Archives for April 13, 2014

‘It’s worth taking a shot. No NFL locker room is without its dubious characters nowadays. One team’s castoff can become another team’s unearthed treasure, its rehabilitated star. A lot of pro athletes begin their careers as arrested adolescents. Various Super Bowl Bills come to mind.’

‘Far-fetched as that may seem, legal experts say the provisions of the Bills’ 10-year lease on Ralph Wilson Stadium and an accompanying non-relocation agreement are so tough that a new owner who wants to move the team would likely be in for a rough encounter with the law.’

‘The Bills didn’t make any big splashes in free agency, but they created a few gentle waves (and in the usually desolate trade market) – moves that, on paper, are definite upgrades.’

‘Not every resident of Erie County – which already has major financial problems – is a Bills fan. And the last thing many of its taxpapers want is to be funding the luxury of a limited use stadium that will cost in the hundreds of millions. Ditto those who pay taxes in New York … especially those downstate. It’s a tough sell at a very bad time.’

‘My gut feeling is if the team doesn’t relocate to LA or Toronto, the politicians will do everything possible to keep its base of operations in Erie County.’

‘Yes, the prospect of moving still hovers over the franchise, but the forecast isn’t nearly as gloomy as it was expected to be in years past.’

‘When a school has top flight talent it requires more than just reports from the area scouts. At different times in the fall Buffalo would send Whaley and then Director of College Scouting Chuck Cook. GM Buddy Nix studied him on tape.’