Hplarrm Posted June 19, 2011 Posted June 19, 2011 We all hope for the Bills will stay but after hearing the highest bidder speech from Ralph with nothing further having been said since, I think caution is in order about dreaming something different. Ralph is a businessman first & this was an investment, so I would expect that will not change after all this time. Ralph the businessman has agreed with his partners that the team will not be sold to a new owner without the approval of 70%+ of the other owners. This makes sense in that if Mr. Ralph or his estate could simply sell to the highest bidder without the approval of the vast majority of his partners, the other NFL team owners then without regard to whether highest bidder was Donald Trump, Rush Limbaugh, or Osama Bin Laden's son then that person would become a partner in the NFL. Do you agree that any new owner in order to even qualify as a bidder would need the approval of a vast majority of the owners and other key stakeholders like the players. Rush Limbaugh did not believe this and he ain't an owner today because of this. The fact Sully and others overlook this basic point makes their views silly. Sully is correct that > The owners are interested in one thing: Profit. but he misses the fact and fails to calculate in his fantasy outcomes that the profit comes not from ticket sales and whether your market is small but from the TV networks and the REAL source of NFL profits! Ticket sales and market size are marginally important to the individual owner but this margin is very small compared to the real money and profits of the TV networks. Any theory which does not take this market reality into account is mere bloviating.
maryland-bills-fan Posted June 19, 2011 Posted June 19, 2011 (edited) Just a point. Ralph's will will specify what happens to the team after his death. His assets do not become the property of an "estate", who decide what to do with it. It is very unlikely that he will die without a will and that a court will then appoint executors to depose of his estate. There is no reason why the Bills wold have to be sold to the highest bidder. There is no reason why he could not specify that the buyer of the Bills has to keep the team in Buffalo under terms of the sale. Edited June 19, 2011 by maryland-bills-fan
billsfan89 Posted June 19, 2011 Posted June 19, 2011 Well.. yes you are correct. Just don't think Ralph is selling to the highest bidder because he's milking a buck. His estate (not him) would have to sell to the highest bidder because all they can afford to do. This is a similar case Redskins Its sad that these teams have to be sold from families that have owned them for years just because they can't afford the tax. All in all I hate to see something like that happen to the Bills. I hope Ralph would consider selling a minority stake of the team to a Buffalo interest to help pay for the tax before he dies. And to help insure the team staying in Buffalo.
Doc Posted June 20, 2011 Posted June 20, 2011 We all hope for the Bills will stay but after hearing the highest bidder speech from Ralph with nothing further having been said since, I think caution is in order about dreaming something different. Ralph is a businessman first & this was an investment, so I would expect that will not change after all this time. Give us a link to this alleged speech please.
Ghost of Rob Johnson Posted June 20, 2011 Posted June 20, 2011 (edited) We all hope for the Bills will stay but after hearing the highest bidder speech from Ralph with nothing further having been said since, I think caution is in order about dreaming something different. Ralph is a businessman first & this was an investment, so I would expect that will not change after all this time. This speech hasn't happened. Edited June 20, 2011 by Ghost of Rob Johnson
Scrappy Posted June 20, 2011 Author Posted June 20, 2011 The 89-year-old Wilson doesn't intend to sell or relocate the Bills while he's alive, but does plan to have the team sold to the highest bidder after his death. NFL.com link
Doc Posted June 20, 2011 Posted June 20, 2011 NFL.com link Some sports writer made the claim that Wilson said that. It was never corroborated. Looks like the writer of that article used it. Because again, it's not as simple as "selling it to the highest bidder."
Hplarrm Posted June 20, 2011 Posted June 20, 2011 NFL.com link If the quote provided in this NFL link is the best that can be provided in terms of Ralph stating a plan to sell to the highest bidder then it seems pretty clear that Ralph is not on record declaring that the team will be sold to the highest bidder. Even beyond that if such an on the record quote does exist he can obviously change his mind about this up until the last minute or so. Trumping all of this is the fact that by rule and Ralph's agreement no NFL team can transfer ownership without the approval of 70% of his fellow owners. This is only logical as if Muammar Khadafi were the highest bidder, the other owners can block this from happening unless 70% of the fellow owners agree. Without regard to what dead Ralph says in his will, one cannot force his former fellow NFL owners to diminish the value of their property because dead Ralph says the team must be sold to the highest bidder. The contention that the Bills must be sold to the highest bidder is simply wrong.
KollegeStudnet Posted June 20, 2011 Posted June 20, 2011 Rest assure...the team will remain in Buffalo after Ralph's death for sometime!
Scrappy Posted June 20, 2011 Author Posted June 20, 2011 I hope you guys are right but seeing how just about everything of value in business has left Buffalo, this seems hard to fathom. Unless your a debt collector, Buffalo is not the land of opportunity. Which all falls back on the long-term viability of having a NFL team there in the first place. If you had a billion to buy a NFL franchise, would you pick the Buffalo franchise?? It wasn't Ralph's first choice either, warm weather Miami was.
Griswold Posted June 20, 2011 Posted June 20, 2011 "We're doomed. Dooomed" It's a movie quote. I can't place it though.. Google didn't help.
yakkydoodle Posted June 20, 2011 Posted June 20, 2011 "We're doomed. Dooomed" It's a movie quote. I can't place it though.. Google didn't help. Chuckie from the Rugrats?
Ghost of Rob Johnson Posted June 20, 2011 Posted June 20, 2011 NFL.com link Moving speech by Ralph Wilson in that link.
Scrappy Posted June 20, 2011 Author Posted June 20, 2011 Moving speech by Ralph Wilson in that link. How did it come across then??
Ghost of Rob Johnson Posted June 20, 2011 Posted June 20, 2011 (edited) How did it come across then?? Considering there's no quote it comes accross as the writer's word, not Ralph Wilson's. As far as I know his plans for the team after he dies haven't been made public. I guess that the reports out there it makes sense to take caution, but without knowing how reliable it is I'm not sure how much stock I'd put into it. Especially since it's from 3 years ago and reports to the contrary have come out as well. Edited June 20, 2011 by Ghost of Rob Johnson
Never NEVER Give-up Posted June 20, 2011 Posted June 20, 2011 The key word is "known", as in no KNOWN plan. Maybe when he leaves it to his wife (there's NO estate tax there), she will sell only a controlling interest with a stipulation the team remain in WNY. Or she sells all of it with the same stipulation. The problem here is I am speculating - and so is Jerry Sullivan. When there's this much money on the table, there are a myriad of potential scenarios that could play out. Running through all the scenarios only serves to drive people crazy with the speculation. As we have no control and one option is NOT having the community buy the team, we are wise to let it run its course, enjoy the rebuilding Buddy & Chan are leading and support the team so when Mary Wilson or some other party/parties comes along, they need to consider keeping the team right here. One thing no one ever seemed to consider . . . if the Bills were perrenial winners, would there be as much talk of moving the team? We'll never know. Jerry is right, not one of the greedy NFL owners cares if the Bills stay put. The Bills are not considered an institution like Cleveland who got another franchise. (I don't know why Cleveland is considered special, the Browns haven't done anything special since the early 60's.)
Scrappy Posted June 20, 2011 Author Posted June 20, 2011 Man I hope you're right. Considering there's no quote it comes accross as the writer's word, not Ralph Wilson's. As far as I know his plans for the team after he dies haven't been made public. I guess that the reports out there it makes sense to take caution, but without knowing how reliable it is I'm not sure how much stock I'd put into it. Especially since it's from 3 years ago and reports to the contrary have come out as well.
dpberr Posted June 20, 2011 Posted June 20, 2011 Perhaps somebody has already discussed this, but how would the NFL realign itself if a team or two teams moved to LA? I see this issue being the reason that Buffalo stays put. I don't see the majority of NFL owners, especially in the AFC, going along with a vote for a move if it requires massive realignment of the conference. The AFC East and West are the same as they were in 1960. Would the NFL kill those rivalries for the sake of a team in LA?
K-9 Posted June 20, 2011 Posted June 20, 2011 ... Ralph is complaining about the new 90% to be paid to players on the table, I see him looking for every dime after he is gone. ... Is there an article anywhere quoting RW's complaints about the 90% cap floor? Or are you just making up stuff as usual? GO BILLS!!!
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