My scencario on why a Bills Home game in Toronto works...and MUST be done!

[Ebenezer]

I haven't been around much so I don't know if this has been discussed but as I told Clump at the game Sunday there is perfect reason for the Bills to have a "home game" in Toronto....potential luxury boxes.

The "new revenue" stream really shouldn't be about fans buying tickets. The stadium is full and those monies get split in the big league wide revenue pot. What this teams needs is to build more luxury boxes in which the Bills derive all the money.

The luxury boxes at the new Jets/Giants stadium will have a $1mil per year price tag on them. The boxes at the Ralph cost $95,000 a year. That is an incredible difference that will make it hard for the Bills to compete.

Solution? Build more boxes and increase the prices. This could easily be done. All you need to do is put another row or two of boxes near the scoreboard and put some more over at the tunnel end of the stadium. The next question is who do you get to buy those boxes? And that is where Toronto comes into play. There are more companies there than in the whole WNY area combined. Give them game in Toronto so that these companies can schmooze clients or reward employees and entice them to buy the new boxes here at RWS.

Seems like an interesting trade-off to me to help keep the Bills competitive and here in Buffalo.

Thoughts?

[M]

Re: My scencario on why a Bills Home game in Toronto works...and MUST be done!

I like it! Businesses are always trying to schmooze potential clients and kiss up to existing clients. I know law firms in CT have seasons to New England and firms in Tampa have seasons to Miami. That's how I'm getting to the game in Miami on November 11th!

[Meathead]

Re: My scencario on why a Bills Home game in Toronto works...and MUST be done!

those numbers in ny are just shocking. never thot theyd be that high

hell i dont see how the bills stay in wny any more. its entertainment and the dollar will win out in the long run. i hate it but thats just life in the real capitalistic world

i guess your logic is correct that the ONLY way they can dream to compete with the nys of the world is to lure torontos big dollars but frankly i dont see it being enough. thats just too big a gap

hope im wrong

[Ebenezer]

Re: My scencario on why a Bills Home game in Toronto works...and MUST be done!

those numbers in ny are just shocking. never thot theyd be that high

hell i dont see how the bills stay in wny any more. its entertainment and the dollar will win out in the long run. i hate it but thats just life in the real capitalistic world

i guess your logic is correct that the ONLY way they can dream to compete with the nys of the world is to lure torontos big dollars but frankly i dont see it being enough. thats just too big a gap

hope im wrong

btw...that is $1mil/team...you don't get the box for both teams unless you pay twice.

[G. Host]

Re: My scencario on why a Bills Home game in Toronto works...and MUST be done!

The key is getting the governments to finish what they claimed they were going to do - Fast Pass for the airports so more Canadians can fly to Buffalo and the new bridge so more can drive to Buffalo.

If Rochester had not messed up on the ferry I could see the ferry going to an express bus to the game.

[Mitchy moo]

Re: My scencario on why a Bills Home game in Toronto works...and MUST be done!

If they bring more events to the stadium and let the companies use the boxes during them they can sell them as a big package as well. Have some big concerts there and all kinds of stuff and load the boxes with our newly on par / cash happy neighbors.

[YardRat]

Re: My scencario on why a Bills Home game in Toronto works...and MUST be done!

I'm all for it. Bring the regional bucks in, keep the team local. Wilson and his management team should be a given some credit for being creative relative to the market they're dealing with.

[Turf]

Re: My scencario on why a Bills Home game in Toronto works...and MUST be done!

Let's be serious and wake up gentlemen.

Toronto gets a couple regular season games.

Ralph passes.

No one is WNY ponies up the bucks to buy the team.

Gee, they're already playing in Toronto.....

[Johnny Bugmenot]

Re: My scencario on why a Bills Home game in Toronto works...and MUST be done!

Well, did the Packers ever suffer when they started playing a game or two per season in Milwaukee? No.

We have little to fear of one Toronto game.

[Forward_Lateral]

Re: My scencario on why a Bills Home game in Toronto works...and MUST be done!

The key is getting the governments to finish what they claimed they were going to do - Fast Pass for the airports so more Canadians can fly to Buffalo and the new bridge so more can drive to Buffalo.

If Rochester had not messed up on the ferry I could see the ferry going to an express bus to the game.

I agree 100%. The fact that a Canadian/American will soon need a passport to cross into each other's country is ridiculous.

[MikeInRoch]

Re: My scencario on why a Bills Home game in Toronto works...and MUST be done!

You make it sound like the move isn't inevitable. Toronto would be, by far, the lesser of evils.

[netsan]

Re: My scencario on why a Bills Home game in Toronto works...and MUST be done!

Since the Bills will be sold one day, the new owners should build a new retractable dome stadium in Niagara Falls NY. It will keep the core fans and make it easier to bring in new fans from Canada. No one should have any problems getting to the game from either side of the border. From this location there should be no problem with selling corporate boxes since there is plenty of other things to do before and after the game....

[OpIv37]

Re: My scencario on why a Bills Home game in Toronto works...and MUST be done!

Great thought- until the Toronto businessmen go "this is great- let's buy the team so we don't have to travel to Buffalo 7 times a year!"

[Wys Guy]

Re: My scencario on why a Bills Home game in Toronto works...and MUST be done!

I haven't been around much so I don't know if this has been discussed but as I told Clump at the game Sunday there is perfect reason for the Bills to have a "home game" in Toronto....potential luxury boxes.

The "new revenue" stream really shouldn't be about fans buying tickets. The stadium is full and those monies get split in the big league wide revenue pot. What this teams needs is to build more luxury boxes in which the Bills derive all the money.

The luxury boxes at the new Jets/Giants stadium will have a $1mil per year price tag on them. The boxes at the Ralph cost $95,000 a year. That is an incredible difference that will make it hard for the Bills to compete.

Solution? Build more boxes and increase the prices. This could easily be done. All you need to do is put another row or two of boxes near the scoreboard and put some more over at the tunnel end of the stadium. The next question is who do you get to buy those boxes? And that is where Toronto comes into play. There are more companies there than in the whole WNY area combined. Give them game in Toronto so that these companies can schmooze clients or reward employees and entice them to buy the new boxes here at RWS.

Seems like an interesting trade-off to me to help keep the Bills competitive and here in Buffalo.

Thoughts?

Why aren't they buying them now? They're certainly available and the last statement the team made is that they didn't even sell them out for this year. So unless something's changed.

IMO a game or two in Toronto isn't going to sell more "boxes" here. It's only going to increase the demand for them up there. In fact I can see them pre-selling them there. All of them, and quickly.

Also, how would a game or two, or three even, play for "box" purchasers here? I know that if I lived in the region I wouldn't want to have to drive to Toronto for a RS game or two every year. What happens the first time that they get the "best" game?

I see problems. As one door closes another opens. The bottom line is that we're reaching out to Toronto to save us, and since they can have the whole shebang, why wouldn't they want it eventually?

[Wys Guy]

Re: My scencario on why a Bills Home game in Toronto works...and MUST be done!

The key is getting the governments to finish what they claimed they were going to do - Fast Pass for the airports so more Canadians can fly to Buffalo and the new bridge so more can drive to Buffalo.

If Rochester had not messed up on the ferry I could see the ferry going to an express bus to the game.

You're joking, right Glen?

First of all, the City of Rochester messes everything up. Every time I go back up there I cannot believe how much of a Sh&%hole the city itself has become since I moved away in '93, not even 15 years ago.

Second of all, even a ferry to Niagara Falls would take several hours longer than merely driving to Buffalo. A ferry saves what, a 45 minute drive to I-190? It's not far from Toronto to NF. The Ferry wouldn't land in Lockport or down on Lake Erie. From Rochester it would take 6 hours including Customs, loading, unloading, driving to OP.

Waiting for the government to do anything is shameful anyway. The government is the reason why this team is leaving the region. NY State liberal politics are chasing everyone out. Businesses too, businesses that would otherwise buy boxes.