Archives for November 26, 2013

‘In short, the schedule isn’t as soft as it appeared a month ago. Thus, Buffalo’s odds remain long … but at least there still are some.’

‘Nothing like a little juice to drum up interest, any interest, in the latest installment of the “Bills in Toronto” series which, at least from a competitive perspective, has generally been a collective bust north of the 49.’

‘Either way, it’s clear the singer would need plenty of rich friends to make any sort of purchase work. He seems to have those.’

‘”They did everything, so I was happy with those two guys, the way they came out,” Marrone said. “We’re at full strength from that standpoint. We don’t expect anyone not to be available for us, which is a good sign.”‘

‘Buffalo’s reality is stark with five weeks left in the regular season. With a 4-7 record, and only one more game scheduled for Ralph Wilson Stadium, the Bills are not in an enviable position in their quest to end a 13-year playoff drought. They are tied for 12th in the AFC, and six teams are ahead of them in the race for the final wild-card berth.’

‘Bon Jovi has “a day job that’s doing very well,” Sunshine said in regard to the rock band that bears his client’s surname.’

‘The clock continues to tick – but the strategizing has rarely stopped. And all the while, Wilson just keeps getting older and richer 88 …89… 90 … 91 … tick-tick-tick 95, with the value of his football team increasing year after year. Defying business interests, logic and time.’

‘”I’m not going to go down that road but as I said, the sports industry is an industry that is very important and tourism is critical,” Wynne said Monday, when asked about a new Buffalo Bills stadium.’

‘Asked about the Bon Jovi story, Peddie said: “There are a lot of moving pieces and now (Bon Jovi) is one of them.”‘

‘”I’m not gonna jump to that. The Bills aren’t here yet.”‘

‘By this season, however, every NFL team had made the transition. It’s a business decision that saves money and a football decision that saves time, and before his team travelled to Toronto for this Sunday’s game, Bills wide receiver T.J. Graham took Sportonomics on a tour of his tablet.’

‘”The NFL game on Thursday night [Saints-Falcons] outdrew the NHL in Canada. Nothing outdraws the NHL in Canada, except Rob Ford on the nightly news,” Leiweke said in a keynote address. “They love the NFL up there. It’s unbelievable. Toronto is a vibrant, deep market.”‘

‘In other words, he does not wish to appear to be waiting eagerly for the 95-year-old Wilson to die, at which point the Bills will be put up for sale. This is a prudent and reasonable strategy, and not just because NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is from Western New York. It is really, even in the merciless world of pro sports, the least one can do.’

‘It would be expensive: The bidding for the Bills could begin at around US$850-million and reach beyond US$1-billion. And the cost of building a new stadium would probably end up doubling the price. (Though it has been suggested that personal seat licences – at say, $20,000 for a seat between the 25-yard lines – could help fund a new stadium.)’

‘Still, there has always been something about the NFL in Toronto that makes sense, even if after 40 years it hasn’t happened yet. In that sense Tim Leiweke just might be the man for the job, and he’s looking deep.’