BillnutinHouston

Could not agree more, OP. Our D went from the minor leagues to seasoned pros with the additions of Barnett and Merriman. Kudos once again to Jim Overdorf for tweaking the roster so effectively.

Agreed! Over the last month or so I've taken both my kids back to Bflo and they are both on me BIG TIME to move us back!

Also, "major" should not be capitalized.

True but by signing them now you get the inside track on extending, if you think it's to your advantage.

It's not just Jones who's injured though. Don't forget Easley and Roscoe. If Buddy has doubts about one or both of them returning next year, why not make a move to bolster the position overall? I have no trouble with that.

Kyle's a stud and a real pro.

Correct, but the fact is that the Bills do not currently command, relative to the rest of the league, even mid-tier prices on seats, premium seats or private suites. The same is most likely true for advertising revenue as well. Whatever the reasons (and I believe they are valid) the Bills have made a very carefuly calculation in setting their prices, and that is directly related to the economic strength of the market they're in. Great post, thanks.

I agree - having a game on NFL Rewind is the best. Love the camera/mic near Merriman's chant before the game, and also the inside-the-locker room footage of Chan talking to the team. Pure gold!

That was awesome!

Agree it would limit competition somewhat. How much, nobody really knows. There is nobody who can speculate how many different prospective ownership groups will come out of the woodwork. Exactly who would object to a high excape fee? Only the NFL, as far as I can tell. The County would love that high fee, and Ralph won't care. Why would the County "roll over", if the lease contract has the team locked in? As for the new owner, he willingly accepts those terms when buying the team. If you're hoping for a permanent fix, good luck finding it. Maybe, but how would a prospective owner certify with legal sufficiency that they'll keep the team in Buffalo as long as they own the team? Agree that Buffalo is a nice market - profitable, but that's primarily because it has no stadium-related debt. However, in a "highest bidder" scenario, there's a strong possibility that the top bidder has complete faith in his market's ability to support a team. And if his own personal fortunes are tied to THAT particular market/real estate development (like a Roski, etc.), then as good as Buffalo is, it might not be enough. My angle on this thread was to postulate what Ralph COULD do within his power to assure the team stays in WNY.

Let's say Ralph WILL sell the team to the highest bidder upon his death, as some have speculated. Is it out of the question that he could do this and STILL lock up the Bills in Buffalo before he goes? Just for discussion purposes, I say yes. What is the one HUGE chip Ralph has in his possession at this stage of the game? It's in his sole and exclusive right to execute a new stadium lease on behalf of the team. Ralph will be entering into new lease negotiations with the County - maybe they've already started. Let's say he says to the County, let's establish a fee for the team breaking the lease, in the event that the franchise relocates. How does, say, $300 million sound? My theory is, if Ralph agrees to a lease-breaking fee that essentially makes future relocation of the franchise cost prohibitive to a new owner, has he not accomplished long term stability of the franchise in WNY from beyond the grave? Doesn't a new owner have to abide by all the terms and conditions of the lease agreement that Ralph signs? It is true that this plan would make SOME investor groups think twice about entering the bidding (if they happen to not like WNY or have their hearts set on locating in a particular city like LA), but I submit that this arrangement would still generally allow market forces (supply and demand) to dictate the team's sale price, meaning a pretty penny for the Wilson estate. This would allow Ralph to ensure a nice sale price, all the while locking up the Bills in WNY for the foreseeable future. Tell me where my plan is flawed - for example, does the league have jurisdiction over the terms of a stadium lease and therefore the ability to shoot down constructs like this? Etc.

I would have to believe that if Jim Kelly is searching around for a majority owner, he's surely called Mr. Pegula by now. Wonder how that conversation went? Also, Gillett does not appear to be a rock solid guy at all. A purchase by him would not be very settling, at least not in my mind.

Couldn't do that to ya. Been burned by that one myself too many times.

Jasper was on the sideline (at least before the game) on Sunday. I shook his hand and he was very nice. Here's a pic. http://s1096.photobucket.com/albums/g323/billnutinhouston/

Easy call - no!

Agreed. This calls to mind one of Felser's articles from years ago in which he described Ralph as "mercurial". If he was mercurial years ago, why couldn't coming to terms with one's own mortality make him even more apt to change his mind?

He's obviously talking about a new owner. Now the only question is, will he be shown to be accurate or just the boy who cried "new owner"?

Not that I care or anything but when was Perriera asked for his opinion about this call? Hadn't seen where he was asked about that play specifically.

Interesting analysis. I think we ARE on the right track with Chan and Buddy.

She's a keeper! My wife cannot even stand to be in the same room with me when I'm watching the Bills. I think it has something to do with my jumping around the room or my ear-piercing screams. Not exactly sure what her issue was, I couldn't hear her over Steve Tasker's commentary. Seriously, my wife allows me to spend inordinate amount of money travelling up to see my second "true love" 2X per season, and puts up with my antics every Sunday. I can't ask for much more than that.

Thanks Hammer! See ya on Sunday.

Who said it was inconclusive? I heard Steratore give NO explanation whatsoever.

Yes. I enjoyed it!

This thread has officially lost all its charm. May have something to do with us losing.

Bad call, that the ref didn't even bother explaining upon replay.