Good News on Bills long term

[Ray]

I would urge people to listen to the WGR interview Howard Simon and Jeremy White did with the AP reporter John Wawrow this morning. Basically the biggest thing to come out of it is that odds are very good the Bills have a plan in place long term to keep the Bills in Buffalo. Signs are there that it is happening but nothing 100%. Good interview.

So the Bills are unlikely to go anywhere. The owner does not want that, we of course do not want that and the NFL does not want it.

[Magox]

I would urge people to listen to the WGR interview Howard Simon and Jeremy White did with the AP reporter John Wawrow this morning. Basically the biggest thing to come out of it is that odds are very good the Bills have a plan in place long term to keep the Bills in Buffalo. Signs are there that it is happening but nothing 100%. Good interview.

So the Bills are unlikely to go anywhere. The owner does not want that, we of course do not want that and the NFL does not want it.

That would be great news! What's another 50 years or so of torture?

[Ray]

That would be great news! What's another 50 years or so of torture?

We do love torturing ourselves don't we?

[Section444]

Yes! Another 50 years of mediocrity!

[Nick in RaChaCha]

I would urge people to listen to the WGR interview Howard Simon and Jeremy White did with the AP reporter John Wawrow this morning. Basically the biggest thing to come out of it is that odds are very good the Bills have a plan in place long term to keep the Bills in Buffalo. Signs are there that it is happening but nothing 100%. Good interview.

So the Bills are unlikely to go anywhere. The owner does not want that, we of course do not want that and the NFL does not want it.

This is great news!!!

[Cotton Fitzsimmons]

The Bills are staying in Buffalo, YA HEARD?!

 

In all seriousness, one part of the interview that I thought was a little morbid, yet intriguing was how Ralph referenced the turn around taking 3 years and how he "probably won't be around to see it." Now granted Ralph will be 92 on Sunday, and we should perhaps take everything he says with a grain of salt, but the wording seemed to foreshadow a post Ralph Wilson era of Bills football in Buffalo.

Edited October 12, 2010 by Cotton Fitzsimmons

[K Gun Special]

I would urge people to listen to the WGR interview Howard Simon and Jeremy White did with the AP reporter John Wawrow this morning. Basically the biggest thing to come out of it is that odds are very good the Bills have a plan in place long term to keep the Bills in Buffalo. Signs are there that it is happening but nothing 100%. Good interview.

So the Bills are unlikely to go anywhere. The owner does not want that, we of course do not want that and the NFL does not want it.

 

 

Yea i said this many times in other threads. There is a plan in place and it keeps the team here.

[DarthICE]

The NFL doesn't want the Bills to move? What? that can't be right. The hysterical posters have bashed me and others for saying there was no way in hell the NFL allows a team to move in this economy with the outstanding fan base we have. Right now its guranteed money and the Bills were what 8th in profit last year or something like that?

 

Must be a mistake...

[jahnyc]

This really is good news (for once)! I may hate that the team is terrible and has not made the playoffs in 10 years, but I would never want the team to move under any circumstances.

[zevo]

They are not moving...i never once thought they would. Way too much history and marketability even when they suck. Now can we please just focus on getting this team on the right track...all that it takes is a little "LUCK".

 

On a side note....i do find it somewhat sad and upsetting regarding Mr.Wilson mentioning he wont be around to see the bills turned around. While I know this may have been tongue-in-cheek, I do wish for him that we had won one of those super bowls. Mr.Wislon does get alot of crap, some deserved and some not, but we should all respect what he has done for this organization and city.

[May Day 10]

if the team stays after he is no longer the owner, Ill give Mr Wilson diety-like status.

[ricojes]

The NFL doesn't want the Bills to move? What? that can't be right. The hysterical posters have bashed me and others for saying there was no way in hell the NFL allows a team to move in this economy with the outstanding fan base we have. Right now its guranteed money and the Bills were what 8th in profit last year or something like that?

 

Must be a mistake...

As long as Ralph is alive, the Bills will continue to be one of the most profitable teams in the league. Under new ownership, the Bills would be at bottom...

[ExWNYer]

I would urge people to listen to the WGR interview Howard Simon and Jeremy White did with the AP reporter John Wawrow this morning. Basically the biggest thing to come out of it is that odds are very good the Bills have a plan in place long term to keep the Bills in Buffalo. Signs are there that it is happening but nothing 100%. Good interview. So the Bills are unlikely to go anywhere. The owner does not want that, we of course do not want that and the NFL does not want it.

From one Ray to another, I hope you're right. Personally, I'll believe it when I see it. Ralph Wilson has a LOT to prove to me and every other Bills fan. They way he's let this team deteriorate over the last decade+ is absolutely embarrassing and disgraceful. Actions speak louder than words and, until we see some concrete proof, this is all just hearsay. Talk is cheap and this organization is the 'Chatty Cathy' of the NFL.

[tennesseeboy]

Yea i said this many times in other threads. There is a plan in place and it keeps the team here.

But then what is the plan? I don't think we are talking a big secret here. The paucity of activity this last year is startling and can hardly be part of this "plan". It sounds as if it might include getting a quarterback in the draft this year based on general statements and comments. Fine...but what else is in the works?

 

Wasn't it Gailey who said "show me the baby?"

[K Gun Special]

But then what is the plan? I don't think we are talking a big secret here. The paucity of activity this last year is startling and can hardly be part of this "plan". It sounds as if it might include getting a quarterback in the draft this year based on general statements and comments. Fine...but what else is in the works?

 

Wasn't it Gailey who said "show me the baby?"

 

hey im all with you. I dont know the plan, but i spoke with someone who helped draft the structure of it and thats the general idea, ralph passes and the team moves through the legal system based on the structure and the team stays.

[Smiley Dear]

But then what is the plan? I don't think we are talking a big secret here. The paucity of activity this last year is startling and can hardly be part of this "plan". It sounds as if it might include getting a quarterback in the draft this year based on general statements and comments. Fine...but what else is in the works?

 

Wasn't it Gailey who said "show me the baby?"

 

It was Buddy Nix who said " Don't tell me about the labor pains, just show me the baby."

[SouthernMan]

So what do you believe? The recent intimations suggesting a long term plan for the Bills residency in WNY, or Ralph's prior quotes regarding the team "going to the highest bidder upon his death", effectly saying that whatever happens, happens, and it's out of his hands.

 

The NFL has to understand that some NFL team locale has got to be at the bottom in terms of economy, population, gate revenue from ticket prices/PSLs,etc. It just so happens that the Bills are in the bottom for all categories. Kinda fitting that their offense, defense, and special teams have all joined that exclusive and rather dubious club.

 

In some ways, the Bills may be in best position possible, compared to past team movement and threats of movement. There just isn't much in the way of viable cities with vacancies waiting to be filled by an NFL club.

 

L.A.? 3 of the 32 existing teams once resided there. 4th time's a charm?

After the honeymoon period, it would be the same as it ever was...empty seats, fan apathy, and low TV viewership. Oh by the way, their economy ain't exactly going gangbusters lately.

 

Toronto? I think we have a pretty good handle from the Rogers Center experiments what sort of fan base they'd produce. Anyway, the diehard Canadian fans from those parts prefer the Orchard Park experience, others are devout CFL'ers, and the rest couldn't care less about American football, especially after the first faceoff at Maple Leaf Garden.

 

Any other city that comes to mind would have difficulty, if for no other reason than the economy is in really rough shape. The only real advantage some cities have over Buffalo is the ability to sell private boxes and the like to locally based corporations. Well guess what? When times get rough in the corporate world, the first thing to be cut from the budget are the luxuries like high priced private boxes. This isn't exactly a great economic climate to be marketing a transplanted team.

 

I don't foresee anything that would make sense for moving the team anytime soon.

[Delete This Account]

note, i did say "region," and included Toronto in that.

but, i'm not that smart of a person when i put a guess on the team staying at 60-65, 30-35. how 60 and 30 add up to 100, don't know.

 

in all seriousness, i think the chances are a little better than 50-50, but the landscape is still not clear.

 

jw

[lets_go_bills]

The fanbase is tops in the league. If they can put together a good roster and start making the playoffs, the Bills will thrive and there will be a surge in dollars spent by the fans. The fans are just damn good and too damn loyal to rip this team away from the city and region. It would crush the spirit and soul of Buffalo.

[Guest dog14787]

note, i did say "region," and included Toronto in that.

but, i'm not that smart of a person when i put a guess on the team staying at 60-65, 30-35. how 60 and 30 add up to 100, don't know.

 

in all seriousness, i think the chances are a little better than 50-50, but the landscape is still not clear.

 

jw

 

 

Thanks for the inside info jw, its good to know something could be brewing in Buffalo to help secure the Buffalo Bills long term,

 

I would have hoped our chances were already a little better then 50/50, lol, but we get the idea

[ChasBB]

The fanbase is tops in the league. If they can put together a good roster and start making the playoffs, the Bills will thrive and there will be a surge in dollars spent by the fans. The fans are just damn good and too damn loyal to rip this team away from the city and region. It would crush the spirit and soul of Buffalo.

People also need to remember that our fans are EVERYWHERE. There are so many displaced Western New Yorker's. Buffalo's fan base is probably just as large as many other NFL teams when you take into account the many fans no longer living in the region. And with television revenues being far more important than filling the stadium and with the blackout rules very likely to be modified or eliminated, there's really no good reason to not keep the Bills in Buffalo.

Edited October 12, 2010 by ChasBB

[Conch]

Of course the rest of the NFL wants the bills to stay. Less competition.

[l< j]

note, i did say "region," and included Toronto in that.

but, i'm not that smart of a person when i put a guess on the team staying at 60-65, 30-35. how 60 and 30 add up to 100, don't know.

 

in all seriousness, i think the chances are a little better than 50-50, but the landscape is still not clear.

 

jw

 

Okay, this kind of builds on what was suggested or hinted at in your AP story and what I asked you about in the other thread.

 

So maybe they will be fielding a Bills' team in WNY down the road; now if only they could field a team worth watching.

 

kj

[joejoebills]

I will be a happy man if the bills stay in Buffalo and i also think it will take some of the presure off to WIN NOW, which i think will help the bills in the long and short term.

[akm0404]

hey im all with you. I dont know the plan, but i spoke with someone who helped draft the structure of it and thats the general idea, ralph passes and the team moves through the legal system based on the structure and the team stays.

 

Seriously man, not more of this, "I have insider knowledge and know for a fact that the team has a succession plan in place and will not move but I don't really know anything and I really just heard it from a guy who heard it from another guy who is Ralph's plumber" garbage.

[BillnutinHouston]

Can someone share specifics? What specifically was stated that is leading folks to believe there's a plan to keep the Bills in WNY, or "the region"?

[akm0404]

Can someone share specifics? What specifically was stated that is leading folks to believe there's a plan to keep the Bills in WNY, or "the region"?

 

Heresay and speculation only.

[BuffaloWest]

I would urge people to listen to the WGR interview Howard Simon and Jeremy White did with the AP reporter John Wawrow this morning. Basically the biggest thing to come out of it is that odds are very good the Bills have a plan in place long term to keep the Bills in Buffalo. Signs are there that it is happening but nothing 100%. Good interview.

So the Bills are unlikely to go anywhere. The owner does not want that, we of course do not want that and the NFL does not want it.

 

I have never thought they would leave. Doesnt add up...

* PROVEN brand with 50 years of heritage. You move them you have ZERO guarnatee of success with the "new" brand

* NFL doesn't want to move the team

* Newer cities with better climates cant market their team effectively, nor sell out: Tampa, Jacksonville, Carolina. San Diego, Arizona and Oakland will have more blackouts than the Bills this year

* L.A. wont support a team. It hasnt in the past, it wont in the future. It is a Lakers, Dodgers, USC, UCLA town and they dont care about an NFL Team

* The only thriving state in the USA is Texas. They wont be getting a team with the exception of maybe San Antonio. California is a mess

* San Diego, Jacksonville, Oakland and Minnesota have a much better chance of moving. The only team that should be moved is Jacksonville if a team must move

* Maybe there is a reason why Ralph said the team will be sold to the highest bidder aside from greed. Maybe it is a threat to the NFL, maybe it gets Buffalo's butt in gear as a city, maybe it increases the value of the team for his family in negotiations

 

* Finally, an old classmate of mine from Orchard Park who I ran into at the Allentown Art fest, who works for the Bills, told me about 2 years ago, with a wink and a nod "Trust me...The Bills are not going anywhere". Take it for what its worth, but I tend to believe her....

Edited October 12, 2010 by BuffaloWest

[JohnC]

note, i did say "region," and included Toronto in that.

but, i'm not that smart of a person when i put a guess on the team staying at 60-65, 30-35. how 60 and 30 add up to 100, don't know.

 

in all seriousness, i think the chances are a little better than 50-50, but the landscape is still not clear.

 

jw

 

JW, Couldn't you have teased out more of a committment from the baron residing in Michigan? Tilting the odds more to the positive side would make me very happy.

[K Gun Special]

Seriously man, not more of this, "I have insider knowledge and know for a fact that the team has a succession plan in place and will not move but I don't really know anything and I really just heard it from a guy who heard it from another guy who is Ralph's plumber" garbage.

 

Nope, heard it directly from the guy who worked on it. good try though. How about you write this down...... when RW finally passes youll see that my earlier posts are true. If not im sure the ever positive you will be sure to point out how wrong i am.

[don_of_manhattan]

I would urge people to listen to the WGR interview Howard Simon and Jeremy White did with the AP reporter John Wawrow this morning. Basically the biggest thing to come out of it is that odds are very good the Bills have a plan in place long term to keep the Bills in Buffalo. Signs are there that it is happening but nothing 100%. Good interview.

So the Bills are unlikely to go anywhere. The owner does not want that, we of course do not want that and the NFL does not want it.

That would be great, as I have resigning myself to that fate. I haven't lived in Buffalo for years, but my love for the team is completely due to my love for the City - if they left, I could no longer be a fan.

[Typical TBD Guy]

note, i did say "region," and included Toronto in that.

but, i'm not that smart of a person when i put a guess on the team staying at 60-65, 30-35. how 60 and 30 add up to 100, don't know.

 

in all seriousness, i think the chances are a little better than 50-50, but the landscape is still not clear.

 

jw

 

No offense, but anyone who remotely follows the Bills and the NFL has already surmised that the team has a somewhat better than 50% chance of staying in the Golden Horseshoe region. The only 3 realistic options have long been Buffalo, Toronto, and Los Angeles. Why not ask more specific, salient questions for Ralph to get a better gauge on that percentage?

[CircleTheWagons]

I was trying to do a "back-of-the-napkin" valuation for the Bills and I looked at the most recent Forbes list. The number that really stuck out to me was that the Bills have approximately $127 million in debt. Any idea how/why the Bills acquired so much debt?

[Chandler#81]

From one Ray to another, I hope you're right. Personally, I'll believe it when I see it. Ralph Wilson has a LOT to prove to me and every other Bills fan. They way he's let this team deteriorate over the last decade+ is absolutely embarrassing and disgraceful. Actions speak louder than words and, until we see some concrete proof, this is all just hearsay. Talk is cheap and this organization is the 'Chatty Cathy' of the NFL.

 

 

Chatty Cathy?? Well, we the fans are 'Matty Mattel' and our team ain't goin' anywhere! I prefer to believe Ralph wants very much to have a competitive team and his reported 'meddling' symbolizes this. He -and we- just haven't been very lucky in a long, long while. Lucky -as in great players from the draft and FA, and an overload of serious injuries.

 

We all know Ralph's seen better days of health. I truely wish the current team would put an emphasis on playing well for him in his twilight, but anymore, they're all just mercenaries..

 

So, do we like JW again??

 

JK, John

[BRH]

Howard and Jeremy did make a good point after the JW conversation, though. Something along the lines of the reason we don't know what the plans are yet is that Ralph knows that the minute those plans are released, he'll be pushed out. Makes sense to me... I mean, as bad as the team has been, you can just picture people saying, "Oh, you found a buyer who'll keep the team here? Good. Thanks, man. By the way, why wait til you're dead? Sell it now."

 

And given that RW is already on record as saying the team "gives him a reason to get up in the morning" (notwithstanding that he's the ONLY person this team does that for), I can see why he wouldn't want to give it up just yet.

[Thurman#1]

But then what is the plan? I don't think we are talking a big secret here. The paucity of activity this last year is startling and can hardly be part of this "plan". It sounds as if it might include getting a quarterback in the draft this year based on general statements and comments. Fine...but what else is in the works?

 

Wasn't it Gailey who said "show me the baby?"

 

 

Yeah, but I don't think he meant that he would show the baby in the second month. Sorry, but rebuilds take time, time measured in years, not months.

[Chilly]

* The only thriving state in the USA is Texas. They wont be getting a team with the exception of maybe San Antonio. California is a mess

 

This is actually something that's an interesting possibility. One of the things being talked about right now is combining San Antonio & Austin into one larger "consolidated statistical area" by 2013. The two cities are 70 miles apart and the corridor between the two is growing together like crazy. This would make the SA-Austin area the 15th largest in the US. One of the stated goals for this merge is to attract more sports franchises to the area. Building a stadium somewhere between the two, like San Marcos or New Braunfels, is a real possibility.

[JohnC]

The hysterical posters have bashed me and others for saying there was ............

 

There are a number of good reasons why you get bashed. I can't single out any particular reason because there are so many good reasons to do so.