Good morning, Bills fans. We start out our discussions today with a review of the SB Nation Small Market Roundtable, which wrapped up yesterday with the final installment over at Acme Packing Company. Here's a full recap of the nearly-two month roundtable:
River City Rage over at Big Cat Country kicked off the roundtable with a discussion on the relocation of NFL franchises. Here he discusses the multitude of problems the NFL's small market franchises face, and how no resolution of these issues will force these teams to relocate. Quote to Note:
When the costs of supporting an NFL team in Jacksonville rise so high that the team is no longer profitable, the team will move to a larger market that can sustain the costs. While Los Angeles might not have the stadium, the interest, or the money to take an NFL team, there will be some ownership group out there willing to try and force one.
Sean Yuille over at Pride of Detroit discussed the advantages and disadvantages of brand new stadiums in the NFL. As the blogger for the Lions, he seemed the obvious choice to host this discussion, as Detroit's Ford Field is one of (if not the) most gorgeous facility in the entire league. Quote to Note:
The reality of it is that in today's world, stadiums like this are a need for NFL teams. It doesn't reach that team alone as the economic impact is felt throughout the surrounding areas. Just look at Dallas already. They will host a Super Bowl because of their new stadium. The Cotton Bowl is moving there, and probably many other big events will make their way through. Same with Indianapolis' new Lucas Oil Stadium. That will bring opportunities down the road.
BigBlueShoe over at Stampede Blue took Week Three's topic of free agent attraction to big market cities. This was perhaps the best article out of a group of fantastically written pieces, so be sure to check it out. Quote to Note:
So what's the solution? As a fan, the solution is simple: Chill. Free agents rarely, if ever, mean the difference between winning and losing in the NFL. Again, unlike the lost cause that is the MLB, there is no guarantee that signing a big money free agent will put you over the top, regardless of how big or small your market is.
Jimmy over at Music City Miracles kept the roundtable rolling in week four with a discussion on Media Coverage and how large and small markets affect how media think. This was a very intriguing read. Quote to note:
Tom Brady is seen walking around in a Yankees hat and it is earth shattering news, meanwhile, you haven't heard a word from ESPN about the Titans moving their first round pick from safety to corner. If you don't live in Tennessee you probably haven't heard anything about that.
Gonzo over at the Daily Norseman took advantage of week five as an opportunity to talk about prime time scheduling. This something Bills fans can relate to - this season's Monday Night matchup against Dallas is the team's first home MNF appearance since 1994. Quote to Note:
Quite honestly, it's my opinion that there are some factors that weigh more heavily on whether or not a team gets on prime time television than market size does. Frankly, if these things went on market size, the Vikings would probably see more prime time games than they have, considering that Minneapolis-St. Paul is one of the top 10-15 media markets in the U.S.
Yours truly here at Buffalo Rumblings hosted the discussions on Revenue Sharing the following week. We had a big help from Dock Ellis, the first-ever diarist here at Buffalo Rumblings, who did a nice write-up on the late Lamar Hunt. Quote to Note:
The problems are not devastating at the moment, but the future implications are. The rich teams are going to get richer, and by comparison the poor teams will be getting poorer. Without some sort of local revenue sharing plan, smaller-market teams may be forced to relocate to bigger cities with better stadiums, richer people to buy luxury seats and more attractive facilities to free agents. The growing disparity will drive out what makes football football. Blue-collar, lesser-revenue cities like Buffalo - who rely on the Bills both as a boost to the Western New York economy as well as one of the main entertainment attractions - won't have a team to cheer for.
Brandon over at Acme Packing Company wrapped up the roundtable yesterday with a compelling look at Green Bay as a "small market anomaly". Ever wonder how Green Bay, the smallest market team in the league, can stay afloat for so long? Brandon's got the answer. Quote to Note:
What is an anomaly is that local businessmen stepped up in 1925, 1935, and in the 1950s to keep the team alive and in Green Bay when no such thing happened in all the other small cities that had NFL franchises. Another anomaly is that local businessmen were able to put the franchise into a non-profit company in 1925 and again in 1935, back before the other team owners and the league decided that NFL teams couldn't be owned in that way.
That's it. The whole shebang. Make sure to check out all the articles and leave your feedback - positive or negative - on the SB Nation Small Market Roundtable!
