So for the first time since 1989...

[raphael120]

The Bills/Miami game will not be sold out. You think the fans are finally fed up with crap they put out on the field at the Ralph??? I, for one, am glad this is happenning. It's pathetic the Bills sold out so many home games and the Bills **** the bed in every one of them. Let this be a message to Ralph that Bills fans are fed up, and we'll take our business elsewhere (Sabres) if they don't put a competitive team on that field.

[LtFinFan66]

I will be filling one seat

[The_Philster]

1...it's way too early to say that game won't be sold out
2...taking our business elsewhere will send a message all right...to whatever owner takes over after Ralph passes away...that's it ok to move the team :down:

[raphael120]

1...it's way too early to say that game won't be sold out
2...taking our business elsewhere will send a message all right...to whatever owner takes over after Ralph passes away...that's it ok to move the team :down:


oh so the fans have just those 2 choices? either go to the games, watch a perrennial losing team, or be threatened by the team leaving? I think Bills fans deserve better, but that's just me.

[The_Philster]

perennial losing team :rolleyes: Exxagerate much?
The way you talk, the Bills aren't even trying to win...kind of a ridiculous assertion, if you ask me

[Goobylal]

When tickets prices rise above the lowest in the NFL, much less to average ticket price levels, THEN you'll deserve better than what you've been getting. Even at the lowest ticket prices in the NFL, more than a few tix are bought by out of town fans, or tix to games are sold to out of town fans at a premium.

Sorry, you've been getting MORE than you deserve. Sorry, but it's the truth. But feel free to "send a message" to Ralph, and watch him "send a message" to you when he moves the team or sells it to the highest bidder who THEN moves the team.

[mybills]

1...it's way too early to say that game won't be sold out

Maybe he didn't see the schedule. :idunno:

[The_Philster]

When tickets prices rise above the lowest in the NFL, much less to average ticket price levels, THEN you'll deserve better than what you've been getting. Even at the lowest ticket prices in the NFL, more than a few tix are bought by out of town fans, or tix to games are sold to out of town fans at a premium.

Sorry, you've been getting MORE than you deserve. Sorry, but it's the truth. But feel free to "send a message" to Ralph, and watch him "send a message" to you when he moves the team or sells it to the highest bidder who THEN moves the team.
uhh...regarding ticket prices...they're as low as they are because of the WNY economy...if someone wanted to get real technical and took the ticket price and figured out the buying power of the money spent, odds are, the cost of Bills tickets are on par with the rest of the league.

[raphael120]

im just saying...everyone complains about how the team sucks, but still goes to the games, that was TD's big thing. the team sucks, so what does he do? signs the big name players to bring fans to the games, but are they competative? no. he didnt care what was going on because he could continue to pull all kinds of stunts to fills those seats, and as long as those seats are full, they didn't care, they were making money whether the team lost or won. just because i'm a bills fan doesnt mean i have to support the HO, i know things have changed around a bit, but whether or not this team is good has still to pan out, and im sorry, but until i see anything different from this team, which you have to admit, you haven't, (and yeh blah blah give it time bullcrap, you know theres plenty of teams that have new HO and theyre doin much better than the bills), and you got you people groanin at me when there are plenty of fans out there that aren't going to drive that extra however long from out of town to watch the bills. and you guys can't critizise me, it's the fans that live right in buffalo that arent going to the games either, so you think those fans are WRONG in not going to the games? those fans should feel THREATENED if they don't go? what kind of a world do we live in where you have to feel PRESSURED to go to a damn game in fear of the team moving??? thats REDICULOUS, your line of thinking. i will go to a game not because im fearful for them leaving, but i'll go to a game when I want to, when I feel it's worth MY time and MY money. and right now, its NOT. and 7, some-odd thousand people who usually go to the games agree with me. answer me WHY there are so many tickets available???

[The_Philster]

answer me WHY there are so many tickets available???because unfortunately, you're not the only one quitting on the team

as far as groaning at you, I'd groan at anyone accusing the team of not trying

[raphael120]

did i ever say they weren't trying? i told you, ill wait til the end of the season to make those assessments, but until i see anything different... im not giving up on the team, theyre still my team, and im still a fan! but im just glad that they are seeing a change in the fans to attend the games. you think those 7,000 people who aren't going to the game just happened to change their minds, theyre not fans? no, theyre fans, and they're pissed off fans, theyre bored fans, theyre frustrated fans. is that WRONG? no. is it the fans FAULT? no.

[raphael120]

you know, ANYONE who has gone through the past 7 disgusting seasons as a Bills fan, is a true fan. and i'm one of those, i've been a Bills fan all my life, so don't you tell me I'm giving up on them. until THEY give up putting a winning product on the field, I'll be a Bills fan. But things HAVE to turn around sometime, and something HAS to give. The Bills, and the Texans, only two teams without a playoff appearance in the past 7 years. The TEXANS. Nuff said.

[mybills]

OpIv has some competition! :D

[raphael120]

hahahaha...hey, I like OpIv. I dont know if its Washington, DC that makes us so bitter, but damn. ;)

[Typ0]

I'm just not crazy about paying good money for tickets and having the refs show up and decide the game. It happens way more than it should and the NFL will not take any responsibility.

[The_Philster]

Then where do you get the idea that by not going to games (showing the team you don't care) that things will change for the better because games aren't selling out? Unless you're trying to say they aren't trying, what will it accomplish? Losing ticket sales and fan interest isn't going to make something magical happen if that's what you think.
The only thing that losing fan interest will do is send the next owners a message that we don't care enough to keep the team here.

[raphael120]

Well enough people go to the games, I'm sure they're still making a killing at profits, but still...its saying that it's getting old. That they're losing a fan base, and that if they DON'T do something about it, then they'll lose money. Maybe they'll do MORE? Maybe be a little bit more liberal in spending, knowing that it's getting more urgent and they just can't "wing it" anymore and if it fails, oh well, the fans will still come and pay for a losing team. There's a lot to say about teams who feel pressure from the fans. Look at what happened last season. TD was fired, and Mularkey left. They felt pressure from fans. You know why? Because they would lose money. And Op's right, they do have the fans by the nuts. But i sure as hell won't pay for a plane ticket, a hotel room, and a football ticket to see the bills lose. Last time i did that i saw the Steelers scrubs beat the snot out of our team, killing the playoff hope. Lucky I won my money back in canada but still. haha

[The_Philster]

Maybe they'll do MORE? what more do you expect them to do? You claim you aren't saying that they aren't trying...what are you saying?

Maybe be a little bit more liberal in spending, knowing that it's getting more urgent You DO realize they have to stay within the salary cap, right?

TD was firedTD was fired after proving that Cowher was behind Pissburgh's success, not TD...and also after trying to make rules that Wilson was against (no derogatory signs, for example)

[SABURZFAN]

:popcorn:

[Night Train]

It's pathetic fans like me have been going to Bills games since the 1960's. I didn't even know this franchise was bad the last few years. Thanks for filling me in.

I'm what's all wrong with the world, let alone this franchise.

[Typ0]

Then where do you get the idea that by not going to games (showing the team you don't care) that things will change for the better because games aren't selling out? Unless you're trying to say they aren't trying, what will it accomplish? Losing ticket sales and fan interest isn't going to make something magical happen if that's what you think.
The only thing that losing fan interest will do is send the next owners a message that we don't care enough to keep the team here.

who wants a team if they are going to be crap? We know how those LA people come out in droves to see a crappy team play.

[The_Philster]

LA not showing up to support the teams they had isn't the point. The NFL doesn't have a team in the 2nd largest TV market in the country. Any new owner would jump to that if they had an excuse...and a team that can't sell out its games...is a prime moving possibility.
I hate it as much as anyone...but let's face facts...we don't support the team, we lose them

[G. Host]

The Bills/Miami game will not be sold out. You think the fans are finally fed up with crap they put out on the field at the Ralph??? I, for one, am glad this is happenning. It's pathetic the Bills sold out so many home games and the Bills **** the bed in every one of them. Let this be a message to Ralph that Bills fans are fed up, and we'll take our business elsewhere (Sabres) if they don't put a competitive team on that field.

Really? The demolishing of the Patriots 31-0 at home was crapping the bed? Yeah seasons have not been great but you exagrate extremely. I think you would be happier wearing a different teams jersey every year. Better attach player name and number via velcro as well.

[Meathead]

i have no problem with people deciding to spend their entertainment dollars elsewhere. its a choice and if they only want to pay to see a winner thats up to them

personally i see value in going to the games even when the team blows chunks. plus theres also the longer term perspective of wanting to keep the team here as a quality of life issue. so i go to at least two and usually more every year regardless. so you decide whats important to you and spend money accordingly - even if its five bucks on a scalper and ten bucks for two beers inside like me

as far as the product goes i personally think ralph has been good owner the last twenty years and has been doing his best to put a good product on the field

the entire donahoe era should be viewed as one of his strongest moves yet to try to get back to elite status because at the time donahoe was the hottest gm available. then he went farther than i ever thought he would and gave donahoe more power than anyone in the history of the franchise as president of the entire operation

thats actually a terrific move at the time it was made. the fact that it didnt work out doesnt negate the boldness and mastery of the move one iota. it sucks that donawhore imploded but hey ralph gave it his best shot

then he hired a hall of fame ivy leaguer to become the next gm. i realize the jury is still out on the marv but i think it was a terrific move and have a lot of confidence he will get the team on track. thats a big :posrep: for ralph imo

last but not least, he deftly maneuvered the entire collective bargaining agreement scenario to his and the citys advantage. we now have the bills on the key committee for defining those revenue sharing rules going forward and very high ranking politicians lobbying on our behalf. :rockout: ralphie baby

i know one thing, if the bills ever leave im probably one foot out the door myself. the bills are such a cultural institution here it would change the city and my experience of it. but being entertainment it also has a commercial aspect to it that cant be ignored

i just think its a reality now that if you want to keep a team you have to keep the stadium full or close to it. and seeing ralph give it his best shot im willing to keep supporting the team with my choices regardless of record

as much as i hate it if the blackouts keep the team here by driving people to the stadium then so be it. its better than the alternative

ugh get me some soap

[LtFinFan66]

:movie:

[gr8slayer]

Wow. Bills fans are always bragging about how we have the best fans in the league, now people are wanting to give up because the team is in a slump just like every other team in the league goes through every 3,4,5,6 years.

You all make me sick.

[BAM]

Wow. Bills fans are always bragging about how we have the best fans in the league, now people are wanting to give up because the team is in a slump just like every other team in the league goes through every 3,4,5,6 years.

You all make me sick.

Same here. If I lived up there, I'd have seasons no doubt.

Actually... I live about 7 hours away, but as soon as I can afford to do it (both time and money), I'll have seasons from down here. Fairweather is a word that escapes me.

[raphael120]

Really? The demolishing of the Patriots 31-0 at home was crapping the bed? Yeah seasons have not been great but you exagrate extremely. I think you would be happier wearing a different teams jersey every year. Better attach player name and number via velcro as well.

no but putting up only 7 points that the DEFENSE SCORED two games after that one versus the Dolphins WAS crapping the bed. and it was downhill after that. every blind squirrle finds a nut. and just because im a fan doesnt mean i have to like the direction the team is going. for ****s sake, dont try to paint me as not being a fan. ive never once jumped off the bills fan base, and i wont. so dont you dare tell me to find another team, you can find someone else to patronize.

[raphael120]

dont point the finger at me, point them at the 7,000 people that arent sitting in those seats that are usually full. ive gone to the bar every week to watch them play, ive bought the jerseys, the merchandise. doesnt mean a fan HAS to show up to go see the bills every single home game. but what does it tell you that we now have black outs. this whole thread was started to ask, gee, i wonder why that is. and you all jump down my throat. face the facts, somethings changed and thousands of people are NOT going to see the bills play. discuss that fact, and don't blame me for "not being a fan" or "jumping bandwagons"

[Novacane]

Just blow it off Raph. To many on this board love to throw around that "you're not a real fan" crap if you don't see things the way they do. It used to piss me off to but now I don't give a crap. I know I'm a "real fan" and thats all that matters to me.

[raphael120]

its like politics...just because ur a republican doesnt mean u dont think bush is an idiot.

[Typ0]

TD was fired after proving that Cowher was behind Pissburgh's success, not TD...and also after trying to make rules that Wilson was against (no derogatory signs, for example)


I wouldn't discredit TD so quickly. I know he's got a bad name around here but he gutted the team and brought in some players. It looks like the TD regime was very close but couldn't get it done in the end. I wonder what we would be saying about them had Mike Williams turned into a great LT and we didn't get steamrolled in that Pit game that would have been a playoff berth.

[SABURZFAN]

you know, ANYONE who has gone through the past 7 disgusting seasons as a Bills fan, is a true fan. and i'm one of those, i've been a Bills fan all my life, so don't you tell me I'm giving up on them.



that's an easy way out for his argument.and he has the nerve to call other people illiterate. :rolleyes:

[SABURZFAN]

Wow. Bills fans are always bragging about how we have the best fans in the league, now people are wanting to give up because the team is in a slump just like every other team in the league goes through every 3,4,5,6 years.

You all make me sick.



i don't see anybody in here saying that they're going to root for another team.

[gr8slayer]

i don't see anybody in here saying that they're going to root for another team.
Some of you might as well as much as you all bash our team.

[SABURZFAN]

Some of you might as well as much as you all bash our team.


people are entitled to their opinions about their teams.some of us aren't a bunch of sheep like others.

[PECKERWOOD]

Lets all be perfectly honest here. If we don't start winning some football games, we will end up like the Detroit Lions, in the sense that our stadium will be a ghost town. It really makes no sense to put money into a product that isn't living up to your expectations. I'm one of those fans that will support my team no matter what, but its just disgusting and disheartening to see my team lose each week. At the end of the day, its just a football game and it won't bother me, but still, I could be much more excited and pleased when watching our Bills play. I personally think the Buffalo Bills need to try to appeal to a larger market, to help make up for our lack of economy. Perhaps the best way to do this, is by winning football games.

[jamze132]

We should be thankful that we still have a team, considering the economy. And it would be a travesty for the Buffalo Bills to be a thing of the past. If I lived in Buffalo, I would be at every game rain, snow, or sunshine; winning seasons, losing seasons, it doesn't matter to me. Some people say it't just a game and they could care less if the team moves, but I would bet you would be the first to sign a petition to get a team back in Buffalo in 10-15 years. Well **** that! The Bills need to stay in Buffalo. And there isn't really a valid excuse why the stadium shouldn't be sold out each Sunday.

I think a lot of people take for granted having an NFL team in their city. Let's hope that people who actually live near Buffalo don't forget that.

[Historian]

its like politics...just because ur a republican doesnt mean u dont think bush is an idiot.

I don't know...can I get a judge's ruling on this one?

:D

[scott51]

The Bills/Miami game will not be sold out. You think the fans are finally fed up with crap they put out on the field at the Ralph??? I, for one, am glad this is happenning. It's pathetic the Bills sold out so many home games and the Bills **** the bed in every one of them. Let this be a message to Ralph that Bills fans are fed up, and we'll take our business elsewhere (Sabres) if they don't put a competitive team on that field.

I am starting a new job and if I have Sundays off you better believe I will be at the Bills vs Dolphins game!