PromoTheRobot Posted March 30, 2009 Posted March 30, 2009 since when does not selling out one game mean the Bills struggled selling out home playoff games? they sold out every other home playoff game during that stretch so how exactly is that struggling? and lets be honest, if Kelly doesnt get hurt the week before that game is a sellout as well the only other home playoff game they had during the 90's outside of the super bowl years was the Jacksonville game and I dont recall that being blacked out It was always a close call with ch.2 (AFC was on NBC then) usually buying up the last 5,000 or so seats. All I'm saying is that you have to really work to sell out playoff games in Buffalo. I'm sure the next home playoff game will sell out immediately but it didn't take long for fans to get complacent. PTR
May Day 10 Posted March 30, 2009 Posted March 30, 2009 there are kids who are 14 who have never been alive for a Bills playoff win.
Gordio Posted March 30, 2009 Posted March 30, 2009 It was always a close call with ch.2 (AFC was on NBC then) usually buying up the last 5,000 or so seats. All I'm saying is that you have to really work to sell out playoff games in Buffalo. I'm sure the next home playoff game will sell out immediately but it didn't take long for fans to get complacent. PTR Your way off base here. When the matchups were announced they would usually have to sell about 30 thousand or so tickets within 7 days or so. Check most other cities in the playoffs, especially the wildcard rounds, the deadlines usually have to be extended because that is alot of tickets to unload in such a short amount of time. By my calculations, the bills from 88-96 played 12 playoff games & only 2 were blacked out(houston & jacksonville), both still drawing over 70K people for each game(remember the Ralph's seating capacity was over 80K back then). That is pretty impressive. The bottomline come playoff time, because of the short time frame teams have to unload the tickets, unless you have a season ticket base that takes up the 80-90% of your stadium capacity, your going to have a tough time getting the game on tv without having the blackout extended. I believe both SD, Minn, Miami & Arizona need the blackouts extended last year.
PromoTheRobot Posted March 30, 2009 Posted March 30, 2009 there are kids who are 14 who have never been alive for a Bills playoff win. ...or 9 year olds who wonder if the Yankees will ever win a World Series. PTR
PromoTheRobot Posted March 30, 2009 Posted March 30, 2009 Your way off base here. When the matchups were announced they would usually have to sell about 30 thousand or so tickets within 7 days or so. Check most other cities in the playoffs, especially the wildcard rounds, the deadlines usually have to be extended because that is alot of tickets to unload in such a short amount of time. By my calculations, the bills from 88-96 played 12 playoff games & only 2 were blacked out(houston & jacksonville), both still drawing over 70K people for each game(remember the Ralph's seating capacity was over 80K back then). That is pretty impressive. The bottomline come playoff time, because of the short time frame teams have to unload the tickets, unless you have a season ticket base that takes up the 80-90% of your stadium capacity, your going to have a tough time getting the game on tv without having the blackout extended. I believe both SD, Minn, Miami & Arizona need the blackouts extended last year. That Houston game sucked because some fans were throwing in the towel because Kelly was injured in the season ender. Not sure why the Jax playoff game never sold out. PTR
May Day 10 Posted March 30, 2009 Posted March 30, 2009 Your way off base here. When the matchups were announced they would usually have to sell about 30 thousand or so tickets within 7 days or so. Check most other cities in the playoffs, especially the wildcard rounds, the deadlines usually have to be extended because that is alot of tickets to unload in such a short amount of time. By my calculations, the bills from 88-96 played 12 playoff games & only 2 were blacked out(houston & jacksonville), both still drawing over 70K people for each game(remember the Ralph's seating capacity was over 80K back then). That is pretty impressive. The bottomline come playoff time, because of the short time frame teams have to unload the tickets, unless you have a season ticket base that takes up the 80-90% of your stadium capacity, your going to have a tough time getting the game on tv without having the blackout extended. I believe both SD, Minn, Miami & Arizona need the blackouts extended last year. I know if they sold out, Tampa went to the wire last year. I remember later in the week there was trouble because they werent selling out, and they were banning people from out of state (Giants fans) from buying tickets
Gordio Posted March 30, 2009 Posted March 30, 2009 I know if they sold out, Tampa went to the wire last year. I remember later in the week there was trouble because they werent selling out, and they were banning people from out of state (Giants fans) from buying tickets The facts are it is just alot of tickets to be sold in a short amount time. Unless you have a stadium that is filled with season ticket holders(Jets, Giants, Patriots, Steelers, Eagles, Green Bay, Dallas etc.....) you really going to have a tough time unloading that many tickets in a short period of time. The Jacksonville game was kinda looked on as the end of an era. If you remember the bills just squeeked into the playoffs by beating KC the week before. I really do not think people were that excited about the playoffs because the bills had many shortcomings. If it happened today, sure people would be willing to pay just about anything to host a home game in the wildcard round between 2 mediocre 9-7 teams, but back then the mindset was different. The super bowl years were recent & fans expectations were higher & yes looking back perhaps the fans were complacent & spoiled. I was in college when we played Jville. The thing I remember about that game was it was like the last week of December, but it was a really warm game. I think the high was like 55 that day. All my friends from high school were back from christmas break & we had like 30 people go up to the game. We got there really early & sat in the tunnel endzones. Man were we loaded that day. After the game we somehow made it up to that strip club right over the peace bridge. i dont think it is opened anymore. cant remember the name. My one friend was so drunk this stripper actually refused to give him a lap dance. Believe me, we still give my friend hell for that night, telling him he is the one guy in North America that can not even get a little action in a strip club. Finally made it home about 1 in the morning(after getting in the Ralph parking lot at 7:30). The next morning my dad asked me how the game was & what I thought about Kelly getting wheeled off the field. I asked him what the hell is he talking about?????
JPicc2114 Posted March 30, 2009 Posted March 30, 2009 This wont even apply to us, since we don't seem to even make the playoffs
MaineMoxie Posted March 30, 2009 Posted March 30, 2009 Neutral Sites For Conference Title Games?Posted by Mike Florio on March 30, 2009, 10:24 a.m. Read it all here... I promise you this will tick you off http://www.profootballtalk.com/category/rumor-mill/ And yet I read it anyway.
Beerball Posted March 30, 2009 Posted March 30, 2009 And yet I read it anyway. it that ticked you off you are now officiously MaineMoxieless Flutie/Johnson...now that should tick you off.
dollars 2 donuts Posted March 30, 2009 Posted March 30, 2009 the only other home playoff game they had during the 90's outside of the super bowl years was the Jacksonville game and I dont recall that being blacked out The Miami game where we ran the ball like crazy and which was the last game of Shula's career. Remember, we lost the next week in Pittsburgh when Bruce had the flu and they busted Kelly's shoulder. ...and I believe we did sell out that Miami game.
Max997 Posted March 30, 2009 Posted March 30, 2009 It was always a close call with ch.2 (AFC was on NBC then) usually buying up the last 5,000 or so seats. PTR i dont recall that ever happening with any playoff games...with the exception of the Houston game
lets_go_bills Posted March 30, 2009 Posted March 30, 2009 That is the most insane thing I've ever heard. Neutral site? WTF? So what if it's cold in Buffalo come January/February, everyone who lives in Buffalo sill goes outside, so why can't they play a football game? Home field advantage is any team's right. And you're just gonna take a home game away and put it in a market that probably doesn't give a schitt about those teams anyway. BS! This wouldn't happen IMO, it's too dumb and insane.
VJ91 Posted March 30, 2009 Posted March 30, 2009 Some of you may be too young to remember that the Bills would struggle to sell-out playoff games in the 90's. The 1993 Houston comeback playoff game was blacked out in Buffalo! PTR The Bills played 9 home playoff games from January 1991 thru January 1997. Their record was 8-1, and a grand total of one of those 9 did not sell out in time to keep it from being blacked out. What kind of idiotic point are you trying to make here, that with an 8-1 record, the Bills didn't have enough of a home field advantage?? Or, because one of 9 playoff games didn't sell out, the Bills' fans didn't care enough about having home playoff games?? Neutral Conference Championship games is the stupidest idea I've ever heard.
VJ91 Posted March 30, 2009 Posted March 30, 2009 The Miami game where we ran the ball like crazy and which was the last game of Shula's career. Remember, we lost the next week in Pittsburgh when Bruce had the flu and they busted Kelly's shoulder. ...and I believe we did sell out that Miami game. That Miami game in '96 sold out, and was on TV. Sorry, only the Houston Wild Card game was blacked out. The Bills were two time defending AFC Champions, and the week before lost a horrible game at Houston that cost them the AFC East Division Championship. If you remember the first half of that playoff game, (and who doesn't), both the fans and the Bills themselves were down and out about having to regroup and play the very next week at home against the very same Oilers.
Gordio Posted March 31, 2009 Posted March 31, 2009 That Miami game in '96 sold out, and was on TV. Sorry, only the Houston Wild Card game was blacked out. The Bills were two time defending AFC Champions, and the week before lost a horrible game at Houston that cost them the AFC East Division Championship. If you remember the first half of that playoff game, (and who doesn't), both the fans and the Bills themselves were down and out about having to regroup and play the very next week at home against the very same Oilers. The Jacksonville game was blacked out too. By my count they have played 12 playoff games at the Ralph. 10 of them were sold out. The Houston game & the Jacksonville game were not. Look it up if you do not believe me.
In-A-Gadda-Levitre Posted March 31, 2009 Posted March 31, 2009 ya, the season might be extended into February, but since when is the weather noticeably worse in February than January, especially where it matters in places like Chicago, Buffalo and Green Bay? Playoff games in northern cities are likely to be cold and snowy anytime after mid-December. This is a non-issue IMO.
My Friends Call Me Tebucky Posted March 31, 2009 Posted March 31, 2009 Yeah, the Jacksonville game was definitely blacked out. And, actually the Miami playoff game at home the year before had to get numerous extensions to sell out. I remember it was announced that it would be on TV at about 8pm the night before the actual game. Distinctly recall Rick Jeanneret announcing it during a Sabres game on Empire. Anyway, I hate the neutral site idea. Takes a lot of meaning away from the regular season.
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