purple haze

You have heard the usual, suspected ownership possibilities w/WNY ties say something along the lines of they want to see the Bills remain in Buffalo, wouldn't want to see the Bills move or would be interested in helping keep the Bills in WNY if they were in danger of moving. That's saying plenty. It would be a rare thing indeed for someone to publicly put themselves on the hook at this stage. They have to worry about competitors, they have to concern themselves with whatever their core businesses might be and how public statements could affect those entities. Think it's coincidence that Jacobs is linked to the Bills and a couple days later the President of the Bruins comes out with what he said? I would also like to point out he did not, as some have reported, say he had no interest in buying the Bills. Jacobs supposedly said he would have no interest if it meant selling the Bruins. Well, we know he could buy the Bills and keep the Bruins if his children become involved. Anyway, I'm sure the Bills would ask for a cone of silence from anyone they have talked to about ownership. I would bet there are other potential WNY-centered ownership groups we know nothing about who could very well be the ones to get the team. I'll say this for Russ Brandon: the Bills seem to keep their business on the hush until the announcement is about to be made. The fact Trump is running at the mouth also tells me he is not a serious competitor either.

Why do you assume Bon Jovi's group would be approved by the league? Why do you assume Bon Jovi's group will bid more money on the team than interests with WNY ties or the desire to leave the team in WNY? And it is highly improbable that a new owner, who wants to relocate the team, will buy the team and wait ten years for the chance to go to court and win an unlikely decision from the court to move, and then pay a $400 million penalty, plus court costs, plus relocation fee, plus purchase price, and we haven't talked about new stadium costs wherever they would hypothetically move the team; And here's the other thing: say Bon Jovi's group did get the team. The league owners still have to approve that too. No guarantee. Could the Bills move? Yeah. I could give Halle Berry a ride on my lap too. Will I give her that ride or will the Bills move? Probably not. NY State pols don't want it on their record. NFL doesn't want that stench either after what happened with Cleveland. Mr. Wilson was truly respected in league circles and I don't believe many of the owners will be in a hurry to snatch that legacy away if there are ownership groups who will keep the team in WNY and make money. No team in the NFL loses money. Not even the small markets. And there are people with WNY ties who have enough money to buy the team. And odds favor Mrs. Wilson selling to a owner who will keep the team where it is. She won't have any desire to snatch away Mr. Wilson's legacy. If he wanted the team to move he could have done it himself years ago. And that lease further proves he wanted the Bills in WNY. Doom and gloom if you want. Or relax and enjoy new WNY ownership when the time comes for it to be announced. Stop with the doom and gloom.

How are they heavy favorites? Based on speculation? I would say it's not likely at all. Bills aren't going anywhere in the next 7 years. Odds are interests with local ties will buy the team before a TO based group buys the team, sits on them for that length of time and produces a lame duck product, while at the same time trying to gin up money to build a stadium in TO and massage the CFL issue. And get 24 of 31 NFL owners to vote yes on a sale in the first place. No guarantee to happen. Because a potential group has $ does not mean they will get the team. Too many people with money and local ties to be drastically outbid by outside groups. Bills more than likely are staying right where they are. Only difference will be a new stadium or renovated Ralph.

There are Bills Backers Bar/Clubs all over the country. The team website helps you find them. Former players or current players sometimes show up. I believe the team also sometimes send merch for raffles, etc. http://www.buffalobi...kers/index.html With so many clubs and different types of numbers involved in various places, it might be difficult to any more than that. But what kind of other things would you like to see them do or see them do more of?

Good. Bills needs some edgy mofos. At some point one needs to be tired of getting their tail kicked.

Mr. Wilson would spend money. Unfortunately, he spent it in the wrong places. Not about money so much. It's about who is making the decision on who it is spent on. Execs, coaches and players included.

Maybe so. But NHL is still niche in America. The NFL is vastly more popular and profitable. I'm not saying that to disparage hockey in any way; Its got a long tradition and is loved by millions across the world. But in America, the NFL and before it, baseball always one-upped hockey for the majority of sports fans. An owner of an NFL franchise will get far more clout. Also, they wouldn't necessarily have to sell the Bruins. Jacobs, Sr. can have one or more of the children divest interest in that entity and own the Bills or vice versa. Like Kroenke did with the Rams and Avalanche.

Ride Hyde! Ole boy is the goods for sure. I don't think the Bills look RB that high in the draft though. Hyde will go in late 1st early 2nd I believe. I think Bills look RB in 4th.

I always thought restructure just means the player gets the same money it is just allocated differently to decrease the cap number. They aren't getting less money than the deal they actually signed.

There are a lot of die-hard NFL fans in L.A. Just that many come from other states and stay loyal to their hometown teams. The fans from L.A. LOVE the Raiders. Others still love the Rams. The Raiders and Rams moved because they didn't have stadiums they found suitable and weren't able to get new ones approved. Which is the age old problem in L.A. and California in general (see Oakland and San Diego w/old stadiums that need replacing) with all the various stadium plans posited over the years. I moved out this way ten years ago. The Coliseum is a dump. Not because of the neighborhood. Because the stadium itself is 80 years old. The Rose Bowl is similar. They look good on TV. Not that great in person.

You do? When has this been discussed? Goodell mentioned an international team in the U.K. in the future. Possibly. U.K. is an open market. Canada has its own football league, with its own tradition. Don't think the NFL doesn't understand this. The Bills playing one game there is far different from a league team operating and doing business year after year which would take away from the CFL game in Toronto, if not the country. The Bills being approved for a game there tells me the league agreed with the Bills that TO was a part of their territory. No other regular season league game, featuring a home team other than the Bills, has been played in Toronto. As opposed to, for instance, London and Mexico. Why do we think that is? (CFL presence). I don't think Toronto is the threat many do. Although it makes for good blog posts.

L.A. is a huge market too. Almost 20 years and no teams there. They could have had the last expansion team, but Houston was selected over L.A. Why? L.A. always has a stadium plan or two or three, but nothing gets done. Why are people so sure the NFL wants a team in Toronto? London is its own case. L.A. is another case. At no time has the league given indication that they want a team in Canada. The only reason the Bills in TO series was approved was to help the Bills regionalize, which has happened in part. Toronto entities may want to buy the Bills, but that doesn't mean they would be approved. And I doubt any Canadian investors will get the team anyway. At least ones that will move the team.

The CFL will just roll over for an NFL presence in their home territory? The Argos are moving into a new stadium and the people of Toronto will be involved in some way with the building of another, brand new, larger stadium for an NFL team within several years of the Argos? Or are you saying private ownership is building the Argos stadium and a potential NFL venue as well? Also, it will be very difficult for an owner with intentions of leaving to pay court costs to break the lease. And if they win, they still have to pay 400 million on top of that + NFL relocation fee. Why do you assume that a new stadium can't be built in WNY? You don't know who the new ownership would be and what they would contribute to a potentially new stadium in terms of financial investment. I think you also underestimate the desire of the state of NY for the Bills to remain in WNY. When political forces are motivated things happen. I think the Bills have more friends in high places than you think. And again, a new ownership group could potentially provide enough money to make it work if necessary if not decide to build a new stadium outright for whatever reason. You seem to assume things can't happen in B-Lo as opposed to other places. If ownership is purchased by a group with WNY interests they have major money and clout. Keep the faith.

Really? So first, they need to deal with the CFL presence. Second, they need a new stadium. Neither is a guarantee in Ontario. Third, why do you think Toronto can offer so much more than an ownership group with WNY ties?

Exactly. They have made it difficult for anyone to slip in and try to run a hi-jack on WNY. Of course, there are never guarantees, but I think us Bills fan can breathe deep about the future for the first time in a long time. Bills have too much support at the top. New York State will provide hell and high water to anybody trying to take the Bills. And the league doesn't want that stench on them again after the crime Modell ran on the good people of Cleveland.

Why do you fear this? Toronto has no viable NFL stadium. They have no tangible plan in effect to build a viable NFL stadium. They have talked about it. But like the talk in LA there has been no ground broken. It does seem like there were groups identified already. This was rumored a couple years ago by no other than Chad Kelly himself. Even if the sale didn't happen until December or March that still seems to indicate that there were, in fact, interested groups ready to state their case for ownership of the Bills. I just don't believe, as I've said many times in the past, that Mr. Wilson would get cozy with interests who would move the team. Is it possible? Sure. Is it likely? Based on his history, just the opposite.

A new owner could move the team if the court for some reason allows them to break the terms of the lease agreement. That is no guarantee; we aren't talking about an apartment complex lease. We're talking a lease between a corporation and political entities of New York State. And a court battle leading up to your hypothetical decision would be timely and costly in either event. At that point, if reports are to be believed, that new owner would then be required to pay the 400 million dollar fee to move the team. On top of the league relocation fee. On top of the legal costs associated with the court proceedings. None of that is a small thing.

Steelers and Pitt. They also share practice/training facilities.

Proven difference makers ALWAYS fit on any team. Djax has made a difference every year he's been in the league. And if the Bills did sign him they would be a better football team for it. Also, signing him doesn't preclude the development of Woods or Goodwin. The Bills run three WR sets to start the game and for much of the game. Woods and SJ13 will be on the field. DJax would be the other outside WR. Goodwin is the fourth guy in four WR sets. He's got a lot of potential, but he is not Djax. Similarities in physical attributes don't necessarily make players "similar" in any meaningful way. Djax is more comparable to Dez Bryant and Demaryius Thomas than Flash. Why? Production. That's all that matters. He doesn't need to win jump balls. He's fast enough to blow by most so it's not even an issue. Sign him, draft Ebron and you still get your match up nightmare. Ebron can be split out wide, ala Jimmy Graham or work the middle of the field. LoL. They are? Why? You don't see the Bills run predominately three WR sets? Stevie Johnson is just good. No reason to let him go. Jackson and SJ13 are two different types of receiver. Not comparable. They can sign Djax, Put him opposite Woods, leave SJ13 in the slot and STILL draft Ebron, along with Spiller and FredEx in the backfield. Still an OMG scenario.

Why on earth do you think of Mack as a run package OLB in a 4-3? Mack is a 3 down player in any defense. And if the Bills selected him and Mack plays up to his capabilities, Rivers is a backup who rotates in to give him a breather. Simple as that.

14 new bathrooms being put in and the troughs are going away too: http://www.buffalonews.com/city-region/is-stadium-revamp-enough-to-keep-bills-20140325

Amen and Amen! The NFL is going too far and they will regret it at some point. Monday Night Football and Thursday night games used to be special events. Now they are just one more game on the schedule. And don't get me started on the rules handicapping defense. It's pitiful. I still love NFL ball, but not as much as I used to. Greed isn't good.

Mid-round picks are drafted into the NFL for a reason; because they can play. Plenty of mid-round picks in the Hall-of-Fame. Plenty of 1st rounders did nothing. A player can't show his worth until given an opportunity. Step off the ledge and let the players and coaches do what they do. They made the team because they showed the coaches they can play. Now lets see if they can take the next step. They don't need to be Byrd. They just need to do their job. They will be surrounded by talent. Should make things easier on them.

Trade back, pick up an extra 2nd round pick. Depending on how far back the trade is, take Ebron, Benjamin or a RT. With the two second round picks, take whatever positions they didn’t take in round one. And in round 3 grab an ILB to develop and be ready in case Spikes leaves in 2015. (Skov or Borland would suit my taste).

1. How do you know they're not educated? 2. More than one way to be educated. All education does not come from a class room. 3. They own the company. They use their clout to recruit business to their company. They hire certified agents to do the negotiations. 4. I repeat they OWN their own company. Make a lot of money using their core talents, then diversify into other interests. Same thing Jay Z, Quincy Jones, Frank Sinatra and many others did. (See no. 1 and 2 above for how this is possible.) Because one doesn’t like the music or like the name of the business or erroneously conflate Master P. w/this situation doesn't make it a bad deal.