"Nervous Buffalo Bills fans are wary -- about the National Football League lockout, the support for Los Angeles getting at least one team and the appetite of the league's deep-pocket owners for more big-market teams. But there's another issue lurking in the background: the Bills' next lease for Ralph Wilson Stadium. The clock is ticking on a new Buffalo Bills' stadium lease, and it's likely to keep ticking until the clock strikes 12 -- or at least well into 2012, or even 2013. The lease between the Bills and Erie County expires on July 31, 2013, just before the start of that season. But the two sides already have held preliminary talks that have been described as informal, social discussions. That's no surprise, amid the league's current labor chaos. The next labor deal, whenever it's reached, will greatly affect the league's -- and the Bills' -- economic model. Even before formal negotiations begin, one point remains clear: Both the Bills and Erie County seem intent on bringing a third partner, New York State, to the table, to help pay for renovations to keep the 38-year-old Ralph Wilson Stadium more relevant in the new NFL. "Clearly, until there is a new collective bargaining agreement and an understanding what the agreement entails, there will be no formal discussions," Erie County Executive Chris Collins said last week. "The ball clearly is in [the Bills'] court."" Read more: http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/bills-nfl/article366615.ece
