Round 3: Sale of the team

[thebandit27]

If you read, I said 3-5 years and everyone thinks they have longer than they do. It's what you think when it's you. You don't want to believe you have a year or less.

 

It's not as if i was suggesting 10 or 20. Please reread for clarity.

 

And you are entitled to believe so.

 

It's ready been reported there were disagreements during negotiations on the penalty. It's not far fetched to think Ralph may have given in thinking it would only matter for 4-5 years. The buyout was not that much further when he passed.

 

Ralph's handing the business over to Russ was no coincidence of timing. His health most definitely took a turn for the worse well before the lease was signed.

 

Where oh where is this directive in the Trust?????? No such directive exists - what does exist is a Lease keeping team here 6 years

 

This has been covered very thoroughly in this very thread; I'll invite you to do the same as you've asked others--please show me the Trust document to prove that no directive exists.

[Canadian Bills Fan]

So are all offers due by Sunday?

 

 

CBF

[thebandit27]

So are all offers due by Sunday?

 

 

CBF

 

I believe it's Tuesday morning.

[MarkAF43]

Just cause it feels right

 

Stayin

[Canadian Bills Fan]

I believe it's Tuesday morning.

 

So Tuesday morning and then I wonder how long the bidding will go on for because I am sure they wont just have 1 round of bids

 

 

CBF

[eball]

So Tuesday morning and then I wonder how long the bidding will go on for because I am sure they wont just have 1 round of bids

 

CBF

 

I don't believe the Trust is under any obligation to give all bidders a chance to raise their bids; they can pick and choose. For example, if the JBJ bid comes in a bit below El Pegual they don't have to give JBJ the opportunity to increase it if they are satisfied with the El Pegual number. None of the bidders may reduce their bids, however, which is why Morgan Stanley has been trying to keep the drama at a high level so as to entice higher binding bids.

[Canadian Bills Fan]

I don't believe the Trust is under any obligation to give all bidders a chance to raise their bids; they can pick and choose. For example, if the JBJ bid comes in a bit below El Pegual they don't have to give JBJ the opportunity to increase it if they are satisfied with the El Pegual number. None of the bidders may reduce their bids, however, which is why Morgan Stanley has been trying to keep the drama at a high level so as to entice higher binding bids.

 

Thanks!

 

CBF

[SRQ_BillsFan]

 

Ralph's handing the business over to Russ was no coincidence of timing. His health most definitely took a turn for the worse well before the lease was signed

 

I have no idea, so I'll take your word for it. Certainly age was catching up with him. I had no idea it was that bad at that point. Some go on for quite a while with diminished capacities. I guess it's a good thing he didn't go before the lease was signed or during that one year bridge lease that had been publicized but thankfully was not needed.

[May Day 10]

IMO it just doesnt matter anymore.

 

If the team stays, we should be very appreciative of Mr Wilson. Even with everything set the way it currently is, him and his family (and the NFL) still could have "screwed us" if he/they wanted to. If their intentions were to have the team on a complete open market, the billionaires would/could make it so.

 

The fact that the Bills will be secure here heading toward a century, is enough for me. I took many issues the way the team has been run, but it does not matter anymore and is not relevant. He is the father of the Bills. I was pretty outspoken here and to people in person how I thought he wasnt doing enough to protect Buffalo from relocation and in ways enhancing/boldening Toronto's/Rogers' NFL aspirations. Top bidder in no way can come from Buffalo (pre-Pegula days). But it looks like I will eat crow. If the team stays, Ill lead the bronze statue charge.

Edited September 4, 2014 by May Day 10

[Kelly the Dog]

IMO it just doesnt matter anymore.

 

If the team stays, we should be very appreciative of Mr Wilson. Even with everything set the way it currently is, him and his family (and the NFL) still could have "screwed us" if he/they wanted to. If their intentions were to have the team on a complete open market, the billionaires would/could make it so.

 

The fact that the Bills will be secure here heading toward a century, is enough for me. I took many issues the way the team has been run, but it does not matter anymore and is not relevant. He is the father of the Bills. I was pretty outspoken here and to people in person how I thought he wasnt doing enough to protect Buffalo from relocation and in ways enhancing/boldening Toronto's/Rogers' NFL aspirations. Top bidder in no way can come from Buffalo (pre-Pegula days). But it looks like I will eat crow. If the team stays, Ill lead the bronze statue charge.

Nice post and sentiment May Day. Thanks for that.

 

It never made any sense to me that people thought Ralph would just let the team be sold to the highest bidder. People want to be remembered, they want legacies, they want their lives to mean something and the world to carry on as it did before when they were alive. Sure he wanted his wife and family in his will to be taken care of (as if 900m-1+b would not be enough for anyone. But he spent the last 50 years keeping the team in Buffalo. They were the Buffalo Bills. There were numerous things he did over 50 years to prove that.

 

There was absolutely zero chance IMO that he would not make provisions to keep the team here when he passed. None. His best friends in the league like Lamar Hunt had left trusts and make provisions, even if their situation was different. Ralph would never want his life work to leave Buffalo after he passed, he would never want his wife subjected to the vitriol that would come from Bills fans and football fans for being greedy. He was a philanthropic guy, with firmly held beliefs (many to our detriment), and loyal to a fault.

[GG]

Shilling for Morgan Stanley, no doubt...

 

Highly unlikely, since he's been slamming MS throughout the auction.

[GA BILLS FAN]

^

 

Nice post and sentiment May Day. Thanks for that.

 

It never made any sense to me that people thought Ralph would just let the team be sold to the highest bidder. People want to be remembered, they want legacies, they want their lives to mean something and the world to carry on as it did before when they were alive. Sure he wanted his wife and family in his will to be taken care of (as if 900m-1+b would not be enough for anyone. But he spent the last 50 years keeping the team in Buffalo. They were the Buffalo Bills. There were numerous things he did over 50 years to prove that.

 

There was absolutely zero chance IMO that he would not make provisions to keep the team here when he passed. None. His best friends in the league like Lamar Hunt had left trusts and make provisions, even if their situation was different. Ralph would never want his life work to leave Buffalo after he passed, he would never want his wife subjected to the vitriol that would come from Bills fans and football fans for being greedy. He was a philanthropic guy, with firmly held beliefs (many to our detriment), and loyal to a fault.

Agree with your comments, but, a question, didn't Ralph at one point say himself that the team would be sold to the highest bidder after he died ?

 

I wonder, given all that we believe has transpired with the lease and the directives he gave to the 4 member trust, why he would have said that.

 

[GG]

Where oh where is this directive in the Trust?????? No such directive exists - what does exist is a Lease keeping team here 6 years

 

Even if it's not explicitly in the trust, you can surmise that with Mary Wilson, Mary Owen, Jeff Littman, & Eugene Driker as the trustees, they will follow RW's wishes to sell to a buyer who will keep the team in WNY. If that were not the case, you can rest assured the sale process would be handled much, much differently.

[dogman]

You guys heard the latest? It appears Jon Bon is partnering with former Disney stars. Yes that's right Lindsay Lohan, Miley Cyrus, Amanda Bynes, and the Olsen twins. BJ is quite a schemer.

 

The Bills are already a Mickey Mouse operation.

[Jauronimo]

^Agree with your comments, but, a question, didn't Ralph at one point say himself that the team would be sold to the highest bidder after he died ?

 

I wonder, given all that we believe has transpired with the lease and the directives he gave to the 4 member trust, why he would have said that.

That was widely reported but I can't find anything which directly attributes such a statement to RW.

[Kelly the Dog]

 

 

Even if it's not explicitly in the trust, you can surmise that with Mary Wilson, Mary Owen, Jeff Littman, & Eugene Driker as the trustees, they will follow RW's wishes to sell to a buyer who will keep the team in WNY. If that were not the case, you can rest assured the sale process would be handled much, much differently.

Exactly. People need to step back and look at the big picture on stuff like this.

[GA BILLS FAN]

 

Exactly. People need to step back and look at the big picture on stuff like this.

From the get go, I thought WHO was on the trust was an enormous deal, I went back and forth on email with Jeremy White that day because he and Howard were downplaying it on air -- I thought at the time there was no way Ralph would put his family in that situation.

 

I just want the new owner to be approved and on board so we can truly look forward, as much as we are all confident the team is staying, it will really feel like a new day when there is a new owner.

[Kelly the Dog]

From the get go, I thought WHO was on the trust was an enormous deal, I went back and forth on email with Jeremy White that day because he and Howard were downplaying it on air -- I thought at the time there was no way Ralph would put his family in that situation.

 

I just want the new owner to be approved and on board so we can truly look forward, as much as we are all confident the team is staying, it will really feel like a new day when there is a new owner.

Absolutely. Cheers!

[BillnutinHouston]

IMO it just doesnt matter anymore.

 

If the team stays, we should be very appreciative of Mr Wilson. Even with everything set the way it currently is, him and his family (and the NFL) still could have "screwed us" if he/they wanted to. If their intentions were to have the team on a complete open market, the billionaires would/could make it so.

 

The fact that the Bills will be secure here heading toward a century, is enough for me. I took many issues the way the team has been run, but it does not matter anymore and is not relevant. He is the father of the Bills. I was pretty outspoken here and to people in person how I thought he wasnt doing enough to protect Buffalo from relocation and in ways enhancing/boldening Toronto's/Rogers' NFL aspirations. Top bidder in no way can come from Buffalo (pre-Pegula days). But it looks like I will eat crow. If the team stays, Ill lead the bronze statue charge.

May Day, we've certainly had our differences of opinion but I have to say, classy post.

 

And somebody seriously has to do the bronze statue thing for Ralph.

 

From the get go, I thought WHO was on the trust was an enormous deal, I went back and forth on email with Jeremy White that day because he and Howard were downplaying it on air -- I thought at the time there was no way Ralph would put his family in that situation.

 

I just want the new owner to be approved and on board so we can truly look forward, as much as we are all confident the team is staying, it will really feel like a new day when there is a new owner.

TX you were absolutely right. And let's just say I'm not a fan of Jeremy White. To put it mildly, he's a little too arrogant for my taste.

[GA BILLS FAN]

^He definitely has conviction for his point of view. Translation: Yes, he is arrogant