Goodell comments on Bills stadium issues at Super Bowl media day

[Utah John]

What does it mean that the stadium should be competitive with others? New Era Field is the only NFL stadium in WNY.  There's no competition at all.

[K-9]

7 hours ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

You may be misinterpreting my post, which is likely my fault for how I worded it.

 

I would genuinely like to know what leverage Goodell and the other owners have to force the Pegulas to either extort taxpayer dollars to build a new stadium or move the team?

 

According to the chart that was posted elsewhere the Bills have a very good overall attendance, while a number of teams in bigger markets have a poor one.

 

 

I think Goodell's chances of flying are overall better than his chances of getting the Toronto taxpayers to pony up for a new state of the art American Football stadium, but perhaps that's just me.

 

And I wouldn't advise Goodell to jump out a window and flap his arms-er wings.

Gums. Goodell flaps his gums. He’s an elite gum flapper. 

[Call_Of_Ktulu]

Is this a ***** Super Bowl or a Buffalo roast. This has to be staged.

[RochesterRob]

1 hour ago, Buffalo619 said:

No public funding?? No PSLs?? How will the Bills survive? Pegula can’t be expected to pay for it all.  We need the state to make a large investment in our future, or there will be none. 

For the privilege of seeing my Bills...

  What ever delegation that exists in Erie County relative to the state capitol needs to be working with delegations from other regional centers such as Monroe (Rochester) and Onondaga (Syracuse) Counties.  Right now I think that Erie County by itself in terms of a new home for the Bills is a voice crying out unheard in the middle of a very vast wilderness.  I remember back on the old BBMB there was talk of maybe having a regional stadium authority where other counties would kick in but I think that is just wishful thinking.  Nearly all the other counties clear down to Seneca Lake which is the eastern boundary of WNY by most definitions have their own problems and probably would not be good for a nickel collectively to kick in.  Right now I am having a very difficult time seeing a path for this to get done in terms of state politics.  People need to get used to the idea of maybe a 250-300 million dollar upgrade at OP where the Pegula's pickup 2/3 of the cost with Erie County picking up a quarter and at that point maybe Governor Andy jumps in with the balance because he is up for re-election.

[purple haze]

8 hours ago, whatdrought said:

I sometimes seriously wonder why the NFL owners put up with this clown? He's been absolutely terrible. From officiating, to player discipline, to the various scandals and other such things. How can they take him seriously? 

He works for them and speaks the language they want spoken.  He's not out here making decisions on his own.  I still don't dig him, but

the owners are probably behind this yearly Bills need a stadium resolution talk.

[YoloinOhio]

22 minutes ago, Call_Of_Ktulu said:

Is this a ***** Super Bowl or a Buffalo roast. This has to be staged.

Hilarious. I thought the same thing.

Edited January 30, 2020 by YoloinOhio

[major]

This douche/Goodell covered up CTE findings early on, created the horrible Thursday night football experiment, destroyed evidence of the pats cheating scandal-multiple times, gets 9 out of 10 disciplinary decisions wrong (ray rice), made the  military pay for their own in game tributes, won’t give the proper amount of $ to retired players who have significant health issues, etc... I want to go up to Roger and use the following Don Rickles line: “why don’t you get a horse, live in the mountains, and stop bothering people”

[purple haze]

6 hours ago, batmanfreek said:

Because people who go to games in Buffalo aren’t dropping a lot of money on tickets. I believe they are still one if not the cheapest tickets in the league. 
 

Fans won’t pay more for tickets if nothing is improved. 
 

on the flip side even with a new stadium those same fans won’t pay higher ticket prices.  
 

You may get a different type of fan showing up to the game if ticket prices go up. 

If prices go up people will still pay up.  But as you said, there might be some different type of fans, which might be what they want anyway.

Either way, the stadium won't be empty.

[purple haze]

1 hour ago, atlbillsfan1975 said:

Actually they aren’t a bottom market team. Look I get it if you are a little bit older and afraid of how the stadium will impact your taxes. I have encountered a lot of older Buffalo residents like yourself. Buffalo can’t get back to being a great city by living in fear or the past. 
 

Man can you say it louder for people in the back?   There will be a new stadium, probably downtown.  Maybe they decide on a retrofit at New Era, but with their other holdings downtown, it makes sense for the Pegula's to move the stadium downtown.  They can keep the training/practice facilities in OP since that is where training camp will probably be.  State could knock the upper decks off  New Era and use it for training camp/ECC/HS games, etc.  How it will impact taxes is a non-factor.  Do most people know the exact cost added to their taxes if a new stadium is built?  It seems the tax complaint is mainly one of principal.  And I get it.  These billionaires are getting over and no citizen should have to lose anything.  But that's the game of pro sports.  

[RochesterRob]

47 minutes ago, purple haze said:

Man can you say it louder for people in the back?   There will be a new stadium, probably downtown.  Maybe they decide on a retrofit at New Era, but with their other holdings downtown, it makes sense for the Pegula's to move the stadium downtown.  They can keep the training/practice facilities in OP since that is where training camp will probably be.  State could knock the upper decks off  New Era and use it for training camp/ECC/HS games, etc.  How it will impact taxes is a non-factor.  Do most people know the exact cost added to their taxes if a new stadium is built?  It seems the tax complaint is mainly one of principal.  And I get it.  These billionaires are getting over and no citizen should have to lose anything.  But that's the game of pro sports.  

  Nothing is a certainty at this point in time.  A clean slate/virgin site type proposal in the middle of nowhere in Erie County is bound to be cheaper than something in the city of Buffalo that needs to be signed off on by a Mayor, city council, and citizen groups.  Never mind eminent domain, demolition of abandon homes, disposal of hazardous materials such as lead paint and asbestos, environmental impact surveys, and other studies to name a few problems.  Lawsuits.

[1ManRaid]

9 hours ago, GG said:

 

Bills are at or near the bottom of the revenue sharing pie, and the opposing teams get far less from their 40% of gate receipts in Orchard Park than they do in other stadiums.

 

This is not coming from Roger, but from other owners.

I was wondering how the hell a stadium would be "competitive".  Are they pushing for PSLs or something?  How do you drastically bump stadium revenue without pricing out the average family?  We could get priced out of the market with these mega stadiums being built and throwing off the average of "acceptable".

[Punching Bag]

3 hours ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

One could, what's your answer to that question?

 

Maybe he has incentive clauses in his contract for every new stadium he gets built.

[Buffalo Barbarian]

11 hours ago, YoloinOhio said:

 

 

 

 

FU Roger you are nothing but a tyrant who needs to be deposed. The gains the NFL has made isnt because of you its because we love football. Cant wait till your sorry ass is replaced.

 

we dont need your shiny new money guzzler that isnt going to bring in more money but will cost us more.

 

 

11 hours ago, Aussie Joe said:

Fix it or keep getting screwed by the refs in big games..

 

there's ways around that.  Bills Mafia ? 

 

 

[Buffalo Barbarian]

11 hours ago, shane nelson said:

We may not like it, but the only way to ensure the Bills are here or the next 50 years is a new stadium or massive renovations to New Ear Field, like those in GB or KC.  If a deal is done this year, next year or 5 years it does not matter, it just needs to be done.  

 

 

not directed at you but what is wrong with the current stadium, beer cost ten bucks a glass, what else do they want??

 

 

[Buffalo Barbarian]

11 hours ago, BillsVet said:

 

I love how Goodell talks about how the State and Local Governments have to spend taxpayer dollars to prop up a franchise in his corporation.

 

Especially when cost benefit analyses have demonstrated time and again that building new stadiums does little if anything for the local and state economy.

 

The sad thing about Goodell is that, like his predecessors he'll be in the HOF.  He's a weak man who masquerades around as the leader of a sports league that could have grown without him.

 

 

Amen brother !!

 

 

[Buffalo Barbarian]

11 hours ago, GG said:

 

Bills are at or near the bottom of the revenue sharing pie, and the opposing teams get far less from their 40% of gate receipts in Orchard Park than they do in other stadiums.

 

This is not coming from Roger, but from other owners.

 

how do the owners think they are going to get more money?? How much are they getting out of  Greenbays and KC stadiums that are old as hell ??

 

 

Edited January 30, 2020 by Buffalo Barbarian

[Buffalo Barbarian]

11 hours ago, GG said:

 

Actually, they can do a lot about it if there are only 1 or 2 franchises that aren't pulling their weight, such as changing the revenue sharing formulas (Each team gets to keep 100% of their gate receipts).  Bills would be toast competitively.

 

how does a new stadium generate more money than the old one?? If its more expensive for fans less people will go cutting the revenues they thought they would reap.

 

 

11 hours ago, oldmanfan said:

As long as Kim Pegula is an owner of the Bills, they aren't moving.  My bet is they build a new stadium downtown somewhere.  

 

Why Kim?

 

 

[oldmanfan]

32 minutes ago, Buffalo Barbarian said:

 

how does a new stadium generate more money than the old one?? If its more expensive for fans less people will go cutting the revenues they thought they would reap.

 

 

 

Why Kim?

 

 

She grew up in WNY.

[Buffalo Barbarian]

2 minutes ago, oldmanfan said:

She grew up in WNY.

 

Maybe, so did a lot of people who want a new stadium. I would need to see something from her hinting that way.

 

 

[GreggTX]

It's absolutely ridiculous the way the NFL says these cities "have to" have a "competitive" stadium. There's nothing wrong with the one we have now. Didn't we just spend millions on an upgrade too? How many upgrades before that? You'd think these stadiums are somehow broken after just a few years of use and then the taxpayers are on the hook for absurd amounts of money that would be better spent on teachers' salaries and pensions, healthcare, etc, etc, etc.

 

Even more amazing is the way the fans just blindly repeat this mantra without ever questioning it. It's like our wars. When we go to attack a country that never, ever attacked us, no one asks how we're going to pay all those trillions of dollars it will eventually cost us, but a few bucks for clean drinking water or healthcare and everyone demands that we account for every penny before we even consider it. SMH.

[Xwnyer]

Goodell can go to hell.  Yes the stadium could use some upgrades but did he demand chiefs or packers build brand new stadiums?  Sure a new do,Ed downtown stadium could be a future SB site but at what cause and impact on the fan experience?

[Mat68]

15 hours ago, BillsVet said:

 

I love how Goodell talks about how the State and Local Governments have to spend taxpayer dollars to prop up a franchise in his corporation.

 

Especially when cost benefit analyses have demonstrated time and again that building new stadiums does little if anything for the local and state economy.

 

The sad thing about Goodell is that, like his predecessors he'll be in the HOF.  He's a weak man who masquerades around as the leader of a sports league that could have grown without him.

 

New Era stadium is near the bottom of the league.  Its time for an upgrade.  Whats the market analysis say when a small market loses its franchise?  Without a stadium the Bills leaves.

[davefan66]

12 hours ago, Lurker said:

 

Why would the league ever do that? 

 

The Jones' and Kraft's and Kronke's would like that.   But getting a majority of the other owners to go along?   Most teams aren't in the super city group--they're more like the Bills.  They know where the action is--asset appreciation, not cash flow.   Can't see it happening...

 

 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/mikeozanian/2019/09/04/the-nfls-most-valuable-teams-2019-cowboys-lead-league-at-55-billion/#56c701252f1b

 

 2018 Operating Income Per Team ($ Millions)

Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization

 

1	Cowboys	$420
2	Patriots	$240
3	Texans	$176
4	Eagles	$150
5	Giants	$142
6	Ravens	$131
7	Saints	$126
8	Redskins	$120
9	Jets	$115
10	Seahawks	$106
11	Colts	$104
12	Steelers	$102
13	Falcons	$97
14	Broncos	$94
15	49ers	$93
16	Cardinals	$87
17	Chiefs	$83
18	Bills	$82
19	Panthers	$78
20	Jags	$77
21	Lions	$73
22	Chargers	$72
23	Dolphins	$67
24	Bucs	$66
25	Vikings	$65
26	Bears	$62
27	Bengals	$58
28	Titans	$53
29	Packers	$39
30	Browns	$32
31	Rams	$30
32	Raiders	$28

The top operating income is the Cowboys.  That’s based on their stadium, but also huge amounts endorsement deals that the dollars flow directly to them, not shared with the league - Nike, Pepsi, etc.  ( signed a deal with Nike when Reebok was the official sponsor).  They also have their training facility called “the Star” that generates revenue for them.

 

The net dollars that get shared with the visiting team is not the push here.  Luxury suites and box seat revenue is kept by the home team.  I believe it’s a 50-50 split for regular seats.  If they raised ticket prices by $100 per ticket, that would roughly translate to an additional 3 million to 3.5 million raise in revenue for the visiting team.  That’s a pittance compared to what they pull in from TV revenue and revenue sharing.  This market will not support large PSL licenses, or a glut of luxury boxes.  Seems like the push here will be “lodge” seats per the Bills survey a year or so ago.
 

Love the stadium we have.  Great sight lines, decent location for ingress and egress, and obviously the tailgating experience.  Downtown stadium would have terrible traffic issues, and would most likely  lose the tailgating.  Best option would be a stadium upgrade - additional boxes, increase ticket prices a bit, and some sort of cover (like the dolphins stadium?).  Personally, I wouldn’t pay a penny in PSL, but would pay an additional $50 in per game cost to my season ticket prices.

[Cripple Creek]

16 hours ago, YoloinOhio said:

 

 

 

So, Jerry got a plane ticket to Miami?  

[richardb1952]

I am probably oversimplifying this, but maybe the real problem is the 60/ 40 split of stadium ticket revenue.  Make it 80/20 and the owners will be more responsible to make their stadiums more profitable, however they see fit to make that happen.  If the Pegulas want to keep prices low, good for them.  If they want to build a new stadium and charge more, fine.  I’m sure they know exactly what each scenario will cost them.  

Edited January 30, 2020 by richardb1952
Added more info

[PromoTheRobot]

8 hours ago, Utah John said:

What does it mean that the stadium should be competitive with others? New Era Field is the only NFL stadium in WNY.  There's no competition at all.

 

Revenue generation. Ticket prices, amenities, how much money you can shake out of fans.

[dave mcbride]

And off we go! Expect a lot more of this. Just to clarify for people who somehow haven’t figured this out yet, but the owners are driving this, not Goodell. https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2020/01/30/arthur-blank-mentions-expansion-when-asked-about-toronto/

 

“I think it’s a question of just trying to understand expansion and the implications — having it balanced,”  [Arthur] Blank said. “You don’t want an odd number of teams; you’d want an even number of teams. How that would fall out [is crucial].

“I don’t think anyone questions the size of the Toronto market or the potential of the market. It’s a great market and a great sports city — a great sports city.”

Asked to clarify that expansion would be a consideration, Blank said yes.

“It could be, but I don’t think it has to be,” he said. “I do think the city could definitely support a team.”

[PromoTheRobot]

2 hours ago, GreggTX said:

It's absolutely ridiculous the way the NFL says these cities "have to" have a "competitive" stadium. There's nothing wrong with the one we have now. Didn't we just spend millions on an upgrade too? How many upgrades before that? You'd think these stadiums are somehow broken after just a few years of use and then the taxpayers are on the hook for absurd amounts of money that would be better spent on teachers' salaries and pensions, healthcare, etc, etc, etc.

 

Even more amazing is the way the fans just blindly repeat this mantra without ever questioning it. It's like our wars. When we go to attack a country that never, ever attacked us, no one asks how we're going to pay all those trillions of dollars it will eventually cost us, but a few bucks for clean drinking water or healthcare and everyone demands that we account for every penny before we even consider it. SMH.

 

Okay, question it. Now what? It's their boys club. Want to belong? Pay their prices. Unless fans of all 32 teams revolt, it doesn't matter. Bottom line, the NFL doesn't care about Buffalo. There are a half dozen cities they'd rather be in. Bytch about the Pegulas all you want. They are the ONLY reason the Bills are still here.

[WideRightRevenge]

Here's what I know ... it's December 29th, 2019 ... it's week 17 .. virtually no starters are playing the Jets (cause ... we're in the PLAYOFFS baby)  ..  Hammer's lot was rocking (and he's passing out pieces of old turf to fans with "lucky cards") ... surrounded by friends from around the country before and after a crappy game  ...  its 48 degrees and raining like hell and the stadium was pretty full.

 

So take your competitive advantage and shove it Roger. 

[BigBuff423]

I've weighed in on this subject in other places with far more words, so I'll do what I usually don't and keep it simple:

 

Build a domed stadium to advance the Buffalo Offense, keep young fans coming, and add to the general pleasure of the experience no matter the weather.

[oldmanfan]

They beat on the Bills stadium.  Yet they build a 2 billion dollar Taj Mahal in LA that fans won’t come to because they’re not into the NFL.

 

The Pegula just had an outside consultant finalize recommendations Roger.  Why not let the thing play out before bitching?.

Edited January 30, 2020 by oldmanfan

[Dopey]

16 hours ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

That's pretty much what I'm asking: what are the other owners doing to pressure the Buffalo Bills to push for a new stadium?

 

Keep in mind revenue stream is more than tickets and gameday concessions, it includes merchandise etc

Ticket prices will increase with a new stadium, but I just don't see a new stadium pushing Bills fans to buy more merchandise, etc. unless the new stadium has more seating. I thought most newer stadiums were downsizing. One thing Jerry has going for him is the standing room only tickets. I'm assuming they're cheaper, but 4-5k more fans buying beer and jerseys really adds up. Living in Fl. I don't know if we do that. Any idea?

[Mr. WEO]

5 hours ago, Buffalo Barbarian said:

 

FU Roger you are nothing but a tyrant who needs to be deposed. The gains the NFL has made isnt because of you its because we love football. Cant wait till your sorry ass is replaced.

 

we dont need your shiny new money guzzler that isnt going to bring in more money but will cost us more.

 

 

 

 

 

You see...this is why the owners (including Pegula) pay Goodell 32 million a year.  Fans are yelling at a man who has no power to do anything but what the owners tell him to do or has been agreed upon in the CBA. 

 

For taking all of the hits properly directed at them as the group running the league, he is worth every penny.  The above post is more proof of this.

[BarleyNY]

53 minutes ago, richardb1952 said:

I am probably oversimplifying this, but maybe the real problem is the 60/ 40 split of stadium ticket revenue.  Make it 80/20 and the owners will be more responsible to make their stadiums more profitable, however they see fit to make that happen.  If the Pegulas want to keep prices low, good for them.  If they want to build a new stadium and charge more, fine.  I’m sure they know exactly what each scenario will cost them.  

I doubt that would change anything.  As long as it’s the public that’s paying the lion’s share of the capital cost of increasing revenue for private franchises, then the NFL is going to make that happen.  You want your NFL team to stick around?  Then pay up.  

[ALF]

TV revenue is all that matters for the NFL , poor stadiums like Oakland and  San Diego needed major renovation or replace. New Era can be ok with more renovations. 

[oldmanfan]

Just now, ALF said:

TV revenue is all that matters for the NFL , poor stadiums like Oakland and  San Diego needed major renovation or replace. New Era can be ok with more renovations. 

I hope you realize neither Oakland nor San Diego have NFL teams.

[ALF]

40 minutes ago, oldmanfan said:

I hope you realize neither Oakland nor San Diego have NFL teams.

 

" poor stadiums like Oakland and  San Diego needed major renovation or replace."

 

Of course , but the Pegulas are improving New Era the other two did not and lost their teams.

 

The owners of the Raiders and Chargers wanted the city and state to fund their stadiums , the Pegulas are doing the renovating  now, big difference. 

Edited January 30, 2020 by ALF

[Rochesterfan]

14 hours ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

How is it going to be funded?

 

Here is the question and more importantly it is the answer to why the NFL talks about the situation and is asked every year.  The NFL is working to get as much public funding as possible.

 

First off - I do not blame Goodell - he is the mouthpiece of the owners - so what he is saying is coming from the viewpoint of the owners - including the Pegula’s.  You do not think they know what the Pegula’s plan is.  So this is just a shot to the NYS and Erie County Govt to be ready to bring some money.

 

They talked about this at other sites like SD and St. Louis and when they did not get the money - those owners elected to walk.  I do not think the Pegula’s will walk, but the NFL will use that as a push to get this done and they will continue to use the threat of Toronto to push their agenda.  It really has little to do with revenue and more to push what the Pegula’s and the NFL want and it allows the NFL to be the bad guy and makes the Pegula’s the good guys when it is finally done, but the financing will come either for a huge remodel - $350-500,000 with an extended lease 10+ years or a $500-750,000 stadium downtown and a 20+ year commitment.  

 

Why the Bills constantly get brought up is because of the lease deal and it is always on the verge of expiring with various outs.  They did the big upgrade and got a 10 years of deal, but a new ownership group also came in and allowed it to be discussed for several years.  Once they make their plan and get things done - we will begin to hear about the next site the lease is coming up and they want public money - probably Cincinnati.

 

For the people saying the Pegula’s should tell off the NFL and just re-up the lease.  The NFL is talking for them and giving the warning so the Pegula’s do not seem to be the bad guys.  The NFL will push as much public as possible and that will allow the Pegula’s to go in at a 50:50 deal with future upgrades and infrastructure upgrades and probably some upgrades to the arena as part of this and they will seem reasonable and will get what they want in the end.

 

 

Edited January 30, 2020 by Rochesterfan

[GG]

After 9 pages of discussion of a 2nd hand source, let's put Roger's full comments in here, because there's a lot more there than PFT fire drill note. (Emphasis below is mine)

 

About a year ago, the ownership of the Buffalo Bills commissioned a study about what to do with its stadium situation, either new construction or another upgrade of the circa-1973 New Era Field. What’s your understanding, the league’s understanding, of where that stands from the study, if you could shed light on that, and also, what is your and the league’s position on what should the next steps be for a facility in Buffalo?

 

“Well, as you know, I’ve been involved with negotiations in Buffalo going back into the ’90s.  Consistently through that time period, we have focused on the stadium and the importance of the stadium in the context of that, and the need to continue to renovate and/or look to see whether a new stadium is a better answer for the long term.  This has been contemplated in the leases right up until, I think, the most recent one, which I believe was 2016, but that is coming to a close.  At that point in time, I am hoping that it will continue, and I expect that it will continue to be a collaborative process between the public sector and obviously the Bills.  We all want the Buffalo Bills to continue to be in Buffalo, to be successful.  A stadium that is going to be competitive with other stadiums around the league is going to be important in that context, and I think everyone is committed to that, whether it is new, significant renovation or whether it is a completely new facility in a new location.  I think those are things that the group has to settle collectively and to address over the next several months, if not sooner.”

 

Edited January 30, 2020 by GG

[JoPoy88]

19 minutes ago, ALF said:

TV revenue is all that matters for the NFL , poor stadiums like Oakland and  San Diego needed major renovation or replace. New Era can be ok with more renovations. 

Oakland and san diego? Really dont want to bring those two cities up do you?