boltuprite Posted November 30, 2006 Share Posted November 30, 2006 I agree with a lot of what you said. However the one thing I do agree with the late season home game reason. One thing Bills fans do not care about is the weather. As we all sang during the Miami snow storm game a few years ago... Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow. 852488[/snapback] I agree sort of, as I know Bills fans pride themsleves on being a cold weather team. Nothing funnier when you see a team like Miami or San Diego shiverring beside the heaters and the Bills run out wearing short sleeve jerseys and bare arms. I can remember going to a Miami/Buffalo game in December and pelting the Dolphin bench with snowballs. However, what I meant was fans are less likely to come into Buffalo from places like Rochester or to the north, St. Catherines if there is bad weather and the road conditions aren't good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TigerJ Posted November 30, 2006 Share Posted November 30, 2006 I think the failure to sell out is a delayed reaction to the decline of the Bills last year. I don't think the Bills sold quite as many season tickets this season, and walkups are more affected by who the opponent is and weather. Last week the opponent was Jacksonville. Even though they're a pretty good team, there is no sense of rivalry. This week the opponent is the Chargers. They are a very good or even great team, but the weather is supposed to be lousy. I think Miami sells out in December because of the rivalry. I don't think the Tennessee game will. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pBills Posted November 30, 2006 Share Posted November 30, 2006 I agree sort of, as I know Bills fans pride themsleves on being a cold weather team. Nothing funnier when you see a team like Miami or San Diego shiverring beside the heaters and the Bills run out wearing short sleeve jerseys and bare arms. I can remember going to a Miami/Buffalo game in December and pelting the Dolphin bench with snowballs. However, what I meant was fans are less likely to come into Buffalo from places like Rochester or to the north, St. Catherines if there is bad weather and the road conditions aren't good. 852529[/snapback] Ahhh, now that I can agree with. Most people won't want to risk the driving conditions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ned Flanders Posted November 30, 2006 Share Posted November 30, 2006 I believe the lack of late-season sellouts will come back to bite us, I really do. I think there is some merit in the poor marketing charge...Ralph has never really had to market this team in the last 20 years. He's had Kelly, Super Bowl runs and Flutie do it for him. The last marketing campaign I can remember was the "You can make it happen!" or something like that, sponsored with Marine Midland Bank in the mid-'80s. But half of the home season being played after Thanksgiving does not help either. Out-of-towners make plans and generally go for the games where they won't get frozen out, and who can blame them. Tennessee would have been a good late season draw six years ago, but not in 2006. I hope I'm wrong, I hope I'm dead-wrong, but I see this as just another reason the Bills will not be around WNY five years from now. The economy, population drain, and the lack of sellouts is just too much...again I hope I'm wrong and I admire others who believe the opposite. But I just can't see the Bills surviving in WNY much longer, especially with Ralph pushing 90. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olivier in france Posted November 30, 2006 Share Posted November 30, 2006 Well it's a little upsetting but it's not too suprising... It makes the news because it has been the only blackout game in the NFL this year. Because well, new stadiums and/ or good teams make the usually empty places full (Cincy, Zona, NO...) but the Bills fan support is not declining... all those full Ralphs those last years despite the level of the team are the proof we still have a very strong fan support. The fan support is even probably better than it was in our best years... Just remember the famous Houston Playoff game was a blackout... (i was there!) anyway you should all run to the ticket boots for Sunday's game, it should be a great game! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pine Barrens Mafia Posted November 30, 2006 Share Posted November 30, 2006 Meh, The stadium is simply TOO BIG for the market. They need to drop another 10,000 seats like they did in Jacksonville. Ralph won't do it because he is either not caring or too greedy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadBuffaloDisease Posted November 30, 2006 Share Posted November 30, 2006 Meh, The stadium is simply TOO BIG for the market. They need to drop another 10,000 seats like they did in Jacksonville. Ralph won't do it because he is either not caring or too greedy. Give me a break! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boco357 Posted November 30, 2006 Share Posted November 30, 2006 The stadium has the 7th biggest capacity in the league. Above them are Washington, NYG, NYJ, KC, Denver and Miami. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave mcbride Posted November 30, 2006 Share Posted November 30, 2006 The green bay comparison is very unfair, as the fan base covers more of the entire state rather than the small town. Unfortunately for the bills, they have to fight forfans attention on the west (Cleveland), south (Pittsburgh) and East(Jets/Giants). Cleveland also enjoys good support from the entire state of Ohio considering that the bengals have been stinking for the entire 90s. 851523[/snapback] ?? southern ontario, rochester, and buffalo are no smaller than the wisconsin marketing area, and as for competition from cleveland, pitt, and ny, come on - that's preposturous. if a metro area is hundreds of miles away and in a different state -- particularly in the heavily populated northeast and upper eastern part of the midwest -- there's more than enough fans to go around. they're not the reason the bills aren't selling out. it just seems to me that buffalonians are whistling past the graveyard, so to speak. they're not exceptionally hardcore, which is no great crime, but all the same they shouldn't deceive themselves that they are. cleveland has been a lot worse than the bills, yet their tickets are in much higher demand. and lest anyone forget, i remember many, many colts games at rich from 92 onward that drew 57,000 fans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ramius Posted November 30, 2006 Share Posted November 30, 2006 The economy, population drain, and the lack of sellouts is just too much...again I hope I'm wrong and I admire others who believe the opposite. But I just can't see the Bills surviving in WNY much longer, especially with Ralph pushing 90. 852555[/snapback] 1 non-sellout in the last 27 home games constitutes a lack of sellouts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuckincincy Posted November 30, 2006 Share Posted November 30, 2006 1 non-sellout in the last 27 home games constitutes a lack of sellouts? 852743[/snapback] Amazing, isn't it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave mcbride Posted November 30, 2006 Share Posted November 30, 2006 1 non-sellout in the last 27 home games constitutes a lack of sellouts? 852743[/snapback] i think the point is that it may will be four of the last eight by season's end (or, more precisely, four of the last four). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockpile Posted November 30, 2006 Share Posted November 30, 2006 I agree sort of, as I know Bills fans pride themsleves on being a cold weather team. Nothing funnier when you see a team like Miami or San Diego shiverring beside the heaters and the Bills run out wearing short sleeve jerseys and bare arms. I can remember going to a Miami/Buffalo game in December and pelting the Dolphin bench with snowballs. However, what I meant was fans are less likely to come into Buffalo from places like Rochester or to the north, St. Catherines if there is bad weather and the road conditions aren't good. 852529[/snapback] Every year I go to two or three games. That fit MY life's budget and schedule. The plan is opening day, one snow game, and with luck something in between. The chance of a snow storm does not make me wait until game day to buy a ticket. I think the stadium capacity is about 4000 above league average for one of the smallest markets. Heck, if they just made the seating wide enough for an average person to fit (I am crowded in at 5/9 185 lbs), they could probably reduce seating by that much. Now that the kids are older and out of college, I am thinking of season tickets. In perspective, Buffalo fans are doing a good job of filling seats. Remember the PLAYOFF comeback game against the Oilers was a blackout! This is not a new "issue". p.s. I was tossed out of the Rockpile for pelting the Fish with snowballs when I was a teen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsFanNC Posted November 30, 2006 Share Posted November 30, 2006 Last week my brother couldn't GIVE away two great seats to a game that wasn't going to be televised and bad weather wouldn't be a factor. That's an indication that people in WNY have begun to take the Bills for granted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spun Posted November 30, 2006 Share Posted November 30, 2006 The best marketing comes from winning football games. The best ambassadors for the City of Buffalo and adjoining communities is it's fans. It is very important for the fans to get their butts in the stadium. As for those of us who no longer live in Buffalo, detours to the Ralph on game day can help. Enough WNY people have money to buy tickets, they have become lazy, dissatisfied and complacent. The Bills and the Sabres are a large part of the region's image. Supporting those brands helps the region. Not showing does not. I came back this past September but the Vikings game was sold out. I did see the Sabres against the Pens. When I do return to Buffalo, I try to spend a lot of money in hope that in some small way it helps the overall economy. I dream of a rejuvenated Buffalo. I believe it can happen. But this rise will not happen on it's own. It is ironic that this Sunday's Bills - Chargers tilt involves two football teams who have targets on them. Los Angeles wants a team and is going to get a team. The rich people have already decided how best to accomplish this goal. Personally, I think the NFL should expand to L.A. and San Antonio and leave everybody else alone. Texas can buy and support a third football team. Here in San Diego the city is very close to bankruptcy but the fan base for NFL football (not just the Chargers) is solid. NFL: expand to L.A. and San Antonio. Leave the rest of us alone! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DieHardFan Posted November 30, 2006 Share Posted November 30, 2006 ... However the one thing I do (dis)agree with is the late season home game reason. One thing Bills fans do not care about is the weather. ... 852488[/snapback] Absolutely wrong. The core fans are there no matter what the weather but the fringe are strongly influenced by the (seasonal) timing of the game and the actual weather on game day. I sell tickets every year and the demand for late season games always lags the early ones. Look at sales on Ebay or StubHub and the games with the most demand and $'s paid are early in the season. First home game has demand whoever plays. In past years a mia or ne late season game would spike interest but that has changed in the last 3 - 5 years. It's interesting that the $'s paid and demand was very strong in late summer and early fall (ne, minn, and gb games helped as they always draw opp fans). After the chi and det losses the bottom fell out of the market. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Astrobot Posted November 30, 2006 Share Posted November 30, 2006 I have forwarded this thread to the marketing people. I have to agree with those that have been saying the couch-setters are at the core of the problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jester43 Posted November 30, 2006 Share Posted November 30, 2006 ??southern ontario, rochester, and buffalo are no smaller than the wisconsin marketing area, and as for competition from cleveland, pitt, and ny, come on - that's preposturous. if a metro area is hundreds of miles away and in a different state -- particularly in the heavily populated northeast and upper eastern part of the midwest -- there's more than enough fans to go around. they're not the reason the bills aren't selling out. it just seems to me that buffalonians are whistling past the graveyard, so to speak. they're not exceptionally hardcore, which is no great crime, but all the same they shouldn't deceive themselves that they are. cleveland has been a lot worse than the bills, yet their tickets are in much higher demand. and lest anyone forget, i remember many, many colts games at rich from 92 onward that drew 57,000 fans. 852634[/snapback] absoluetely. i live in wisconsin now...on the opposite side of the state from green bay...MUCH closer to where the vikes play. people are still nuts about the pack. and the weather is colder and they STILL are climbing all over each other for tickets. i think they could get 90000 fans a week if the lambeau had room. and not only is green bay a smaller markert, but the entire state of wisconsin only has about 5 million people. and it's a decent sized state. i have felt for a very long time that bills fans are not as hardcore as they like to believe they are, and to me, the last 2 weeks proves it. frankly, i think they're just sort of embittered from the whole experience of coming so close but never winning. it has just sort of stuck itself in everyone's paw, and i think folks are just discouraged. 6 years of sucking is a long time anyway... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdubs Posted November 30, 2006 Share Posted November 30, 2006 I live in CT. and was able to make the 6 1/2 hour trip to Buffalo for the home game against the Jets last year. I have to say that the weather was a big factor in which games I was looking at as I didn't want to hear my "significant other" whine the entire time! Plus we wanted to do other things in Buffalo and hit up Niagra Falls. I wish I lived closer because I would be at the games almost every weekend Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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