bbb Posted January 4, 2014 Share Posted January 4, 2014 As others have just commented and as I have said in the past, it makes no sense to conclude that the incredibly embarrassing turnout and results of the games played in TO are the direct cause of any increase in Ontario Bills fans coming to the Ralph. If anything, people witnessing those games at the Skydome or reading about them in the local press are much less likely to be interested in coming to Buffalo to see more of that. If there are more Canadians in Buffalo for games then it is despite the TO games not because of it. Common dictates this to be true. Haha - great point! Nobody would travel down the QEW to see more of the crap that has been played at Skydome! The results will be that Toronto gets the Bills, Buffalo gets the Argos, The Toronto Bills can't retain Byrd and he comes back to play for the Buffalo Argonauts but he can't figure out why we are always punting on 3rd down. :lol: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Direhard Fan Posted January 4, 2014 Share Posted January 4, 2014 The talk is fun but the real sad part about it is we loose 1/8 of our home games. That is really BIG. We all know that. It was a nice try but didn't work. 5 year contract or not. Our fans deserve 8 home games. Do what every has to be done to bail out of that contract. It is that simple. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
papazoid Posted January 4, 2014 Share Posted January 4, 2014 I think you are confusing correlation with causation. An increase in Canadian fans attending Bills games is not necessarily a direct result of what you think. You should read a book or listen to the audio book version of something called Freakonomics. There are other reasons that more people come to the games here besides what you "think" or "assume" the reasons are. For example, have you also noticed that there is like a record number of cars with Canadian license plates at the Galleria Mall now compared to ever before? Is that because the Galleria Mall is successfully advertising in Canada? It has a lot to do with economics and other factors too. A lot of it has to do with the fact that the Canadian Dollar goes a long ways here compared to how it used to. If the games at Rogers' Center were filled with Canadian Bills fans then I would be inclined to agree with your line of thinking. But they aren't. Even Canadian Bills fans don't go to the Rogers' Center games in great enough numbers to suggest that this is what is increasing the Canadian fan base. Canadian Bills fans want to come to the states to watch a game. It has very little to do with the game at the Rogers' Center if you ask me. The Bills know this. They likely have an economist on staff. Heck maybe Russ studied it. Or maybe I am totally wrong? It is just an opinion. so if i understand this freakonomics thing right... when the greatly expanded Bills Store opens just before the start of the 2014 season......season ticket sales from southern ontario fans should skyrocket ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Jack Posted January 5, 2014 Share Posted January 5, 2014 I've never liked theToronto series. It's one less opportunity to see the Bills at home. Going to see them in Toronto isn't even practical for many season ticket holders. Rochester folks have to drive 3 or more hours just to get there, and of course you have to clear customs too. It's an all-around p.i.t.a. If there was only an easy way to get to Toronto from Rochester, like a ferry, a fast one. Anyway, why would they need to meet if the Bills were not going to renew the series in TO? Phone call would do--"hey, we're not renewing. Thanks". Because the agreement was renewed, last year, for another five years. So the meeting would be to discuss how to get out early, if that's what it is about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
papazoid Posted January 5, 2014 Share Posted January 5, 2014 they are only meeting to discuss jointly how to better sell the idea to fans. it's all about better public relations. hypothetically, if they did cancel, then they would have to admit they are idiots for renewing less than a year ago. that ain't happening. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dorkington Posted January 5, 2014 Share Posted January 5, 2014 Knowing our franchise, the solution will be moving 4 games a year there, heh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sodbuster Posted January 5, 2014 Share Posted January 5, 2014 (edited) they are only meeting to discuss jointly how to better sell the idea to fans. it's all about better public relations. hypothetically, if they did cancel, then they would have to admit they are idiots for renewing less than a year ago. that ain't happening. Most likely. I wouldn't be surprised if they are trying to find a way to get more Buffalo based fans to the game. It wouldn't shock me if they end up giving season ticket holders a significant discount for these games in the future. They had to give tickets out to people on the streets at the last minute just to make the vendors happy. Edited January 5, 2014 by sodbuster Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbb Posted January 5, 2014 Share Posted January 5, 2014 they are only meeting to discuss jointly how to better sell the idea to fans. it's all about better public relations. hypothetically, if they did cancel, then they would have to admit they are idiots for renewing less than a year ago. that ain't happening. George Saimes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
San Jose Bills Fan Posted January 5, 2014 Author Share Posted January 5, 2014 Most likely. I wouldn't be surprised if they are trying to find a way to get more Buffalo based fans to the game. It wouldn't shock me if they end up giving season ticket holders a significant discount for these games in the future. They had to give tickets out to people on the streets at the last minute just to make the vendors happy. A refreshingly different take. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Jack Posted January 5, 2014 Share Posted January 5, 2014 Most likely. I wouldn't be surprised if they are trying to find a way to get more Buffalo based fans to the game. Note to everyone - if the solution is to bus fans to the game from Buffalo, just say no. I took Megabus to the first pre-season game up there and that was enough to tell me driving myself is quicker. Customs is hell when you're on a bus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
May Day 10 Posted January 5, 2014 Share Posted January 5, 2014 Im good with not going to that garbage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cynical Posted January 5, 2014 Share Posted January 5, 2014 Knowing our franchise, the solution will be moving 4 games a year there, heh. That's it. The Bills are going to double down and split the homes games 50/50. In order to get Canadian fans more involved and drive up attendance, all home games against division rivals will be played in Toronto. Toronto will also get to pick one other marquee match up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillnutinHouston Posted January 5, 2014 Share Posted January 5, 2014 (edited) Amen.......Amen......Amen. I am so tired of that "we would have won if we didn't fumble" B.S. So, are you saying that if Stevie hadn't fumbled, we still would have found a way to lose because, obviously, the location of the game was much more determinative than the fumble? Edited January 5, 2014 by BillnutinHouston Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
papazoid Posted January 5, 2014 Share Posted January 5, 2014 Knowing our franchise, the solution will be moving 4 games a year there, heh. related to this issue.... when the bills were negotiating the new lease.....they asked the county about playing 2 games in toronto. that was shot down by the county. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sodbuster Posted January 5, 2014 Share Posted January 5, 2014 related to this issue.... when the bills were negotiating the new lease.....they asked the county about playing 2 games in toronto. that was shot down by the county. including preseason games? is it specifically written into the lease? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B-Man Posted January 5, 2014 Share Posted January 5, 2014 So, are you saying that if Stevie hadn't fumbled, we still would have found a way to lose because, obviously, the location of the game was much more determinative than the fumble? Nope. Not even close. I was referring to the loss of home field advantage that Toronto brings, and then the "we would have won if " silliness broke out. but keep coming up with false assumptions if it makes you feel better. . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
papazoid Posted January 5, 2014 Share Posted January 5, 2014 (edited) including preseason games? is it specifically written into the lease? the bills asked for 2 regular season games....that was shot down (can't find that link now, i'm lookin). the new lease limits the games in toronto. The agreement includes a clause limiting the Bills to playing one annual home game and a pre-season game once every two years in Toronto. That’s similar to the five-year agreement between the Bills and Toronto-based Rogers Communications to have the team play north of the border. http://www.thestar.c...te_stadium.html In addition to the Toronto game, the Bills are allowed to play one more international game over the next 10 years. Edited January 5, 2014 by papazoid Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PromoTheRobot Posted January 5, 2014 Share Posted January 5, 2014 It shouldn't be lost on anyone that the Toronto adventure is a clarion call to tried and true Bills fans that they aren't needed, or that as much / enough support can come from Southern Ontario to fill the stadium. I am all for growing the fanbase in S. Ontario. Putting the team in an overpriced football mortuary of a dome with horrific turf is not the path to that growth. It's a misguided response to that growth. Win and this fanbase will support the hell out of them. It's a notion that is as true in New Orleans as it is in New England, as it is just about anywhere short of the places where there are waitlists for PSLs. Berate the fanbase all you want. The team isn't worse because of its fanbase. It's the reverse. Correlation <> causation. I guess the irony is lost. You have fans howling about losing a game to Toronto in one breath then saying they won't attend Bills games at RWS in December because they suck in the next. PTR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuntheDamnBall Posted January 5, 2014 Share Posted January 5, 2014 I guess the irony is lost. You have fans howling about losing a game to Toronto in one breath then saying they won't attend Bills games at RWS in December because they suck in the next. PTR Fan blaming is fun. Try this one on for size: I live in NYC. It is hella expensive in December to fly to Buffalo to see a game. I am the kind of person who would come to one if they were moderately competitive and in the playoff hunt. I just can't see why it's some kind of sin to lose interest when the team has nothing to play for. In an era where the tickets and concessions didn't amount to two weeks of grocery budget, that might be different, but even the playoff teams are struggling to sell out in this market. A winner in Buffalo will be a hot ticket. Build it and we'll come. Tread water and we'll be smart enough to know it's more of the same. Conversely, I would never in a million years battle the traffic in Toronto to see football in a bad atmosphere. There hasn't ever been any good faith effort on the part of ownership to convince fans to go there. How about a "Bills tailgate train" Amtrak direct to the stadium, or a discount for season ticket holders? The PR man seriously seemed to have run out of answers for making this a success. Are we all supposed to buy in just because they are "our Bills?" Get real! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fixxxer Posted January 5, 2014 Share Posted January 5, 2014 I don't understand why the Bills don't pay for the transportation of the season ticket holders. Then you tell the Rogers people that every Bills fan that they transport to Toronto will sit together at midfield level seats. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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