Pegula on new Bills stadium "it's nothing urgent right now"

[trapezeus]

buffalo needs to get over this idea that tailgating is the end-all be-all to the game day experience.

Having lots where you can have tailgates and have others be able to walk to 716 or another restaurant will put more people in the area gameday. even if you don't have tickets, more people can be in the area. a huge december game with everyone downtown celebrating a win would be awesome.

think of the sabres, if they can get to a cup again, you have the stadium full, you have 716 full, you have the viewing in the square full. they win the cup at home, it's going to be amazing.

Maybe a new event is that buffalonians fill downtown because there is space and and proximity to the stadium. it makes for an environment. and maybe some people still tailgate.

it can still be an amazing experience if the stadium location is downtown.

[OpIv37]

You can get to the Ralph in about a half hour from anywhere in the Buffalo area.

That is not the middle of nowhere.

It takes HOURS, not an hour, but HOURS to get to the Stadium in Foxboro from Boston.

That is what the middle of nowhere is, a place FAR REMOVED, not a place 15 min to 1/2 an hour away.

To me, the "middle of nowhere" means there is nothing else around it that will attract people, not how long it takes to drive there.

[OpIv37]

buffalo needs to get over this idea that tailgating is the end-all be-all to the game day experience.

Having lots where you can have tailgates and have others be able to walk to 716 or another restaurant will put more people in the area gameday. even if you don't have tickets, more people can be in the area. a huge december game with everyone downtown celebrating a win would be awesome.

think of the sabres, if they can get to a cup again, you have the stadium full, you have 716 full, you have the viewing in the square full. they win the cup at home, it's going to be amazing.

Maybe a new event is that buffalonians fill downtown because there is space and and proximity to the stadium. it makes for an environment. and maybe some people still tailgate.

it can still be an amazing experience if the stadium location is downtown.

I don't disagree with this, but I honestly feel that tailgating and cheap tickets are what saved the team. It's what kept people coming out through a stretch of atrocious football from which we have yet to recover.

Obviously Pegula is committed and there is very little chance of the team leaving as long as he is the owner, but he may not always be the owner. If the team goes through another 15 year stretch like the current one, no one will be paying for tickets or parking at an expensive downtown venue.

[better days]

To me, the "middle of nowhere" means there is nothing else around it that will attract people, not how long it takes to drive there.

Well it is obvious you have never had to drive far to get to a Stadium.

I have gone to Foxboro from Boston a few times, a LONG BORING ride.

[OpIv37]

Well it is obvious you have never had to drive far to get to a Stadium.

I have gone to Foxboro from Boston a few times, a LONG BORING ride.

Uhh, I grew up in Webster, which is the east side of Rochester. We only went to a game a year or so, but that's a long drive. You need to quit making so many assumptions.

But once again we are off topic. The Ralph is in the middle of nowhere in the sense that there is nothing else to do around it on game day.

[better days]

buffalo needs to get over this idea that tailgating is the end-all be-all to the game day experience.

Having lots where you can have tailgates and have others be able to walk to 716 or another restaurant will put more people in the area gameday. even if you don't have tickets, more people can be in the area. a huge december game with everyone downtown celebrating a win would be awesome.

think of the sabres, if they can get to a cup again, you have the stadium full, you have 716 full, you have the viewing in the square full. they win the cup at home, it's going to be amazing.

Maybe a new event is that buffalonians fill downtown because there is space and and proximity to the stadium. it makes for an environment. and maybe some people still tailgate.

it can still be an amazing experience if the stadium location is downtown.

Why should Bills fans have to get over tailgating as part of the game day experience?

Go on a Chiefs board & tell Chiefs fans they should get over tailgating.

Or a Packers board & tell Packers fans they should get over tailgating.

Or a Broncos board & tell them they should get over tailgating.

[MillsapsBillsFan]

For NFL stadiums, at least on the east coast, Baltimore seems to be the exception.

The titans stadium is within easy walking distance of downtown, Cincinnati has there's right by the baseball stadium near downtown.

But there are plenty that are not, Miami's isn't that close to the city, Tampa Bay's is by the airport but not the city.

There are benefits and drawbacks to either system

[better days]

Uhh, I grew up in Webster, which is the east side of Rochester. We only went to a game a year or so, but that's a long drive. You need to quit making so many assumptions.

But once again we are off topic. The Ralph is in the middle of nowhere in the sense that there is nothing else to do around it on game day.

The drive from Webster to Buffalo is NOTHING.

Go to Boston sometime, spend a night or two, then go to Foxboro on a game day & you will know what the middle of nowhere means.

[OpIv37]

The drive from Webster to Buffalo is NOTHING.

Go to Boston sometime, spend a night or two, then go to Foxboro on a game day & you will know what the middle of nowhere means.

And once again, that's not the point. The point is about other things to do on game day.

[better days]

And once again, that's not the point. The point is about other things to do on game day.

Like what other things would you do?

Go to a restaurant & get something to eat?

Good luck doing that & getting back to the Stadium & to your seat before the game starts even if the walk is only 5 or 10 minutes.

The middle of nowhere means just that.

[better days]

The titans stadium is within easy walking distance of downtown, Cincinnati has there's right by the baseball stadium near downtown.

But there are plenty that are not, Miami's isn't that close to the city, Tampa Bay's is by the airport but not the city.

There are benefits and drawbacks to either system

I don't care how close anything is to a football Stadium with 60,000 plus people attending a game.

There is simply not the time to go anywhere, get served, eat, pay your bill, get back to the Stadium, get admitted into the Stadium & into your seat before the game starts.

[better days]

I don't care how close anything is to a football Stadium with 60,000 plus people attending a game.

There is simply not the time to go anywhere, get served, eat, pay your bill, get back to the Stadium, get admitted into the Stadium & into your seat before the game starts.

And I remember a Seinfeld episode from the conversation.

Jerry & the gang wanted to go to a Restaurant & get something to eat before going to a movie.

They never made it to the movie because of the time it takes to go out & get something to eat in a restaurant.

[chernobylwraiths]

You can get to the Ralph in about a half hour from anywhere in the Buffalo area.

That is not the middle of nowhere.

It takes HOURS, not an hour, but HOURS to get to the Stadium in Foxboro from Boston.

That is what the middle of nowhere is, a place FAR REMOVED, not a place 15 min to 1/2 an hour away.

You can get to either Candada or Pennsylvania from Buffalo in an hour to hour and a half. Time means nothing in an area like Buffalo compared to a metropolis like Boston, NYC or DC where it might take a half hour to get a couple miles.

[EricStratton]

You can get to either Candada or Pennsylvania from Buffalo in an hour to hour and a half. Time means nothing in an area like Buffalo compared to a metropolis like Boston, NYC or DC where it might take a half hour to get a couple miles.

I'm 15 miles from Met Life and it's easily 90 minutes from my door to the stadium on game day unless I leave before 9:30 for a 1:00 game.

And the stadium is 8 miles from Manhattan and a thousand miles from a place to eat on the day of a game.

[SpikedLemonade]

buffalo needs to get over this idea that tailgating is the end-all be-all to the game day experience.

Having lots where you can have tailgates and have others be able to walk to 716 or another restaurant will put more people in the area gameday. even if you don't have tickets, more people can be in the area. a huge december game with everyone downtown celebrating a win would be awesome.

think of the sabres, if they can get to a cup again, you have the stadium full, you have 716 full, you have the viewing in the square full. they win the cup at home, it's going to be amazing.

Maybe a new event is that buffalonians fill downtown because there is space and and proximity to the stadium. it makes for an environment. and maybe some people still tailgate.

it can still be an amazing experience if the stadium location is downtown.

Tailgating defines the culture of Buffalo. It is more important than the game for many. The fact that you are eating and drinking your own cheap food and booze rather than the stadiums or restaurants much more expensive food and booze is what most find appealing. If attendees are forced to pay at least their ticket amount on food and drink, it will be beyond the capacity of the regions current average incomes.

I agree completely with you that the Buffalo fan experience needs to evolve and move in step with other NFL teams. A downtown stadium will force that change.

[Night Train]

Build the next stadium right across Abbott in that parking lot. Level the old one for parking.

It's so freakin' easy to get there and the tailgating is fantastic. Just don't get *****tfaced and all is good.

Pegula bought both teams and spends $$. He's AOK if he wishes to wait on a new stadium.

[swiper]

Build the next stadium right across Abbott in that parking lot. Level the old one for parking.

It's so freakin' easy to get there and the tailgating is fantastic. Just don't get *****tfaced and all is good.

Pegula bought both teams and spends $$. He's AOK if he wishes to wait on a new stadium.

The problem is that too many fans use the tailgating experience to do just that. How do you propose stopping that?

[better days]

Tailgating defines the culture of Buffalo. It is more important than the game for many. The fact that you are eating and drinking your own cheap food and booze rather than the stadiums or restaurants much more expensive food and booze is what most find appealing. If attendees are forced to pay at least their ticket amount on food and drink, it will be beyond the capacity of the regions current average incomes.

I agree completely with you that the Buffalo fan experience needs to evolve and move in step with other NFL teams. A downtown stadium will force that change.

The Canadians enjoy the tailgate as much if not more than Americans do.

And IMO, the tailgate is all about the GOOD time with fellow Bills fans, not because the food is cheap.

And as I said before, Buffalo is hardly unique when it comes to tailgating.

Go on Youtube & you will see fans of most NFL Cities tailgating.

[better days]

The problem is that too many fans use the tailgating experience to do just that. How do you propose stopping that?

Don't let Canadians cross the border.

[HHURRICANE]

You can get to the Ralph in about a half hour from anywhere in the Buffalo area.

That is not the middle of nowhere.

It takes HOURS, not an hour, but HOURS to get to the Stadium in Foxboro from Boston.

That is what the middle of nowhere is, a place FAR REMOVED, not a place 15 min to 1/2 an hour away.

Everyone is missing the point here. First off, the Patriots fan base is all over New England. I know I lived there. Everything in CT and Mass is in the middle of nowhere.

Second, I love our Stadium. But having it even 20 minutes from downtown is dumb. It will create revenue for the City by being more centrally located and as OP pointed out will get the casual fan. Plus like it or not the League is going to get their way on this one.