Some leftover notes on the Bills from this past week:
SOME 28 of the 32 National Football League teams have gotten the OK from state and local governments to open their stadiums to full capacity this coming season.
But for the Bills, there’s a bit of controversy over jurisdiction between New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz.
Poloncarz says that since Highmark Stadium is owned by Erie County he has the right to decree that to attend Bills games fans must show proof of Covid-19 vaccination or a negative coronavirus test. Cuomo maintains that’s not the county’s call.
Earlier this week, Kim Pegula, the team’s president and co-owner, appeared with 49ers CEO Jeff York, on a video conference for Leaders Week Direct.
“In New York State, we still don’t have a lot of clarity,” she said. “The beginning of the season is still months away and we’ve seen that guidance has changed month-to-month. And with baseball starting, the governor’s coming out with some new guidelines on getting back to stadiums, outdoor venues.
“Flexibility and ease is really what our fans (expect and) we need it as an organization, but it’s going to be what our fans are looking for. What we think is going to happen today might have to change a month from now … might have to change at the beginning of the season.”
Pegula added, “In every aspect, whether it’s egress/ingress, whether it’s tickets, whether it’s concessions, we’re just going to have to keep looking at ways to be much more flexible and adapt to all the new rules or what our fans are actually asking for when the time comes they are able to get in. That’s really going to be the key to be successful next year.”
Predictably, she got a question about the team’s women fans.
“When we’ve looked at this, we realize that our female fans don’t want to be treated as female fans,” she pointed out. “They just want to be included as fans. We’ve tried different things like ‘Football 101’ classes and they never went over really well.
“Our (female) fans just want to be engaged as a fan, not a ‘female fan.’ I think that’s the best lesson we’ve learned.”
IN THE middle of Buffalo’s voluntary Organized Team Activities (OTAs), this past Tuesday, coach Sean McDermott, quarterback Josh Allen and linebacker Tremaine Edmunds were made available via Zoom.
The former two were bombarded with questions about Covid-19 vaccinations, but the latter, who declined to comment on that subject, addressed other topics.
Heading into his fourth season, Edmunds, who turned only 23 earlier this month, is coming off a less-than-impressive campaign, and the Bills were slow to pick up his fifth-year option.
When asked about coming off a season where some suggested he had regressed, even though making a second Pro Bowl, Edmunds said, “I know my mindset and I know my ability in what I can do. I’m a guy that always wants to get better. I’m never going to think that I’m at my full potential. There’s always some room to grow.
“Whatever I do, my mindset is to get better … correct what I messed up the previous day and come out the next day willing to correct it and make sure I take a step forward.”
His goal for the coming year is “overall just being more consistent … getting better, improving on everything. I know (last season) is a big topic … but that’s just what it is.
“I feel that if I did 1% better in everything and doing it every single day, I’ll get the results I want.”
And he doesn’t want to go anywhere.
“I love it here,” Edmunds said. “… the fans and everything that Buffalo has to offer.
I’m excited because I know the guys we have here …just to be back, to go to war with them so that we can accomplish what we’re all here to do, and that’s win a championship.”
He added, “I think we’re on a mission … I know we’re on a mission … to win it all. I’m happy to be here and I know everybody else is happy to be here … being so close last year. Now we’ve got to put our foot on the gas a little bit more and get to where we really want to be.”
(Chuck Pollock, a Times Herald senior sports columnist, can be reached at cpollock@oleantimesherald.com)
