Archives for May 22, 2014

‘Morgan Stanley and Proskauer Rose will conduct an audit of the team and assemble a data book for prospective buyers to review. The Bills announced in a news release their advisers will begin contacting prospective buyers within the next 30 days. The firms will vet candidates and present a recommendation for the trust that has been overseeing the Bills since Wilson’s death in March.’

‘Jones needs to be taken seriously. He might be a blowhard, but he’s a force in the NFL. He built a $1.3 billion stadium. He hosted a Super Bowl. He doesn’t speak for all the NFL owners, but his opinion carries weight.’

‘”We bring them on this tour so they can get a feel for Buffalo and what the city’s really about,” said Paul Lancaster, the Bills’ director of player engagement. “We’re trying to help these guys understand where they’re coming to.”‘

‘Ban Bon Jovi Free Zone signs are being offered to bars and nightclubs where Bon Jovi music won’t be played by the DJ, live bands or on the jukebox. The group’s website identifies dozens of supporters.’

‘Morgan Stanley will serve as the financial adviser, and Proskauer Rose has been retained on the legal side. Both firms will assist the Bills in ensuring that the club continues to comply with, and remains faithful to, its obligations under the NFL’s rules and regulations as well as its obligations to New York State and Erie County pursuant to the Ralph Wilson Stadium lease.’

‘Putting it downtown offers a lot of challenges though. Like finding parking for an additional 30,000 vehicles that would stream downtown on game days. Either that, or you’d have to spend untold sums of money improving the mass transit system. Good luck with that.’

‘And, as he has long said if he ever becomes owner of the Bills, Golisano would keep the team in Buffalo.’

‘”It’s great to see him get to that point,” Arie Kouandjio said. “I was so very proud of him. He’s put in a lot of time and effort.”‘

‘The sale process is designed to ensure franchise compliance with the National Football League’s rules and regulations and to agreements with Erie County and New York State contained in its lease of Ralph Wilson Stadium in Orchard Park, representatives said.’

‘The club, whose owner, Ralph Wilson, died in March, also said it had retained Proskauer Rose as its legal adviser during the sale process.’

‘The announcement Wednesday on a transaction team was expected before the end of May. It comes a day after the Bills’ chief financial officer, Jeffrey Littmann, updated National Football League owners during league meetings in Atlanta.’

‘The founders of 12th Man Thunder are asking Buffalo-area bars to ban Bon Jovi’s music from being played by DJs, live bands or juke boxes. They say so far 28 businesses have established “Bon Jovi Free Zones.”‘

‘There have been a myriad of questions and speculation about the transfer of ownership process concerning the Buffalo Bills over the last two months. Those questions are gaining some clarity as the initial step in the ownership transition process has been made. On Wednesday the team announced that they have hired transaction counsel and an investment firm to initiate the sales process of the club.’