May Day 10

Sal is intolerable. I can't stand listening to him I agree with you on Joe b. I think the guy puts a tremendous amount of work into it and it shows.

I dont think you could really measure a fanbase until/unless you see the team at or near the bottom for multiple seasons, and you need to take that into account. The whole curve of team performance vs fan support.

like everything else... Let's see how this season pans out. If its bad, changes will almost certainly be made. If its good, then great!

their metrics seem to favor good teams. The top 4 are the past 4 SB winner (other than Denver who came close) no?

Also, it is at least worth mentioning the political angle.

ultimately, this thread needs one post and that's it.

also remember the NHL was headed directly into the storm of the century with the labor war. Very uncertain future when Golisano bought them. Bettman/Daly won the lockout, it cost a season, but that made it possible for the Sabres to compete and be at or near break even.

IMO completely inaccurate. The main reasons are no quarterback and terrible hires. Where have Mularkey, Williams, Jauron, and Gailey gone on to have success anywhere? How about Donahoe, GM Levy, and Nix (ok he kind of retired)? I was kind of being facetious. Anyways, I think a lot of it will still ride on this season.

this is still really quick though. the process has gone exactly as Kryk layed out months ago and every milestone has been hit. In April we were jumping at joy of the news that owners could potentially vote in early October for the new Bills owner. The process seems to still be on that target. Its like 6 weeks away and we will likely know who the successful bidder is before then. That is no time at all, considering we are like 21 weeks into the process.

looks like there is more of a run on bronze for that statue based on these numbers... and a run on crow for people like myself convinced Wilson/family would max out.

That is true.... but the new place is soulless and awful. I dont believe any amount of iconic events can give it any character.

this is when I discovered Ozanian and he lost all credibility with me. He basically said that Toronto will pay the most, $1.2 billion and move the team. No brainer. Then when people commented mentioning the lease and the NRA... as well as Pegula, he pulled a Graham/Harrington twitter act talking down to everyone dismissing facts, he is the writer, he knows all.

Im pretty skeptical of this Ozanian guy. He has had inaccuracies strewn about his articles over this process and he seems hell bent on painting this thing as a wild "circus".

the current UB stadium basically makes games unwatchable. I have tried. It stinks. I would love to go. I like the MAC. Its the worst stadium I have ever been in. Worse than the St Pete Thunderdome for a Tampa Lightning game.

I am friends with a number of Patriots fans who loathe that place and wont step foot in it. Meanwhile they come here and beam about the entire experience and cant get enough. I guess when youre drawing from 6 million people and are among the class of the league for a decade and a half, you can afford to alienate your original fans. I also am friends with a few Jets ex-season ticket holders who wouldnt/couldnt make the transition to the new stadium and pricing. I dont think the Bills have that luxury. There is a happy medium, and ways to get more revenue from people, but a huge cash grab isnt going to work here and I believe Pegula and Golisano both know it. We cant sustain a palace of excess like these things in Atlanta and Minnesota. Maybe a more modest stadium like Pittsburgh, Seattle, or Cleveland. I would really like for them to consider a major renovation of RWS to see if they can preserve the place. 20th in revenue. Sure there are subtle ways to improve without stabbing the heart at what makes the Buffalo Bills Great article on the subject: http://sports.espn.g.../partone/081121

Isn't that the Toronto series description?

I don't think we have enough high end dollars to make bells and whistles a necessity. Working class fans have and will drive attendance. Just look at the sabres' premium seats compared to the rest of the league, while "common" seats have crept to at or near league averages. The formula is pretty simple. Field a relevant football team for a season or two that includes a home playoff game or 2. Cap season tickets and create a waiting list to create a feeling of being shut out to high secondary market and box office pricing and perpetual demand. Then creep the ticket prices up.

that is monster news

If/when the team is secure here, I wont hold Kelly's comments against him and give him the benefit of the doubt. He provided some sort of hope/sanity and was the one thing we were able to cling to. All's well that ends well.

they have also failed to really address the backup QB position in 2 years. The Browns actually snagged 2 experienced guys I think would be great to plug in there to punt Lewis: Campbell and Grossman.

thats how I feel. If they make a step in the right direction, let's see it out a bit. 6-10 or a step backward... what exactly are we preserving?

none of these guys need Kelly's money

maybe 10 teams have bad or mediocre business people/dont care about revenue and Brandon is just average and we can do better.

Agree on JK, if in fact those reported terms are accurate. You would think if he had 100% the best interest of the franchise at heart he would just back/endorse Pegula and it would be ballgame. Pegula knows better than to give JK any type of managerial role, especially a lifetime one. He would however provide a permanent job for him being an ambassador for the team. If JK is involved in a bid that will provide him with permanent say in football decisions, I really dont want that bid to win with Pegula still out there.

It's very possible this team finishes last again for the 7th straight season. This is a team that put a lot of chips on the table for immediate success in the watkins deal. I don't think it's out of the realm of possibility to see a lot of pink slips with a new owner. They win. Everyone's happy