Archives for November 2013

‘”I’m not going to go down that road but as I said, the sports industry is an industry that is very important and tourism is critical,” Wynne said Monday, when asked about a new Buffalo Bills stadium.’

‘Asked about the Bon Jovi story, Peddie said: “There are a lot of moving pieces and now (Bon Jovi) is one of them.”‘

‘”I’m not gonna jump to that. The Bills aren’t here yet.”‘

‘By this season, however, every NFL team had made the transition. It’s a business decision that saves money and a football decision that saves time, and before his team travelled to Toronto for this Sunday’s game, Bills wide receiver T.J. Graham took Sportonomics on a tour of his tablet.’

‘”The NFL game on Thursday night [Saints-Falcons] outdrew the NHL in Canada. Nothing outdraws the NHL in Canada, except Rob Ford on the nightly news,” Leiweke said in a keynote address. “They love the NFL up there. It’s unbelievable. Toronto is a vibrant, deep market.”‘

‘In other words, he does not wish to appear to be waiting eagerly for the 95-year-old Wilson to die, at which point the Bills will be put up for sale. This is a prudent and reasonable strategy, and not just because NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is from Western New York. It is really, even in the merciless world of pro sports, the least one can do.’

‘It would be expensive: The bidding for the Bills could begin at around US$850-million and reach beyond US$1-billion. And the cost of building a new stadium would probably end up doubling the price. (Though it has been suggested that personal seat licences – at say, $20,000 for a seat between the 25-yard lines – could help fund a new stadium.)’

‘Still, there has always been something about the NFL in Toronto that makes sense, even if after 40 years it hasn’t happened yet. In that sense Tim Leiweke just might be the man for the job, and he’s looking deep.’

‘Helping the good vibes is the fact the AFC’s sixth wild-card seed is currently under .500. Six teams are 5-6, while the Bills are one of three teams at 4-7.’

‘Ken Sunshine calls a report that Bon Jovi is actively involved in purchasing the Bills “preposterous.” Sunshine notes the Bills are not for sale and adds that Bon Jovi has too much respect for owner Ralph Wilson to consider engaging in discussions for buying the team.’

‘Wide receivers Stevie Johnson and Robert Woods, each of whom sat out of Buffalo’s November 17 win over the New York Jets, were back on the field and practicing for the first time since their individual injuries. Johnson injured his right groin against the Pittsburgh Steelers, while Woods suffered a left ankle injury against Kansas City the week prior.’

‘Meeks suffered a high ankle sprain and the team elected to put him on the eight-week reserve listing with a need at quarterback that same week. Both the rookie and quarterback Thad Lewis suffered injuries against Cincinnati, and the Bills decided to put Meeks on IR and sign free agent Matt Flynn.’

‘Winning a road game might be at the top of the list. Manuel is 0-3(including the Cleveland game that was tied at 17 when he left). His two worst games have come on the road against the Jets and Pittsburgh. After Sunday’s “home” game with Atlanta, the Bills will play at Tampa Bay and Jacksonville. Those two games seemed like sure fire wins a few weeks ago but the Bucs have won 3 straight after an 0-8 start and the Jags have won 2 of 3 after dropping their first 8 games of the season.’

‘”Yeah actually it was just a limited day,” said Johnson. “We’ve got five more games in the regular season so I tried to go a little harder than I was supposed and I was cool with it.”‘

‘New radiant heaters are making the gameday experience in the Ralph Wilson Stadium sideline clubs feel like summer during the colder late-season games.’