...in order to keep the team, half of the home games were played in Toronto?
4 in Buffalo
4 in Toronto
I honestly believe this is where we're headed. They wont take the whole team to Toronto, but I can see it being an even split in 4-6 years.
Would you remain a Bills fan?
Last edited by Michael82; 02-07-2008 at 04:12 AM.
If we remained the "Buffalo Bills."
yupOriginally Posted by gr8slayer
My initial reaction is no, but I would probably still be, however to a much lower degree. Also if we won the superbowl it just wouldn't be the same. I probably wouldn't get tickets and only casually watch them, instead of being the complete fanatic I am now.
I would still do everything I do now, I would actually consider ourselves lucky if that is the worst that happens to us.
You wouldn't understand man. Its different for locals.
Well you would still get four games a year and four other games would be an hour or two away. That's a lot better than all the games being an hour or two away logically.
Ralph is always saying the "shrinking economy" blah blah blah. He says the Bills can't compete. If it is so dire, why in the world is the stadium still called Ralph Wilson Stadium? I'm sure there is a big sponsor out there willing to put up some $$$.
I am in the middle of Steeler and Bills country, but I could never imagine rooting for the Squeelers. I would 100% sure I would stay a fan, because I'm a fan of the players on the team, and not just the team.
The team is making a lot of money.
Surely this is a rhetorical question. If not the answer is that he's a greedy bastard.
Not as much as the rest of the NFL, that's the problem. If everything was peaches and cream there wouldn't be talk of moving the team.
I would if it would to remain 50/50, but that just won't happen.
If they're making money hand over fist and not having any difficulty selling out the place via season tickets like many of the other larger organizations in the NFL in Toronto, you can bet your 401K that the new owner will permanently relocate the team there.
$250/ticket? If that flies bye bye Buffalo. All this crying over the CFL up there is laughable.
Why wouldn't a new owner move the team entirely under such circumstances? Wouldn't you after you remove your sentimental affinity for Buffalo from the mix, which would happen since it would be entirely a business decision. Why on earth would you even tinker with losing money, even on "half" your games down here? And what, we're gonna keep all the premier games and hand the meaningless end of season ones to Toronto? I also don't think that's gonna fly.
The NFL allowing this is the first step towards placing a team outside the U.S. and Toronto is that market and would embrace the Bills w/o question. It's the financial center of Canada much like NYC is for the U.S. and there's far more money up there than in WNY, even with assistance from Southern Ontario across the river.
Wrong again! The Bills are consistently in the top half (if not top third) of the league in net operating income. I posted this about 10 times and naturally all of the "Bills are in a shrinking economy and Ralph isn't cheap, he's poor" people totally ignored it.
Jon
You are correct. I mean, read between the lines people!
Step 1: New Collective Bargaining agreement was signed. Ralph was one of the few who voted against it.
Step 2: Ralph whined to the government and NFL about how he has it so tough, and the "future" of the Bills in WNY was uncertain.
Step 3: Ralph is seen meeting with Roger Goodell.
Step 4: Roger Goodell is promoting international play, including overseas, but talking an awful lot about how Canada could be a possibility for the NFL.
Step 5: Bills are starting to play games in Toronto.
Step 6 (hasn't happened yet): If Toronto reception is strong, Bills permanently move to Toronto within next 5-7 years, or whenever Ralph passes, whichever happens first.
It's my belief that this is already a done deal, we just don't know about it yet. When it happens, you can thank Roger Goodell.
Jon
Me too.
And as a remote season ticket holder, it would cut my 12-hour drives each way, in half.
Should have known, way back in 1960 when we drafted Richie Lucas Number 1, that this would be a long, hard ride. But who could have known it would be THIS bad?
I'd be sort of crushed but I visit family in Toronto on a yearly basis so I'll still have affiliation with the city.
Again I wish they would just get this **** over with. I can't handle it anymore.
Siding with me Mudflap! A sure way to pariah-dom. LOL
I'd be interested in your source for operating income as well. BTW, do they define "operating income" as merely one facet of total net income? Sometimes things aren't broken down quite logically or "ready for media consumption" as it were. LOL
I've always thought that the overall net revenue on a per team basis, that the Bills ranked among the lower end teams, not true?
Either way, TV market drives it all, and there is no question that the Toronto market would be huge. We also have to factor in that as the first Canadian team in the NFL, and perhaps the only one down the road, that all of Canada now embraces that team too thereby increasing that market. The only analogy that can think of because the U.S. always does its own thing, is that if the U.S. placed a NY team in the British Premier League for soccer or the like.
As well, I don't think Wilson makes it 5-7. I think we're looking 2-4.
The writing's on the wall Thurm.
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