Mini Max Anderson Fan Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 Interesting article: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/don_banks/06/20/nfl-chicago-meeting/index.html?hpt=hp_t2 About 1/2 way in the article is a mention of Ralph's part in the 2006 CBA and how he was against it (it has been reported he didn't vote for it because they didn't even take the time to read it!?!?!). It mentions "foresight" and Ralph in the same sentence! Seems the big money big guys (Jones, Kraft, etc.) aren't quite as smart as our ol' Ralph. Not even read a CBA? So, let's hope the CBA is thoroughly understood and clarified too all before they sign a deal so we don't have to go through this again in the near future. A rookie wage scale is definitely in order imho. So, thank you, Ralph for recognizing the previous CBA wasn't a good deal for the owners (especially small market types, which our Bills are, no doubt). Also,THANK YOU Mr. Ralph Wilson for keeping my beloved Bills in Buffalo, no matter the cheapness, the overbearing owner phases, the incompetence of the Bills organization at times.The Bills are still in Buffalo, where they belong. I can't imagine not seeing that buffalo helmet that we all so love. Thanks, Ralph. Thanks for not running for bigger money, for seeing the passion in Bills' fans hearts and their love of the Bills. A very big player in the AFL/NFL merger and the AFL tv deals, Ralph has always been the underdog, the guy flying under the radar. Flame me, I don't care, for Ralph is also human and has made many mistakes. But, he never made the biggest mistake of all. GO BILLS!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KollegeStudnet Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 I'm on board...thanks Ralphie! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLZFAN4LIFE Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 Is this thread too all the Ralph lovers to? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsWatch Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 Interesting article: http://sportsillustr....html?hpt=hp_t2 About 1/2 way in the article is a mention of Ralph's part in the 2006 CBA and how he was against it (it has been reported he didn't vote for it because they didn't even take the time to read it!?!?!). It mentions "foresight" and Ralph in the same sentence! He did not understand it specifically how the money was going to be shared with low revenue teams; they were only given 45 minutes on a document which as big as some congressional bills. If someone reported Ralph did not read it I suspect it was Jerry Sullivan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buftex Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 He did not understand it specifically how the money was going to be shared with low revenue teams; they were only given 45 minutes on a document which as big as some congressional bills. If someone reported Ralph did not read it I suspect it was Jerry Sullivan. Ralph said it himself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKRAAPY Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 How do you know if you agree to something if you don't read it? - Butters Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GaryPinC Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 Interesting article: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/don_banks/06/20/nfl-chicago-meeting/index.html?hpt=hp_t2 About 1/2 way in the article is a mention of Ralph's part in the 2006 CBA and how he was against it (it has been reported he didn't vote for it because they didn't even take the time to read it!?!?!). It mentions "foresight" and Ralph in the same sentence! Seems the big money big guys (Jones, Kraft, etc.) aren't quite as smart as our ol' Ralph. Not even read a CBA? So, let's hope the CBA is thoroughly understood and clarified too all before they sign a deal so we don't have to go through this again in the near future. A rookie wage scale is definitely in order imho. So, thank you, Ralph for recognizing the previous CBA wasn't a good deal for the owners (especially small market types, which our Bills are, no doubt). Also,THANK YOU Mr. Ralph Wilson for keeping my beloved Bills in Buffalo, no matter the cheapness, the overbearing owner phases, the incompetence of the Bills organization at times.The Bills are still in Buffalo, where they belong. I can't imagine not seeing that buffalo helmet that we all so love. Much less foresight, much more Mr. Wilson being conservative and simply not signing something shoved down his throat. I agree with Mr. Wilson's principle on it, but not much foresight involved. Thanks, Ralph. Thanks for not running for bigger money, for seeing the passion in Bills' fans hearts and their love of the Bills. A very big player in the AFL/NFL merger and the AFL tv deals, Ralph has always been the underdog, the guy flying under the radar. Flame me, I don't care, for Ralph is also human and has made many mistakes. But, he never made the biggest mistake of all. GO BILLS!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsFan-4-Ever Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 How much "foresight" will go into this suddenly critical new agreement? The players need to be on the field very soon if we want to see halfway decent games on the first weekend in September. Expect more of the same from Ralphie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jester43 Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 He did not understand it specifically how the money was going to be shared with low revenue teams; they were only given 45 minutes on a document which as big as some congressional bills. If someone reported Ralph did not read it I suspect it was Jerry Sullivan. ha! you "suspect..." yeah everything bad is jerry sullivan's fault. jerry sullivan is out to get the bills. unbelievable how having honest opinions about our mess of a team makes you the permanent bad guy among pollyanna buffalo fans. ralph said himself in front of dozens and cameras and microphones that he didn't understand it. that (unfairly) made him a laughingstock, but he said it himself, not jerry Sullivan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hplarrm Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 As one who has been consistently critical of Mr. Ralph's moves, I would also join those who say that he does not deserve any hatred toward him. In fact, he does deserve our undying thanks for not cashing in and either taking "our" team elsewhere when there were almost certainly offers on the table from towns like St. Louis and Baltimore to pay an enormous bribe to an owner. However, it only seems rational that along with that praise also comes a recognition of the truth. Cut it anyway you want it but Dick Jauron, Marv Levy, TD or whomever you correctly want to blame for making moves that simply did not work out at best or if you want for making bad football moves, cannot be blamed for even a majority to the Bills 0 for a decade plus playoffless run, There is only one man who deserves the blame for all the disasters which have confronted the Bills and their fans since the 90s. That is Mr. Ralph. Ultimately who hired all of these stupid men (if one chooses to be non-forgiving for your own personal foibles or reasons). Ultimately who has had repeated toxic relationships with the men chosen to be in charge from Polian, to Butler, to TD, to Wade, to Mularkey, etc, Ultimately who had made any number of simply wrong or bad football moves which only the owner can make (like the handshake deal and demonstrably wrong football judgment that the Bills would reward Jimbo in his "next" FA deal) or it would have been gross negligence if he had not been directly involved so he deserves a fair share of the blame (such as the miscue of signing a guaranteed contract with Rob Johnson who in retrospect should have been seen as clearly injury prone and when he did get hurt and Flutie played as well as we thought he would we ended up dedicating a crazy cap hit to the QB spot). Ultimately who is the lone figure (outside of some professional bean counters) who has had his hands on the throttle for all of our records both good and for the last decade plus bad. Ultimately where does the buck stop? I think the clear and only answer to all these questions is Mr. Ralph. Does he merit hate? No, not at all in my view. The team we love would not even be here without his actions. Being a Mr. Ralph hater says a lot more about the quality of the person doing the hating than it does about the quality of Mr. Ralph IMHO. However, does Mr. Ralph merit love? The answer to me is clearly YES. However, the facts are the facts and the record is the record. For a fan to simply declare love for Mr. Ralph and the series of football miscues and toxic relationships which he has been at least half of which that have killed the Bills again and again is a sick thing. Like a heroin addict who keeps doing the same things over and over which hurt himself and hurt others, the best thing those who love Mr. Ralph and the great things he has been a part is to give him "tough love", We love many of the things he has been a part of and even done. However, we are doing him and us a disservice if we continue to enable his stupid football moves by not recognizing the fullness of his record good and bad. The end product will be determined by what he does in his will when he leaves us. If he arranges things as best he can for the team to remain in Buffalo then almost all of what should be talked about is love for him. If on the other hand he pursues idiocy like simply selling the team to the highest bidder (which he actually could not do without the affirmative consent of 70%+ of his fellow owners (and without the consent of "partners" such as the players who have done things like kill the ownership attempts of Rush Limbaugh) then Mr. Ralph would deserve the full unabashed hatred of all who care about the Bills (or football or sportsmanship for that matter). This is the message I would send to both Ralph haters and lovers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnC Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 This is the message I would send to both Ralph haters and lovers. In general, no one can dispute the fact that Ralph Wilson is one of the most incomptent and ineffectual owners in the league. Just look at the record. It is embarrassingly bad. He has made not only a lot of bad decisions, he has made a lot of perplexing and inexplicable decisions. Elevating his marketing guru (Brandon) to head the football operation was not only stupid, it was weird Ralph Wilson has made arrangements on how his franchise is going to be disposed of when he passes. It is both odd and shameful that a 93 yr old man is not forthright about his intentions. You can speculate all you want about what the owner is going to do. Not being open about his intentions at this stage of his life says a lot to me about the owner. He doesn't care what anyone else thinks; he is going to do what he wants to do. It is very unfair to categorize people who state the obvious about the caliber of ownership that they should be labled as "haters". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PromoTheRobot Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 (edited) Does anyone know the difference between "to" and "too"? PTR Edited June 21, 2011 by PromoTheRobot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KD in CA Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 (edited) He did not understand it specifically how the money was going to be shared with low revenue teams; they were only given 45 minutes on a document which as big as some congressional bills. If someone reported Ralph did not read it I suspect it was Jerry Sullivan. Which is 45 minutes longer than some of those Congressional bills are reviewed by Congressmen before voting on them. Does anyone know the difference between "to" and "too"? PTR Sure, I used too correct people all the time but don't bother two anymore. To bad people just won't learn. Edited June 21, 2011 by KD in CT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maryland-bills-fan Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 As one who has been consistently critical of Mr. Ralph's moves, I would also join those who say that he does not deserve any hatred toward him. In fact, he does deserve our undying thanks for not cashing in and either taking "our" team elsewhere when there were almost certainly offers on the table from towns like St. Louis and Baltimore to pay an enormous bribe to an owner. However, it only seems rational that along with that praise also comes a recognition of the truth. Cut it anyway you want it but Dick Jauron, Marv Levy, TD or whomever you correctly want to blame for making moves that simply did not work out at best or if you want for making bad football moves, cannot be blamed for even a majority to the Bills 0 for a decade plus playoffless run, There is only one man who deserves the blame for all the disasters which have confronted the Bills and their fans since the 90s. That is Mr. Ralph. Ultimately who hired all of these stupid men (if one chooses to be non-forgiving for your own personal foibles or reasons). Ultimately who has had repeated toxic relationships with the men chosen to be in charge from Polian, to Butler, to TD, to Wade, to Mularkey, etc, Ultimately who had made any number of simply wrong or bad football moves which only the owner can make (like the handshake deal and demonstrably wrong football judgment that the Bills would reward Jimbo in his "next" FA deal) or it would have been gross negligence if he had not been directly involved so he deserves a fair share of the blame (such as the miscue of signing a guaranteed contract with Rob Johnson who in retrospect should have been seen as clearly injury prone and when he did get hurt and Flutie played as well as we thought he would we ended up dedicating a crazy cap hit to the QB spot). Ultimately who is the lone figure (outside of some professional bean counters) who has had his hands on the throttle for all of our records both good and for the last decade plus bad. Ultimately where does the buck stop? I think the clear and only answer to all these questions is Mr. Ralph. Does he merit hate? No, not at all in my view. The team we love would not even be here without his actions. Being a Mr. Ralph hater says a lot more about the quality of the person doing the hating than it does about the quality of Mr. Ralph IMHO. However, does Mr. Ralph merit love? The answer to me is clearly YES. However, the facts are the facts and the record is the record. For a fan to simply declare love for Mr. Ralph and the series of football miscues and toxic relationships which he has been at least half of which that have killed the Bills again and again is a sick thing. Like a heroin addict who keeps doing the same things over and over which hurt himself and hurt others, the best thing those who love Mr. Ralph and the great things he has been a part is to give him "tough love", We love many of the things he has been a part of and even done. However, we are doing him and us a disservice if we continue to enable his stupid football moves by not recognizing the fullness of his record good and bad. The end product will be determined by what he does in his will when he leaves us. If he arranges things as best he can for the team to remain in Buffalo then almost all of what should be talked about is love for him. If on the other hand he pursues idiocy like simply selling the team to the highest bidder (which he actually could not do without the affirmative consent of 70%+ of his fellow owners (and without the consent of "partners" such as the players who have done things like kill the ownership attempts of Rush Limbaugh) then Mr. Ralph would deserve the full unabashed hatred of all who care about the Bills (or football or sportsmanship for that matter). This is the message I would send to both Ralph haters and lovers. Buy your own team then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saundena Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 (edited) Two, too, to, there, their, they're, see, sea, your, you're & yore Edited June 21, 2011 by saundena Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K-9 Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 Does anyone know the difference between "to" and "too"? PTR I used two. GO BILLS!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saundena Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 I used two. GO BILLS!!! you're "cleverity" is beyond reproach, sir! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnC Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 Does anyone know the difference between "to" and "too"? PTR As the world of twitter ascends--the level of grammar descends. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hplarrm Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 Buy your own team then. Naw, I prefer the current deal where I do not have to lay out any cash but the seller (the Bills) invites commentary on their action by offering their product for sale. What could be better, I invest nothing but my eyeballs and we all get to say whatever we want. As far as the ownership question, it is my hope that the players are going to make a major move like they did when they first threatened decertification and will actually move to get replacement owners for the current NFL fools who run the teams. The team owners use to play an essential role as they were the only ones willing to risk capital and the teams needed a manager. However, thanks to the owners building the NFL investment is no longer a huge risk and there are ample more economically efficient sources of capital. Likewise, the Packers model has shown that there are other alternatives than traditional ownership models which can work. The current NFL owners did great work when they were essential to delivery of the product. However, today they have easily been rewarded for their initial investment and basically they are an economic drag on the game we all love. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K-9 Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 ... As far as the ownership question, it is my hope that the players are going to make a major move like they did when they first threatened decertification and will actually move to get replacement owners for the current NFL fools who run the teams. The team owners use to play an essential role as they were the only ones willing to risk capital and the teams needed a manager. However, thanks to the owners building the NFL investment is no longer a huge risk and there are ample more economically efficient sources of capital. Likewise, the Packers model has shown that there are other alternatives than traditional ownership models which can work. The current NFL owners did great work when they were essential to delivery of the product. However, today they have easily been rewarded for their initial investment and basically they are an economic drag on the game we all love. Please tell me how these players are going to do this. Are you proposing an entirely new league? Who's going to bankroll these franchises and how many franchises will there be? Where will these new teams play? Who will broadcast these games on what networks? This has been attempted by far richer and far better positioned people than the current players and both the WFL and USFL couldn't compete. The NFL and it's group of useless, incompetent owners that are no longer essential would crush this new league of yours but only after the players and owners of the new league lost hundreds of millions of dollars. Every star in the NFL could sign up in the new league tomorrow and it wouldn't be much more than a hiccup for the machine that is the NFL. Players come and go all the time. Manning, Brady, et al can quit today and the league will be just as popular as ever. GO BILLS!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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