tool and is a core reason for this franchises decline the better.

[Fan in Chicago]

 

1992 - Sold out 7 out of games including 1 in December. The only game they did not sell out was a game against Denver december 12th. They still had actual attendance of 71,740. Average attendance that year was 77,916.

 

 

If I remember correctly, the comeback game was blacked out right ? (Not trying to be an a$$, just a genuine question)

[Joe W]

comparing sell-outs / attendance to the nineties is comparing apples to oranges. The stadium was 7k larger then, as well they had 11 to 12 home games per year compared to 8 / 9 home games now. Remember Brandin sold a game to Toronto, but at least he was successfull in getting the preseason game returned this year.

 

Branden is a TOOL !

[May Day 10]

Great job on laying out the true facts about December attendance in the Ninties. Brandon likes to state percentages when he stumbles and stammers on comparing the last ten years to the 2000's.

 

Another fact he glosses over is the increase in Canadian fans. He likes to use %'s to pat himself on the back for their increase, the main reason they have increased is simple: The Canadian Dollar has strengthened by 25 % in the last 5 years.

 

The sooner that everyone realizes brandon's a tool and is a core reason for this franchises decline the better.

 

I agree with this 100%.

The marketing effort in WNY is garbage, plain and simple.

They agreed to maintain the blackout rule.

The team perpetually sucks, mainly because the people Wislon trusts have absolute power and anybody worth a lick in NFL terms would never want to answer to Brandon, Littman, Overdorf.

Brandon consistently puts it on the shortcomings of WNY fans and flashes his Canadian numbers.

 

Could you imagine how much they could have charged for tickets in the 90's if there were XX% of Canadian fans?

Edited October 11, 2012 by May Day 10

[Joe W]

I agree with this 100%.

The marketing effort in WNY is garbage, plain and simple.

They agreed to maintain the blackout rule.

 

 

Just listen to Branden stammer on about the tickets remaining for the Miami game and how tough it will be to sell them to get it on TV. All he had to do was opt in to the new blackputpolicy and that game would be on TV.

 

You can hear the two WGR lemmings nodding in unision to what he says.

 

No wonder this is the most troubled franchise in the NFL.