PromoTheRobot Posted January 16, 2007 Posted January 16, 2007 Let's say my uncle just left me $5 billion dollars. Somehow I convince Ralph Wilson to sell me the Bills. Here's my view on what it would take to not only keep the Bills in this area, but to make them a successful franchise, at a par with Dallas, Washington, and New England. I should warn you that most folks will hate this idea, but I see the choice as this, or the L.A. Bills. 1) Sell the name of RWS Stadium: I would always keep Ralph's name somewhere on the stadium but I think it's insane not to sell naming rights. It's not just PR for Buffalo. Your name on an NFL stadium is national rep. Imagine "Gieco Stadium at Ralph Wilson Field". 2) Rename the team "The Buffalo Bills of Niagara." It's not so different from "L.A. Angels of Anaheim" Niagara is a name that means something on both sides of the border. The team would no longer be "Buffalo" in the city sense, but the "Buffalo Bills" as in William Cody. The team would become a regional franchise. 3) Play 3-4 games each year at the Rodgers Center (aka Skydome). One pre-season, and two or three regular season games. Tickets for those games would range from $100 to $250 each. (luxury seating considerably more.) That should make revenies for those games somewhat equal to what a game at RWS would earn. 4) I would work on building a new stadium...IN ONTARIO!! That's right, I said it! I'd move the frickin' team to Canada. Not all the way to Toronto. Somewhere between Niagara Falls and Hamilton. St. Catherines strikes me as a good location. Why? Because the Bills are doomed in Buffalo. It may take 5, 10, or 15 years, but Ralph is right. We only have a few years left to enjoy this team. And those few years may suck because we won't have enough revenue to compete. So if the Bills are doomed to leave, would you rather have them in California, or 20 miles from where they were born? I really believe after the initial shock, people would still follow the Bills in Canada. Especially if the team was a consitant winner. This is the price of having an NFL franchise. Old-timers will howl that it's not what they are used to. They want the Bills in Buffalo, with cheap tickets, cheap parking, and the option to stay home and let the other guy buy a ticket. After bitching and moaning for a while, these same people will be just as glad having every game on TV. I see a big opportunity for the Bills to become Canada's franchise in the NFL by playing in Ontario, thus tapping into enormous revenue. The kind of revenue that would make Bob Kraft and Jerry Jones drool. Sure, fewer current Bills fans will get to go to games. You'll have to cross a border to get there. But how many current Bills fans will pay $60-$80 for cheap seats? Not too many. And, sadly, that's what ticket prics are going to have to be. Maybe even PSL's too! There you have it. Love to hear your thoughts, but keep them constructive. No F.U's unless you have a better idea to offer. PTR
taterhill Posted January 16, 2007 Posted January 16, 2007 this is the worst frickin idea I have ever heard...
smokinandjokin Posted January 16, 2007 Posted January 16, 2007 this is the worst frickin idea I have ever heard... The only real positive that I see is that I would be able to go to the fully nude strip clubs in Canada to watch the 4pm games, rather than slumming it at 24 Karat Gold like I do now after a long day at the Ralph.
buckeyemike Posted January 16, 2007 Posted January 16, 2007 Oh, boy. I want to see how many "go to hell" posts YOU have at the end of the day.
Ramius Posted January 16, 2007 Posted January 16, 2007 well, i for one am thankful that your uncle doesnt have 5 billion to leave to you. Buffalo Bills of Niagara? Theres a reason why its unversally thought that LA Angels of Anaheim is the gayest sounding name. Because it is.
taterhill Posted January 16, 2007 Posted January 16, 2007 The only real positive that I see is that I would be able to go to the fully nude strip clubs in Canada to watch the 4pm games, rather than slumming it at 24 Karat Gold like I do now after a long day at the Ralph. Go Buffalo Niagara St Catherines Welland Hamilton Peterborough Lundys Lane Clifton Hill Bills of Souothern Ontario/Upstate NY
smokinandjokin Posted January 16, 2007 Posted January 16, 2007 Go Buffalo Niagara St Catherines Welland Hamilton Peterborough Lundys Lane Clifton Hill Bills of Souothern Ontario/Upstate NY Go Bills Go, eh? or maybe Lets Go TOR-ON-TO!
Beerball Posted January 16, 2007 Posted January 16, 2007 Pretend I am the new owner of the Bills Will you pretend to give me a job? Are you paying Canadian or American? What are you going to do about all of the NFL players who for one reason or another aren't allowed to leave the country?
Marv's Neighbor Posted January 16, 2007 Posted January 16, 2007 Let's see; we are going to need a passport to go to a BILLS game AND we've got a 80 year old 3 lane toll bridge to cross to get there. Not only would we lose 2/3's of the "local" fan base but also 100% of the fans from Rochester/Syracuse/Erie, etc. What a plan!
Bill from NYC Posted January 16, 2007 Posted January 16, 2007 Let's see; we are going to need a passport to go to a BILLS game AND we've got a 80 year old 3 lane toll bridge to cross to get there. Not only would we lose 2/3's of the "local" fan base but also 100% of the fans from Rochester/Syracuse/Erie, etc. What a plan! Good point. It would also increase the cost for most out of town fans as well, who I think make up a high percentage of Bills Fans as compared to most other teams.
PromoTheRobot Posted January 16, 2007 Author Posted January 16, 2007 Let's see; we are going to need a passport to go to a BILLS game AND we've got a 80 year old 3 lane toll bridge to cross to get there. Not only would we lose 2/3's of the "local" fan base but also 100% of the fans from Rochester/Syracuse/Erie, etc. What a plan! I'll console myself with 10 times the revenue I used to get. PTR
zow2 Posted January 16, 2007 Posted January 16, 2007 The only thing i agree with is the Bills are going to have to build a new stadium within 5 to 7 years. I don't care what Ralph says, it will make a difference. With each passing year the Ralph is getting more of a reputation as an old, dank stadium out in the middle of a frozen tundra wind tunnel, with zero corporate presence and a bunch of drunk barbarians ruining a good time for so many. It will have to be a huge effort but they will need a retractable roof stadium with all the bells and whistles somewhere between Buffalo & Rochester OR i agree that possibly on the Canadian side near the falls if Canada chips in some $$$
stuckincincy Posted January 16, 2007 Posted January 16, 2007 The only real positive that I see is that I would be able to go to the fully nude strip clubs in Canada to watch the 4pm games, rather than slumming it at 24 Karat Gold like I do now after a long day at the Ralph. Don't forget to get your passport by Jan. '09...
PromoTheRobot Posted January 16, 2007 Author Posted January 16, 2007 Look, I'm just trying to offer a plan. We'd all love for things to stay just like they are, but it's not possible. Living in Buffalo is a bit like living in a bubble. Bills fans have no idea how expensive NFL games are elsewhere. They take it for granted and treat like an entitlement like food stamps. And the Kraft's, Jones', and Snyder's of the NFL are going to run over the Ralph Wilson Jr's. All I'm saying is if you want the Bills to survive and thrive somwhere within driving distance of WNY, then someone has to come up with a good plan. PTR
inkman Posted January 16, 2007 Posted January 16, 2007 At least you are trying. Let's hope Ralph or whoever will do the same...
bluenews Posted January 16, 2007 Posted January 16, 2007 I have a better idea......put a winning team on the field, make the playoffs and create a real Super Bowl mentality in WNY! It has very little to do with nudity, the Falls, Canada or name of stadium and EVERYTHING to do with having the right players and coaches!! Everything else is
PromoTheRobot Posted January 16, 2007 Author Posted January 16, 2007 I have a better idea......put a winning team on the field, make the playoffs and create a real Super Bowl mentality in WNY! It has very little to do with nudity, the Falls, Canada or name of stadium and EVERYTHING to do with having the right players and coaches!! Everything else is And how do we build that Super Bowl contender if we dont have enough money to hire good coaches, sign FA's etc? Or is it your opinion that you don't need money to build a winner? PTR
ganesh Posted January 16, 2007 Posted January 16, 2007 And how do we build that Super Bowl contender if we dont have enough money to hire good coaches, sign FA's etc? Or is it your opinion that you don't need money to build a winner? PTR You do. By spending the money up to the salary cap. By having excellent drafts. By having coaches who will use the talent correctly and put the team in a position to win games...
buffalobillsfootball Posted January 16, 2007 Posted January 16, 2007 First: I'm glad you're not the owner. Sharing the Bills with Toronto is just not practical for the team, its players and the fans. Also, there would be ZERO sense of home field advantage. Having a permanent base is important: and for the Bills: it will *always* be Buffalo. Second: All this talk about the Bills leaving is premature. Whether you see it or not; the WNY economy is slowing starting to improve. In addition, this community, which stretches from Syracuse to Toronto and the state of NY/County of Erie has invested way too much into the franchise to bail now. We will never be LA or NYC but nor will a number of other communities in the United States. Also, Canada will never see a team. The NFL will not impose on the CFL unless that league folds. Third: Take a holistic approach to the Bills and WNY economy: build the stadium downtown - improve high speed rail connections between Toronto to Buffalo and Albany to Buffalo. Not only would this help build the economy - it will keep the Bills in Buffalo for a very long time. Fourth: If Jacksonville, Green Bay, and New Orleans can retain their teams - SO CAN BUFFALO. This topic is old. Please move on; cause the Bills aren't going anywhere.
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