BILLS 101

The Buffalo Bills' preseason opener will be blacked out in the Buffalo market, but those going to the game will encounter a new game day experience.

The team announced Thursday's game against the Washington Redskins was still about 20,000 tickets short of selling out. The game will be rebroadcast in Buffalo at 8 p.m. Friday on WKBW Channel 7. It will also air in Rochester at 8 p.m. Friday and 3 p.m. Saturday on WHAM, and in Syracuse at 8 p.m. Saturday on WTVH.

The 53,000 people who will (in theory) go to the game will be the first affected by new game day elements the team announced Tuesday. They include:

• Hand-held metal detector screening for every person entering the building. Fans are advised to enter at least an hour before kickoff to prevent delays.
• An environmentally friendly tailgating cleanup system will debut that will see recycling receptacles accompany trash cans. There will also be more portable bathrooms available. Team representatives will hand out trash and recycling bags to fans, starting only in Lot 5B with Thursday's game and then expanding in the future.
• Larger parking spaces will be available in more lots this year. The larger spots will appear in Lots E and F this year. Larger spaces debuted in Lots 2 and 3 in 2011 in order to enhance tailgating. Lots E and F have also been newly paved.
• Abbott Road will be closed to all vehicles between the south entrance of Lot B and the north entrance of Lot C on game days. The road will close for Thursday's game at 4:15 p.m.
• The tailgate party area in the old Lot C behind the scoreboard at Ralph Wilson Stadium will expand. It will more than double in size, starting with the Aug. 25 preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

"It’s important to emphasize several of the changes made to our game day experience for all fans attending games at Ralph Wilson Stadium as we enter the 2012 season," Bills CEO Russ Brandon said. "Our primary objective focuses on fan safety."

Tags: Buffalo, Buffalo Bills, Football, NFL

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