rpcolosi Posted February 15, 2010 Share Posted February 15, 2010 this is to all those young bucks out here who want a new stadium to be like every other city. i whole heartedly disagree for multiple reasons. the first, we have one of hte oldest AFC stadiums left and it be nice to maintain it and every 10 or 15 years give it a big rehab like Soldier or LAmbeau field. 2nd, it be nice once RW is passed on to rename it Rich STadium the way it was and is and should always be. Finally, the seating arrangement. no where else in the NFL (or very fewp laces) can people like everyone on here afford good seats and good tickets and be on top of the action. Have you guys been to these new stadiums? It costs an arm an a leg to get decently close (ie not below the third tier). When the bills and jets both sucked in 2008 i still had to spend 200 total for 50 yard line seats in the 2nd tier at the meadowlands. that place is a crap hole.... the browns stadium, eagles, ravens, bengals, etc - they are all the same. ive ben to them - they look and feel the exactly same. sure, the upper bowls are closer to the field then the ralph, but thats the ONLY place the average fan can afford to sit. luxury boxes take up all the great seats that we still have thankfully. so do club suites. and any time you build a new stadium prices go up, and our area can't continue to sell out games at an avg ticket price of 75/per. WE need to be smart about this and take some pride in Rich stadium. this is the article that says it best (and he hates buffalo as we all know): http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story.../partone/081121 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BADOLBILZ Posted February 15, 2010 Share Posted February 15, 2010 this is to all those young bucks out here who want a new stadium to be like every other city. i whole heartedly disagree for multiple reasons. the first, we have one of hte oldest AFC stadiums left and it be nice to maintain it and every 10 or 15 years give it a big rehab like Soldier or LAmbeau field. 2nd, it be nice once RW is passed on to rename it Rich STadium the way it was and is and should always be. Finally, the seating arrangement. no where else in the NFL (or very fewp laces) can people like everyone on here afford good seats and good tickets and be on top of the action. Have you guys been to these new stadiums? It costs an arm an a leg to get decently close (ie not below the third tier). When the bills and jets both sucked in 2008 i still had to spend 200 total for 50 yard line seats in the 2nd tier at the meadowlands. that place is a crap hole.... the browns stadium, eagles, ravens, bengals, etc - they are all the same. ive ben to them - they look and feel the exactly same. sure, the upper bowls are closer to the field then the ralph, but thats the ONLY place the average fan can afford to sit. luxury boxes take up all the great seats that we still have thankfully. so do club suites. and any time you build a new stadium prices go up, and our area can't continue to sell out games at an avg ticket price of 75/per. WE need to be smart about this and take some pride in Rich stadium. this is the article that says it best (and he hates buffalo as we all know): http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story.../partone/081121 Good link. Truth is, there is nothing really wrong with the Ralph, it's just not new or fancy or indoors. It's a decent place to see a game and the price is right. The tailgate atmosphere is outstanding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bkc Posted February 15, 2010 Share Posted February 15, 2010 this is to all those young bucks out here who want a new stadium to be like every other city. i whole heartedly disagree for multiple reasons. the first, we have one of hte oldest AFC stadiums left and it be nice to maintain it and every 10 or 15 years give it a big rehab like Soldier or LAmbeau field. 2nd, it be nice once RW is passed on to rename it Rich STadium the way it was and is and should always be. Finally, the seating arrangement. no where else in the NFL (or very fewp laces) can people like everyone on here afford good seats and good tickets and be on top of the action. Have you guys been to these new stadiums? It costs an arm an a leg to get decently close (ie not below the third tier). When the bills and jets both sucked in 2008 i still had to spend 200 total for 50 yard line seats in the 2nd tier at the meadowlands. that place is a crap hole.... the browns stadium, eagles, ravens, bengals, etc - they are all the same. ive ben to them - they look and feel the exactly same. sure, the upper bowls are closer to the field then the ralph, but thats the ONLY place the average fan can afford to sit. luxury boxes take up all the great seats that we still have thankfully. so do club suites. and any time you build a new stadium prices go up, and our area can't continue to sell out games at an avg ticket price of 75/per. WE need to be smart about this and take some pride in Rich stadium. this is the article that says it best (and he hates buffalo as we all know): I agree. One of the nice things about who ever takes over the team is that they will have no staduim debt . http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story.../partone/081121 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
truth on hold Posted February 16, 2010 Share Posted February 16, 2010 it's a pos, imo. a hulking outdoor astro turf relic. if you're outside, at least have real grass. astro turf is justified in a dome, which i think is what we need now by the falls anyway Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaska Darin Posted February 16, 2010 Share Posted February 16, 2010 The NFL seems to want to kill the golden goose, much the same way the NBA did. Stern is now crowing about the league losing $400 million this season. Honestly, if it wasn't for the television appeal of football it may very well be dead already. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PromoTheRobot Posted February 16, 2010 Share Posted February 16, 2010 Good link. Truth is, there is nothing really wrong with the Ralph, it's just not new or fancy or indoors. It's a decent place to see a game and the price is right. The tailgate atmosphere is outstanding. And we can tell ourselves this as we watch the moving vans take the Bills away to another city with a new stadium. PTR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sullim4 Posted February 16, 2010 Share Posted February 16, 2010 Tailgating earns the NFL next to nothing, other than the parking fees. You're making your own food, and many people stay outside and don't watch the game. This argument will not fly with them. There are two ways to make money - raise revenues or cut costs. The big markets excel in the former, the Bills do well in the later. What makes the NFL money are PSLs and luxury boxes. Nosebleed seats (particularly in Buffalo) make owners much, much less. The saving grace for RWS is that, because it's old, they can look the other way on a lot of things that need repair. The heating elements in the outdoor club seats are one example. The rusting chain-link fence around the stadium perimeter is another one. A lot of other factors, too. Artificial turf is a lot less costly to maintain than actual grass, labor is cheaper in Buffalo than it is in NYC, DC, or Boston, etc. Vendor contracts are probably also cheaper than in larger cities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsWatch Posted February 16, 2010 Share Posted February 16, 2010 And we can tell ourselves this as we watch the moving vans take the Bills away to another city with a new stadium. PTR Or watch the moving vans take the Bills away to another city because the Bills tried to milk the cow once too many times. Ralph is not selling unless he has a large health issue. The key will be to find someone who not only wants to and can afford to be an owner but one who is willing to keep it in Buffalo for some reason - nostalgia, low cost of stadium due to sweetheart lease, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
truth on hold Posted February 16, 2010 Share Posted February 16, 2010 The NFL seems to want to kill the golden goose, much the same way the NBA did. Stern is now crowing about the league losing $400 million this season. Honestly, if it wasn't for the television appeal of football it may very well be dead already. when you have players with guaranteed contracts over $100 million now, and 50+ man rosters, only 16 games a season, something has to give Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaska Darin Posted February 16, 2010 Share Posted February 16, 2010 when you have players with guaranteed contracts over $100 million now, and 50+ man rosters, only 16 games a season, something has to give Way to miss the point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PromoTheRobot Posted February 16, 2010 Share Posted February 16, 2010 Or watch the moving vans take the Bills away to another city because the Bills tried to milk the cow once too many times. Ralph is not selling unless he has a large health issue. The key will be to find someone who not only wants to and can afford to be an owner but one who is willing to keep it in Buffalo for some reason - nostalgia, low cost of stadium due to sweetheart lease, etc. I know it seems like I'm pushing for a new stadium. I'm not, really. I'm fine with RWS. It's a great stadium to watch a game in. The problem is my opinion means squat. If the powers in the NFL deem it inadequate, then it's inadequate. The good news for the anti-new stadium crowd is Ralph has said he does not believe the Bills need a new stadium, nor would he saddle any owner after him with a long ironclad lease. And no one will build a stadium without the Bills being locked in for 30 years. But the flip side of the coin is an ironclad 30-year lease in a new stadium would ensure the Bills stay in Buffalo. My hope is a new owner who wants to keep the team here, and the promise of a new stadium would be the carrot to make it happen. PTR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
murra Posted February 16, 2010 Share Posted February 16, 2010 Part of me wonders if the people continually calling it a POS have ever even been to a game... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarthICE Posted February 16, 2010 Share Posted February 16, 2010 And we can tell ourselves this as we watch the moving vans take the Bills away to another city with a new stadium. PTR LOL don't tell the truth, they can't handle it. Bottom line the fans in Buffalo can't deal with Modern NFL. Prices need to raise quite a bit, so do luxury suites. Naming of the stadium needs to be sold and bottom line, the 'Ralph' is an old POS. For the Bills to continue then a new stadium must be addressed. Also enough selling games out to Toronto. !@#$ that. There are over a million people in and near Buffalo. They are going to need to get with the times and pay what it takes to see a game and keep a team or it will be gone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Philster Posted February 16, 2010 Share Posted February 16, 2010 Part of me wonders if the people continually calling it a POS have ever even been to a game... doubtful....or else they're these snooty snobs that aren't there to watch the game but are instead there to entertain clients or something Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPS Posted February 16, 2010 Share Posted February 16, 2010 The only thing a new stadium gets me as a season ticket holder is a pesto chicken sandwich. And I don't want a pesto chicken sandwich. THAT was a great article!! Great post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarthICE Posted February 16, 2010 Share Posted February 16, 2010 doubtful....or else they're these snooty snobs that aren't there to watch the game but are instead there to entertain clients or something I have been there many times and I still say it's a POS. Time to quit throwing money into an archaic pos and build something new. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EndZoneCrew Posted February 16, 2010 Share Posted February 16, 2010 I say totally refurbish the bathrooms and concession areas, add a Bills HOF themed restaurant and bar.....DONE DEAL PAL! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RTW2012 Posted February 16, 2010 Share Posted February 16, 2010 I have been there many times and I still say it's a POS. Time to quit throwing money into an archaic pos and build something new. Please enlighten us as to why you think it's a POS. I've been to many games over the past 25 years and I think it's a perfectly fine venue to watch a football game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rpcolosi Posted February 16, 2010 Author Share Posted February 16, 2010 And we can tell ourselves this as we watch the moving vans take the Bills away to another city with a new stadium. PTR PTR I agree with you on a lot, btu not this. do you honestly think a new stadium will increase bills revenues?!?! Brandon has tapped every resource for a sponsor - from Xerox and M&T to baush and lomb. About the only one I haven't seen with their name on the bills is HSBC and Kodak, and i know those two heavily sponsor other sports franchises. I can't see where this "new revenue" stream will come from if we get a new stadium. We had trouble in the early 00's until brandon came on selling our boxes as it was. Unless we somehow start drawing corporations from Hamilton area, I dont see us getting any more competition for our boxes or clubs suites. if they did build a new stadium, I'd hope for it to be bigger actually. 80,000 with similar ticket prices and allowing the 10,000 extra seats to generate more income as opposed to raising fees beyond capacity to support. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rpcolosi Posted February 16, 2010 Author Share Posted February 16, 2010 I have been there many times and I still say it's a POS. Time to quit throwing money into an archaic pos and build something new. if you want a nice, new stadium go to cleveland. let me know how well you can see the game for the same priced ticket as the ralph. also, there is something endearing about the trough style bathrooms at the ralph. makes me feel like im at an old time football game, the way it should be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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