My lifelong Dream
Before you start thinking that I'm going to state the obvious; fire everyone and hire Bill Parcells, trade for Tom Brady, hire Jim Kelly as GM. This is not the case. This blog is about owning the Bills through a business prospective. None of this has to do with anything on the field. It has to do with making the team more economically viable. Hate to say it fans, but this team is in danger of moving when Mr. Wilson goes to that big owner box in the sky. So, I'm going to run the team the best way I can to make it stay in Buffalo forever.
1)Fire Toronto Organizers!
No, I'm not talking about getting rid of games in Toronto. Buffalo needs Toronto more than they need a left tackle or quarterback. The Bills are right in trying to regionalize the team by having a game north of the border. I've said it before, it's all about luxury boxes when it comes to making money for an NFL team. However, if you're going to play one game a year in Toronto, lets try and make it into a huge event! The last two Toronto games have been terrible I'm not talking about the Bills epic offensive explosions against the Dolphins and Jets. I'm talking about the pregame festivities.
Lets start with the national anthem. Two years ago, the organizers got some no-name person, who made the American Idol audition look like a Night at the Opera. The singer couldn't carry a tune and ended up butchering "Oh Canada." That's a great start to making this partnership work with Toronto. I would get any sort of Canadian singer to perform the national anthem (Alanis Morrisette, Goo Goo Dolls, the guy who sings Oh Canada at hockey games). Next on the agenda list, doing some sort of ceremonial coin toss. Did they even have a coin toss last year? Did they flip a hockey puck in the air? Lets give a call to some old Canadian hockey players or even Doug Flutie to do the coin toss. Canadians love Mr. Mullet and Hockey. If memory serves me ets not forget what the Bills had for pregame entertainment. Ah yes, Bag Pipes. Awesome! How about having The NFL Experience that they have during training camp for the weekend. And while we are at it, lets move the Bills practices for that week to Toronto and have an open practice or two during the week. Make it like a Super Bowl week, if a week is too much make it a weekend event.
2)Renovate Ralph Wilson Stadium
About a month ago, I took in a game at both new baseball stadiums in NYC. I was blown away at how nice these stadiums were. 2 things stuck with me the most, The food courts and the nostalgia. At Citi Field they had an outdoor food court that had 15 places to eat from. I'm talking hot dogs, sushi, steaks, salads, and 20 tap beers. I thought to myself, if the Ralph had this type of food area it would be such a money maker. If there's one thing missing from the game day experience at Bills games, it's the fact that the food is terrible. This isn't 1983 where hot dogs were the norm. I would design a food court right in the stadium where fans can sit and maybe eat and watch the game on a few TV screens. While we are at it, why not put a restaurant Ala the Hard Rock at Skydome to watch over the field. I've said it once I'll say it again, Buffalo is a drinking and eating town. And considering a lot of Buffalonians feel they have the best food around, why not give it to them on game day.
As for the Nostalgia, The New Yankee Stadium has a beautiful museum to go along with monument park. I think the Buffalo fans deserve to look at history. How about a game worn jersey that Jim Kelly wore or a giant statue of Bruce Smith. I'm going to build a Bills restaurant and have memorabilia and games for the kids. It's time for the game day experience to be more then just getting wasted and watching football. How about getting wasted off German stout and eating sushi, while walking through the Bills museum. Now we are talking!
3)Fashion makeover
I promise you, I will never utter the words fashion makeover ever again on this blog. But I know what the fans want. They want the vintage 1959 uniforms. So I'll give it to you! And guess what your 3rd jersey would be? How about the 90's Bills blues? Don't get me wrong, I can't stand when fans complain about uniforms. It makes me want to gargle Drano when I hear someone talk about the old Blue & Gold jerseys. But I gotta do it for the people. Since I hate talking uniforms, this top 5 paragraph is going to end..now.
4)New Name
Well you know it can't be all fun and games on this topic. Ralph Wilson Stadium is no more. Hello, New Era Stadium. Has a nice ring to it. As much as the traditionalists hate this idea, I have to do it. But at least you will get the old uniforms back to hold onto the past. But in all honesty this change is long overdue especially since Ralph Wilson has complained more than any owner about not making enough money. The Washington Redskins get 7.6 million dollars a year from Fed Ex for the naming rights. Maybe that's a drop in the bucket for Ralph (so he says), but I can get my museum and food court off the ground and running, and maybe throw in a baseball cap day at the stadium, excuse me, New Era Stadium. And don't worry Mr. Wilson, I will be sure to name the restaurant and rename the Wall of Fame after you.
5)This is tough
Man, I hate to do this. But that $51.24 average ticket price, has to go up. We are talking at least 30%. Don't worry, I'm going to try and find cheap seats for you in the Rock Pile, but if you're sitting 50 yard line and 3 rows up, you better be a lawyer. I firmly believe that people in Buffalo will pay an arm and a leg when it comes to tickets for the Bills. You just don't sell out season tickets during the summer because tickets happen to be the cheapest in the league. It's because you love going to games. But I'm also going to find other ways to make your game day experience better. How about paying $350 dollars to watch the game from the sideline? You can hangout by the tunnel and see all the players come onto the field and practically touch the action. I'd spend $350 on that. But I know you are still not feeling the ticket price. But all you have to do is look crosstown. If the Sabres can charge $200 for tickets against the Maple Leafs, Then I think I can charge $75 for a game ticket.
Man, owning the Bills is a lot of work and I'm not even talking about the product on the field. But I believe it's time for the organization to keep up with the Jones and start selling the stadium experience as much as the product on the field. I think the fans would enjoy all these changes. People love change, hell when Crispy Cream Donuts opened in Buffalo there was a 45 minute wait to get donuts. I assure you my changes will make the fans go nuts.
-Joe-
I know I've been joking around with some of the Bills player's Tweets on Twitter, but Twitter is proving more and more to me why it's a dream for sports fans. T.O. just commented that he is teaching the ways of the force to a new apprentice. "here n my room talking 2 james hard. he's hungry 4 knowledge of how i become who i am. this is so gr8 2 me, i ws 'this guy' 13-14 yrs ago," twitted Owens.
