Buffalo Bills stadium: NFL, Erie County negotiating through the media

There are lots of stakeholders involved in the Buffalo Bills' stadium situation. Earlier this week from the NFL's owner meetings, New York Giants owner John Mara made public comments pushing for a new facility for the Bills. With one side negotiating publicly, another side took to local media to state their case for the existing stadium.

"The NFL is not just about making more revenue. It's about how can you make the most revenue possible," Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz told Buffalo TV station WGRZ. "They don't care about Buffalo. They only care about lining their pockets. And I'm serious when I say that. The Bills currently don't sell all the suites they have available now. For them to say you need a new stadium ... I disagree. And if they are going to try to pull the viability argument out, then show us the numbers. And if you are not going to show us the numbers, then I don't believe there's a problem with viability because I have spoken with the team. I know what the team says and I trust what the team says."

According to John Wawrow of the Associated Press, the Bills were making $30 million a season before the Pegulas took over. It's no surprise Poloncarz doesn't want to pony up more money when the team is making that much profit.

The Bills, County, and New York State recently put $130 million in renovations into their current home in Orchard Park and signed a lease that ends in 2022. While the Bills might not be publicly talking about what will happen next, it seems other folks with interests in the stadium have no trouble negotiating in the media. Even Delaware North, the Bills concessions company, is speaking to local media about the situation.