Buffalo - The Real Deal

One of my hobbies is reading The Buffalo News. While it seems every Western New Yorker loves to blast his or her town's local newspaper, really, The Buffalo News ain't half bad. After sitting here drinking my Sunday morning coffee, and reading the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle , and feeling rather unfulfilled about it, you come to realize the Buffalo News in comparison is a pretty good paper - even if I'm too lazy to go to Wegmans and buy an actual copy of it, and instead opt for the online addition.

Anyway, there's a great commentary in today's edition by Donn Esmonde: A few words say it all about Buffalo. Apparently, he held his own little slogan contest to see what readers could come up with for Buffalo. The winner? Buffalo - The Real Deal. Quote, "It's tough-minded, to the point, matter-of-fact. It says this is an authentic place . . . We are what we are, and proud of it. It's smash-mouth football. Chicken wings at the corner tavern. Beers and kielbasa. It's not glitz and glamour, but the authentic America that has been lost in so many places." I have to admit, I really like it too. It also capitalizes on the nation's latest infatuation with poker! Naysayers undoubtedly will complain that the slogan should be negative - pointing to Buffalo's need for a state board to manage it's finances - but those assholes don't get it. Comming up with a city slogan should identify something POSITIVE. EVERY community has bad stuff.... but how can you set your city apart, even with something as insignificant as a slogan?

I think "Buffalo - The Real Deal" is about a BILLION TIMES BETTER than "Rochester - Made for Living". Notice the difference between these two three-word slogans? One kindof hits you - makes you wonder about what might be there, and possibly makes you want to visit. The other conjures up images of schools, suburbs, and soccer moms. Um, that's not a place I need or want to visit. Rochester has so much more going for it, and to have spent thousands comming up with "Made for Living" is an embarrassment. Donn's effort shows how community involvement can usually result in better outcomes than the efforts of our city "thought leaders." Oh yeah, and what did this contest cost Donn? A $100 restaurant gift certificate.