May Day 10 Posted October 11, 2011 Share Posted October 11, 2011 http://www.buffalorising.com/2011/10/bills-ownership-rumors-swirl.html its gillett Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cotton Fitzsimmons Posted October 11, 2011 Share Posted October 11, 2011 http://www.buffalorising.com/2011/10/bills-ownership-rumors-swirl.html I'm really disappointed in this tease from Buffalo Rising. First they say a current NHL owner was at the game. That led to the speculation about cross ownership issues and neutral territories. As it turns out that tweet was completely inaccurate as Gillett is not a current NHL owner. But, this article as a whole is just centered around tweets (ie Chad Kelly) that have already been analyzed to death. Also they add this, which smacks of George Seifert all over again: "Now, in addition to multiple sources telling us George Gillett was at the Ralph this past weekend, we've also looked into private aircraft travel into and out of Buffalo. On October 8, a Raytheon Hawker 800 departed the private air terminal in Denver, Colorado and landed at Prior Aviation at 12:48pm." From what I've read of Gillett I'm not too encouraged, if this is the case. What say you, gents? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bangarang Posted October 11, 2011 Share Posted October 11, 2011 http://www.buffalorising.com/2011/10/bills-ownership-rumors-swirl.html its gillett So you're confirming a shot in the dark rumor? I hope it's not Gillett. Doesn't seem like he'd be a good owner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
May Day 10 Posted October 11, 2011 Share Posted October 11, 2011 well, I mean the guy Buffalo Rising is referring to as an NHL owner. I also hope he isnt Kelly's big ace in the hole. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cotton Fitzsimmons Posted October 11, 2011 Share Posted October 11, 2011 Tim Graham was just on with Howard Simon and said that about 4 years ago, the late "Hockey" Jim Kelley, had a conversation where Kelley had told him that he had heard from a very reliable source that Gillett was interested in buying the Bills. Interesting to say the least. However, given this guy's past financial failures on and off the sports field, I'm not sure he would be accepted by the league. The more I read about this guy, the worse he sounds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bills_fan_in_raleigh Posted October 11, 2011 Share Posted October 11, 2011 Tim Graham was just on with Howard Simon and said that about 4 years ago, the late "Hockey" Jim Kelley, had a conversation where Kelley had told him that he had heard from a very reliable source that Gillett was interested in buying the Bills. Interesting to say the least. However, given this guy's past financial failures on and off the sports field, I'm not sure he would be accepted by the league. The more I read about this guy, the worse he sounds. Agree this guy doesnt sound like what I want as an investor. Maybe its a Pegula smokescreen we can only hope Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xsoldier54 Posted October 11, 2011 Share Posted October 11, 2011 We better pray it's not this guy that ends of owning the Bills. If this happens, it sounds like he will run them into the ground in a short period of time, then sell again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollars 2 donuts Posted October 11, 2011 Share Posted October 11, 2011 (edited) If that is true being a current owner then Mr. Pegula is the only possibility Jeremy Jacobs, Delaware North, Boston Bruins owner and Western New York native. I thought this even before GR mentioned it this morning. Additionally and what GR DIDN'T mention this morning is that Jacobs said (paraphrasing), "I'd love to be able to purchase an NFL team in my home Town." Edited October 11, 2011 by dollars 2 donuts Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRAWNDO Posted October 11, 2011 Share Posted October 11, 2011 He can't own the Bruins and the Bills. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maddog69 Posted October 11, 2011 Share Posted October 11, 2011 He can't own the Bruins and the Bills. I had read somewhere that he would transfer ownership of the Bruins to his son if he were to buy the Bills. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRAWNDO Posted October 11, 2011 Share Posted October 11, 2011 Gillett is not an ideal owner, but a poorly run franchise is better than no franchise at all. Besides WGR mentioned this AM his worth is only 250 million, not enough to buy the team by himself. I had read somewhere that he would transfer ownership of the Bruins to his son if he were to buy the Bills. Hopefully the NFL will allow this then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LabattBlue Posted October 11, 2011 Share Posted October 11, 2011 Am I the only one concerned that the Kelly group, is being led by a guy who is not the sharpest tool in the shed? I realize it is not even close to the same level of business, but this is the same guy who stiffed a bunch of vendors/contractors when his restaurant went belly up. He is a great booster of the Bills. Beyond that...I'm not really sold on him or his potential group of investors buying the Bills, and IF Gillett is part of his group, it sounds like my concerns may have some merit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maddog69 Posted October 11, 2011 Share Posted October 11, 2011 Gillett is not an ideal owner, but a poorly run franchise is better than no franchise at all. Besides WGR mentioned this AM his worth is only 250 million, not enough to buy the team by himself. Sounds like Gillett is a master at getting financing. The problem is that he doesn't seem to be able to pay it back. The one thing that has helped the Bills remain profitable in Buffalo is the lack of debt (and therefore no interest payments). This guy does not sound like an optimal owner. We need another Pegula. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ICanSleepWhenI'mDead Posted October 11, 2011 Share Posted October 11, 2011 . . . The one thing that has helped the Bills remain profitable in Buffalo is the lack of debt (and therefore no interest payments). This guy does not sound like an optimal owner. We need another Pegula. I'm not crazy about the idea of Gillett owning the Bills, either, but there is reason to think the Bills already had about $128 million of non-stadium debt in 2009: http://forums.twobillsdrive.com/topic/130751-conventional-wisdom-bills-have-no-debt-service/page__p__2173076__hl__%2Bconventional+%2Bwisdom__fromsearch__1#entry2173076 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollars 2 donuts Posted October 11, 2011 Share Posted October 11, 2011 I had read somewhere that he would transfer ownership of the Bruins to his son if he were to buy the Bills. Yes, sorry I forgot to mention that. He could own both if they were in the same city. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozymandius Posted October 11, 2011 Share Posted October 11, 2011 Why would Gillett as owner mean the Bills stay in Buffalo? Also, Liverpool fans apparently hated him as the owner. Not comforted by this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelly the Dog Posted October 11, 2011 Share Posted October 11, 2011 Why would Gillett as owner mean the Bills stay in Buffalo? Also, Liverpool fans apparently hated him as the owner. Not comforted by this. Kelly is bringing him in to join a consortium of owners. Kelly wouldn't ask anyone to be part of a team that had any interest whatsoever in moving the team. I'm not sure Gillete is a good idea or not, he sure seems to have a lot of baggage. But the NFL rules only state that a majority owner needs to have a 30% stake in the team, that's probably what he is looking for. He also may have some people he's bringing to the table that have a ton of money. There is also some strange rule the NFL has about owners needing NFL ties to participate in revenue sharing, and Gillete would fulfill that requirement as I think he was a part owner of the Dolphins at one time. He's tried, and failed, to own a lot of pro sports teams, even rumored four years ago to try to buy the Bills (not that they were up for sale). Personally, I think there are at least a couple if not several other entities out there besides the Kelly group that could and would pony up the money necessary to keep the team in Buffalo. It's not at all a given that Kelly's group will be the next owners. I would bet anything, even though I have no inside knowledge, that Ralph has a clear plan that will very much be geared to keeping the team in Buffalo. The NFL clearly wants it. The Bills are not going anywhere, IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillnutinHouston Posted October 11, 2011 Share Posted October 11, 2011 I would have to believe that if Jim Kelly is searching around for a majority owner, he's surely called Mr. Pegula by now. Wonder how that conversation went? Also, Gillett does not appear to be a rock solid guy at all. A purchase by him would not be very settling, at least not in my mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozymandius Posted October 11, 2011 Share Posted October 11, 2011 Kelly is bringing him in to join a consortium of owners. Kelly wouldn't ask anyone to be part of a team that had any interest whatsoever in moving the team. I'm not sure Gillete is a good idea or not, he sure seems to have a lot of baggage. But the NFL rules only state that a majority owner needs to have a 30% stake in the team, that's probably what he is looking for. He also may have some people he's bringing to the table that have a ton of money. There is also some strange rule the NFL has about owners needing NFL ties to participate in revenue sharing, and Gillete would fulfill that requirement as I think he was a part owner of the Dolphins at one time. He's tried, and failed, to own a lot of pro sports teams, even rumored four years ago to try to buy the Bills (not that they were up for sale). Personally, I think there are at least a couple if not several other entities out there besides the Kelly group that could and would pony up the money necessary to keep the team in Buffalo. It's not at all a given that Kelly's group will be the next owners. I would bet anything, even though I have no inside knowledge, that Ralph has a clear plan that will very much be geared to keeping the team in Buffalo. The NFL clearly wants it. The Bills are not going anywhere, IMO. Cool. Thanks for explaining it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ICanSleepWhenI'mDead Posted October 11, 2011 Share Posted October 11, 2011 There is also some strange rule the NFL has about owners needing NFL ties to participate in revenue sharing, and Gillete would fulfill that requirement as I think he was a part owner of the Dolphins at one time. Can you be any more specific about how you believe that rule works? It's not clear to me why more than just a present ownership interest in an NFL team would be required to participate in revenue sharing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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