vegas55 Posted May 9, 2014 Share Posted May 9, 2014 Goodell interviewed by Chris Berman last night repeated what he has said previously; Bills need a new stadium. The question no one ever asks him is - why? Or why it's such a huge priority for HIM. Just last year the Bills themselves were adamant in stating that they don't need a new stadium. For most franchises the advantage of a new stadium lies in the lucrative revenue stream that luxury boxes create. That doesn't apply to Bills, who can't sell all the luxury boxes they currently have and don't have huge corporations presence to pay top dollar for luxury boxes. Having brand new luxury boxes will not create the demand for luxury boxes nor will it lead to substantial price increases/ revenue. If over the next ten years the Bills experience even modest success on the field, and the games sell out, and the fans are generally happy with the stadium experience, why should Goodell be insisting on a new stadium; a stadium by the way he will for the most part expect the fans/taxpayers to pay for. There is no technical feature (lighting, internet connectivity etc) that cannot be addressed with retro fitting. Games here will sell out not because fans have a new stadium to sit in; they will sell out if the team is a consistent winner. It's the height of arrogance to be insisting on a new stadium just because the threat of moving a franchise allows you to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirtbag Posted May 9, 2014 Share Posted May 9, 2014 $ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Adams Posted May 9, 2014 Share Posted May 9, 2014 Agree this is bull. What's the use in spending a few hundred mil for a stadium that is mostly empty 355 days of the year? The Ralph is not a great stadium to be sure but it's not terrible either. STFU Goodell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJ (not THAT RJ) Posted May 9, 2014 Share Posted May 9, 2014 Goodell interviewed by Chris Berman last night repeated what he has said previously; Bills need a new stadium. The question no one ever asks him is - why? Or why it's such a huge priority for HIM. Just last year the Bills themselves were adamant in stating that they don't need a new stadium. For most franchises the advantage of a new stadium lies in the lucrative revenue stream that luxury boxes create. That doesn't apply to Bills, who can't sell all the luxury boxes they currently have and don't have huge corporations presence to pay top dollar for luxury boxes. Having brand new luxury boxes will not create the demand for luxury boxes nor will it lead to substantial price increases/ revenue. If over the next ten years the Bills experience even modest success on the field, and the games sell out, and the fans are generally happy with the stadium experience, why should Goodell be insisting on a new stadium; a stadium by the way he will for the most part expect the fans/taxpayers to pay for. There is no technical feature (lighting, internet connectivity etc) that cannot be addressed with retro fitting. Games here will sell out not because fans have a new stadium to sit in; they will sell out if the team is a consistent winner. It's the height of arrogance to be insisting on a new stadium just because the threat of moving a franchise allows you to. I think the stadium argument involves more than the luxury boxes. I think it is being used as a sign of renewed long-term commitment to the region, for example. It also is a matter of technology. The Ralph is not wired as well as newer stadiums for HD and replays and camera angles, and there are questions about the general infrastructure (remember the SD game in 2008?). A new stadium can be state of the art in a way that Rich was in 1973. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scotty0424 Posted May 9, 2014 Share Posted May 9, 2014 $ It's the answer to any question about the NFL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirtbag Posted May 9, 2014 Share Posted May 9, 2014 It's the answer to any question about the NFL. exactly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillnutinHouston Posted May 9, 2014 Share Posted May 9, 2014 (edited) Indeed, why. The OP poses a great question and I think the public is entitled to a detailed answer. To the extent that a new stadium would be financed by the new owner, that cost/debt will be passed on to the ticket buying public in the form of PSLs or higher ticket prices. On the other hand, if the new stadium is publicly financed, then it comes at a direct cost to the taxpayers. Either way, the public should be provided a clear understanding of why this cost is necessary. To his credit, Mr. Wilson keenly understood the economics of the WNY market and realized that a new stadium was not worthwhile. At a certain point, depending on how it's designed and financed, a new stadium could drive ticket and premium seat prices above what the WNY market can bear, and if that happens the new stadium could actually become a financial drag on the franchise. As a season ticket holder, I'd want to know what the impact of a new stadium would be on my ticket prices BEFORE ground is broken. I may seem like I'm contradicting myself but I am NOT in favor of Patrick Gallivan's bill that would make the stadium committee's deliberations public, as I fear this would dramatically slow the process and possibly grind the momentum to a halt. I have no problem with them making the sausage in private, as long as taxpayers have been provided a clear and detailed explanation of how a new stadium better supports a WNY franchise. Edited May 9, 2014 by BillnutinHouston Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vegas55 Posted May 9, 2014 Author Share Posted May 9, 2014 $ It's easy to say it's all about $$$ and I could accept that as a legitimate reason, but the actual question is how would a brand new stadium generate substantially more revenue? It's the reason why the Bills last year said they didn't need one - because it would not. They can't sell all the luxury boxes they have now, and just building new ones doesn't mean they will sell more, for the reasons stated in my original post. Same goes for regular seats; just building a new stadium does not mean you can double ticket prices and still expect to sell out games. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chandler#81 Posted May 9, 2014 Share Posted May 9, 2014 [This is an automated response] This subject matter is being currently being discussed or has already been discussed in a previous thread. Please consider using the "search" function before starting new topics. Thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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