May Day 10

Isnt Toronto the 4th largest NFL market without Buffalo? to me, that would be more appealing as a buyer. Move Buffalo out of the way. In order for the team to stay, it is going to have to be a somewhat philanthropic purchase by someone with local ties. If a potential buyer wants Toronto, they are going to move to Toronto.

I think I agree, I think. Look at Ron Rolston and the Sabres. Taking the Sabres' job when he did may have caused irreparable damage to his NHL coaching career. The Browns are a disaster and (the new version) always has been. The Bills arent a great place either, but at least he is a DC with a glut of talent to work with and continue to make a name. His name has been rolled out there in the media through this and he has had some interview practice. I would punt and wait for the 10 jobs that open next year. There has got to be a better situation than Cleveland.

I was under the impression that they would all be done by opening day. I actually do think it is a somewhat big deal and dont blame them for flying that flag. Im in the rockpile with limited view of the video board, so I am thrilled to be able to see replays next year

This picture was taken by me of my television. It was Friday on NBC. I put it on my facebook and a friend asked me if they could put it on their twitter (and they have a good number of followers I think). Same angle of the TV, precise moment. I was watching and Im like "Was that a Trent Edwards jersey?" My wife: "Who?" I rewound it and found that I did in fact see it. She thought I was crazy for snapping a picture, but I thought I was crazy later when I regretted not getting a better one.

Its a lot easier to swallow when you recognize/admit this. It used to drive me crazy early in his career. Like the Rams Superbowl when he had like 140 passing yards and got most of the credit for the win. It looked like he was a good game-manager with a really good gameplan and a SUPER offensive line and opportunistic D and ST. Even when he started putting up numbers, it always seemed like the gameplan would call for a little 4 yard slant and the receiver would gain an extra 30 yards. Then there was the Randy Moss years, when they were the most dominant, but never won the Super Bowl. Statistics show that Brady padded his stats in blowouts like no other. That also P-ed me off. I also think he is the beneficiary of a very large amount of roughing the passer and PI calls. He has the nerve to complain when things dont go his way which grates the nerves. But he has been doing it in all conditions, with all sorts of supporting casts for almost a decade and a half. One injury that cost a season. A lot of it is Belichick and gameplan, but you also need a special QB to run with it and execute. I think that the Pats go downhill pretty steeply when Brady hangs them up. Top 5 of all time I agree with. I would rank Elway and Manning over him no doubt. He is in a category with Favre, Montana, Brady, Marino, Young, Unitas, Staubach, Bradshaw, and maybe Brees. I would say that modern era QBs are much better than the past. If Brady played in the 60s with his knowledge and training, etc, he would probably be considered the Babe Ruth of football. I think that translates right up through Young.

I think it is important for sports leagues to mix it up every now and then (while preserving rivalries). Rivalries in the NFL these days are purely situational, and sometimes geography. Biggest rivalry right now? Seattle/San Francisco. 7 years ago? Indy/New England? Miami games dont do it for me. At all. It doesnt even feel like a Divisional game half the time. (Im no youngster either). Im fairly bored with the AFC East as it is. I would much rather see the Bills in a Division with other Great Lakes teams/rust belt. I would like to see San Francisco/Oakland in the same Division. Philly/Baltimore/Washington/Giants. Miami/Jax/Tampa/Atlanta/NO. Just change it up, I dont know. Its been over 20 years for this current alignment and that is an eternity

for the record, that game didnt cost the team the playoffs. The Pittsburgh flop and taking the field like dogs against Tampa were much worse offenders. The correct answer on that specific game isnt to point to any one play like the fumble(s). But on the same hand, you cant say the game is a coin toss in Buffalo as it was in Toronto and the crowd would put them over the hump. A game in Buffalo is a complete re-roll of the dice. They could get blown out in Buffalo too. Odds of winning in Buffalo are greater than Toronto though. I have already said plenty and dont want to repeat myself on the comeback game. The Sabres also had the most electrifying team in franchise history in the same year and could get more than 13K at any game though. 20 years ago is not transferrable IMO (not to ignore Bengals/Colts/Packers this weekend). I might be the most vocal on here against the Toronto series. I am a season ticket holder though if that helps my voice (and I would pay more for tickets if asked). I am also appalled as an Erie County taxpayer. I have seen this team survive and thrive in the 47 years predating the Toronto series, and it will be fine after it. The future of the team is on the new owner and what their intentions are. I can say pretty strongly that there wont be an owner who will be dissecting the balance sheets trying to weigh a few million vs moving the team. The Bills are what they are. A small market NFL team with charm, history, and pretty darn good fans. If the new owner is a fan and/or has local ties, the team will be purchased with more of a philanthropic intent than an investment. If it is an investor, then the team is gone no matter if they have 1 game, 2 games, or 4 games in Toronto. An NFL team can no doubt make more money in Toronto, Vegas, LA, San Antonio, you name it. Then there is a whole question on behind the scenes, how willing the NFL secretly is in the Bills selling to out of town interests. Also, if this game was a raging success in Toronto. Packing the place with $200 tickets. Wouldnt you surmise that a full-time move to Toronto would make awesome financial sense for the new owner?

I agree. Im not sure if they are better than any of the 6 NFC playoff teams, and possibly Arizona. The AFC is so completely weak, the likes of which we havent seen since the 80s and 90s.

Cant believe its the end of the BCS. Its strange though. Like Herbstreit and Mussburger pointed out... this may be the best slate of BCS we have gotten to date.

I guess it comes down to what you feel is the motivation for this is for both sides and if you feel it is necessary. I feel it just maxes out the earnings for Mr wilson by a few million (which is his right). As a secondary result, They were probably hoping in the beginning it would result in toronto somehow adopting the bills but it's pretty obvious that won't happen. Rogers imo is readying to buy the team and move them to toronto. So much points to that and I cannot come up with any other motivation. they weren't thrilled by the price tag as by all accounts the new deal is less. Then you have wilson. Made double that of a conventional home game. Now a bit less. Are we to believe that a billionaire really cares about that relatively small revenue stream that they can make while they sleep? At the expense of bad press and alienating your fans and even some players? But those who really feel this is about Regionalization and the toronto market is there to be had to root and support the buffalo bills, my points mean nothing. I don't feel the bills are actively orchestrating a move. They are in it for the cash payout. However, I feel like they aren't actively doing much, if anything to solidify the team's long term future in buffalo. Large interests in toronto however seem to be lining everything up to swoop in and take the franchise when they come up for sale. Edit: sorry for any strange phrases: autocorrect

Did you read any of my posts in the thread?

Bills houston nut's arguments: Stevie johnson does drop ball in rws x1000 Strawman Comeback game 20 years ago x1000 I am a sth so everyone who disagrees with me is whiny and entitled. Did I miss anything?

needless to say, this development is very good for the Bills. Now they can remain on the "In the Hunt" list for an additional week or 2

If Super Bowl XXV was played in Buffalo it wouldnt have mattered. Norwood would still have missed the FG.

I have said it in countless threads, but it is completely different times now than 20 years ago. Internet sales and resales. The Bills make a run, get a home playoff game or 2, look promising, and they get into the "waiting list" category pretty quickly. I would put money on it. Once that gets crossed over, the team's ticket sales are secure for long-term unless they go through a long stretch of terrible play (such as the Sabres). They can even afford a few off years, as long as they make the tickets profitable for fans to resell certain games every so often. Then that is when the Bills would inch ticket prices up closer and closer to the re-sale value.

I dont want to go to Toronto. The atmosphere sucks There is no tailgating/pregame atmosphere. 4PM games with traffic promises to see me arrive back at home late on a work night after (odds are) seeing the Bills lose at a game that the experience is really not fun The entire thing only symbolizes the Bills' one day relocation to Toronto. I am not going to support, enable, or be a part of that. I am happy in its failures and the fact that they cant sell tickets. The NFL and Rogers would love (and one day planned on) the money shot of a dome full of rabid NFL fans in another country ready to obtain a team. Ralph already gets his lump sump money (which is somewhere between 1 and 2 times the normal game-take at the Ralph, dunno when revenue sharing is cut into that). Let's be honest and that is what it is about for the Bills and not Regionalization. As a fan and Erie County tax payer, the whole series is a kick in the nads

Do you think everything that happened in that game play for play would be identical leading up to that point if played in Orchard Park? The Bills are a decent home team. Pretty bad on the road. Win percentage in Toronto is .143 The Bills have better results playing at home. When you have a franchise that deals with things like untimely fumbles, bad challenges, bad play calling, bad luck, etc, they need every advantage and every single inch they can grab onto. This season they had a .571 win percentage at home and the 3 losses had 3 playoff teams to the ropes. In Toronto Id give them maybe a 65% chance to win that game? At home, maybe 80-85%? Im sure it would reflect change in Vegas odds as well. That difference, and the "near miss" of that game, psychologically moves everyone to the compelling conclusion that "they win this game if it was in Buffalo". So much, that Brandon himself has generally admitted the game may undermine winning.

I really will never believe this series is truly about regionalizing the Bills for either side. At least as a primary function. I believe that it is/was seen as a good revenue stream for Mr. Wilson, and a dress rehearsal/foot in the door for Rogers to one day own the team and move them to Toronto. The Bills' regionalization will and does lie Hamilton and south IMO and they have done a good job drawing fans from there (independent of the series). I believe this in large part is a result of the Canadian dollar, the surge in Canadian to US shopping, and the great pregame and game atmosphere at the stadium. Now if they can mine Toronto for businesses, especially those with US operations, and provide packages to get them to games down here, that would be wise. Toronto citizens though will not root for a Buffalo team in droves though IMO. In fact, if this series continues, because it received some press, it will become more of "a thing" to show up in the opposing team's garb and cheer loudly against the Bills.

Well we did have an 80K+ capacity then and any game then would sellout in today's stadiums. Anyways. Its well documented that in Buffalo there is a working class element to the crowd/college atmosphere that is lacking in most NFL venues. I dont think we have the best fans or anything, but the atmosphere in RWS is up there among the best when the game means something. A home playoff game at this point would be crazy IMO. edit: Green Bay seems like the only crowd to really come across on TV so far

I was thinking that yesterday. Especially the Philly game. I wonder if it was the audio mix on NBC

Im good with not going to that garbage.

Im not sure if the NFL wants that game. All parties had egg on their face after this season's game. The Bills lost a close one in a season they really did have a look at the playoffs and also had more people rooting for the visiting team from 1000 miles away despite this "regionalization effort", Toronto again showed that they have trouble filling the place for the day they covet the Bills. This time it had some coverage nationally (internationally), so I wouldnt be surprised if all 3 parties are looking to alter or abolish the agreement.

Colts and Bengals too, huh?

I think we should all have a tablet underneath the seats and all vote on the next play call

That's basically what I do to stay sane about it. I have said before, that I would be happier if the STH price was the same, Regular Season games were more, and the preseason games were less/free. It did kind of tick me off though during the last Toronto deal when they decided they didnt want the preseason game anymore and we were "stuck" with it. The only reason I feel like the "evaluation" of the Toronto series is legit, is Im not sure if Brandon openly admits it is anything but a resounding success unless there is real smoke there. I suspect Rogers could possibly be the ones looking into axing the series as they cannot get people to go no matter what the price point. This year more than any it has given their hopes to land an NFL team (The Bills) some bad press going against it.