Your new NFL franchise (almost): the Toronto Bills

[DocTalk]

Bills to be paid $78M to play in Toronto

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/football/story/2008/04/29/nfl-toronto-bills.html


And you thought the NFL was altruistic.

 

[Pancamo]

What is the payout to the visiting teams?

 

[BigSleeper]

Having grown to enjoy the CFL, I wish the NFL would stay the **** out of Canada.

 

[Simon_Cowbell]

How many fans are the Bills going to lose in the stadium at Orchard Park?

I would never go back.

 

[Starman]

What is the payout to the visiting teams?

Stand by for the lawsuit to find that out.

This is the shot across the bow of Buffalo taxpayers: Ralph Wilson Stadium is 35 years old.

Ante up.

 

[BYH]

What is the payout to the visiting teams?

Stand by for the lawsuit to find that out.

This is the shot across the bow of Buffalo taxpayers: Ralph Wilson Stadium is 35 years old.

Ante up.

And already TEN years removed from its last renovation. Damn straight, ante up!

 

[pseudo]

From Mark Gaughan, beat writer for the Buffalo News: Bills getting $78 million for eight games in Toronto
"It’s hard to determine how much more profit the Bills will make from the games in Toronto. Ticket money from general seating in an NFL stadium is shared. Revenue from club seats, luxury boxes, concessions, parking and other income is not shared. It’s believed that in approving the Bills’ shift of games to Canada, the league approved some formula, based on percentages, for determining how much of the Bills’ take is to be considered shared and how much is unshared revenue."

How many fans are the Bills going to lose in the stadium at Orchard Park?

I would never go back.

Actually, latest reports have RWS season ticket sales at their highest level since the early 1990s. Ralph thinks it's due to the lower prices (only eight games instead of ten), and he may have a point -- there are seats available for less than $300 in several sections of the stadium. I'll probably be paying close to that for one game in Toronto.

How much of the increase can be attributed to cheap tickets, and how much is people buying out of fear that the team will move if we don't sell out every game? Not sure we've reached quite that level of panic. Yet. It's not far off, though.
(And it's certainly not the allure of watching a perennial playoff contender. That ship started boarding when Ralph fired Bill Polian, and set sail when he did the same to John Butler.)

One more thing: A new stadium in WNY won't make a bit of difference, unless it comes with some Fortune 500 companies prepared to fork over a bunch of cash for suites and premium seats.

 

[93Devil]

The Bills have over 80,000 outdoor seats in the coldest NFL city, right? That stadium might be the worst stadium decision ever.

Would Green Bay even sell out 80,000 seats?

Heck, Bills fans have to travel to Canada anyway to watch the games on TV due to blackouts, right?

So I think a smaller stadium, or a dome, would make a huge difference.

 

[TheSportsPredictor]

What?? The NFL system is perfect! All markets can compete equally! No small-market woes! What's the problem??

 

[alleyallen]

The Bills have over 80,000 outdoor seats in the coldest NFL city, right? That stadium might be the worst stadium decision ever.

Would Green Bay even sell out 80,000 seats?

Heck, Bills fans have to travel to Canada anyway to watch the games on TV due to blackouts, right?

So I think a smaller stadium, or a dome, would make a huge difference.

Actually, I think in the last two seasons, Green Bay could have sold out 80,000. Now? Not sure.

 

[Simon_Cowbell]

What?? The NFL system is perfect! All markets can compete equally! No small-market woes! What's the problem??

The NFL system is perfect... compared with anything your guacamole-filled orb has to offer up.

The next time the lowest-payroll MLB team wins the WS?

Ne....

....ver

 

[Rough Mix]

Green Bay averaged over 70,000 last year. The season ticket waiting list is also over 70,000.

 

[alleyallen]

Green Bay averaged over 70,000 last year. The season ticket waiting list is also over 70,000.

Thank you for backing me up on that. I knew they could have sold out, but I didn't have the numbers.

 

[TheSportsPredictor]

What?? The NFL system is perfect! All markets can compete equally! No small-market woes! What's the problem??

The NFL system is perfect... compared with anything your guacamole-filled orb has to offer up.

The next time the lowest-payroll MLB team wins the WS?

Ne....

....ver

#25 payroll played in the World Series last year.

 

[93Devil]

The Bills have over 80,000 outdoor seats in the coldest NFL city, right? That stadium might be the worst stadium decision ever.

Would Green Bay even sell out 80,000 seats?

Heck, Bills fans have to travel to Canada anyway to watch the games on TV due to blackouts, right?

So I think a smaller stadium, or a dome, would make a huge difference.

Actually, I think in the last two seasons, Green Bay could have sold out 80,000. Now? Not sure.

True, but to think that your supply of seats will consistently be above your demand for tickets if you have an 80,000 seat stadium in the Arctic Circle might be a little foolish.

You want some waiting list for tickets so you can jack up the prices.

For example, look at the new Yankee Stadium.

 

[Simon_Cowbell]

What?? The NFL system is perfect! All markets can compete equally! No small-market woes! What's the problem??

The NFL system is perfect... compared with anything your guacamole-filled orb has to offer up.

The next time the lowest-payroll MLB team wins the WS?

Ne....

....ver

#25 payroll played in the World Series last year.

Nice try.

Survey says!...

XXX

 

[Pastor]

The Bills have over 80,000 outdoor seats in the coldest NFL city, right? That stadium might be the worst stadium decision ever.

Would Green Bay even sell out 80,000 seats?

Heck, Bills fans have to travel to Canada anyway to watch the games on TV due to blackouts, right?

So I think a smaller stadium, or a dome, would make a huge difference.

Actually, I think in the last two seasons, Green Bay could have sold out 80,000. Now? Not sure.

True, but to think that your supply of seats will consistently be above your demand for tickets if you have an 80,000 seat stadium in the Arctic Circle might be a little foolish.

You want some waiting list for tickets so you can jack up the prices.

For example, look at the new Yankee Stadium.

Even Giants Stadium is downgrading the number of seats in their new stadium.

 

[Rough Mix]

Green Bay averaged over 70,000 last year. The season ticket waiting list is also over 70,000.

Thank you for backing me up on that. I knew they could have sold out, but I didn't have the numbers.

Green Bay has sold out every game since 1959. They will continue to do so and the wait list will always be long.

 

[rube]

Having grown to enjoy the CFL, I wish the NFL would stay the **** out of Canada.

Well 50 or 60,000 Canadians will clearly disagree with you eight times over the next five years.

 

[MU_was_not_so_hard]

With all this money, the Bills can make sure all of their key players have valid passports so they don't get stuck at the border.