NFL
By: Randall Slifer
The Buffalo Bills held their Red & Blue practice at the brand-new, shiny Highmark Stadium. It was the first event open to the public, and it seemed like everyone walking into the stadium was a building inspector (credit: @BarstoolBigCat).
Before we continue, this is an opinion piece. I did not go inside Highmark Stadium for the practice, and I am basing my thoughts about what I saw on local reporters, fans, and workers.
It is difficult to make everyone happy. We probably shouldn’t talk about how the grass/field uses some of the latest technology and isn’t turf anymore, right? Some fans said there wasn’t enough red and blue in the concourses (what?). People want the piss troughs back. The pay system for concessions MAY be flawed. Someone tried to use a regular ticket to access a club-level area and thought it was unjust.
Small potatoes are small potatoes. Let’s take a look at the top three issues folks presented during the first event at the new Highmark Stadium.
The Canopy Cover
Bills Mafia believed the canopy would cover about 60% of the stadium seating, as Buffalo opted not to build a dome for Highmark Stadium. Highmark Stadium got its first test at its first event, and 60% covered is a stretch. The 400- and part of the 300-level seating are completely covered and did not get rained on. The rest of the stadium headed to the concourses (thankfully, those are huge, right?).
There are back-and-forth discussions about how many seats can be covered, as some folks and workers were aware that those were the correct seats to be covered from the start. There is so much weight a canopy can cover in a snowpocalypse town like Orchard Park.
Without a dome (my preference), seats will be uncovered, and watching games in the elements is truly underrated. Something Bills fans have done their entire lives. I also think there is something wonderful about the fact that the folks who could only afford the nosebleeds get a great perk when it begins to rain or snow.
Seats with obstructed views
A prominent local reporter found a seat with an obstructed view, covered by concrete, and could not see the whole field. Turns out those seats aren’t for sale for Bills games. The question would be, what are they for then? Buffalo has already confirmed 6 major concerts at Highmark Stadium, and full-field viewing will not be necessary. Let’s move on.
The seats in question that could be bothersome are the ones in front of stairways leading to your section. For example:
*Pic via @Buffalo_Weather
Folks who bought season tickets are given a virtual tour of the stadium, a good 360-degree view of their seats, and are alerted to any walkways in the stadium. The issue arises in two issues: Was the rendering accurate in how much the walkway obstructed? Will Buffalo Bills employees honor the rule of fans not moving around while a play is live?
The split screens of some views and the renderings do look different, but they are close enough to understand, and a rendering is just a rendering. During the World Cup, I came across an interesting take on the differences between Europeans and Americans. A European said they understand that sometimes in life you are the bird (the one who poops) and sometimes you are the statue (the one who gets pooped on). That’s just life.
Americans refuse to be the statue, ever. In this circumstance, if you are complaining, you cannot hold a picture of the rendering to the Pegulas and say “this is what you promised me!” and expect them to tear down the walkway. You took the risk, seeing there was a walkway in the rendering, and that is what you have for your season tickets.
Now, the frustrating part would be if you were told there would be no traffic in the walkways and they do not honor that rule. If fans are constantly going up and down those stairwells during the game, I would certainly try to find a solution. The regular season will prove if they honor that rule in the future.
The wind
This seems to be a topic that may have the most confusion. Some folks expected the stadium to block all wind from entering. Some folks believed Highmark Stadium would only reduce the wind on the field by about 50-60%. The correct answer was that it would reduce it down to 50-60%.
Getting rid of all the wind is impossible, to say the least. The idea behind wind technology is to avoid games like the 2021 Bills vs. Patriots game. That game had 55 mph wind gusts, and Mac Jones threw the ball 3 times. Buffalo comes with a lot of snow but also a lot of wind. Josh Allen can rip through the wind, but reducing it 50-60% makes it much easier on him, and that’s all that’s important about the wind technology. Full stop.
One reporter did mention that the wind could play a role in the deep-passing game. If that is the case, I will officially put “wind technology” in quotation marks every time I talk about it.
All in all, Highmark Stadium seems amazing. Traffic in and out of Highmark Stadium will get better. That will take a couple of runs. In a world where businesses are building with little to no character, I thought the field outside, the Buffaloes, and the giant broken table inside the concourse were very nice touches.
My personal biggest gripe? 5 wings for $18. Buffalo, NY is the inventor of the wing. They hold the greatest wings on planet earth. I believe wings at KeyBank and Highmark Stadium should be cheap enough ($1.25 per wing max) to have a close to 100% hit rate among away fans ordering them. If we’re going to brag about our most prized possession, let the whole world try them. As always, Go Bills.
