On a frigid winter day in the early 1980s, as I dashed through our house in Cohoes, I caught sight of my father engrossed in the TV while wrapped in a cozy blanket on a kitchen chair. It wasn’t the chill that made him shiver, but rather the intense focus he had on what was playing on the screen.
Curious, I looked at the television and inquired about his interest. He informed me that he was watching the Buffalo Bills. This was the moment my love for the Bills began – all because of my father, who hailed from Buffalo’s “First Ward.” He had been a devoted supporter of the team since his childhood and even worked at the old stadium selling peanuts, which gave him the privilege of witnessing their games firsthand.
That was all I needed to hear. My father adored the Bills, and I adored my father. I spent the following years immersing myself in football knowledge and wholeheartedly cheering for the Buffalo Bills. It was effortless during the late ’80s with esteemed players like Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas, and Bruce Smith. However, as the ’90s and 2000s arrived, the team’s success waned. Yet, it didn’t matter to us whether their record was 6 and 10 or 3 and 13; we remained loyal to our guys.
In 1994, I became a father to my own son who, unsurprisingly, also became a Bills fan. I envisioned the countless games we would attend together, passionately supporting our team. In 2004, we became season ticket holders, oblivious to the fact that it would take 14 years before he would witness another winning season. Nevertheless, we persevered, starting from the bleacher seats in the end zone and steadily upgrading until we secured a spot behind the bench.
Fast forward to today, my oldest son is now a father himself, and we had begun making plans for his daughter’s first game. Unfortunately, those plans may not come to fruition. With the impending opening of the new stadium, it seems that I won’t be able to afford my precious seats. Along with other ticket holders, I brace myself for the introduction of “personal seat license” fees, a charge imposed just to retain the privilege of purchasing seats.
According to a survey sent to season ticket holders, the seats positioned between the 40 yard lines are deemed “premium” or “club” seats, warranting an estimated PSL cost of around $16,500 per seat, with single-game ticket prices reaching $450. Considering these projections, I would potentially face a staggering PSL fee of $49,500 alone.
Although I anticipated ticket price increases, I never envisioned a scenario after 19 years where I would be forced to relinquish my season tickets. It is disheartening to believe that the Buffalo Bills, a team from a small-market with a blue-collar fan base, would institute such exorbitant fees that loyal fans can no longer afford to support them from the stands. Countless long-time ticket holders face the prospect of being unable to cheer on their team in the new stadium, and that saddens me.
Perhaps it is no longer about the fans. Already, state and county taxpayers contribute a whopping $850 million towards the new stadium for billionaire owners Kim and Terry Pegula and the NFL. In light of this immense public investment, is it truly necessary to burden fans with personal seat license fees, even if other stadiums do so?
Every season, my father utters the same hopeful sentiment: “This is it, we are going to win it – I’d like to see us win just one before I go.” The Buffalo Bills have been our unwavering team, whether they endured the infamous “wide right” or staged a miraculous playoff comeback from a 35-3 deficit. We stood by them through sunny and snowy game days alike. However, even if they were to achieve the ultimate victory, it appears that my father might be unable to attend the season opener, where the team unveils the coveted Lombardi trophy. It’s a tragedy and a clear sign that the owners have lost sight of the Bills’ purpose and their dedicated fanbase.
Jacqueline DeChiaro, a resident of Cohoes, shares this sentiment.
[Aside: Retaining the original aside with the link to a collection widget.]
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