The Buffalo Bills reached the AFC Championship Game last season and all talk surrounding the franchise should focus on an exciting outlook for 2021.
But fans in Buffalo just can’t have nice things, apparently.
The main story surrounding the team this offseason has to do with Cole Beasley and his take on the vaccine discussion.
That alone is a major distraction in the locker room, but fans can at least look away from that for the time being.
Yet we have another story that directly affects the fans.
A report in The Buffalo News explains how Bills ownership is asking for a new stadium worth over $1 billion to be paid for entirely by the public.
Oh, it gets worse.
Here is a quote from the article that may have fans panicking:
“The team has made no overt threats, sources say, to leave Buffalo if it doesn’t get the full funding request, but it has made clear to government negotiators that there are other cities elsewhere that desire an NFL franchise and would pay handsomely for it.”
This is now a serious situation that will get the state government involved.
Could The Bills Move?
My take on what will happen with #Bills stadium
🏈 They won't move
🏈 Pegula's will eventually privately finance % (TBD)
🏈 People with overreact to everything#BillsMafia— Mike Catalana (@MikeCatalana) August 1, 2021
The current stadium lease expires in 2023, but would obviously be renewed if a new stadium deal was agreed upon.
Yet this is a matter that could stretch out over the course of a year.
The full ask from ownership is roughly $1.5 billion that also covers some renovations for the Buffalo Sabres’ arena.
Asking the city to pay this sum of money almost sounds evil.
The evil part is acknowledging how other cities would pay to lure the Bills away.
The Bills have been in Buffalo since 1960 and are a staple in the NFL.
Moving them because of money would be enough to make fans of basically any NFL team fear relocation.
The hope, for Bills fans, is that this is simply a ridiculous starting point in negotiations.
A PR Nightmare
This is such a terrible look for Bills ownership.
Threatening a move, even if indirectly, has leaked out and now fans have this on their radar.
It should be noted that Sabres fans don’t exactly love the Pegulas, and Bills fans will quickly follow suit.
The Pegula’s are the worst thing to happen to Buffalo sports.
— Ben Mathewson (@Ben_Mathewson) August 1, 2021
Few, if any, people in general will support using local money to fund a stadium for such a rich set of individuals.
That is just a public relations nightmare waiting to happen and shows they may be way too out of touch to relate to anyone in the city of Buffalo.
The Bills are facing countless distractions and we are only at the beginning of August.
While this stadium issue won’t directly change anything in 2021, it is a major story to keep an eye on as negotiations continue.
NEXT: Josh Allen Contract: What Would A New Deal Look Like?