Stadium Group Puts Buffalo Bills Future into Perspective

Nov 17, 2013; Orchard Park, NY, USA; The American Flag on the field before a gam,e between the Buffalo Bills and the New York Jets at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports

With the recent passing of Ralph Wilson Jr. there has been many questions as to what will happen with the future of the Buffalo Bills in Western New York.

The New Stadium Working Group met for the first time yesterday to begin that long and lengthy process to determine if a retrofitted stadium is the way to go for the future of the Buffalo Bills or if a brand new stadium built somewhere in or around the Buffalo area is the answer to a long term resolution for the future of the Bills.

"“The most important thing is to focus on data, focus on facts, don’t let emotion get in the way,” Lt. Gov. Robert Duffy told reporters after the New Stadium Working Group met for about two hours in the Buffalo-Niagara Convention Center in its first session.”– Buffalo News"

This is not going to be something that will be decided within the next couple of months.  Collecting and analyzing data is going to take a long time to do and then a determination will be made.

"“We’ve got a lot of work to do,” Duffy said. “We understand the seriousness. We understand the urgency. And we understand how people feel about the Buffalo Bills. We all feel exactly the same way.”– Buffalo News"

The other two chairman consist of Russ Brandon, Bills President and CEO, and Mark Poloncarz, Erie Count Executive.

Poloncarz stated that nothing is going to be decided anytime soon.

"”I don’t want people to think we were sitting in here and made the determination, `Yes, there’s going to be a new stadium.’ That’s not the case,” he said. ”What we’re doing is putting in place the pieces to make those determinations. Anything else would be pure speculation.”– BuffaloBills.com"

Good news, at this point, is that Duffy and the other chairman as well as Gov. Cuomo see the importance of keeping the Buffalo Bills in Buffalo.

"”I don’t want people to think we were sitting in here and made the determination, `Yes, there’s going to be a new stadium.’ That’s not the case,” he said. ”What we’re doing is putting in place the pieces to make those determinations. Anything else would be pure speculation.”– Buffalo News"

With renovations currently taking place on the 40 year old Ralph Wilson Stadium, you can bet that nothing will be decided this year or next.  There is an urgency to get this finalized and a direction to be determined and it may become more of an urgency if the team is sold before a decision is made, but it seems as though this will be a process that is going to take it time.