EDIT: Total cost to taxpayers? Bills select sports firm to represent ownership in building new open air stadium in OP, targeted for 2025

[May Day 10]

48 minutes ago, Buffalo_Stampede said:

The Pegulas have been battling local media since they arrived. Local media and fans were all over them for keeping Regier and Ruff after they just made the playoffs. 

 

Then the whole tank disaster happened which fans and most media supported. A 2-3 year stretch of losing to draft high. People talk about 10 years but when you dismantle everything just to lose for multiple years it's difficult to rebuild. There were no draft picks developing properly. Then when we drafted Eichel there was no organizational depth. 

 

No one wants to admit how much of a failure the tank was. Set the organization back. 

Yes it was. Expensive also. 

I am. I don't boo the team. 

I wouldn't be shocked. The Sabres will likely leave Buffalo if sold. 

 

The problem with the 'tank' wasn't the actual 'tank'/tear down.  It was the failure to do so without any sort of focused and consistent management.

 

They started out with Regier and Ruff.  Fired Ruff early in a shortened season, after an extended lockout where you could have enjoyed better preparedness.  Regier hired someone completely unqualified in Ron Rolston.  That seems to be when the 'tank' was adopted by the team

 

Then they fired Regier and Rolson in November of a season, blowing that previous offseason.  Hiring a green President with no GM (but had Craig Patrick in his corner as a consultant), and a crowd-pleaser in Nolan as coach

 

Then, a few months later, a silly scuffle (I have heard there was constant friction between Kim and LaFontaine that blew up) you President resigns.  The steering wheel was handed to a GM who appears to be on the Spectrum and clearly had little to no people skills and just needed to be out scouting.  I feel like LaFontaine and Patrick could have/would have served as a counter-balance to Murray and that was the plan.  

 

Then, the quick send off of Ted Nolan (who actually had the tank teams fighting on the same side against a common enemy (the tank/fans).  Going all-in for Babcock, and settling for Dan Bylsma who came with many warning signs.  

 

Held onto Murray too long.  He cleared out the embarrassment of riches they had amassed during the tank and had little to show for it.  Terrible trades and asset management.  Also exposed the new franchise players to guys like Evander Kane, Bogosian, and Lehner right out of the box.  Murray thought that instead of snorting coke, finding women, and playing video games, the young guys would follow the boring married guys like Gionta and Gorges.

 

There was always this disjointed thing, with the smell of dysfunction all over it.  Also worth mentioning they decided to dump one of the actually popular things in the organization in Ted Black for Russ Brandon.

 

 

Since Murray, the Pegulas have rejected experience and seeking help.  They have gone with first timers, circular management structures, and they have just spun their tires deeper in the mud, every day finding a new rock-bottom.  

Edited August 19, 2021 by May Day 10

[BillnutinHouston]

1 hour ago, May Day 10 said:

 

I have heard from a decent source that the Sabres are for sale

 

Tim Graham continues to debunk this via his platform in The Athletic.

[LabattBlue]

What the Pegula’s have done to the Sabres franchise is embarrassing, and no matter how much success the Bills have going forward, they will still be a joke from an NHL perspective. 

[BuffaloBills1998]

4 minutes ago, BTB said:

What the Pegula’s have done to the Sabres franchise is embarrassing, and no matter how much success the Bills have going forward, they will still be a joke from an NHL perspective. 

While it’s definitely been a major rough time for the Sabres I do believe they will get better.

[RiotAct]

2 minutes ago, BuffaloBills1998 said:

While it’s definitely been a major rough time for the Sabres I do believe they will get better.

well, they can’t get much worse!

[DrDawkinstein]

28 minutes ago, BTB said:

What the Pegula’s have done to the Sabres franchise is embarrassing, and no matter how much success the Bills have going forward, they will still be a joke from an NHL perspective. 

 

As long as the Bills win a Super Bowl, I dont care what happens to the Sabres. Worth the trade off.

[Straight Hucklebuck]

12 hours ago, Buffalo_Stampede said:

Why are fans so angry at the Pegulas? It's the weirdest fan anger towards an owner I've ever seen. They've dropped so much money into Western New York. 

 

 

I don’t have faith in Buffalo/New York politicians to get real money like the Pegulas are asking.

 

Mark Polacartz acts like he is King of Erie County and will not get out of the way if it comes to mandatory taxes.

 

Also, look at the City of Buffalo and the development of the water front.

 

Squabbling, delays, fighting about putting museum on the property, until finally the developers just left the project.

 

Does local government, and NYS at large have the ability to deliver?

 

The NFL going back to Goodell and Ralph meeting up years ago have not changed their position: get a new stadium or else. They pulled the same thing in Minnesota and San Diego. 

[davefan66]

1 hour ago, Straight Hucklebuck said:

I don’t have faith in Buffalo/New York politicians to get real money like the Pegulas are asking.

 

Mark Polacartz acts like he is King of Erie County and will not get out of the way if it comes to mandatory taxes.

 

Also, look at the City of Buffalo and the development of the water front.

 

Squabbling, delays, fighting about putting museum on the property, until finally the developers just left the project.

 

Does local government, and NYS at large have the ability to deliver?

 

The NFL going back to Goodell and Ralph meeting up years ago have not changed their position: get a new stadium or else. They pulled the same thing in Minnesota and San Diego. 

 

I have real concern a deal won’t get done.  Covid, economy and a change in governor may be too much to overcome to get a deal done.

 

Bills need to pony up some money, or nothing will get done.

 

 

[Buffalo716]

4 hours ago, DrDawkinstein said:

 

As long as the Bills win a Super Bowl, I dont care what happens to the Sabres. Worth the trade off.

Agree 

 

I love the sabres but the bills were everything growing up in buffalo 

 

One before my father passes so we can share it together and life will be complete

[SoCal Deek]

6 minutes ago, Buffalo716 said:

Agree 

 

I love the sabres but the bills were everything growing up in buffalo 

 

One before my father passes so we can share it together and life will be complete

I was just saying the same thing the other day. Lost our Mom a few years back, but would love to get one for our Dad.

[Buffalo716]

2 minutes ago, SoCal Deek said:

I was just saying the same thing the other day. Lost our Mom a few years back, but would love to get one for our Dad.

It's coming my friend 

 

It's coming... I think the city wants it for our elder generation who went through it all more than anything 

 

And it's going to make it even sweeter

 

 

[OrtonHearsaWho]

19 hours ago, Buffalo_Stampede said:

They've dumped a lot of money into the city and likely didn't see much of a return. Bad investments. 

 

Not arguing here just curious because I'm from Rochester so don't see stuff like that...what have they put money into that failed?

[Greg S]

12 hours ago, Buffalo716 said:

It's coming my friend 

 

It's coming... I think the city wants it for our elder generation who went through it all more than anything 

 

And it's going to make it even sweeter

 

 

 

If the Bills win the Super Bowl I will drive up to Buffalo from NJ for the celebration which would be epic. In NYC they celebrate NY teams winning with a ride down Broadway thru Manhattan. I wonder what kind of celebration/party Buffalo would give the Bills?

[ThurmanThomasEnglishMuffin]

4 hours ago, OrtonHearsaWho said:

 

Not arguing here just curious because I'm from Rochester so don't see stuff like that...what have they put money into that failed?

 

Look up the Buffalo Billion and related scandals, err news. While it's true Rochester has not seen as much reinvestment or public/private efforts our area has it's share of red herrings, waste and poor local leadership. NYS seems to specialize in it.

 

A few Rochester area examples of general leadership failure and waste since the thread has mentioned leadership/ tax investment/ public private cooperation

 

High Falls Entertainment District

Empire United Soccer Complex Failure (aka Marina Soccer Stadium)- Rhinos last played in 2017 and have abandoned the stadium

I-Square investment/ failure/ scandal (Irondequoit)

Performing Arts Center/ Parcel 5

Parcel 2 and Parcel 5 in general

half @ssed fill in project and urban planning of the inner loop

The current Genesee River 'beautification' pork project

Medley Center

it took 10-15(?) years to build a new bus terminal, and that is located where it ties up traffic on St. Paul and Clinton avenues, and was done half @ssed

 

Rochester and Buffalo are trying, and showing really good resiliency, but the leadership from the localities and county up to Albany is a wreck and can't help but get in the way of everything.

[YoloinOhio]

 

[LeGOATski]

Nothing new from ESPN, but gets me kind of excited to see the new stadium plans, whenever that finally happens.

[LeGOATski]

They definitely need to make use of ETFE panels. All the new stadiums are taking advantage of it. 

 

Imagine having the outside of the stadium lit up in Bills colors on gameday. Or all white on a snow day. Or a Zubaz pattern 😆

 

[Doc Brown]

On 8/19/2021 at 6:22 AM, Rochesterfan said:

This is especially confusing to me because the choice that was leaked: Open air and in OP both are choices that benefit the fans over the owner.

That's the cheapest possible way they could build a new stadium so it benefits the owners in that regard.  The myopic decision of an outdoor stadium will be the biggest regret when we look back at this process 30 years from now.

[LeGOATski]

3 minutes ago, Doc Brown said:

That's the cheapest possible way they could build a new stadium so it benefits the owners in that regard.  The myopic decision of an outdoor stadium will be the biggest regret when we look back at this process 30 years from now.

Yeah, because we'll all be whiny old geezers by then, who don't want to sit outside.

[NobesBLO13]

Just now, LeGOATski said:

Yeah, because we'll all be whiny old geezers by then, who don't want to sit outside.

That describes me perfectly right now and I’m 37.