Bills new stadium talk not dying down

[DetDannyWilliams]

WGRZ Adam Benigni reported on the 6 o'clock news that Bills new stadium talk isn't dying down, with Rams moving back to the City of Angels and NFL.com reporting that the Chargers examining the framework of stadium deal. Vic Carruci is telling me "that talk about a new Bills stadium is not dying down instead it's heating up and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is the biggest voice in the Bills needing a new stadium. Jones was in attendance at Ralph Wilson Stadium when the Bills beat his Cowboys" the Pegula's have reiterated again that a new stadium will be built.

[YardRat]

It should be heating up. And, **** Jerry Jones.

[Mace]

Give them time to build on the success and goodwill of the Ryan era.

[Mr. Pink]

Yes, and in the meanwhile still do worthless improvements to the Ralph anyway.

[OpIv37]

How exactly is this news? Everyone who pays attention knows l the last lease was just to buy time for a new stadium to be arranged. I love the Ralph and I have a lot of great memories there, and I wish it would be there forever. But times have changed and it's simply not viable anymore.

[BillsImpossible]

The Bills lease agreement with Erie County requires the team to remain in Orchard Park until 2020. The Bills then have the option of buying out the final 3 years of the lease for $28 million.

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/bills-staying-put-buffalo-agreeing-new-lease-article-1.1225591

If a new stadium is going to be built, the Spring of 2020 is only about 4 years away.

4 years is not a long time. It takes about 2 years to build the stadium alone.

If the Bills are going to build a new stadium in downtown Buffalo, the first signs of it may come this Spring.

Major road infrastructure projects need to start very soon.

Unfortunately, I don't see any signs of that happening in the near future.

Before the Bills build a new stadium downtown, Buffalo needs at least half a billion dollars worth of new roads and bridges in order to make the city functional to host an NFL game.

If if weren't for nut jobs worried about birds, Buffalo would have a new Peace Bridge by now, and that would alleviate at least half of the problem.

Having a big new beautiful bridge that helps transfer more goods and people to Buffalo from Canada would have literally paid for itself.

The failure to build a new Peace Bridge is a huge factor that many will overlook.

A new stadium will be built, but it's not happening in downtown Buffalo.

I'm super optimistic (as most of you know by now ;-) but there are far too many obstacles in the way for Terry and Kim Pegula to overcome when it comes to building a new stadium in the city, and word has it that they view the Bills tailgate culture as a very valuable asset and don't want to risk losing it for the sake of building a giant new square stadium in the middle of a small triangle.

[OpIv37]

You clearly don't get it.

The lease is designed so that the Bills can walk in 2020 if a new stadium isnt underway. If the team and the state/county can work out a deal where the team gets new digs sooner, obviously both sides would agree to void the deal. But the lease was designed to put pressure on the state/county to get a new stadium done. The governments only went along with it because they realized the stadium has aged out and they don't want to lose the team.

[BLeonard]

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is the biggest voice in the Bills needing a new stadium.

This is what bothers me the most... Jerry needs to start worrying about his own team more than other owners' teams.

That whole Rams/Chargers in Inglewood was his idea as well... Why? Because, from what I understand, his concession company, Legends, will be used at the new stadium.

My guess is, any new stadium built he's gonna try to cash in on in that fashion.

-Bill

[BillsImpossible]

You clearly don't get it.

The lease is designed so that the Bills can walk in 2020 if a new stadium isnt underway. If the team and the state/county can work out a deal where the team gets new digs sooner, obviously both sides would agree to void the deal. But the lease was designed to put pressure on the state/county to get a new stadium done. The governments only went along with it because they realized the stadium has aged out and they don't want to lose the team.

I would never presume or assume that both sides would agree to void the deal.

I would presume and assume that Erie County is going to enforce the contract.

If new digs were on the horizon, we would have heard about the shovels in the dirt by now.

Major road construction in the middle of a city takes years to complete.

[BLeonard]

Also, for those who don't know, the lease has a "New Stadium Advisory Group and Fund" in it. In short: http://www2.erie.gov/exec/index.php?q=buffalo-bills-lease-terms-summary



New Stadium Advisory Group will be formed to explore potential for construction of new stadium at current site or at new site within Erie County. Beginning in 6th lease year, up to one half of the capital improvement fund can be used to conduct studies related to a new stadium location, design and development. Approximately $2,216,000 will be available in 2018, with a total of $11,796,000 at the end of the lease term.


So, there is a plan to build a new stadium built right into the current lease.

-Bill

[OpIv37]

I would never presume or assume that both sides would agree to void the deal.

I would presume and assume that Erie County is going to enforce the contract.

If new digs were on the horizon, we would have heard about the shovels in the dirt by now.

Major road construction in the middle of a city takes years to complete.

$28 million to Pegula is like $500 to the rest of us. Not chump change but not the end of the world. County has no leverage.

[BLeonard]

If a new stadium is going to be built, the Spring of 2020 is only about 4 years away.

4 years is not a long time. It takes about 2 years to build the stadium alone.

If the Bills are going to build a new stadium in downtown Buffalo, the first signs of it may come this Spring.

I think you're looking at it a bit differently than the Bills are... Let me explain:

The lease, as you said, has an out clause in 2020. After that, it extends to 2023. That three year window is when you should start to hear talk on a new stadium, or possibly an advanced retrofit to RWS.

I'm guessing that the out clause was put in there in the event that they got something going and could be done before 2020. In that case, they would move ahead with the plan and trigger the clause to move into their new place in 2020, as opposed to waiting until 2023.

As it stands (and is perfectly normal) chances are little will happen between now and 2020. As Pegula said, they just spent money to upgrade the Ralph, kinda silly to talk about a new stadium already, especially with 8 NFL seasons left on the current lease (2016-2023).

You'll notice that "the biggest voice" screaming about a new stadium is Jerry Jones, not Terry or Kim Pegula. Jerry can yak all he wants. Goodell can yak all he wants. It doesn't really matter... Terry and Kim are the ones that own the team, not Jerry or Goodell.

You'll also notice that, after Jerry got his way about the Rams/Inglewood thing, nobody seems too awful concerned about the Chargers or Raiders, who's stadiums are in far worse shape than the Bills or Rams are. Sure, the Chargers got a ticket to LA if they wanna use it, but there's a very real chance that, after all of this bull, the two teams that needed stadiums the most (Chargers and Raiders) will be playing in the exact same stadiums they did this past season.

In short, Jerry got his "Jerryworld West" in Inglewood with Kroenke funding it. He knows Pegula's a pretty rich dude, too, so now he's pushing for "Jerryworld East" in Western New York. **** him... Pegula will do what he wants with his team, regarding the stadium issue.

-Bill

[HHURRICANE]

St. Louis Bills

[SpikedLemonade]

St. Louis Bills

That won't happen.

[trapezeus]

LA gets crap for losing two teams, but now STL has too, and they are a small market.

[DraftBoy]

I would imagine a big announcement around this time next year about a stadium. Especially if the Bills don't make the playoffs. It's a good way to distract the fan base from another year of failure.

[more cowbell]

Outside of Oakland and San Diego...the Ralph is the worst stadium in the league.

Place is an absolute cesspool of filth...and the morons who go and light themselves on fire, break tables, rail each other in the parking lot, and fall face first into the front of a bus is completely embarrassing for our city. Hopefully when a new stadium is built, it's downtown so these degenerates can't afford a ticket, and/or have no abandoned fields to drink in starting at 5 am.

[gebobs]

St. Louis Bills

That won't happen.
Unless they start winning, they can pack up and go for all I care. They don't deserve a new stadium. Quite frankly, many of the fans don't either. You don't put drapes up in the sty.

[more cowbell]

I would imagine a big announcement around this time next year about a stadium. Especially if the Bills don't make the playoffs. It's a good way to distract the fan base from another year of failure.

Exactly what I have been thinking...

[trapezeus]

if they build a stadium to mask their losing, that will be the dumbest reason to keep any of the marketing executives. instead of just investing money in a sound structure with good personell, they'll have gone and spent $100-300MM of the owners money and still be no closer to having a team that can be considered serious contenders for a title. combining 16 years of failure, that should be the thing that gets russ the boot. Except for draftboy. he thinks russ is "doing a heck of a job"

[DesertFox24]

You clearly don't get it.

The lease is designed so that the Bills can walk in 2020 if a new stadium isnt underway. If the team and the state/county can work out a deal where the team gets new digs sooner, obviously both sides would agree to void the deal. But the lease was designed to put pressure on the state/county to get a new stadium done. The governments only went along with it because they realized the stadium has aged out and they don't want to lose the team.

This is the point and I agree with OpIv, the bills could still move unless they get a new stadium. Pegula would sell sabres if he had to.

[HAMMER]

Outside of Oakland and San Diego...the Ralph is the worst stadium in the league.

Place is an absolute cesspool of filth...and the morons who go and light themselves on fire, break tables, rail each other in the parking lot, and fall face first into the front of a bus is completely embarrassing for our city. Hopefully when a new stadium is built, it's downtown so these degenerates can't afford a ticket, and/or have no abandoned fields to drink in starting at 5 am.

Cesspool of Filth? Not that I have seen, it's not luxurious but it's not filthy.

If Pegula is going to spend a billion or more on a new stadium you can bet it will be covered so it can be multi-use. IMO that sucks, I want the cold, wind, rain, and occasionally the sun. Too many panty waists running around crying about needing luxury at a football game, why?

[Thurmal]

RWS is totally fine, but Roger Goodell and owners like Jerry Jones are shady, money-hungry ****bags, and that rules above all else in today's NFL. That whole LA sweepstakes was disgraceful.

[ckg927]

RWS is totally fine, but Roger Goodell and owners like Jerry Jones are shady, money-hungry ****bags, and that rules above all else in today's NFL. That whole LA sweepstakes was disgraceful.

Goodell et al are going to realize very quickly that if you're not a winner in L.A., you'll be a non-factor. And the Rams will find that out in a hurry.

[BertSquirtgum]

Yes, and in the meanwhile still do worthless improvements to the Ralph anyway.

Cleveland don't care.

[YardRat]

There is absolutely nothing wrong with The Ralph, and what goes on in the parking lots has nothing to do with the Stadium itself. It doesn't have a lot of shiny new bling...who gives a ****.

But, go ahead and build a shiny new stadium with no parking and exorbitant ticket prices so corporations can pass off the tickets to people who most likely could care less about the game and just go for 'the experience', and it's free to them. The league has been more about the money than it has about the fans and the actual game itself for years, might as well assimilate all 32 teams into the hive. It's not like this team is ever going to be allowed to win again until they get a real marquee player (*cough*QB*cough*) that all of the owners can profit from anyway.

**** the NFL.

I bailed on the NBA when the Braves were yanked out from under us.
Never was a real fan of MLB, although I would have hopped on board probably if Rich had secured a team.
I can bail from the Sabres when they are tanking.

I never thought I could be alienated from the Bills, red and blue blood has been coursing through my veins for far too long, but I feel like I'm getting damn close.