Columbus, OH – Birmingham, Salt Lake City, Des Moines and San Antonio are cities that the NFL has considered for expansion.
However, instead of expansion, the NFL should consider mercy on the “Chicken Wing Capital of the World.” One of twelve NFL franchises without a Super Bowl victory, the Buffalo Bills lead the league with four Super Bowl losses (tied with the Minnesota Vikings). The Bills are routinely in the championship conversation, but Buffalonians have been consistently teased and abused.
As a related point, Bills Owner, Terry Pegula, worth $7 billion, threatened to move the team, saying “the city of Buffalo and the state are going to have to decide if they want a team,” as he petitioned for tax dollars to create a $1.4 billion stadium. Pundits suggested Pegula was bluffing as he owns Buffalo’s NHL franchise, but others suggested he could move the hapless Bills to another city in the Empire state.
New York has decided to build a new 62,000 seat stadium that will eventually cost $1.7 billion. New York’s governor said that state tax dollars will have a solid return on investment. Sure, it will. Yet, in the same breath, Governor Kathy Hochul reminded the “Bills Mafia” that the team was being courted by other cities to find a fresh new atmosphere.
Municipalities across the country are recognizing that the Bills franchise might need a change of scenery to be successful. They came calling but lost to the new stadium initiative that will be ready in 2026.
The new stadium will be the second smallest in the NFL; The Bear’s Soldier Field, at 61,500 seats, was completed in the 1920s when construction technology didn’t support mega-stadiums.
Again, Buffalo finishes in second place.
Why did the “Boy I Love to Lose the Super Bowl” town not build a bigger stadium? Perhaps, the city’s leadership realized that they couldn’t find more than 62,000 “hairy-nippled” fanatics to sit through games topless in December. There has to be an “over-under bet “in here somewhere.
At some point, Pegula’s fellow owners need to sit him down and facilitate a graceful exit for this NFL franchise named after Wild Bill Cody, the famed Bison hunter nicknamed Buffalo Bill. And, no, he never lived in Buffalo. Go figure.
Sadly, not only does the team put the locals in a bad mood every January, but they compel an NFL-fandom-wide anxiety. Viewers watch the Bills in the Playoffs like Roman citizens watched lions devour prisoners in the Colosseum. Rumor has it that the Colosseum had more seats than “New Highmark Stadium,” will have be in 2026.
Finally, the Bills continue to bring in talent, but they can’t shake the buffalo sauce curse. For example, Josh Allen is a wonderful player, a superstar in the making. But the poor fellow must be distraught.
After his latest failure, he said “to be the champs, you got to beat the champs, and we didn’t do it tonight.” His facial expressions spoke volumes about his misery, but his countenance wasn’t unique. Minus his beard, Allen looks a lot like Jim Kelly.
It has to be tough on Allen knowing that year-in-and-year-out Patrick Mahomes has to spew some unique half-truth about the Bills greatness even though they blew it again. Kudos to Mahomes and the Chief’s public affairs staff for their creativity.
For decades, the Buffalo fanbase has been imploring the Bills to do something new, like win. Marv Levy, 99-years-old, who served as head coach for all four Super Bowl losses, has never been to Disneyworld. He isn’t getting any younger.
At this rate, Mickey and Minnie may be able to relocate before the Bills and their fanbase can experience the “most magical place on earth.”
