Russell Salvatore bought out the tickets to ensure a sellout:

[ScottDCP]

He is a Buffalo establishment. He created a restaurant and party house, then hotel, that have become institutions. He has since put those in the hands of his son(s) and they now suck. He has opened a new hotel and restaurant, and for all that the places are hideously rococo with a Victorian zeal for filling all available space with crap, the man knows how to cook steaks and chops. Seriously excellent cookery going on at Russell's (Salvatore's is the one that now sucks and should only be visited in nice weather if you like classic cars and roadkill interior decorating.) Russell's is a top 5 in New York State steakhouse. I cannot stress enough how much I appreciate their work. And the blackout being lifted.

[wxwax]

Rococo would be a good name for a dog.

10,000 tickets is a lot of money for a restaurant guy. Why did he pick this game, when the Bills have had 7 blackouts in the last 17?

[ScottDCP]

Rococo would be a good name for a dog.

10,000 tickets is a lot of money for a restaurant guy. Why did he pick this game, when the Bills have had 7 blackouts in the last 17?

He's a hotel guy now. Way higher margins. His place is probably 400 rooms, full three or four nights a week. He's been at it a long time. Also has a hospitality "college" behind the hotel. Dude's good with the money.

He picked this game for a couple reasons. First, he loves Buffalo and the Bills. Second, if they start winning he sells more hotel rooms and dinners, as he is less than ten minutes from the stadium, right off the thruway, and if they are on TV people will be more likely to notice the winning. He did it a couple years ago for a New England game as well. Mostly though, I think he loves coming to the rescue.

[wxwax]

Thanks. The hospitality school and the local cooking show and your comments, this guy understands synergy. Makes sense.

[ScottDCP]

Last time I ate there I had a two inch thick, 14 ounce pork chop. Cooked medium, in terms of texture and moisture. Just beautiful, and he turns them out all day. A lousy steakhouse opened a mile from my house. They asked how I want ted one and a quarter inch thick pork chop done, I said medium, and it would have poisoned me. gray for an eighth inch around the edge, pink inside. Russ is the man.

[Pruitt]

From the Buffalo News:

Salvatore was able to help the Buffalo Bills purchase the tickets under a policy in which NFL teams can buy their own unsold tickets for 34 cents on the dollar. The purchases can be made to lift a local TV blackout.

So at minimum (based on an estimate that he bought 7-10,000 tickets), this will cost him over $150,000.

Love this quote -

“I didn’t ask about the price. It hasn’t hurt me from when I did it two years ago ... It can’t cost me too many steaks.”

Gotta love this guy - he just spent $195,000 on 350 flat screen tvs for an area hospital. His way of thanking them for treating his... BROKEN ANKLE!

Holy cow, what would he have given if he'd needed his appendix removed. I feel like driving down to visit his restaurant. Whatever the Italian word for "mench" may be, he is it.

[ScottDCP]

Holy cow, what would he have given if he'd needed his appendix removed. I feel like driving down to visit his restaurant. Whatever the Italian word for "mench" may be, he is it.

If I was spoiling for a familial fight over the holidays I would amuse myself and say "rare." But I am not, so I won't.

[ScottDCP]

From the Buffalo News:

So at minimum (based on an estimate that he bought 7-10,000 tickets), this will cost him over $150,000.

Love this quote -

Gotta love this guy - he just spent $195,000 on 350 flat screen tvs for an area hospital. His way of thanking them for treating his... BROKEN ANKLE!

Holy cow, what would he have given if he'd needed his appendix removed. I feel like driving down to visit his restaurant. Whatever the Italian word for "mench" may be, he is it.

Also, I suspect he owns dozens of classics, but drives the Bentley for his daily commute. Wears thousand dollar shirts. He likes to look and feel good, and more power to him.

[ScottDCP]

Thanks. The hospitality school and the local cooking show and your comments, this guy understands synergy. Makes sense.

I forgot about the party house. He has the old Italian immigrants' children's and grandchildren's weddings locked down for the next decade. imagine 300-guest-minimum events. He got my brother in law for 350 guests, and it didn't fill the place.

[Pruitt]

If I was spoiling for a familial fight over the holidays I would amuse myself and say "rare." But I am not, so I won't.

Classic!