Thoner7 Posted February 2, 2010 Share Posted February 2, 2010 I dont buy that cold weather BS. If that were the case the Pats would be on that list. NYC isnt much warmer, just less snow. Beside with 8 home games a year, the Bills play at most 3 really cold games a year. Three days out of 365 they actually play in the cold. I think it comes down to city size/wealth. High class bars and restaurants. Large scale media so they can feel like superstars. Lambo and Ferrari dealerships. People as wealthy as they are to hang with. Buffalo doesnt have that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fewell733 Posted February 2, 2010 Share Posted February 2, 2010 i'd say its a combo of small market, bad weather, and ancient owner. We've also kind of been pathetic this decade and burned more than a few bridges during the Donahoe era. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billsfreak Posted February 2, 2010 Share Posted February 2, 2010 I dont buy that cold weather BS. If that were the case the Pats would be on that list. NYC isnt much warmer, just less snow. Beside with 8 home games a year, the Bills play at most 3 really cold games a year. Three days out of 365 they actually play in the cold. I think it comes down to city size/wealth. High class bars and restaurants. Large scale media so they can feel like superstars. Lambo and Ferrari dealerships. People as wealthy as they are to hang with. Buffalo doesnt have that. 7 Home games, remember Ralphy sold one to the Canucks, another warm game-indoors, can't get much better weather than that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manateefan Posted February 2, 2010 Share Posted February 2, 2010 What places were rated best? Just out of curiousity. GO BILLS!!! Did not see an answer to this. So who are the best to play for? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Posted February 2, 2010 Share Posted February 2, 2010 I dont buy that cold weather BS. If that were the case the Pats would be on that list. NYC isnt much warmer, just less snow. Beside with 8 home games a year, the Bills play at most 3 really cold games a year. Three days out of 365 they actually play in the cold. I think it comes down to city size/wealth. High class bars and restaurants. Large scale media so they can feel like superstars. Lambo and Ferrari dealerships. People as wealthy as they are to hang with. Buffalo doesnt have that. It's not just cold weather, but it's definitely a factor. Along with the other things you mentioned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaineMoxie Posted February 2, 2010 Share Posted February 2, 2010 I dont buy that cold weather BS. If that were the case the Pats would be on that list. NYC isnt much warmer, just less snow. Beside with 8 home games a year, the Bills play at most 3 really cold games a year. Three days out of 365 they actually play in the cold. I think it comes down to city size/wealth. High class bars and restaurants. Large scale media so they can feel like superstars. Lambo and Ferrari dealerships. People as wealthy as they are to hang with. Buffalo doesnt have that. Weather plays a role only because the media hypes it. It's a case where even the players who have played in Buffalo think the weather is worse when it really isn't. It's all psychological and isn't a reputation the city is likely to shake any time soon regardless of how incorrect it is. That said, it is largely about money as well as media exposure (i.e. egos and more money). As with most things in this age of reality TV, these guys would rather be a star in a "glitzy" place like New York. You can thank the Jerry Jones' of the world for that. Ultimately it's at the heart of why Gary Bettman insists on keeping a dud NHL franchise like the Coyotes in a place where no hockey team has a right to be while there are perfectly supportive - but less glitzy - locales out there (God knows how those people in Columbus were able to finagle an expansion team out of the NHL). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sllib olaffub Posted February 2, 2010 Share Posted February 2, 2010 It isn't hard to understand - look at Buffalo as a city. There isn't a whole lot to do from a certain viewpoint - i.e., the young millionaire who would probably like nightclubs, parties, publicity, great weather, the playboy lifestyle. And yet, there is a flip side. How many teams have former players as loyal as Buffalo? The key is when Buffalo was successful the small market responded by giving their stars the star treatment. Favre would've been a God if he retired as a Packer. Kelly and Thomas can't get that kind of attention and respect anywhere else (and Thomas played in Miami), because, in those other cities there are so many other things besides football, and lots of other stars, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Posted February 2, 2010 Share Posted February 2, 2010 Perception is reality for these guys. As WEO said, most of them probably never played for the Bills or any of the teams they're slamming. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manateefan Posted February 2, 2010 Share Posted February 2, 2010 So who are the best teams to play for? I asked this before and didn't get an answer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
San Jose Bills Fan Posted February 2, 2010 Share Posted February 2, 2010 So who are the best teams to play for? I asked this before and didn't get an answer. The question was asked before you asked it and it was answered...see directly below. just the least: Oakland Raiders- 20% Buffalo Bills- 14% Green Bay Packers- 13% Detroit Lions- 12% Cleveland Browns- 7% It didn't say the most, but that would be interesting to see. First, unless these guys who are voting Buffalo one of the worst has actually played for Buffalo, what is the point of this poll? Second, the worst of the WNY weather comes well after any of these young guys have emptied their lockers for the off-season and moved back south or west where they are from. The point is that perception is reality. It is totally irrelevant what our opinions and/or rationalizations are. The poll is what it is. Buffalo is one of the least desirable places for an NFL player to play. It isn't hard to understand - look at Buffalo as a city. There isn't a whole lot to do from a certain viewpoint - i.e., the young millionaire who would probably like nightclubs, parties, publicity, great weather, the playboy lifestyle. And yet, there is a flip side. How many teams have former players as loyal as Buffalo? The key is when Buffalo was successful the small market responded by giving their stars the star treatment. Favre would've been a God if he retired as a Packer. Kelly and Thomas can't get that kind of attention and respect anywhere else (and Thomas played in Miami), because, in those other cities there are so many other things besides football, and lots of other stars, too. Again, all the positives you mention are virtually meaningless. This sample size of 300 players is probably pretty accurate as there are about 1800 NFL players at any one time. NFL players don't want to play in Buffalo. Period. One other factor that hasn't been mentioned is the New York State Income Tax, which many of us know is helping to kill the state. People who make as much money as NFL football players are taxed at nearly 7% of their income, on top of what they pay in federal taxes. The median player salary is about $900,000 per year which means that a person making this much pays New York State taxes of approximately $62,000/year. This is not a huge number but it is another contributing factor in the grand scheme, especially considering states with no income tax such as Florida (Miami, Jacksonville, Tampa Bay), Texas (Dallas, Houston), and Washington (Seattle). We don't have to like the poll or agree with it. But it is what it is. Or to put it in current sports lingo, "you are what your record says you are." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tcali Posted February 2, 2010 Share Posted February 2, 2010 just the least: Oakland Raiders- 20% Buffalo Bills- 14% Green Bay Packers- 13% Detroit Lions- 12% Cleveland Browns- 7% It didn't say the most, but that would be interesting to see. packers?? wow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikie2times Posted February 2, 2010 Share Posted February 2, 2010 This is my logic progression on being with the Bills. 1. Damn it's cold, how many times will I have to look like a hard ass and not wear sleeves. 2. I have a lot of money now, the ladies love the money, gotta be better places in the country to take advantage of that. 3. Damn it's cold, how many times will I have to look like a hard ass and not wear sleeves. 4. Player signs 5. Jesus, I can't even have an unusual bowel movement without a newspaper running a story on it. 6. I'm an attention whore so number 5 can't be to bad. 7. First game, Jesus these fans are at a whole different level of craziness here. It's almost like playing in college. 8. I played like crap, now they want to draw an quarter me. 9. I played lights out, now they want to idealize me. 10. Depends on 8 and 9, if it's 8 like many recent players I can't think of a worse place to be. If it's 9, like the mid nineties guys, I can't think of a better place to be. For the purposes of this pole I think 1-3 apply most, but once players get here the future and happiness here all depends on 9 and 10. We treat our good players like no fans in the sport, and those guys tend to love it here. Likewise, we make things pretty damn hard for those who under perform (sure many other fans do, but football is not life for many other fans like it is here). Unfortunately a lot more of 8 is happening now then it used to. Which really makes 1 and 2 more relevant then it should be. Winning will change all that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fan in San Diego Posted February 2, 2010 Share Posted February 2, 2010 How would those players even know? All 300 havn't played for us. Purely speculation not based on anything factual. Ignore it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLZFAN4LIFE Posted February 2, 2010 Share Posted February 2, 2010 Put a perennial playoff team on the field and Buffalo doesn't make that list! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malazan Posted February 2, 2010 Share Posted February 2, 2010 weather weather weathermaybe with global warming, in say 50 yrs, Buffalo will be the perfect place to play football I think it's the perfect place right now. Also, see above about it not being a useful poll. You expect NFL player to rate Buffalo well when they probably couldn't locate Buffalo on a map? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuffOrange Posted February 2, 2010 Share Posted February 2, 2010 So outside of crazy Al, it's cold weather teams, mostly without a dome that are in small markets and haven't won recently. It seems strange to see Green Bay on that list, just ever so slightly ahead of the Bills. I wonder if they were being honest in rating all aspects or where is it cold and miserable at times. I have heard time after time the praise for Bills fans and their loyalty, yet this poll doesn't seem to account for it. That's because players don't care about fan loyalty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billsfreak Posted February 2, 2010 Share Posted February 2, 2010 Put a perennial playoff team on the field and Buffalo doesn't make that list! Exactly. Weather has nothing to do with it. I bet 90% of the players interviewed in the early 90's if there was such an interview would have love to play in Buffalo. Weather is always a convenient excuse for Bills fans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trader Posted February 2, 2010 Share Posted February 2, 2010 I was reading in SI that the Bills were ranked slightly behind the Raiders as the worst team in the NFL to play for. This poll was taken by 300 current NFL players. Great to hear Yep I would not count on any high demand free agents coming here under the present circumstances. However if and when the Bills turn it around through great coaching and better talent then you better believe that players will want to come. Remember Takeo Spikes...? He came to Buffalo because he thought the Bills were serious about becoming a champion. If you build it right, They will come cold or no cold. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Posted February 2, 2010 Share Posted February 2, 2010 Exactly. Weather has nothing to do with it. I bet 90% of the players interviewed in the early 90's if there was such an interview would have love to play in Buffalo. Weather is always a convenient excuse for Bills fans. Yeah, and that's why the Packers are below the Bills. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erynthered Posted February 2, 2010 Share Posted February 2, 2010 That the Packers are on that list should tell you what's really at work in turning-off players. I hate to say it, but its race. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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