Off Topic » The Buffalo Bills‘ long-term future in western New York

BUFFALO Tony Pollard Jersey , N.Y. (AP)was secured when Terry and Kim Pegula purchased the franchise following the death of Hall of Fame owner Ralph Wilson in 2014.Where the team will play its home games – at its current stadium in suburban Orchard Park or at a new downtown Buffalo facility – within the next decade is the question.NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell touched on the topic at league meetings in Florida on Wednesday by saying the Pegulas are ”at a very early stage” in assessing their options. Goodell then left the details to be announced by the owners when they are ready to share them with the community.On Tuesday, Terry Pegula said, ”We talk about that heavily internally, but not publicly,” when asked if the Bills would consider using the opt-out clause in their lease in two years to explore a new stadium site.The Bills later clarified Pegula’s comment by saying he was referring to long-term stadium plans and adding that the team had no plans to opt out of the lease, which expires in the summer of 2023.The Bills maintain they are early in their planning process and have not ruled out any option. They’re also aware that time will become an issue in determining whether the next lease negotiations will focus on a long- or short-term agreement.The questions come down to building a new stadium, either downtown or near the Bills’ existing site; renovating their current home, New Era Field; and how much public money would be spent.One possibility is pairing a new stadium and Buffalo’s need for a new convention center, which would ease concerns over taxpayer money being spent on a stand-alone sports facility.A new stadium alone would cost approximately $1 billion.Staying at New Era Field, which opened in 1973, also wouldn’t come cheap.A stadium site selection study conducted by AECOM Technical Services in 2014 projected it would cost $540 million for the next series of renovations, including structural improvements and rebuilding the stadium’s third deck. The study based its estimates on what it cost the Green Bay Packers and Kansas City Chiefs to extensively renovate their facilities over the previous decade.And that cost is on top of the $130 million in renovations that took place four years ago, and the $18 million the Pegulas are spending on club seat upgrades this year.The next step would involve the Bills hiring a firm to conduct a feasibility study to identify sites, costs and what best suits a franchise based in one of the NFL’s smallest markets.The AECOM study was commissioned by New York state – not the Bills – at an uncertain time during the sale process. Concerned that someone out of town would purchase the Bills and consider relocating them, Gov. Andrew Cuomo had the study conducted to provide prospective owners a list of options of what the region had to offer.The relocation fear ended once the Pegulas, who own the NHL’s Sabres and have established a corporate base in Buffalo, emerged as the front-runners.The AECOM study can at least still serve as a guide.Of the three downtown stadium sites identified, one is no longer an option because it has since been developed.The site that drew the most attention is a large two-block parcel of street-level parking lots located in the city’s emerging Cobblestone entertainment district. The site is located a block east of the Sabres’ arena and within two blocks of HarborCenter, a $200 million hotel and hockey entertainment facility built by the Pegulas, and the headquarters of Pegula Sports and Entertainment.One person directly involved in discussions three years ago, after the Pegulas purchased the team, told The Associated Press in January that the Bills were focused on building a downtown stadium Noah Fant Jersey , and that the Cobblestone site was regarded as ”one of the prime target areas.” The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the talks were private.It’s unclear whether those plans have changed.At the time, the state was tentatively committed to funding the necessary infrastructure upgrades, such as expanding roadways and access ramps from nearby Interstate 190. The site is also close to public transportation. It’s a five-minute drive from the Peace Bridge border crossing into southern Ontario, a few blocks from the Amtrak Rail station, and within about 15,000 parking spaces.Developer Carl Paladino, who owns a large number of properties in the area, called the Cobblestone site ”the most logical place to put it (a stadium),” in an interview with the AP in January.Kim Pegula outlined the challenges the Bills faced during an interview with the AP in 2014.”You only get to build a stadium once, so we just want to make sure we take our time and do the right thing,” she said. ”We just want to make sure that when the time comes that we have done all our homework and have the best stadium that we can for Buffalo.”The Pegulas have since backed off discussing stadium plans by calling them premature, and added they’re satisfied with the most recent renovations.— NEW YORK (AP) — Sam Darnold had a tough time sitting through film of the game. New York Jets fans certainly know the feeling.After throwing four interceptions in an ugly 13-6 loss at Miami on Sunday , the rookie quarterback shouldered the blame and was looking for answers.“For me, it’s just not playing to the best of my ability and, quite frankly, just playing stupid,” Darnold said Monday. “I thought I played stupid football yesterday and I’ve just got to be better. I know that, the coaches know that and everyone knows that.”Well, yeah.But Darnold isn’t alone. Not by any stretch.Most of the venom from frustrated fans on social media and sports talk radio was directed at coach Todd Bowles, whose hold on his job has become increasingly tenuous as the Jets (3-6) head toward another year — it would be eight straight — without making the playoffs.“I’m sick of losing,” second-year safety Jamal Adams said after the game. “I’m not a loser. I want to get back on the winning track. We’ve lost three straight? Come on, man.”This is now a franchise staring at a crossroads.The Jets have a home game Sunday against the bumbling Buffalo Bills (2-7) http://www.broncosauthorizedshops.com/authentic-dalton-risner-jersey , who somehow look even more inept than their AFC East counterparts.“I think it’s huge,” Bowles acknowledged. “It’s our next game. It’s a division rivalry. … Winning takes care of a lot problems and a lot of issues. It’s important for us to win the next ballgame.”A loss at MetLife Stadium will raise the heat under Bowles’ seat to scorching levels. And, it could force owner Christopher Johnson to seriously re-evaluate things — especially with the team heading into a bye-week break.“People are obviously a little upset, a little disappointed, coming off three straight losses,” defensive lineman Leonard Williams said. “We definitely needed this one. It was a division game and we talked all week about how important it was for us to get this win.”And, they still lost.But there are enough culprits to share the blame.“It’s not just Sam, it’s the team, period,” Bowles said. “Yesterday, it was mainly the offense. It was tweaks here and there, but we just have to play better and execute as a whole.”Darnold, of course, had his worst game to date. Center Spencer Long had several wayward shotgun snaps because of a reinjured right middle finger before Bowles finally pulled him from the game. Jeremy Bates’ offense seemed stuck in neutral, and wide receivers rarely gave Darnold a target. And, even the normally sure-handed Jermaine Kearse had a few drops and capped a bad day by forgetting where he was on the field before catching a pass late in the game while standing out of bounds.“I’m very concerned because we didn’t score a bunch of points the last three weeks,” Bowles said. “We’ve got to find a way to execute better and get it right.”Darnold’s OK with pointing the finger at himself. But it has raised the thought he might be best served sitting for a week just to clear his head while 39-year-old backup Josh McCown takes the field.A quarterback change, however, doesn’t appear to be in the plans.“Not at this time,” Bowles said, “no.”Darnold, the No. 3 overall draft pick Drew Lock Jersey , leads the NFL with 14 interceptions and has struggled during the last three games. He said “I thought I played bad” on Sunday and added he thought the offensive line “blocked their butts off.”Still, the Jets scored six points and have 33 in their last three games combined.“I’ve just got to play smarter, play better,” he said. “Yeah, I definitely feel like I forced some things (Sunday), but at the same time, I feel like there were some throws where I was second-guessing myself and I could’ve pulled the trigger.”The last thing the Jets want is for their still-developing franchise QB is to become increasingly gun-shy.“I think it’s just me at some moments in the game getting in my own head,” Darnold said. “I’ve just got to stay true to my progressions, stay true to the confidence that I normally have, and just go out there and sling it.”The defense was mostly solid, allowing just 168 total yards, the second fewest under Bowles. That included 104 yards passing, the lowest under Bowles.Yet, the Jets still came up short in a game they all acknowledged they should have won.“I think the biggest consensus overall, for the players and for the coaches and as an organization, we all know that sticking together is what’s going to help us continue the season,” Williams said. “If we start dividing now, if coaches start dividing from players and players from players and coaches from coaches — any type of division in this organization — is only going to hinder us.”