QCity Posted January 14, 2015 Posted January 14, 2015 I'm on the Century-Link bandwagon as well. There's ample area protected from the elements, plus the die-hard drinkers can still party in the endzone and get the full brunt of the snow. Would look spectacular and the acoustics are the cherry on top!
purple haze Posted January 14, 2015 Posted January 14, 2015 (edited) I do not believe that the Sabres cancelled any of their games during or in the aftermath of the storm. I just went on their website, which appears to confirm this. Am I missing something? My view is that, if anyone (the Pegulas, the county, the state, or a combination of them) ever builds a new stadium, it makes little sense to spend that kind of money without at least a retractable roof given the weather and what I think that such a stadium could mean to the continued renaissance of Buffalo. Also, as I mentioned before, and which you did not address, the Bills have a hard enough time selling out in December (even when we were good, very good). The stadium used to seat 80,000. The games you refer to when they were very good not selling out had upwards of 75,000 people. The new stadium will probably be 65-67,000. Sell outs won't be much of an issue at that number. Unless the team is straight horrible. I'm not one for a roof, but if they have to have one it must be open when the weather isn't bad. And it has to have a lot of glass for natural light sources. Edited January 14, 2015 by purple haze
Billsguy Posted January 14, 2015 Posted January 14, 2015 (edited) DOME OR RETRACTABLE ROOF FWIW Let's be realistic - it has to be a dome of some sort. I would favor a retractable dome. Period. And it must be at least 75,000 seats. Edited January 14, 2015 by Billsguy
Kelly the Dog Posted January 14, 2015 Posted January 14, 2015 If the Pegulas want to start with a stadium whenever they want to, I truly doubt the lease will have anything to do with it. Erie County will simply rip it up, because the Pegulas could threaten to move it out of Erie or worse, threaten not to put in nearly as much of their own money. Erie County will do whatever they say, especially if Delaware North throws in a few hundred million. Plus the words from Cuomo and Shumer about there is a question of whether there is a need for a stadium will likely not apply either. They were ONLY talking about money they didn't want the state to pony up for. They think a stadium for the Bills downtown is the greatest idea in the world if they only have to pay 100-200m for it. They likely will begin soon, talking about it, and locating a site and taking their time and doing it right and listening to a lot of people and getting a few designs and bids and in 6-7 years we will have a brand spanking new stadium downtown with a dome or retractable roof that will blow you away and we can't believe its Buffalo.
bbb Posted January 14, 2015 Posted January 14, 2015 Jets "at" Bills November 24 Jets at Sabres November 26 Do you think I'm stupid? I live here. I was in the middle of the whole thing and I have season tickets for both teams (I don't go to all the Sabres games). The thing got started on the night of Nov 17 into the 18th. . The Sharks were already in town so they played in front of friends and family at the arena. The Friday game was impossible to play, just like the Bills game was. The snow finally stopped by Saturday the 22nd. It rained that day and much melted so the Winn Jets game on 11/26 was no problem. We were back on our feet really by Monday the 24th. http://espn.go.com/nhl/story/_/id/11909570/buffalo-sabres-home-game-new-york-rangers-postponed-snowstorm
Peter Posted January 14, 2015 Posted January 14, 2015 Do you think I'm stupid? I live here. I was in the middle of the whole thing and I have season tickets for both teams (I don't go to all the Sabres games). The thing got started on the night of Nov 17 into the 18th. . The Sharks were already in town so they played in front of friends and family at the arena. The Friday game was impossible to play, just like the Bills game was. The snow finally stopped by Saturday the 22nd. It rained that day and much melted so the Winn Jets game on 11/26 was no problem. We were back on our feet really by Monday the 24th. http://espn.go.com/nhl/story/_/id/11909570/buffalo-sabres-home-game-new-york-rangers-postponed-snowstorm Not stupid, just disagreeable. The point was just two days after the Bills played their "home" game in Detroit, the Sabres played at home. Simple as that. Clearly, roads present issues if people cannot drive. In my view, so does whether the venue is outdoors. How many tons of snow were the Bills expecting spur of the moment snow shovelers to shovel? An arena, domed stadium, or stadium with a retractable roof do not have any of those issues. They also are able to compete better with the trend of people just staying home. Just my two cents on how I would spend millions of dollars to build a stadium.
Peter Posted January 14, 2015 Posted January 14, 2015 The stadium used to seat 80,000. The games you refer to when they were very good not selling out had upwards of 75,000 people. The new stadium will probably be 65-67,000. Sell outs won't be much of an issue at that number. Unless the team is straight horrible. I'm not one for a roof, but if they have to have one it must be open when the weather isn't bad. And it has to have a lot of glass for natural light sources. I am all for a retractable roof and natural light. That is why Lucas Oil Field is so appealing. When these issues previously were discussed many months ago, someone also posted a photo of a rugby stadium in NZ or Australia that was very appealing with all of the natural light. If it were up to me and if there is a retractable roof, the roof would be open for football unless it were below a certain temperature (say 30 degrees +/-) or it was raining or the wind had gusts of over a certain MPH. There is a way to accommodate most everyone's interests. I certainly would not want to be in an antiseptic dome stadium without any character (e.g., Rogers, the one in St. Pete), I would rather have the Ralph. But, if someone is going to spend the money and time building a stadium, I think that it should be downtown, have a retractable roof, and have lots of character and light. For those of you that have a romantic notion about sitting out in the driving rain or getting frost bite, that is where you lose me. I can do that at the Ralph without someone spending $700m +. I really would like to see something built that would be significant architecturally and otherwise - not just in Buffalo, but around the world. I really see this as an opportunity to advance the Buffalo renaissance while building a new home for the Bills. If it is going to be just another cookie cutter stadium (outdoor or otherwise), why spend the money.
bbb Posted January 14, 2015 Posted January 14, 2015 Not stupid, just disagreeable. The point was just two days after the Bills played their "home" game in Detroit, the Sabres played at home. Simple as that. Clearly, roads present issues if people cannot drive. In my view, so does whether the venue is outdoors. How many tons of snow were the Bills expecting spur of the moment snow shovelers to shovel? An arena, domed stadium, or stadium with a retractable roof do not have any of those issues. They also are able to compete better with the trend of people just staying home. Just my two cents on how I would spend millions of dollars to build a stadium. I can see how if you didn't live through it, you would think the game would be doable. IT WAS NOT. It was an insane situation. I have been to the coldest games in Bills history. Every one of them. The two back to back 12/26/93 and then the Raiders in the playoffs. They were insanely cold. I could not have and wouldn't have even thought to go to a game this time. Not because of it being outside. Because nobody could go anywhere. If you were here for the Blizzard of 77, it was like that. 4 Braves games and 2 Sabres games were postponed during that. Indoors. I don't see how letting you know you have the wrong week is being disagreeable. It's just the facts.
Alaska Darin Posted January 14, 2015 Posted January 14, 2015 How can anyone be anti dome? Pretty easily if you've ever been to a game in a domed stadium. The Edward Jones Dome is the worst game experience I've ever had anywhere. That place is like death.
Kirby Jackson Posted January 14, 2015 Posted January 14, 2015 (edited) I don't personally know any true WNYers that would skip a Bills game because of weather. I know I wouldn't. I've worked outside jobs most of my life so staying home because it's cold and snowy/rainy is a lame excuse. That's just my opinion, but like I said, I don't know anyone that wouldn't attend a home game because of weather. GB has a waiting list for season tickets and sells out every home game. Guess they have more loyal fans than Buffalo. And it gets a hell of a lot colder there.That's kind of the point. The numbers say that they have a hard time selling tickets in December. It is a fact that and has been for decades. So there is a segment that isn't going specifically because of weather. In addition the new stadium isn't about attracting the same "true WNYers" that attend every game anyways. They are trying to add another segment of people. They want to attract a higher end client that will pay the increased prices. In order to do that you need to increase their experience (not the shirtless guy with his face painted). You are trying to attract as many clients as you can that will pay $200-$250 a ticket (or whatever). In order to do that you have to eliminate as many excuses as you can as to why they don't currently attend. Currently weather and available locations are the chief reasons that you don't have a higher % of that segment. The biggest misconception is that the new stadium will be about an increased fan experience. It will provide an increased fan experience but the stadium will be built BECAUSE of revenue generation. There will be more avenues for people to spend their money (and increased money at that). This isn't about the die hards; it's about the dollars. Edited January 14, 2015 by Kirby Jackson
zonabb Posted January 14, 2015 Posted January 14, 2015 Let me just say that there is zero chance whatsoever that a stadium could be designed, put through the environmental review process, and constructed by fall 2017. So many things would have had happened by now that it would have been public, most likely land assembly via acquisition. The local media would have picked up on those transactions and it would have been know. Levi Stadium construction started in April 2012 and it was open in time for 2014. That would mean construction would start this April to be open in 2017. The environmental review process will take months and if someone decides to be a pain in the backside, like any of the single-issue local obstructionist groups like we tend to see when major projects are announced (New Millennium Group or preservationists or Joel Giambra), and sue or be overly cumbersome, it'll take more than a year. So beside the fact this story looks to be written ba 10 year old and from a website apparently 10 people read, administratively, it's an impossibility. And if there is a new stadium in the works, I have a very good feeling I'll hear about it!!!
Agent 91 Posted January 14, 2015 Posted January 14, 2015 I would love, love love for Buffalo to get an MLB team. Would require a multi-purpose retractable facility IMO. Also highly doubtful as long as the MLB caters to the big markets and the MLBPA. But man, talk about getting a ton of people downtown 80+ nights a Summer? As far as the Bills stadium, I would be fine if they just took Seattle's taco/burrito design and transplanted it here. Would be comfortable enough from the elements, yet outdoors. I really do not know what events an enclosed stadium would attract that an outdoor stadium will not. Best case is Pegula and Jacobs privately fund an outdoor stadium, ask the public for infastructure downtown, and with that, the public along with maybe a private developer builds a really nice convention center. Im just bitter we have the First Niagara Center and no basketball team!!!! That would make 3 facilities that are only used... SOMETIMES. Do you think we would support a baseball team
ExiledInIllinois Posted January 14, 2015 Posted January 14, 2015 Pretty easily if you've ever been to a game in a domed stadium. The Edward Jones Dome is the worst game experience I've ever had anywhere. That place is like death. Have you ever been to a BFLO home dome game? Probably not, I think they only played one in their history... And it wasn't even their home! It's because you are judging a dome game from another team's fanbase and POV. St.Louis has got to have the sleepiest fanbase of anywhere... Especially the Rams. A BUFFALO home dome game would be simply electric no matter what kind of dome was built. Case in point, the Detroit game this year. If that is any indication how a Buffalo home dome game would be... I am totally pro-dome. Simply electric, there was no cold to sap the energy out of the fans. It's all about who's fans the dome belongs to. To judge it any other way is simply idiotic!
May Day 10 Posted January 14, 2015 Posted January 14, 2015 (edited) If they build with a roof, I can't blame them. I would prefer a centurylink. Best of all worlds. I feel an indoor stadium sucks a lot of character out of teams. Last weekends games were all outdoors and in cold weather cities. I thought and always think that is a preferable backdrop as opposed to sterile dark and miscellaneous games you see in indy, dallas, detroit, etc. In a centurylink, fan experience will certainly be increased as will pricing. People have to remember though, our market doesn't allow for the typical widespread high end pricing. There will be suites and clubs for the top class indoor or out. Comparing December games in the early 90s to today is silly. Especially taking into account a centurylink type field will be a little smaller, somewhat protected with a roof, and in a much more accessible location than orchard park. 90s the stadium was huge. No Internet resale options or purchasing... or electronic tickets. The team was coming off of seasons where 20k fans was common. Nfl overall is much more popular now... and also we now have about 25% of fans coming from ontario and rochester that didn't exist in the 90s. Also take into account that opposing fans are much better traveled today. Look at the 93 sabres. Most exciting team in their history and they couldn't sell out the aud. It doesnt translate to today. 1 season where we win a division and have a home playoff game I guarantee we will see a cap in season tickets and a waiting list. Also I'm unsure of all these events an indoor would hold that an outdoor and func can't. Maybe a hypothetical final four... but on the other hand an outdoor stadium would hold nhl games I'm sure on a few occasions Edited January 14, 2015 by May Day 10
SoulMan Posted January 14, 2015 Posted January 14, 2015 Gotta' be a retractable. Anything else isn't worth building. Only location: downtown.
BillsFan-4-Ever Posted January 14, 2015 Posted January 14, 2015 (edited) http://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/sports/2015/01/07/buffalo-bills-new-stadium/21422637/ I was wondering why no one had touched on this last week when I first saw the article on Yahoo http://www.buffalonews.com/business/were-interested-in-playing-a-role-in-downtown-bills-stadium-jacobs-family-says-20150106 Edited January 14, 2015 by BillsFan-4-Ever
Wayne Cubed Posted January 14, 2015 Posted January 14, 2015 I knew I had seen that picture before.... what a horrible article ripping off the City of Industry stadium in LA. http://www.losangelesfootballstadium.com/gallery.html
PromoTheRobot Posted January 14, 2015 Posted January 14, 2015 Because football is supposed to be an outdoor sport.......in 1958.
Thirty Year Fan Posted January 14, 2015 Posted January 14, 2015 Nope, it needs a dome so we can host the superbowl. Tim- Final four also.
dpberr Posted January 14, 2015 Posted January 14, 2015 The new Bills stadium has to be a special, unique and revolutionary building especially if it's going to be downtown. I want the PNC Park/Camden Yards of NFL football fields. Don't want an overpriced cement dungeon.
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