Archives for April 16, 2006

‘Erie County officials do not see an overall, audited profit and loss statement from the Bills when the time comes to pay the annual subsidy for game-day expenses, said Budget Director Ken Vetter. "We get an annual statement of their game-day" costs," he said. The county provides up to $6.7 million a year to support the Bills. Of the total, $3.3 million is for game-day expenses, including pay for ushers, in-stadium security and other personnel. The rest goes for capital costs.’

‘I may sound like a conspiracy theorist, but when I consider that half of the Bills’ home games in the 2006 NFL schedule will be played after Thanksgiving my suspicion is that it’s payback for Ralph Wilson’s failure to get in lock step with the majority of owners who suggest that departing Commissioner Paul Tagliabue is the greatest American leader since Abraham Lincoln.’

‘Death. Taxes. And, bye-bye Buffalo Bills. Say it ain’t so, Ralph.’

‘Even with all of this, Wilson would forge on, hopeful that his legacy would somehow endure. Except for one other piece of fine print in the CBA, another dagger in his back. It says that any new owner of an NFL franchise won’t get any revenue sharing right away. If that passes, it’s a death sentence for the Bills in Buffalo. No new owner could make a go of it without revenue sharing on top of debt service for purchasing the team. "That’s a game changer," Littmann warns.’