Archives for March 28, 2014

‘”I rubbed his head a little bit,” Reed said, his voice choked with emotion. “It was kind of a way for me to say, ‘Hey, Jim, we’re in your corner, we’re here. Never gonna leave you, praying for you and your family,’ that kind of stuff.”‘

‘Five other NFL cities have faced similar questions in the past eight years. In four of those instances, controlling interest in the team was passed on to surviving family members. In the other, a minority owner exercised an option to purchase controlling interest.’

‘There is a point where heartfelt reminiscences cross the line into revisionist history.’

‘”We want everyone to have a great time, but please be respectful; failure to do so will result in your being asked to leave the event.”‘

‘Donations in Wilson’s memory are being accepted by the Hospice Foundation of Western New York, the Alzheimer’s Association Greater Michigan Chapter and to St. John Hospital and Medical Center to support the Wilson Telemonitoring Program.’

‘”We all know they have a lease. We know the terms of that lease, and we also know we have to find a long-term solution to keep the Bills there,” said Goodell, who was born in Jamestown. “That’s what we’re going to continue to work to do, but that’s not our priority now in the next few days.”‘

‘”The studies I have seen have failed to show that the Bills have a major economic impact on this region,” Kent Gardner, chief economist at the Rochester-based Center for Governmental Research, said. “But the Bills do give this region visibility on the national stage. Similarly, losing the Bills likely would have a negative effect.”‘

‘Most importantly, Mr. Wilson believed the Bills should not be reduced to profit alone. (Good thing: Even during the team’s Super Bowl run, the Bills required subsidies from his other businesses.)’

‘Bills fans bleed the deepest blues, the purest whites and the darkest reds for this team. A new owner needs to have that same passion along with the ability to bring talent to this squad, so that we, The 12th Man, can continue our love for this team and finally see a championship.’

‘A key point that should not be overlooked is the involvement of the team itself. Wilson has in the past been reluctant to discuss the future of the Bills beyond his ownership. The team’s involvement with the board should open the door for additional discussions that might prove beneficial to answering the question many diehard local fans have wanted to know for years: What happens to the Bills once Wilson no longer owns the team?’

‘Now one is gone, and the other is in a battle far greater than avoiding the pass rush of the New York Sack Exchange.’

‘”I was proud to be asked by the Bills to serve on the New Stadium Working Group, and I look forward to working with all of the committee members, the county, the state, the team and the local community to make sure fans can continue to cheer on the Bills in western New York for years to come. Keeping the Bills in western New York has always been one of my top priorities, and it will remain that way throughout this process.”‘

‘The Bills are planning to hold a public celebration and remembrance honoring Wilson at a date that has yet to be determined.’

‘The establishment of a stadium search committee was a requirement of the 10-year lease the Bills negotiated with the state and county in December 2012.’