DwightSchrute Posted April 17, 2009 Posted April 17, 2009 I got a tour of the stadium yesterday and it's going to be pretty ridiculous. I can imagine that Dallas is going to be larger than life (and ostentatious), but the new Meadowlands looks like it's going to be pretty impressive while staying tasteful. 4 giant HD screens in each corner of middle bowl, LED surrounding lower bowl, nice suites, seats on the field level behind home bench. A lot of it makes sense because the League, being in NY, uses the stadium to host. It cost $1.6B and had no state funding from what I understand. Anyways, it made me realize how unique the Ralph is. While it's a little outdated, RWS really is like a college football atmosphere. I wouldn't trade it for anything at this point. While it would be unbelievable to have a stadium like that in the downtown Buffalo area, but I think it's incredibly unrealistic in the foreseeable future. Procrastinating at work on this Friday morning, so I thought I'd share. Go Bills.
SKOOBY Posted April 17, 2009 Posted April 17, 2009 Waterfront retractable roof dome is what's needed in WNY.
Buffalo Destroyers! Posted April 17, 2009 Posted April 17, 2009 Waterfront retractable roof dome is what's needed in WNY. You CAN'T have a dome in buffalo, what would buffalo be without those games be played in blizzard like conditions.
LabattBlue Posted April 17, 2009 Posted April 17, 2009 You CAN'T have a dome in buffalo, what would buffalo be without those games be played in blizzard like conditions. You're right. Playing outside has been such an advantage for the Bills over the last decade.
quikchomp Posted April 17, 2009 Posted April 17, 2009 You CAN'T have a dome in buffalo, what would buffalo be without those games be played in blizzard like conditions. I do understand where you're coming from - but it's really not an advantage anymore. A ton of NFL players, including on the Bills, are from the south and do not like the cold. Hell, our QB sucks in cold weather and blizzard-like conditions. Also, I would pretty much think that most people would rather sit inside watching a game during November and December. Anyone who went to the Giants game on Dec. 23 two years ago knows where I'm coming from - that was miserable.
SKOOBY Posted April 17, 2009 Posted April 17, 2009 Cold weather team / any advantages are nostalgic dribble designed to invoke a emotional response from a day long since past. It's like forcing people to rotary dial when there are better options available. Turn the Ralph into rubble and start anew near lake Erie, a source of pride.
nucci Posted April 17, 2009 Posted April 17, 2009 Football is meant to be played outdoors. I remember the Jets game in '93 and a couple of Raiders games in bitterly cold. I loved going to those. My 1st dome game was Bills-Seahawks in '89. The atmosphere was terrible.
Zona Posted April 17, 2009 Posted April 17, 2009 For years I was a big believer in cold weather games giving the Bills an advantage. But now I am not so sure. Ever since we built the fieldhouse, our team has become softer, and less proficient in cold, windy, wet weather. I will use the AZ Cardinals as an example here. They could have used the heat as their homefield advantage. but for 20 years, it didn't help. They finally get their Domed stadium built, and they have a nice homefield advantage now. Domes can be Loud. Domes can help the home team, just maybe not in ways we expect. Filling seats may have a bigger advantage than 30 mile an hour winds...
stuckincincy Posted April 17, 2009 Posted April 17, 2009 I got a tour of the stadium yesterday and it's going to be pretty ridiculous. I can imagine that Dallas is going to be larger than life (and ostentatious), but the new Meadowlands looks like it's going to be pretty impressive while staying tasteful. 4 giant HD screens in each corner of middle bowl, LED surrounding lower bowl, nice suites, seats on the field level behind home bench. A lot of it makes sense because the League, being in NY, uses the stadium to host. It cost $1.6B and had no state funding from what I understand. Anyways, it made me realize how unique the Ralph is. While it's a little outdated, RWS really is like a college football atmosphere. I wouldn't trade it for anything at this point. While it would be unbelievable to have a stadium like that in the downtown Buffalo area, but I think it's incredibly unrealistic in the foreseeable future. Procrastinating at work on this Friday morning, so I thought I'd share. Go Bills. Thanks for the eye-witness report! It's appreciated.
Quester74 Posted April 17, 2009 Posted April 17, 2009 You CAN'T have a dome in buffalo, what would buffalo be without those games be played in blizzard like conditions. I dunno.. watchable?
Quester74 Posted April 17, 2009 Posted April 17, 2009 Football is meant to be played outdoors. I remember the Jets game in '93 and a couple of Raiders games in bitterly cold. I loved going to those. My 1st dome game was Bills-Seahawks in '89. The atmosphere was terrible. With the retractable roof, I belive most games would be played outdoors.. even most winter games. But, when the temperature is going to be near 0 degrees with 25 mile/hr winds and a foot of snow, you close the roof. Would probably help sell out more late season home dates, as well.
nucci Posted April 17, 2009 Posted April 17, 2009 With the retractable roof, I belive most games would be played outdoors.. even most winter games. But, when the temperature is going to be near 0 degrees with 25 mile/hr winds and a foot of snow, you close the roof. Would probably help sell out more late season home dates, as well. I'm not sure. I went to the Bills-Cards game this past year in AZ. It was sunny and around 70 degrees and the roof was closed. I also went to Houston to see the Bills-Texans. Another beautiful day. 65 and sunny. The roof was closed then. IF there ever is a new stadium built for the Bills in Buffalo with a retractable roof, I will bet it will be closed most of time. Every home game usually has wind issues. That will be reason enough to close it most games.
ans4e64 Posted April 17, 2009 Posted April 17, 2009 Count me in for NOT wanting a dome. The only thing that makes Buffalo unique in the minds of NFL teams and fans is playing games in its crazy weather. Seeing Buffalo on the schedule late in the year gives us relevance, it gives us an identity. Without that, we just become the most forgotten NFL franchise in the league. Nothing sets us apart. Can you imagine the Green Bay Packers playing in a dome? Also, I don't care that it doesn't give the advantage for our team right NOW. The stadium, or new stadium, is going to be here for decades... these players will not. I wouldn't want to give all of that up because a few pansies on the team right now can't handle the cold. Its up to the front office to get players in here who can. Keep our identity, because we don't have anything else that the other big cities have. The fans and the cold, that's it.
Leonidas Posted April 17, 2009 Posted April 17, 2009 Count me in for NOT wanting a dome. The only thing that makes Buffalo unique in the minds of NFL teams and fans is playing games in its crazy weather. Seeing Buffalo on the schedule late in the year gives us relevance, it gives us an identity. Without that, we just become the most forgotten NFL franchise in the league. Nothing sets us apart. Can you imagine the Green Bay Packers playing in a dome? Also, I don't care that it doesn't give the advantage for our team right NOW. The stadium, or new stadium, is going to be here for decades... these players will not. I wouldn't want to give all of that up because a few pansies on the team right now can't handle the cold. Its up to the front office to get players in here who can. Keep our identity, because we don't have anything else that the other big cities have. The fans and the cold, that's it. Great, now we agree on two things. !@#$...
ans4e64 Posted April 17, 2009 Posted April 17, 2009 Great, now we agree on two things. !@#$... We actually agree on a lot more than you'd think, I just take a different approach to it which turns you off.
hotwing Posted April 17, 2009 Posted April 17, 2009 Waterfront retractable roof dome is what's needed in WNY. What exactly is the point of having a retractable roof in Buffalo. The weather sucks about 90% of the time, so why bother, would just cost more money.
GhostsOfTheRockpile Posted April 17, 2009 Posted April 17, 2009 A stadium anywhere on the Buffalo waterfront is a terrible idea. For one, access is abysmal. Not to mention, there actually ISN'T enough land on the outer harbor, unless you want to spend billions to clean up the old brownfields in Lackawanna. There simply isn't enough land (for one, much of the outer harbor isn't WIDE enough to accompany the stadium, let alone the massive parking investment that would have to be made) from the old site of the Pier all the way down to what used to be St. Lawrence Cement. Your only hope is a massive project requiring billions of dollars to rememdy large swaths of land in Lackawanna... and who, pray tell, is going to pay for that? If you can't get the land on which the Perry Projects sit near the arena or the land on which the Shoreline Apartments sit near City Hall, there are very, VERY few areas in the city that could accomodate a new stadium and the ancillary lots it would consume. The Bills are better off spending $400 million on a massive, Lambeau-esque renovation of The Ralph than a billion or so on a brand new stadium.
BillsWatch Posted April 17, 2009 Posted April 17, 2009 I think there should be a "hole" in roof of stadium in Buffalo but not a dome. Enough to let weather in but enough to make stands covered, prevent burying of seats in snow, etc.
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