Archives for March 26, 2014

‘”I’m sitting in the locker room (before the game) and this gentleman walked up, coat and tie, trench coat,” Tasker explained. “‘Hey Steve, I’m Ralph Wilson, welcome aboard, I hope it goes really well for you. I had to go over to Ed (Abramoski, the trainer) and I said, ‘Who’s Ralph Wilson?’ He said, ‘He’s the owner of the team.’ From that moment on I knew it was going to be different in Buffalo.”‘

‘Voted by The Buffalo News as western New York’s “Top Sports Figure” in the past millennium, and described once by a writer as the “conscience of the NFL,” Wilson leaves behind a legacy nearly unrivaled in professional sports franchise ownership.’

‘”The first time I met him he said, ‘Call me Ralph,’ ” Shah said. “I still call him Mr. Wilson.”‘

‘Moulds called him a “father figure.” That sentiment echoes over five decades worth of players.’

‘His decisions were not always popular or at least unanimously welcomed. Yet he always seemed to emerge ahead. His body may have slowed down in his later years but his mind remained tuned.’

‘”I wish him God speed wherever he is,” Kudela said. “Who knows if the franchise can stick it out here without him. I think the people here can support the team if it can stick it out here, but we’ll see.”‘

‘”Thank you for bringing the team here,” I told Mr. Wilson. “No,” he replied. “Thank you, Rick, for being a fan.”‘

‘Why didn’t Ralph do something to prevent it? Why didn’t he announce a succession plan? Why couldn’t he cement his legacy as Buffalo’s greatest sportsman and a true civic icon by doing something – doing anything – to ensure his beloved team would stay ours after he left it?’

‘”Unfortunately, in five years, I can see them no longer being here. I hope they find someone to keep them here,” said Denis Fountain, who had stopped in at East Avenue Tavern on Oliver Street in North Tonawanda Tuesday evening. “They were one of the original AFL teams. They really drive the economy. If they leave I think people will be disappointed in a big way.”‘

‘Now, with Mr. Wilson gone, it’s time for all the stakeholders to pay a fitting tribute to his legacy. State and county leaders, the NFL, the Bills front office along with those who will be tasked with overseeing the estate owe it to the late owner to show the same loyalty he did.’

‘On Tuesday, Buffalo Bills fans received word from team president Russ Brandon that owner Ralph C. Wilson Jr. had passed away at the age of 95.’

‘But when you look back on Wilson’s life, you need to look at the big picture. He was a World War II veteran. He was a successful businessman. When he bought the team for $25,000 and decided to locate the Bills in Buffalo, he kept the team here for as long as he was alive. It was that commitment to Buffalo and western New York, a region that has been reeling in recent years, that left a lasting impact on the entire area.’

‘As we have written, however, it would cost well over $2 billion to move the team up north — to buy the franchise valued last year by Forbes at $870 million, to spend close to $1 billion on a new stadium and headquarters (the Rogers Centre doesn’t meet NFL standards), and to pay a relocation fee to the NFL of up to $400 million. All of that is in American dollars, which is currently worth 10% more than the loonie.’

‘”Jim is still himself, the same guy we know and love. He knows he’s in for a fight, but you can imagine how Jim is approaching this: he’s got his boxing gloves on.”‘

‘Now that he’s gone, they can begin building the next iteration of the NFL, one that could include Toronto.’