Erie County (N.Y.) Exec Mark Poloncarz "is pushing back hard against the NFL’s demand that a new stadium be built" for the Bills, claiming that paying for a new facility "would be a burden that county taxpayers cannot and should not bear," according to a front-page piece by Jerry Zremski of the BUFFALO NEWS. Poloncarz asked that the league "show him the financial records of the teams to prove whether NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is right when he says the Bills need a new home." He added, "They have to prove to me that the Bills can’t be viable in Ralph Wilson Stadium." He noted that any new facility "would likely cost" at least $750M, "with a third of that likely paid by the county." Poloncarz: "I’m not going to cut libraries, I’m not going to cut parks, I’m not going to cut Child Protective Services to give more money to the multibillionaires who run professional football." NFL Senior VP/Communications Greg Aiello addressed Poloncarz' desire for the league's financial information, saying, "The exchange of relevant information at the appropriate time is part of the process" (BUFFALO NEWS, 8/13).
IT'S A FAMILY AFFAIR: The Bills yesterday announced a five-year sponsorship renewal with M&T Bank that will create the new M&T Family Zone in Ralph Wilson Stadium. The 500-seat section will feature family-friendly elements, including the option of purchasing parking in a special 50-space parking lot. M&T retains its designation as the team's official bank and will continue to sponsor the M&T Club premium seating area. M&T has partnered with the team since '85 and is the only bank permitted to use team marks in debit cards (Bills).
GREAT EXPECTATIONS: In Buffalo, Jay Skurski reports the Bills have "sold more than 46,000 season tickets for the upcoming season, the most since the 2009 season." An exact number "will be released shortly after the cutoff of season-ticket sales Aug. 23, the date of the team's first preseason home game" against the Buccaneers. Bills CMO Marc Honan said that the team "will no longer announce games as sellouts prior to 72 hours before kickoff." He said that the Bills "were seeing 'wild fluctuations' in the ticket market after announcing games as sellouts" (BUFFALONEWS.com, 8/12).
