paleo

I'll gladly take all your emotional responses! Go ahead and fire away. But in a quieter time, when the anger and frustration we all feel subsides, when we dare to let logic enter the conversation, the bottom line is that the Buffalo Bills do not bring in enough money to fund a Super Bowl winner. We are unhappy when Winfield, Williams, Clements and others are due for a big contract and our team let's them leave. We hate it when top free agents are never signed by the Bills, especially when they end up as opponents in our division. The top GMs and coaches are never hired by Mr. Wilson and that often means we cannnot win games where coaching is the deciding factor. So each year we hope and dream that the planets will line up and we will be one of those one year wonder teams who win games they shouldn't, get more than their share of lucky calls and bounces, and overachieves in their play. When it doesn't happen. we start blaming owners, staff and players. Yes, they fail to realize the success we hope for, but the culprit is the bottom line. How can we be so deluded to think that we can spend the bucks that the Patriots, Cowboys and other rich organizations do, when Ralph doesn't have anything close to their revenue coming in? Of course, it's easy to be a fan and say he should do it for the community and people who support his team. But while it is easy to say, there are very few business people who would actually spend more than what is financially expedient of the money received from their (cash cow) NFL franchise. I'll bet I have accused Mr. Wilson of being cheap a hundred times over the years. But deep down, I know he is not the problem. The decline of major corporations, population and economic prosperity in Buffalo is the reason behind it all. I have spent thousands on season and game tickets, team gear, etc. but the Bills don't "owe me" anything. Each year I get to decide whether I want to pay for the product or not. Whether I want to be frustrated or not. I am still going to be a fan of the Bills next year, even though I'll hate it if they have a bad season. But when I think it through logically, there are no villains involved; just the economics in my beloved city.

Tell me you're not Preston!

Rebound? You mean return to the excellent years of the past? Which 7 - 9 season did you think was spectacular?

Right on! Ralph isn't the devil, nor is he an angel. He is a businessman doing the only thing he could do to make money in a shrinking market (other than leaving it or selling). He keeps the ticket prices very low and the pay levels very low. Neither he (nor anyone else) can financially compete with today's NFL aristocracy, with a team located in Buffalo. So, as several others have indicated, our choice today is support the Bills or not. Our choice in the future may be to root for a team in some far away city or stop following pro football. We have no influence, no gripe and no brains if we think it will get better. But it's definitely not a battered wife syndrome. We are not trapped in a lifestyle ruining situation. We are sports enthusiasts who can decide if we want to continue to support an entertainment venue... or not. Quit making it sound lifethreatening.

We have all heard "the game has passed him by" in reference to a player, coach or GM, but it can apply to ownership, too, and Ralph is the proof of it. In the days before free agency, stadiums with a ton of luxury boxes and the runaway inflation of ticket prices, Wilson was content to make his millions in western New York and it was possible to field a competitive team. Since the very beginning (1960), I have invested thousands of dollars in the Bills through season tickets, team products, food and drink, etc. I got my money's worth, even though it seemed like they lost two games for every win during their tenure. It was fun to watch the games, party in the parking lot and the rest of what went along with being a Bills fan. But then the overspending by the richest teams meant that the Bills could not keep many of their star players and could not afford to acquire the top free agents. The difference in team revenues grew wider and wider because of ticket and luxury box prices. This isn't a knock on Wilson, who could have done a number of ugly things along the way, including moving or selling the team. It's the way the league has evolved. So now, after 48 years of supporting the Bills, I am struggling to have a vision of the preferred future for the team, and I cannot come up with one. With a diminishing population and corporate presence, Buffalo cannot financially support an NFL team in today's league, in a manner that would allow them to be financially (and talent) competitive. Sure, the planets can line up and a small market team can have a Cinderella season. But can anyone paint a reasonable picture of how this team can be consistently competitive?