I hope none of the editorial staff of The Island faint when reading this, but Larry Penner hits the nail on the head with his opinion piece “Buffalo Bills Owner Should Finance New Stadium.” It is a fine, well-thought-out, fact-based opinion piece.
However, Mr. Penner places the blame in the wrong place. The blame falls squarely and firmly on the fans.
In 2009 a friend from high school gave me two tickets to a Yankee game. Wanting to be able to tell myself I took my then eight-year-old son to a ball game, we went. Never again. $20 for an order of fries, a hot dog, and two waters.
In 2006 I lived off the subway line that goes past Yankee Stadium, and went past the stadium twice going to and from work. In December I awoke to the news: season tickets on sale at Yankee Stadium. The temperature dipped below 20 degrees for the first time that winter season. Ten fans were camped out in front of the stadium in dangerously cold weather. By the time I was on the train several hours later the line was 100 deep.
In August 2012 the temperature went to 104 degrees, unusually hot even for a nasty New York summer. When my train went past the stadium in the afternoon about two hours before game time there were ten tailgate parties going on on the roof of the parking lot. In dangerously hot weather.
When Derek Jeter scored his 3,000th hit I was about and about with my son. I turned on 1010WINS to hear a traffic report and heard a fan describing what it was like to see it: “Incredible. Incredible.” How did it make you feel? “Full of joy. Full of joy.” Full of joy over what? A multi millionaire athlete you subsidize and likely couldn’t care less about you? They later showed a picture of the fan that caught the ball. He looked like instead of sitting in the stands watching the game he should be out on the baseball field himself or in the gym working off the extra pounds.
As long as fans are willing to waste their time camping out to get tickets, paying outrageous sums of money for tickets and concessions the owners and players will continue to get rich. Blame the fans, Mr. Penner. And again, excellent work.

Nat Weiner

Bronx