bobobonators Posted December 4, 2013 Posted December 4, 2013 Let me be the devil's advocate. Has the Toronto series worked from a marketing standpoint? That is, other than the revenue from the deal, have we successfully regionalized the fan base and now have many more Canadian fans who buy seasons, buy gear,etc.? If so, then is it worth it to suck it up to play one lousy game a year up there for the long term marketing benefits? I think the most important thing that can be done to "increase" the fan base (that is, obtain the interest of more neutral/passive fans) is to start winning. Give us a decade of making the playoffs 8 years and you'll see "fans" coming out of the woodwork from Toronto all the way to Mexico City.
26CornerBlitz Posted December 4, 2013 Posted December 4, 2013 (edited) between the organization blaming the victims (fans) and many of the victims defending the organization, it seems we have a massive example of the stockholm syndrome http://medical-dicti...ckholm syndrome. the bills are playing it like a stradavarious. It's time to beatify the Bills' fanbase, particularly the STH, given the product placed before us in the last 14 years. Edited December 4, 2013 by 26CornerBlitz
millbank Posted December 4, 2013 Posted December 4, 2013 can remember Mr. Wilson and Mr. Rogers at press conference announcing the Bills in Toronto series, both chortling away at how Toronto people would and will spend huge sums of monies to attend these games. It was a outrage and insult to peoples on both sides of the Border, to those who have been loyal to team for many years, them losing a precious home date to gather with friends ect, a outrage at the disrespect of a obvious cash grab from the peoples of Toronto. Does get down to though just have important to Buffalo and those who follow the team in Buffalo, how important is the monies earned in keeping Bills in Buffalo. Would locals rather sink or swim on the monies earned locally, would you except a across the board ticket raise that would put Bills in middle of ticket pricing base. Would you be on side with going out and making sure stadium is sold out with a season ticket waiting list as many in NFL are. No doubt in the end somebody , somewhere is going to need come up with plan to show how Bills can earn a comparable amount of money as elsewhere, as much as team loved and the import great to Buffalo, in the end it is about making money to owners, given the option to make appreciably more elsewhere it a unfortunate reality they will move elsewhere at earliest opportunity. Toronto will root for a Toronto team, hardly are they going to come out on mass paying large ticket prices to support another cities team anymore than if Buffalo area people each year had a few Jays games to attend at the double the cost because Toronto needed the money to keep Blue Jays. Concept is outrageous... They are the Buffalo Bills and never will be a Buffalo/Toronto Bills. imo
FireChan Posted December 4, 2013 Posted December 4, 2013 Dear Bills nation, if you hate Toronto so much, why don't you ever sell out games in late November and December?
26CornerBlitz Posted December 4, 2013 Posted December 4, 2013 Dear Bills nation, if you hate Toronto so much, why don't you ever sell out games in late November and December? The Bills could help matters by giving the fans something to focus on other than the next season's draft.....Something like Playoff Contention perhaps???
DefenseWinzChampionshipz Posted December 4, 2013 Posted December 4, 2013 If Toronto wants us, we should give them the 3rd preseason game where the starters play the most and the coaches begin to gameplan. No regular season games though. No offense to people that live in Toronto but I hate that place now and I've never been there. Plus Drake is from there and he lied about starting from the bottom now he's here.
FireChan Posted December 4, 2013 Posted December 4, 2013 The Bills could help matters by giving the fans something to focus on other than the next season's draft.....Something like Playoff Contention perhaps??? So the anti-Toronto people are projecting their disappointment in the Bills record onto a neutral site game. Sounds about right.
clayboy54 Posted December 4, 2013 Posted December 4, 2013 This is really the best news we could ever hope for! LINK: http://pro32.ap.org/article/brandon-bills-review-benefits-toronto-games
marauderswr80 Posted December 4, 2013 Posted December 4, 2013 Winning cures all... Winning brings back the fans and interest! But... Us fans have to do our part as well..we need to show up go crazy and cheer the team! Give them the motivation the will to win! It goes both ways if you ask me! I'm guilty of not going to games...but if they put more effort into it so will I.
The Big Cat Posted December 4, 2013 Posted December 4, 2013 This. You are working to "manufacture" sellouts because nobody wants to pay to watch a team kick them in the nuts year after year after year. between the organization blaming the victims (fans) and many of the victims defending the organization, it seems we have a massive example of the stockholm syndrome http://medical-dicti...ckholm syndrome. the bills are playing it like a stradavarious. sounds a bit schizophrenic to me. if "nothing comes before winning" then there is nothing to consider. the series should go away, now. his statements also fly in the face of the belief that ticket sales are irrelevant in today's nfl. he doesn't seem to agree. perhaps if they started winning, there would be more sell outs. I don't see it this way at all. I don't see him blaming fans. I hear him saying nothing is more important than winning. If he thinks (like the rest of us) that the Toronto series puts us at a disadvantage and makes winning less likely, he'll pull the plug, knowing that wins will put fans in the seats. I was PISSED hearing Canadians cheer for Atlanta. I'm sure Russ was BEYOND pissed.
H2o Posted December 4, 2013 Posted December 4, 2013 http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/10077465/buffalo-bills-review-toronto-game-future It may be done
DefenseWinzChampionshipz Posted December 4, 2013 Posted December 4, 2013 By the way, how many more years did we sign up for this Toronto crap again? Honest question cuz I don't remember... http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/10077465/buffalo-bills-review-toronto-game-future It may be done This answered my question thanks.
xsoldier54 Posted December 4, 2013 Posted December 4, 2013 Dear Bills nation, if you hate Toronto so much, why don't you ever sell out games in late November and December? When the team was winning they had no problem selling out November and December games. Nobody wants to freeze their ass of to watch a team that has no chance of making the playoffs. As for the Toronto series, even a non sellout crowd at the Ralph beats the abomination that is a game in Toronto. The atmospere at the Ralph even for a non sellout is absolutely 100% better than playing in Canada. So the anti-Toronto people are projecting their disappointment in the Bills record onto a neutral site game. Sounds about right. Nope. At least not for me. My disappointment in the Bills record is a completely different subject than playing a home game in a hostile environment. And make no mistake, Toronto is not a "neutral" site. The people there don't want these games any more than we do and they voice their opinion by rooting for the visiting team. Silly to give away a home game in December.
FireChan Posted December 4, 2013 Posted December 4, 2013 When the team was winning they had no problem selling out November and December games. Nobody wants to freeze their ass of to watch a team that has no chance of making the playoffs. As for the Toronto series, even a non sellout crowd at the Ralph beats the abomination that is a game in Toronto. The atmospere at the Ralph even for a non sellout is absolutely 100% better than playing in Canada. When the team was winning they had no problem selling out November and December games. They actually did have trouble, that's wrong. Hell, we only truly sold out one game this year. Don't blame Russ for trying to get more fans when we don't even support our team by week 6. Nobody wants to freeze their ass of to watch a team that has no chance of making the playoffs. That's true, but the Ralph most likely wouldn't have sold out for the Falcons game unless Salvatore bought all the tickets. As for the Toronto series, even a non sellout crowd at the Ralph beats the abomination that is a game in Toronto. The atmospere at the Ralph even for a non sellout is absolutely 100% better than playing in Canada. So what? The atmosphere is better? We can't win a game in the most neutral site in the NFL against a 2-9 team? How can we expect to win away games? And where is the train of thought that the Bills play better in the cold than other teams coming from? Want to take a guess at our home records in November/December for the last 10 years?
26CornerBlitz Posted December 4, 2013 Posted December 4, 2013 So the anti-Toronto people are projecting their disappointment in the Bills record onto a neutral site game. Sounds about right. Not sure how you concluded this.
FireChan Posted December 4, 2013 Posted December 4, 2013 Not sure how you concluded this. Can't sell out games in Nov and Dec cause the Bills stink. Bills move a game to Toronto. Bills fans blame Toronto for us losing all the time. Pretty easily.
26CornerBlitz Posted December 4, 2013 Posted December 4, 2013 (edited) Can't sell out games in Nov and Dec cause the Bills stink. Bills move a game to Toronto. Bills fans blame Toronto for us losing all the time. Pretty easily. This is laughable and a huge leap with no foundation! I haven't heard any Bills' fans make such a ridiculous claim. Edited December 4, 2013 by 26CornerBlitz
birdog1960 Posted December 4, 2013 Posted December 4, 2013 I don't see it this way at all. I don't see him blaming fans. I hear him saying nothing is more important than winning. If he thinks (like the rest of us) that the Toronto series puts us at a disadvantage and makes winning less likely, he'll pull the plug, knowing that wins will put fans in the seats. I was PISSED hearing Canadians cheer for Atlanta. I'm sure Russ was BEYOND pissed. IF he thinks the toronto game puts us at a disadvantage? cmon, now. what would you expect the results of a poll of nfl (or even major college) gm's and head coaches would show if asked if giving away a home game would put their team at a disadvantage? pretty certain it would be 100% thast believed that to be true. to question the answer to that question is in itself insulting to fans. newsflash: the toronto game is disadvantageous. therefore, if winning is the top priority, stop the faux pondering and act.
xsoldier54 Posted December 4, 2013 Posted December 4, 2013 When the team was winning they had no problem selling out November and December games. They actually did have trouble, that's wrong. Hell, we only truly sold out one game this year. Don't blame Russ for trying to get more fans when we don't even support our team by week 6. Nobody wants to freeze their ass of to watch a team that has no chance of making the playoffs. That's true, but the Ralph most likely wouldn't have sold out for the Falcons game unless Salvatore bought all the tickets. As for the Toronto series, even a non sellout crowd at the Ralph beats the abomination that is a game in Toronto. The atmospere at the Ralph even for a non sellout is absolutely 100% better than playing in Canada. So what? The atmosphere is better? We can't win a game in the most neutral site in the NFL against a 2-9 team? How can we expect to win away games? And where is the train of thought that the Bills play better in the cold than other teams coming from? Want to take a guess at our home records in November/December for the last 10 years? When the Bills play at home in December, they absolutely have an advantage. If you can't see that, then this argument is pointless.. I'm not talking about selling out games this year BTW, I'm talking about in the Super Bowl and playoff years, we had no problem selling out home games in December. As for it being a neutral site, I completely disagree with your premise. Playing in Toronto is a hostile environment for the Bills. The fans in Toronto do not want these games and those that go do so to make things miserable for the Bills. The hockey rivalry carries over and the fans will root for anyone but Buffalo. The series is a disaster and needs to be done away with. If fans in Toronto want an NFL team, then let them get their own. And again, even if the Falcons game had not sold out in Buffalo the atmosphere would have been absolutely 100% better than the abomination that is playing a game in Toronto. And yes, it does have something to do with the outcome. The Atlanta Falcons, down 14-0 at the Ralph in December absolutely would not have come back and won that game. Playing a dome team in a dome when you can play them outside in the cold is just plain stupid.
billsrcursed Posted December 4, 2013 Posted December 4, 2013 Can't sell out games in Nov and Dec cause the Bills stink. Bills move a game to Toronto. Bills fans blame Toronto for us losing all the time. Pretty easily. Whoa... I think it's time you put a leash on this puppy, don't you?
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