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The Buffalo Bills announced on Friday morning that team owner Ralph Wilson will purchase any remaining tickets for Sunday's home game against the Cincinnati Bengals, guaranteeing a sellout and avoiding the first blackout in the NFL this season.
#Bills owner Ralph Wilson, Jr. has guaranteed the purchase of all remaining tickets for Sunday's game against the Bengals. No blackout.
— Buffalo Bills (@buffalobills) October 11, 2013
Team president and CEO Russ Brandon told WGR 550 on Wednesday that 7,000 tickets remained for Sunday's game. Yesterday, the Bills requested and were granted a 24-hour extension to avoid a blackout with 5,300 tickets remaining to be sold. Now, regardless of how many tickets are sold by today's 1PM ET deadline, the Bills' Hall of Fame owner will buy out the lot and allow Western New Yorkers to take in the game from home.
Unless the Bills can show improvement and provide entertainment value over the next several weeks with Thaddeus Lewis under center, the team may struggle to sell out three remaining home dates: November 3 against the Kansas City Chiefs, November 17 against the New York Jets, and December 22 against the Miami Dolphins.