rpcolosi
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Posts posted by rpcolosi
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Statistically one of the worst performances at LT last year and we should triple his salary?? I think that Peters did not play anywhere near a probowl level last year and knows it, that's why he is so desperate for a pay raise now before the negative pattern forms.
"statistically" ?? you are aware sacks allowed is an un-official stat and one that is really not quantifiable unless you are aware of the blocking schemes being run. I'm not saying he had a great season or was dominant but you clearly lack some football knowledge if you are viewing him by stats alone. that guy is insanely good what he does. start watching him block and pull, etc instead of following the ball on every play...
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people in Toronto arent going to get behind "Buffalo's team". If they do get behind it, it is going to be them getting behind "The Team that Is Going To Move to Toronto".
tell that to teh 15,000 canadians coming to every bills game...
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There was plenty of uproar in Cleveland. It didn't stop Modell. Same in Baltimore. How did that all work out? Luckily for both cities the NFL came back. Don't think for one second the NFL would return to Buffalo.
All the celebs you mention are great but don't add to a hill of beans. The biggest ally we have is Goodell but, like I said in my original post, he's there to make money, not be sentimental. That's why I believe Toronto is the plan. Use Toronto to justify keeping the Bills connected to Buffalo, even its only part time.
PTR
you are right that toronto is indeed part of the plan to keep them here. Why wouldn't we use a wealthier city to our advantage? but that does not mean relocate. It means tapping into a larger corporate base for as much wealth as possible. I'd rather see training camp in Canada and preseason games in Rochester to be honest but I don't see Brandon going back on his home town.
In regards to the Browns leaving, it was similar to the Sonics - lots of uproar within their community but hardly at a national level. And more so, that team was moving to an Original NFL Team location in Baltimore. That is a far different dynamic than competing with another sports league in a city that already has 3 professional 'american' sports franchises and has no prior ties to the NFL. So you can't compare Moddell's blunder to this.
Finally, as you correctly pointed out, the Bills need Toronto corporations to remain viable. We need their American and Canadian business' to drive up the value of suites and boxes at the Ralph. Even if 5 large Toronto HQed Companies such as Rogers Comm, Scotia Bank, Bell Canada, etc buy suites at the Ralph it is a success. Consider that we didn't even have a radio presence in Toronto prior to '07 nor did we have a ticket office there. Doing so now can increase the number of fans to draw and the number of businesses (large or small) to start investing at the Ralph now...
I don't know if we need to split the season half and half with Toronto in the future. Rather, I think Goodell wants to see after 5 years how our expanded presence into Southern Ontario works. If we sell higher priced suites and boxes, continue selling out all games, and have an increase in merchandise revenue, this will show Goodell and the league that we are a viable franchise and are drawing to our maximum regional capacity. We are #27 out of 32 teams and are in the 2nd smallest market. This bodes well that we are out performing other 'larger' cities...
http://www.forbes.com/lists/2008/30/sports...lls_301765.html
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yes, it is a matter of semantics. Either way, I'd like to see a deal with Waters get done. I'm not to sure Pioli will grant his trade wishes, but if that possible trade does not unfold, then Simmons may not be a bad option. I suppose it comes down to how much his asking price is. Hopefully, if there isn't too much interest in him, which that seems to be the case, he may sign on to a cheap 1 year deal.
My feelings are that we are going to wait until after the draft to see which direction we are going, unless we trade for Waters during the draft.
A guy we should have gone after is Andy Alleman, former 3rd round pick of the Saints, currently on Miam. He was claimed off waivers by the 'Phins last year, and its clear Parcells and Sparano know linemen. He'd be a good, young guy to consider for depth and competition at LG. Plus his brother went to dental school at UB with me and this guy, unlike TO, enjoys the buffalo night life.
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Ding ding ding. They just need to convince the investors the despite all of Ralph's crying about small market and the Western NY economy (before the whole country/world crashed) he is still making money. Yes they won't make Dallas or Washington kind of cash but they will still turn a decent profit.
Kemp is 74 and already in worse health than Ralph so i wouldn't count on him doing much (unknown cancer stemming from a hip problem indicates most likely a bone cancer, which is not great at his age). There is a chance he may lose some of his clout even before Ralph's passing.
The best thing we have going for us is that Bills 'fans' or those with connections to the team are in significantly important positions - throughout the media, league and, yes, politics. Staring with the aforementioned Kemp, Higgins and Schumer both value the economic vitality the Bills bring to the region and will be the staunchest allies. Throughout the media, such people as Vic Carruci, Gregg Easterbrook, Chris Berman, Tim Graham, Don Criqui, Luke Russert, Nick Bakay and the entire MNF broadcast team (Jaws, Kornheiser and Tirico all UpState NY guys)are all on the national media stage and have voices that stretch far and wide around the country. When the Seattle Super Sonics left Seattle, they lacked this type of attention and support. This will be a national issue if/when relocation comes about...
And finally the league itself. Having the Commish hometown within our region is without a doubt a great asset. He grew up in this region and knows the importance of keeping this team in Buffalo as well as any of us. He does have our interests at heart. Not to mention, so many vital people have come in and through here - From Marty Schottenheimer to Bill Polian.
If there is talk of moving us when Ralph passes, God Bless Him, expect to hear a huge, huge uproar from this community.
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good article by PFW explaining the positive attributes a guy like Lee Evans can have on TO...
http://www.profootballweekly.com/PFW/NFL/A.../wwhi031209.htm
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Once the team becomes for sale, I would not be surprised to see the NFL attempt to work with the state of NY and Niagara county to build a new stadium somewhere near Niagara Falls. The Rogers Centre is small based on NFL standards, both overall seating capacity and suites.
There are numerous reasons why it makes sense, especially if the new stadium is domed (
).But we will see.
a new stadium is not an option if the bills stay in WNY. its minimum $350mil additional debt, even if the state kicks in similar amounts that it has for Citi Field, the new Meadowlands, and new Yankee Stadium. the best thing we have going for us is a "free" stadium. in addition, niagara county has already voted down wanting the bills moved there.
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I hope they don't extend the season. I think 16 games is just right. The NFL is already hugely successful. 18 regular season games is getting greedy in my opinion. Not broke--please don't fix.
not long ago it was only 14 game season. 18 is not a bad move and you may see them add a 3rd wild card as a result, as it once was. besides, who cares about the NBA or NHL in February anyways?
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i don't think it matters. ESPN stays with the big market teams because that is where the money is. When we start off hot again they will start to pay attention to us again and say they saw it coming. But we all know the truth and right now we are not even on their radar
um is it possible we have too many needs for that question??
D: all of the above
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Neutral Sites For Conference Title Games?
Posted by Mike Florio on March 30, 2009, 10:24 a.m.
With the NFL possibly expanding the regular season and with the NFL not inclined to start the regular season earlier than it already does, the conference championship games could be moved deeper into each new year.
Read it all here... I promise you this will tick you off
its liz mullen from a sports business site commenting. This is not the NFL's take. No way it happens. TWeather is what makes football what it is and allows for homefield in the playoffs. So consider the source of who's reccommending it - a business person.
in addition, if we add 2 more games to the current schedule why NOT play those extra 2 in toronto and garnish more income???
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Some of you may be too young to remember that the Bills would struggle to sell-out playoff games in the 90's. The 1993 Houston comeback playoff game was blacked out in Buffalo!
PTR
agreed. and your link is to a 3d article, not moving games..
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Sticking up for Ralph is not the popular thing to do on this or any Bills forum. People want to believe the worst about him and his intentions, even if it doesn't make any sense when the last 50 years are taken into account. Bills fans clamor for some kind of post-Ralph succession plan to keep the Bills in Buffalo. Ralph says there is no plan. But I think there may be more than meets the eye here.
Unless they find gold, oil, and diamonds buried under WNY, chances are the local economy will not recover to a level that can compete with the fat cat NFL markets. That makes keeping the Bills in Buffalo next to impossible for a new owner. Yes, the Bills make a profit now but the Bills have no debt. Anyone borrowing to buy the Bills will have massive payments that will send the team into the red. No one in their right mind would borrow $1B so they can lose money. And not many people have $1B in liquid capital lying around so they can buy without borrowing.
But if the Bills can develop Toronto to be part of the home market, then suddenly the team becomes a major player. The trick is keeping Toronto from taking the team lock, stock and barrel. That's where Ralph and Roger Goodell step in.
I don't think Goodell wants the Bills to leave Buffalo. But as NFL commissioner he owes it to the other 31 owners to maximize profitability. So what if Ralph cuts a deal where they allow Toronto to get half of the home dates with the guarantee that Buffalo never gets fewer than say 5 home games. (1-pre, 4-reg)
Then NFL can then say they did not abandon Buffalo. The NFL gets a presence in Canada. And the assumed new owners, Rogers, will get NFL football without paying a relocation fee. In fact for all we know, the money Rogers is paying now could well be a partial down payment for the Bills.
I know some hate the idea of the Bills being shared with anyone. We all want things to stay as they are. But the reality is they can not. Anyone who believes Jim Kelly is going to somehow buy this franchise is dreaming. There's always a chance that Tom Golisano or Jeremy Jacobs steps up but they will likely want to tap into Toronto as well to help with massive debt service.
We all love the Bills but it gets tiresome always being the bottom-feeder. The team that no one wants to play for. The team that has to hire coaches based on what they would cost. Me personally, I would gladly split the franchise with Toronto if it meant we could be a consistent contender. Of course there's no guarantee Rogers or any new owner would spend the money needed to compete. But the NFL is a billionaire's club these days and you need to the $$$ to play the game.
Flame away.
PTR
This is a very, very accurate assessment of the state of the economics of the NFL and the current fiscal issues surrounding out franchise. I think anyone opposed to expanding our presence in southern ontario really needs to evaluate whether they want a competitive team or not. The reason the Bills can not compete at this point in time is we simply do not have the same cash flow as other teams. People need to understand, Ralph became a multi-millionaire through owning the Bills. he is not Dan Snyder or Robert Kraft who have private enterprises kicking them a paycheck as well. Ralph and his family owned insurance companies and sporting good stores in Michigan. He is wealthy because of his investment in the Bills, not in addition to.
Thus, expanding and regionalizing the franchise is easily the wisest move. Goodell more than anyone is aware of the impact of the bills on the WNY economy and I believe will keep the team here as long as it remains viable. The additional income from Toronto is allowing us to do so, whether we like it or not. TV deals and revenue sharing alone are not enough to keep this franchise afloat. If the new CBA changes to sub 60% player income share and adjusts to a cap or ratio on draft pick salaries, then we are able to compete more so than now. This is why Ralph and Brown were against the original CBA. That extra 5-10mil towards player salaries under a 60% share is not sustainable in any small market.
Finally, your point on ownership and debt is valid. Unless Jimbo has some big NYC fat cat lined up to buy the team with cash (see the Dolan family buying the Tribe in 01), the new owner will have some debt. The most likely scenario still is that Jacobs sells the Bruins soon, especially with their value being higher this year than at any other point of the past 25+ years. Assuming the franchise nets ~$200mil, he is able to be the majority owner of the bills with a few smaller investors (see Jimbo, thurman, Hamister, etc) or the solo owner with a set amount of debt. Thankfully our stadium is "free" and that eliminates the need for further financing....
So in the end, pray Ralph can live a bit longer, the bruins with the Stanley cup, and that Toronto is dumb enough to keep giving us $75mil deals for a fraction of our games. It kept the Packers around, we are the GB of the AFC...
Go Bills.
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Posturing. Jauron is expecting that guys like June, Keiaho, Goff, Simmons, and Bentley hear what he's saying and lower their prices.
exactly... he's not an idiot. we are weakest at those spots and he is making it seem as though we are content. expect june or keiaho to sign after the draft, closer to June 1.....
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LT- Peters: may be moved.
LG- ??
C- Hangartner
RG- Butler
RT- Walker
I like chambers as a backup tackle...but is there a chance that were plan on moving people around and having him start as well?
I think our o line has chance to be decent....but I think there's a gooood chance that they will be the downfall of the team. We really need to add some pieces to the puzzle or Trents gonna get knocked out in the 2nd game....if not the 1st.
Ryan Fitzpatrick anyone? ugh
dead on dude...
any word on Brian Waters? I suspect as we get closer to the draft there may be more talk of dealing for him. In addition, don't forget june 1 cuts. We have picked guys up in the past that way as well.
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Sorry, can't provide a link, but I was sent a survey from Rogers since I bought tickets for Toronto, and part of it was asking about pricing because they are trying to get 1 pre-season and 2 regular season games for Toronto in 2010, 2011, and 2012. $99 per seat would be the cheapest each year for those three games, in the upper deck. No discount for pre-season.
did it say that specifically they wanted more games or were they referencing those years they have 1 preseason and 2 regular season games already paid for and wanted to know new ticket prices since they bombed this year?
i think its far more plausible they are discussing what to do for the games purchased for those years as opposed to new ones, base off of what you said - unless they say specifically we are looking at PURCHASING 3 more games from the bills...
Ted Rogers died for those of you who are un aware. There isn't a huge movement as of now to bring them there. Tannenbaum didn't have the financial where with all that Rogers did.
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Mcgee won't be returning kicks much longer, he is getting too old to do it, and thats one reason why McKelvin was brought in.
McKelvin won't be returning Kicks, Punts, and play CB
What has Fred Jackson done as a return man that would make you think that the Bills should make him a full time guy?
Trading Parrish, who is one of the top returners in the league, should not be shopped unless they are getting something big in return, not just some mid to late draft pick. He is too valuable on ST's to just give away because the bills signed TO for one year.
yes- just what we need. MORE special teamers! that has won us SO many games. c'mon. Roscoe is useless at his primary position - WR. He is a nice ASSET on a team that needs proven commodities that play more than 20 downs a game. He is a luxury we should get rid of. FJ, Leodis and Terrence are more than adequate. Our special teams are less 1/3 of the game and more like 3/4.... we need better talent on the O and D. ST should be 3rd most important. Sadly, Ralph is cheap so he throws his money at the one thing he can be great at - ST. its a recipe for mediocrity...
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is there a blog that has actual, real, intelligent bills fans? these people on here are all young guys trying to pull of fantasy trades... anybody out there who actually enjoys things like potentially filling out needs with some realistic options?
draft a DE, sign a veteran LB, draft a few O and D lineman, ideally grow a set and pony up for peters and trade for someone like brian waters ala the marcus stroud method. anyone out there feel like discussing these kind of options?
pulling of multiple deals for cutler and schefller for roscoe, te and peters is beyond stupid. sure we got TO, but that does not mean these other fantasy dreams are even worth the 5 seconds it takes to type.
actually, the better question with Jones being released, is that a team worth dangling Roscoe to?
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*sigh*
is there a blog that has actual, real, intelligent bills fans? these people on here are all young guys trying to pull of fantasy trades... anybody out there who actually enjoys things like potentially filling out needs with some realistic options?
draft a DE, sign a veteran LB, draft a few O and D lineman, ideally grow a set and pony up for peters and trade for someone like brian waters ala the marcus stroud method. anyone out there feel like discussing these kind of options?
pulling of multiple deals for cutler and schefller for roscoe, te and peters is beyond stupid. sure we got TO, but that does not mean these other fantasy dreams are even worth the 5 seconds it takes to type.
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come on. seriously? Just say no.
Next topic.
anyone even mentioning the idea of getting matt jones should not be allowed to speak. its beyond stupid for the bills. but I agree it is one hell of an idea for the fish if they pulled that off. make the wild cat a legit threat. too bad he's going to join vick, henry and rae carruth on the all prison team.
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Thanks Tim. It's nice to have some common sense and good knowledge after all the bs and fantasy trades most guys are posting on here. Lets keep building this team intelligently. And hopefully bring in a decent O Lineman prior to the draft...
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You obviously have forgotten about eddie robinson.
absolutely hilarious
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the same goes for things like i dont know, politics and the national media.
go TO!!!!
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2007 internet rumor about the Bills moving to Toronto full-time
in The Stadium Wall Archives
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the NFL won't be expanding any time soon. but i would buy the fact Golisano will make a bid for them. There is a notion that buffalo doesn't have the money to buy them, but that is simply not true. we have 4 billionaires with ties to buffalo (the 2 rich brothers, 1 of which is in alabama, TG and Jacobs). the most likely scenario is a few of them buying the team together with TG being the majority share holder and someone like Jacobs or Rich being a minor player. The Bills can stay, it will just take proof to the NFL that Toronto fans are not heavily interested, that we can still sell out and that ownership can turn a small but possible profit.