Here's the Bills news of note for Feb. 7th.
**1 - Buffalo second in TV ratings for Super Bowl
**The Bills weren't in the Super Bowl, but when it comes to watching the big game Buffalo as a television market shows up. Viewership for Super Bowl LI this past Sunday proved no different. Buffalo had the second-highest TV viewership rating for the NFL's championship game between the Falcons and Patriots.
Buffalo pulled a giant 57.2 rating, topped only by Pittsburgh with a 57.9.
Here's the rest of the top five.
- Atlanta (57)
- Norfolk (55.9)
- Richmond (55.7)
Providence (54.6) and Boston (54.3) ranked seventh and eighth respectively.
2 - Franchise tag window opens soonAs the NFL Calendar officially rolls into the offseason in the wake of Super Bowl LI, the next most notable date on the calendar is a little over a week away. Wednesday February 15th is the first day NFL clubs can designate Franchise or Transition Players.
Teams will have about two weeks to make decisions on retaining some of the most important players on their roster with the tag. The deadline to designate a player a franchise or transition player is March 1st.
Other important dates on the horizon include Feb. 28th, which marks the beginning of the NFL Combine in Indianapolis.
March 7th when clubs are permitted to contact agents of players who will become unrestricted free agents on March 9th at 4 pm. They are allowed to begin contract negotiations. However, such negotiations cannot be consummated until free agency officially opens on March 9th at 4 pm.
March 9th is also the date where trades between clubs can begin at 4 pm.
The Annual League Meeting takes place on March 26th in Phoenix, Arizona.
3 - Bills season ticket prices to remain flatBuffalo Bills season tickets for the 2017 season will not see an increase. The club announced to their current season ticket members that prices for 2017 will remain unchanged in price from the previous year.
In a letter to season ticket members, Team President Russ Brandon delivered the following statement.
*The entire organization understands this past season was a disappointment and we share in your frustration. While we did not achieve our goals, we remain steadfast in our commitment to bring a championship to Buffalo. *
We are excited to welcome Sean McDermott as our new head coach. He understands and appreciates the rich tradition of Buffalo Bills Football. His blue collar approach and extraordinary work ethic mirrors the character of our region. During his time with Carolina, Coach McDermott built the Panthers' defense into one of the NFL's most consistent units—ranking in the top 10 in total defense for four consecutive seasons. Coach McDermott demonstrates the passion, intelligence and vision we want leading our team.* **
*Season tickets can be purchased by calling 1-877-BB-TICKS or online at buffalobills.com.
