The Sabres are casting a long shadow

[PromoTheRobot]

Here's something else those who compare RW to TP are forgetting...The NFL dollar scale is about 5X higher than the NHL. TP is literally just spending the interest on his $3B to make waves in the NHL. In the NFL he'd be lumped in with the low-revenue pikers. The NFL is an expensive club to be a player in.

 

PTR

[Scrappy]

Here's something else those who compare RW to TP are forgetting...The NFL dollar scale is about 5X higher than the NHL. TP is literally just spending the interest on his $3B to make waves in the NHL. In the NFL he'd be lumped in with the low-revenue pikers. The NFL is an expensive club to be a player in.

 

PTR

 

If TP ever became a NFL owner, he'd be the 3rd richest (possibly 2nd based on energy going up). Paul Allen is #1 4 X over but to call Terry a low-revenue piker shows just how clueless / desperate you are to try & make a point. Pretty sad PTR, I'd expect even more of a Ralph bootstrap licker.

 

Pegula would be 3rd

 

Another factor is that Terry is willing to forgo profit in the attempt to win championships, how many other professional sports owners can claim the same ?? This is a rare fact indeed & shows that his passion for Buffalo sports is beyond making a profit, which is the exact opposite of Ralph. The small-market speech was probably the lowest form of scum babble that I have ever thought a Billionaire to say, give all us poor folks a pity party why don't ya ?

 

This is the exact reason I started this thread, just to show you the exact other side of town's opinion on what's important to an owner. Ralph = profit / Pegula = Championship, who do you want to see succeed as a fan ??

Edited July 15, 2011 by Scrappy

[Hplarrm]

BINGO! problem isn't ralph. Hockey playesr are simple guys, out of the lime light. NFL players are show boats. they love the clubs and night life. big difference. hocky players stay in buffalo and raise a family. not a ton of NFLers do

A fairly rash generalization. Some football players are idiots legends in their own mind, some are nice guys and community minded. The same is true for hockey players. Some are nice guys and some you would not want to be in the same area code much less the same city.

 

There is too much variation between individuals to try to generalize a claim about the type of people attracted to or who survive or prosper in either sport.

 

The biggest generlizable difference you could make about these two types of athletes in their relative age in their training regime. Like many major league sports hockey often tends to draft players as teenagers to play in the minors. These youngsters develop their relationship with A team when they are kids.

 

NFL players on the other hand operate in a system where the colleges (often funded by taxpayers) pay for the training and development of athletes who do not gain an affiliation with a specific team until they are adults. If anything this makes the largest difference in the NFL being more of a business than a sport.

[PromoTheRobot]

If TP ever became a NFL owner, he'd be the 3rd richest (possibly 2nd based on energy going up). Paul Allen is #1 4 X over but to call Terry a low-revenue piker shows just how clueless / desperate you are to try & make a point. Pretty sad PTR, I'd expect even more of a Ralph bootstrap licker.

 

Pegula would be 3rd

 

Another factor is that Terry is willing to forgo profit in the attempt to win championships, how many other professional sports owners can claim the same ?? This is a rare fact indeed & shows that his passion for Buffalo sports is beyond making a profit, which is the exact opposite of Ralph. The small-market speech was probably the lowest form of scum babble that I have ever thought a Billionaire to say, give all us poor folks a pity party why don't ya ?

 

This is the exact reason I started this thread, just to show you the exact other side of town's opinion on what's important to an owner. Ralph = profit / Pegula = Championship, who do you want to see succeed as a fan ??

 

That may be true BUT Pegula would have to spend a large chunk of his fortune to play in the NFL like he's playing in the NHL. That's my point. Right now he's playing with FREE MONEY...money he earns off interest. If he did the same thing in the NFL he'd have to put in 50-60% of his personal wealth. That's a HUGE difference. It's one thing to spend your spare change on a hobby. It's another to put over half of what your worth into a hobby!

 

PTR

[C.Biscuit97]

BINGO! problem isn't ralph. Hockey playesr are simple guys, out of the lime light. NFL players are show boats. they love the clubs and night life. big difference. hocky players stay in buffalo and raise a family. not a ton of NFLers do

 

There is so truth to this but probably not as much as you think. Brad Richards is a bachelor and wanted to be in NYC. I highly doubt Sean Avery would ever come to Buffalo. I love Buffalo but it is probably far down the list for athletes of any sport to come to if they are single. I've always thought that the Bills should target FAs who have families because Buffalo is a great location to raise a family.

 

You're right about us sucking with the draft. However, can you honestly say it doesn't mean crap to this point regarding what the Sabres have done thus far? In the era of salary cap, this is what it feels like to root for a team that is at least going for the ultimate prize. The past month has highlighted the gap of these two team's ownership so much, I'm much more cognizant to why people crap on the Bills so much.

 

In regards to seeing the big picture, I don't understand how fans have missed the point. Signing free agents is part of the game, something the Bills choose to forgo every offseason. Its some cruel irony that the venerable, iconic Marv Levy's 1st FA class and it's expensive busts will probably be our last foray into this integral part of the game. Go Bills.

 

 

How do the Bills forgo this? TO, Fletcher, Adams, Spikes, Bledsoe, Milloy, etc. The Bills have tried the spend money on FA approach and it hasn't worked. Fans have very short term memories.

 

Good teams build through the draft and use FAcy to fill in the gaps. For as much credit as the Sabres are getting about their offseason, if the homegrown drafted players don't produce (Vanek, Miller, Myers), this team is going no where. Build through the draft.

[KollegeStudnet]

That may be true BUT Pegula would have to spend a large chunk of his fortune to play in the NFL like he's playing in the NHL. That's my point. Right now he's playing with FREE MONEY...money he earns off interest. If he did the same thing in the NFL he'd have to put in 50-60% of his personal wealth. That's a HUGE difference. It's one thing to spend your spare change on a hobby. It's another to put over half of what your worth into a hobby!

 

PTR

 

In the end...I hope and pray to Yaweh, Jesus, Buddah, Zeus, Allah...that when the Bills are put up for sale...it's a group and not a lone billionaire purchasing the team!

 

Im just having a deep thought, but having a group, in my opinion...will be better in keeping this team here longer!

 

I'm not trying to knock Pegula, but if I recall he's already into his viagara years...why not have him invest in a portion of the teams purchase--along with a group of other well known businessmen looking to keep the team here...Like the Kelly group!

 

I know the Spanos family has the Chargers split up...whomever buys Alex Spanos share...owns the majority of the team and could move them.

 

What if the Kelly group is designed to have each person own an eqaul share...making it impossible to move this team...it could happen...

 

Overall, I just don't see the Wilson family walking away from Kelly--an icon of the Buffalo Bills...who wants to keep the team here...if the team is put up for sale!

 

But, I could be wrong!

Edited July 15, 2011 by KollegeStudnet

[PromoTheRobot]

In the end...I hope and pray to Yaweh, Jesus, Buddah, Zeus, Allah...that when the Bills are put up for sale...it's a group and not a lone billionaire purchasing the team!

 

Im just having a deep thought, but having a group, in my opinion...will be better in keeping this team here longer!

 

I'm not trying to knock Pegula, but if I recall he's already into his viagara years...why not have him invest in a portion of the teams purchase--along with a group of other well known businessmen looking to keep the team here...Like the Kelly group!

 

I know the Spanos family has the Chargers split up...whomever buys Alex Spanos share...owns the majority of the team and could move them.

 

What if the Kelly group is designed to have each person own an eqaul share...making it impossible to move this team...it could happen...

 

Overall, I just don't see the Wilson family walking away from Kelly--an icon of the Buffalo Bills...who wants to keep the team here...if the team is put up for sale!

 

But, I could be wrong!

Group ownership rarely works unless everyone agrees on the leader calling the shots. Someone would have to be the chief. It's hard to be an indian when your stake is several hundred million dollars.

 

PTR

[K-9]

... Good teams build through the draft and use FAcy to fill in the gaps. For as much credit as the Sabres are getting about their offseason, if the homegrown drafted players don't produce (Vanek, Miller, Myers), this team is going no where. Build through the draft.

 

This, this, a thousand times this! History bears this out over and over again.

 

GO BILLS!!!

[Cornerville]

BINGO! problem isn't ralph. Hockey playesr are simple guys, out of the lime light. NFL players are show boats. they love the clubs and night life. big difference. hocky players stay in buffalo and raise a family. not a ton of NFLers do

 

 

I guess this explains why Green bay might have the makings of a dynasty. The night life there is insane!!!

[RyanC883]

Go Pens!! (and Bills) Sorry, had to as a Bills/Pens fan. In all seriousness, the Sabers successes, which they will have with the new owner, will not do anything to effect pressure on the Bills. In fact, if the Sabers win the Cup, people may care less about the Bills. A similar thing happened in Pittsburgh. While the Steelers and Pens were winning, few cared about the Pirates. Now that the Pirates are winning, people are caring again. Winning cures all, and the amazing thing about Bills fans is that they are the best in the NFL hands down. 10 years with no playoffs and we still pack the place and care. No other team in pro sports has fans like us. So, I generally think most sports teams operate on their own, and that other teams in the City have little effect on them.

[Scrappy]

Go Pens!! (and Bills) Sorry, had to as a Bills/Pens fan. In all seriousness, the Sabers successes, which they will have with the new owner, will not do anything to effect pressure on the Bills. In fact, if the Sabers win the Cup, people may care less about the Bills. A similar thing happened in Pittsburgh. While the Steelers and Pens were winning, few cared about the Pirates. Now that the Pirates are winning, people are caring again. Winning cures all, and the amazing thing about Bills fans is that they are the best in the NFL hands down. 10 years with no playoffs and we still pack the place and care. No other team in pro sports has fans like us. So, I generally think most sports teams operate on their own, and that other teams in the City have little effect on them.

 

You guys have won it all multiple times, we have dog doo doo to show for all our years of waiting & hoping. Any championship potential brings the entire town to the door, especially after being starved for generations (the Bandits don't count).

 

That may be true BUT Pegula would have to spend a large chunk of his fortune to play in the NFL like he's playing in the NHL. That's my point. Right now he's playing with FREE MONEY...money he earns off interest. If he did the same thing in the NFL he'd have to put in 50-60% of his personal wealth. That's a HUGE difference. It's one thing to spend your spare change on a hobby. It's another to put over half of what your worth into a hobby!

 

PTR

 

You have a great point but there but past the $1 Billion to buy the Bills, where is the other ~25%?? Another thing as well, Natural gas is going to end up twice as high as it is right now for several reasons, so odds are his net worth will double as well in the near future.

[ICanSleepWhenI'mDead]

Regarding the Bills future. Really there is nothing 'on the record'. And why would there be? First off it is tough to tell what capital gains are going to be from one year to the next so the plan has to be fluid. Every year there are different considerations. Should Ralph come out every Jan 1 and say "ok, now the plan is....".

 

Regarding legacy. I think it is important to Ralph. I think it just might be that it is Ralph Wilson Stadium more for legacy than for the here and now. What could be more a powerful statement than after Ralph passed having the Bills still in western NY and still playing at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Great way to get the final word and quiet the naysayers. Great exclamation point to a long and complicated legacy. Some might think that a reach.

Actually, although it was a while ago (2007), there is something on the record. See post #18 at:

 

http://forums.twobillsdrive.com/topic/131497-john-wawrow-wr-donald-jones-on-coach-sal/

 

Unless Ralph leaves the team to a member of his "immediate family" (as that term is defined in the NFL Bylaws), the other NFL owners control who gets the team after Ralph passes.

Edited July 16, 2011 by ICanSleepWhenI'mDead

[KOKBILLS]

The NHL is small potatoes compared to the NFL.

 

Exactly...Regardless of the Market this holds true...Because even in a Market like Detroit where the Wings MAY be more popular than the Lions...Football is still going to be more popular overall than Hockey...

 

And that's really all that needs to be said about this topic...

 

Next...

[Nanker]

When The Bills get sold and move out of town, The Sabers will be left casting the only shadow other than Punxsutawney Phil.

[PromoTheRobot]

You guys have won it all multiple times, we have dog doo doo to show for all our years of waiting & hoping. Any championship potential brings the entire town to the door, especially after being starved for generations (the Bandits don't count).

 

 

 

You have a great point but there but past the $1 Billion to buy the Bills, where is the other ~25%?? Another thing as well, Natural gas is going to end up twice as high as it is right now for several reasons, so odds are his net worth will double as well in the near future.

 

Over $1B to buy the Bills. No doubt TP would have to outbid AEG or Rosky. Then the NFL would likely insist TP get a new stadium built within a few years. That's another billion-plus. Then' there is over paying for free agents, coaches and scouts. And will Bills fans be willing to pay closer to the NFL average for tickets? Don't kid yourself. Pegula could easily spend 75% of his net worth on the Bills.

 

PTR

[RyanC883]

You guys have won it all multiple times, we have dog doo doo to show for all our years of waiting & hoping. Any championship potential brings the entire town to the door, especially after being starved for generations (the Bandits don't count).

 

 

 

You have a great point but there but past the $1 Billion to buy the Bills, where is the other ~25%?? Another thing as well, Natural gas is going to end up twice as high as it is right now for several reasons, so odds are his net worth will double as well in the near future.

 

 

I'm just saying that the Sabers success, which I think they will have under Pegula, will have no impact on whether or not the Bills improve. No doubt the City of Buffalo will go crazy when the Sabers finally win, as they should. I'm a Bills fan before anyting else. Perhpas Pegula can buy the Bills when they are up for sale.

[Scrappy]

I'm just saying that the Sabers success, which I think they will have under Pegula, will have no impact on whether or not the Bills improve. No doubt the City of Buffalo will go crazy when the Sabers finally win, as they should. I'm a Bills fan before anyting else. Perhpas Pegula can buy the Bills when they are up for sale.

 

According to others, his $3 Billion isn't enough even though it would make him the 3rd (possibly 2nd) wealthiest owner instantly.

[PromoTheRobot]

According to others, his $3 Billion isn't enough even though it would make him the 3rd (possibly 2nd) wealthiest owner instantly.

Pegula is only 3rd wealthiest now. He won't be after he spends 75% of his net worth on the Bills. Also most of the other owners bought when their franchises were worth much less. Joining the NFL owners club now is obscenely expensive. You're right, Pegula has enough money. But does he want to spend most of his fortune on an NFL team, especially when his hockey team will only increase in value and revenue when the Bills go away?

 

PTR

[Scrappy]

Pegula is only 3rd wealthiest now. He won't be after he spends 75% of his net worth on the Bills. Also most of the other owners bought when their franchises were worth much less. Joining the NFL owners club now is obscenely expensive. You're right, Pegula has enough money. But does he want to spend most of his fortune on an NFL team, especially when his hockey team will only increase in value and revenue when the Bills go away?

 

PTR

 

He's freaking liquid man, all cash. You act like owning a NFL team is a bad investment, where is a better place to put your money with known TV revenues doubling to $20 Billion within 10 years? You went from 50-60% to 75% of his worth, next week it will be 90% for you to make a point. He'd spend ~35% of his cash to buy the team, which leaves him with only $2 Billion, could he make it somehow ??

Edited July 16, 2011 by Scrappy

[PromoTheRobot]

He's freaking liquid man, all cash. You act like owning a NFL team is a bad investment, where is a better place to put your money with known TV revenues doubling to $20 Billion within 10 years? You went from 50-60% to 75% of his worth, next week it will be 90% for you to make a point. He'd spend ~35% of his cash to buy the team, which leaves him with only $2 Billion, could he make it somehow ??

But how does he pay for the new stadium and expensive coaches and free agents? You also assume $1B is all that it takes to buy the Bills, like there is a price tag on the franchise. Don't forget he'd be bidding against LA interests with deep pockets.

 

PTR