OT: Bills Fans Not Pleased with New Stadium

[Uptown]

On the bright side, at least there aren’t any Super Bowl banner obstructing views…

 

[Spiral]

Maybe change the name to Lowmark Stadium?

 

[Nikolai]

Maybe change the name to Lowmark Stadium?

Or Highas**** Stadium

 

[sb1]

Maybe change the name to Lowmark Stadium?

WideRightOfTheMark Stadium?

 

[Bill Lee]

Maybe change the name to Lowmark Stadium?

Or Highas**** Stadium

WideRightOfTheMark Stadium?

Skidmark Stadium?

 

[Nikolai]

Skidmark Stadium?

Yeah, I'm changing my vote

 

[PATSNUTme]

They get to play on grass there. Dunno why we can't at Gillette.

I think there are just as many fans at Gillette on grass as there are in Buffalo.

 

[Hawaiipatsfan2]

The Krafts stood on their heads trying to make natural grass work as a field for Gillette. They took everything from drainage to under field heating into account . Thought of everything but the field's exposure to sunlight when it shifts in fall. Grass needs sun, who knew?
The 2006 Mud Bowl loss to the Jete was the final straw, the grass was gone and turf installed before the next home game.

If you want to spend enough it can be done.

Dig and build in sections, and re cover during the season over 3-5 season.

Honestly I don’t know how you’d build 2.2 billion dollar, clean sheet stadium if you wanted natural grass in a place like Buffalo and not incorporate something like this. Greenbay still does it, but like Buffalo They don’t really really have much else planned for the stadium in the Winter. No MLS, no concerts. FIFA wouldn’t want to pick that city for international travel games like they have planned in the future.

 

[TommyD4207]

Maybe change the name to Lowmark Stadium?

They'll be changing it back to 'Gillette North' soon enough.

 

[DoubleDeluxe]

Completely agree about having a retractable domed stadium in Buffalo (and for that matter also NE). The whole we are tough we love playing in 4 feet of snow and 5 degree weather is just so over and done with. People pay good money and want to see the players at their best not sliding around and making snow angels while getting frost bite. Also the whole throwing snowballs at opposing players is 1000% juvenile and ******ed.
Much better experience for the fan to sit in 72 degrees and not have to get blanketed with snow

Buffalo absolutely deserves a domed stadium.

Bills fans don't want a dome.
And neither do I.
I'm old school, football should be played outdoors in the elements.
As far as "people not wanting to see players sliding around", speak for yourself, there are many, many NFL fans that whole heartedly disagree with this statement.

 

[upstater1]

Bills fans don't want a dome.
And neither do I.
I'm old school, football should be played outdoors in the elements.
As far as "people not wanting to see players sliding around", speak for yourself, there are many, many NFL fans that whole heartedly disagree with this statement.

In losing seasons, I could get December / January tickets for nothing. No one wanted to go. It would be different in a dome. Plus, it's an embarrassment to the region not to have your stadium downtown. It's crazy that the area is so backward they literally plop it in a distant burb right in the middle of the Southtown Lake Effect snowbelt.

This is the kind of mistake Buffalo people will be talking about for the ext 50 years.

Never forget, before Josh Allen, they used to actually schedule late season games in the Toronto Skydome!!! Talk about domes!

 

[DoubleDeluxe]

In losing seasons, I could get December / January tickets for nothing. No one wanted to go. It would be different in a dome. Plus, it's an embarrassment to the region not to have your stadium downtown. It's crazy that the area is so backward they literally plop it in a distant burb right in the middle of the Southtown Lake Effect snowbelt.

This is the kind of mistake Buffalo people will be talking about for the ext 50 years.

Never forget, before Josh Allen, they used to actually schedule late season games in the Toronto Skydome!!! Talk about domes!

I'm close to Toronto/Buffalo.
Been to many games in Orchard Park.
Can't really speak to the out of town/downtown debate, don't know enough about the area to comment.
I have had many of beers with Bills fans before, during and after games, they don't strike me as a dome type fanbase.

 

[upstater1]

I'm close to Toronto/Buffalo.
Been to many games in Orchard Park.
Can't really speak to the out of town/downtown debate, don't know enough about the area to comment.
I have had many of beers with Bills fans before, during and after games, they don't strike me as a dome type fanbase.

When a team wins, the people come. When they lose or are out of the playoffs, those cold December games have many open seats.

 

[DoubleDeluxe]

When a team wins, the people come. When they lose or are out of the playoffs, those cold December games have many open seats.

I know.
I haven't been in awhile, back in the Brady days.
Bills sucked, Pats where great.
It was a late year game, sleeting sideways and cold.
Upper deck wasn't empty, but maybe 1/2-2/3 capacity.
I would never advocate for a dome anywhere, but especially not in NE or Buffalo.

 

[sb1]

Last time I was in the area I was invited to go to a Bills Washington game in 03.

That was the same day that Brady to Troy Brown beat the Dolphins in overtime. The stadium erupted when they showed it on the video board. I couldn’t believe it. Guess it was only a few weeks after 31-0 and they didn’t really hate us that much yet lol.

 

[Water Boy]

I would have Google AI double check their math. The footbridge amount is right, but I don't think it was anywhere close to 72 million that the Commonwealth contributed, initially. It was some, but that number seems super-high. The entire stadium was 300 million total, if I remember right.

I specifically remember the 72 million. The issue was in the news. I believe Kraft was going to privately finance the stadium from the get go but wanted the state to pitch in for public infrastructure.

Speaker Tom Finneran was grand standing on not using tax payer money to subsidize a sport franchise, despite the obvious tax revenue benefits that it would generate. I was livid at the time.

It was perhaps the last time a Massachusetts politician argued the virtue of fiscal constraint with tax payer money.

 

[Gumby]

If you want to spend enough it can be done.

Dig and build in sections, and re cover during the season over 3-5 season.

Honestly I don’t know how you’d build 2.2 billion dollar, clean sheet stadium if you wanted natural grass in a place like Buffalo and not incorporate something like this. Greenbay still does it, but like Buffalo They don’t really really have much else planned for the stadium in the Winter. No MLS, no concerts. FIFA wouldn’t want to pick that city for international travel games like they have planned in the future.

Awesome innovations, especially the lighting on the grass underground in Madrid. But man is that solution deep. Like 50-70 feet. Not anything you could instal in an existing stadium I think. The Tottenham solution is intriguing but only for a „primarly soccer‘, but other events too stadium.

In any event, a grass solution may be technically feasible, but I think the safety difference between a MODERN well-designed field turf is not sufficient to blame Krafts for not going some exorbitant expensive route. But I wonder how much safer the more modern „met nfl standards“ solution that was ripped out was over the „version that we (nfl) tested,“ that must be retrofitted. Funny I don’t hear the NFLPA weighing in on this AT ALL.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

"Karma. She be a stitch."

Rewind to 2022 when Pegula conned Governor Hochul (who would desperately need upstate votes to get re-elected in November 2022) and Erie County to float bonds for $800,000,000 to build the stadium. When you're rewinding, remember that the Krafts took nothing from MA (there was a small bond for the footbridge, which they repaid).

So, the cost of building the stadium burgeoned from $1.4b to $2.1b+.

The result: taxpayers took it on the chin, Pegula apparently couldn't afford the amenities associated with a new stadium and a loyal fan base is ticked off.

That's Karma for ya! Add the resurgence of Drake Maye, Mike Vrabel and the NEPatriots and you have a chit-show.

Ha ha.

 

[Triumph]

"Karma. She be a stitch."

Rewind to 2022 when Pegula conned Governor Hochul (who would desperately need upstate votes to get re-elected in November 2022) and Erie County to float bonds for $800,000,000 to build the stadium. When you're rewinding, remember that the Krafts took nothing from MA (there was a small bond for the footbridge, which they repaid).

So, the cost of building the stadium burgeoned from $1.4b to $2.1b+.

The result: taxpayers took it on the chin, Pegula apparently couldn't afford the amenities associated with a new stadium and a loyal fan base is ticked off.

That's Karma for ya! Add the resurgence of Drake Maye, Mike Vrabel and the NEPatriots and you have a chit-show.

Ha ha.

Kraft also did not charge PSLs. When the Jets sold PSLs, they claimed that they were an investment that would only increase in value. That is obviously not true at all. KC fans are going to be hit with PSLs too adding insult to injury.

These stadiums and huge construction projects never get completed for the original estimated cost. I suppose that is why its called an estimate.

The Bills window is still open, but they need a lot of luck to actually reach SB # 5.

 

[upstater1]

Awesome innovations, especially the lighting on the grass underground in Madrid. But man is that solution deep. Like 50-70 feet. Not anything you could instal in an existing stadium I think. The Tottenham solution is intriguing but only for a „primarly soccer‘, but other events too stadium.

In any event, a grass solution may be technically feasible, but I think the safety difference between a MODERN well-designed field turf is not sufficient to blame Krafts for not going some exorbitant expensive route. But I wonder how much safer the more modern „met nfl standards“ solution that was ripped out was over the „version that we (nfl) tested,“ that must be retrofitted. Funny I don’t hear the NFLPA weighing in on this AT ALL.

For European soccer where you must finish in the top 4 if you're a top team, the investment is worth it. These aren't new stadiums. But the money for finishing in the top 4 (or 6) in a couple leagues) means you get to play Champions League soccer, and if you're good, you advance. That's worth $100m+ to the club. So they have huge incentives to win.

There are bigger incentives to win than in the NFL. In the NFL, if you lose your QB to injury because of the crappy field (like Mahomes and the Chiefs), you still make basically the same amount of money that you would have otherwise,.

In Europe, if you lose the guy you spent $150m to purchase, it could very well mean you lose a spot in the top 4 ($100+m lost).