I hope the Bills brass is watching what's going on

[sullim4]

I know this has been discussed before, but I think the events of the past week or so warrant another look.

 

In the past week, we've seen the Sabres do the following:

- Fly in any and all of their willing alumni, all expenses paid, to the home finale for a fan appreciation night. This is supposedly one of the largest gathering of alumni for a single team in NHL history.

- Their President chatted with fans online for THREE HOURS, literally taking suggestion after suggestion and answering question after question.

- Send staff across the continent to Vancouver to nail down upcoming facility upgrades.

- Vault from the NHL's basement to get into the playoffs.

 

This is all on top of Pegula's statements to do literally anything he can to produce a Stanley Cup winning team on the ice. He has literally said everything a fan has wanted to hear, and so far, he's lived up to what he's said.

 

I also think most will agree that the Sabres have played second fiddle to the Bills in Buffalo. I am beginning to wonder if the tide is starting to shift on that. Throughout their history, the Bills have largely ignored their fanbase, and at times, alienated it badly by doing things ranging from banning negative signage to giving off the impression that they invest the bare minimum amount of money into the franchise - just enough to keep it operating. Combine that with the lockout situation, poor play the past 10 seasons, and constant threat of the team moving... and it's making the Sabres look better and better.

 

Now obviously it's only been weeks, and we have no way of knowing what's going to happen with the Sabres over the next few years. But I do think that the Bills eventually need to do something concrete to respond to this. Russ Brandon signing an overpriced aging free agent isn't going to cut it anymore. The bottom line is that the Bills and Sabres are competing for the fans' money. Buffalo fans haven't known an owner with Terry's commitment to winning before. Now that they actually seem to have one, and Ralph is looking more and more like a doofus, one can only hope that it serves as a wake up call to this horribly messed up organization.

[Cotton Fitzsimmons]

What Pegula has done thus far is nothing short of phenomenal. The things he said were things that as Sabres fans, I don't think we ever thought we'd hear. Hopefully we never have to hear the words "Cash is King" come out of Darcy's mouth ever gain. It's hard for YE OLE to see the Bills ever playing second fiddle, but a Stanley Cup or two may change things. If we've ever had a chance to see our Bills or Sabres bring home a championship, it certainly seems like now is the time. It would be incredible to have a similar ownership group take over the Bills when that time comes, whose focus is on winning and not just surviving.

 

By the way, one hell of a goal tonight by Vanek to win that thing. YE heard that Gerbe had a highlight reel type goal as well, but YE OLE only tuned in just as OT started and missed that. I'll have to check THE YOUTUBES or something.

Edited April 9, 2011 by Cotton Fitzsimmons

[Buffalo Barbarian]

Hopefully to all of the above but until the Bills get new ownership I don't think we will do whatever it takes to get to the top. Seems like the higher the cap goes the more Ralph gets sticker shock and pines for the old days when gas was a buck a gallon and somehow thinks he can run this franchise with the old money values. Until the Bills "sole purpose is to win super bowls" we can only hope Nix drafts better(no Spillers and Maybins please) and Chan gets the D going to have a good team.

[Nanker]

Laughing at the thought of Ralph chatting online with the likes of TBD posters.

[Doc]

Did Ralph just take over ownership of the Bills or something?

[Bob in STL]

I know this has been discussed before, but I think the events of the past week or so warrant another look.

 

In the past week, we've seen the Sabres do the following:

- Fly in any and all of their willing alumni, all expenses paid, to the home finale for a fan appreciation night. This is supposedly one of the largest gathering of alumni for a single team in NHL history.

- Their President chatted with fans online for THREE HOURS, literally taking suggestion after suggestion and answering question after question.

- Send staff across the continent to Vancouver to nail down upcoming facility upgrades.

- Vault from the NHL's basement to get into the playoffs.

 

This is all on top of Pegula's statements to do literally anything he can to produce a Stanley Cup winning team on the ice. He has literally said everything a fan has wanted to hear, and so far, he's lived up to what he's said.

 

I also think most will agree that the Sabres have played second fiddle to the Bills in Buffalo. I am beginning to wonder if the tide is starting to shift on that. Throughout their history, the Bills have largely ignored their fanbase, and at times, alienated it badly by doing things ranging from banning negative signage to giving off the impression that they invest the bare minimum amount of money into the franchise - just enough to keep it operating. Combine that with the lockout situation, poor play the past 10 seasons, and constant threat of the team moving... and it's making the Sabres look better and better.

 

Now obviously it's only been weeks, and we have no way of knowing what's going to happen with the Sabres over the next few years. But I do think that the Bills eventually need to do something concrete to respond to this. Russ Brandon signing an overpriced aging free agent isn't going to cut it anymore. The bottom line is that the Bills and Sabres are competing for the fans' money. Buffalo fans haven't known an owner with Terry's commitment to winning before. Now that they actually seem to have one, and Ralph is looking more and more like a doofus, one can only hope that it serves as a wake up call to this horribly messed up organization.

 

 

What Terry Pegula has done so far is bring the same energy, enthusiam, and leadership skills to bear on the Sabres that he did in his other businesses. Using the past to inspire the future is an effective tactic, as is recognizing that things need to change and commiting to make the right cganges. So far his actions back up his words. Pegula is pushing the right buttons, he is a fantastic leader and inspires others around him.

 

Prior to Pegula the Sabres already had a few star players (Miller, Vanek and Myers) and they have some decent role players (Boyes, Stafford, Gaustad, McCormack) and some promising young players (Sekera, Ennis, Gerbe, Enroth). They also have a fantastic coach. Because of this they are in much better shape than the Bills which have had abymsal talent on the field and in the front office for a long time.

 

My point is it would be hard to take what Pegula has done with the Sabres to date, apply it to the Bills, and get the similar results in such a short time. The Bills still need a lot of work. Pegula will succeed because he is committed to winning. He does not need the money. His plan to build a Cup winning machine is just getting started and it may still take a few years to get all the pieces in place.

 

There have been periods of time in Buffalo were the Sabres were #1 and the Bills #2, but you are right, for the most part the Bills have been #1 to the fans. I do see that changing. I expect that Ralph will plod along with Brandon, Nix, Modrak and Gaily. Ralph has the money to spend to do the same things Pegula is doing but I don't see it happening.

[Thoner7]

I hope Pegula buys the Bills sooner rather than later. Before this draft would be nice.

[dwight in philly]

What Terry Pegula has done so far is bring the same energy, enthusiam, and leadership skills to bear on the Sabres that he did in his other businesses. Using the past to inspire the future is an effective tactic, as is recognizing that things need to change and commiting to make the right cganges. So far his actions back up his words. Pegula is pushing the right buttons, he is a fantastic leader and inspires others around him.

 

Prior to Pegula the Sabres already had a few star players (Miller, Vanek and Myers) and they have some decent role players (Boyes, Stafford, Gaustad, McCormack) and some promising young players (Sekera, Ennis, Gerbe, Enroth). They also have a fantastic coach. Because of this they are in much better shape than the Bills which have had abymsal talent on the field and in the front office for a long time.

 

My point is it would be hard to take what Pegula has done with the Sabres to date, apply it to the Bills, and get the similar results in such a short time. The Bills still need a lot of work. Pegula will succeed because he is committed to winning. He does not need the money. His plan to build a Cup winning machine is just getting started and it may still take a few years to get all the pieces in place.

 

There have been periods of time in Buffalo were the Sabres were #1 and the Bills #2, but you are right, for the most part the Bills have been #1 to the fans. I do see that changing. I expect that Ralph will plod along with Brandon, Nix, Modrak and Gaily. Ralph has the money to spend to do the same things Pegula is doing but I don't see it happening.

the attitude that permeates the bills thinking regarding the fans is that "we are just lucky to have a team" , that kind of stuff! more or less, keep your mouth shut, or the team will be moved. it sucks, but that is the reality. the NFL is "king", we are a depressed area, keep quiet ! they use the possible loss of the team constantly, it is a scare tactic, it works and we swallow it! as a previous post stated, until ownership changes, this what we will get.

Edited April 9, 2011 by dwight in philly

[zonabb]

As someone who thinks management's leadership, charisma and attitude determine success as much as any other single factor, I can say that if I were a 25 year old millionaire with RW as my own, I wouldn't have too much passion for the game. MOst of these owns, RWS included, treat the players in the NFL like a commodity and its hard to respect an owner who is never around, can't walk into the lockerroom and rally the team with a speech (imagine that scene), and continually makes horrible decisions. Imagine the whispers that must permeate that lockerroom about the owner. He's probably seen as everyone's senile grandfather, not some well-respected, great leader and owner.

 

A great owner/CEO/leader is exactly what you see in Pegula. Someone who is passionate and committed but also recognizes that he's not the best at every job in the company and he needs the best people, which he can then rally and leader and who will follow. I think of Richard Branson when I think of Pegula. They have a lot of similarities, one of the most important being vision. They both have ideas and the find the best people to implement them. They are not necessarily the smartest guys, but they have passion and excellent leadership skills. Want proof on Branson's business skills? Watch this YouTube video, particularly the parts about what he looks for in a leader, how you should treat employees, and amazingly, his admitted lack of understanding between "gross" and "net" (around the 8:00 minute mark). The guy took a college record order business and turned it into billions through shear leadership and vision.

 

This team doesn't need to move, I'll say it over and over. It needs a great owner and leader who recognizes the passion in this town. This town stil comes out in droves for a horrible team and fills that place. Imagine a Pegula-like owner who brought back the alumni, treated the fans as fans and not as some distant customer, and who through speaking we coudl tell he was honestly passionate and committed to winning? You could double the ticket prices and you couldn't get a ticket. That team is a brand of a worldwide enterprise with as much visibility as any product in the world. We have one of only 32 of these products and we love it and want the positive recognition that comes with being lucky enough to have it. An owner who recognizes that, recognizes that winning will draw the fans from Rochester and Toronto, and recognizes that winning, not population size and regional economics, determine the viability of a team, can make it go here.

 

This team will never win with Wilson, partly due to his age but mainly because the sample size (its history) says so. The guy is out of touch, stubborn (start doing what you can to keep the team here you ingrate), short-sighted and meddling. All the worst traits of a leaders/owner/CEO.

[mrags]

While I 100% completely agree with your point that the Bills need to fix some of thier problems and add to the fan excitement and hope for the team. I disagree with a few things.

1. Hockey in general will always be 2nd fiddle to football. Regardless of town. Your talking about the most popular sport (exception soccer) on the planet. Hockey barely stays afloat in terms of money making for thier teams. Years ago Galisano stated that even though every game sold out in the regular season the team still wouldn't profit off ticket sales unless the team made the playoffs.

2. In Buffalo if the Bills even make the first round of the playoffs the entire city would erupt like a volcano waiting to blow for the last 1,000 years. If you thought the parties at HSBC were crazy at the Atrium building then just wait to see the Bills make the playoffs. The entire town will have Bills fever.

 

To your point about signage bannings, I think that is more the NFLs thing than the Bills. The NFL is such a huge juggernaut that I think it's mostly prohibited because of TV purposes. The crowds are often seen on TV in the NFL as with hockey, not much of the stadium is shown.

[shoretalk]

the attitude that permeates the bills thinking regarding the fans is that "we are just lucky to have a team" , that kind of stuff! more or less, keep your mouth shut, or the team will be moved. it sucks, but that is the reality. the NFL is "king", we are a depressed area, keep quiet ! they use the possible loss of the team constantly, it is a scare tactic, it works and we swallow it! as a previous post stated, until ownership changes, this what we will get.

You are so right ... the NFL is all about being the 'NO FUN LEAGUE' and it very carefully orchestrates what its teams can do and obviously has even stopped players from celebrating or being individuals.

 

All we are ever going to get from Bills' management is 'be glad you have a team' and you 'better support us!'

 

That being said, what we are witnessing with the Sabres is totally unique to today's professional sports teams! Buffalo is so incredibly lucky to have this new ownership group that has been created from a group of fans versus egotists or moneymen. Down here in South Jersey I am celebrating the Buffalo and the Buffalo Sabres!!! We are the envy of all sports cities with this ownership.

 

But, I will give the Bills some credit .... every year for as long as I can remember, Ralph has brought back alumni of the team to participate on field with the posting of the newest member of the Wall of Fame! We have seen players out there on the turf of THE RALPH from the 60's, 70's, 80's, and 90's!

 

There is something about going full circle with history ... I look at my most recent Bills' jersey (a Moulds) and it is this awful shade of blue with 'nickle' grey ... and I do own a Sabres' slug and goat's head jersey too ... but the Sabres are back with jersey's that carry some rich tradition ... maybe the new Bills' jersey we are promised can be a start ...

 

But, I would love to see a Bills' exec go live for a 3 hour chat like Black did the other night ... you could tell he was for real, a fan and dedicated to winning the Cup. I fear that any of the Bills' exec's could be closed mouthed ... full of pretense and illusion and hung up on not doing all it takes to get us back to the Lombardi trophy.

 

We can only hope and dream ... maybe Kelly really has a group of investors ... maybe the Bills and Sabres can walk hand in hand to establish what sports' franchises should do rather than just bleeding fans and communities dry.

 

But, what we need to hear from Ralph and Russ is that #1 The Bills are not going anywhere (sign the legal paperwork that locks them in for another 25-50 years) because this is Buffalo's team AND #2 The

[dwight in philly]

You are so right ... the NFL is all about being the 'NO FUN LEAGUE' and it very carefully orchestrates what its teams can do and obviously has even stopped players from celebrating or being individuals.

 

All we are ever going to get from Bills' management is 'be glad you have a team' and you 'better support us!'

 

That being said, what we are witnessing with the Sabres is totally unique to today's professional sports teams! Buffalo is so incredibly lucky to have this new ownership group that has been created from a group of fans versus egotists or moneymen. Down here in South Jersey I am celebrating the Buffalo and the Buffalo Sabres!!! We are the envy of all sports cities with this ownership.

 

But, I will give the Bills some credit .... every year for as long as I can remember, Ralph has brought back alumni of the team to participate on field with the posting of the newest member of the Wall of Fame! We have seen players out there on the turf of THE RALPH from the 60's, 70's, 80's, and 90's!

 

There is something about going full circle with history ... I look at my most recent Bills' jersey (a Moulds) and it is this awful shade of blue with 'nickle' grey ... and I do own a Sabres' slug and goat's head jersey too ... but the Sabres are back with jersey's that carry some rich tradition ... maybe the new Bills' jersey we are promised can be a start ...

 

But, I would love to see a Bills' exec go live for a 3 hour chat like Black did the other night ... you could tell he was for real, a fan and dedicated to winning the Cup. I fear that any of the Bills' exec's could be closed mouthed ... full of pretense and illusion and hung up on not doing all it takes to get us back to the Lombardi trophy.

 

We can only hope and dream ... maybe Kelly really has a group of investors ... maybe the Bills and Sabres can walk hand in hand to establish what sports' franchises should do rather than just bleeding fans and communities dry.

 

But, what we need to hear from Ralph and Russ is that #1 The Bills are not going anywhere (sign the legal paperwork that locks them in for another 25-50 years) because this is Buffalo's team AND #2 The

totally agree with everything you stated.. maybe its the pessimistic , ingrained, buffalo sports mentality i have, but i still allow myself the thought that pegula will be doing a perp walk, or something bad will happen because he seems just to good to be true. this is what happens in other cities, good owners(rooneys), but buffalo!come on! BUT, i am feasting on it .. and hope that he will be in position to some day buy the bills..

[May Day 10]

The Sabres are my primary team I would say. Im a big Bills fan, but Im a bit more into the Sabres. It has always been that way for me.

 

This past few months have been a dream come true as a fan. I dont think I have ever been so optimistic and excited for a sports team in my life.

 

It would be very possible to do this with the Bills. Even with the current roster. Even this season we saw a possible 0-16 team emerge as a real threat to any team. They learned how to win and succeed. Need a little more experience, luck, and skill.

 

Pegula came in and said right out of the box that this organization is going to be a champion. Then instead of firing everyone and demanding a full roster overhaul, not much changed. The players in place realized that they are part of this Stanley Cup vision and have really played like they believe in themselves. Just the attitude from the top down made the team one of the best in the NHL.

 

If someone bought the Bills and had that attitude, it would be a different story. It kind of bothers me that the media, fans, and even organization's goal is to 'make the playoffs'. I am guilty of this too. I wish that we would hear our owner speak with confidence about creating a top flite Super Bowl winning football franchise.

[Mr. WEO]

Did Pegula put this team together? If he bought the team this summer instead, would you guys be lavishing the same praise on Golisano today after last nite's win?

[Buffalo Barbarian]

I hope Pegula buys the Bills sooner rather than later. Before this draft would be nice.

0:)

[May Day 10]

Did Pegula put this team together? If he bought the team this summer instead, would you guys be lavishing the same praise on Golisano today after last nite's win?

 

it is a lot bigger than the win or the playoff run. It is the optimism, improvements with the organization, respect for the fans and the alumni, mandate that profit is not the motivation, etc...

[Doc]

Did Pegula put this team together? If he bought the team this summer instead, would you guys be lavishing the same praise on Golisano today after last nite's win?

The Sabres went 13-4-5 from December 28th (when they were the worst team in the league) to right before Pegula took over, moving to 10th in the Eastern Conference. After that, they went 15-4-4. Along the way, they got a lot of improved play from guys like Gerbe and Ennis. It's hard for anyone to make the claim that Pegula was solely responsible for it all.

[Bob in STL]

The Sabres went 13-4-5 from December 28th (when they were the worst team in the league) to right before Pegula took over, moving to 10th in the Eastern Conference. After that, they went 15-4-4. Along the way, they got a lot of improved play from guys like Gerbe and Ennis. It's hard for anyone to make the claim that Pegula was solely responsible for it all.

 

 

No, I would not say that Pegula is responsibile for it all, or that Galisano was a bad owner. TG was a good owner and he saved the team. But his committment was to making money first and if they can win while doing it then that is great too.

 

Pegula is going to take this team to new levels. Would this team have held it together to play 15-4-4 in the Pegula stretch? We will never know but I will say that the team is much more inspired right now and hockey is fun again in Buffalo.

[Lv-Bills]

I hope Pegula buys the Bills sooner rather than later. Before this draft would be nice.

I'm a Penguins fan. Born and grew up in Pittsburgh. I am, however, happy for the city of Buffalo that they got Pegula. And man, I pray that he has interest in buying the Bills.

 

Pegula seems like one of a few people in Buffalo that has a pair of nuts and has pride in the city. He doesn't consider it second rate, and will do what it takes to produce a winner. The city of Buffalo finally has a big time owner in town.

 

I'm happy for Sabres fans.

 

That being said, please buy the Bills, and invite Ralph back, all expenses paid, for alumni day!

[NoSaint]

I know this has been discussed before, but I think the events of the past week or so warrant another look.

 

In the past week, we've seen the Sabres do the following:

- Fly in any and all of their willing alumni, all expenses paid, to the home finale for a fan appreciation night. This is supposedly one of the largest gathering of alumni for a single team in NHL history.

- Their President chatted with fans online for THREE HOURS, literally taking suggestion after suggestion and answering question after question.

- Send staff across the continent to Vancouver to nail down upcoming facility upgrades.

- Vault from the NHL's basement to get into the playoffs.

 

This is all on top of Pegula's statements to do literally anything he can to produce a Stanley Cup winning team on the ice. He has literally said everything a fan has wanted to hear, and so far, he's lived up to what he's said.

 

I also think most will agree that the Sabres have played second fiddle to the Bills in Buffalo. I am beginning to wonder if the tide is starting to shift on that. Throughout their history, the Bills have largely ignored their fanbase, and at times, alienated it badly by doing things ranging from banning negative signage to giving off the impression that they invest the bare minimum amount of money into the franchise - just enough to keep it operating. Combine that with the lockout situation, poor play the past 10 seasons, and constant threat of the team moving... and it's making the Sabres look better and better.

 

Now obviously it's only been weeks, and we have no way of knowing what's going to happen with the Sabres over the next few years. But I do think that the Bills eventually need to do something concrete to respond to this. Russ Brandon signing an overpriced aging free agent isn't going to cut it anymore. The bottom line is that the Bills and Sabres are competing for the fans' money. Buffalo fans haven't known an owner with Terry's commitment to winning before. Now that they actually seem to have one, and Ralph is looking more and more like a doofus, one can only hope that it serves as a wake up call to this horribly messed up organization.

 

No offense to hockey but the fan bases when compared to the NFL just don't even compare in volume. That's not to say that they couldn't steal some dollars out of the bills pockets, but I don't think it's a huge concern about overtaking the bills in popularity given the state of the sports. Though an extended lockout might sway things some.