Chris Collinsworth Says Bills Did the Dumbest Thing in NFL History

[Setrett]

For those of you who didn't see this on Inside the NFL, Chris Collinsworth made the following statement:

 

CHRIS COLLINSWORTH: In the history of the National Football League there has never been anything dumber than the Buffalo Bills selling out their home game against the Miami Dolphins to go play in Toronto and take the cash. Season over. Thank you very much, Buffalo Bills, don't know what to say...

 

PHIL SIMMS: [interrupting] In history? In history!?

 

CHRIS COLLINSWORTH: In the history of the NFL!

 

WARREN SAPP: Tell us how you really feel!

 

CHRIS COLLINSWORTH: [undeterred] The dumbest thing that's ever happened.

 

PHIL SIMMS: You feel better?

 

CHRIS COLLINSWORTH: I hope they spend the money wisely and get a nice car. I don't know what they're going to do. It's stupid.

[HelloNewman]

Collinsworth is right

[scoring is not hardy]

Maybe Ralph needs a new Taurus.

[Arkady Renko]

Maybe Ralph needs a new Taurus.

 

The likely 2010 version doesn't look too bad: http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y146/jdesign/2010Taurus.jpg

[The Big Cat]

For those of you who didn't see this on Inside the NFL, Chris Collinsworth made the following statement:

 

CHRIS COLLINSWORTH: In the history of the National Football League there has never been anything dumber than the Buffalo Bills selling out their home game against the Miami Dolphins to go play in Toronto and take the cash. Season over. Thank you very much, Buffalo Bills, don't know what to say...

 

PHIL SIMMS: [interrupting] In history? In history!?

 

CHRIS COLLINSWORTH: In the history of the NFL!

 

WARREN SAPP: Tell us how you really feel!

 

CHRIS COLLINSWORTH: [undeterred] The dumbest thing that's ever happened.

 

PHIL SIMMS: You feel better?

 

CHRIS COLLINSWORTH: I hope they spend the money wisely and get a nice car. I don't know what they're going to do. It's stupid.

 

[Picnic Table F'er]

I don't like it but I understand why we did the Canada thing. Buffalo is broke. There is not much we can do to change that.

[NicholasCal1]

the dumbest thing that ralph has ever done was getting rid of bill polian

[Fewell733]

It would be a better argument to make if we hadn't already sunk our season over the course of the previous month and half.

[AlbanyBill]

I don't like it but I understand why we did the Canada thing. Buffalo is broke. There is not much we can do to change that.

The Bills selling out to play the home Miami game was the dumbest thing in the history of the franchise (and Collinsworth may be right in the history of the NFL). And, in my opinion, a comment like yours is probably the dumbest thing that could be said in response. Hears what we do, how about keeping the Bills in WNY and bringing revenue for the local economy. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

[Endless Ike]

well chris collinsworth would be the one to know dumb

[Hazed and Amuzed]

Collinsworth has always dogged Buffalo.

[BillsZubaz]

I agree it was a dumb move. But I think their logic was as follows:

 

1. Buffalo has had difficultly selling out the Miami several years running and it is not the rivalry it was (to some).

2. The brass views NE as our new rival and the team to beat and wanted them in Orchard Park for the season finale.

3. That leaves the J.E.T.S. game as the last of our division opponents. I think that the brass wanted to move a later scheduled game (which are harder to sell because of weather) to Toronto.

4. All other teams are ones that we see in Orchard Park irregularly and they wanted those games to stay in Orchard Park.

[AlbanyBill]

I agree it was a dumb move. But I think their logic was as follows:

 

1. Buffalo has had difficultly selling out the Miami several years running and it is not the rivalry it was (to some).

2. The brass views NE as our new rival and the team to beat and wanted them in Orchard Park for the season finale.

3. That leaves the J.E.T.S. game as the last of our division opponents. I think that the brass wanted to move a later scheduled game (which are harder to sell because of weather) to Toronto.

4. All other teams are ones that we see in Orchard Park irregularly and they wanted those games to stay in Orchard Park.

How about the f*cking San Fran game? That would have been a better candidate. I think we can all agree on that. Don't get me wrong, I would still be pissed but at least it wouldn't be the Miami game.

[Lori]

I agree it was a dumb move. But I think their logic was as follows:

 

1. Buffalo has had difficultly selling out the Miami several years running and it is not the rivalry it was (to some).

2. The brass views NE as our new rival and the team to beat and wanted them in Orchard Park for the season finale.

3. That leaves the J.E.T.S. game as the last of our division opponents. I think that the brass wanted to move a later scheduled game (which are harder to sell because of weather) to Toronto.

4. All other teams are ones that we see in Orchard Park irregularly and they wanted those games to stay in Orchard Park.

Solid logic ... except for the fact that the NFL, not the Bills, does the scheduling.

[BillsVet]

Buffalo is broke. There is not much we can do to change that.

 

Forbes Bills Value 2008

 

That's patently false. Buffalo isn't the biggest market, but I'm tired of people throwing in the towel simply because of it.

 

What Ralph did in Toronto was a money grab, although they sold it as something absolutely necessary to preserving the future of the team. This was a pathetic effort at soothing fans' concerns about losing a home game. Meanwhile, RW said it would not result in extra monies being devoted to players. If they're not using the new revenue on players or operating the team, how does it keep the team there?

 

Everything this team is doing suggests they're making the team more attractive to a buyer. Their debt to value ratio is extremely low (11%) and expenses have been kept to a minimum. Having Toronto signed, sealed, and delivered makes the team even more attractive as the buyer will have a high debt to value ratio.

 

Ralph's team increased in value last year 8% to an estimated 885M. Even in these uncertain economic times, that team will go for a minimum of 900M+ when it's put up. I'll be interested in how much the Rams get when they're sold.

 

The final line of the text tells it all: "But when you're 90 years old and have no plans of selling the team, you probably don't give a damn." And after RW's reaction to the Miami game, I don't think RW cares about anything but ensuring his family gets the most they can.

[el Tigre]

Collinsworth is an idiot. He also said that Andy Reid was "a failure in life" because of drug problems some of his kids had. He's a jackass with a big mouth,who unfortunately has a job that allows him to broadcast his moronic statements nationwide.

[Thurman#1]

How about the f*cking San Fran game? That would have been a better candidate. I think we can all agree on that. Don't get me wrong, I would still be pissed but at least it wouldn't be the Miami game.

 

 

You can't pay the huge amount that Toronto paid and then get only the dogs. Buffalo had to give them a good game, and Miami was a saleable game while still not actually being against a very good team at all.

[Thurman#1]

Forbes Bills Value 2008

 

That's patently false. Buffalo isn't the biggest market, but I'm tired of people throwing in the towel simply because of it.

 

What Ralph did in Toronto was a money grab, although they sold it as something absolutely necessary to preserving the future of the team. This was a pathetic effort at soothing fans' concerns about losing a home game. Meanwhile, RW said it would not result in extra monies being devoted to players. If they're not using the new revenue on players or operating the team, how does it keep the team there?

 

Everything this team is doing suggests they're making the team more attractive to a buyer. Their debt to value ratio is extremely low (11%) and expenses have been kept to a minimum. Having Toronto signed, sealed, and delivered makes the team even more attractive as the buyer will have a high debt to value ratio.

 

Ralph's team increased in value last year 8% to an estimated 885M. Even in these uncertain economic times, that team will go for a minimum of 900M+ when it's put up. I'll be interested in how much the Rams get when they're sold.

 

The final line of the text tells it all: "But when you're 90 years old and have no plans of selling the team, you probably don't give a damn." And after RW's reaction to the Miami game, I don't think RW cares about anything but ensuring his family gets the most they can.

 

 

 

Value doesn't matter squat. Not until you sell the team. The Bills are the equivalent of a house-poor family, a family which owns an expensive house, which then eats up all their income on mortgage payments, tax payments, etc., all on something which will not pay them a penny until they either sell or die. That's the Bills.

 

As I said, value doesn't mean squat. What is important is income, and ours is virtually the lowest in the league. Whether you like it or not, those are the facts. Ralph desperately needs income. One way to get it in most cities is to raise ticket prices. But in the Buffalo market, if you do that, you won't fill the stadium. The Bills have kept ticket prices insanely low for just that reason, and if you don't think that is a huge benefit for Bills fans, I don't know what to say to you. The games in Toronto are a reasonable way to deal with the situation.

 

If you don't like it, how about voting for politicians who will change the business climate in Buffalo by lowering our much higher than usual taxes, allowing businesses to come back to our city. Don't blame this on Ralph Wilson. Buffalo voters are complicit in the horrible economic climate in the area.

[BuffaloBill]

The Bills selling out to play the home Miami game was the dumbest thing in the history of the franchise (and Collinsworth may be right in the history of the NFL). And, in my opinion, a comment like yours is probably the dumbest thing that could be said in response. Hears what we do, how about keeping the Bills in WNY and bringing revenue for the local economy. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

 

 

Problem is that the economics of the new NFL suggest that Keeping the Bills in Buffalo is not a viable option in the long term. Unless the model changes the NFL is addicted to corporate box revenue the same way a meth addict is attached to meth. It is all about money and as sad as it is the average Joe fan means nothing.

 

The model in Bufalo is a dying one. Be happy that you can afford tickets. Imaging that in places like dallas you have to pay for the right just to buy tckets and the local goverment will send a billion dollars plus to build a stadium that is second to none. The NFL owners have the best form of coporate welfare there is. Governments, corporations and individuals just throw money at them.

 

As a business person I believe Ralph is doing what he can to keep the Bills in Buffalo. The trick is to put a product on the field that the people of Toronto can come to accept as their own. The current team sucks too much for this.

[Peace Frog]

How about fielding a team that can get to the playoffs once in a while. Hell, maybe even win a post season game or two. I don't remember the Bills having that big of money issues when they were going to the Super Bowl. That was even when they were competing financially with big city teams before the salary cap.