Out of state, out of Country "home" game: Toronto Biils Game

[San-O]

Just out of being curious, I wonder how many people are going to show up to see one of the worst teams

in the League play a mediocre one.

 

The purchase of those games must really seem like a nice move now.

 

Ralph really screwed what's his name?

[akm0404]

The Buffalo Bills:

 

Selling competitive advantage for cash money.

 

Let us not forget how dispicable this Toronto garbage is.

[Chalkie Gerzowski]

When it comes to making money, you can't sell 'ol Tapioca Ralphie short.

 

[jr1]

9 road games a year in a division with NE, Jets And Miami. Is this Russ Brandon's "Marketing genius"

[papazoid]

short term - we are NOT selling out ALL our own home games at the Ralph.

 

long term - as distasteful as a game played in Toronto is......i believe including Toronto as part of our market is the single best way of insuring the franchise stays in buffalo for the long term. even if that means losing a home game or two.

[The Chief Corky]

short term - we are NOT selling out ALL our own home games at the Ralph.

 

long term - as distasteful as a game played in Toronto is......i believe including Toronto as part of our market is the single best way of insuring the franchise stays in buffalo for the long term. even if that means losing a home game or two.

 

Who was it...Henry Ford or BT Barnum that said "a sucker is born every minute"?

 

Well the above sucker bought hook-line & sinker into Wilson's marketing bullsh!t. This whole idea of expanding and playing games elsewhere is a trick-f*ck to see how the new market attracts fans.

 

When Mr. Wilson passes, his family will sell the team to the highest bidder who will have no allegience to Buffalo or their fans. One of the lines in the contract will be the ability to move the team if the NFL agrees (or is paid off).

 

Say goodbye to the Bills after the current stadium contract is expired.

 

And I laugh at the statement "losing a home game or two". So far this year, the Bills have lost all of them including the upcoming one in Toronto...on both accounts.

 

0-16 baby...only in Buffalo this year.

[Just Jack]

Who was it...Henry Ford or BT Barnum that said "a sucker is born every minute"?

Neither man said it.

 

As for the original question, I think less than 40,000 will be there. These past two years when I went you could see attendance dwindling. And even though it's considered "sold out", last year before the Jets game there was an interview on TV in Toronto a few hours before the game, and he said there were plenty of tickets available at that point.

[Mr. WEO]

short term - we are NOT selling out ALL our own home games at the Ralph.

 

long term - as distasteful as a game played in Toronto is......i believe including Toronto as part of our market is the single best way of insuring the franchise stays in buffalo for the long term. even if that means losing a home game or two.

Whether the Bills stay in Buffalo has nothing to do with putting 8 games in a half-filled Canadian baseball field.

 

This is the kind of thinking that keeps Ralph way in the black year after year, despite crappy performance. An owner has sold out its fan base in such a blatant manner AND convincing them it was necessary? It's extortion.

Edited November 3, 2010 by Mr. WEO

[akm0404]

I mean hey, if we need to spot every team we play a touchdown, at least the Bills will stay in Buffalo!

 

This garbage is the biggest slap in the face that Bills fans have ever seen. A thousand times worse than a terrible product on the field, incompetent front office personnel, or mind bogglingly bad drafts.

 

Your owner is literally selling home field advantage in actual regular season games that COUNT to determine championships, an advantage that is historically worth about the same amount as our margin of defeat in each of the last two games.

 

He is selling a roughly three point advantage for cash.

 

Call him cheap or senile or whatever you want, but understand that Ralph Wilson's biggest fleecing of Bills fans happens yet again on Sunday.

 

I feel sorry for you if you feel that this dispicable garbage is somehow ok, that we should accept having points taken off the board by our owner because Buffalo stinks so much and we need to accept this fleecing because we don't deserve a team and are lucky to have one. Because we need to market to Toronto!

 

Funny that other teams can market their franchises regionally without selling their home games. Go figure.

 

I hope Ralph doesn't find a way to sell ACTUAL touchdowns for cash in his pocket. We would have absolutely zero reason to believe he wouldn't.

[The Senator]

Long thought of as a 'senile old coot' by the less-informed, RW is still 'crazy like a fox!'

[PromoTheRobot]

Still beating the dead horse I see. I suppose having the Bills play in a great American city like Los Angeles is so much better? You act like playing in Toronto is why the Bills suck. You will see, Toronto will be the reason why the Bills have a shot at staying in Western New York.

 

PTR

[JohnC]

Still beating the dead horse I see. I suppose having the Bills play in a great American city like Los Angeles is so much better? You act like playing in Toronto is why the Bills suck. You will see, Toronto will be the reason why the Bills have a shot at staying in Western New York.

 

PTR

 

Whether the Bills stay in western NY or not will have little to do with playing games in Toronto. It will have everything to do with the arrangements the owner has already made. I'm not against cultivating a market in Toronto. The best way to do that is to develop an entertaining and competitive product. No matter what market you are talking about garbage does not sell.

[May Day 10]

I will never like or get used to regular season game(s) being played in Toronto. In my eyes it is never justified.

[Mr. WEO]

Still beating the dead horse I see. I suppose having the Bills play in a great American city like Los Angeles is so much better? You act like playing in Toronto is why the Bills suck. You will see, Toronto will be the reason why the Bills have a shot at staying in Western New York.PTR

Total nonsense. The Bills aren't ever going to LA, so why do you bring it up? And evidence so far points to Toronto not bring a factor as to whether the Bills stay in Buffalo.

[Thisistheyear]

Still beating the dead horse I see. I suppose having the Bills play in a great American city like Los Angeles is so much better? You act like playing in Toronto is why the Bills suck. You will see, Toronto will be the reason why the Bills have a shot at staying in Western New York.

 

 

 

Gotta agree with you. People are so shortsighted. Does anyone remember when Green Bay played 3 home games in Milwaukee in the early 90s? It helped them to solidify their fan base in a much bigger market about 2 hours away. Sound familiar? As a 13 year old kid I could only see that Green Bay was so weak, they couldn't support their football team. I thought it was hilarious. Turns out it was a very smart move. But I was 13 and had no business sense.

 

Now, I admit, the Toronto experiment has not worked in that capacity. But, that has more to do with a crappy team, boring games, a horrible stadium and a crappy team than the actual deal. If the Bills were good and Toronto actually cared, I would gladly give up one or two games a year to keep the Bills in Buffalo. Especially if we go to eighteen game.

[PromoTheRobot]

Whether the Bills stay in western NY or not will have little to do with playing games in Toronto. It will have everything to do with the arrangements the owner has already made. I'm not against cultivating a market in Toronto. The best way to do that is to develop an entertaining and competitive product. No matter what market you are talking about garbage does not sell.

 

 

Total nonsense. The Bills aren't ever going to LA, so why do you bring it up? And evidence so far points to Toronto not bring a factor as to whether the Bills stay in Buffalo.

 

Whatever. It's all conjecture until the crap actually hits the fan. But WNY on it's own is a lost cause. Add Toronto, Rochester and Syracuse together and you have something. The regional numbers are the only financial justification for leaving the Bills where they are. As for the Green Bay example, that team is grandfathered to be owned by the community. You think if they had an elderly owner the vultures wouldn't be circling them too?

 

Oh and here's something for those who think the Bills are bulletproof. Note what team is listed first...

Gov. Schwarzenegger signs bill for L.A.-area stadium construction

Majestic has targeted seven NFL teams that it plans to approach after the Super Bowl in February about moving to the Los Angeles area: the Buffalo Bills, Jacksonville Jaguars, Minnesota Vikings, St. Louis Rams, San Diego Chargers, Oakland Raiders and San Francisco 49ers.

 

PTR

[CodeMonkey]

It's very simple. Having a game in Toronto helps the ticket prices for true home games, including season ticket prices, to stay so low. And at the same time puts some nice guaranteed cha-ching into the old mans pocket. It was a very good business move, albeit a very poor football one (except as noted below).

 

And since the games are outside the US, it also satisfies the NFL's "overseas" rule that put the SF game for example in England last week. That is a very good football move for the Bills as the travel to/from Europe must throw the normal training schedule right down the crapper.

[Phlegm Alley]

I have been thinking that the Toronto series hasn't been as successful as they originally planned and, with 2 former Pro Bowl players sitting on the waiver wire the week before the game, it might be an oportune time to acquire one, or both of them in a last ditch attempt to put some people in the seats.

[Heels20X6]

I think it's hilarious that people are STILL whining about one home game being played in Toronto. If the team was any good, most Bills fans would have made the two hour trip to take in their team at the dome. The fact that the team wouldn't outdraw (and possibly outplay) the CFL in Toronto has everything to do with why people hate "Bills in Toronto".

 

Me? I hate the Toronto games because of Canada's archaic 'tail-gating laws' that prevent people from actually having fun at the games. When this was announced I knew it was destined for failure. For the Rogers family who bought this from Ralph, this had the most negative effect possible - it showed that Toronto had no interest in the NFL (when the reality is that they have no interest in bad football).

[clearwater cadet]

short term - we are NOT selling out ALL our own home games at the Ralph.

 

long term - as distasteful as a game played in Toronto is......i believe including Toronto as part of our market is the single best way of insuring the franchise stays in buffalo for the long term. even if that means losing a home game or two.

 

Of all the post I've ever read, this is by further 100% truth, without southern Ont. there are no Buffalo Bills. I can't understand why most people can't get that through their head. 1 or 2 games in toronto, is better then 8 to 10 in LA. Thank you Russ for understanding what a million WNY can't.