Any more word on the Bills Succession Plan?

[rpcolosi]

i know, that thought is quite alarming, but again, do we want a sh-tty team, or no team at all? lousy options, i know, but that is the reality if tom G gets in.

 

 

really? thats funny. I remember two of Tom's teams making it to the conference finals. it was pure luck, not that he spent money nad went into debt first on the team right?

 

anyone who thinks TG has no interest in supporting a winning team clearly ignores 2005-2007 of the sabres. because our players sucked and we didn't keep 2 people (really only breire was worth keeping, drury though i love him, has been a wasted of $$), TG is suddenly cheap. What do you do with a team that has 3 rising stars - Vanek, Roy, Miller, who you have to sign long term, and 2 aging vets who are demanding higher salaries? welcome to the world of the salary cap ladies it works both ways!

[dwight in philly]

really? thats funny. I remember two of Tom's teams making it to the conference finals. it was pure luck, not that he spent money nad went into debt first on the team right?

 

anyone who thinks TG has no interest in supporting a winning team clearly ignores 2005-2007 of the sabres. because our players sucked and we didn't keep 2 people (really only breire was worth keeping, drury though i love him, has been a wasted of $$), TG is suddenly cheap. What do you do with a team that has 3 rising stars - Vanek, Roy, Miller, who you have to sign long term, and 2 aging vets who are demanding higher salaries? welcome to the world of the salary cap ladies it works both ways!

ok, i am not going to turn this into a sabre's post, but letting drury, briere and campbell walk for essentially nothing in inexcusable, not a way to operate a franchise.i would expect the same mindset if he took over the bills, "just break even" is golisano's mantra, not win.as for vanek, that whole contract situation was a total case of mismanagement 101.

Edited May 13, 2011 by dwight in philly

[Jerry Jabber]

ok, i am not going to turn this into a sabre's post, but letting drury, briere and campbell walk for essentially nothing in inexcusable, not a way to operate a franchise.i would expect the same mindset if he took over the bills, "just break even" is golisano's mantra, not win.as for vanek, that whole contract situation was a total case of mismanagement 101.

 

 

[NewEra]

really? thats funny. I remember two of Tom's teams making it to the conference finals. it was pure luck, not that he spent money nad went into debt first on the team right?

 

anyone who thinks TG has no interest in supporting a winning team clearly ignores 2005-2007 of the sabres. because our players sucked and we didn't keep 2 people (really only breire was worth keeping, drury though i love him, has been a wasted of $$), TG is suddenly cheap. What do you do with a team that has 3 rising stars - Vanek, Roy, Miller, who you have to sign long term, and 2 aging vets who are demanding higher salaries? welcome to the world of the salary cap ladies it works both ways!

I don't get to see many Sabres games out jere in Las Vegas, but isn't Tyler Myers are rising star as well? I'm not questioning you, just wondering what the knowledgeable bills fans think of this kid. The couple games I saw, Myers looked liked a possible super star in the making.

[San Jose Bills Fan]

really? thats funny. I remember two of Tom's teams making it to the conference finals. it was pure luck, not that he spent money nad went into debt first on the team right?

 

anyone who thinks TG has no interest in supporting a winning team clearly ignores 2005-2007 of the sabres. because our players sucked and we didn't keep 2 people (really only breire was worth keeping, drury though i love him, has been a wasted of $), TG is suddenly cheap. What do you do with a team that has 3 rising stars - Vanek, Roy, Miller, who you have to sign long term, and 2 aging vets who are demanding higher salaries? welcome to the world of the salary cap ladies it works both ways!

I think the comments made by Pegula upon purchasing the team reflect somewhat on Golisano's tenure as owner…"the hockey department will have no financial mandates."

 

It's not only that Golisano let Briere, Drury, and Campbell walk…it's also that he didn't get the deals done ahead of time to sign them to long-term contracts which was something that the players were agreeable to. Someone in the Sabres organization dropped the puck on these negotiations and this is well-documented fact. The Sabres had discussions with Briere and Drury before the last year of their contracts and numbers were agreed upon in principle. Then the Sabres went silent.

 

Also Golisano did not keep the team together letting players like Jay McKee and JP Dumont also walk.

 

IMO, at some point, Golisano made some bottom-line decisions which hurt the team that with better management, didn't have to happen.

 

 

[trolls_r_us]

Galisano would be OK if he didn't come with Larry Quinn, which he would.

 

So NO THANKS to Tom G.

[OCinBuffalo]

Just saw my "source" again the other day.

 

There is definitely a plan to keep the Bills in Buffalo, as I posted last summer. Nothing has changed since the last time we spoke. This comes directly from a HOF Bills player you all know. He won't share the details, and I don't blame him. I especially don't blame what I can only assume to be his partners for wanting to keep their plan away from any potential competition and/or media or political d-bags looking to make a name for themselves. In fact, even if I knew the details myself, I doubt I would post them.

 

People's need to know is out-weighed in this instance by the harm the jackass political hacks/outsider "move the team" competition will cause. As a Bills fan, why the hell should I, or anyone, provide info that would allow the usual jackasses to be jackasses, when all I want is the smoothest transition possible, and perhaps the reinstatement of fried bologna?

 

This is not a rumor. This is first person info, that is now second person only because you are reading it.

[Dragonborn10]

There is no plan. People need to stop thinking there is a pln for Kelly to buy the team. RW can not upon his death direct the sale of the team to anyone or any group nor can he put any restrictions on the sale. It is simple estate planning law. He can if he chooses let the family incur the tax burden which is unlikely.

So please stop the specualtion of a transition plan. If RW doesn't sell the team before he dies the team will go up for auction just like a piece of furniture.

[OCinBuffalo]

There is no plan. People need to stop thinking there is a pln for Kelly to buy the team. RW can not upon his death direct the sale of the team to anyone or any group nor can he put any restrictions on the sale. It is simple estate planning law. He can if he chooses let the family incur the tax burden which is unlikely.

So please stop the specualtion of a transition plan. If RW doesn't sell the team before he dies the team will go up for auction just like a piece of furniture.

Right, and the guy I have gotten to know over the course of the last 4 years since moving to Buffalo is an out an out liar. He has every reason to craft this lie to fool me, since I am so important. In fact, the lie that he has been telling me is purposely designed to make me come to a message board and tell re-tell the lie, since all of you are so important.

 

Yeah, all of that is a much more simple, and therefore, likely explanation than: there is a group of investors who have a plan to buy the Bills and keep them in Buffalo.

 

Why bother lying to me? What possible purpose does it serve?

[May Day 10]

that is going to be so great when this is no longer hanging over our heads.

 

 

 

Golisano isnt a bad owner at all. He goes away. He wanted the Sabres to be viable or near viable, and he spent the maximum amount he could while achieving that goal. The Bills easily make money and I could see Golisano increasing $ out if the team's balance sheet matches what it normally does with Ralph.

 

The problem is Quinn was the President and likely would in a Bills scenario (unless he just doesnt want the stress which is likely based on his health). Quinn was too hands on it seemed and it truly bungled things up and resulted in the complete dismantling of that 95-97 team.

 

But sign me up if Golisano is the owner and Russ Brandon is the President. As long as Brandon is completely overpowered by the personalities of the Football side.

[Big Turk]

I remember Golisano saying that. Hopefully, he is right and the succession plan is already in place.

 

I honestly could just see this as being another example of Wilson's quirky and many times offbeat sense of humor. Ralph always seems to be a jokester at least at his press conferences, and I can almost picture him telling everyone to not say a word about what he has done and snickering about how everyone is worrying about it to himself while he has already taken care of it for the long term. I can even see him looking down from upstairs and snickering some more as everyone finally realizes what he has done and saying "I told you so" to all of his critics and watching their reactions.

 

I have no info to back any of this up, but IMHO this would fit perfectly with Wilson's quirkiness. What is this based on? Well a few things:

 

1) Wilson although looked at like many do "Uncle Ned" at he family gatherings by most of the other owners, has consistently shown to be right when he speaks out about things. He was one of 2 dissenting votes regarding the last CBA, and look what has happened since then. Wilson is a very shrewd business man when it comes to big picture things(helped save 2 franchises in the AFL) and was a key figure in the AFL/NFL merger. He has shown that he has been right on virtually every big picture decision he has made in the past, so this gives hope that the ultimate big picture decision will be one that is done just as shrewdly.

 

2) Wilson has stuck by Buffalo through thick and thin. I am quite positive he has gotten many, many offers to move the team and has had the ability to make a LOT more money than he has in Buffalo. Perhaps looking at this is the biggest reason to think the team will stay. If he wanted the team moved, he could have moved it a long time ago and a lot of times since then.

 

3) The calmness by which he has gone about all of this recently seems to indicate something has been set up. Every time he is asked about it now he responds with a joke or a slick answer that gets the press laughing. The gloom and doom he had talked about in prior years doesn't seem to be there anymore.

 

4) Other people have made comments regarding things, then seemingly tried to backtrack out of their comments as if not to say anything that could be interpreted as them having some answers. Some of these have come from people with very close ties to the organization(Kelly, Thomas, etc), and others from people who would be able to get this type of information because of who they rub elbows with(Golisano, Shumer, etc). They all seem to be saying the same type of things at least in an indirect manner...

 

5) Golisano does not seem overly concerned with the prospects of the team leaving, and has stated that his interest in buying the team would increase with the threat of the team leaving. A team headed by Golisano/Pegula would boast assets of nearly 5 billion themselves alone, and would be hard to outbid if a bidding war indeed ensued. While Pegula has shown no interest in doing so, it would be a misstep too great to not help keep the Bills in town. No matter how much he did for the Sabres, he would be known as the person who could have saved the Bills but chose not to. He would never be forgiven and I think he would have to know that. Even if he has no interest in the Bills, he virtually would have to be part of a partnership if he wanted to avoid being turned on fast and hard.

 

 

just some things to think about...again I have no information backing up any of this other than what all of you do, this is just my personal opinion on the issue...

[May Day 10]

^^^ some good points

 

 

 

If and when Ralph passes and there is a succession plan in place. We lead a charge to get a statue of him somewhere at the stadium.

[RTW2012]

There is no plan. People need to stop thinking there is a pln for Kelly to buy the team. RW can not upon his death direct the sale of the team to anyone or any group nor can he put any restrictions on the sale. It is simple estate planning law. He can if he chooses let the family incur the tax burden which is unlikely.

So please stop the specualtion of a transition plan. If RW doesn't sell the team before he dies the team will go up for auction just like a piece of furniture.

 

It's my understanding he can do this. One of the local TV stations interviewed an attorney a few years ago on this subject, and he said Ralph can put stipulations in his will favoring local buyers.

 

If you are a lawyer, please enlighten us. I am not, and I suspect you aren't either.

[Delete This Account]

Scrappy=Scooby alert? Coming back for his yearly ban just before season starts?

 

Anyway... Maybe John Wawrow has some updates? Ow wait... he was chased away from the board...

no i wasn't chased away.

i've been back posting since January. everything is speculation, but i'll stick to what i said on 'GR last season in regards to the chances of the Bills staying put. i'll even up it to 95 percent chance in projecting the Bills will stay in this region (including Toronto).

 

jw

[Mr. WEO]

It's my understanding he can do this. One of the local TV stations interviewed an attorney a few years ago on this subject, and he said Ralph can put stipulations in his will favoring local buyers.

 

If you are a lawyer, please enlighten us. I am not, and I suspect you aren't either.

Ultimately, the next owner will be decided by 2/3 of the current owners. Local or not, they have the final say.

[trolls_r_us]

no i wasn't chased away.

i've been back posting since January. everything is speculation, but i'll stick to what i said on 'GR last season in regards to the chances of the Bills staying put. i'll even up it to 95 percent chance in projecting the Bills will stay in this region (including Toronto).

 

jw

 

Those two words "including Toronto" are the problem.

 

If the team moves to Toronto they are not going to be "buffalo's team" anymore. Or even WNY.

 

Plus, the team is not moving ANYWHERE without a brand new, ridiculously expensive stadium. The crappy Rogers Center is not good enough for the NFL.

[Delete This Account]

Those two words "including Toronto" are the problem.

 

If the team moves to Toronto they are not going to be "buffalo's team" anymore. Or even WNY.

 

Plus, the team is not moving ANYWHERE without a brand new, ridiculously expensive stadium. The crappy Rogers Center is not good enough for the NFL.

and yet you choose to concentrate on the negative. it's been noted in this thread that i had stated my belief is that i'm 65-70 percent confident the Bills will stay in WNY.

the sky isn't always falling, you know.

 

jw

[dwight in philly]

no i wasn't chased away.

i've been back posting since January. everything is speculation, but i'll stick to what i said on 'GR last season in regards to the chances of the Bills staying put. i'll even up it to 95 percent chance in projecting the Bills will stay in this region (including Toronto).

 

jw

so, left unsaid then is that we will play an additional game in TO, OR , maybe split the games?, both options are not my favorites. hopefully , the new owner will just sink or swim at the ralph.. in my opinion, it is hardly a losing proposition if they choose to do so. of course, if they are greedy, it is moot.

[Delete This Account]

so, left unsaid then is that we will play an additional game in TO, OR , maybe split the games?, both options are not my favorites. hopefully , the new owner will just sink or swim at the ralph.. in my opinion, it is hardly a losing proposition if they choose to do so. of course, if they are greedy, it is moot.

it has been suggested that the Bills would sink sooner than later if they restrict their games to WNY. say what you will of the current five-year deal, it has opened the door for more southern Ontario fans to plunk their money on tickets at the Ralph, and also led to further marketing spinoffs.

all in one, it has made the Bills and Buffalo (Orchard Park) a more attractive market. i don't think it's any coincidence that Bills season-ticket sales have been among the franchise's best since the Bills in Toronto series began. and that comes even with what's been a perennial loser.

 

as much as Bills fans don't like the T.O. experiment, i think it helps the franchise.

 

jw

[dwight in philly]

it has been suggested that the Bills would sink sooner than later if they restrict their games to WNY. say what you will of the current five-year deal, it has opened the door for more southern Ontario fans to plunk their money on tickets at the Ralph, and also led to further marketing spinoffs.

all in one, it has made the Bills and Buffalo (Orchard Park) a more attractive market. i don't think it's any coincidence that Bills season-ticket sales have been among the franchise's best since the Bills in Toronto series began. and that comes even with what's been a perennial loser.

 

as much as Bills fans don't like the T.O. experiment, i think it helps the franchise.

 

jw

i know, it is just hard to face, i guess. i mainly look at it from the on-the-field perspective. they are essentially forfeiting home field advantage , but, again, economics and market size drive the league. my thought is , would someone like pegula, or kelly live with a smaller profit margin in exchange for not giving up the T O game(s)?

Edited May 16, 2011 by dwight in philly