Golisano interview on the Bills & ownership

[JohnC]

he's also said this before, in regards to believing Mr. Wilson has more plans in place. trouble is, Golisano has never expanded on this making it appear like mere speculation on his part.

 

jw

 

I remember him saying on his Sabre ownership exit interview that he was simply speculating in regards to Wilson's plans regarding the Bills. He also noted that Wilson and his tight knit group know how his estate is going to be handled and no else does.

 

I don't know how anyone can come up with any other conclusion than Wilson is going to auction his franchise (asset) to the highest bidder in an estate sale. There are many people who want to believe ( misguided hope) that someone with local ties will swoop in and save the day with a purchase and a committment to keep the franchise in the region. It all comes down to who is going to offer the highest bid and what that person or group wants to do with it. If a LA group makes the highest offer and is approved by the league the team will be gone from us. If the Rogers group in Toronto offer the highest bid and wants to move it across the border then that is what is going to happen. So be it.

 

Anyone who believes that Wilson is going to benevolently handle his largest financial asset to benefit the region from which he is an absentee owner is very naive. Ralph is simply a hard nose businessman and a mediocre owner. At least that is what his team's long term wretched record indicates.

 

I'm sure it is obvious to most people that I have and have had for a long time a jaundiced view of him. For me his act has grown tiresome.

[birdog1960]

why all the cloak and dagger stuff? that's what i want to know. is wilson concerned he'll lose out somehow if he reveals his plans? or is it really that he has no plans, as i suspect?

[papazoid]

why all the cloak and dagger stuff? that's what i want to know. is wilson concerned he'll lose out somehow if he reveals his plans? or is it really that he has no plans, as i suspect?

 

Ralph's plan "A" is to see a Bills Super Bowl win or live to 150.....which ever comes first...

[birdog1960]

Ralph's plan "A" is to see a Bills Super Bowl win or live to 150.....which ever comes first...

billy joel was right...only the good die young.

[dwight in philly]

why all the cloak and dagger stuff? that's what i want to know. is wilson concerned he'll lose out somehow if he reveals his plans? or is it really that he has no plans, as i suspect?

my feelings exactly! just makes me dislike the man.. total disregard for the fans.. que the 'ralph owes the fans nothing comments.." Edited October 26, 2012 by dwight in philly

[birdog1960]

my feelings exactly! just makes me dislike the man.. total disregard for the fans.. que the 'ralph owes the fans nothing comments.."

the only explanation i can imagine is that he'd lose what little support and, surprisingly, the significant amount of respect he has in wny if he announced he had no special arrangements to keep the bills in buffalo. i can fathom no such explanation if in fact he has made those arrangements.

[Mr. WEO]

The fact that he rescued the Sabres in their darkest hours (post Rigas) and sold them to a person who wanted to keep them here (Pegula)?

 

I agree.

 

Please consider his track record as Sabres owner.

 

Those who disparage his "track record" are clueless. He was a caretaker, a white knight who kept them here. He never pretended otherwise.

 

This is a very good point.

[dwight in philly]

the only explanation i can imagine is that he'd lose what little support and, surprisingly, the significant amount of respect he has in wny if he announced he had no special arrangements to keep the bills in buffalo. i can fathom no such explanation if in fact he has made those arrangements.

well, if in fact he has nothing other than the" highest bidder", bleed every cent he can , then all the hope and speculation of a "secret plan" is out.. either scenerio sucks, if there is no succession plan or there is one and no announcement.. thanks ralph.. Edited October 26, 2012 by dwight in philly

[Marcelstephon]

Tom Golisano Would Look At Participation In Buying The Bills If The Team Was Ever In Danger Of Leaving WNY.

 

CLARENCE, N.Y. ( WBBZ.TV) In an exclusive interview on the WBBZ-TV program “Political Buzz,” the billionaire owner of the Rochester based Paychex Company talked about the potential he could be an owner of the Buffalo Bills someday.

Tom Golisano said, “I don’t think anybody knows for sure that this team is going to be for sale, or available. I would assume Mr. Wilson is a very smart individual…and I don’t think he would get himself in a situation where it would be a forced sale. Now if it did happen, and the team was in danger of leaving, I have said that I would do what I could to participate, not a commitment, but I would certainly look at it because I realize how important this franchise is to this community, just like the Sabres…I would hate to see the Buffalo Bills leave Buffalo, so whatever I could do that was logical and realistic, I would participate.”

Golisano’s political advisor Steve Pigeon appeared on the program as co-host with John Di Sciullo. Mr. Golisano discussed how Steve brought the idea to him to purchase the Buffalo Sabres hockey team in 2003, which he eventually sold to Terry Pegula in 2011. Golisano said he rejected a more lucrative offer that would have seen the team move out of Western New York.

Golisano discussed his latest political initiative in advancing passage of the National Popular Vote Bill. In an online video aired on the program, Golisano explained his mission to guarantee the Presidency to the candidate who receives the most popular votes in the entire U.S. The bill preserves the Electoral College, while ensuring every vote in every state will matter in every Presidential election. The website he created is www.nationalpopularvote.com.

When asked if there was a personal connection to his philanthropic work, Golisano offered a rare personal revelation that he has a son who is developmentally challenged as the reason his B. Thomas Golisano Foundation started in 1985 with a donation helping those with developmental disabilities.

Mr. Golisano said, “There is a personal connection, and I don’t talk about it much. I do have a son who is developmentally disabled. Steven lives in Rochester, works in a sheltered workshop, and lives in a mini group home with a set of house parents. Steven is 47 now, and with that connection you become very connected about the world of intellectual and developmental disabilities, so I started the foundation, that over the years has grown to give out significant amounts of money.”

Pigeon commented that the B. Thomas Golisano Foundation has donated over $200 million dollars to charities in Rochester, Buffalo, Niagara Falls, and Florida.

Golisano left Rochester in 2009 and relocated to Florida citing the high tax rates in New York State. He commented that the money he has saved in paying taxes has been donated to worthy causes.

The exclusive hour long interview with Tom Golisano aired Thursday night at 6:30p.m.on the WBBZ-TV program “Political Buzz,” and can be seen again Friday morning at 9:00 a.m. as well as Sunday morning at 10:00 a.m. on Your Hometown Television Station,

WBBZ-TV is on Time Warner Cable Ch. 5 in Buffalo/Niagara Falls (HD 710); TWC Ch. 99 in Dunkirk; TWC Ch. 21 in Olean; Ch. 5 on Verizon FiOS (HD 505); Ch. 5 on Dish Network; Ch. 67 on DirecTV ( where available) and Ch. 67.1 over the air. WBBZ-TV is locally owned and operated by Phil Arno. Bob Koshinski is Vice President and General Manager.

 

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnUvy-17BHQ

 

HIP HIP HOORAY!!!

[wnyBacker]

Let him buy the bills, because it's better than not having the bills at all...just like it was better to have him own the sabres than to have them leave

[San Jose Bills Fan]

No Thanks. Saved the Sabres my arse. He bought them dirt cheap and made a huge profit. It was purely a business deal. The league saved the Sabres. Not Golisano. The Bills need an owner whos biggest goal is to win a Superbowl. Anything less and they may as well relocate as far as I am concerned cause I have seen enough.

 

Disagree. All the reports were that Golisano eschewed a higher offer to sell to Pegula so that the Sabres would stay put.

 

I agree with the person above. Sure, he "saved" the Sabres because they were sold at a fraction of their worth. Buffalo had everything in place and the league wanted them to remain in Buffalo due to the fact it would have been even more nightmarish if they were to up and leave with little to no planning.

 

I thank him for that, for stepping up and committing to keep the team in Buffalo. Anyone that thinks his #1 motivation was anything but making millions on the deal is simply not seeing it clearly. His #1 goal each season was to keep costs down. The lower the costs the more profit he would make in the end.

 

Heck, one should be excited and energetic about owning a team, Golisano comes off in his interview as if he would just be doing everyone a favor as he did with the Sabres.

 

See above… he got less for the Sabres than he could have.

 

As for your second point about Golisano's lack of enthusiasm, I think you have a tin ear.

 

It seems to me that:

 

1) He isn't going to speak enthusiastically about a hypothetical situation involving Ralph Wilson dying, and

 

2) Golisano sees himself as part of an ownership group and probably not one of the principals. His comments virtually assure that.

 

So yes, he would be doing us a favor by joining a group of investors intent on keeping the Bills in Buffalo. Would you have a problem with that?

Edited October 26, 2012 by San Jose Bills Fan

[Buftex]

I know this has speculated about, ad nauseum, but here goes anyways...since it is the bye-week and all:

 

Jim Kelly (okay, everyone laugh) seems to talk definitively that he knows the Bills are not leaving Buffalo. Most have written this off as pure bluster on Kelly's part...and there have been a few odd things over the years that seem to indicate that somebody (or someones!) know a bit more about something that is going on that we are not privy to. All silly stuff, but I remember Thurman Thomas, two or three years ago, talking on the Bills future in Buffalo, and he sounded so much like he knew something that he was dying to say, but couldn't... and then there was some tweet a year or two ago from Jim Kelly's nephew (IIRC, can't remember all the details now) about meeting the Bills new owner... it could all be complete bull **** (I am sure most of you here will assume it is) but it sure seems like this topic is not as dormant as it may seem, behind the scenes.

 

 

Now, before everyone jumps all over Kelly with the usual "he dosn't have a fraction of the money" it would take to own the Bills, or point to his disastrous stab as a restaurateur as some proof that he is an idiot or slime...I am not, for a second suggesting that Jim Kelly will be the owner of the Bills. But, he does seem to speak with an unusual amount of confidence on the topic of the Bills leaving Buffalo. I just think there is something there. It could be Golisano, who Kelly no doubt knows on some level...or maybe even Pegula...though I am not sure if their shared Pennsylvania roots have ever put them together....I just think there is something there.

 

Now, the biggest hole in my theory, as I see it, is Ralph Wilsons' part in all of this. Why would he stay so quiet? For that matter, it is hard to imagine he hasn't put some plan into action that would resolve this whole thing, once he passes. I realize, he is a fairly wealthy man (though I am not sure where he stacks up in the Golisano/Pegula area..I imagine he is not as wealthy as they are) I can't, for the life of me, figure out his motivation for keeping it secret, if, indeed his plan favors the notion of the franchise staying in WNY. The Bills, I would think, are his most valuable asset...if his main concern is making sure his family remains wealthy when he is gone, he must have some notion of what will happen after he leaves us.

Edited October 26, 2012 by Buftex

[JohnC]

I know this has speculated about, ad nauseum, but here goes anyways...since it is the bye-week and all:

 

Jim Kelly (okay, everyone laugh) seems to talk definitively that he knows the Bills are not leaving Buffalo. Most have written this off as pure bluster on Kelly's part...and there have been a few odd things over the years that seem to indicate that somebody (or someones!) know a bit more about something that is going on that we are not privy to. All silly stuff, but I remember Thurman Thomas, two or three years ago, talking on the Bills future in Buffalo, and he sounded so much like he knew something that he was dying to say, but couldn't... and then there was some tweet a year or two ago from Jim Kelly's nephew (IIRC, can't remember all the details now) about meeting the Bills new owner... it could all be complete bull **** (I am sure most of you here will assume it is) but it sure seems like this topic is not as dormant as it may seem, behind the scenes.

 

 

Now, before everyone jumps all over Kelly with the usual "he dosn't have a fraction of the money" it would take to own the Bills, or point to his disastrous stab as a restaurateur as some proof that he is an idiot or slime...I am not, for a second suggesting that Jim Kelly will be the owner of the Bills. But, he does seem to speak with an unusual amount of confidence on the topic of the Bills leaving Buffalo. I just think there is something there. It could be Golisano, who Kelly no doubt knows on some level...or maybe even Pegula...though I am not sure if their shared Pennsylvania roots have ever put them together....I just think there is something there.

 

Now, the biggest hole in my theory, as I see it, is Ralph Wilsons' part in all of this. Why would he stay so quiet? For that matter, it is hard to imagine he hasn't put some plan into action that would resolve this whole thing, once he passes. I realize, he is a fairly wealthy man (though I am not sure where he stacks up in the Golisano/Pegula area..I imagine he is not as wealthy as they are) I can't, for the life of me, figure out his motivation for keeping it secret, if, indeed his plan favors the notion of the franchise staying in WNY. The Bills, I would think, are his most valuable asset...if his main concern is making sure his family remains wealthy when he is gone, he must have some notion of what will happen after he leaves us.

 

I have no doubt that Kelly has spoken to many potentially wealthy investors who have expressed an interest in bidding for the team when it is on the market. That isn't what should be questioned. It still comes down to who is going to bid the "most" for the team.

 

Ralph Wilson has clearly stated that as long as he is the owner the team will remain in western NY. When asked the next obvious question of what happens to the franchise after he passes he doesn't respond. For obvious business reasons he can't explicitly say that the team is without a doubt going to be auctioned off in an estate sell. If he did a lot of his customers would simply stop supporting his meager product.

 

What is very telling is that he and his representatives made it known that the stadium required a significant upgrade. They described it as a dire situation. When the state and county authorities reasonably asked for a committment to stay for a reasonable period of time to justify the public expenditure his representatives declined to make the committment and instead opted for a one year lease deal. The reason is blatantly obvious why he wouldn't make a less than extended committment to keep the franchise in the region. He doesn't want to do anything to make his asset less attractive to all bidders (including outside bidders).

 

As I have stated in prior posts the notion of someone 94 yrs old owning an NFL franchise is an absurdity in itself. How does a long term floundering franchise get back on the road to respectability? It certainly doesn't happen with a very aged owner getting even older. (I want to stress that I have no intention of being disrespectful to an elderly person.) When you see how most other franchises are functioning and then compare it to our current situation it is hard to be confident as to the status of this franchise on the field and off.

Edited October 27, 2012 by JohnC

[OvrOfficiousJerk]

the only explanation i can imagine is that he'd lose what little support and, surprisingly, the significant amount of respect he has in wny if he announced he had no special arrangements to keep the bills in buffalo. i can fathom no such explanation if in fact he has made those arrangements.

 

I've given you an explanation on this board already, so here it is again. If nothing else, maybe someone will reply to these thoughts this time around, so I don't mind:

 

1) He doesn't want to be a lame duck owner, which is understandable after you've owned something for 50+ years, and you don't want people clamoring for the next guy

2) Lease negotiations suddenly go in favor of the government when they know the team is going to stay. The only way the Bills are profitable is if the stadium is paid for, and this remains true for the next owner. If he has made such arrangements, he doesn't want to screw over the next guy by saying "no worries guys, the Bills will always be in Buffalo." Doing so will remove a credible threat of moving to Los Angeles, and Cuomo suddenly isn't sweating bullets. The end result is that the state will decrease the contribution to stadium improvements, and hurting the Bills profitability.

 

@JohnC

Not sure that one year extension is confirmed yet and, if it is, emphasis on the "extension" part -- it's going to give them more time to negotiate a long-term deal, not because Ralph is averse to a long-term commitment.

[birdog1960]

I've given you an explanation on this board already, so here it is again. If nothing else, maybe someone will reply to these thoughts this time around, so I don't mind:

 

1) He doesn't want to be a lame duck owner, which is understandable after you've owned something for 50+ years, and you don't want people clamoring for the next guy

2) Lease negotiations suddenly go in favor of the government when they know the team is going to stay. The only way the Bills are profitable is if the stadium is paid for, and this remains true for the next owner. If he has made such arrangements, he doesn't want to screw over the next guy by saying "no worries guys, the Bills will always be in Buffalo." Doing so will remove a credible threat of moving to Los Angeles, and Cuomo suddenly isn't sweating bullets. The end result is that the state will decrease the contribution to stadium improvements, and hurting the Bills profitability.

 

@JohnC

Not sure that one year extension is confirmed yet and, if it is, emphasis on the "extension" part -- it's going to give them more time to negotiate a long-term deal, not because Ralph is averse to a long-term commitment.

wilson is already the poster child for lame duck owner. he's 94 y.o and a career loser by football metrics. a great many already clamor for a new owner including, i suspect, his fellow owners who clamor for parity and quality product throughout their brand. enough said.

 

stating his intent to sell to an owner committed to staying in buffalo does nothing but improve his ability to immediately negotiate with those who would decide on funding a new or improved stadium. this statement would do nothing to limit further negotiations between potential buyers with the same intent to negotiate future stadium deals. they're free to hold the region hostage in the future, just like wilson has and currently is doing.

Edited October 27, 2012 by birdog1960

[OvrOfficiousJerk]

wilson is already the poster child for lame duck owner. he's 94 y.o and a career loser by football metrics. enough said.

 

stating his intent to sell to an owner committed to staying in buffalo does nothing but improve his ability to immediately negotiate with those who would decide on funding a new or improved stadium. this statement would do nothing to limit further negotiations between potential buyers with the same intent to negotiate future stadium deals. they're free to hold the region hostage, just like wilson has and currently is doing.

 

I guess my point is that he doesn't have to explicitly state that there is going to be a succession plan. He can say it indirectly by signing a lease that will keep the team here another 10-15 years. If he doesn't do that, then I will worry significantly. But ultimately, every NFL lease negotiation has involved a team holding a region hostage by maximizing the threat of the team moving

[birdog1960]

I guess my point is that he doesn't have to explicitly state that there is going to be a succession plan. He can say it indirectly by signing a lease that will keep the team here another 10-15 years. If he doesn't do that, then I will worry significantly. But ultimately, every NFL lease negotiation has involved a team holding a region hostage by maximizing the threat of the team moving

how does a lease signing compare to mario wiliam's contract obligations in financial terms? i don't think there's precedent for a 15 year nfl stadium lease deal, so i think you can stop holding your breath on that one.

[Best Player Available]

What is very telling is that he and his representatives made it known that the stadium required a significant upgrade. They described it as a dire situation. When the state and county authorities reasonably asked for a committment to stay for a reasonable period of time to justify the public expenditure his representatives declined to make the committment and instead opted for a one year lease deal. The reason is blatantly obvious why he wouldn't make a less than extended committment to keep the franchise in the region. He doesn't want to do anything to make his asset less attractive to all bidders (including outside bidders).

What you describe above seems pretty accurate and something that's been swept under the rug by all involved. It was pretty disappointing how little effort was made for a long term extension despite the costs. No surprise anymore if Ralph's prize asset leaves when it's all said and done.

[OvrOfficiousJerk]

i don't think there's precedent for a 15 year nfl stadium lease deal, so i think you can stop holding your breath on that one.

 

Well, the last Bills lease deal was for 15yr, for one; personally I would like 20yr (not too much different than 15yr), which is how long the Arrowhead one is (then again, they pumped in more money for that what the Bills are asking for -- $375mil for KC; $220 for BUF).

 

And speaking of precedent, there really isn't one for the Ralph. Besides the aforementioned Arrowhead, Lambeau (lease matters are academic) and the old Giants/Meadowlands Stadium (people in NYC can just make it rain), there's no other football-only stadium that predates 1995 (note: Soldier field got gutted in 2000, so I'm excluding that one as a new build). Every other stadium in the NFL post-merger has either been a dual use stadium (at one time 17 venues had both MLB and NFL) and/or a dome, both of which have terrible shelf lives. We'll see how the stadia that replaced legacy stadiums turn out; most of those leases are for 30yr, so we won't know that until the mid 2020s for the first of these newer stadiums.

 

Joe Frandina, the Bills' former VP for stadium matters (or some such) and rehired to take care of the renovations said in as many words, as long as the Ralph is updated, she'll "outlast you and me." And there's an element of truth to that. What a 15yr lease does will make sure that the state gets some income tax $$ back to compensate for the investment, but lets the next owner evaluate the situation and take it from there.

 

So I would say it's rather disingenuous for people to say "oh the Ralph is old as dirt" when it's so easy to upgrade and maintain that stadium versus a domed or dual use stadium. Honestly, add a couple bathrooms and widen the concourses, and it can easily last another 20yr as a viable venue.

Edited October 27, 2012 by OvrOfficiousJerk

[mrags]

I know this has speculated about, ad nauseum, but here goes anyways...since it is the bye-week and all:

 

Jim Kelly (okay, everyone laugh) seems to talk definitively that he knows the Bills are not leaving Buffalo. Most have written this off as pure bluster on Kelly's part...and there have been a few odd things over the years that seem to indicate that somebody (or someones!) know a bit more about something that is going on that we are not privy to. All silly stuff, but I remember Thurman Thomas, two or three years ago, talking on the Bills future in Buffalo, and he sounded so much like he knew something that he was dying to say, but couldn't... and then there was some tweet a year or two ago from Jim Kelly's nephew (IIRC, can't remember all the details now) about meeting the Bills new owner... it could all be complete bull **** (I am sure most of you here will assume it is) but it sure seems like this topic is not as dormant as it may seem, behind the scenes.

 

 

Now, before everyone jumps all over Kelly with the usual "he dosn't have a fraction of the money" it would take to own the Bills, or point to his disastrous stab as a restaurateur as some proof that he is an idiot or slime...I am not, for a second suggesting that Jim Kelly will be the owner of the Bills. But, he does seem to speak with an unusual amount of confidence on the topic of the Bills leaving Buffalo. I just think there is something there. It could be Golisano, who Kelly no doubt knows on some level...or maybe even Pegula...though I am not sure if their shared Pennsylvania roots have ever put them together....I just think there is something there.

 

Now, the biggest hole in my theory, as I see it, is Ralph Wilsons' part in all of this. Why would he stay so quiet? For that matter, it is hard to imagine he hasn't put some plan into action that would resolve this whole thing, once he passes. I realize, he is a fairly wealthy man (though I am not sure where he stacks up in the Golisano/Pegula area..I imagine he is not as wealthy as they are) I can't, for the life of me, figure out his motivation for keeping it secret, if, indeed his plan favors the notion of the franchise staying in WNY. The Bills, I would think, are his most valuable asset...if his main concern is making sure his family remains wealthy when he is gone, he must have some notion of what will happen after he leaves us.

Great points Buftex. I've been a firm believer in this theory for a long time. Deep down, there seems to be something going on behind the scenes that we don't know about. As you said with the few bits of hidden clues that might mean that. I'd also like to add some of the players that Kelly could know or that could be involved and why.

 

My thoughts of course:

 

Galisano- obviously he has come out and said he'd do all he could to help ensure the Bills stay in Buffalo if given the opportunity. It's a no brainier.

 

Jacobs- From Buffalo. Worth Billions. Possible owner (if he sold the Bruins) or could be a potential partial investor.

 

Rich- Worth Billions, from Buffalo. Had previous ties with the organization.

 

Pegula- Owner of the Sabres. Loves the area. Loves the thought of being Buffalos "White Knight". Billionaire. Also from PA and could have some ties to Kelly.

 

Trump- Previous owner of Kelly's USFL team. Worth Billions. Possibly interested in ANY way possible to make more money than he already has.

 

Hunter Hope Foundation- Kelly knows countless millionaires and billionaires from Hunters Hope. Countless government officials. Countless Good Samaritans and crooked ones too.

 

The HHF is actually the wild card IMO.