BILLS02138

Thanks for that announcement... I say fly JETBLUE over USAIRWAYS anytime you can. When JETBLUE announced direct BOS/BUF flights at discounted rates - USAIRWAYS responded -- added SEVEN direct flights, at the same rate between BUF and BOS. Yeah, makes sense... but screw them! I'd rather see JETBLUE do well... I'm tired of getting raped by poor service and expensive flights on USAIRWAYS. Sorry, but that's how I feel... PS: Anyone got any extra tickets to the Bills/Pats home opener in Foxboro?

After reading the article from the Gazette - the BILLS should sell the naming rights to the stadium, the field house, the lots, and the entrances to the stadium, etc. Go to Gillette Stadium in Foxborough and everything has a name on it. The Bills do too; but it's time to max it out in Orchard Park. Regarding the "Name" of the stadium however - it doesn't necessarily have to be a local company - M&T Bank (nah, already attached to the Ravens); HSBC Stadium? (nah, they have the arena downtown). Although nice if it were local; we could maybe reach out to Toronto - to further help regionalize the team. But at the same time, I wouldn't complain if Bob Rich stepped back up to the plate - Rich Stadium, seems familiar. (Does anyone know why that agreement wasn't renewed/continued? I know Erie County and Ralph came up with the new name; but it would have made more sense to sell the damn name! It would at least give Ralph more creditibility, esp when it comes to revenue sharing. How can we ask for more when we're not maxed out to our potential?) Anyhow... What about New Era Park? New Era is currently building their headquarters in downtown Buffalo... I really like the ring of the Buffalo Bills playing at New Era Park... just an idea; get on it Ralph/Marv. Ya know, Mr. Golisano has publically expressed interest in purchasing the Buffalo Bills. If he were serious, he should step up and offer a very generous package (just for naming rights) to Ralph with Paychex Park... I don't mind that, either. OR, The BSC Coliseum: here is something new to Buffalo: NEW outside money is coming to Buffalo --> Did you hear the news about the 29 year old Kuwaiti/Manchester, England developer who recently bought the Statler tower in downtown Buffalo? The guy is loaded. Check this out! Not only is he self financing the $80Million renovation/preservation of The Statler - he's building a new, very TALL tower in BUF: "Bashar Issa says he believes in Buffalo and its people, and will soon announce a second project. Issa said, "We have already acquired other land in the city center of Buffalo. We have already commissioned Canon Design to actually design a dramatic building. ... It's not far from the Statler. It will be very tall. It will be an iconic, symbolic building. We'll have to wait a few weeks for more details." This guy can clearly afford to pony up $75 million for naming rights - but he can probably partner up with Golisano to buy the Bills out right! Which leads me to my next statement: You probably don't know this but there is a ton of development occuring in downtown Buffalo - it's time to seriously start thinking about getting that new stadium built downtown. If we were smart - we could have coaxed Pataki to "donate" tax dollars & leave a legacy in Buffalo for a new stadium before he departs this fall; afterall, he just gave $200,000,000 for a new convention center in ALBANY. What the heck! (again, I still believe Buffalo needs to steal the original plans for the Jets West Side Stadium in Manhattan that included a stadium and convention center and build it in downtown Buffalo. Buffalo needs to get rid of that eyesore for a convention center - and will one day - need a new stadium for the BILLS). Let's do it. I'm tired of Buffalo thinking small and the region letting it's insecurity and reputation take over. GO BILLS

Anyone have a link to watch tonights game via the net? thanks.

Just to put things into perspective: The family of the woman who was tragically killed in the BIG DIG tunnel two weeks ago IS not suing the state of MA/authority for this tragedy. Unbelievable.

So, should we raise the prices of homes, rent in WNY to match other regions, too? Would that make you feel better about WNY's economy? Just curious...

Ya know, this statement is really not that true. I've been looking for tickets here in Boston the past couple days for the home opener - and I've come across a number of tickets, not all that expensive. I even had one guy drop the price because I said I wasn't interested in the seat locations. You can find boat loads on the internet - craigslist, tickethub, etc. By the time one drives/fly's to Buffalo, pays for gas, tickets, food, hotel etc. - you're better off going to Foxboro to see the game. True fans are the ones who go to away games... not the ones trying to save a buck.

yo, boston, what's up?

Game SIX doesn't appear to be on local tv in Boston this Tuesday (some1 correct me if I'm wrong). You Boston folks hitting the Sports Depot in Allston or the Harp?

Doesn't appear that they will be showing SABRES on OLN here in Boston... (Rangers game appears to be on tonight)... Where are folks watching the game? Thanks

POOR excuse. Buy a pair of tickets and donate them to a charity in BUF like Women's & Children's Hospital of Buffalo for a fund raiser.

PoliticsNY.NET: Call me crazy: The State is spending tens of million downstate for a new Yankee stadium. The football Giants stadium deal isn't absolutely off life support as of this writing. This City & County has to finally address the question: Is WNY a minor league region or a major league region? If we are prime time, I believe we are, in spite of the Buffalo News & local shock talk, then lets build a new stadium at the Dunn Park site. Think about, if promoted properly, all of those sell out concerts downtown in the off season! NFL football, Major League Hockey, Bass Pro, Casino, Waterfront, Culturals, etc., downtown! I'm getting excited! The Bisons are an asset to our city & county; BUT talk about an under used facility. Albeit a great minor league baseball field. Build the stadium, if possible, so the Bisons can play there as well. If not redo Johnny B Wiley Stadium for the Bisons. ### I know this website is better used as a dart board - but the guy makes some sense here....

Ya'll should do more research about NYC and the NY Jets before posting. The Jets lost their chance for multiple reasons. The main reason? Politics. Cablevision. An olympic bid that never was. It became a huge war down there. http://www.westsidestadium.com/ I personally think it's a blessing in disguise the JETS will stay in NJ (taxpayers won't be paying for the Manhattan stadium after all) and the BILLS will continue to be NY States ONE AND ONLY TEAM. But you're kidding yourself if you think the MONEY was the MAIN reason why that thing died in Manhattan. Link Shuffle Off to Buffalo You make a very value added argument for this facility. But something similar happened many years ago in upstate NY, Erie County. The county was going to build a new "domed" stadium for the Buffalo (Bumbling) Bills football team. The owner demanded an open stadium on a different site, and an exclusive use contract. If not, the team would leave. Since then, the taxpayers of Erie County have been paying the bill, while only the football team owners make any money. All the stadium costs, repairs, and maintenance fall upon the taxpayers, while all the receipts go to the team. In effect, welfare for the rich. Unless the construction contracts clearly stipulate that the CITY AND STATE COMPLETELY OWN, OPERATE, and CONTROL the use of the stadium, this will just be another welfare subsidy for the uber-rich. So unless the receipts go to the city and state, not the team, let the billionaires of the NFL pay for their own stadium. J. Matthew Good Hi J., Thanks for the letter, will try to post it on web site this week. The example you sight proves the point. An open air stadium in Buffalo is good for 10 Bills games a year and that is about it. And it is located in Buffalo. While I love our great city by the lake, it is not a destination of most tourists. A domed stadium/convention center in Manhattan would bring the Jets to New York, would open the greatest city in the world up for major events year round, would augment the Javits convention center, and would give NYC the ability to host mega events like the Olympics and the Super Bowl. And, remember, this is not a handout, the Jets are putting up most of the money for the stadium, while guaranteeing against cost-overruns. Welfare for the rich is wrong, but here you have Johnson laying out huge amounts of money for this project. There are rare cases where public funds make sense when invested into a private enterprise, and this is one of them. Best, Tom McMorrow, Jr.

Marv picked Dick Jauron. Not my first choice but it's a non-issue at this time. My argument is in response to those folks saying we won't recruit the Name Brand coaches. F that man - there aren't that many jobs in the NFL.

Again, if the Saints stay in New Orleans - the BILLS will forever remain in BUF. As much as I love Ralph Wilson - I wish he would make a move to bring in another local co-owner (Golisano, Jacobs, Rich, Wegman). A move like this would be just enough to reassure the on-going insecurity of this fan base. It's just not right.

nah, it was a great crowd... mostly Maryland fans. I'm not into B-ball - but I do enjoy March Madness... usually watch the Men but got free tickets for the women - and decided to go. Glad I did. When I ever I see the outcome of a championship game; no matter what sport - it hurts a bit inside - only cause I want to experience a WIN with my Bills and Sabres. One of these days...

Anyone watch the women's NCAA b-ball final last night? If you didn't you missed an unbelievable game. I actually attended the game last night and it was incredible how Maryland came from behind to win it all. I was thrilled Maryland knocked off Duke. Made me think of our consistent, underdog, Buffalo Bills. We gotta win the big one and soon. BTW: Boston Bills fans: the Harp has all new plasma tv's....

There are ONLY 32 teams in the league - i'm so tired of hearing people B word about Ralph not paying coaches. WHO GIVES A @#$. Most coaches would DIE for an opportunity to coach in the NFL!!!! We're not talking NHL here folks. So what, we don't get THE BEST available coach - as long as the BILLS stay in BUFFALO and compete - that's all I ask for. I'm not going to whine about not having Jimmy Johnson, the Big Tuna, or any other has been out there. Give young blood a chance.

Yeah BABY!

LINK WBFO News print this page Mayor Brown's Vision for City Includes Football Stadium Mark Scott BUFFALO, NY (2006-02-28) The Buffalo Bills have a lease for use of Ralph Wilson Stadium in Orchard Park through the end of the 2013 season. But Mayor Byron Brown says it's not too soon for area leaders to start discussions of building a new stadium for the team in downtown Buffalo. The mayor introduced the idea of a downtown stadium during his inaugural ball this past Saturday. Monday, Brown was asked to elaborate. He says it's too soon to say where a downtown stadium would be built. But Brown did not back down from what he says is his bold vision for Buffalo's future. "Like so many others in Western New York, I love the Buffalo Bills. I think they are a great corporate citizen," Brown said. "Just sending a message to them that whatever their future needs might be, Buffalo can certainly satisfy those needs." But County Executive Joel Giambra apparently doesn't share Brown vision. Giambra was caught off guard Monday when asked about the mayor's idea of a downtown stadium. He hadn't yet heard about it. But Giambra says Bills owner Ralph Wilson has made no mention at all of a need to replace the county-owned stadium named after him. "I saw Mr. Wilson not too long ago. He's very happy with the tenant-landlord relationship that exists between Erie County and the Buffalo Bills," Giambra said. "The stadium has years of useful life left." Giambra says there are more immediate priorities for downtown Buffalo, such as making the Erie Community College City Campus a centerpiece of a revitalized downtown.

ALL VERY good points. WE need a strong coach in here. I'm just worried that BILLS fans are so difficult to please and desperate to WIN that no matter who is chosen, not everyone will be happy. I can already see the "WE'RE DOOOMMMED" posts (which is old, btw - move on). For the most part, JET fans seem happy with the pick. I'd say their happiness has more to do with the fact that they view this HC pick up as more of a set back for the PATS. If Mangini was that good - Bob Kraft could have very easily ponied up the money; paid him more; offered him DC/Assistant HC and made him COACH when Belicheck's run is over. (Ala, Greg Williams~Redskins. Granted, GIBBS is much older than Bill but seriously, if the guy was that good: they would have found a way to keep him ~$!) I'm still shocked to see BILLS fans get so excited over under-achieving coaches. Sherman, Dick Jauron, Haslett; whatever = bunch of mularkey. Pickings are slim boys and girls but come on MARV and RALPH - bring in the BEST. GO BILLS ps: WHO IS THE BEST?

priceless!

Um, why don't you just ask them? I LIVE in Boston and let me tell you: my heart still longs for Buffalo. After four years, I quickly discovered the grass is not greener. If you like to pay outrageous costs for rent and housing; move to Boston or any major metropolitan region. If you like to sit in traffic at all times of the day, move to Boston. If you like to pay over $4 a gallon for Milk, move to Boston. If you like to deal with miserable residents and unfriendly neighbors, move to Boston. If you're not a native to Southie, DOT, Everett, Cohasset, Quincy, Newton, Wellseley - then you're not welcome. @#$ that mentality. Yes, Boston is a beautiful city. Back Bay is special. Beacon Hill is incredible. The urban fabric of Boston and the landscape of New England is breathtaking. But with all the wealth, Bostonians cannot and will never compare to Buffalonians. And that is where it counts. It's sorta like going into a Museum - where everything is sterile. That's how I would describe this town. Heaven forbid someone smile or say hello. Also, note: Boston has some of the highest rates of single people. Buffalo is what it is. Who ever said it was anything more? I believe Buffalo will always be one of those underrated cities, the one that under promises and over delivers. It is a special place. Regardless of where one lives now (outside of WNY), it's NOT HOME. You will NEVER feel connected and you will ALWAYS feel like something is missing. Don't even try to bull sh-- me with - "I love LA traffic" or "my neighborhood Applebee's in VA is awesome." It's a crack of sh--. With or without our professional sports - Buffalo will always be special because of its natives. The people in Buffalo Niagara are real. They are some of the nicest folks around. Regarding our waterfront? Get your head out of your ass. Get a boat and enjoy the best part of our waterfront: the LAKES. I now live on the Ocean. I would trade the Ocean for Lake Erie/Point Abino/Buffalo Canoe Club/my skiboat ANYDAY. Regarding the control boards? HELLO, BLESSING IN DISGUISE. About fricking time. One way or another - the politics in WNY will change - it has no choice. And if you have any clue, there is a growing number of activits within Buffalo who MAKE a difference EVERY DAY: New Millennium Group Buffalo Rising Revitalize Buffalo Buffalo Pundit As soon as my term in Boston is over, I will move back to Buffalo and my family and close friends. Besides, VA, LA, NYC, Boston, Chicago, and DC and "lovely" Vegas (not) - they could care less about you. They don't need you and in most cases, don't want you. Buffalo does.

They left their hearts in Buffalo 12/20/2005 By MARY KUNZ GOLDMAN There's no place like home for the holidays. And that's not just a song. For people who have moved away from Buffalo, it's the truth. A few weeks ago, I listed a bunch of statistics about how Buffalo's economy and cultural scene compared with other cities. They were just facts and figures. But a surprising deluge of responses poured in. The column seems especially to have struck a chord with out-of-towners who, instead of just crunching the numbers, grew very emotional. Not all the feeling was positive. "I couldn't stop laughing at the fact that you have a control board. Isn't that like being 35 and living with your parents?" says Mark Thomas Jr., who thanks God his parents moved the family from Buffalo to Seattle when he was 11. "You people live in Buffalo. Get over yourselves. You guys are the "fat ugly women of cities.' " Well, Mark: If Buffalo's so fat and ugly, how come we're still under your skin? Former Buffalo folks are a strange breed. Here our city squats, ignoring our control board, shuttering our libraries and selling out our historic Cobblestone District to a casino, but darn it, these wanderers still miss us. Some even admit it. "I was born and raised in Buffalo, but have been away for most of the last 20 years," writes Bill Wessner. "We are in Savannah, Ga., and there is nothing here. It is extremely hot and humid for eight or nine months out of the year. There are no Bills, Sabres, ice rinks, Anderson's, Ted's, no zoo within 150 miles, no residential sidewalks, etc. "While the property taxes are lower, housing is more expensive. Gas is cheaper, but there are not a whole lot of places to go, so that doesn't matter. After I graduate [from nursing school], we will be moving back." John Klimczyk, a Buffalonian in Atlanta, is also homesick. He tells a great tale about a neighbor in Georgia who stored guns and ammo in a shed and almost burned down the whole block. And that's not his only problem. "Traffic is terrible down here," adds Klimczyk, who uses such Buffalo buzzwords as "anyways," "liquid refreshments" and "the wife." He goes on to gripe: "There are few corner restaurants or bars except in the city. Everything is a commute. We are moving back to the Northeast." Not long ago, the Wall Street Journal acknowledged the phenomenon that is Buffalo love. Reporting on our economic woes, the paper noted: "Buffalonians love Buffalo so much that they're often willing to work cheap just to stay in town." Buffalonians love Buffalo. It's a bittersweet truth, thanks to our taxes, fees and downwardly mobile environment. Messages of regret from the young can break your heart. Take Melissa Zajac, 24, who works in Phoenix and longs for Buffalo. "There is no place like the waterfront at night," she laments. "There is no safer place to have fun than Chippewa. Every bar is next to each other - no worries about driving. Supermarkets are open 24 hours! "Living in Phoenix made me appreciate Buffalo so much more than I could ever have anticipated. Similar to big universities, in Phoenix, you're a number and not a name. No one looks out for each other." It's funny. Here at home, we call our waterfront a mess. We fret over Chippewa. But nearly a continent away, a young woman looks at them and sees heaven. There really is no place like home, and not just for the holidays. Even Mark Thomas Jr., the guy who called our city fat and ugly, as good as admits that. "Merry Christmas! I just had lunch at Ted's Hot Dogs in Tempe," he writes in a follow-up e-mail. "I can't get away from Buffalo."

Buckeye, you're awfully forgiving - admirable trait. Just reading that article makes my heart sink, brings back that Cleveland memory and the reality that it could happen to any franchise in any city. I honestly don't believe Buffalo will ever lose its franchise. If they did, Bills fans (and NFL fans) would erupt; much like Brown fans. And personally, I don't blame them. The Bills are family. They are a family holiday 16 weeks (sometimes more) a year. We travel to other stadiums just to see our Bills. If we are away, we sometimes seek out a likeminded Bills' Bar just to have fun and meet new folks. (BTW, the HARP in Boston is awesome and is my current home away from home). Anyhow, my heart still goes out to Cleveland. I will forever carry some resentment for Art Modell. I honestly don’t believe he deserves a nomination to the Hall of Fame*. And if he does get admitted, it better be YEARS after Ralph Wilson is enshrined. Good Luck Buffalo. * Given its location 30 miles outside Cleveland, I could only imagine the security around Modell's "shrine."

Besides Teddy (which is getting more play here @ two bills drive than all of Boston media) I think you'll hear Richard Seymour's name tonight. I heard on WEEI this AM that Seymour may be ready to play.