Augie

Fall weather is awesome…..but I know what comes next so it loses a few appreciation points for that in my eyes.

I suppose that beats euthanizing your grandfather when his cat passed, but still……. .

Do you take the cat kayaking with you?

We had a party for the Bills first Super Bowl. My wife invited a coworker named Lisa who was about my size. Lisa walked in and said “so who is everyone rooting for? OK, I’m for the Giants!” I avoided arrest on that occasion, but probably because my wife was…….my wife.

Don’t get me wrong, I love my flag! It’s a standard size big flag and relatively new and the colors are bold and bright. But after you go by their giant bold flag I may come off as a letdown. 🤷‍♂️ We’re not in a flag swapping kinda neighborhood, so here we are.

The people who bought our old house 4 doors up the road a couple years ago are awesome! She felt a Bills flag was part of the aura of the house, so she got a GIANT Bills flag for game days. I find myself with flag envy. 😳

His spectrum of work is quite broad, I have to give him credit for that. The tax return alone is legendary! 😂 He never answered my question above about how happy he would be to play a part in footing the bill for the “investment” he calls for. How much more to you want to pay out of your pocket? Where else does the money come from? Don’t over-invest in what should be the by-products. Invest in the economic drivers. I bet Tyler Perry got a sweet deal taking over part of a military base south of Atlanta to create a production facility. Invest in that kind of stuff, because that creates jobs and wealth and consumers who can one day go to that lovely stadium.

The neighbors have been overheard warning others “don’t go there unless you’re serious about the game.” The word is out, and I’m good with that. I watch home alone with the dogs at my feet. That is a sign of maturity on my part. When we were first married my wife would take the kids and the nervous dogs for 3 hours walks. Kind neighbors would take her in on game days.

Apparently my YT Sunday Ticket did not auto-renew. In fact, it’s asking me to sign up again! WTH? Glad I don’t need it yet. I really thought I was OK. .

Sure, tax incentives, the airport (which is a huge driver) and all kinds of investments. What’s your point. What exactly are you suggesting, other than “investment”. You should have a say, since it would be coming out of your pocket. That’s the part people don’t like, and I don’t blame them since it’s often poorly managed. Are you saying they should have invested by doubling the cost? People have to buy what you are selling. What are we investing in, and who will pay for it? We have people complaining about taking the less expensive rout in OP, and it’s still too expensive. They can’t also complain that we didn’t spend twice as much downtown. That’s my point. Oh, and don’t look strictly at distances when you consider downtown Atlanta locations. We went to exactly one game at Turner Field, and you had better stick with the crowd. You can cross a road and find yourself in another world. It’s dangerous as hell once you get just a little south of the core area around Mercedes Benz Stadium. I don’t even like driving my car there.

A quick search comes up with 16 Fortune 500 companies in Atlanta as of 2024. Companies like Home Depot, Coca-Cola, UPS, The Southern Co and Delta Airlines are the reason for the growth. Having the busiest airport in the world is also a reason many people live here. I think the stadiums are more of a byproduct than a driver.

Atlanta grew because people came here for jobs (and lots of them) and can afford to pay for the amenities available. The reason we don’t have a stadium going in downtown is the extra BILLION$ that it would take to get it done. As I’ve said, downtown was my preference, but it’s not happening. I don’t understand complaining about it being too expensive, but we should have made it more expensive. We might want a Bentley, but we can reasonably afford a Toyota.

I agree to some extent, but there is also the matter of being practical. I’m not sure the bigger ideas were economically viable. People are complaining about the cost now and pushing back. How would it go if we doubled the cost? That would not result in a pretty outcome. I don’t know much about Patriot Place, but The Battery (home of the Braves) in Atlanta is awesome. All kinds of mixed use and it’s great 365 days a year. It’s also in the middle of a MUCH LARGER market at the intersection of I-75 and 285 (the belt-line) in the “right part” of town. (The old stadium was in the ‘hood.) It’s easy in, easy out and draws people from all over. There were a half dozen hotels in walking distance before it was built, and they have added a couple upscale hotels on site. It’s terrific, but I don’t see how or where WNY could pull off anything like that. .

So, they should have done it right and possibly doubled the cost, and it’s stupid to pay for the far more affordable option? If they had done it “right”, would you have felt better about paying far more? Or, is there just no winning with you? My preference was downtown, but it’s not happening so I’ll just be happy they are in WNY.

They still push the edge! I walked in there while getting my wife’s watch battery changed. It felt all nostalgic going in, it has that feel. I immediately realized it was NOT appropriate to take any grandkid who could read. It’s gotten raunchy. What was edgy then only had so far to go before it was TOO far. I mean, how far can you push it in a retail mall. The world is a very different place.

Was that a pound of incense from Spencer’s? With that and the black lights……whooooo

Why might they do a thing like that? How curious? Let me ponder that, and I’ll get back to you. Good luck.

Sometimes I wonder how the Browns have ANY fans left. I honestly think between the owner and the QB, I’d have to at least take a hiatus.

Sorry, random thought of the day here. When we lived in Sarasota it was always fun to go to a few games at the Trop. Funky place to see a baseball game, and an even stranger place to attend a bar mitzvah party. Friends and neighbors in SRQ would rent multiple Bluebird busses and throw the party in the stadium with appetizers and drinks in the press box followed by dinner in centerfield. You were supposed to bring the cap of your favorite team, and if you didn’t have a favorite team one would be assigned to you. Following dinner and all the speeches we played baseball complete with announcers and slow motion replays on the Jumbotron of my son making a diving catch. It was the most over the top thing I may have ever seen! I asked one of the staff if they ever rent the place out like that and she said it happened once a couple years ago. That was his brother. 😂 Obviously, these people are quite well off, and THEY REALLY LOVE THEIR BASEBALL!

Sorry, I honestly don’t think so. I wouldn’t stay there for any reason other than going to a game. It’s not a one night thing, but a few nights at most. I stay downtown or on Main St in Williamsville so I can walk around and not drive anywhere, especially after drinks. In my banking/lending days we always liked the longest lease terms possible, like 20+ years with Publix. First Union would make fun of hotel deals, where the lease on the room starts over every day. They can be shaky investments if you are in the wrong location. Why rent a room 20 minutes from stuff when you can rent in the middle of what you want to visit? If I did stay at a hotel by the stadium, I would spend only the night(s) necessary and spend the rest of my nights where I want to be.

I’ve been to games in Nashville 4-5 times, and it is a tremendous arrangement. Hard to believe they are replacing that stadium with a dome, but they are Nashville and it will be in high demand.

My point was, IF it were downtown you might be able to build something around it. Obviously that would have been much more complicated and expensive, but I love seeing games in cities like that. Not for the Bills, and that’s OK. You can’t build much of anything in the desert around the OP stadium. No offense (seriously), but it’s not because it would upset a bunch of locals. You can’t do it because it doesn’t make economic sense.

If they were building a brand new stadium where there had never been a stadium before, it’s a more difficult question. You might think the stadium would be the catalyst. The fact is, nothing has popped up near the existing stadium since 1973, so I doubt that will change much. My first choice was a downtown stadium because I love visiting other cities for games and being able to stroll to everything. I’m not complaining though, because staying in WNY was my #1 priority. You can’t always have it all.

I have never given up on a sports team, but the Buffalo Braves gave up on me. It took decades, but I eventually gave up on an entire professional sports league. I don’t even watch the NBA Finals now, though I do still enjoy college hoops (despite the portal is testing me). I don’t consider moving away from WNY giving up on the Sabres. There was no way to follow them back then, and eventually I gave up on hockey entirely. .