bbill

Long time reader, first time poster here. First off, I've worked in the sports & entertainment industry in the Dallas-Fort Worth area for 12 years now, and like most people on the boards, I'm a life-long fan of both the Bills and Sabres. Over time through work, I've gained a pretty good appreciation for what makes teams and the facilities they play in "tick". Like it or not, operating a team is 100% a business with the goal to make money. Compared to the vast majority of NFL teams, the Bills and Erie County do not come close to maximizing the potential profits at The Ralph. There is an organization that exists called "Gridiron Stadium Network" (www.gridironstadiumnetwork.com). A dozen stadiums that house NFL teams are members, and they basically pool their resources to attract large-scale events and concerts. Arenas do the same thing. Most other NFL stadiums bring in other events too; they just book events on their own rather than as part of a network. I count 7 of the stadiums within this network as being in outdoor, cold-weather climates. Why isn't The Ralph one of them? The blame isn't necessarily on the Bills, but rather, Erie County since they control/operate the stadium. Small-minded thinking that both the Bills and the County fail to realize. I know they held the Winter Classic a few years ago and the Section VI High School playoffs every year. But aside from those, when was the last time The Ralph was used for a concert like almost every other NFL stadium is these days? The goal of modern NFL stadia is to create business opportunities to MAKE MONEY, and I feel is yet another reason why the Bills aren't able--or even willing--to keep up with the Joneses. Compare the Bills' website to any other team in the league aside from Oakland and San Diego (who also play in outdated venues and considering relocation), and there is no information on booking the stadium for events or renting space for receptions, meeting rooms, and other catered gatherings. Cleveland Browns Stadium conducts tours and rents out space for proms and weddings, for instance. Maybe the Bills do offer this, but they certainly don't promote it. THIS IS HOW TEAMS AND FACILITIES CAN MAKE EASY MONEY, and would seemingly be a win-win for both the Bills and Erie County. Like many of you, I question this franchise's true long-term intentions. If they were really interested in expanding their business and staying in Buffalo for the long haul, they'd be looking at ways to make The Ralph more profitable for Erie County--and the Bills would certainly get a cut of the profits--which in turn would help justify a long overdue major renovation to the stadium. Perhaps the bigger question is this: with a mostly non-existent owner and 2 years before the lease runs out on a 40+ year old stadium, why aren't the media and citizens of WNY calling out the team's top leadership and demanding to know what the grand plan is?