No Time For Previews

by Ryan

A Friday night in Buffalo just doesn't get any better than Sabres/Leafs. No matter what record the teams have, or who's in the lineup, Sabres/Leafs is always the best ticket in town. It's just that the ticket happens to be twice as much as normal.

Exactly

by Ryan

Even though he was playing far from Miami, in another country no less, Ronnie Brown felt right at home.

The Miami Dolphins running back admitted the prospect of facing arch-rival Buffalo in the first-ever NFL regular-season contest played in Canada was daunting, given he figured the Bills' close proximity to Rogers Centre would make them the overwhelming favourite among Toronto football fans.

That is, until he and the Dolphins went out for the pre-game warmup and were greeted by a healthy representation of aqua and orange in the stands. Brown said that boost helped Miami capture a historic 16-3 win over the Bills on Sunday to move into a tie atop the AFC East Division with New England and the New York Jets.

Heady stuff for a Dolphins squad that was the laughing stock of the NFL last year with a dismal 1-15 record.

"Obviously we came up here and Toronto was new scenery for us," said Brown, who ran for a game-high 70 yards on 16 carries. "But we went out and saw the people in aqua and orange and it made a pretty big difference.

"You don't feel like you're playing an away game and you're excited for the support."

TSN.ca

Rational Response

by Ryan



I have nothing to say about this game. Everything about the last three hours of my life has made my physically sick. I hate Ralph and J.P. and everyone involved in this disaster of an experiment up north. I don't care what excuse Dick Jauron has for scoring six points in two weeks, I hope he gets his face eaten by a bear.

I hope Ted Rogers' family members all catch cholera and die.

Gameday Prep: Bills vs. Dolphins

by Ryan


He could... go... all... the...

Announcers and Game Maps: Kevin Harlan, Rich Gannon (Courtesy of Awful Announcing)

Depth Charts: Dolphins, Bills

Stats: NFL.com, ESPN, or Yahoo Sports all do a good job. If you have fantasy teams through Yahoo, you're better off paying the ten bucks for "stattracker", it's a lifesaver. (Especially when you have three fantasy leagues with Yahoo...)

Things They've Been Saying:
- Vic Carucci with a Dolphins story that you're going to hate.

- The AP's John Warrow sets the stage nicely.

- Warrow also has a summary of that other angle we all know and love.

- HOLY CRAP

Pump-Up Song that Will Melt Your Face Off: Alexisonfire, "This Could Be Anywhere in the World"



Angry one today, but a Canadian band talking about a ghosts and cities sounds perfect to me.

Fun Facts:

- Dick still has the same expression north of the border:


- Here's the Playoff Picture, in case you need an excuse to stab yourself in the face.

- Here it is, the rumor we've all been waiting for!

- This is going to be terrible. The game will probably be a clunker, and all that extra garbage will loom in my head until my brain stem shuts down and I pass out. I'm going to miss the roar of an Orchard Park crowd. I'm going to miss the snow. I'm going to miss the way our FieldTurf looks. And when it finally happens, I'm going to miss this team.




This is going to suck.

A Date Which Will Live in Infamy

by Ryan


You floppy-mouthed bastards

Miracle on Bremner Boulevard

by Ryan

SELLOUT! Woo! Just like they predicted! I'm sure it was sold out months in advance, right? Oh, just yesterday, the day of the deadline? Hrm... demand must have been through the roof.

I wonder just how many "free" tickets were given out to the Mounties and the United Way? Six...thousand? Nah, probably just six.

Looking for Maple Love

by Ryan

Tonight the Sabres open the preseason in Toronto. Exciting, I know. A few days ago I was looking through some things on the Leafs' website and came across this strange ad:


(click to enlarge)

Apparently, Leafs fans love Asian women. This was something I hadn't realized, and I was pretty surprised at the audacity of the ads. I know Toronto is a very diverse place, but to have that kind of ad allowed on an NHL website seems very unlikely. Maybe because it was later at night they are allowed to run that kind of thing. Who knows?

Then again, the team hasn't satisfied fans in years, so it should probably start now.



Oh. Oh no. I take it back.

They Should Call it the Mats-o-tron

by Ryan



The first new thing hanging in the rafters in years.

We've talked about it here before, but there are some big changes going on at the ACC over the next few years, and this is just the start of it. Jokes about mediocrity (check the comments) aside, the board itself is fantastic, and it certainly does improve the building with regards to other events.

The thing that many sports fans forget is that most owners are concerned about making money and not about actual team performance. Where fans see a $126 million atrium project as money not spent on players, an owner sees it as maintaining a state of the art arena to match his state of the art high-rise apartment complex/television station/offices going up next door.

For Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment the goal seems to be making a profit first and foremost, as all smart businesses should. In a market like Toronto the goal will always be bigger and better no matter how the team below the fireworks plays. It isn't always the right way to build a team, but an owner not concerned with profits is a very, very charitable man.

The grand scale the Leafs are aiming for is downright fascinating: $7.8 million for a really nice, 17-sided TV. Just the price tag for the video board alone is enough to blow your mind, let alone the cost for a few doors and windows. A $126 million "project" shows you just how much money is thrown around in a city like Toronto. It really is no wonder the Bills didn't look into tapping that market sooner, and puts to rest any questions in my mind about the viability of a second hockey team surviving in the GTA.

The Buffalo News' John Vogl had a great point about the atrium project: the entire HSBC Arena construction cost just $1.5 million more than their "expansion". Even with inflation that's a shocking number, one that can be taken one of two ways.

On one hand, for a ten year old building to still be considered state of the art is pretty impressive, especially if that building is sitting in downtown Buffalo. Larry Quinn may not get enough credit for the work he did with the Crossroads Arena Project, but as time goes on he looks better and better for it.

On the other hand, just how far out of our league are we when it comes to keeping pro franchises? If MLSE can throw a few million at a glorified hallway, what chance do we have of keeping a team here once the for sale sign is on the front lawn at One Bills Drive or South Park? Sooner or later Ralph will die or Tom will get tired, and what happens if the highest bidder doesn't have a soft spot for struggling to stay in the green in a quaint little rust belt city?

Buildings like the ACC and Jerryworld are meant to be the pinnacle of venues, but when the time comes, can we even reach the median? If we can't, I'm sure there is a better building somewhere with a vacancy.

Back from the Laser Show

by Ryan

Wow, I'm freaking tired. Remind me not to do that again. I'll have a good sized post up about tonight's game sometime tomorrow afternoon. In the interim, why don't you buy a Rogers Blackberry?



Yeah, now go throw it at that tree over there. Dude, they are going to triangulate our signals and find us.

What's that? Why can't you smash it on a rock like normal people? Well, I suppose you are just out of practice.

Bills vs Steelers: Tickets Still Available!

by Ryan

If you still want to pick up tickets to (last) Thursday's historic Bills game in Toronto, it's not too late.



Only a few hours left, but at $50 bucks, that's a steal!

The Series Begins

As you can see, we are thrilled.

Fight the Power!

By Jon

For the most cynical of Bills fans (redundant, I know) tomorrow is the beginning of the end.

Ralph's master plan to "keep the Bills in Buffalo" (read: make more cash) kicks off tomorrow night, with a thrilling preseason contest chock full of third-and-fourth-stringers that will be in the CFL in a few weeks, anyway (in that respect, those lucky fans are getting an early look at their future Argos.)

Listen, Ralph. I get it. The NFL, behemoth that it is, has outgrown the WNY market. From a financial standpoint, an owner would be a fool to keep a team here when he could double his profits in a bustling metropolis. I understand, I really do. You've been telling us for months now that Toronto could be our saving grace, and while I'm in the minority, I agree. There's millions of people up North with no allegiances to a specific NFL team, so it only makes sense to try and tap that market. But the way you have handled the entire ordeal has been atrocious from a PR standpoint, and you are alienating your existing fanbase in the process.

I didn't really have much of an issue with the Bills in Toronto series until I read this. They take our game, jack up the prices, find that sales are a little slow, and try to unload them on the people that were robbed of a game in the first place. Granted, it's only preseason, but could there be a bigger slap in the face?

There are plenty of other issues. The length of the deal. The regular season opponent. The lack of the word "Buffalo" in any of the promotion (Why not "Buffalo Bills in Toronto?"). If the deal was for one year, they were playing the 49ers, and it was made clear that the Bills are indeed from Buffalo, would you have a problem with it? It wouldn't help much, but I would be at least a little bit more accepting.

Someone dropped the ball on the Toronto end, too. I'm not sure if the Bills or the Rogers brass set the ticket prices, but according to this article and various others, our Canadian brethren are hesitant to shell out the big bucks to watch a team they haven't had much exposure to. This quote sums it up best:

"I love the Bills but I think they should stay there in Buffalo," said Jeff Rubinoff, 57, of Richmond Hills, a Toronto suburb. "This is a rip-off for fans with the prices they are charging. And I feel sorry for fans in Buffalo. It's their team. And even if they don't move, this is just creating anxiety for everyone. I'm an Argos fan and this is a definite threat. We in Toronto feel threatened, Buffalo feels threatened, and somebody's making a lot of money off it."

That's just it: Buffalo does feel threatened, and Mr. Wilson is to blame.

Something needs to be done to keep the Bills in Buffalo, and clearly, it's out of the fans hands. There's nothing more we can do but cross our fingers that the old man wises up before he kicks the bucket and sells the team to someone that cares less about a bigger bottom line and more about what this team means to this area. The chances of that actually happening? About zero. Money makes the world go 'round, as they say.

It's a double edged blade. Do we root for the success of the series and hope that leads to financial stability rather than relocation? Or do we hope it busts, detracting potential owners from moving the team north? Either way, we get screwed.

It's hard to get excited for a game when it may be the beginning of the end.

***********
Does the thought of the game being held north of the border make you so sick to your stomach that you won't watch at all?

Do you want to stick it to Ralph by not tuning in?

Well, then do I have the alternative for you!

Sorry to tack on this shameless plug, but I'm going to be playing some sax with my friend's band, the Jimmy Joustra Quartet, tomorrow night (8/14) at Braccetto's Restaurant, located at 6612 Lincoln Ave. in Lockport. The gig goes down from 8-12 on the patio. Feel free to stop by and enjoy the tunes.

Michael Bishop is a Genius

by Ryan

So the Toronto Argonauts "spoke out" about the Bills in Toronto nonsense last night on TSN's "Off the Record". I don't get TSN, but their website made a nice little story out of it to recap. Also, the video is here if you are interested, which I'm sure you are.

My summary: Blah blah blah "our turf" blah blah blah. "It's about money" blah blah blah.

Also, it appears someone on the team is willing to piss on my backyard, whatever that means.

In short, they aren't exactly happy about it. Now that's a surprise. I mean, would you be excited if you were a corner store and a Super WalMart was being built across the street? I wouldn't be throwing out the welcome mat in the locker room in this case either.

However, the best line I've seen in months on the issue came from Michael Bishop, the Argos backup quarterback. I'm not feeling up to transcribe the conversation, so let's quote the article:

Bishop even brought up the idea of having the Argonauts take on the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in Buffalo and giving the NFL a taste of their own medicine.

Brilliant. Way to show us Buffalonains for exporting our football. Let's hit us where it hurts, with a CFL game with no infrastructure to support the playing field necessary. That's like having Olympic hockey played on an NHL sized rink. Oh, oops.

In any event, the idea is a bit absurd to begin with. I can't imagine the Ti-Cats or Argos coming away with much gained in such a venture, although I suppose that would actually help the area in terms of filling the venue for an extra game and giving the economy a nice boost.

Hey, maybe that's not such a bad idea after all. I guess the question is, would you go? I'm not so sure I wouldn't give it a try, if only to see how small the bench areas would be.

Roger Goodell, quake with fear, this idea is about to get some legs.

A Novel Idea

by Ryan

Today is the big day: the NHL's full schedule is released to the public.

However, the Sabres weren't the only team that had a "soft release" of the schedule on Wednesday. The Toronto Maple Leafs made an announcement that certainly involved the Sabres, and you may not know anything about it.

It may only be preseason, but on September 22nd the Sabres will take on the Leafs at the ACC. It will be a fifth preseason game for the Leafs, which I guess is something special, but there is a larger catch attached:

Admission is free.

The Leafs and Coca Cola have teamed up to give away free tickets to the game in an effort to get a different kind of crowd at Leafs games. It's an interesting way to say "thank you" to the fans that simply can't pay $300 bucks a seat but still splurged on that Kyle Wellwood replica. Git R Done, boys.

All Leafs bashing aside, it is a pretty nice gesture. A free ticket to a hockey game is hard to come by, and reaching out to your fans after a frustrating playoff drought always bodes well with the public.

I hadn't heard about this until checking the Leafs' site, so I tried to apply for the drawing. Heck, who wouldn't road trip it to Toronto if the tickets were free?

Oh wait, you have to be a resident of Ontario. Within a fifty mile radius of Toronto, to be exact. Well isn't that unique? An exclusive event for Leafs fans that only they are invited to attend. Who actually tries to keep events local like that?



Carlton you greedy bastard.

Jacob Riis Agrees

by Ryan

So I'm not the biggest basketball fan, but unlike Jon and Chris, I'm trying to get better. Rich is a big basketball fan, and I'm slowly trying to follow the NBA close enough to actually post about it.

The guys over at USRT seem to be one of the few local blogs that post about the NBA, and I'd love to get a better feel for the league and maybe start, you know... talking about it come next fall.

The concussion is preventing me from creating a proper segue, so let's just say that USRT came through with an interesting article from the Buffalo News.

First off, let's all agree this is a brilliant idea if you live around here. No matter what Jon may say, there is interest in the NBA in the area. People here watch the games, people here hate the Spurs, and people would come to see a game in person. I would certainly pay the price to see the Raptors in Buffalo, and I hope it works itself out.

But that's not what we're here to do. Let's take a look at what the good people at TSN.ca have to say about the idea.

Wait, not the article, that's just a summary of TBN's work. Instead, check out the "comments" at the bottom. Here, let's just sample a few:

can see pre-season games...but why regular season games??...do owners anymore care about the fans at all...liie how greedy can they get...if they start playing regualr season games in Buffalo then I am cancelling my season tickets...

No, no, no........

This is embarrassing. Playing in Buffalo makes NO sense from a business perspective. Americans aren't that eager to accept an unproven CANADIAN basketball team. They have 29 other teams. The Raps were division champs but aren't consistently competitive.

Wow, that sounds so familiar. You would think their entire franchise is at risk or something. I mean hey, it's not like the games would be a last ditch effort to make money in the region, right? This is just... preseason games, and maybe a regular season game or two. Hell, we can call it the "Raptors in Buffalo" series, with a shiny new logo for the event and everything!

I've decided that when they play here, I will write a book entitled "How the Other Half Lives", complete with flash photography!

Rebranding, Step One

by Ryan

So I was looking for a way to alter this image to properly describe what's going on here:



I had a few ideas, but I think this is the perfect visual for the occasion:



Why yes, that's a moose rapeing a buffalo statue. I think that pretty much covers things here. If someone has any ideas for the Bills in Toronto logo, I'm all ears.

Cash Grab

by Ryan

Rich is going to wrangle a computer and talk about the draft this week, but in the mean time I thought I'd address something that popped up in the Canadian press this afternoon. To put it plainly, the Bills done got paid:

The $78-million payment eclipses what Forbes calculated the Bills made in 2006, in the magazine's latest annual financial breakdown of NFL franchises. Forbes calculated the Bills had an operating income of US$31.2 million after bringing in $176 million in revenues that year.

Broken down, the Bills will make nearly $9.75 million per game in Toronto, something they'd be unable to make at Orchard Park, where the small-market team has perennially had the lowest ticket prices in the NFL. The Bills' average ticket price for this season is about $51 at Ralph Wilson Stadium, which has a 72,000 seating capacity.

Wow. I know we've been throwing numbers around here and there, but when you see the real figures pop up you can't help but understand the decision.

The fact of the matter is the Bills will never see these kind of numbers from Western New York, even though they get all the revenues made at Ralph Wilson. Even with the Winter Classic, it's nothing near making almost $10 million for one game. (I would have the exact numbers on the Winter Classic revenues here if the Buffalo News didn't clear their archives after 11 seconds...)

You can take the news two ways: 1) Shrug your shoulders and hope it's for the best, or 2) Make an awful photoshop and scour the series of tubes for a photo of Canadian Monopoly.



Guess who took the high road?

The Non-Death Wish

by Ryan



This above is something we are used to seeing around here. The start of something big, a building just off the fringe of Toronto's Air Canada Centre. But the difference between this construction project and the ones we are used to is the end result. See for yourself:



The Toronto Maple Leafs are going to have their own building. No, not their own venue, every team has one of those; the Leafs and MLSE are spending $500 million to make two 54-story buildings next to their home arena.

Now, when in your life has this ever seemed remotely possible in Buffalo? This would be like Ralph Wilson constructing a nice little condo just off of One Bills Drive, or the Sabres putting a shopping center/office building on the waterfront. Has any of that ever, ever even crossed your mind?

This is the sad reality of the Bills playing in Toronto, and while my snap reaction is one of anger, I'm well aware of the reality of the situation. There is an amazing force in Toronto that just isn't in surplus around Western New York: money. And so while the GTA expands and the skyline morphs by the year, not much is changing around these parts.

The decision to go North makes sense fiscally, and while it seems like such a cruel, cruel betrayal, the former is all that really matters to the people who make these decisions. No matter how many Buffalonians hate it, and no matter how many Argos fans fight it, there is enough money and enough interest to make it work. People are going to show up to these games and they will make a lot of money over the next five years.

It will work, and I suppose I've made amends with that. Yeah, I'm going to hate it the whole way, but it is going to be a "rousing success" and I've almost gotten over it. Okay, that's a freaking lie, but you just can't be blind to this whole thing anymore. This is reality, and since when has reality been kind to those in the Queen City?




Excelsior, I guess.

An Educated Thought on the Bills Schedule

by Ryan


I hope the old man dies.

100,000 People...

...want the chance to help knock the first domino over.

It's funny, because I know at least a few thousand that wouldn't mind knocking over the guy playing with the set.



The sad thing is that his limbs are probably in correct proportion to his body.

I would share with you what I said while in Toronto last week, but let me just say his demise, while knocking another domino down, wouldn't cut me all that deep.