As the Bills stumble toward the finish line of their ninth consecutive losing season, the local fans are turning away.
The Bills have announced that Sunday’s home finale against the Dolphins is not sold out, and as a result it will not be shown on local television in the Buffalo area. The only way to see the game in Buffalo is to buy a ticket, something not many fans are in the mood to do.
Although the team has the option to buy back any unsold tickets at 34 percent of face value in order to lift the blackout, the Bills have decided not to do that. Bills owner Ralph Wilson has used the tactic twice this season to get local blackouts lifted, but apparently he has decided it’s not worth it this time.
What Wilson really needs is for his team to start winning. The Bills once had one of the NFL’s most rabid fan bases, but it’s tough for any fan base to justify spending money on tickets game after game, when the team misses the playoffs year after year.