The Buffalo Bills’ new stadium has had plenty of controversy since it was announced. Dome or no dome, how big are the buffalos in front going to be, and what I think is biggest of all, downtown or in Orchard Park.
I currently live in Pittsburgh after growing up in beautiful Medina, New York. The Steel City manages to have its NHL, MLB, and NFL stadiums within the city limits. Why can’t Buffalo do this?
For fans who want to complain about traffic, I am convinced Pittsburgh’s roads were designed by 3-year-olds, and yet the traffic after games is somehow beyond minimal. After games, fans walk to the countless bars and restaurants within walking distance and it’s not just a mad dash of cars to leave the games.
There’s nothing I love more than being able to go to these games in Pittsburgh have a great time, and not have to worry about a safe ride home. I can take public transportation or have the plethora of Uber or Lyft drivers since we are downtown and not 20 minutes away in the suburbs.
My parents and I went to the Garth Brooks concert last year, and we were unable to get any Ubers afterward and had to walk back to our hotel. Having a stadium downtown would make these issues non-existent. Hopefully we would see a decrease in drunk driving due to there being options available for folks.
A Bills stadium downtown would revitalize the downtown area to heights. New bars, increased public transportation and a reason to be downtown would do wonders for Buffalo. However, these changes won’t happen because of a stadium, and I will probably never see them in my lifetime.
The current Bills stadium was built in 1973. If the team keeps the new stadium for the same amount of time, we won’t see a new home for the Bills until the 2070s.
We are all really stuck with this stadium for the rest of our lives, and I felt we should have a bit more input on the whole process. Especially if a record-setting $850 million is coming from taxpayers.
The Chicago Bears just released renderings of a new downtown stadium and God this would be incredible to have on our own waterfront.
To dome or not to dome
For better or worse, I make most of my decisions based on vibes, and there are no better vibes than a Buffalo Bills snow game. While these conditions may neutralize our unicorn QB a bit, I just cannot pass up the visuals of fans throwing snow in the air after every touchdown.
With that being said, I am sold by this snake oil that is 65% coverage for seats. I cannot fathom this being true but I am sold by this slanted roof in the renderings.
I am also a sucker for those drone/blimp shots above the stadium and being able to see the field looks so much nicer.
Big ass Buffaloes
They say pictures are worth a thousand words, but this one may be a million. No sentence I can craft can come close to what this picture can provide.
I would be content with the stadium being in Orchard Park if this was incorporated.
The current record for the largest buffalo statue is 26 feet and is in North Dakota. The big ass buffaloes in front of the stadium need to beat that feat.
However, having a stadium downtown I feel would really help this city out. Tailgating can be done anywhere. Pittsburgh has so many lots for Steelers games, and there is life to games outside of parking lots before and after games.
I know this is what makes Buffalo unique, but having other options for folks makes things better for everyone.