Buffal0 is considered a small market team. How is it fair for fans of the Bills to try and buy 80,000 tickets where in other large market, fans only have to buy 60,000 - 70,000 tickets to be shown on local TV. Why can't the NFL take an average and use that instead of each stadium having to sell X amount of tickets?
2007-03-20 16:45:29 · 13 answers · asked by dave51_1998 4 in Sports ➔ Football (American)
They just have a bigger stadium than other teams....last season there were a few weeks in a row where every team had sold out seats...I don't see an unfair situation there really, except to the fans of teams like Green Bay where it's impossible to get tickets for face value because of how many people want to be there....
2007-03-20 17:03:45 · answer #1 · answered by Carolina Kitten 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, to be accurate, the number went down to 75,000 when the building was remodeled a few years ago. That probably helped extend the sellout streak, which ran for a couple of years until it ended this year.
I understand your point, though. Think of it this way. The Bills are in business to sell tickets. If the blackout line was dropped to 60,000 tickets, how many seats would you sell once you hit 60,000? You wouldn't sell 15,000 in all probability. So you'd be forcing the Bills to give away their product for free even though they had available tickets to sell. That would only tighten the screws on the team's finances, which already has problems -- relatively speaking -- because of the small population base and lack of corporations. Which way to Los Angeles?
You could argue that Ralph Wilson was short-sighted in asking for such a big stadium in the first place, that he would have been better off with a 65,000-seat stadium that was sold out for the season in advance. And you'd be right. Fewer marketing costs, and money in the bank starting in April drawing interest.
2007-03-20 18:17:19 · answer #2 · answered by BBailey182 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Good question. I've always thought the NFL's blackout rule was too unrealistic. In stadiums where the capacity is greater than 72,000, they should use a number like 90% of the seats sold to lift the local blackout. That's still a pretty good crowd in a good football town like Buffalo. Small market or not.
Detroit gets a bad rap with the Lions' lack of success. But even during the lean years, the Silverdome would get 72,000 football fans plus. Unfortunately, we wouldn't see the game (or Barry Sanders) locally because there were nearly 80,000 seats.
Now since the Lions have opened Ford Field with 65,000 seats, we are guaranteed to see them every Sunday. Oh Joy!
2007-03-21 11:09:05 · answer #3 · answered by steve p 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Buffalo shouldn't have an 80,000 seat stadium. This is why the Rams moved from L.A. to Aneheim in 1980. The L.A. Coliseum holds over 90,000 and there were no sellouts, therefore no tv. If Buffalo builds a smaller capacity stadium, that wouldn't be an issue. I know this wont happen soon because Rich Stadium is only 34 years old.
2007-03-20 16:55:38 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
the buffalo bills are a small market team.... i mean look it's a point proven when you look at the stadium, it they weren't they wouldn't have as many "normal" seats as they do they would have more box seats, i love the bills and i hope to god that they stay in buffalo for as long as i am alive, but i really think that they need to try and make it a lil smaller or lower the sell out stuff or else there fans may, just may start to lose intrest in the buffalo bills.... and lord knows that they are getting impatient they haven't been a play-off contender for a while and it's not good for the organization so they need to do something and they need to do it fast.
2007-03-20 18:28:15 · answer #5 · answered by jason h 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A Bigger Fanbase the Bills Got Throughout Upstate New York, Examples Rochester, Syracuse, Utica, Albany, and Of Course Buffalo.
2007-03-21 04:36:42 · answer #6 · answered by tfoley5000 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Its a very simple solution. They can remove the upper 20,000 seats. There have been several cases of this happening. if the seats aren't avaible to be sold, then a sellout would be 60,000. Some stadiums use portable seating if the event scheduled requires it. They would already have the space if they needed it.
Other stadiums cover whole sections with tarps. This works too and allows for another surface for advertising revenues.
2007-03-21 01:24:06 · answer #7 · answered by K B 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Buffalo built that size of a stadium, the NFL didn't make them. Almost all of the new stadiums are smaller (60,000 range) but offer a lot more with the luxury boxes which the owners say, gives them more revenue.
2007-03-20 16:52:49 · answer #8 · answered by ndmagicman 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Buffalo can't load up on luxury boxes because there aren't many corporations that would buy said luxury boxes. So, instead, they need a lot of "normal" seating to make up for it, but especially during the holiday season, they have trouble because WNYers typically have shallow pockets, aren't very numerous, and have more important things to do(like be with family.) IMO, there should be some sort of average....
2007-03-20 16:55:52 · answer #9 · answered by Elminster 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This is part of the TV contract. An 80K stadium in Buffalo? Are there even 80K people in Buffalo? I thought you guys all emmigrated from South Dakota.
2007-03-21 04:30:23 · answer #10 · answered by Water Monkey 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋