Tcali Posted February 4, 2006 Posted February 4, 2006 The post about playing a neutral site game in Toronto got me thinking. I want to paint a scenario for you. Tell me what you think. We all worry about losing the Bills to L.A. and being a small market team revenue-wise. If you could share the Bills with Toronto as a way of ensuring they will always be the BUFFALO Bills, would you do it? WHAT IF: The Bills train in Canada and play 2 regular season games in Toronto. Further, the Bills bid for the Super Bowl to be played in Toronto. WHAT BUFFALO GETS OUT OF IT: Ensure the Bills never move completely. Gain access to sponsor money that could put the Bills at a par with Dallas, New England and Washington. A chance to be competitive, pay more for coaches, have more scouting, and be a more attractive destination for free agents. If you're a Bills fan worried about the Bills moving, or at least staying competitve in a free-spending NFL, you have to be realistic and know that things can't last forever. They used to let you into War Memorial with kegs, for heaven sake! So there are many things about cheering for the Bills that have changed over time. If sharing the Bills meant keeping them the Bills forever, I would be in favor of that. Buffalonians have many great qualities, but a glaring fault is self-pity, having a loser's mentality, and always feeling victimized. For a change, why not go on the offensive? Why not find a way to make the game work in our favor for once? Jones and Kraft don't want to subsidize teams like Buffalo? Fine, we'll get creative and start generating more revenue than you. Then you can cry about us. PTR 594328[/snapback] It would be like sharing your wife with a palid jacket wearing used car salesman so you could get a slightly better model for the price. Give me a break--in salary cap times?????--so we can overpay for some coaches like little danny does?
Tcali Posted February 4, 2006 Posted February 4, 2006 If the choice was lose the team or share them with Toronto, of course I'd share. However, I think it's completely unecessary. I rarely worry about the team moving. I really doubt it's going to happen. They fan base is too strong and the money is too significant. Irregardless of who owns the team, he'll be hard pressed to recreate the football market that is WNY and Southern Ontario. It takes generations to create the kind of loyalty the Bills presently enjoy. You can't create a customer base like that overnight. Cities that gave out sweetheart deals like Baltimore and Oakland have been burned by them. I think non-NFL cities are now doing a cost-benefit analysis of a pro sports team and realizing that they might not be worth it. Larger cities don't guarantee a larger fan base. LA is much larger but if people don't give a damn about the NFL, then they are not going to support the team. 594401[/snapback] Irregardless? You uncultured,uneducated brute.
RkFast Posted February 4, 2006 Posted February 4, 2006 Id fugging love it. Once a year at least, all us "Ugly Americans" can crowd up to Toronto en masse and return the "favor" of being good guests, like the Canadians do when they come to Orchard Park.
Buffaloed in Pa Posted February 4, 2006 Posted February 4, 2006 For the record, i always thought Toronto had the worst food of any major city i've ever had the opportunity to spend real time. Chinese was always good there. italian, perhaps the worst ever. A few years ago I was there and it seemed as though the restuarant scene was experiencing an upgrade. Ate in a few of the nicer new places not too far from the Custerdome (steely dan reference) and I wasn't all that impressed. It is a very nice clean city, though. With very nice, clean, dull people. 594402[/snapback] I always thought Toronto and San Fran had the same type of people. la la la lolla
Webster Guy Posted February 4, 2006 Posted February 4, 2006 If that was the only choice: 2 games in Toronto or lose the Bills, then I say let's have 2 games in Toronto. Boy, Russ Brandon would have his hands full (taxes, border, Canadian dollar, etc...) I can see the headline: BILLS FORFEIT, STOPPED AT BORDER
Typical TBD Guy Posted February 4, 2006 Posted February 4, 2006 I'd have no problem giving Toronto one of our preseaon games. In fact, I'd encourage it. Training camp in Rochester, 1 preseason game in Toronto, maybe the other at the Carrier Dome...this would be a great way to further regionalize the team and gain more fans/team revenue. But a regular season game? No !@#$ing way. There are only 8 of 'em. Each one is precious.
Rubes Posted February 4, 2006 Posted February 4, 2006 Ya give them an inch, they'll end up taking a yard, my friend.
Kelly the Dog Posted February 4, 2006 Posted February 4, 2006 Ya give them an inch, they'll end up taking a yard, my friend. 594457[/snapback] Meter.
BillsWatch Posted February 4, 2006 Posted February 4, 2006 I'd share Bills with Toronto. Let Bills play two preseason games (and train in Canada when the camp contract runs out) and then have regular season in Buffalo. Those who live in Rochester would be mad but it would be worth it to season ticket holders who would not need to pay for "pretend" games.
buffalobillsfootball Posted February 4, 2006 Posted February 4, 2006 Am I the only one who is tired of reading sh-- about the BILLS moving or sharing them with Toronto? Buffalo is a very profitable team and the NFL has no desire to abandon this market. Move the team to Toronto? The Blue Jays can barely compete or sell out... Let the Canadians keep their CFL and the Leafs. The BILLS will never leave Buffalo. Trust me, I know. If the NFL is committed to New Orleans, Jacksonville, and Tampa - Buffalo should feel NO threat of a move or what have you. I wish the moderators could delete these posts upon entry.
ajzepp Posted February 4, 2006 Posted February 4, 2006 The BILLS will never leave Buffalo. Trust me, I know. 594474[/snapback] b.harami? that you?
PromoTheRobot Posted February 4, 2006 Author Posted February 4, 2006 Am I the only one who is tired of reading sh-- about the BILLS moving or sharing them with Toronto? Buffalo is a very profitable team and the NFL has no desire to abandon this market. Move the team to Toronto? The Blue Jays can barely compete or sell out... Let the Canadians keep their CFL and the Leafs. The BILLS will never leave Buffalo. Trust me, I know. If the NFL is committed to New Orleans, Jacksonville, and Tampa - Buffalo should feel NO threat of a move or what have you. I wish the moderators could delete these post upon entry. 594474[/snapback] It's not a matter of attendance...it's a matter of sponsor dollars. Sure, we can have the Bills just as they are. And we'll keep on crying that we don't pay the going rate for good coaches, and why do other teams have bigger scouting staffs, and why can't we get good free agents, and so on... I get the feeling that if the Bills ever did win it all, fans wouldn't know what to B word about. I think the responses to this post pretty much represents the core attitude of the entire region. PTR
LabattBlue Posted February 4, 2006 Posted February 4, 2006 I'm not sharing the Bills with Toronto ever unless they want our preseason games. If Toronto wants a franchise let the go get the approval of Tagliabue. 8 regular season games at RWS EVERY year or bust.
JDG Posted February 5, 2006 Posted February 5, 2006 I attended a Bills/Pack game in Brewtown many years ago. The biggest problem, IMO, was the stadium in Milwaukee. It SUCKED! It was, without question, the worst football venue I've ever experienced. Not too appealing when your home field is Lambeau. I'm not saying that was the only reason the Pack stopped playing there, but it had to be a considersation. Another reason is that the players hate having 2-4 extra "travel games" per year. With the amount of money Erie County has sunk into the Stadium, I think getting 8 games a year is the least we can expect. Moreover, any "sharing" with Toronto would become unequal over time. The Toronto area has over twice the popuation of Buffalo-Rochester-Dunkirk. As such, I don't want any piece of such a "partnership." Either the politicans in NYS, Erie County, and the City of Buffalo will get their act in gear and stem the tide of decline, or else my beloved home city will eventually fade away and the Bills will be forced to move on. JDG
jad1 Posted February 5, 2006 Posted February 5, 2006 It's not a matter of attendance...it's a matter of sponsor dollars. Sure, we can have the Bills just as they are. And we'll keep on crying that we don't pay the going rate for good coaches, and why do other teams have bigger scouting staffs, and why can't we get good free agents, and so on... I get the feeling that if the Bills ever did win it all, fans wouldn't know what to B word about. I think the responses to this post pretty much represents the core attitude of the entire region. PTR 594478[/snapback] The Bills would lose a lot in this deal. First off, the SkyDome seats around 53,000 for football, nowhere near the 70,000+ the Ralph seats. In terms of sponsorship dollars, the Bills would lose money on their current sponsorship deals because they would have sell a 6 game deal instead of an eight game deal at the Ralph. They might be able to sell their national sponsors on a game in Canada, but they would have to replace all the local sponsors, since local radio stations and supermarkets gain nothing from a game in Canada. And even if they could replace their local sponsorship revenue with Canadian local sponsorship, they would have to split sponsorship revenue with the SkyDome for games in Toronto. Not to mention that the going rates for a are probably much higher for an American football game than a Canadian baseball game, making the ad time tougher to sell. This would also create a nightmare around season ticket sales. Do season ticket holders also have to buy tickets to the SkyDome? If they do, there would only be something like 10,000 tickets left to sell. If they don't you have to sell a ticket that will probably cost upwards of $90 to $100 Candadian to the Toronto market, for a team that's carpetbagging a couple of times a year. Hardly a foundation for loyalty. This deal looks like a complete loser for the Bills, especially since they've sold out over 90% of their games over the last few seasons. The Bills aren't hiring "expensive" coaches because they can't afford them. Rather, the higher-priced coaches expect complete control of the organization, something Ralph doesn't want to give up.
buffalobillsfootball Posted February 5, 2006 Posted February 5, 2006 It's not a matter of attendance...it's a matter of sponsor dollars. Sure, we can have the Bills just as they are. And we'll keep on crying that we don't pay the going rate for good coaches, and why do other teams have bigger scouting staffs, and why can't we get good free agents, and so on... I get the feeling that if the Bills ever did win it all, fans wouldn't know what to B word about. I think the responses to this post pretty much represents the core attitude of the entire region. PTR 594478[/snapback] I never said anything about selling out games. You're trying to tell me that New Orleans, J-ville, and Tampa have THAT many more corporate dollars and sponsorship? Prove it.
Simon Posted February 5, 2006 Posted February 5, 2006 The BILLS will never leave Buffalo. Trust me, I know. Prove it.
PromoTheRobot Posted February 5, 2006 Author Posted February 5, 2006 I never said anything about selling out games. You're trying to tell me that New Orleans, J-ville, and Tampa have THAT many more corporate dollars and sponsorship? Prove it. 594532[/snapback] Every team you mentioned is in the same boat as Buffalo if the Jerry Jones's and Bob Kraft's get their way in the NFL. I'm just trying to be creative in finding a solution, not just wailing woe-is-me. PTR
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