Golisano donates $10 million to NU - drops nugget about Bills

[ChevyVanMiller]

This may have been lost, but when former Sabres' owner, B. Thomas Golisano, was at NU yesterday to officiate at the opening of a new science center he helped fund, he made mention of his desire to possibly own the Bills in the future:

 

"Golisano knows he casts a large shadow around here.

 

He knows, too, that when he says things, people will pay attention – including a remark on Wednesday that he might someday take a look at owning the Buffalo Bills, if the team were ever in danger of leaving town."

 

http://www.buffalonews.com/feed/onetime-sabres-owner-b-thomas-golisano-is-back-with-a-gift-for-nu-and-some-words-of-advice-20131009

 

It's nice to have a billionaire as an extra layer of insurance should Ralph not have a proper plan in place to keep the team here after he passes on.

[HeHateMe]

Didn't he just diss the Sabres or something.. they kept referring to something on WGR this morning.

[mrags]

He's always said this. He always said if the Bills were in danger of leaving town he would do whatever he could to help keep them here. Even years ago reached out to Ralph in an attempt to begin talks about future ownership of the team. Ralph denied the talks but Galisano insisted that it was true.

 

 

[ALF]

As long as the Bills stay here , great. If we thought Ralph was frugal , but maybe Tom changed.

[Buftex]

As long as the Bills stay here , great. If we thought Ralph was frugal , but maybe Tom changed.

 

Old sugar packs is frugal?

[ALF]

When we did not keep Briere , Drury, and a few more, I thought so.

[May Day 10]

Golisano unfairly gets a bad rap as a Sabres owner. He completely saved the franchise when no owner was on the horizon. Assisted by the salary cap, he was able to make them as financially sound as they ever were in the 'modern era'.

 

when he bought the team, he was very clear that he wasnt going to be taking major losses on the team, and the goal was to be at the break even mark. He did cut a lot of peripheral costs, and would not get involved in front loading contracts/cap circumvention, etc. I dont hold that against him as he was up front from the beginning.

 

If he managed the Bills like he did the Sabres, theoretically, he would be less frugal than RW as there is more elbow room to break even. I also think more investment in the Bills would bring much more profit.* As it is, they play it very safe and close to the vest to preserve as much profit as coming in as if its at the ceiling.

*- not taking into account any payback/interest on a loan to finance the purchase.

 

I think he learned his lesson from the Sabres and would likely hire qualified individual to run day to day operations. Not Larry Quinn or Russ Brandon.

 

 

So in short, I think he would be a good owner.

[Big Turk]

Golisano unfairly gets a bad rap as a Sabres owner. He completely saved the franchise when no owner was on the horizon. Assisted by the salary cap, he was able to make them as financially sound as they ever were in the 'modern era'.

 

when he bought the team, he was very clear that he wasnt going to be taking major losses on the team, and the goal was to be at the break even mark. He did cut a lot of peripheral costs, and would not get involved in front loading contracts/cap circumvention, etc. I dont hold that against him as he was up front from the beginning.

 

If he managed the Bills like he did the Sabres, theoretically, he would be less frugal than RW as there is more elbow room to break even. I also think more investment in the Bills would bring much more profit.* As it is, they play it very safe and close to the vest to preserve as much profit as coming in as if its at the ceiling.

*- not taking into account any payback/interest on a loan to finance the purchase.

 

I think he learned his lesson from the Sabres and would likely hire qualified individual to run day to day operations. Not Larry Quinn or Russ Brandon.

 

 

So in short, I think he would be a good owner.

 

Bills are one of the most profitable NFL teams...if he only broke even, it would give the Bills a lot of spending power...

 

It's a lot different in the NFL tho...TV contracts basically pay for salary cap...

Edited October 10, 2013 by matter2003

[DDD]

Ralph is cheap. Tom is thrifty.

[mrags]

Ralph is cheap. Tom is thrifty.

whats the difference?

[Malazan]

Bills are one of the most profitable NFL teams...if he only broke even, it would give the Bills a lot of spending power...

 

It's a lot different in the NFL tho...TV contracts basically pay for salary cap...

 

You are incorrect. The Bills have an operating income of 12.6 million. That is the 6th worst in the league and this is without any loans. I am honestly not sure how this myth persists. They are the 30th most valuable team.

 

http://www.forbes.com/pictures/mlm45ekfed/30-buffalo-bills/

[Kellyto83TD]

What needs to happen is someone not assocated with Buffalo or WNY in any way come in and buy the team. Clean house from Brandon all the way down to the lowest person in the building. Cut or trade most all of the warm bodies that really can't help this team be a winner and just start from scratch.

 

I can hear the whining now 'But he may move them'. YES he damn well might. Esp. with the downtrodden economy in WNY etc. Then again if WNY will pony up the money to keep them here he might stay who the hell knows.

 

I just know this team needs to get as far away from the norm as possible. Someone NOT from Buffalo and their pessimistic, we are cursed, Woe is me bull **** mentality. Someone that buys the team because he loves football and wants to build a winner.

 

Otherwise its the same old **** different year.

 

Oh and if you think Ralph is cheap, you might want to 2nd think Tom taking over. But I am sure the response to that will be 'But he will keep them here'

[mellaman101]

Not to be a jerk man we have had 2 money hogs own the Sabres and its got them NOWHERE

[Sharky7337]

LOL. Do any of you actually know him personally? ...... I waited on him everyday for lunch at restaraunt 2Vine in Rochester.

 

First off the guy is a complete D bag. He wouldn't even talk to me. Look at me. Anything. He would always give me the same nasty look when he was finally ready to leave......After he played games with picking up and putting down the check book a million times over just to make me feel like an idiot.

 

O and god forbid I tried to ask him anything or do my job. And oh yeah, watch him guzzle a million refills of iced tea with his nasty scowl.

 

Second off the son of a b---- is cheap. And I mean cheap. Mr. Billionaire never tipped a penny over. Not once. And always ordered the cheapest thing on the menu while sitting with his plastic surgery enhanced real estate aquaintance.

 

I don't expect anything more then what good service would be, but the psychological torture of seeing him everyday for his chicken cutlet lunch was not worth the belittlement and my 4 dollar tip.

 

He actually bought a couch from my ex too when she was working at Ruby Gordon. Guess what? cheapest couch in the store... lol 700 bucks.

 

That stuff wouldn't bother me if he wasn't a total jerk to everyone around him. People always cringed when he came in to eat and for some reason I became his favorite person to have wait on him. His reputation as "Someone who didn't come from money, made himself rich, and was still a D Bag to the common folk, AND was cheap " after the fact was well known. I saw it first hand everyday. You expected that crap from the entitled born into money people. But from an average joe who became the american dream, you thought he might have an ounce of empathy.

 

Now the Tampa bay bucs owner/Manchester united owner, that guy was cool as hell.

 

Smart businuess guy. Great philanthropist. Piss Poor cheap human.

Edited October 10, 2013 by Sharky7337

[TheFunPolice]

I am concerned that he ate a fried cutlet for lunch every day... can you confirm that this was fried, or are we talking a grilled chicken type of thing?

[ALF]

But he dates 39 yo Monica Selas , so he's not crazy

[bowery4]

LOL. Do any of you actually know him personally? ...... I waited on him everyday for lunch at restaraunt 2Vine in Rochester.

 

First off the guy is a complete D bag. He wouldn't even talk to me. Look at me. Anything. He would always give me the same nasty look when he was finally ready to leave......After he played games with picking up and putting down the check book a million times over just to make me feel like an idiot.

 

O and god forbid I tried to ask him anything or do my job. And oh yeah, watch him guzzle a million refills of iced tea with his nasty scowl.

 

Second off the son of a b---- is cheap. And I mean cheap. Mr. Billionaire never tipped a penny over. Not once. And always ordered the cheapest thing on the menu while sitting with his plastic surgery enhanced real estate aquaintance.

 

I don't expect anything more then what good service would be, but the psychological torture of seeing him everyday for his chicken cutlet lunch was not worth the belittlement and my 4 dollar tip.

 

He actually bought a couch from my ex too when she was working at Ruby Gordon. Guess what? cheapest couch in the store... lol 700 bucks.

 

That stuff wouldn't bother me if he wasn't a total jerk to everyone around him. People always cringed when he came in to eat and for some reason I became his favorite person to have wait on him. His reputation as "Someone who didn't come from money, made himself rich, and was still a D Bag to the common folk, AND was cheap " after the fact was well known. I saw it first hand everyday. You expected that crap from the entitled born into money people. But from an average joe who became the american dream, you thought he might have an ounce of empathy.

 

Now the Tampa bay bucs owner/Manchester united owner, that guy was cool as hell.

 

Smart businuess guy. Great philanthropist. Piss Poor cheap human.

 

Not that I like TG because I don't but a lot of really successful people are psycho / DBs , seem to increase the chances of success for some reason. Just my opinion, after knowing quite a lot of them over the years, I don't really want TG to own the team I don't think but really could we do worse? In a word, yes.

[White Linen]

LOL. Do any of you actually know him personally? ...... I waited on him everyday for lunch at restaraunt 2Vine in Rochester.

 

First off the guy is a complete D bag. He wouldn't even talk to me. Look at me. Anything. He would always give me the same nasty look when he was finally ready to leave......After he played games with picking up and putting down the check book a million times over just to make me feel like an idiot.

 

O and god forbid I tried to ask him anything or do my job. And oh yeah, watch him guzzle a million refills of iced tea with his nasty scowl.

 

Second off the son of a b---- is cheap. And I mean cheap. Mr. Billionaire never tipped a penny over. Not once. And always ordered the cheapest thing on the menu while sitting with his plastic surgery enhanced real estate aquaintance.

 

I don't expect anything more then what good service would be, but the psychological torture of seeing him everyday for his chicken cutlet lunch was not worth the belittlement and my 4 dollar tip.

 

He actually bought a couch from my ex too when she was working at Ruby Gordon. Guess what? cheapest couch in the store... lol 700 bucks.

 

That stuff wouldn't bother me if he wasn't a total jerk to everyone around him. People always cringed when he came in to eat and for some reason I became his favorite person to have wait on him. His reputation as "Someone who didn't come from money, made himself rich, and was still a D Bag to the common folk, AND was cheap " after the fact was well known. I saw it first hand everyday. You expected that crap from the entitled born into money people. But from an average joe who became the american dream, you thought he might have an ounce of empathy.

 

Now the Tampa bay bucs owner/Manchester united owner, that guy was cool as hell.

 

Smart businuess guy. Great philanthropist. Piss Poor cheap human.

Sounds like you didn't know him personally either.

[Fan in San Diego]

LOL. Do any of you actually know him personally? ...... I waited on him everyday for lunch at restaraunt 2Vine in Rochester.

 

First off the guy is a complete D bag. He wouldn't even talk to me. Look at me. Anything. He would always give me the same nasty look when he was finally ready to leave......After he played games with picking up and putting down the check book a million times over just to make me feel like an idiot.

 

O and god forbid I tried to ask him anything or do my job. And oh yeah, watch him guzzle a million refills of iced tea with his nasty scowl.

 

Second off the son of a b---- is cheap. And I mean cheap. Mr. Billionaire never tipped a penny over. Not once. And always ordered the cheapest thing on the menu while sitting with his plastic surgery enhanced real estate aquaintance.

 

I don't expect anything more then what good service would be, but the psychological torture of seeing him everyday for his chicken cutlet lunch was not worth the belittlement and my 4 dollar tip.

 

He actually bought a couch from my ex too when she was working at Ruby Gordon. Guess what? cheapest couch in the store... lol 700 bucks.

 

That stuff wouldn't bother me if he wasn't a total jerk to everyone around him. People always cringed when he came in to eat and for some reason I became his favorite person to have wait on him. His reputation as "Someone who didn't come from money, made himself rich, and was still a D Bag to the common folk, AND was cheap " after the fact was well known. I saw it first hand everyday. You expected that crap from the entitled born into money people. But from an average joe who became the american dream, you thought he might have an ounce of empathy.

 

Now the Tampa bay bucs owner/Manchester united owner, that guy was cool as hell.

 

Smart businuess guy. Great philanthropist. Piss Poor cheap human.

 

Sounds like that movie "as Good as it gets" with Jack Nicholson.

[The Wiz]

Didn't he just diss the Sabres or something.. they kept referring to something on WGR this morning.

It was a backhanded "complement" if you want to call it that. It was something along the lines of "how bout them sabres?" after starting 0-3-1.