Dear Mr. Brandon--the Toronto series must go

[dezertbill]

Dear Mr. Brandon:

 

When you took over full control of the franchise earlier this year, one statement you echoed throughout was "doing everything in your power to bring a championship football team to Buffalo."

 

Yet Mr. Brandon, I find this laughable in the midst of the worst decision a Bills executive has ever made for this franchise by giving up 1 home game a year during the regular season to a city that could care less about our proud franchise.

 

Yes Mr. Brandon, you heard me. The City of Toronto could care less. They showed it through their attendance, through their in-game reaction and participation, the condition of the field, and they even showed it through the multiple jerseys the fans were wearing from other teams.

 

The sports writers in Buffalo don't understand it, and can clearly see how losing 1 game a year in the Ralph is a clear disadvantage for a franchise whose each and every home game is critical for a playoff run. The sports writers in Toronto straight up disrespect our proud franchise, making cases through their columns as to why Toronto would even want a "sorry" and “losing” team like the Bills in their city. Yet you could care less who disgraces us.

 

Bills fans hate it, the coaches and players I can tell loathe playing in front of an indifferent crowd “at home”. There are only three people that LOVE this relationship, and that's the people that make money off of it. That's you, Edward Rogers, and MLSE exec Larry Tanenbaum who puts this on in the hopes that one day they steal this proud franchise from the hearts of its fans….with you cheering all along the way.

 

The series is a disgrace, and you should be ashamed of robbing your fans and football team of every advantage possible that makes EVERY GAME so critical every year. Did you even listen to the Falcons post game comments, saying how it felt like a home game, how they could hear the fans cheering for them, all the Atlanta jerseys they saw, and how it helped them feel “more at home in a dome?”

 

Did that make you smile playing such an accommodating host???

 

You don't care, do you Mr. Brandon? Of course not. You'll give us some corporate bologna about how you want to "bring the game to Canada" and "spread the Bills brand across the border and beyond". That's all crap. The only reason why you do it is for money. Just be up front about it. The crowds are declining, interest is falling, the result is awful…and you don’t care. Let’s extend another 30 years! Let’s decrease our games at the Ralph to 7 home games, 6 home games. Heck, let’s play them all in Toronto! Perhaps you should promote a Peyton Manning Jersey give away at the gate. That should increase attendance!!!

 

So the next time you pull up in front of a microphone Mr. Brandon and talk about how “it’s all about bringing a championship football team to Buffalo” be sure to place your hand behind your back and cross your fingers to form a dollar sign. Remember that you are robbing your football team of a competitive advantage that 95% of all NFL teams have (minus those that have to play a “home” game in London once every 10-15 years....not EVERY YEAR!).

 

If you care about the Bills and its fans, stop this Toronto series immediately. It's deplorable. The players, writers, and fans in both cities know it. And you know it too.

 

Give the Bills every advantage they can have to be successful. Give us 8 high energy home games.

 

Anything else is a clear indication that winning isn't important to you, and will lend zero credibility to any comments you say to the contrary.

 

Thank you for your time.

[firemedic]

Well said, we gave the complete advantage to a pass first run last team. Toronto sucks....

[All_Pro_Bills]

Every team the Bills needed to lose yesterday lost, and the head to head outcomes, Steeler vs. Ravens, Dolphins vs Jets, went to the team they beat this season. All they needed to do was win yesterday. For many reasons they didn't get it done. Playing a dome team at a neutral site dome in Toronto to make an extra $10 million might be good business but its not good for football or the team. You put this game in Orchard Park with 39 degrees, a little rain, a little wind, wth a loyal home crowd, and I suspect the outcome might have been a little different. Now they have zero chance for the playoffs and we've got 4 games left that mean jockeying for draft position. Unfortunately they also made a lot of mistakes, gave up too many points, and too many yards to a 2-9 team. There's no excuse for that.

 

Still, this Toronto series is a complete disaster. Unfortunately it will go on.

Edited December 2, 2013 by All_Pro_Bills

[G-Daddy]

It's not within Brandons power to cancel the Toronto series.

[birdog1960]

It's not within Brandons power to cancel the Toronto series.

he's right. send it to wilson. maybe someone can read it to him.

[FireChan]

Just another year where we go 6-10. Hey, let's make the argument we'd be 7-9 with another home game.

[ny33]

Dear Mr. Brandon:

 

When you took over full control of the franchise earlier this year, one statement you echoed throughout was "doing everything in your power to bring a championship football team to Buffalo."

 

Yet Mr. Brandon, I find this laughable in the midst of the worst decision a Bills executive has ever made for this franchise by giving up 1 home game a year during the regular season to a city that could care less about our proud franchise.

 

Yes Mr. Brandon, you heard me. The City of Toronto could care less. They showed it through their attendance, through their in-game reaction and participation, the condition of the field, and they even showed it through the multiple jerseys the fans were wearing from other teams.

 

The sports writers in Buffalo don't understand it, and can clearly see how losing 1 game a year in the Ralph is a clear disadvantage for a franchise whose each and every home game is critical for a playoff run. The sports writers in Toronto straight up disrespect our proud franchise, making cases through their columns as to why Toronto would even want a "sorry" and “losing” team like the Bills in their city. Yet you could care less who disgraces us.

 

Bills fans hate it, the coaches and players I can tell loathe playing in front of an indifferent crowd “at home”. There are only three people that LOVE this relationship, and that's the people that make money off of it. That's you, Edward Rogers, and MLSE exec Larry Tanenbaum who puts this on in the hopes that one day they steal this proud franchise from the hearts of its fans….with you cheering all along the way.

 

The series is a disgrace, and you should be ashamed of robbing your fans and football team of every advantage possible that makes EVERY GAME so critical every year. Did you even listen to the Falcons post game comments, saying how it felt like a home game, how they could hear the fans cheering for them, all the Atlanta jerseys they saw, and how it helped them feel “more at home in a dome?”

 

Did that make you smile playing such an accommodating host???

 

You don't care, do you Mr. Brandon? Of course not. You'll give us some corporate bologna about how you want to "bring the game to Canada" and "spread the Bills brand across the border and beyond". That's all crap. The only reason why you do it is for money. Just be up front about it. The crowds are declining, interest is falling, the result is awful…and you don’t care. Let’s extend another 30 years! Let’s decrease our games at the Ralph to 7 home games, 6 home games. Heck, let’s play them all in Toronto! Perhaps you should promote a Peyton Manning Jersey give away at the gate. That should increase attendance!!!

 

So the next time you pull up in front of a microphone Mr. Brandon and talk about how “it’s all about bringing a championship football team to Buffalo” be sure to place your hand behind your back and cross your fingers to form a dollar sign. Remember that you are robbing your football team of a competitive advantage that 95% of all NFL teams have (minus those that have to play a “home” game in London once every 10-15 years....not EVERY YEAR!).

 

If you care about the Bills and its fans, stop this Toronto series immediately. It's deplorable. The players, writers, and fans in both cities know it. And you know it too.

 

Give the Bills every advantage they can have to be successful. Give us 8 high energy home games.

 

Anything else is a clear indication that winning isn't important to you, and will lend zero credibility to any comments you say to the contrary.

 

Thank you for your time.

 

[birdog1960]

Just another year where we go 6-10. Hey, let's make the argument we'd be 7-9 with another home game.

you want the players and coaches to do everything possible to win, right? why not the executives? if that game is a win, folks can dream of the playoffs for at least a week into December. to desperate fans, that's worth quite a lot. we really don't ask for too much, we ask for too little. Edited December 2, 2013 by birdog1960

[xsoldier54]

Well said by the OP. Toronto hates the Bills. Putting them in a hostile environment in what is supposed to be a home game gives every advantage to the visiting team. And forget the fact that instead of playing a dome team outside in the weather in December you put them right in their comfort zone. Terrible all the way around. There is no redeeming feature to this Toronto series. I am not usually a conspiracy theorist, but after yesterday's debacle, it occurred to me that maybe the league is trying to alenate the fan base in Buffalo, so that they can move the team without so much uproar. I never believed this before, but after yesterday, it seemed like a very real possibility.

[ALLEN1QB]

Lets hope that after the current agreement this thing is done.

[TXBILLSFAN]

Agree 1,000% !! . . I hate the Toronto series. At best the games are on neutral field, usually they are more like road games. No way, this team starts that way at The Ralph and loses that type of game. The margin of difference between NFL teams is usually very small and crowd factors into many games, especially with this team at this point. Maybe if we were Denver, New England, New Orleans or some other Top 5 team it wouldn't, but right now, it does. This is all part of the Russ Brandon "marketing genius", show a profit by under spending the cap (that is as criminal as this) and selling a home game to a fan base that doesn't want it --- it sucks for the fans, players and coaches --- Brandon is the problem and he must go before this team can build a sustainable winner

Edited December 2, 2013 by TXBILLSFAN

[Just in Atlanta]

Agree. Time to end this experiment.

 

I heard nearly as many cheers for Atlanta as I did Buffalo. Stands looked at least 30 percent empty.

[Homey D. Clown]

but russ has told us if we don't sell our soul to the devil... errr I mean sell some games to toronto to "build the fan base" the bills aren't going to survive in buffalo......

 

If they don't kill this series soon, it will be a key factor in the team's demise.

[Canadian Bills Fan]

I hope the Toronto series goes up in flames.

 

 

CBF

[Homey D. Clown]

I hope the Toronto series goes up in flames.

 

 

CBF

 

you are my best internet friend ever.... even when this series is over one way or another, I will always love your avatar.

[Canadian Bills Fan]

you are my best internet friend ever.... even when this series is over one way or another, I will always love your avatar.

 

 

Thank you my BFF.

 

I hope the series is over sooner than later

 

I love your avatar as well. Is it from the show "In living color"?

 

CBF

Edited December 2, 2013 by Canadian Bills Fan

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

Let me be the devil's advocate.

 

Has the Toronto series worked from a marketing standpoint? That is, other than the revenue from the deal, have we successfully regionalized the fan base and now have many more Canadian fans who buy seasons, buy gear,etc.?

 

If so, then is it worth it to suck it up to play one lousy game a year up there for the long term marketing benefits?

[birdog1960]

Let me be the devil's advocate.

 

Has the Toronto series worked from a marketing standpoint? That is, other than the revenue from the deal, have we successfully regionalized the fan base and now have many more Canadian fans who buy seasons, buy gear,etc.?

 

If so, then is it worth it to suck it up to play one lousy game a year up there for the long term marketing benefits?

so, are you asking if it's worth it to have a team that has not and will not prioritize winning? i say no. if the last 50 years show anything, it's that the strategy works out very badly for the fans and very well for the suits.

[May Day 10]

Let me be the devil's advocate.

 

Has the Toronto series worked from a marketing standpoint? That is, other than the revenue from the deal, have we successfully regionalized the fan base and now have many more Canadian fans who buy seasons, buy gear,etc.?

 

If so, then is it worth it to suck it up to play one lousy game a year up there for the long term marketing benefits?

 

Holding the game up there is a terrible representation of Bills/NFL football IMO. Market the game to Canadians, that is fine. Best way is the tried and true gameday atmosphere in Orchard Park and winning. Meaningful December games help, but in large part due to this series, there wont be any more this year.

 

I think the cat is out of the bag that the only real motivation for the Toronto side is to rip the Bills out of Buffalo.

 

They (Bills) didnt even get a lot of money this time. The first round was highway robbery. This time was just cashing in any way they can while Wilson is alive.

[Crusader1969]

I'll start off by saying I'm a season ticket holder who lives much closer to Toronto then Buffalo and I completely agree that this series must go. The Ralph is a HUGE advantage for the Bills and in a league where they only play 16 games you need every advantage you can get.

 

That being said, let`s get one thing straight - no matter where you play a 2 - 9 team, be it The Ralph, Georgia Dome, Rogers centre or in my backyard YOU HAVE TO BEAT THEM! Dont blame the stadium or the crowd for the loss, it clearly falls at the feet of the missed plays on Defence and the lost fumbles.

 

Rich