uncle flap Posted October 4, 2010 Share Posted October 4, 2010 i've been going to games since i was a kid. i've had season tickets the last 7 years. i've been disappointed, furious, and indifferent at various points the past few years. what i am trying to figure out now, is if there is anything i can do as an individual, or as part of an organized group of fans to really send a message to the powers that be that drastic, EFFECTIVE changes must be made. sure, renting a billboard might make a statement, but if it gets a bad coach canned, only to be replaced with a seemingly (at this point) worse coach, what can we as fans do? i'm already drafting a letter demanding a refund for this year's tickets. i don't expect a refund, but i want it to be known i can't continue to spend the thousands of dollars over the years on a product that i believe has been given adequate time and opportunity to improve, has yet to do so, and doesn't seem capable and/or interested in doing so either. i left the game yesterday in the second quarter when it became apparent there would be no chance for not only a victory, but for any worthwhile entertainment. i was going to liken the bills to the washington generals, but the globetrotters at least let them make some plays to keep it interesting. so, fellow TBDers, have i just been naive all along? i'm 27, grew up during the superbowl streak. was that really just a fluke? as for my letter, to whom should i address it? any points i should add? and what else can i or we do? petitions? boycotts? drive 5 flagellation? self-immolation? flame away - i'm serious to an extent, but more importantly, i needed to vent. thanks for your time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NaPolian8693 Posted October 4, 2010 Share Posted October 4, 2010 Yes, you are naive. Just google about what the Bills were like in the 1970s. They were lucky to bring in Bill Polian as GM and he made the team good for a while. Then Ralph fired him for petty personal reasons and Polian went on to great success elsewhere and the Bills went back to being a joke. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uncle flap Posted October 4, 2010 Author Share Posted October 4, 2010 Yes, you are naive. Just google about what the Bills were like in the 1970s. They were lucky to bring in Bill Polian as GM and he made the team good for a while. Then Ralph fired him for petty personal reasons and Polian went on to great success elsewhere and the Bills went back to being a joke. but wasn't polian brought in bc the fans wouldn't stand for the inferior on-field product? what did they do then? just not show up? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marauderswr80 Posted October 4, 2010 Share Posted October 4, 2010 don't park at stadium, don't buy concessions, stage a walkout! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BEAST MODE BABY! Posted October 4, 2010 Share Posted October 4, 2010 Stop going to games. The Bills keep selling out games. Where is the incentive for Ralph to do anything different if they keep feeding the fan crap, and the fans keep eating it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NaPolian8693 Posted October 4, 2010 Share Posted October 4, 2010 If you want to do something, wear a bag on your head to the game. Also call talk radio and say you won't spend any more money on the Bills. Email the newspaper and say the same thing. Maybe if you can get a few people to do it, they will write a little column on fans boycotting the Bills. That's all the Bills care about, is money. So if they are worried about fans not spending, they might change their tune. Already ticket sales plummeted, so the fans are already voting with their dollars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buffaloaggie Posted October 4, 2010 Share Posted October 4, 2010 but wasn't polian brought in bc the fans wouldn't stand for the inferior on-field product? what did they do then? just not show up? Polian was not hired as GM right away. They fired the old GM after Polian, as acting GM, drafted Bruce Smith and got Kelly to sign, as well as bringing in Marv Levy as coach. The Bills got lucky because their old GM had a heart attack, allowing Polian to step in and show his NFL knowledge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amstel Posted October 4, 2010 Share Posted October 4, 2010 Actually Polian was Director of Pro Personnel and took over for Terry Bledsoe when he got ill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
birdog1960 Posted October 4, 2010 Share Posted October 4, 2010 If you want to do something, wear a bag on your head to the game. even better, wear Mr Burns masks. would serve a dual purpose with halloween coming up. some enterprising small businessman out there might do pretty well selling them to fans Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beebe's Kid Posted October 4, 2010 Share Posted October 4, 2010 Yes, you are naive. Just google about what the Bills were like in the 1970s. They were lucky to bring in Bill Polian as GM and he made the team good for a while. Then Ralph fired him for petty personal reasons and Polian went on to great success elsewhere and the Bills went back to being a joke. Didn't he call Ralph's daughter a !@#$? I don't know where you stand on that, but that is hard to continue employing somebody that calls your daughter that. I am sure that many will just say it's no big deal, like Vick is no big deal... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ndirish1978 Posted October 4, 2010 Share Posted October 4, 2010 WALKOUT or BROWN paper bags! I'm for the paper bag idea, seeing as how it would be hypocritical of me, having chosen not to purchase game tickets, to tell others to waste their hard-earned cash by leaving a game halfway through. I do think we should start a letter=writing campaign. We have enough members here on the board to do it. We could create a basic template in word and have people fill out the reason's why they want ralph to sell the team and promising not to support the team financially until he does. Maybe contact someone in the media (Lori if she's interested) and alert them of the campaign to garner more attention. A couple thousand letters from TBD would at least be an affront to the marketing machine at OBD. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bufcomments Posted October 4, 2010 Share Posted October 4, 2010 only thing we can do as fans is not go to games and support this lousy owner. That is all they care about is ticket sales...time we make a stand with our hard earned money. Then maybe just maybe we will see more change. that is all I got for ya...to the Original poster. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tennesseeboy Posted October 4, 2010 Share Posted October 4, 2010 We can make it clear that Nix/Gailey is NOT the answer. They have done nothing as of this date to improve the team and it shows. We have much less talent on our roster at this moment than we have had in any team this century. The reason for this is primarily the actions and inactions of Nix and Gailey. Even with the non-talent that exists on this team Gailey has played the games we have played this year very badly. As fans? Stop going to games, stop watching the games, and make it clear that changes have to be made. If it means the Bills move, so be it. The crew that we put out on the field is embarrassing the whole city. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Trooth Posted October 4, 2010 Share Posted October 4, 2010 What can we do? Let me ask you this... If you have been going to a restaurant for dinner the past several years and were relatively content. Then you get served schittie food for a few years and they conitinually tell you they're going to get better, and then serve really really schittie food after that. At what point do you admit to yourself that you're being played and realize things ain't going to better as long as that restaurant is un der the same ownership? STOP GOING TO THE !@#$ GAMES. PUT YOUR TIX ON STUB HUB AND HOPE YOU CAN GET 10 CENTS ON THE DOLLAR. IF YOU MUST, EITHER LISTEN ON THE RADIO, WATCH THE GAME ON TV, OR FOLLOW THE GAME LOG ON ESPN.COM[/size}] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kipers Hair Posted October 4, 2010 Share Posted October 4, 2010 Polian was not hired as GM right away. They fired the old GM after Polian, as acting GM, drafted Bruce Smith and got Kelly to sign, as well as bringing in Marv Levy as coach. The Bills got lucky because their old GM had a heart attack, allowing Polian to step in and show his NFL knowledge. Well, you could hope that the Bills got lucky and Ralph stops being the owner... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PromoTheRobot Posted October 4, 2010 Share Posted October 4, 2010 Not that it would help but I would mount a signature drive asking Ralph to show some respect for the fans and step down and hand control to someone else, or sell the team. PTR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozymandius Posted October 4, 2010 Share Posted October 4, 2010 Nothing. You are powerless. It's a rich man's world and in this case, the rich man is Ralph Wilson. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uncle flap Posted October 5, 2010 Author Share Posted October 5, 2010 What can we do? Let me ask you this... If you have been going to a restaurant for dinner the past several years and were relatively content. Then you get served schittie food for a few years and they conitinually tell you they're going to get better, and then serve really really schittie food after that. At what point do you admit to yourself that you're being played and realize things ain't going to better as long as that restaurant is un der the same ownership? STOP GOING TO THE !@#$ GAMES. PUT YOUR TIX ON STUB HUB AND HOPE YOU CAN GET 10 CENTS ON THE DOLLAR. IF YOU MUST, EITHER LISTEN ON THE RADIO, WATCH THE GAME ON TV, OR FOLLOW THE GAME LOG ON ESPN.COM[/size}] I guess now is that point. Anybody need tickets? what's really going to grind my gears is when the bills beat the hell out of the jags and my optimism is momentarily renewed. thank god we play baltimore next and i can be back brought down to reality. i'm going to be in bmore for that game too. thank goodness i haven't bought tickets yet. PS where do you sign up for the doom n gloom club? i'm turning in my rose colored glasses and my homer card. d'oh! (get it?!?!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Endless Ike Posted October 5, 2010 Share Posted October 5, 2010 Yes, you are naive. Just google about what the Bills were like in the 1970s. They were lucky to bring in Bill Polian as GM and he made the team good for a while. Then Ralph fired him for petty personal reasons and Polian went on to great success elsewhere and the Bills went back to being a joke. Longest playoff drought in franchise history by 5 years...we'll most likely DOUBLE the previous longest drought by the time this is through. This is the nadir of the franchise. please believe it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jr1 Posted October 5, 2010 Share Posted October 5, 2010 Ralph won't fire Modrak so we're powerless to stop future bad drafts Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheChimp Posted October 5, 2010 Share Posted October 5, 2010 Wanna help the Bills? Follow Ralph Wilson around and sneak up on him and yell "BOO!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwi Bills fan Posted October 5, 2010 Share Posted October 5, 2010 Sorry, Mate.... if you sell your tickets, that means someone else will be sitting in your seats. Isn't the point to have the stadium empty? Man, it sucks that it's come to this. go bills STOP GOING TO THE !@#$ GAMES. PUT YOUR TIX ON STUB HUB AND HOPE YOU CAN GET 10 CENTS ON THE DOLLAR. IF YOU MUST, EITHER LISTEN ON THE RADIO, WATCH THE GAME ON TV, OR FOLLOW THE GAME LOG ON ESPN.COM[/size}] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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