Archives for March 2014

‘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.’

‘Wilson’s plans, in large part, may wind up revolving around the pesky issue of estate taxes and what provisions, if any, Wilson put in place to reduce or eliminate payment of those taxes upon his death. The timing of his death may also be a factor. In 2014, the federal tax rate for estates worth more than $5.34 million is 40 percent.’

‘”Mr. Wilson may have owned the Bills, but they were Buffalo’s team,” said former Mayor Anthony Masiello. “Unless you live or lived here, you have no way of knowing the deep attachment Buffalonians have with the Bills.”‘

‘For now, the Bills are in the early stages of a 10-year lease extension at Ralph Wilson Stadium that was signed in December 2012. It binds the Bills to Buffalo until 2022, with any prospective buyer on the hook for $400 million if he (or she) attempts to break the lease and move the team from Buffalo. The lease does have an escape window if the new owner notifies Erie County and New York state by Feb. 28, 2020. For that short period only the relocation penalty would be $28.36 million. The escape clause only kicks in if a judge fails or declines to issue an injunction that would prevent the team from leaving through the end of the lease.’

Blank issues statement on Wilson’s death (AtlantaFalcons.com)

Ralph Wilson, a founding AFL father, dies at 95 (Denver Post)

Remembering Ralph Wilson (DenverBroncos.com)

Buffalo Bills owner Ralph Wilson dies at 95 (Detroit News)

Ralph Wilson built Bills into powerhouse for blue-collar Buffalo (Detroit News)

Buffalo Bills owner, ‘special man’ and Detroit’s Ralph Wilson dies at 95 (Detroit Free Press)

Bills owner Ralph Wilson, once a minority owner of Detroit Lions, dies at 95 (Ann Arbor News)

Ralph Wilson, Jr. was a true gentleman-sportsman (DetroitLions.com)

Statement from president Tom Lewand on passing of Buffalo Bills’ Owner Ralph Wilson, Jr. (DetroitLions.com)

Statement from Bob McNair on passing of Ralph Wilson Jr. (HoustonTexans.com)

Statement from the Indianapolis Colts on the passing of Buffalo Bills owner Ralph Wilson Jr. (Colts.com)

Shahid Khan statement on Ralph Wilson Jr. (Jaguars.com)

Buffalo Bills owner and ‘Foolish Club’ member Ralph Wilson Jr. dies at 95 (Kansas City Star)

Clark Hunt on the Passing of Ralph Wilson Jr. (KCChiefs.com)

Ralph Wilson dies at 95; founder of Buffalo Bills (Los Angeles Times)

Statement From Vikings Owner Zygi Wilf on Ralph Wilson Jr. (Vikings.com)

Statement from Robert Kraft on the passing of Buffalo Bills owner Ralph Wilson Jr. (Patriots.com)

Ralph Wilson, Founding Owner of the Buffalo Bills, Dies at 95 (New York Times)

Longtime Buffalo Bills owner Ralph Wilson dies as Hall of Fame QB Jim Kelly battles cancer (New York Daily News)

Bills owner Ralph Wilson dead at 95 (New York Post)

Ralph Wilson had Giants owner John Mara’s admiration (Newsday)

Giants’ John Mara remembers legendary Bills owner, close family friend (Newark Star Ledger)

Woody Johnson’s Remarks on Ralph Wilson (NewYorkJets.com)

Raiders Statement on the Passing of Ralph Wilson (Raiders.com)

Lurie On Ralph Wilson And Kelly’s Plan (PhiladelphiaEagles.com)

Statement from Steelers Chairman Dan Rooney and President Art Rooney II on Ralph Wilson (Steelers.com)

Chargers mourn death of Bills owner (San Diego Union Tribune)

Spanos Statement on Passing of Ralph Wilson (Chargers.com)

NFL loses a legendary owner in Ralph Wilson (Seahawks.com)

Ralph Wilson Jr.’s impact reaches well beyond Buffalo Bills (Saint Louis Post Dispatch)

Statement from Gregg Williams on the Passing of Ralph Wilson (StLouisRams.com)

Statement from Titans CEO/President Tommy Smith on Death of Ralph Wilson (TitansOnline.com)

Ralph Wilson, owner of Buffalo Bills, dies at 95 (Washington Post)

Buffalo Bills founder Ralph Wilson dies at 95 (USA Today)

Detroit aching after the deaths of Wilson, Ford Sr. (USA Today)

‘I always appreciated Wilson’s wit and loyalty. Buffalo was lucky to have Wilson as an owner. He did everything possible to keep the team in Buffalo, even though he could have made more money if he had moved the team to another city.’

‘”No one loved the game of football more than Ralph Wilson,” Russ Brandon, Buffalo’s CEO, said Tuesday. “He passed away peacefully at his home with his beautiful wife, Mary, and his daughters by his side.”

‘Wilson had been in failing health for several years after having hip surgery in 2011. Though he spent much of his time at his home suburban Detroit, he was well enough to attend the Hall of Fame induction weekends over the past few years.’

‘Wilson was a major investor in a venture capital company that Snyder helped create.’

‘Reaction on the death Tuesday of Buffalo Bills owner Ralph Wilson…’.

‘Dan Kelly says his brother is humbled by an outpouring of prayers posted on social media. Jill Kelly has been providing updates on Twitter and her blog.’