So how would you like having a Ford Field in downtown Buffalo?

[Augie]

 

 

I think this is a complete lie. I am saying I don't believe you. I can find no credible source to confirm this, on or off the record. In fact, everyone who knows anything believes a SB might happen someday, but only if many other things fall into place. A covered stadium is simply one element of what needs to happen. If you have info to the contrary, help us out, point us to it. And the fact you suggest Super Bowls (plural) suggest you have information Buffalo will be tapped multiple times to host the big game. That sounds like a lot of inside info, that I can't imagine has been decided yet. So, yes, I think you are making this up.

 

We went to the Bills SB in Minneapolis. Can't say I was thrilled to go to Minny in the middle of winter when most are in more attractive destinations (though it's actually a great city). I was still glad to go and had a great time. I'm sure many will feel the same way about Buffalo. Even Detroit had a SB! I assume among the many other pieces that have to fall into place would be hotel rooms? We don't have an abundance of Carnival cruise ships on Lake Erie that I'm aware of (Jax). The stadium will take time, and maybe in that time we can transform the direction and image of the city. Time will tell.... but the Bills are staying and I don't care about a SB at all. I would like for the city to be a place worthy of the event though.

[What a Tuel]

ATT is your success story WOW! Cost in 2014 Dollars – 1.43 Billion. Talk about setting the bar low. First 6 months of next year. Remember it is the deep south and it is warm in the winter, so they are a good destination that time of year since they have a weather advantage in the winter.January 2015 Booked 2 days February 2015 Booked 2 days March 2015 Booked 2 days April 2015 Non Local Events booked - one day May 2015 0 events June 2015 0 events

 

Google the articles. The tax income from higher than expected turnouts at those events (including Football) is allowing the city to pay off their bonds early. I gave you what you wanted.

 

That's a $300 million dollar sunroof. You're still indoors. Huge waste of money IMO. Make it a permanent roof.

 

 

I'd be willing to bet if TP builds a downtown stadium sooner the County would let them out early. The whole idea of the lease was to keep them in Erie County anyway.

 

Oh I wholeheartedly agree. Either open air or a dome, but not both. I meant if I had to choose between existing retractable domes, I would have chosen the unobstructed retractable domes.

 

I also agree with this. If Erie county agrees with a new stadium there would be no reason to hold them to the 2022 contract.

Edited November 25, 2014 by What a Tuel

[jaybee]

Domes are awful. the lighting and atmosphere sucks compared to open air stadiums.

 

With all the glitz and flashiness and marketing being force fed into this game, please don't take away the awesomeness of playing the game in the open air.

 

+1000. Its like watching a game in a poorly lit warehouse, or Home Depot !! Domes suck.

[Bills Fan of St Augustine]

Football is an outdoor game which is best played in the elements.

[Saxum]

I wonder if New Zealand's design could be adapted to Buffalo?

http://populous.com/news/2011/08/01/new-zealands-revolutionary-forsyth-barr-stadium-a-true-hybrid-to-function-as-both-an-international-sports-stadium-and-a-world-class-entertainment-arena/

It is designed for 42° S with cold, wet winters and Orchard Park is 42.7667° N, opposite latitude on earth. (Google says it is 45° south but guessing article on new stadium is more accurate

 

It would need to be a lot larger of course with more supports. Players would love it for the all grass field.

[Kirby Jackson]

There will never be a superbowl in Buf. The major rule for a superbowl is you have to have 80% hotel rooms as seat in the stadium. 75,000 seats x 80%= 60000 hotel rooms.

I thought that 30,000 rooms was the number needed?

[Donszar]

Bring back real grass.

[Pete]

Bring back real grass.

!@#$ yeah! Better for players health and.makes better football

[PromoTheRobot]

I wonder if New Zealand's design could be adapted to Buffalo?

http://populous.com/...tainment-arena/

It is designed for 42° S with cold, wet winters and Orchard Park is 42.7667° N, opposite latitude on earth. (Google says it is 45° south but guessing article on new stadium is more accurate

 

It would need to be a lot larger of course with more supports. Players would love it for the all grass field.

 

That's actually pretty cool through the window frame shadows are distracting.

[CardinalScotts]

Buffalo will never host a SB no matter what kind of Stadium is built.

 

with Pegula all things are possible

[The Dean]

We went to the Bills SB in Minneapolis. Can't say I was thrilled to go to Minny in the middle of winter when most are in more attractive destinations (though it's actually a great city). I was still glad to go and had a great time. I'm sure many will feel the same way about Buffalo. Even Detroit had a SB! I assume among the many other pieces that have to fall into place would be hotel rooms? We don't have an abundance of Carnival cruise ships on Lake Erie that I'm aware of (Jax). The stadium will take time, and maybe in that time we can transform the direction and image of the city. Time will tell.... but the Bills are staying and I don't care about a SB at all. I would like for the city to be a place worthy of the event though.

 

I went as well. I hated the stadium, which I think pretty much everyone hated. I took my buddy from Milwaukee and we stayed about an hour outside of town. Drove in in the morning and caught a bus from a bar on the outskirts of town. Perfect plan for us, really. But you will notice they have not had a SB since.

 

With that said, Minneapolis is a WAY bigger market than Buffalo and I assume it has far more hotel rooms (it's late so I won't do the research). I don't think Buffalo won't get a SB because of the weather (though it will be an issue) but rather because the infrastructure for a mass influx of tourists isn't there. Maybe before the increased border control measures, Niagara Falls Ontario would have been a workable solution. It was what I always pointed to when people said Buffalo would never get a SB. But I think they were right. The corporate types which really rule the SB, aren't likely to want to stay what amounts to almost an hour commute to the game. And Toronto (as some have suggested) is a non factor, I think.

 

Keep in mind many of the small crappy motels in NF NY actually close during the winter. Plus I don't think they are SB quality accommodations.

[jester43]

I don't have a clue what Terry Pegula wants, but if he is pushing for open air, God bless him.

 

He gets it. God! Nothing is worse than open air sports played under a roof with fake grass.

 

Makes me sick.

no kidding...it is the greatest feeling in the world to be bundled all the way up sitting outside at a late season bills game when we are kicking a warm weather team's ASS.

[TheFunPolice]

They just built a brand new open air stadium in the New York/New Jersey metro AND hosted a Super Bowl there.

 

I doubt Buffalo hosts a Super Bowl anytime in the foreseeable future. Imagine the Bills traveling to New England* and being at a disadvantage due to snow?!

 

Open air please.

 

Although a stadium like Arizona would be amazing. That place is bright and airy and seems like an outdoor stadium.

 

Ford Field looked like a warehouse with shadows everywhere. No thanks.

[Augie]

 

 

I went as well. I hated the stadium, which I think pretty much everyone hated. I took my buddy from Milwaukee and we stayed about an hour outside of town. Drove in in the morning and caught a bus from a bar on the outskirts of town. Perfect plan for us, really. But you will notice they have not had a SB since.

 

With that said, Minneapolis is a WAY bigger market than Buffalo and I assume it has far more hotel rooms (it's late so I won't do the research). I don't think Buffalo won't get a SB because of the weather (though it will be an issue) but rather because the infrastructure for a mass influx of tourists isn't there. Maybe before the increased border control measures, Niagara Falls Ontario would have been a workable solution. It was what I always pointed to when people said Buffalo would never get a SB. But I think they were right. The corporate types which really rule the SB, aren't likely to want to stay what amounts to almost an hour commute to the game. And Toronto (as some have suggested) is a non factor, I think.

 

Keep in mind many of the small crappy motels in NF NY actually close during the winter. Plus I don't think they are SB quality accommodations.

 

Agreed, Buffalo is no Minneapolis. I hope we can get close to that at some point. That was my major issue. My wildest dream is a Pegulaville explosion which could get us in the talks and make us worthy.

 

It was hard for me to judge the stadium, as there was one guy behind me who had worse seats. End zone against the score board.... and still glad to be there!

[PromoTheRobot]

I think you underestimate what the NFL might do for a guy who shattered the NFL franchise price record, in Buffalo of all places. If Terry Pegula would like to host a Super Bowl, I think the NFL would entertain the idea, especially if there is a shiny new indoor stadium in downtown to play in. I seem to recall Jacksonville used cruise ships as temporary hotels. Can you pull a smaller cruise ship up to Canalside/Outer Harbor?

Edited November 26, 2014 by PromoTheRobot

[purple haze]

It just isn't happening. The Bills are trying to close the revenue gaps with the rest of the league. They aren't going to alienate the business community by trying to "toughen 'em up." It will just be a matter of whether of it is retractable or not. I will bet my 1st child that a roof is over the top.

 

The business community is sitting with the "regulars" now? Seems to me the business community is what suites/skyboxes are made for. Dome atmospheres are terrible in general. Why does Buffalo need one as opposed to every other teams on the east coast? New England, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Jersey, DC, Philly all open air. Green Bay, Chicago are just as cold as B-Lo. Were none of those organizations concerned with business people? There is no need for a dome. None.

 

I think you underestimate what the NFL might do for a guy who shattered the NFL franchise price record, in Buffalo of all places. If Terry Pegula would like to host a Super Bowl, I think the NFL would entertain the idea, especially if there is a shiny new indoor stadium in downtown to play in. I seem to recall Jacksonville used cruise ships as temporary hotels. Can you pull a smaller cruise ship up to Canalside/Outer Harbor?

 

J-Ville was considered the worst Super Bowl experience in years. The NFL won't repeat that mistake.

[TheFunPolice]

I think you underestimate what the NFL might do for a guy who shattered the NFL franchise price record, in Buffalo of all places. If Terry Pegula would like to host a Super Bowl, I think the NFL would entertain the idea, especially if there is a shiny new indoor stadium in downtown to play in. I seem to recall Jacksonville used cruise ships as temporary hotels. Can you pull a smaller cruise ship up to Canalside/Outer Harbor?

 

A cruise ship on a frozen lake in February?

 

Plus it is horrible down there in late Jan/early Feb right on the water in the harbor. Windy, freezing, and generally not a fun place for plastic rich people to sip cocktails and hang with the Kardashians of the world for a week

 

 

[TheFunPolice]

The business community is sitting with the "regulars" now? Seems to me the business community is what suites/skyboxes are made for. Dome atmospheres are terrible in general. Why does Buffalo need one as opposed to every other teams on the east coast? New England, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Jersey, DC, Philly all open air. Green Bay, Chicago are just as cold as B-Lo. Were none of those organizations concerned with business people? There is no need for a dome. None.

 

 

 

J-Ville was considered the worst Super Bowl experience in years. The NFL won't repeat that mistake.

 

agreed on both counts...

 

Anyone who thinks a Jacksonville type cruise ship solution on the outer harbor is a good idea should take a quick hike down there the morning of Super Bowl Sunday this year. A 5 minute walk will show you how/why that isn't happening....

 

We walk at Tift all the time, which is across the road from the lake and somewhat sheltered and it is still windy all the time in the winter. And by windy I mean WINDY, not a nice pleasant February breeze. More like a stiff freezing wind that whips up into a gust every 3 minutes or so.

 

As far as it being "obvious" it will be a dome... I just don't see a trend toward building domes. Lucas Oil replaced an existing dome. Minnesota is replacing an existing dome.

 

Check out Atlanta's new stadium.... The thing looks like something a spaceship docks in! lol

 

http://newstadium.at...mber-22-2014/#/

 

Even in this NASA inspired landing pad the Falcons are building, they are going from total dome (and a crappy one) to retractable.

 

The Vikings new stadium looks pretty cool as well (closed roof but clear):

 

http://blogs.mprnews.org/stadium-watch/2013/05/13/no-retractable-roof-but-lots-of-blue-sky-for-new-vikings-stadium/

Edited November 26, 2014 by TheFunPolice

[purple haze]

Most fail to remember the Comeback Game was a black-out because it was a damp, rainy/slushy/crappy day.

 

 

If that game is played in today's configuration of the stadium it's a sell out. It wasn't sold out, but it wasn't like the place was half full either. 80,000 seats and they had, what, about 75,000? Still a great crowd for what was a raw day.

 

A new stadium is probably going to be smaller than what we have now. I'd say 65-66,000. Similar to what they have in Pittsburgh and Detroit. Once that new stadium is downtown and at that seat number, I don't believe sell outs will much of an an issue again.

Edited November 26, 2014 by purple haze

[TheFunPolice]

As much as I am anti-roof, if it looks like Minnesota's or Atlanta's I would be sold I think....

 

Atlanta's opens, Minnesota's won't. But teams seem to almost never open them anyway.

 

I think I would rather have one like Minnesota is building, with a clear roof that lets in all the light, or Arizona, that also has a bright, airy feel to it.

 

Ford Field is dark and feels like an airplane hangar to me. If it HAS to have a roof go modern and get one of these bright, airy, sunlight filled buildings.