New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said a bunch more stuff yesterday (to the Buffalo News editorial board, naturally, where she was sure to find a receptive audience) about how she’s “confident” about getting a Buffalo Bills stadium done just in time for the April 1 budget deadline, though she still isn’t revealing any details of how talks or going or who would pay what for how expensive a stadium. But buried way down in the News story on Hochul’s non-announcement was this:
“I know that they are a very valuable asset,” she said. “For them to be in a market as small as Buffalo is rather extraordinary, and I don’t take that for granted. That’s why I have to work out a deal that is beneficial to them, knowing that there is other competition out there. I’m aware of that, and it is something that I lie awake and think about sometimes.”
Hochul referred to reports from last summer describing the possibility that the Bills could move to a larger market if a stadium deal doesn’t happen.
“There are other cities that were making at least a play for the Bills, and I’m very cognizant of that,” Hochul said.
There were? Digging back through this site’s archives, I see a tweet from an ESPN reporter that an “ownership source” told him Austin “would pay handsomely” for an NFL franchise, and a whole lot of saber-rattling from friend of the NFL Mike Florio about the team relocating somewhere, and that’s pretty much it.
NFL teams in cities of any size are a lot more footloose than teams in other sports thanks to the league’s generous national TV deals that pay out whether you play in New York City or Walla Walla — something we’ve discussed at length here — but if Hochul genuinely has evidence that other cities (cough, cough, Greensboro) have been “making a play” for the Bills, you’d think she would have provided details. Or, you know, the Buffalo News editorial board might have asked her what she was talking about. Ha ha, just kidding, that’s not what the News editorial board is there for, please go elsewhere to seek your actual journalism.
Ah, the power of office rests heavily on her shoulders…..
I’m from Austin and there hasn’t been a peep about anyone paying for an NFL team. We couldn’t even get anyone to buy an MLS soccer team. Some dude from Ohio had to move his team here.
And he had to pay for his own stadium.
His stadium reportedly cost over $200 million dollars and I look at it and think
“where did the money go?”
Funny. Some of us commoners lie awake at night wondering if we’ll be able to afford the rent. But I guess since we don’t contribute to the politicians funds, they don’t care about “us”
She knows only too well that the next time Rafael “Cancun” Cruz alights during a crisis he is taking the Bills with him.
He didn’t take the family dog with him to Cancun, so I doubt he’d take the Bills.
He was just being kind… leaving behind his dog for his fellow Texans to eat in lieu of actual food while he enjoys a holiday in Mexico.
Besides, the dog can’t do anything for him. The Bill$ certainly can.
That I believe! I can’t imagine what it’s like to be a dog owned by
Cancun Cruz.
Poor dog…..