Kirby Jackson Posted December 5, 2013 Share Posted December 5, 2013 I doubt it has anything to do with the passion of the fans. Bills fans are as passionate, or more, than anyone. It likely has more to do with availability of disposable income. Plenty of folks in Chicago willing and able to plunk down the $$$ for Cubs tickets no matter how bad they are. Not quite the same in Buffalo. The Cubs also play 81 home games to 7 for the Bills. 7 games and they have the cheapest tickets in the league (I believe that is still the case). So you charge less than all (or just about all) of your counterparts, you have 1 less home game than most every other team and you have 2 legit sellouts on the season?!? I know that we are passionate but that support is not good. There are season tickets that start at like $300 and I have had that argument on here that just about everyone can budget that over the course of the year. We had rockpile seats in college and we split the tailgating ($10 a man) and parking ($5 a man) and it was $400 all in. Obviously, if you would rather sit in the club it is a different argument maybe you cannot afford to sit in the seats that you'd like. That's a different set of circumstances. the Chiefs last season had poor attendance and worse than Buffalo has this season http://espn.go.com/n...12/sort/homePct this season they have high attendance at 98% capacity. what changed? Obviously winning sells tickets. There is no reason to not pack the stadium 7 times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marauderswr80 Posted December 5, 2013 Share Posted December 5, 2013 I'd be all for the Bills playing their 3rd preseason game at the carrier dome! That would be awesome! I also want the jets camp outta my area! Go find something near NJ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PromoTheRobot Posted December 5, 2013 Share Posted December 5, 2013 (edited) The 90's Super Bowl Bills proved Buffalo couldn't sell out playoff games on a consistent basis. So please stop saying all we have to do is have a winning team. PTR Edited December 5, 2013 by PromoTheRobot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. WEO Posted December 5, 2013 Share Posted December 5, 2013 I doubt it has anything to do with the passion of the fans. Bills fans are as passionate, or more, than anyone. It likely has more to do with availability of disposable income. Plenty of folks in Chicago willing and able to plunk down the $$$ for Cubs tickets no matter how bad they are. Not quite the same in Buffalo. Are Bills fans more wealthhy at the beginning of the season (sellouts) than at the end? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillnutinHouston Posted December 5, 2013 Share Posted December 5, 2013 The 90's Super Bowl Bills proved Buffalo couldn't sell out playoff games on a consistent basis. So please stop saying all we have to do is have a winning team. PTR Truth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rubes Posted December 5, 2013 Share Posted December 5, 2013 Are Bills fans more wealthhy at the beginning of the season (sellouts) than at the end? No, but I would assume that they're more willing to take a hit on their budget when there is hope than when there isn't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jauronimo Posted December 5, 2013 Share Posted December 5, 2013 The 90's Super Bowl Bills proved Buffalo couldn't sell out playoff games on a consistent basis. So please stop saying all we have to do is have a winning team. PTR Have all other things remained equal since 1995? The NFL brand may have grown just a bit since then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rubes Posted December 5, 2013 Share Posted December 5, 2013 The 90's Super Bowl Bills proved Buffalo couldn't sell out playoff games on a consistent basis. So please stop saying all we have to do is have a winning team. PTR I don't recall, which playoff games did not sell out? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirby Jackson Posted December 5, 2013 Share Posted December 5, 2013 Have all other things remained equal since 1995? The NFL brand may have grown just a bit since then. While the Bills have been down for a long time, their region has grown, the stadium has shrunk, they only play 7 home games and the attendance is down? All that I am suggesting is that by today's standards we do not support our team like other markets support theirs. We are certainly passionate but we like to walk around beating our chests as one of the top fan bases in the league. We were at one time for sure and obviously losing impacts that but we are not now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QCity Posted December 5, 2013 Share Posted December 5, 2013 I don't recall, which playoff games did not sell out? Houston comeback game only sold 76,000. In the minds of the Toronto apologists this means that winning does not translate to more ticket sales. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Cowlings Posted December 5, 2013 Share Posted December 5, 2013 I don't recall, which playoff games did not sell out? Their last home playoff game v Jax didn't sell out. Houston comeback as well. There were plenty of blackouts in the 90s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsFan-4-Ever Posted December 6, 2013 Share Posted December 6, 2013 a big name HC and the signing of a good QB cut by SF because of Kap the Chiefs last season had poor attendance and worse than Buffalo has this season http://espn.go.com/n...12/sort/homePct this season they have high attendance at 98% capacity. what changed? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
May Day 10 Posted December 6, 2013 Share Posted December 6, 2013 The 90's Super Bowl Bills proved Buffalo couldn't sell out playoff games on a consistent basis. So please stop saying all we have to do is have a winning team. PTR That was 3 decades ago NFL is much bigger now Lesser capacity Internet ticket sales Regionalization. Didn't even get to rochester at that point. When the team starts out well... many many people ask me about tickets. All my friends who have tickets use theirs. Stub hub prices get very high. They need to become relevant and sell out the season to create a feeling of perpetual sellouts so people are scared to lose their season tickets and pay top dollar for box office tickets. Then they can gradually increase pricing. Just look at the sabres. Struggled to sell out games forever. They sell almost all the tickets, they aren't cheap, and they have pretty much stunk for 6 of 7 years. All fueled by 2 great seasons. Everyone with an Internet connection is a ticket broker. Just need to get to that point of people perceiving demand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RevWarRifleman Posted December 6, 2013 Share Posted December 6, 2013 The Buffalo Bills playing one pre-season game in the Carrier Dome here in Syracuse is a no-brainer. It would solidify the Bills fan base here in Syracuse (after the SU Orange college football team, of course) as well as solidifying their fan base with Binghamton and Utica fans. Pearl, I think it's a move the Bills should make, and soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heitz Posted December 6, 2013 Share Posted December 6, 2013 Lets say we scrap the Toronto Games and substitute a lottery for people who commute more than 50 miles to games at the Ralph. Those season ticket holders or game package holders would be placed into a lottery so they would receive concierge treatment for one game. The winner will receive a plane or train ticket, limo pick up and hotel plus discount coupons for the Mall and dining. I have seen this done very successfully for charity events in other cities. I think you could get a lot of local businesses to get on board for this. . There could be permutations of this. A Toronto day - charter a whole plane of winners. Rochester Day or Syracuse day. You could have a lot of fun with it. I would invite anyone else who has an idea to post it here as well! Good thoughts OP. I've long thought there are probably lots of opportunities like this; charters, lotteries, hospitality tents with food, weekend deals, parties, gifts, premium packages, etc. That said, one area where I give the Ralph bad marks as someone outside the regain now (up in VT) are the accommodations near the stadium. There's the (allegedly, since I've never stayed there) crappy Red Roof Inn, but not much else near the stadium. It would be great to have a nice, clean hotel within walking distance of the stadium. While I know Buffalo loves it's drive-in, party, drive-out scene, people traveling distances might be looking for more. I know I am. I've dragged friends from VT down to stay in an RV, which is a blast, but a near on-site hotel would be sweet. Obviously a hotel can't survive on 7 games a year, but still it would be nice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ET1062 Posted December 6, 2013 Share Posted December 6, 2013 Their last home playoff game v Jax didn't sell out. Houston comeback as well. There were plenty of blackouts in the 90s. Please note the stadium held 80,000 back then, it now holds 73,000. We also have not had a meaningful December home game in over a decade (Pittsburgh which did sell out) If the Bills start winning, the attendance problems will cure themselves. Look at the Sabres, prior to the lock out before last the arena was either papered or half empty. Out of that lockout they were mediocre for the first half of the season and it was pretty empty. Then, they went on a run the second half of the season, tickets were at a premium and the next year they won the presidents trophy and have a several 1000 person waiting list. Winning is the only answer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heitz Posted December 6, 2013 Share Posted December 6, 2013 Regrading the stadium capacity, do they have an opportunty (or a plan) to reduce seats with the upcoming remodel? Just knock out about 5k - 10k seats and those sellouts get easier... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirby Jackson Posted December 6, 2013 Share Posted December 6, 2013 Please note the stadium held 80,000 back then, it now holds 73,000. We also have not had a meaningful December home game in over a decade (Pittsburgh which did sell out) If the Bills start winning, the attendance problems will cure themselves. Look at the Sabres, prior to the lock out before last the arena was either papered or half empty. Out of that lockout they were mediocre for the first half of the season and it was pretty empty. Then, they went on a run the second half of the season, tickets were at a premium and the next year they won the presidents trophy and have a several 1000 person waiting list. Winning is the only answer. So if the team wins people will support them? When did the Bills become the Dolphins? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
May Day 10 Posted December 6, 2013 Share Posted December 6, 2013 We can wordsmith this all you want... but in my opinion, you cant scream bandwagon if the team hasnt won a playoff game in nearly 20 years, hasnt even made the playoffs in 14, and has finished better than .500 one time in that period and that was after a terrible start and was fueled by a late run against every bad team in the NFL. How many meaningful games (being the last team listed "in the hunt" doesnt count) have they had after Thanksgiving in the past 14 years? Nobody can truly say for sure that the ticket sales would be the same if they somehow become competitive. In my opinion, for the reasons I stated above, (and what I think is common sense), ticket demand would increase dramatically. I also think if we experience a few good seasons, a few bad, a few good, and so on, the demand would stick (like with the Sabres). The Sabres draw 19,000 a game for 41 games at fairly high prices. All the Bills have to do is bump the demand up past the capacity point for the season (which would happen in 1-2 "good" seasons). Then people (and yes, bandwagoners) would be desperate to go, resale would be high, and many more people would buy tickets even to flip a few (or all). If they start out with a few wins next season, check out stubhub pricing. The fact that Bills fans join Russ Brandon in putting down this fan base is disappointing. It is amazing that we draw what we do at this point, even if prices are low. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homey D. Clown Posted December 6, 2013 Share Posted December 6, 2013 Boston household income is over 70k per year. Dallas is 56k per year. Both areas have many more residents that WNY, I will let you look up Buffalo metro income on your own. There are 20k unsold Miami Tickets. If there is no regionalization there is no NFL in Buffalo The team already has a very strong regional draw, so I agree with your post, but to make it clear, giving away a much needed home game was not a contributor to this as russ brandon wants everyone to believe. This whole BS series was to prep western new yorkers on the idea that a new owner will pry this team from it's birthplace in the near future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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