Buffalo Bills fans were greeted with a bit of a shocking report earlier this year.
The news was that ownership wanted to build a new stadium, and have the public fund it for well over $1 billion.
That meant no money from the owners would be kicked in to help with the cost.
To make things worse, relocation was even rumored to be brought up in the discussion as leverage.
All of this was terrible news for Bills fans, but it appears this was all for naught.
An AP report revealed the Pegulas, who own the franchise, are indeed committed to splitting the cost of a new stadium.
The Pegulas have stated that they will be paying for a portion of the new stadium, per @Marcel_LJ#GoBills | #BillsMafia
— Built in Buffalo (@BuiltInBuffalo_) August 14, 2021
Still Lingering Concerns
But i was told the Pegulas needed the public to 100% fund a new stadium https://t.co/lg1RwGgZFH
— Aaron B (@APBoynton) August 6, 2021
It is fair for Bills fans to wonder how this rumor came up in the first place.
Well, it may be possible that was the starting point in negotiations.
Yet a starting point is obviously not going to be fair for all sides, thus comes the change in tone of the message.
The current stadium lease ends in the summer of 2023, putting the franchise and the city on the clock.
Agreeing on a new stadium would obviously lead to some sort of extension until construction was completed.
Still, no one could blame any Bills fan still worried about this story existing at all.
Could The Team Move?
Austin, Texas was the city that came up in the initial rumors about the Bills moving.
That mention could not have been by accident and it is clear most NFL owners have cities in mind if stadium deals don’t work out.
The Cleveland Browns moved to Baltimore, the St. Louis Rams headed back to Los Angeles, and so on.
Money wins out in most cases and cites without an NFL team are eager to land one, even if it means moving a historic franchise out of a devoted town of fans.
That is just the way the business goes.
But for now, it would be a shock for the Pegulas to actually threaten to move the team.
Asking the public to fund the entirety of a new stadium was a truly evil asking price, especially given the state of everything with COVID, so hopefully that was just a quick ask that has fallen away.
The Bills moving would be a disaster and would surely come with plenty of fight from fans and the New York government.
That is something the Pegulas should want to avoid at all costs.
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