Filling seats easier for Bills than winning games

By Anthony Bialy  |   Wednesday, June 24, 2009  |  Comments( 53 )

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The Buffalo Bills must be doing something right, even if nobody’s sure what it is. Reports claim that they’re on track to sell 55,000 season tickets for 2009, which is a remarkable accomplishment for a team that’s spent a decade proving true parity is impossible. Fans are on board for whatever reason, and now the franchise just has to prove that it’s as good at football as it is at marketing.

Maybe owner Ralph Wilson has wedged his way into the Hall of Fame because he’s gotten fans to purchase whatever he’s selling. It’s genius, in its way. These aren’t luxury goods he’s made available: Personal stadium spaces are moving even though his teams have gone 24 games below .500 since their last playoff appearance in 1999.

But Wilson may have miscalculated because one factor that’s seemingly in fans’ favor is actually a false advantage. Namely, Buffalo’s renowned economical ticket rate, which stands as the NFL’s lowest, is partly responsible for the shockingly high sales level.

Frankly, seats are too reasonable. If customers are grabbing a product that’s of debatable value, it’s likely thanks to excessive cheapness. The affordability has undoubtedly impacted roster quality, even factoring the salary cap: Fans would be willing to pay more if it meant more enjoyment for their dollars, namely with ample wins. Even if the Bills sold fewer packages that way, they’d make more per transaction. Details are likely spelled out in an economic textbook somewhere.

Still, fans are undoubtedly plunking down cash for reasons bigger than the low-rent pricing. They’re buying stocks low; in doing so, they’re tacitly assuming that this squad’s decade-long stint in oblivion won’t continue into perpetuity. Backers are clearly sensing that this could actually be the season where their squad makes the playoff cut.

No, really. Fans can cite positive examples of evidence across the roster. They could point out that Lee Evans is peaking; meanwhile, Marshawn Lynch should excel for 13/16ths of the season. On the ball’s other side, precocious defenders like Paul Posluszny and Donte Whitner are coming into their own. Overall, a healthy defensive group could work with the offense to win multiple games and steal a few more on their own.

Plus, ticket-buyers are of course wagering on Terrell Owens. They’re assuming with their dollars that he will contribute enough to bring success despite his impending bouts with melodrama.

Potential ticket-holders weren’t the ones who chose to make that tradeoff by signing him. But they have collectively decided that they may as well cash in on the team’s Faustian bargain. It’s best to deal with the Devil on an exclusively third-party basis.

There have been other times during the undying postseason drought where the elements for success looked to have been present; neither the Drew Bledsoe Era nor the J.P. Losman Moment precisely worked out. But many promising forces appear to be genuinely simultaneously cresting this time.

Or, fans may figure that the Bills simply have to make the playoffs eventually; that may be untrue if it doesn’t happen this season. Either way, there’s hope the team may be finally ready to stumble out of the darkness, or at least to 10 wins.

Season-ticket buyers are also maintaining faith for practical reasons. Specifically, those who have suffered through the 2000s are ensuring they’ll be around for a possible ultimate payoff; it would be foolish to quit now after enduring years of rotten-to-mediocre football. They’ve pumped enough coins into a stingy slot machine that they may as well stay parked in front of it until it pays off— or until their quarter cup is empty.
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CommentsComments: 53  |  Sign Up  View all comments
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No.1
ddd		06:25 AM
06/25/2009
Nobody can ever question the loyalty and support the good people of WNY have given the Bills thru all these years. This is all ...
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No.2
06:38 AM
06/25/2009
For the first time ever I feel as though Anthony has read our posts. This article follows yesterday's discussion of why we still ...
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No.3
ddd		06:52 AM
06/25/2009
"...putting large objects into your colon..."??? Between your last avatar depicting gay oral sex and now this reference, could ...
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