Kelly the Dog Posted December 31, 2008 Author Posted December 31, 2008 Why not sell the team while he's alive and can have a say in who the buyer is? IF he loves the BUFFALO Bills so much that is what he would do. But instead his estate will sell the team to the highest bidder and each and every one of us know that person is not going to keep the team in WNY. I get that he wants his family to get the most $$$$$$$ possible upon the sale of the team, but all he is doing now is playing things out, waiting for the inevitable. Selling now makes him immortal. Selling to the highest bidder after he passes is good economics for his family. I don't believe that for second. I think he is making provisions for the team to be in and stay in Buffalo, and if there is any buyer with close to the money that outside interests bring to the table, the team will stay in Buffalo (be it the Kelly group or Rich or Golisano or Jacobs or whomever). I think he has to say stuff like he has about the highest bidder, and his family. He's not going to sell the team while he is alive because it's his team, and if it ever wins while he is alive, he will win. I think it's foolish for people to think he doesn't want to win. He actually believes this is the right way to run a team. Since when has the team that paid the most for its coach won the Super Bowl? Not the Patriots. Not the Colts. Not the Rams. Not the Giants. Not the Packers. Not the Broncos. The Bucs paid a lot to get Gruden but that's about it for the last 15 years, and basically everyone thinks he won with the lowly paid Dungy's team. Jimmy Johnson in the early 90s was probably paid a lot by Jerry Jones. All those other coaches got paid a lot AFTER they won. Most big name expensive coaches fail in fact.
bdelma Posted December 31, 2008 Posted December 31, 2008 The reason that he doesn't move the team is because he has a great deal in Buffalo. The fans eat up any line of bullsh** that he sells them and fill up the stadium every year. Hell, they even bent over and took it when he sold a few of their home games to Toronto. The fans of this team are pushovers and Ralph knows it. Its not that he doesn't care about winning, mind you, its that winning is a distant second to the financial bottom line, and it appears to be becoming a more distant second every year that passes. This perfect. The fans will support whatever crap he has. The time has come to tell him to shove it!
CosmicBills Posted December 31, 2008 Posted December 31, 2008 If he cared about winning, he'd hire a GM. He'd hire a REAL head coach. If he gave a rat's ass about winning, he'd keep his shriveled self out of the draft room. He'd let someone who knows what the f*ck he's doing run this franchise. But, see, Kelly...he doesn't care. All he cares about is making money. PERIOD. This is one of the more ignorant posts I've read in the history of this board. And that's saying a lot. To think Ralph doesn't care about winning is insane. If he didn't care about winning he wouldn't be IN the draft room. If he didn't care about winning he wouldn't spend half his time flying to games, rather he'd sit in his comfy Detroit home. If he didn't care about winning he would be as hands off as possible and focus only on the bottom line. If he only cared about money he would have moved from Buffalo 30 years ago. There is not one shred of evidence that supports the notion that Ralph values money over winning. Not the Cash to Cap policy. Not the the decision to fire Polian. Not the decision to retain Jauron. The fact is Ralph, like all successful human beings, is a highly competitive and egotistical man. He has been successful at everything he's ever done. That leads to arrogance and blindness (which is Kelly's point). He IS trying to win. He just thinks he knows best because in every facet of his life he has always known best.
PastaJoe Posted December 31, 2008 Posted December 31, 2008 I just watched Denver owner Pat Bowlen's press conference. He was asked what he wanted from a new coach, and he said he wanted to win the Super Bowl. He wasn't satisfied with having a winning record or just making the playoffs. That's the difference between a committed owner and one like Ralph who settles for mediocrity.
silvermike Posted December 31, 2008 Posted December 31, 2008 The bottom line is this: Was Ralph Wilson a better owner when he was younger? He was plenty sharp and spry when he decided to fire Bill Polian and run Lou Saban out of town.
Kelly the Dog Posted December 31, 2008 Author Posted December 31, 2008 The bottom line is this: Was Ralph Wilson a better owner when he was younger? He was plenty sharp and spry when he decided to fire Bill Polian and run Lou Saban out of town. No, he wasn't. He was almost always making poor football decisions, almost always meddling, almost always preferring cronyism, and yet always keeping the team in Buffalo.
Endzone Animal Posted December 31, 2008 Posted December 31, 2008 Hating Ralph Wilson is like hating your mother or father Wow, Ralph has sure been a sh-tty mother. It's time we called HRS and found a nice foster home.
Alaska Darin Posted December 31, 2008 Posted December 31, 2008 He is a doddering nincompoop who basically lucked into a ton of money. I've been saying that all along. But he kept my team in my city, and gave birth to my football fandom. So I have a lifelong appreciation for that, even though my football dad's a moron. I'm pretty sure he only did that because there are so few towns who would actually pay through the nose for such mediocrity. WNY is famous for that stuff. One only has to look at the re-election rate of politicians during the death knell to understand what I mean. But the real question is, since when do you live in reality? A place too dangerous for most mortals.
BEAST MODE BABY! Posted December 31, 2008 Posted December 31, 2008 Listen, if my parents were as bad at parenting as Ralph is at owning, Child Protective Services would have been called a long time ago. It is incumbent upon business owners to put the best product on the field that they can. If they aren't willing to do it, then why the hell own a pro sports franchise? Calling the "I'm done" people pathetic is pathetic itself. You're upset that people are sick and tired of supporting a crap product? Too bad sports franchises don't have lemon laws for their fans, because both Detroit and Buffalo would have been recalled a LONG time ago.
Kelly the Dog Posted December 31, 2008 Author Posted December 31, 2008 Listen, if my parents were as bad at parenting as Ralph is at owning... Apparently, they were.
GG Posted December 31, 2008 Posted December 31, 2008 The fact is Ralph, like all successful human beings, is a highly competitive and egotistical man. He has been successful at everything he's ever done. That leads to arrogance and blindness (which is Kelly's point). He IS trying to win. He just thinks he knows best because in every facet of his life he has always known best. This is where I disagree. First, while competition & ego is present in everyone, there are varying degrees, and the truly successful know how to balance the two to keep being successful. Which brings us to the "successful at everything he's ever done" point. My biggest question is where did that success come from? Was the insurance business success his own, or was he simply milking the cow that his father left? ie Donald Trump wasn't born into poverty, but he's surely expanded the real estate empire his father left him. Now onto the Bills. Take whatever estimate of Bills' value that you want and ascribe the part that you think is due solely to Wilson's superior skill and management, rather than riding the tide that the league brings in. Let's ask a Wall Streeter to come up with a relative value analysis.
300yrds Posted December 31, 2008 Posted December 31, 2008 a couple of Lions-esque seasons and the team will be sold. Ralph is tip toeing a very thin line. He has been able to spend little, fill the stadium all for a just under par product. If this continues, the Bills will only get worse. A couple of 4-5 win seasons or less will thin out the stadium, and then we will see Ralph waive goodbye.
KOKBILLS Posted December 31, 2008 Posted December 31, 2008 He's owed your respect not your hatred. Ralph Wilson is not half the Man My Father is...It's not even close...He's owed nothing from me...Not a single thing... That being said I don't hope for His death or anything like that...But I don't have to like the Old Man either...And I don't...Fug Him...
TheChimp Posted December 31, 2008 Posted December 31, 2008 This only made me hate Ralph more. Because people like this fair and unbalanced dog character are the reason we have never seen real action from 1BD. Utter complacency and pathetic sheepism. The consistent backing down of this sad and clueless fanbase is the ONLY reason Ralph's been able to perpetrate such audacious fraud for 50 years now. The Bills are a laughing stock now, even more than they were when old Marv couldn't get his team of supermen past inferior opponents four years in a row. Ralph doesn't care about what we want because we have never shown him that we are serious. That, and our neighbors are all like taterhill and his wife Muffy, and their dog here, who are just as happy to sit and watch a loss as they are to watch a victory, so long as the parking lot festivities are rolling and they have enough brie for their soda crackers. Shelling out hard-earned dollars to see a losing product that HATES that it is losing is noble and romantic. It can even be looked at as FUN, in a sick way, because you know that you can brag to all the "bandwagon fans" next year or in two years that you stuck with it as the team worked diligently to improve its lot and the owner finally got it right. That's not what's been going on here, though, and even some of the sheep are starting to wake up from their slumber, apparently. Too bad it won't matter.
300yrds Posted December 31, 2008 Posted December 31, 2008 The bottom line is this: Was Ralph Wilson a better owner when he was younger? He was plenty sharp and spry when he decided to fire Bill Polian and run Lou Saban out of town. people are going to hate me for this, but the only time the Bills where ever really good was under Bill Polian, and Ralph screwed that all up. It wasnt Marv(although good, he was magnified by his team) , it wasnt Ralph (ever), it was all Pollian. We would have gone to 2 or more super bowls without marv or ralph, but none with just either. He is the only thing to ever make this team a competitor, and Ralph has made all the moves to make sure that doesnt happen again.
BEAST MODE BABY! Posted December 31, 2008 Posted December 31, 2008 Apparently, they were. That is a response I'd expect from a 16 year old. But hey, keep over-personalizing Ralph Wilson and ignore the whole business part. I will always support the Bills, but I am done (at this point) with my emotional investment in this team until something changes. No Sunday Ticket next year. That's all I can do, since I live in LA. You can't give your customer base sh-- and expect them to say "Thanks, I'll have another." Ralph seems to be incapable of understanding his weaknesses which is a major problem. Plus, how does Jauron look at himself in the mirror? Usually people take pride in their work. Does he even think he's a good coach? Does he even expect to win? Sparano, for example, I think expects to win. Jauron's motto should be "Why go for 7 when you can have 3?" With risk comes reward. Jauron's zero risk policy = zero reward.
Jdorn Posted December 31, 2008 Posted December 31, 2008 Apparently, they were. That statement crosses a line you have a right to support Ralph but to make things personal because another disagrees with your point of view belittles your point of view all together.
Lurker Posted December 31, 2008 Posted December 31, 2008 The "I'm done" people are not only pathetic, but liars. The "I hope he dies" people are worse. Blame it on the twinkie-eating, "I can say anything while hiding behind a monitor" Internet mentality. In other words, no relation to reality or the world at large....
TheChimp Posted December 31, 2008 Posted December 31, 2008 Blame it on the twinkie-eating, "I can say anything while hiding behind a monitor" Internet mentality. In other words, no relation to reality or the world at large.... You don't think we'd say this to your face?
cale Posted December 31, 2008 Posted December 31, 2008 My big concern for the Bills and the fans is this - a perfect storm is brewing here where the team may be primed to move. 1) I predict season tickets and even corporate support will wane for the upcoming season as a result of DJ staying. 2) Team will start to hemorrhage money. Even with the Toronto games. 3) I expect Toronto to buy themselves out of the contract. 4) Ralph is old. I expect he'll have passed on in the next 2-3 years. 5) Kids will want to sell franchise. 6) Any prospective buyer looking is not wanna keep the team here after seeing the balance sheet as a result of 1), 2), 3). Unless of course, they are psychotically loyal to the region. 7) NFL given it's propensity for big money will approve sale without preconditions. 8) Bills move.
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