elegantelliotoffen Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 27. Buffalo Bills – Ralph Wilson: A few months shy of his 90th birthday, Wilson should be in a celebratory mood. Largely because of his bitching, moaning and general grumpiness, Wilson was essentially handed the keys to a monster market, in the form of a deal to play eight games in Toronto over the next five years – one which guarantees his franchise $78 million. “We’ll see if the guy stops whining and complaining now,” one owner says. “Toronto, if you put it in the U.S., would be the fourth-largest city. If Jerry Jones staked a claim to Mexico City, or Robert Kraft did it with Montreal, or Paul Allen wanted to play one game a year in Vancouver, we’d never approve it. Ralph was given a special accommodation because we’re sick of hearing him cry about being in a small market.” Back when he co-founded the AFL, Wilson was considered an innovator. Now he comes off as selfish and stodgy and looking for handouts. It’s also telling that, rather than selling the naming rights, he continues to play his non-Toronto home games in Ralph Wilson Stadium. What a team player. http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news;_ylt=ApKD...o&type=lgns Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
webtoe Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 Who is Michael Silver, and why do I care... And who cares what that short piece of sh#t owner of the Redskins thinks (yes, that is my guess). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pyrite Gal Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 Ralph is not in the HOF for some reason (which none of us outside of the NFL good ol boy network including me and you know with any certainty to justify more than fact-free theorizing). My guess is that specific reason is some wide enough held opinion among his fellow owners that this obvious honor has been denied to him (and appears that it will be until its a posthumous award). Ralph has generated some common negative feeling among a large enough crowd in the NFL that they were able to deny him the honor after he was nominated several times and actually the negative feelings have hardened since then as he has not even be nominated for years. Anger or disdain over what may be perceived as a rich guy constantly harping on the poverty of his smaller market franchise could well be the basis for this feeling though likely some specific acts such as him making a handshake deal with Jimbo which simply allowed him to ignore the salary cap may be it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nucci Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 Exactly, who cares what this guy thinks. Wilson may be perceived this way but he was right about the CBA when people said he was whining. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantelliotoffen Posted July 23, 2008 Author Share Posted July 23, 2008 Ralph is not in the HOF for some reason (which none of us outside of the NFL good ol boy network including me and you know with any certainty to justify more than fact-free theorizing). My guess is that specific reason is some wide enough held opinion among his fellow owners that this obvious honor has been denied to him (and appears that it will be until its a posthumous award). Ralph has generated some common negative feeling among a large enough crowd in the NFL that they were able to deny him the honor after he was nominated several times and actually the negative feelings have hardened since then as he has not even be nominated for years. Anger or disdain over what may be perceived as a rich guy constantly harping on the poverty of his smaller market franchise could well be the basis for this feeling though likely some specific acts such as him making a handshake deal with Jimbo which simply allowed him to ignore the salary cap may be it. Can you elaborate on this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KOKBILLS Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 Ralph is not in the HOF for some reason (which none of us outside of the NFL good ol boy network including me and you know with any certainty to justify more than fact-free theorizing). My guess is that specific reason is some wide enough held opinion among his fellow owners that this obvious honor has been denied to him (and appears that it will be until its a posthumous award). Ralph has generated some common negative feeling among a large enough crowd in the NFL that they were able to deny him the honor after he was nominated several times and actually the negative feelings have hardened since then as he has not even be nominated for years. Anger or disdain over what may be perceived as a rich guy constantly harping on the poverty of his smaller market franchise could well be the basis for this feeling though likely some specific acts such as him making a handshake deal with Jimbo which simply allowed him to ignore the salary cap may be it. I tend to agree... Something does not add up with Ralph being ommitted from consideration...He should be in already... Seems like He pissed the wrong people off where The Hall is concerned...Kinda strange... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stl Bills Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 Can you elaborate on this? Did you just ask Pyrite Gal to elaborate on something? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nucci Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 Did you just ask Pyrite Gal to elaborate on something? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LongLiveRalph Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 Why is the Bills playing a game in Toronto now a point of contention with this "anonymous" owner? Did this guy get pissed off when the Packers used to play a game or two a year an hour away in Milwaukee? The Cowboys in Mexico and the Pats in Montreal are extreme examples, but wouldn't it be somewhat smart for the Seahawks to explore a similar arrangement with Vancouver? Hell, the Dolphins already attact 60% Cubans to their games in Miami, they might want to look at Havana for a home game! An NFL owner getting pissed off about a money grab....Oh that's priceless... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantelliotoffen Posted July 23, 2008 Author Share Posted July 23, 2008 Why is the Bills playing a game in Toronto now a point of contention with this "anonymous" owner? Did this guy get pissed off when the Packers used to play a game or two a year an hour away in Milwaukee? The Cowboys in Mexico and the Pats in Montreal are extreme examples, but wouldn't it be somewhat smart for the Seahawks to explore a similar arrangement with Vancouver? Hell, the Dolphins already attact 60% Cubans to their games in Miami, they might want to look at Havana for a home game! An NFL owner getting pissed off about a money grab....Oh that's priceless... Silver isn't making any sense, at one point he criticizes Ralph for using Toronto to create more revenue but then he blasts him for not selling the naming rights to Ralph Wilson Stadium? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvermike Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 Remember when everyone thought Ralph was old and senile because he voted against the new CBA? You know, the one that was voted down 32-0 a mere two years later? That's all you have to know about the media and Ralph Wilson. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantelliotoffen Posted July 23, 2008 Author Share Posted July 23, 2008 Remember when everyone thought Ralph was old and senile because he voted against the new CBA? You know, the one that was voted down 32-0 a mere two years later? That's all you have to know about the media and Ralph Wilson. It's funny you mentioned this, here is Silver's take on it at the time- Wilson, perhaps the league's least progressive owner, whines so much he makes Weaver look like Jimmy Stewart at the end of It's a Wonderful Life. Even after big-market owners like Kraft and Snyder, in a quest for labor peace, embraced a compromise that would transfer some of their revenues into Wilson's coffers, Wilson threw a public tantrum and voted against the proposal. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/writ...pen.mike/3.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantelliotoffen Posted July 23, 2008 Author Share Posted July 23, 2008 It's funny you mentioned this, here is Silver's take on it at the time- Wilson, perhaps the league's least progressive owner, whines so much he makes Weaver look like Jimmy Stewart at the end of It's a Wonderful Life. Even after big-market owners like Kraft and Snyder, in a quest for labor peace, embraced a compromise that would transfer some of their revenues into Wilson's coffers, Wilson threw a public tantrum and voted against the proposal. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/writ...pen.mike/3.html And a year later he still didn't understand Ralph's beef with the CBA- 30. Ralph Wilson, Bills Here's a question for you: What business owner voluntarily and conspicuously takes his complaints to Capitol Hill, thereby bringing the spotlight on the perceived failings of his partners and forcing the man who represents them (Goodell) to come rushing to a Senator's office like a chastened schoolboy to explain himself? That's right, it's Rabble Rouser Ralphie, who in April '06 met with U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) to rail against the revenue-sharing agreement that was adopted to appease Ralphie. Goodell was then summoned to Washington last January to discuss, according to Schumer's website, "how to keep the Bills in Buffalo, better ways to protect small market teams, and the current NFL blackout rule and its ill effects on fans in Buffalo, Rochester, and across Western New York." Somewhere in heaven, John Lennon was singing, "Hey, Buffalo Bills, what did you kill, Buffalo Bills?" Way to help the brand, Ralph. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writ...rankings/6.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eball Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 Hey elegant -- why don't you make yourself useful and send Silver an e-mail with the text of his prior articles bashing Ralph for voting against the CBA? I'd like to see if he responds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 Silver is very fond of his own opinion, and of interjecting himself into the stories he writes. Not my cup o' tea, and his leaving SI for Yahoo was addition by subtraction. Just MY opinion -- which is fine for a message board, not so much for a magazine feature. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shrader Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 Why is the Bills playing a game in Toronto now a point of contention with this "anonymous" owner? Did this guy get pissed off when the Packers used to play a game or two a year an hour away in Milwaukee? The Cowboys in Mexico and the Pats in Montreal are extreme examples, but wouldn't it be somewhat smart for the Seahawks to explore a similar arrangement with Vancouver? Hell, the Dolphins already attact 60% Cubans to their games in Miami, they might want to look at Havana for a home game! An NFL owner getting pissed off about a money grab....Oh that's priceless... And hasn't the league been very open about the fact that they want each team to play one game a year (or every 3-4 years) in a foreign city? Toronto's obviously the a big target in that. Who else would they send up there, Pittsburgh? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SlamnSam Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 And a year later he still didn't understand Ralph's beef with the CBA- 30. Ralph Wilson, Bills Here's a question for you: What business owner voluntarily and conspicuously takes his complaints to Capitol Hill, thereby bringing the spotlight on the perceived failings of his partners and forcing the man who represents them (Goodell) to come rushing to a Senator's office like a chastened schoolboy to explain himself? That's right, it's Rabble Rouser Ralphie, who in April '06 met with U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) to rail against the revenue-sharing agreement that was adopted to appease Ralphie. Goodell was then summoned to Washington last January to discuss, according to Schumer's website, "how to keep the Bills in Buffalo, better ways to protect small market teams, and the current NFL blackout rule and its ill effects on fans in Buffalo, Rochester, and across Western New York." Somewhere in heaven, John Lennon was singing, "Hey, Buffalo Bills, what did you kill, Buffalo Bills?" Way to help the brand, Ralph. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writ...rankings/6.html Ralph Wilson = Bill Bidwell. This guy is only worried about his money. Sell the the team Wilson your time is up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justice Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 Maybe I'm playing devil's advocate here but maybe some owners, who have paid hundreds of millions of dollars for their teams, are just bitter and have some animosity over RW's whining because none of them will ever see the kind of return on their investment that RW has enjoyed over the years. RW's initial investment was what? $50k?? RW should be happy with anything he gets. BTW. RW should sell the naming rights to the stadium. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John from Riverside Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 I dont really have enough information to comment on a lot of this stuff....but I always found it odd that Ralph Wilson stadium remained Ralph Wilson Stadium Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
biglukes Posted July 23, 2008 Share Posted July 23, 2008 Silver is a douche. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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