May Day 10

I dont mind it.... and agree with him. But it isnt something you ever hear a high-ranking NFL employee admit publicly.

I heard him say it this morning and though the reception went out or I heard it wrong.

Jerry Crafts! I thought and still think that the thing had potential and had the right management and ownership to possibly make it work. It was very poorly executed though. I watched the first game and I remember it was very poorly packaged. Very boring game with little scoring and it seemed like it took 6 hours. That turned everyone completely off and the league had no chance to get that first impression back.

I didnt hate him really in college (although I would root against Florida as I always do). Dont mind his faith or anything. It was the unreal amount of hype and credit he was getting in the NFL. I was stuck in a perpetual argument with people about how much he really was awful. They would win a game like 11-5 on some 4th quarter circus play and Tebow would go like 3 for 11 and people were trying to heap all the credit on him. They would separate 'wins' from every other piece of data and tell everyone how great Tebow was. I became so entrenched into a position that I actively wanted to see him fail.

Gambling isnt a concern. It is everywhere now. The NFL basically sanctions gambling and is built by it in many forms. What would be a concern is the 24 hour nightlife there and a lot of temptation into trouble

Really.... what reason is there for positivity? We are nearly 20 years past their last playoff win... What 16, 17 years since they even had an appearance. These things keep happening. The front office lays turd after turd. They desperately need someone to captain the ship, have needed it since Butler (and Donahoe even). They dont bring that guy even with a new owner. Instead they just double down with the Ryan brothers and a C130 full of guaranteed money handed out. Bills: We got Shaq Lawson. Fills an immediate need Rumblings: He needs shoulder surgery Bills: he is fine, our doctors said so. We are smarter than everybody. 3 Weeks Later: He needs shoulder surgery I wish I could give them the benefit of the doubt... but when have the earned that?

From what I hear.... I think we gain more from downstate than visa-versa. I dont subscribe that we "support" NYC... but NYC is a rather large political vacuum for State Politics. I think a better/more productive plan to try first is the whole streamlining Erie (and Niagara) County thing. Scrap all the redundant layers and build it more aerodynamic from the top down. I'm intrigued by the whole secede from NYS thing... but we would need an economic driver. I would love it if we legalized weed (with state tax) as well as casinos and prostitution in Niagara Falls. Maybe with streamlined government and new revenues (and more if/when the Canadian Dollar rebounds) we can be a pretty sustainable/viable state. With lower taxes, perhaps we can land/grow some whales as far as fortune 100-500 companies go.

thats interesting.... the 'rolling seat sections' are key. The problem is, to fit both sports, you have the seats too far back for spots for football.... and for baseball you end up with a ton of foul territory (and often a temporary wall in left field). The circular multis of the 60s-70s were awful (Vets, 3 Rivers, Riverfront) and that design will never come back. I would be very interested to see an architect's plan for a 2015 version of a feasible multi-use stadium that provides good sightlines and aesthetics for each sport.

Actually.... it comes from the fact that Dallas was broadcast Nationally way more than any other team for a long period of time. Because of that (as well as some on field success), they fostered more of a National following/head-start than anyone else. John Facenda coined the phrase on an NFL Films thing in the late 70's.

Yes, the design was basically a pop-top roof to add a larger 3rd deck. Also I believe there would have been seats added in right field. edit: 41,000 seats http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/1990-11-25/sports/9011250060_1_pilot-field-city-of-buffalo-erie-county http://www.citylab.com/work/2012/07/they-built-it-mlb-never-came/2509/ http://articles.latimes.com/1991-02-15/sports/sp-1061_1_fact-major-league-baseball

What I think happened was the MLB Expansion fees were given and Rich got sticker shock and the push for MLB faded.... Miami and Colorado got the teams. I believe it was between Buffalo, DC, and Denver for 1 team (while Tampa, Miami, and Orlando were vying for a guaranteed Florida team). Made it past a pretty significant cut too of Sacromento, nashville, New Orleans, Phoenix, Charlotte (may be missing one or 2). The Bisons were drawing insane numbers those years. It was really cool. In the long run, that is about the point that MLB salaries (and all sports) took off. MLB is the last holdout of capped leagues. The team would have likely been relocated already. The Ballpark now, believe it or not, is one of the oldest in AAA baseball! (feeling of oldness) Nowadays, there really aren't many good markets vying for eventual expansion. I know Charlotte and Montreal seem pretty motivated. The economics of both WNY and MLB will need to change before Buffalo would be considered. Count me in for seasons though, as well as attending 50-60 games. I will always hope for an MLB team. Would be a great institution downtown. Too bad there is no way to gracefully build a multipurpose stadium for MLB and NFL. I would loveit if MLB had a huge strike/lockout and the whole thing crumbled and they went to a relegation/promotion system throughout MLB and the minors.

Ideally, the #1 sport that helps a downtown proper is MLB. It has been a lifelong dream of mine for Buffalo to land an MLB team. That many people downtown 81+ dates a year. Terrific. Also fits into the 'empty void' left by no Bills/Sabres from April - September.... They couldnt do any worse attendance-wise than a few franchises including Cleveland (who Im a fan of). With that said, MLB might have little interest in Buffalo. Probably couldn't support a team long term and the balance sheet would be awful if they even attempted to compete. I do see a ton of upcoming housing/loft options becoming available downtown. Maybe someday it will be feasible.

I have a Southwest Card that I have used quite a bit and I havent paid for a flight in a long time. If you want to use it for anything besides flights though, you get rooked. I like Southwest because its very accessible. I just had to cancel a flight 30 hours ahead of time and the restored all my points and the $11 security fee. They also throw me a lot of ways to get a bunch of bonus points, drink coupons for flights, etc... I switched my primary card to a Fidelity Amex. I believe it is 2%. It converts the points to money that it deposits into a Roth IRA account.

Maybe they'll install grass at rws

That's the thing. It's 10 days a year. Maybe less when preseason is reduced and also the nfl's fetish of international games... Maybe a concert every blue moon. I doubt the stones will come here after 2020. 99.9% of music acts are in venues amphitheater size and smaller. A downtown amphitheater would take all those Darien lake shows and more and place all those people downtown. A proper modern convention center is needed to attract conventions. An albatross football stadium not so much. So maybe they can pry the mac championship game from Detroit? That'll be like 10k people. Maybe a pie in the sky one off event like wrestlemania or final 4. Uncertain to host. I just don't see how downtown development is advanced by plopping a football stadium in the middle of it. An mlb park I could see with 81 dates. We also need to think of a year round attraction there similar to the awesome strong museum they have in rochester.

I disagree. An NFL stadium, lots, and 'campus' is a waste of space in the downtown area in a market such as Buffalo. 10 home games a season, maybe a couple other events. If we can be the 'magnet' for consistent/huge events like Jerry World or Lucas Oil are, then I would. The problem is, the stadium here wont be able to attract and sell out that many events. You also would have to pour a ton of money into demo and infrastructure. Displacing businesses and people. Awful traffic issues, etc. Save money and the premium downtown space. Build a really nice convention center down there as well as a brick-and-mortar amphitheater.

IMO, building, or renovating long-term in-place in OP makes the most sense on nearly every front.

As far as looking at them on the "lot"... I agree

Love the 2 picks so far.

With that said, maybe the cycle is over. They retained Dareus and Hughes. Gotta keep Watson. Probably Glenn. Hate to say it, but may lose Gilmore if Darby does well

Fitz is great in the sack,.... but when you get to the point where he wants to settle down with a commitment, everyone would rather jump out a window

I was thinking this before I believed Fitz wasn't necessarily maxing out. Just putting a value on his health/risk.

While we were putzing around with the Brandon/Whaley/Marrone show, the Chiefs hired Reid to run their football program and he is 31-17 in 3 years, and made the playoffs 2x. That was coming off a 2-14 Kansas City season. still putzing.

We will see this season. If they do good, great. 7-9 wins, we will probably get one more kick at it. Whaley will get a shot to come out of the Tyrod/QB situation, Rex Ryan one more shot. I think it is very possible the wheels come off this season. If they do, I think it is important for them to cleanse the all the dead weight and failure in the front office and build from the top down. Maybe be at the bottom for a year or 2 while fixing the cap, and acquiring picks. I really wish they could have hired Andy Reid to run the show when the time came. Someone like that.

Mark Davis kind of looks like this guy