Tickets left for Bengals game

[thebandit27]

No this is on management. Give the customers a product worth seeing and they'll come. It's like having a concert and finding out the lead singer has been replaced with a 4th string karaoke singer. Who cares who the drummer is.

 

I'm going because I bought tickets before the season started when they had at least two viable QBs. I don't blame anyone for not wanting to buy now.

 

Neither do I. I simply think that folks are unjustified in complaining about not being able to see the game when they live in the area and don't buy a ticket.

 

I'll be at the game this week but that being said this statement doesn't apply as widely as you make it seem to.

 

There are people who live 150 - 200 miles away who are affected by the antiquated NFL black out rules. I'm pretty sure they still have at least a little bit of a right to complain.

 

The NFL blackout rule applies to residences within a 75-mile radius of the team's stadium. If someone lives, say, 40 miles away, they can drive 30 minutes to go to a bar with NFL ticket and see the game--no big deal if they want to do so.

 

My point is not regarding the blackout rule itself, but rather that the fans you speak of know their situation. If they want to see the game, they know what they have to do in order to see it. I'm not saying it's a desirable situation; just that if these folks rely on other fans to sell out the stadium in order to see the game, they have to understand that they're putting their proverbial eggs in that basket, and then handing that basket to someone else.

[5 Wide]

I relate to that: my wife was due with twins (our first) last year--both boys; ended up being born on Valentine's Day (same as Jim and Hunter Kelly). I'm not saying one should or shouldn't get tickets under those circumstances, just saying that we still went (she even went to an early December game 7 months pregnant--Mrs. Bandit rules).

 

Nevertheless, that is your choice to not buy tickets. I understand why you're making it: you've decided that being home with your pregnant wife is more important than guaranteeing yourself a chance to see the game. That's perfectly fine, and doesn't change my statement in the slightest.

 

Congrats on the little one by the way; coolest thing in the world.

 

Thanks! Very excited. We attended the Panthers game, but being 9 months pregnant now, the Stadium really just is not a viable atmosphere for her.

[Metal Man]

The NFL blackout rule applies to residences within a 75-mile radius of the team's stadium. If someone lives, say, 40 miles away, they can drive 30 minutes to go to a bar with NFL ticket and see the game--no big deal if they want to do so.

 

The 75 mile radius is correct but there is a lot more to it. Any tv station that can reach into the 75 mile radius also can't broadcast and in the mid 90s it was determined Syracuse can reach a small section of east Rochester so now anyone using the Syracuse cbs affiliate is blacked out and this rule affects viewers as far out as Rome and Utica and even a little more east than that. Hence my 200 mile statement.

(If you aren't sure this is accurate, search the boards as there are quite a few threads mentioning it whenever the black out is debated)

 

Not looking to really argue the point because it has been done to death on the boards, just saying not everyone fits into the situation exactly as you described.

[C.Biscuit97]

I disagree. This falls squarely on Russ Brandon and that bean counter Overdorf. A good backup QB and this game sells out.

 

Yeah, the reason the Packers fans would go to a game is because they would want to see whoever the PAckers' backup QB is.

 

Our tickets are dirt cheap and the weather will be beautiful. We have been competitive in every game and are getting some starters back. Obviously, I'd rather see EJ but there's no way I woudl be more excited because Kevin Kolb or some other scrub journeyman was playing.

[Nathan]

I live 123 miles from the stadium yet the game will be blacked out for me. The distance makes a trio prohibitively costly for me right now altgough I still would like to be able to find a way to go. I am a big fan of the Bills and would love to watch the game but If I cannot see it due to this draconian policy I can find other things to do on a gorgeous October afternoon. Sounds like the Bills will make that same decision for a lot of people this Sunday. Nobody should be guilted into going, whether they live 5 minutes or 500 minutes from the stadium. If the Bills want butts in the seats it is on them to deliver a better product, and this discussion would not be happening.

[thebandit27]

The 75 mile radius is correct but there is a lot more to it. Any tv station that can reach into the 75 mile radius also can't broadcast and in the mid 90s it was determined Syracuse can reach a small section of east Rochester so now anyone using the Syracuse cbs affiliate is blacked out and this rule affects viewers as far out as Rome and Utica and even a little more east than that. Hence my 200 mile statement.

(If you aren't sure this is accurate, search the boards as there are quite a few threads mentioning it whenever the black out is debated)

 

Not looking to really argue the point because it has been done to death on the boards, just saying not everyone fits into the situation exactly as you described.

 

Nor am I, and I'm sure there are indeed caveats that I haven't considered...my overall point is that nobody is confused about whether or not they can see the game in the event of a blackout.

[Metal Man]

Nor am I, and I'm sure there are indeed caveats that I haven't considered...my overall point is that nobody is confused about whether or not they can see the game in the event of a blackout.

 

True. When I still lived in the area I would say about a third of the times the game didn't sell out, and I didn't already have a ticket, the threat of black out brought me to the game.

 

But this weekend it was the availability of a good deal on a ticket, and a group I know already driving out thus making the 2+ hour drive a lot more manageable, that prompted me to attend.

 

If it wasn't for that I would be watching a crappy internet feed like the rest of the Bills fans out in the Syracuse area or farther who didn't want to make the drive.

[Gordio]

Neither do I. I simply think that folks are unjustified in complaining about not being able to see the game when they live in the area and don't buy a ticket.

 

 

 

The NFL blackout rule applies to residences within a 75-mile radius of the team's stadium. If someone lives, say, 40 miles away, they can drive 30 minutes to go to a bar with NFL ticket and see the game--no big deal if they want to do so.

 

My point is not regarding the blackout rule itself, but rather that the fans you speak of know their situation. If they want to see the game, they know what they have to do in order to see it. I'm not saying it's a desirable situation; just that if these folks rely on other fans to sell out the stadium in order to see the game, they have to understand that they're putting their proverbial eggs in that basket, and then handing that basket to someone else.

 

Exactly. If you really want to go to the game, cough up the $40(I guaranty you could get tickets for even less @ the stadium if you wait right around game time) & head to the stadium. If you can't afford the $40 you probably got more pressing needs then watching a Bills game anyways. I have season tickets but I am not going. I just don't feel like going up to the stadium & watching Thad Lewis QB this team. It is going to be a beautiful day out & I am going to bring the TV out on the patio, grill some ribeyes, play some wiffle ball with my son & drink about 20 beers. Will I be able to watch the Bills game? No, but I will find some other games to watch, maybe even between teams that have QBs playing for them that should actually be in the league & not QBing the local semi pro flag football team like the QB we have going for us this week.

[TC in St. Louis]

The Rams have not sold out a game in a while. Last week's Jacksonville game had about 35,000 in the house. The game was televised locally. I don't get it. They weren't even close to selling out. Haven't been this year.

[zow2]

The Rams have not sold out a game in a while. Last week's Jacksonville game had about 35,000 in the house. The game was televised locally. I don't get it. They weren't even close to selling out. Haven't been this year.

 

True.

Tampa, Jax and Oak rarely sell out and if they do it's only a "paper" sellout. The stands were half empty last weekend in Miami too, for a very good game. Painting Buffalo as the "first blackout" and lame fanbase is absurd.

[yall]

 

 

Nor am I, and I'm sure there are indeed caveats that I haven't considered...my overall point is that nobody is confused about whether or not they can see the game in the event of a blackout.

 

Funny, that didn't seem at all like the point you were trying to make originally.

 

Also, lets again not forget the elderly, the infirm, and all manner of others who live near Buffalo, but cannot go to the game for a variety of reasons, and yet still pay taxes that help fund the operation.

 

No, it's just easier to declare "go to the game you lazy cheap fat ass blah blah LoL...".

[Dean Cain]

The Buffalo Bills Inc. are the toughest businessmen in the NFL. They negotiate the hell out of every player contract, every stadium lease, why would their handling of the blackout policy be any less lenient?

 

Their desire is to profit as much as they possibly can, and that's perfectly acceptable. An idea they should consider would be to "lease" the stadium naming rights for games when a local business picks up the tab and helps sell out the last few thousand seats.

Edited October 9, 2013 by BigCountryBills

[Direhard Fan]

It's all about the money honey. The NFL does not care about the local fan. It's about the TV revenue. My mother lived in Batavia in her nintys. Loved football and the Bills. Blacked out. They could care less. Shame but life. It's all about the money. London? Please. Do they have a blackout.??

[mousetrap08]

Exactly. If you really want to go to the game, cough up the $40(I guaranty you could get tickets for even less @ the stadium if you wait right around game time) & head to the stadium. If you can't afford the $40 you probably got more pressing needs then watching a Bills game anyways. I have season tickets but I am not going. I just don't feel like going up to the stadium & watching Thad Lewis QB this team. It is going to be a beautiful day out & I am going to bring the TV out on the patio, grill some ribeyes, play some wiffle ball with my son & drink about 20 beers. Will I be able to watch the Bills game? No, but I will find some other games to watch, maybe even between teams that have QBs playing for them that should actually be in the league & not QBing the local semi pro flag football team like the QB we have going for us this week.

I am not complaining about not being able to see the game this Sunday because I can turn on a radio or watch it later on NFL rewind but I just want to inform you that for some of us who are disabled it is not as easy as just "coughing up 40 bucks." It has been over 7 years since I was able to attend the games because of health problems. It is not the cost of the ticket it is all the walking and getting around that is hard for me and there many Bills fans that are in the same boat as I am in so I think that there is some justifiable complaints about the black out rule. Just remeber that stadium is paid by the tax payers of New york state.

Edited October 9, 2013 by shadowcat10

[Metal Man]

Funny, that didn't seem at all like the point you were trying to make originally.

 

Also, lets again not forget the elderly, the infirm, and all manner of others who live near Buffalo, but cannot go to the game for a variety of reasons, and yet still pay taxes that help fund the operation.

 

No, it's just easier to declare "go to the game you lazy cheap fat ass blah blah LoL...".

 

This is another good point. My grandmother had season tickets for over 40 years and during that time missed maybe 1 or 2 games. Then the last 6 or 7 years of her life when she couldn't go anymore she was punished by not being able to watch the team she loved despite being a taxpayer and not to mention directly supporting the team financially for years.

 

It is easy for us somewhat younger folk to say "if you want to see the game go buy an f'ing ticket" right now, but I suspect when the bulk of us hit our 70s and 80s we will be singing a different tune.

[thebandit27]

Funny, that didn't seem at all like the point you were trying to make originally.

 

Also, lets again not forget the elderly, the infirm, and all manner of others who live near Buffalo, but cannot go to the game for a variety of reasons, and yet still pay taxes that help fund the operation.

 

No, it's just easier to declare "go to the game you lazy cheap fat ass blah blah LoL...".

 

First off, I never called anyone lazy, cheap, fat, an ass, or any of the other insinuations you've made, nor did I laugh at the idea of not watching the game. I'd appreciate it if--in the future--you didn't paint my demeanor that way.

 

Second, yes, the above is part and parcel to my original point: the vast majority of fans know whether or not the game will be blacked out in their area if they do not buy a ticket, so they are making a choice--by buying or not buying a ticket--as to whether or not they've guaranteed themselves a chance to see the game.

 

Lastly, I would submit to you that the elderly, sick, etc. make up a very, very small portion of the fans that do not attend the game. I find it hard to believe that--in a market with upwards of a million people--over 900k of them have extenuating circumstances that do not let them attend a game. Be honest: does that sound accurate to you?

 

I am not complaining about not being able to see the game this Sunday because I can turn on a radio or watch it later on NFL rewind but I just want to inform you that for some of us who are disabled it is not as easy as just "coughing up 40 bucks." It has been over 7 years since I was able to attend the games because of health problems. It is not the cost of the ticket it is all the walking and getting around that is hard for me and there many Bills fans that are in the same boat as I am in so I think that there is some justifiable complaints about the black out rule. Just remeber that stadium is paid by the tax payers of New york state.

 

This is another good point. My grandmother had season tickets for over 40 years and during that time missed maybe 1 or 2 games. Then the last 6 or 7 years of her life when she couldn't go anymore she was punished by not being able to watch the team she loved despite being a taxpayer and not to mention directly supporting the team financially for years.

 

It is easy for us somewhat younger folk to say "if you want to see the game go buy an f'ing ticket" right now, but I suspect when the bulk of us hit our 70s and 80s we will be singing a different tune.

 

I'm sorry to hear of your circumstance. I would submit, as I did above, that situations like these represent the overwhelming minority in terms of the folks that don't buy tickets. I, personally, do my best to help as much as I can by purchasing season tickets--I won't be the reason the sick/elderly/injured/etc. can't watch.

 

I'd hope that those with the ability to attend, that complain about not seeing the game, would do the same.

[Gordio]

I am not complaining about not being able to see the game this Sunday because I can turn on a radio or watch it later on NFL rewind but I just want to inform you that for some of us who are disabled it is not as easy as just "coughing up 40 bucks." It has been over 7 years since I was able to attend the games because of health problems. It is not the cost of the ticket it is all the walking and getting around that is hard for me and there many Bills fans that are in the same boat as I am in so I think that there is some justifiable complaints about the black out rule. Just remeber that stadium is paid by the tax payers of New york state.

 

Alright, I apologize, I should not of painted such a wide brush & lump everybody in the same group. For people like you that can not get to the game it does truly suck that the game is blacked out. MY apologies.

[Just Jack]

I disagree. For me, the wife is due with our first any day now so we didn't spring for tickets this year. I'd still love to see the game.

 

Well that's just poor planning on your part. For future reference, to avoid this issue, conception should only be attempted between June through December. That should mean a birth sometime between March to August the following year.

[yall]

 

 

First off, I never called anyone lazy, cheap, fat, an ass, or any of the other insinuations you've made, nor did I laugh at the idea of not watching the game. I'd appreciate it if--in the future--you didn't paint my demeanor that way.

 

Second, yes, the above is part and parcel to my original point: the vast majority of fans know whether or not the game will be blacked out in their area if they do not buy a ticket, so they are making a choice--by buying or not buying a ticket--as to whether or not they've guaranteed themselves a chance to see the game.

 

Lastly, I would submit to you that the elderly, sick, etc. make up a very, very small portion of the fans that do not attend the game. I find it hard to believe that--in a market with upwards of a million people--over 900k of them have extenuating circumstances that do not let them attend a game. Be honest: does that sound accurate to you?

 

 

 

 

 

I'm sorry to hear of your circumstance. I would submit, as I did above, that situations like these represent the overwhelming minority in terms of the folks that don't buy tickets. I, personally, do my best to help as much as I can by purchasing season tickets--I won't be the reason the sick/elderly/injured/etc. can't watch.

 

I'd hope that those with the ability to attend, that complain about not seeing the game, would do the same.

 

You're choosing to ignore the point. Hundreds of thousands (yes hundreds of thousands) of people are blacked out who either live more than 100 miles away (don't believe me? Google the populations of Syracuse, Utica, Rome, etc.) or have health issues, etc. You keep saying those who "choose" not to go, but for many it isn't a viable choice.

 

And I'll characterize your remarks as I believe your tone indicates. Dont like it? Welcome to the Internet.

[BillnutinHouston]

Hundreds of thousands (yes hundreds of thousands) of people are blacked out who either live more than 100 miles away (don't believe me? Google the populations of Syracuse, Utica, Rome, etc.) or have health issues, etc. You keep saying those who "choose" not to go, but for many it isn't a viable choice.

 

Just to put this in perspective, if I could commute a mere 3 hours each way every week to see the Bills play, I'd be in heaven. As it is, I have season tickets but can only commute in 2x a year to actually attend. As tough as it admittedly is to be a Bills fan, and supporter, and investor, I'm convinced that many locals take for granted what a treasure it is to have an NFL team in their tiny burgh. It pains me to see that we may be the first non-sellout in the NFL this year.

 

I'd venture to say that a good percentage of fan bases of teams in big cities (who pay far more for tickets than we do, BTW) come from the suburbs to watch their teams, and commute at least two hours each way. Is that significantly different from commuting in to the Ralph from Syracuse?

 

My point is, if you are able-bodied, not destitute, live within 3 hours of the Ralph and do not attend even one game this year, in my book you are a casual follower and not a fan. I think many forget that "fan" is short for fanatic".