PromoTheRobot Posted November 26, 2014 Author Share Posted November 26, 2014 (edited) Forget a domed stadium for Buffalo. Being outdoors at the Ralph is part of the charm of gameday. Yes this latest storm was a terrible thing, but I would remind people that this is the only time since the Bills have been in Buffalo that a game has had to be cancelled because of weather. Having teams come to RWS late in the season used to be a tremendous advantage back when we had a decent team. I for one think the indoor stadiums make the game lose some of it's appeal. Those old NFL games in places like Pittsburgh, Green Bay, Cleveland and even NY were classics. Players had to tough it out and beat the conditions. I enjoyed watching that. Freezing your azz off is not charming. Well, this will never be Silicon valley or Chi- town , and there is no " Green Bay model" . That place is truly one of a kind , and one that will not be permitted anywhere else by NFL bylaws. The resale prices ( stub-hub etc) of Bills home game tickets clearly shows the face value of ticket inventory is far below market rate. And also that there are plenty of folks willing to pay these higher prices , they obviously have the " coin" . What they don't have is first crack at those seats because some season ticket holder has them on lockdown at a low- rent price. So they make a killing to defray their already cheap cost, and the Bills get none of those extra $. So the money is already there, the Bills just need a new stadium to tap into it. Fewer seats to create demand, and higher prices that will usher in a new buyer( or get the previous one to pony up market rate) .Coupled with a climate controlled environment to entice the sizable chunk of the current demographic that stays home because of the crappy weather and police blotter type atmosphere at the current venue , you have the new Bills strategy. It's coming soon. That upscale market exists in Buffalo and the surrounding era the team taps into. The current stadium just doesn't allow the Bills to capture it. There is a difference. The Bills know it, and hats why Pegula said there " will be" a new stadium. Some fans may be priced out, or forced to secondary market to go to a few games a year. Those folks aren't the target market for the new stadium model. That isn't entirely true. First off, there are only 45,000 season ticket holders on average so it's not like they have a 72,000 seat stadium "locked down." Second, what you really have in Buffalo are fence sitters who decide late to go to games. That's where the resellers actually provide a service to teams like the Bills and Sabres. You can't run a franchise when your fans decide a day or two out to go to a game. STH's create demand by making tickets scarcer, which keeps revenues steadier for the team. Plus being able to sell at a profit is a nice incentive for those who invest in the team and take the risk. Look at Sabres STHers this season. They are taking a beating on the resale market. But they help keep the FNC near capacity while the Sabres rebuild. Once the Sabres are good again and resale prices jump, people will piss and moan about resellers, but I say god bless 'em. They stuck with the team and took their lumps. The fence sitters can pound sand. I don't care if your kid is crying about not being able to go see his favorite team. But you are correct that the resale market proves that Bills ticket prices could be higher. Edited November 26, 2014 by PromoTheRobot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PolishDave Posted November 26, 2014 Share Posted November 26, 2014 I've been to games in Ford Field and The Ralph. I honestly prefer the Ralph in its current condition at its current location over a "Ford Field like dome" downtown. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PromoTheRobot Posted November 26, 2014 Author Share Posted November 26, 2014 IMO putting a stadium in buffalo is " putting a silk purse on a sows ear". . Can you explain why? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJ (not THAT RJ) Posted November 26, 2014 Share Posted November 26, 2014 Can you explain why? Promo, he couldn't even get the cliché right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A Dog Named Kelso Posted November 26, 2014 Share Posted November 26, 2014 (edited) It seems to me that with technology you should be able to build a stadium similar to the old Cowboys stadium to cover and heat the fans and leave the field open. Geez maybe even put something like perforated Plexiglas up between the field and the fans so that the sound goes through and they stay cozy. lol Freezing your azz off is not charming. I agree, but I do believe it is a certain advantage to the home team. Especially, against dome and southern teams Edited November 26, 2014 by A Dog Named Kelso Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PromoTheRobot Posted November 26, 2014 Author Share Posted November 26, 2014 (edited) Promo, he couldn't even get the cliché right. Another nominee for the TBDism Hall of Fame. Edited November 26, 2014 by PromoTheRobot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jumbalaya Posted November 26, 2014 Share Posted November 26, 2014 No to a dome. No to the artificial noise. Yes to fan posters. No to all the official time outs and commercials. No to today's passing game, let the DBs have a chance. Kick off from the 25. No to reviews, bribe the refs like in the old days. $5 beers not watered down. Intentional grounding while in or out of the pocket. No to dancing like fools after every play. In other words, bring back football. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Gun Posted November 26, 2014 Share Posted November 26, 2014 What made Buffalo great in the 90 playoffs was having an ice bowl for the Raiders, and teams didn't want to play in Buffalo at the end of the season. Bruce, Talley, and a lot of the players wouldn't even wear arm warmers during those cold playoff games. Anyway, I'd rather a retractable now. Talley did, he had that blue and red spiderman looking thing. It was pretty cool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillnutinHouston Posted November 26, 2014 Share Posted November 26, 2014 If Kirby says this is the model I could get behind it... My gut reaction is "NO! NO ROOF!" I think I could handle it IF it was retractable. This looks pretty cool, and when the weather is horrible, just close it up. Speaking from this photo...when the roof is open, Lucas Oil feels like an open air venue. I could live with this. In the end I do think we're going open air. Yes, it has to be retractable or something similar... It has to be "signature." Pure utilitarian just won't cut it. Not sure if you meant this to be funny, but it cracks me up. Utilitarian won't cut WHAT? How much have you pledged to build the new stadium? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xsoldier54 Posted November 26, 2014 Share Posted November 26, 2014 Freezing your azz off is not charming. That isn't entirely true. First off, there are only 45,000 season ticket holders on average so it's not like they have a 72,000 seat stadium "locked down." Second, what you really have in Buffalo are fence sitters who decide late to go to games. That's where the resellers actually provide a service to teams like the Bills and Sabres. You can't run a franchise when your fans decide a day or two out to go to a game. STH's create demand by making tickets scarcer, which keeps revenues steadier for the team. Plus being able to sell at a profit is a nice incentive for those who invest in the team and take the risk. Look at Sabres STHers this season. They are taking a beating on the resale market. But they help keep the FNC near capacity while the Sabres rebuild. Once the Sabres are good again and resale prices jump, people will piss and moan about resellers, but I say god bless 'em. They stuck with the team and took their lumps. The fence sitters can pound sand. I don't care if your kid is crying about not being able to go see his favorite team. But you are correct that the resale market proves that Bills ticket prices could be higher. I have been to games at the Ralph in December. If you dress like's it's December in WNY, you won't "freeze your azz off". Dress for the weather and have a few pops of anti-freeze and you'll be fine. Man up or you might as well stay home and watch on TV. Speaking from this photo...when the roof is open, Lucas Oil feels like an open air venue. I could live with this. In the end I do think we're going open air. Not sure if you meant this to be funny, but it cracks me up. Utilitarian won't cut WHAT? How much have you pledged to build the new stadium? Ever been to a game in one of these new indoor or retractable roof stadiums? It feels like you are inside an aircraft hangar. Not my cup of tea at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PolishDave Posted November 26, 2014 Share Posted November 26, 2014 (edited) Ever been to a game in one of these new indoor or retractable roof stadiums? It feels like you are inside an aircraft hangar. Not my cup of tea at all. If you get a dome you can also say goodbye to C130 Gunship or other flyby's after the national anthem. You can say goodbye to the skydivers also and probably the eagle that flies in carrying an American flag. Those things probably aren't that big of a deal to some guys, but they mean a lot to some of us. Edited November 26, 2014 by PolishDave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PromoTheRobot Posted November 26, 2014 Author Share Posted November 26, 2014 (edited) I have been to games at the Ralph in December. If you dress like's it's December in WNY, you won't "freeze your azz off". Dress for the weather and have a few pops of anti-freeze and you'll be fine. Man up or you might as well stay home and watch on TV. Ever been to a game in one of these new indoor or retractable roof stadiums? It feels like you are inside an aircraft hangar. Not my cup of tea at all. It's not my first rodeo, x. No kidding, dress for the weather. But sometimes the still weather wins. My worst memory was a Pats game where they hung 50+ on us and it was sleeting. Wind, wet, cold, and we the Bills were getting killed. Not my idea of fun. The Cardinals "backward punt" game wasn't much fun either and we won that one. BTW the cold weather advantage people are touting is a myth. No such thing anymore. It's more for people that sit home and watch games on TV to marvel at. Edited November 26, 2014 by PromoTheRobot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dean Posted November 27, 2014 Share Posted November 27, 2014 Speaking from this photo...when the roof is open, Lucas Oil feels like an open air venue. I could live with this. In the end I do think we're going open air. Not sure if you meant this to be funny, but it cracks me up. Utilitarian won't cut WHAT? How much have you pledged to build the new stadium? Not sure why you think that, as just about everyone with any real connection to the situation has said a covered stadium is pretty much a done deal, While I prefer an open air stadium, the info on the Bills sale should have taught everyone here one lesson. Kirby and Bandit have a very good handle on what is going on. Unless you have some super special source, I think you should believe what they have to say, But I do agree, if it isn't an open air, I can probably live with a retractable roof, as at least for a few games a year it will actually feel like there is a football game being played. And another thing (arms flailing and feet stomping)---why can't they grow grass under a covered roof? I know people who grow pot indoors! I refuse to believe there isn't a strain of grass, and the right kind of lights, to allow grass to be grown in a covered stadium. Sure, I don't know crap about it, but that's my story and I'm sticking to it! It's not my first rodeo, x. No kidding, dress for the weather. But sometimes the still weather wins. My worst memory was a Pats game where they hung 50+ on us and it was sleeting. Wind, wet, cold, and we the Bills were getting killed. Not my idea of fun. The Cardinals "backward punt" game wasn't much fun either and we won that one. BTW the cold weather advantage people are touting is a myth. No such thing anymore. It's more for people that sit home and watch games on TV to marvel at. If the Bills are kicking some ass, the weather never wins. Remember the 51-3 game against the Raiders? I keep hearing how bad the weather was that day. I recall it being wonderful. My jacket was off for most of the game and we were so pumped we were sweating. Winning solves every weather issue. Covering the stadium is just giving the team an excuse to continue to lose. I know it is probably inevitable, but I've never liked going to a game played indoors. Feels phony to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJ1 Posted November 27, 2014 Share Posted November 27, 2014 Love it!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chandemonium Posted November 27, 2014 Share Posted November 27, 2014 Looks like it would be a nice football stadium if they tore the roof off. Looks like it would be a nice football stadium if they tore the roof off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billsfan89 Posted November 27, 2014 Share Posted November 27, 2014 I am in the camp of keeping it an outdoor stadium, it builds character and a home field advantage. The Giants/Jets and the Vikings all built new outdoor stadiums, so its not a trend either way to go dome or outdoors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vorpma Posted November 27, 2014 Share Posted November 27, 2014 I have been attending Bills games since 1966 and I still love outdoor games in the mud and the snow. Joe Namath once referred to the old rock pile as the "old gray snow monster of the North," think of a new outdoor stadium in downtown Buffalo on the lake. It's December and Bills game have meaning again, a cold gray snowy day with playoff imlications. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PromoTheRobot Posted November 27, 2014 Author Share Posted November 27, 2014 (edited) I have been attending Bills games since 1966 and I still love outdoor games in the mud and the snow. Joe Namath once referred to the old rock pile as the "old gray snow monster of the North," think of a new outdoor stadium in downtown Buffalo on the lake. It's December and Bills game have meaning again, a cold gray snowy day with playoff implications. 60 mph gale off the lake, goal posts bending in the wind, game blacked out because no one wants to sit in that garbage...oh, and a Bills turnover caused by the weather costs them the game. Yeah, I can think of that. Edited November 27, 2014 by PromoTheRobot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Best Player Available Posted November 27, 2014 Share Posted November 27, 2014 If they do put a stadium with a retractable roof dowmtown. Maybe they could also put a Bass Pro Shop Inside since it so close to the lake.................. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purple haze Posted November 27, 2014 Share Posted November 27, 2014 Let's not have any more scrambling to move games to another city that has a covered facility. Do it right and have no regrets! If the Ralph were an indoor facility, the game still would have been moved because of the driving ban/people snowed in, no? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts