Pyrite Gal Posted April 17, 2006 Posted April 17, 2006 Folks seem to love to take a stance that a result is either 100% good or 100% bad and they also seem to feel like everyone has the same preferences they do, when neither thing is the case. If your primary drive is to get Ws, then having a majority of home games late is great news. Global climate change aside, teams are going to visit our house in colder and likely wintry weather. If on the other hand, attendance issues are your main worry, then the uncertainties of winter weather and the need for a significant chunk of fans committing to drive 2 hours (or +) to the Ralph makes the large number of late home games dicey. However, the other wildcard in this is that while an old man like Felser may be reluctant to brave the cold at home games, attending in the teeth of winter is actually a bonus to may young or psychptoc Bills fans. I think the warm weather has actually turned lots of my fellow Buffaloanians into wimps (hey why close schools if the snowfall is less than 8 inches) but I regularly have seen on TV (and sometimes at the game but to admit, this old body is a wimp who likes it that the toilet is but a few steps from the TV when I feel like taking a whiz and I stop by the fridge on the way back to reload anyway) many plucky fans who are barecheste in the snow. My sense is that the bigger issue for the Bills is the need to be competitive and we have the challenge of starting with two games on the road. If this team is winning, I see no problem filling the stadium regardless of when the game is scheduled. Even if the team is losing, if the Bills staff works hard selling the product and Ralph buys a coupkle of thousand tickets if they remain, we can sell the box out every game just as we have before against fairly lame opposition.
Billsguy Posted April 17, 2006 Posted April 17, 2006 If on the other hand, attendance issues are your main worry, then the uncertainties of winter weather and the need for a significant chunk of fans committing to drive 2 hours (or +) to the Ralph makes the large number of late home games dicey. . 663917[/snapback] Felser was right again. It's about ticket sales! More people will attend an early season game in better weather than vice versa. It is a fact. It's not about competitive advantage over a warm weather team. This completely misses the point being made as usual. Bills fans are screwed by the league with this schedule. I don't know if the league did this intentionally, but it will hurt attendance most likely and therefore hurt Ralphie.
apuszczalowski Posted April 18, 2006 Posted April 18, 2006 Felser was right again. It's about ticket sales! More people will attend an early season game in better weather than vice versa. It is a fact. It's not about competitive advantage over a warm weather team. This completely misses the point being made as usual. Bills fans are screwed by the league with this schedule. I don't know if the league did this intentionally, but it will hurt attendance most likely and therefore hurt Ralphie. 663923[/snapback] It will not hurt attendance just because of the weather at the Ralph, fans would sit through a blizzard at the stadium if the team is still in contention. The problem will be if the team is winning or not. Late in the season, the team may be already out of post season contention, so less fans will have interest in seeing a Bills game in bad weather that they can get on TV. If the Bills have a chance at the playoffs (yes it is possible) late in the season, these games will be an advantage getting to play a bunch of late season home games in weather the visiting team is not used too. If they are not in the playoff hunt, people won't waste their money.
5 Wide Posted April 18, 2006 Posted April 18, 2006 Of course the Bills will actually have to practice outdoors this year for the weather to be an advantage
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