ricojes Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 What else could he have done? His family does not want the team. The only alternative is to sell it. There is now sufficient time to find a local buyer. I agree. With this latest lease Ralph bought the Bills more time to figure out how to keep the team beyond 2020. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TXBILLSFAN Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 I'm so tired of the preaching that Buffalo fans need to show their support for this team -- it implies, whether intended or not, that Buffalo fans have NOT supported this team in the past. What is that based on ? A couple playoff games 2 decades ago that didn't sell out ? A few December games over the past decade that didn't on a team that hasn't made the playoffs in 14 years and has only sniffed them twice in that same time span ? In an area that has been devastated economically ? I beg you "preachers" to just STOP. This community that we are all a part of lives, sleeps and eats the Buffalo Bills. Our passion for this team is one of the best in the NFL. We as fans have a right to expect and demand that the people that run this team to give us a quality product. To suggest such a demand is in some way shape or form an indication of disloyalty or being a bandwagon fan is simply bull$*it. Give your sanctimony a rest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YoloinOhio Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 Mark Poloncarz @markpoloncarz 8m Many documents comprise the #Bills "lease agreement," most can be seen here below smiling guys holding a helmet pic: http://www2.erie.gov/exec/index.php?q=buffalo-bills-stadium-lease … Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirby Jackson Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 I'm so tired of the preaching that Buffalo fans need to show their support for this team -- it implies, whether intended or not, that Buffalo fans have NOT supported this team in the past. What is that based on ? A couple playoff games 2 decades ago that didn't sell out ? A few December games over the past decade that didn't on a team that hasn't made the playoffs in 14 years and has only sniffed them twice in that same time span ? In an area that has been devastated economically ? I beg you "preachers" to just STOP. This community that we are all a part of lives, sleeps and eats the Buffalo Bills. Our passion for this team is one of the best in the NFL. We as fans have a right to expect and demand that the people that run this team to give us a quality product. To suggest such a demand is in some way shape or form an indication of disloyalty or being a bandwagon fan is simply bull$*it. Give your sanctimony a rest. To me it is based on the baseline measures of sellouts and avoiding blackouts. The Bills consistently are in a battle to not be blacked out from November on. There are only a few blackouts per year total in the NFL. Yes the fan base is passionate but the support is not the equivalent of most other markets. For example: The Bills have a more knowledgeable and passionate fan base than the Patriots but the Patriots get better support from their fans than the Bills. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PromoTheRobot Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 I'm so tired of the preaching that Buffalo fans need to show their support for this team -- it implies, whether intended or not, that Buffalo fans have NOT supported this team in the past. What is that based on ? A couple playoff games 2 decades ago that didn't sell out ? A few December games over the past decade that didn't on a team that hasn't made the playoffs in 14 years and has only sniffed them twice in that same time span ? In an area that has been devastated economically ? I beg you "preachers" to just STOP. This community that we are all a part of lives, sleeps and eats the Buffalo Bills. Our passion for this team is one of the best in the NFL. We as fans have a right to expect and demand that the people that run this team to give us a quality product. To suggest such a demand is in some way shape or form an indication of disloyalty or being a bandwagon fan is simply bull$*it. Give your sanctimony a rest. I have no idea a) how you don't get why supporting the team now is so important, and b) why it offends you so? The outside media and forces that want the Bills out of Buffalo do not care about circumstances or excuses. They will take a snapshot of what we fans do for the next 6 years. Empty seats will only bolster their argument that the Bills don't belong here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TXBILLSFAN Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 (edited) I have no idea a) how you don't get why supporting the team now is so important, and b) why it offends you so? The outside media and forces that want the Bills out of Buffalo do not care about circumstances or excuses. They will take a snapshot of what we fans do for the next 6 years. Empty seats will only bolster their argument that the Bills don't belong here. I get why YOU think supporting the team matters, I just think a new owner will either want the team here (a Pegula type) or not (a billionaire from California) -- filling a few extra seats won't change either person's mind. I'm offended because you continue to imply that the community isn't supporting the team now. I think it does. I also think blindly supporting a bad product is crazy. Brandon & Co. have a responsibility to put a good product on the field and stop taking the fans for granted. Edited March 27, 2014 by TXBILLSFAN Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plenzmd1 Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 Is it just me or are these "the Bills aren't going anywhere until 2020" reports nothing new to any of us here who have been paying attention since the new lease was signed? It's being described as "Ralph's final gift" to the fans. That just makes me a little uneasy if his "final gift" was a temporary solution we all knew about and not any real long term arrangements for the ownership of the team. At least for me, reading this article did shed some light on some things. For instance, I thought the $400M was what a new owner would have to pay if they wanted to move the team before the 7 years. But the way that article reads, the " specific performance" clause actually legally prevents the team from moved, and the $400m was just an insurance if for some reason that clause did not hold up in court. All the experts I have heard this morning say that clause would never be overturned in court. Many have speculated a new owner could just look at the $400M as part of the purchase price and realize that investment right back if they moved to say LA. In other words, value of the franchise instantly goes up by more than $400m if they moved the team. Now that option I'd off the table. So yes, Ralph gave Buffalo 7 years to figure out what's next...I think that was mighty gracious of him Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PromoTheRobot Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 I get why YOU think supporting the team matters, I just think a new owner will either want the team here (a Pegula type) or not (a billionaire from California) -- filling a few extra seats won't change either person's mind. I'm offended because you continue to imply that the community isn't supporting the team now. I think it does. I also think blindly supporting a bad product is crazy. Brandon & Co. have a responsibility to put a good product on the field and stop taking the fans for granted. I agree fan support might, in the end, mean little to a new owner...but at the very least it creates some pressure. For an owner to move a franchise that sells out every game would give them and the NFL another Cleveland Browns-style black eye. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TXBILLSFAN Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 I agree fan support might, in the end, mean little to a new owner...but at the very least it creates some pressure. For an owner to move a franchise that sells out every game would give them and the NFL another Cleveland Browns-style black eye. I agree that fan support doesn't hurt the cause and might even help a little, and I also agree that it would make the NFL look bad, like letting the Browns move, I just have ZERO faith in the other 31 owners to do what's right for Buffalo and not what's best for their pocket books. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimmy10 Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 What else could he have done? His family does not want the team. The only alternative is to sell it. There is now sufficient time to find a local buyer. Oh, I'm not saying he could have or even should have done more. I'm just saying this is all being reported as if it's something new. While new details may have emerged, I thought anyone who paid attention to the new lease (like most of us here) knew that it was tremendously difficult/expensive or nearly impossible for this team to go anywhere before 2020. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
26CornerBlitz Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 NON-RELOCATION AGREEMENT: http://www2.erie.gov/exec/sites/www2.erie.gov.exec/files/uploads/Buffalo%20Bills%20Non-Relocation%20Agreement.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoSaint Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 I posted this same quote four pages ago because I thought it was significant. I can't believe that you and I are the only ones who see that. i dont think its that no one else sees it - i think that there are two other competing factors when weighing it.... 1) what else was he going to say? 2) do you fully trust roger goodell to do right by the fan, or seek maximum revenue? it may be a totally honest statement, but until action happens we just dont know if it means anything Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebyrdman31 Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 John Kryk of The Toronto Sun reported on Wednesday a clarification of previous reports regarding the Buffalo Bills stadium lease: that a reported $400 million relocation buyout option does not exist, at least in the way we have understood it for 16 months. Instead, Kryk reports that the payment - which still drops to $28 million between the 2019 and 2020 seasons, giving any new Bills owner intent on moving the franchise a one-time out within the next nine years - exists as a sort of backup plan in the event that said owner wins a court battle to break the Bills' lease agreement with Erie County. Kryk's report, based on a conversation with Marc Ganis of Sports Corp, Ltd., strongly hints that the idea of anyone winning that court battle is extremely unlikely. It's an important distinction, and further cements the idea that the Bills aren't going anywhere, regardless of who buys them, for at least another six years. The lease for Ralph Wilson Stadium currently runs through 2022. The Bills, Erie County and New York State have already begun assembling a committee to investigate the possibility of a new stadium in Western New York, while $130 million in renovations are already underway for the team's current beloved facility in Orchard Park. http://www.buffalorumblings.com/buffalo-bills-news/2014/3/27/5552758/buffalo-bills-stadium-lease-relocation-fee-ralph-wilson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoSaint Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 To me it is based on the baseline measures of sellouts and avoiding blackouts. The Bills consistently are in a battle to not be blacked out from November on. There are only a few blackouts per year total in the NFL. Yes the fan base is passionate but the support is not the equivalent of most other markets. For example: The Bills have a more knowledgeable and passionate fan base than the Patriots but the Patriots get better support from their fans than the Bills. ultimately, they arent going to come to a message board and quiz the fans... if it goes to someone looking to move, they are going to walk into the meeting and the team looking to move and one side will present attendance data and picture of the crowd -- hopefully that makes sense for the "keep them in buffalo" side of the argument as itll be full stadiums in snow flurries in the presentation. the best way for RB and the crew to make that happen is to WIN NOW, and for the fans its to show up regardless of if they can succeed fast. If EJ flops and it creates an empty stadium.... no good... hopefully we can start winning and get some dumb bandwagon fans on board that buy a lot of stuff - they are obnoxious, but they are needed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wayne Cubed Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 ultimately, they arent going to come to a message board and quiz the fans... if it goes to someone looking to move, they are going to walk into the meeting and the team looking to move and one side will present attendance data and picture of the crowd -- hopefully that makes sense for the "keep them in buffalo" side of the argument as itll be full stadiums in snow flurries in the presentation. the best way for RB and the crew to make that happen is to WIN NOW, and for the fans its to show up regardless of if they can succeed fast. If EJ flops and it creates an empty stadium.... no good... hopefully we can start winning and get some dumb bandwagon fans on board that buy a lot of stuff - they are obnoxious, but they are needed. If you look back a couple pages Bandit (hope you don't mind) posted a link detailing exactly what a the owner must look at and what the league will look, before a team is allowed to move: Owner must take into consideration prior to applying: "the League’s television interests, the League’s interest in strong and geographically distributed franchises, the League’s interest in securing attractive stadium facilities in which to play its games, and the League’s interest in having financially viable franchises" the NFL will look at (this is number 2 on the list): "The extent to which fan loyalty to and support for the club has been demonstrated during the team's tenure in the current community" So, it's pretty much there in black and white. The league will certainly look at fan loyalty, whether that means selling out games or not could be debated. http://www.leg.state.mn.us/webcontent/lrl/issues/FootballStadium/NFLFranchiseRelocationRules.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FireChan Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 If you look back a couple pages Bandit (hope you don't mind) posted a link detailing exactly what a the owner must look at and what the league will look, before a team is allowed to move: Owner must take into consideration prior to applying: "the League’s television interests, the League’s interest in strong and geographically distributed franchises, the League’s interest in securing attractive stadium facilities in which to play its games, and the League’s interest in having financially viable franchises" the NFL will look at (this is number 2 on the list): "The extent to which fan loyalty to and support for the club has been demonstrated during the team's tenure in the current community" So, it's pretty much there in black and white. The league will certainly look at fan loyalty, whether that means selling out games or not could be debated. http://www.leg.state.mn.us/webcontent/lrl/issues/FootballStadium/NFLFranchiseRelocationRules.pdf And there it is. Get your seasons ladies and gents. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Wiz Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 If you look back a couple pages Bandit (hope you don't mind) posted a link detailing exactly what a the owner must look at and what the league will look, before a team is allowed to move: Owner must take into consideration prior to applying: "the League’s television interests, the League’s interest in strong and geographically distributed franchises, the League’s interest in securing attractive stadium facilities in which to play its games, and the League’s interest in having financially viable franchises" the NFL will look at (this is number 2 on the list): "The extent to which fan loyalty to and support for the club has been demonstrated during the team's tenure in the current community" So, it's pretty much there in black and white. The league will certainly look at fan loyalty, whether that means selling out games or not could be debated. http://www.leg.state...cationRules.pdf And there it is. Get your seasons ladies and gents. So I'm pretty sure a 14 year playoff drought and still selling out most of the year sums up fan loyalty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boyst Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 Is it realistic to even say that Bon Jovi could be our owner? I am so sick of hearing people mention his name. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
papazoid Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 Blackouts = not supporting enough pretty simple Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebandit27 Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 Blackouts = not supporting enough pretty simple Not as clear cut as you might think with the NFL's new 85% rule...teams like Tampa Bay not only take the 85% rule, but also buy up the tickets to achieve "sell outs"...every game televised, zero legit sell outs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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