purple haze Posted January 5, 2016 Posted January 5, 2016 I would be really, really surprised if they didn't have a roof. The Bills need to sell more expense seats and in order to do so they need an environment that caters to the business community. Wouldn't the biz community be more interested in suites/boxes? Personally, a stadium like Seattle's is what I'd like to see. Cover the seating areas, but still be outside. Win win for everyone. I think the downtown location will decrease the drunken antics and attract more biz/family types regardless of roof/no roof.
dpberr Posted January 5, 2016 Posted January 5, 2016 My guess it will be modeled after U.S. Bank Stadium. It won't be a dome. Fixed, translucent roof stadium with a massive bank of facade windows. I'd love a Heinz Field type of stadium personally but the weather in Buffalo would massacre that grass field.
papazoid Posted January 5, 2016 Posted January 5, 2016 retractable roof best of both worlds year round
ddaryl Posted January 5, 2016 Posted January 5, 2016 it would be a really really really really dumb mistake not to build a retractable roof stadium
nucci Posted January 5, 2016 Posted January 5, 2016 A SB here is possible because deals for them are made at the time stadiums are in the planning stages for construction. An open air SB in Buffalo will not happen - too likely that weather will have an impact. What I agree with and would like to see is a dome like AZ, but to maximize home field, keep it open during cold days and in playoffs. Close it for rain and the SB game itself. NFL will decide this and most likely close the roof for playoffs http://www.footballzebras.com/2013/05/01/nfl-retractable-roof-policies/
purple haze Posted January 5, 2016 Posted January 5, 2016 Only eight games a year. This year, how many fit your "romanticized" Bill's snowy weather ? Build a Dome. There will NEVER be a Super Bowl here regardless, but perhaps the building could be used for other things. Part of the reason of putting it downtown............... Indoor facilities are more expensive and as you said, it's only 8 games per year. And there is not much that can be done at the stadium that isn't already done at first Niagara. If they want to add money making features they can put museums/restaurants in the stadium which wouldn't require the expense of a roof.
TheFunPolice Posted January 5, 2016 Author Posted January 5, 2016 (edited) US BANK stadium looks freaking beautiful! THAT wouldn't be so bad... At least you can see sunlight That's like an entirely different class of stadium. Hopefully the fact that the Bills would be doing this in the future would lead to some more cutting edge design features to bring in fresh air and natural light at least Edited January 5, 2016 by TheFunPolice
Kirby Jackson Posted January 5, 2016 Posted January 5, 2016 I understand this concern, but how do all these other cities do it? Are rich people in other cities tougher? I'm not going to go too far down the rabbit hole on this but I have a bunch of times. Long story short, the Bills have a tough time selling games late in the year. This was the case even during the Super Bowl years. You have to create an environment that caters to the fan that is going to pay $5,000 a year for their season tickets not $500. There are a bunch of things that can be done to do this but you need to marry location and amenities. Right now the best locations do not have the best amenities which is counter intuitive. You need to build the stadium with those people first in mind and they are more fickle than the guy that was lit on fire in the parking lot.
Bleeding Bills Blue Posted January 5, 2016 Posted January 5, 2016 Build a dome to make it easier and more attractive for an older, more upscale, classier clientele to attend the games. Get rid of the drunken idiots that make the city and the fanbase look foolish. I have no issue what drinking and tailgating but getting absolutely plastered and making and ass of yourself has to be stopped. You can't really stop it. If they did it in their driveway and put #billsmafia it still makes its way all over the internet. Billsmafia is too big to stop now.
TheFunPolice Posted January 5, 2016 Author Posted January 5, 2016 (edited) I'm not going to go too far down the rabbit hole on this but I have a bunch of times. Long story short, the Bills have a tough time selling games late in the year. This was the case even during the Super Bowl years. You have to create an environment that caters to the fan that is going to pay $5,000 a year for their season tickets not $500. There are a bunch of things that can be done to do this but you need to marry location and amenities. Right now the best locations do not have the best amenities which is counter intuitive. You need to build the stadium with those people first in mind and they are more fickle than the guy that was lit on fire in the parking lot. Haven't they sold out the last couple of seasons? That's with the longest playoff drought in any major sport and one of the larger NFL stadiums. Look how fans responded this off-season. Imagine if the team was actually good AND the stadium held around 64,000 or so. On a different note, I wonder how much the Pegulas being major players in hockey and trying to bring outdoor NHL/hockey games here would play a role. That would no longer be possible. Buffalo sports fans sell out these outdoor hockey games in like 5 minutes. We have no issue with the cold. Just my two cents. My overall point is that most other northern NFL cities have open air stadiums so it's not like having an open air stadium in the cold means you can't sell to people with $$ Edited January 5, 2016 by TheFunPolice
Hammered a Lot Posted January 5, 2016 Posted January 5, 2016 (edited) Indoor facilities are more expensive and as you said, it's only 8 games per year. And there is not much that can be done at the stadium that isn't already done at first Niagara. If they want to add money making features they can put museums/restaurants in the stadium which wouldn't require the expense of a roof. I ask a ton of people this year remodel the Ralph or downtown stadium. Overwhelming Remodel the Ralph. When I did a TV interview a couple of weeks ago, the TV reporter brought the d-stadium idea up. She had so many unbias negative points about the d-stadium. I still think the Pegulas might try something with the ECC south land sorta of like Patriots place or a variation of the Cowboys Ford Center at the Star. Edited January 5, 2016 by Hammered a Lot
TheFunPolice Posted January 5, 2016 Author Posted January 5, 2016 I wonder what the cost/benefit really is with a new stadium vs a total retrofit of the Ralph, like Green Bay did with Lambeau field. You also have to factor in the infrastructure issues with a downtown stadium, which would be significant. Plus then you have all those facilities in OP going to waste (as well as the infrastructure).
BILLS02138 Posted January 5, 2016 Posted January 5, 2016 (edited) Most NFL domes look like they found an abandoned airplane hanger, strung up some cheap fluorescent strip lights, and put down some of that cheap green outdoor carpet you can buy at Home Depot. Agreed. People point to Ford Field or Lucas Oil domes - and they look like airplane hangers. That look just reinforces our rust belt image. http://cmsimg.freep.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=C4&Date=20130903&Category=COL06&ArtNo=309030010&Ref=AR&MaxW=640&Border=0&Tom-Walsh-Bankrupt-Detroit-needs-October-more-than-1968-replay I am not adverse to dome but I want it to be architecturally stimulating - pushing the envelope of what is typical Buffalo: https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://designlike.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Amazing-football-stadium.jpg&imgrefurl=http://caths.aropa.tk/amazing-football-stadium-1/&h=486&w=680&tbnid=Xg4MpkmLPmQkRM:&docid=Ctx3nVtvhaCijM&ei=_CqMVtWON4WxeL-JjdAP&tbm=isch&ved=0ahUKEwjV_MXXxJPKAhWFGB4KHb9EA_oQMwgeKAEwAQ http://socialgadgetnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/wakrah3-771x591-720x340.jpg And if we go with an outdoor stadium - please do not replicate the Steelers or Patriots stadiums - go with something like the Bronco's stadium: http://football.ballparks.com/NFL/DenverBroncos/newaerial.jpg https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/d1/10/5c/d1105c1248f2bd673eb8b18796c65cd6.jpg Edited January 5, 2016 by BILLS02138
Kirby Jackson Posted January 5, 2016 Posted January 5, 2016 Haven't they sold out the last couple of seasons? That's with the longest playoff drought in any major sport and one of the larger NFL stadiums. Look how fans responded this off-season. Imagine if the team was actually good AND the stadium held around 64,000 or so. On a different note, I wonder how much the Pegulas being major players in hockey and trying to bring outdoor NHL/hockey games here would play a role. That would no longer be possible. Buffalo sports fans sell out these outdoor hockey games in like 5 minutes. We have no issue with the cold. Just my two cents. My overall point is that most other northern NFL cities have open air stadiums so it's not like having an open air stadium in the cold means you can't sell to people with $$ The point that I am making is that it has been an issue in Buffalo (regardless of whether or not it has been an issue in Pittsburgh). The potential for 1 outdoor hockey game a decade isn't going to drive a decision on the stadium. It is going to come down to how they can maximize nonshared revenue and what assets that they can create to do just this. It isn't even about the number of tickets sold as much as it is who has those tickets. If those tickets are $5,000 a season and 100 of them are included in Anchor Bar's $1.5M sponsorship package the Bills are thrilled. They would be even more thrilled if that money went right to marketing instead of tickets, but you get the point.
KollegeStudnet Posted January 5, 2016 Posted January 5, 2016 If it is a dome, it will bring business to the city.
Augie Posted January 5, 2016 Posted January 5, 2016 You need to build the stadium with those people first in mind and they are more fickle than the guy that was lit on fire in the parking lot. I don't consider myself overly fickle, but I do draw the line somewhere short of setting me on fire. I have limits!
K-Apps Posted January 5, 2016 Posted January 5, 2016 Remember it's a retractable roof stadium, it could also be a candidate for the Final Four, National Championship in CFB, Super Bowl, and WWE's WrestleMania. There's a lot of viable events that could come to Buffalo that will help the economy that an open air stadium would not possible with.
PromoTheRobot Posted January 5, 2016 Posted January 5, 2016 (edited) Don't be dumb. Build a dome. I'm sick of the cold. Plus an open air stadium is useless for other major events you could host. Build a freakin' dome. http://socialgadgetnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/wakrah3-771x591-720x340.jpg You want a stadium that looks like...ummmmm? Edited January 5, 2016 by PromoTheRobot
May Day 10 Posted January 5, 2016 Posted January 5, 2016 I still dont understand what events are going to be held in a 63,000 seat indoor stadium between January and April that the FNC cant hold. I guess UB can play there, but they cant draw any fans. Maybe a Final Four one time. Maybe a Wrestlemania one time? Doubt they will start a low level bowl game because nobody local would show up. I also dont understand how there is a need for high end amneties and seats here that would require an indoor stadium. There isnt that kind of clientele in WNY... at least not a whole lot.
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