Poll: New Bills Stadium: Drop Top Dome or Open Stadium?

[Direhard Fan]

Agree with Judman- need to have a view and downtown is not the answer. No talegating?? It is one of our big events of the day. Muti-use is a must. Need to pay for it. That means dome. I'm from the rock pile area and when I was young it didn't bother me but now I want comfort during the game. The quality of play is much better inside. Sure tickets prices are higher but so is a beer. No reason we can't find a place that makes every one happy. Don't forget the tailgating.

[vorpma]

I can't really remember a time when bad weather has worked to the Bills' disadvantage either. I am shocked with some of the responses on here. I would be pretty devastated to see the Bills play in a dome.

[Big Gun]

Dome is the way to go.

[4merper4mer]

Retractable roofs are outdated and the Bills would need something new. I do agree that open or closed being alternative is attractive. Anyway how about a drone roof that flies off and to a huge hangar at the Buffalo airport on nice days and flies back on during bad weather? It could be made to look like a UFO and you could even fly 100 or so fans in for the game. Something like that is really what the NFL needs.

[That's No Moon]

The way the game is evolving you are basically required to pass effectively to be successful. They hardly call offensive holding, QBs can't be abused really at all, PI almost always favors the offense, the defense can't touch receivers anymore, you can't kill people on crossing patterns, chop blocks on running plays have been eliminated, WR crackbacks have been eliminated, etc. The league WANTS you to pass. Building a stadium where we can eliminate the wind as an issue only helps the team be more competitive in the NFL of the future.

Retractable roofs are outdated and the Bills would need something new. I do agree that open or closed being alternative is attractive. Anyway how about a drone roof that flies off and to a huge hangar at the Buffalo airport on nice days and flies back on during bad weather? It could be made to look like a UFO and you could even fly 100 or so fans in for the game. Something like that is really what the NFL needs.

Force field.

[4merper4mer]

Force field.

Good idea but with the UFO you can charge rich people for the fly ins and share the revenue with Jerry Jones.

[metzelaars_lives]

Dome is the way to go.

So not old school of you. Domes are so early 90's. Are you guys even from Buffalo, NY? What is going on here?

[simpleman]

 

I dont want to go to indoor games either, but the new stadium has to be multi-use. Or else, we're just blowing a lot of money. Unless Pegula wants to fund it completely himself (like he should). But I dont think a businessman would build an open air stadium either.

 

Retractable roof with the top dropped for games, is the ultimate answer, imo.

 

Also, citing "Cleveland did it" isnt really a great argument to convince us about anything.

As I mentioned earlier, no stadium is economically viable. Dome, retractable, open. You can add all the extra bells and whistles building it, promote it right, try to bring in every possible event outside of the actual games. Whatever you do with any of the three types, it still will lose money. Choose one of the three types. Just realize, no matter what you do you will lose money. Open, the least potential amount of loss. Covered, greater potential for amount of loss than open. Retractable, the greatest potential loss of money of the three.

 

A chosen few businesses located near any stadium type may profit from it, but in the end the taxpayers in general end up paying much more than any of the chosen few ever make.

 

A smart businessman would never build a stadium as a "money-making" business venture. It is a financial sinkhole. It is a necessary cost of doing business for a sports team. That is why the smart billionaire business-people that own national sports teams get the hapless taxpayers to pay most of the cost.

 

The only real financial choice you have when building a stadium is how much money are you willing to loose. Open air - lowest possible cost. Covered - higher cost. Retractable - highest cost. Why do we have "Taj Mahal" type sporting facilities? Because those that build them are not using their own money to build them. It is easy to waste other peoples money to provide yourself luxury that you don't have to pay for yourself. Taxpayers are famous for not understanding that that luxury ultimately comes out of their pockets. There is no such thing as a free lunch.

 

The decision which type to have basically boils down to how much you are willing to spend of other peoples money to get what you desire. And your ability to convince them to spend it to satisfy your desires. It is never about economic viability. There is no path to economic viability whatever you choose. That is a fairy tale.

[4merper4mer]

As I mentioned earlier, no stadium is economically viable. Dome, retractable, open. You can add all the extra bells and whistles building it, promote it right, try to bring in every possible event outside of the actual games. Whatever you do with any of the three types, it still will lose money. Choose one of the three types. Just realize, no matter what you do you will lose money. Open, the least potential amount of loss. Covered, greater potential for amount of loss than open. Retractable, the greatest potential loss of money of the three.

 

A chosen few businesses located near any stadium type may profit from it, but in the end the taxpayers in general end up paying much more than any of the chosen few ever make.

 

A smart businessman would never build a stadium as a "money-making" business venture. It is a financial sinkhole. It is a necessary cost of doing business for a sports team. That is why the smart billionaire business-people that own national sports teams get the hapless taxpayers to pay most of the cost.

 

The only real financial choice you have when building a stadium is how much money are you willing to loose. Open air - lowest possible cost. Covered - higher cost. Retractable - highest cost. Why do we have "Taj Mahal" type sporting facilities? Because those that build them are not using their own money to build them. It is easy to waste other peoples money to provide yourself luxury that you don't have to pay for yourself. Taxpayers are famous for not understanding that that luxury ultimately comes out of their pockets. There is no such thing as a free lunch.

 

The decision which type to have basically boils down to how much you are willing to spend of other peoples money to get what you desire. And your ability to convince them to spend it to satisfy your desires. It is never about economic viability. There is no path to economic viability whatever you choose. That is a fairy tale.

All of these things were true before the drone UFO roof entered the discussion.

[rfk]

Ive always loved convertibles and blondes

[Buffalo Barbarian]

In the unlikely event that the Bills do plan on building a new stadium, would you want a dome? Or an open stadium like we currently have.

 

Pros:

 

We have the most ridiculous weather in the league which is a slight disadvantage to us and a bigger disadvantage to visiting teams but, we play 8 games a year there which hurts us more then opposing teams.

 

We will finally rid ourselves of the Indian burial curse and Flutie curse in one shot. (Curses are real for the sake of this argument)

 

Cheerleaders can now wear really revealing attire showing off more T&A boosting fan and team morale.

 

We will no longer have to worry about game plan changes based on the crazy wind we get mid-late season.

 

We can sign future QBs think 2020 and beyond, with smaller hands that dont perform well in outdoor stadiums.

 

Will attract players that dont like playing in cold climates

 

Its easier to get warm before/during games in an arena then in buffalo weather.

Domes are enclosed areas so if you thought the Ralph was rocking before, the arena will amplify that sound.

 

Cons:

The tax players foot the bill.

 

Its the !@#$ng RALPH!

 

Ticket prices will go up

 

No more awesome snow games.

 

No more teaching kids to be men and watch the Bills in freezing temperature weather.

 

NOW: For the sake of the post, lets say tax players dont have to foot the bill. Hypothetically which would you rather the new stadium be?

 

 

 

 

 

they won't be building a stadium any time soon but they will make one at the end of the lease you can bank on it.

Ive always loved convertibles and blondes

!?

[3rdand12]

Ive always loved convertibles and blondes

That is Old School

[boater]

Dome over the Ralph.. then you have my ear, speaking as a taxpayer.

 

If you could make it acoustically perfect as Kleinhans, that would be bonus points. I have noticed many out of towners come in for major concerts.

[ExWNYer]

In the unlikely event that the Bills do plan on building a new stadium, would you want a dome? Or an open stadium like we currently have.

 

Pros:

 

We have the most ridiculous weather in the league which is a slight disadvantage to us and a bigger disadvantage to visiting teams but, we play 8 games a year there which hurts us more then opposing teams.

 

We will finally rid ourselves of the Indian burial curse and Flutie curse in one shot. (Curses are real for the sake of this argument)

 

Cheerleaders can now wear really revealing attire showing off more T&A boosting fan and team morale.

 

We will no longer have to worry about game plan changes based on the crazy wind we get mid-late season.

 

We can sign future QBs think 2020 and beyond, with smaller hands that dont perform well in outdoor stadiums.

 

Will attract players that dont like playing in cold climates

 

Its easier to get warm before/during games in an arena then in buffalo weather.

Domes are enclosed areas so if you thought the Ralph was rocking before, the arena will amplify that sound.

 

Cons:

The tax players foot the bill.

 

Its the !@#$ng RALPH!

 

Ticket prices will go up

 

No more awesome snow games.

 

No more teaching kids to be men and watch the Bills in freezing temperature weather.

 

NOW: For the sake of the post, lets say tax players dont have to foot the bill. Hypothetically which would you rather the new stadium be?

 

 

 

 

i just want to get off the burial ground.

 

Can we just offer up Flutie as a sacrifice to the local Native Americans? Everybody wins! Then, rename the stadium 'Wenro Interment Field at The Ralph'.

 

 

Good idea but with the UFO you can charge rich people for the fly ins and share the revenue with Jerry Jones.

 

"Welcome aboard 'The Glory Hole Express'! Servicing the privileged non-stop...from Buffalo Niagara International to 'Wenro Interment Field at The Ralph' and back."

 

[3rdand12]

 

Can we just offer up Flutie as a sacrifice to the local Native Americans? Everybody wins! Then, rename the stadium 'Wenro Interment Field at The Ralph'.

 

 

 

"Welcome aboard 'The Glory Hole Express'! Servicing the privileged non-stop...from Buffalo Niagara International to 'Wenro Interment Field at The Ralph' and back."

 

I am fine with offering up Flutie!

But isn't a pioneer graveyard?

or was it Wenrohronon from the Iroquois tribe. I get so confused. I have been cursed my whole life and it is hard to keep track

[ExWNYer]

I am fine with offering up Flutie!

But isn't a pioneer graveyard?

or was it Wenrohronon from the Iroquois tribe. I get so confused. I have been cursed my whole life and it is hard to keep track

 

Apparently, the Wenro were wiped out there by the Iroquois. I wouldn't put much stock in a pioneer curse. lol If that were the case, I'd suggest sacrificing Merlin Olsen or Michael Landon but the good Lord already beat us to that.

[Punching Bag]

Anything without a roof is a waste of money.

Like you are paying NOW? B

[3rdand12]

 

Apparently, the Wenro were wiped out there by the Iroquois. I wouldn't put much stock in a pioneer curse. lol If that were the case, I'd suggest sacrificing Merlin Olsen or Michael Landon but the good Lord already beat us to that.

We could set fire to some Little house on the Prairie vhs tapes.

That would be enough for me.

 

I think having the O line together for the first time in a bazillion years is the sign. That the curse has been lifted.

Go Bills!

ps nice post

ExWNYer !

[That's No Moon]

Dome over the Ralph.. then you have my ear, speaking as a taxpayer.

 

If you could make it acoustically perfect as Kleinhans, that would be bonus points. I have noticed many out of towners come in for major concerts.

It's an interesting suggestion. I've thought about the logistics of that before and the biggest hurdle I run into is time. We'd have to play somewhere else for at least a year.

 

In order to make that work in such a way that it's not an absolutely gargantuan structure I think it be easiest to peel off the existing upper decks and go from there. The new upper decks/suite levels would be part of the new structure. Failing that you'd need to have something that spans the whole complex right now which would be really really big and since the main goal is to add revenue not shelter from weather I don't think it would meet NFL goals.

[TheFunPolice]

Dome over the Ralph doesn't solve any of the amenity, concession, or concourse issues