Why aren't people going?

[bernie]

I'd have season tickets ifI didn't live in PA.

 

I actualyl believe that has a significant effect, most people move away who grew up bills fans

866254[/snapback]

 

 

Pa Bills fan here to. If I lived there in Buffalo I would have season tickets. I try to get to a game or two every year.

[gmanbfan]

Just put a down payment on a pair of season tickets a couple days ago. From Toronto area (have family from Niagara/Buffalo), so grew up a die hard Bills fan.

 

Reasons why I bought season tickets:

1) Love the Bills

2) Love watching football live

3) Love the Experience in Buffalo on game days. Been to watch games in Miami, Cleveland, Detroit, Chicago, San Diego, and none compare to Buffalo. From Toronto, and if the Bills ever moved to Toronto, I would HATE IT

4) The teams next year that visit buffalo seem to be better draws. This year we got San Diego (attended that game), Green Bay (attended that game), Tennessee, Jacksonville, Minnessota, and AFC East (attended jets, going to game on Sunday). The only real BIG draw there was Green Bay for Favre and New England maybe. But looking at this years schedule, there were about 4 'dud' teams on the slate.

 

Next year, you got Dallas, the Giants Cincy, Balt, Oak/K.C./Denver, and of course AFC East. Only boring game there looks to be Balt. I think the slate of teams coming next year looks awesome, influencing me buying season tickets. If the Bills can keep it together going in to next season, should be fun times!!

[LabattBlue]

Why isn't the game sold out...

 

1.Interest in the Sabres is at an all time high

2.Interest in the Bills is very low after 7 years of no playoffs thanks to TD & company.

[Gordio]

I guaranty you next year this will all be a distant memory. With teams like Dallas, NY gIants Cincy & Baltimore on the schedule & the strong finish, the games will be sold out once again before the season even starts. That is the key. With Ebay now, I think the bills really have to sell 90% of the tickets before the season starts to hope to have complete sellouts.

 

BTW, dont blame the weather, that is a copout & it is just not true. The jacksonville game was sunny & 60 degrees, sd was cold but there was little snow & this week it is supposed to be in the 50s for the game. Im so sick of people saying that buffalo weather is horrible. People that say that are just ignorant. In fact im thinking of going GOLFING on saturday. The weather isnt nearly as bad as people make it out to be. Sorry for the rant, I work with alot of people from NYC & listening to them you would think that Buffalo is Antartica & NYC is the Caribean. That 5 degrees warmer in average temps must really make a difference & every time I go to NYC for business the weather sucks. It is either too hot, a severe thunderstorm rolls in or it is cold. F*ck NYC.

[BuffaloWings]

Here is a marketing opportunity for the Bills.  They should market to people who are Bills fans but do not live in Buffalo.  If someone like me who lives in Maryland would buy 2 season tickets (very doable considering the price) and donate them to a charity to be given to under privledged kids, they would sell out and make a kids day.  It is a tax deduction to boot.  I was thinking of doing this next season...

866304[/snapback]

That's actually not a bad plan, but don't the Bills limit the number of season tickets?

 

A guy I work with (I live & work in Albany) buys season tickets every year and ends up trying to get rid of his tickets half the time. Probably not the smartest thing to do, since he doesn't have the intention of going, but things like this add to the no-shows.

[plenzmd1]

I think its a couple of reasons. As mentioned, all these games after Thanksgiving, (half of the home games if you include thanksgiving weekend), and a low season ticket base means peoploe wait to but their single game tickets. And I know all us 'true" believers(or dolts is more accurate) say hey, everything breaks just perfect we got a chance at the playoffs. More sane people say "ain't no way even if we win out".

 

And thats been the case for while now, long time between our last playoff game and now. Add in the fact that going to a Bills game is an all day affair, the expence(even with cheap tickets gunna cost at least $100), and do I really want to go through all that for a game that in the ends prolly means nada!!

 

I can relate, as my sister just asked me if I wanted tickets to the Sabres game in DC like the last night of the regular season. I told her no, will be a meaningless game most likely.

[JinWPB]

I live in SC, (from Roch) and am curious about why we seem to be unable to sell out lately...???? I don't think anyone has discussed the specific reasons why here. Has another team even had 1 blackout yet? This is a dismal performance for such a rabid fanbase, and I am suprised and worried about what this may mean.

 

 

 

Out of the 32 teams inthe NFL the Bills rank 13th in total attendance so far this year ,not too shabby for a small market, underperforming(until recently) team.

GO BILLS/ GO "Original 12th Man".

 

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/attendance

[udonkey]

Those not going obviously don't mind the god awful January-September wait for football season to return. I originally wasn't going to go this weekend, but the thought of not seeing the Bills/WNY for another 9 months makes me act irrationally...

[Coach Tuesday]

It's the economy, stupid.

 

I'd like to think it was the product, but it's worse than that.

 

Interest rates are high, so are gas bills. People aren't buying cars or building houses. The economy is in the toilet, and we'll need some luck to avoid a recession during the first or second quarter of 2007. It's the holiday season, and people are using what little money they have for other things.

 

WNY is a poor region. When the economy goes south, it puts a disproportionate strain on WNY. Not to mention that you Buffalonians, my parents included, are paying oodles of tax dollars to fund the pensions of legions of retired bureaucrats. Y'all are bearing this burden yourselves, because the business and young people have all left.

[LabattBlue]

It's the economy, stupid.

 

I'd like to think it was the product, but it's worse than that.

 

Interest rates are high, so are gas bills.  People aren't buying cars or building houses.  The economy is in the toilet, and we'll need some luck to avoid a recession during the first or second quarter of 2007.  It's the holiday season, and people are using what little money they have for other things.

 

WNY is a poor region.  When the economy goes south, it puts a disproportionate strain on WNY.  Not to mention that you Buffalonians, my parents included, are paying oodles of tax dollars to fund the pensions of legions of retired bureaucrats.  Y'all are bearing this burden yourselves, because the business and young people have all left.

866462[/snapback]

It is ALL about the product on the field? If it was the economy, would the Sabres have sold out their entire season two months into the season?

[Jack D. Ripper]

I'd have season tickets ifI didn't live in PA.

 

I actualyl believe that has a significant effect, most people move away who grew up bills fans

866254[/snapback]

 

Yep, I was thinking of making a 5 hour drive up and buying a walk up seat but I just got tapped to make a bizdev trip.

 

My brothers and I try to meet in Buffalo once a year to see a game. Sunday Ticket is the best thing since floating soap.

[stuckincincy]

I'd think that a lot of folks had what they thought would be disposable income chewed up because of the early snow storm. As well as lost wages for many.

[Boatdrinks]

I live in SC, (from Roch) and am curious about why we seem to be unable to sell out lately...???? I don't think anyone has discussed the specific reasons why here. Has another team even had 1 blackout yet? This is a dismal performance for such a rabid fanbase, and I am suprised and worried about what this may mean.

 

1. I recognize the area is depressed, small etc. but I don't think that has changed substantially in the past 5-10 (or 30) years. (please correct me if I'm wrong, I'm not

 

6. Stadium too big? Large relative to the market pop., but 9,000 less seats than in the 90's. We seemed to sell out more often with some shite teams in recent past.

 

 

 

Yup, I believe these ar two biggest factors. The area is economically depressed, and it HAS gotten worse particularly in the last 15 years. From a Bills marketing demographic standpoint. No region in the country has lost more young people age 18-34 since 1990 than Buffalo Niagara. These are precisely the kind of people who would be buying Bills tix. That is a sobering statistic. Throw in a stadium capacity that is still about 7-10 thousand too large for the region and you have your problems with sellouts. The fact that we are still able to get a large enough crowd to sell out many other teams stadiums is amazing in and of itself. But the fact is the region only has about 63,000 fans who will pony up for tickets regardless of weather, price or the teams performance. Those people are the basis of selling out. The 10,000 or so who sit on the fence due to weather, the Bills record, etc are only in the equation due to the stadium capacity. The NFL was once a more ticket driven league than it is today, and thats why Ralph wanted his huge stadium. Today, most local revenue is from luxury boxes, naming rights, parking, concessions etc. The gate is still a 60/40 split with the visitors and in the era of mega TV rights fees, is somewhat insignificant. A new stadium with a capacity of around 62-65 thousand and a higher average ticket price will be fine. Sellouts would not be an issue as there would not be an oversupply of ducats for each game. Anyone who wants a ticket to Bills Dolphins now is not going to go to the Bills box office. They will go to Ebay, stubhub et al and buy tix for less than face value most likely. Won't help out the situation with the blackout.

[loadofmularkey]

I'm going to echo your sentiments. The Sabres success paired with the Bills struggles have caused the sellout streak to shift from the NFL to the NHL in Buffalo.

866280[/snapback]

 

This is the reason. People can talk all they want about weather, stadium size, etc., but the Buffalo Sabres have opened up people's wallets (whether on tickets or merchandise) that might normally be spent on Bills tickets.

 

I believe that the so-called "casual fans", who in previous years may have used up a "sports budget" on Bills tickets, already spent it on a couple of Sabres games and a new Ryan Miller jersey.

 

Think about it.

 

The Sabres are enjoying unprecedented success, not only at the box office, but in merchandise sales as well. Five players on the Sabres have jerseys that are among the top 10 OVERALL sellers in the league. The NHL says sales on Sabres merchandise is up about 1000%.

 

Now, you have to figure that for these fans who are spending a hypothetical sports budget on the Sabres rather than the Bills...would they like to watch the Bills game on TV? Yeah sure, but it's not the end of the world. It's certainly not worth him or her driving down to the Ralph and plunking down another $100+ that's already been spent on the hockey team.

 

You tell me what the WNY sports fan is spending his money on these days. Not Bills tickets. Not hard to figure out.