Ralph talks to the NY Daily News

[Beerball]

link

 

Brief piece, talk about the old CBA, difficulty for Buffalo to compete.

[San Jose Bills Fan]

link

 

Brief piece, talk about the old CBA, difficulty for Buffalo to compete.

Thanks as always, Beerball.

[clancynut]

As per Daily News "It's very difficult," Wilson said. "We've had a tough time. We've hung in there. Buffalo has lost population and it's a tough go. When I came in the league, it was the 14th largest city in the league. All the corporations moved out of Buffalo. We're doing alright. We will make it, but it's not easy."

 

We can only hope.

[EastRochBillsfan]

I don't get all the grief Ralph gets from all the Bills faithful. Maybe he has picked some of the wrong people to run the show, but the man is responsible for bringing the team we love and follow so closely to Buffalo. I think he should be commended for that. And for his loyalty for keeping the team here. You Ralph Wilson haters should be ashamed of yourselves. Like he owes you anything. Thank you Mr Wilson for all that you do and have done for the city of buffalo and western NY. And thank you for my beloved Bills. I hope you live another 100 years!

 

(and I don't want to hear anything from you haters. your voice has been heard all too much already)

[RuffMuff]

I don't get all the grief Ralph gets from all the Bills faithful. Maybe he has picked some of the wrong people to run the show, but the man is responsible for bringing the team we love and follow so closely to Buffalo. I think he should be commended for that. And for his loyalty for keeping the team here. You Ralph Wilson haters should be ashamed of yourselves. Like he owes you anything. Thank you Mr Wilson for all that you do and have done for the city of buffalo and western NY. And thank you for my beloved Bills. I hope you live another 100 years!

 

(and I don't want to hear anything from you haters. your voice has been heard all too much already)

 

OK Russ

[Buffalo Barbarian]

Got this from the Ny Daily news and Ralph claims that it is hard for buffalo to make it because the big corporations have the left the area. I am so sick and tired of this BS! Buffalo can support the Bills. Pittsburgh is no different than us and yet they are one of the most successful teams in the league. You don't hear about them leaving or being unviable, sames goes for Cincy, Cleveland or Detroit. Ralph is just making excuses for not investing in the team to be a winner and will do everything on the cheap until he doesn't own the team. Pegula thinks Buffalo is just fine and will be a great place to build a Stanley Cup Champion. The difference is Ralph loves money regardless of what he says and Terry loves Buffalo and that is all the Bills need.

 

NYDailynews:

"It has become increasingly problematic for the Bills to compete with the big-market teams, even with the salary cap. They have not made the playoffs since 1999, the longest drought in the league. The difference in revenue is so distinct between the top and the bottom. It's a lot easier for Cowboys, Redskins, Patriots, Jets, Giants and Eagles to write those big signing-bonus checks.

 

In a bad economy, Buffalo has been hit hard. And so have the Bills.

 

"It's very difficult," Wilson said. "We've had a tough time. We've hung in there. Buffalo has lost population and it's a tough go. When I came in the league, it was the 14th largest city in the league. All the corporations moved out of Buffalo. We're doing alright. We will make it, but it's not easy."

 

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/2011/05/14/2011-05-14_buffalo_bills_owner_ralph_wilson_never_wanted_that_deal_nfl_owners_cant_seem_to_.html

[benbillsfan]

five years ago when Wilson and Bengals owner Mike Brown cast the only negative votes in a 30-2 landslide to approve as a package deal the take-it-or-leave-it collective bargaining agreement proposed by the union and a revenue sharing plan among the owners. Looking for peace at any price, the owners caved in.

 

Two years into the deal, the 30 owners who disagreed with Wilson and Brown suddenly realized they were the ones who made a huge mistake.

 

The owners voted 32-0 to opt out of the deal in 2008, which was the first step in leading to the complete mess the NFL finds itself in today: The owners locked out the players, the union has decertified and they have all put the immediate future of the league in the hands of the court system, which is not necessarily a great idea for anybody.

 

Wilson resisted last week saying, "I told you so," to the 30 owners who voted the other way in 2006.

 

The owners opted out because they felt the deal had become too rich. The players were making too much money. A lot of them felt that way at that meeting in Dallas in March of 2006, but voted for the deal anyway, even with two years left on the old one. Wilson did not.

 

He objected to the revenue sharing plan that didn't put enough money in the pockets of the small-market teams like the Bills rather than to any distaste he had for all the money - 59.5% - that was going to the players. He felt the revenue-sharing portion was being shoved down his throat without a proper explanation what he would be signing.

 

"I'm upset about the whole deal and the way it was presented," Wilson said five years ago. "And 59.5% is far too much money for the whole league, not just Buffalo."

 

Whatever his reason, the fact remains that Wilson voted no when just about everyone else voted yes. If they had listened to him, this might have been settled a long time ago.

 

"I came into this game 50 years ago because I enjoyed the game of pro football. Not to make money," Wilson said. "In those days, everybody was hoping to break even. We lost money for a number of years. I am really not into the game to make money, but I would like to break even or make a little."

 

 

 

this man with lamar hunt brought the NFL as it is now a powerhouse...without the merger back in the day we would never be talking about the rival matchups that we now have....ralph brought the bills here..for his own reasons and for decades kept a team in a area where economic downturn has been in play long before any recession...we have the lowest ticket prices so our local fans can afford to purchase a decent seat in the house that ralph built...of course he is in it for the gain of flowing money....but if he really wanted just money he would of took this team somewhere else....he brought us 4 straight superbowls...something that will never be matched ever...yes he is old yes he is dependent on others more than he should have....can we blame a soon to be 93 year old to make sharp decisions...90 percent of us wont live to be ralphs age...and i guarantee he would like to win more than any of us...i love ralph and i love the bills without him and his initiativewe wouldnt even be in buffalo...if just some of the other owners would of listened to ralph we wouldnt be locked out this season...thanks mr wilson for building a great empire of never back down, good character, good business, some unforgetable years, and some forgetable, i do not blame you 100 percent...thanks for a great franchise..thanks for a damn team to root for and everything youve done to keep it here..number 1 bills fan

Edited May 15, 2011 by benbillsfan

[Pilsner]

Thanks for helping me put some things into perspective. I've been hard on Ralph from time to time. All in all, when the stakes are down, well... Thank you Mr. Wilson for giving us the Bills and keeping them in place. I just hope they stay.

[ektin]

Ralph bashing will continue until he is long gone, some of it justified and some of it not. No one will argue that he is the reason the Bills are still in Buffalo and his vote against the last collective bargaining contract turned out to be right. My complaints about him are that he has let the game pass him by and he is almost too loyal the way he hires front office people who seem to be more yes men than football people. The Bills have had 3 good runs in 51 years each when he hired a football person to run the team, the mid 60's with Lou Saban, the late 70's with Chuck Knox and the early 90's with Bill Polian. Each ended when Ralph wanted to be more involved in the decision making. When the league started in 1960 coaching staffs were around 6 people, scouting staffs were a few people and the owner was very involved. As the game evolved the coaching and scouting staffs grew more specialized and the owners started being less and less involved in the day to day operations. Ralph doesn't seem to want to let go and let the football men run the team. He wants people who will agree with him. This was magnified when Buddy Nix introduced Chan Gailey as the 15th head coach of the Buffalo Bills. 15th? thats one every 3 years. You can't build a winning organization with that kind of turnover in the coaching staffs. He's made the Bills almost a laughing stock around the league. How many potential coaches said no to interviews this last time around? I know Buddy Nix said no one said no to an interview but I don't believe that for a second. Top free agents don't even consider the Bills unless they offer alot more than other teams. (I know people will argue this but for every Takeo Spikes there are 5 Derrick Dockery stories). The Bills have turned into that neighborhood restaurant that has been there forever. The one that you keep going back because it is close by, inexpensive and the food isn't really that good but just good enough to keep you thinking that maybe next time the food will be better.

[K-9]

Got this from the Ny Daily news and Ralph claims that it is hard for buffalo to make it because the big corporations have the left the area. I am so sick and tired of this BS! Buffalo can support the Bills. Pittsburgh is no different than us and yet they are one of the most successful teams in the league. You don't hear about them leaving or being unviable, sames goes for Cincy, Cleveland or Detroit. Ralph is just making excuses for not investing in the team to be a winner and will do everything on the cheap until he doesn't own the team. Pegula thinks Buffalo is just fine and will be a great place to build a Stanley Cup Champion. The difference is Ralph loves money regardless of what he says and Terry loves Buffalo and that is all the Bills need.

 

NYDailynews:

"It has become increasingly problematic for the Bills to compete with the big-market teams, even with the salary cap. They have not made the playoffs since 1999, the longest drought in the league. The difference in revenue is so distinct between the top and the bottom. It's a lot easier for Cowboys, Redskins, Patriots, Jets, Giants and Eagles to write those big signing-bonus checks.

 

In a bad economy, Buffalo has been hit hard. And so have the Bills.

 

"It's very difficult," Wilson said. "We've had a tough time. We've hung in there. Buffalo has lost population and it's a tough go. When I came in the league, it was the 14th largest city in the league. All the corporations moved out of Buffalo. We're doing alright. We will make it, but it's not easy."

 

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/2011/05/14/2011-05-14_buffalo_bills_owner_ralph_wilson_never_wanted_that_deal_nfl_owners_cant_seem_to_.html

 

Making bad hiring choices is far different than not investing in a wining team. Please cite specific cases where RW DELIBERATELY chose not to invest in a winning team and I'll give your argument come credence.

 

Regarding the quotes from the NY Daily News article you chose in your post, are you saying RW is wrong about Buffalo and its economic decline since 1960?

 

GO BILLS!!!

[Acantha]

Got this from the Ny Daily news and Ralph claims that it is hard for buffalo to make it because the big corporations have the left the area. I am so sick and tired of this BS! Buffalo can support the Bills. Pittsburgh is no different than us and yet they are one of the most successful teams in the league. You don't hear about them leaving or being unviable, sames goes for Cincy, Cleveland or Detroit. Ralph is just making excuses for not investing in the team to be a winner and will do everything on the cheap until he doesn't own the team. Pegula thinks Buffalo is just fine and will be a great place to build a Stanley Cup Champion. The difference is Ralph loves money regardless of what he says and Terry loves Buffalo and that is all the Bills need.

 

Wow.

 

1. Did you really just include Cleveland in the list of teams you never hear about leaving???

 

2. Have you really never heard of Detroit having financial issues? The only reason they aren't mentioned to leave is because they're owned by Ford. Big difference between Ford and Ralph Wilson.

 

3. Comparing the viability of a city for hockey and football is two completely different things. Ridiculous comparison.

 

But other than that, good argument.

[PromoTheRobot]

It's the ugly side of being from Buffalo. We want everything and when we get it we complain that it wasn't gift wrapped. Just look at Terry Pegula. People are already questioning his commitment. Here's an owner that was an answer to any Sabres fans prayers, a guy who has already spent millions on flying in alumni, remodeling the locker rooms, and installing super-dehumidifiers in HSBC so we can have the best ice in the league, and people were still pissing and moaning when the Sabres raised prices 5%. (A move that was mandated by the league so the Sabres would qualify for revenue sharing!) Just read some of the comments at the bottom of this story. Absolutely pathetic.

 

PTR

[shoretalk]

five years ago when Wilson and Bengals owner Mike Brown cast the only negative votes in a 30-2 landslide to approve as a package deal the take-it-or-leave-it collective bargaining agreement proposed by the union and a revenue sharing plan among the owners. Looking for peace at any price, the owners caved in.

 

Two years into the deal, the 30 owners who disagreed with Wilson and Brown suddenly realized they were the ones who made a huge mistake.

 

The owners voted 32-0 to opt out of the deal in 2008, which was the first step in leading to the complete mess the NFL finds itself in today: The owners locked out the players, the union has decertified and they have all put the immediate future of the league in the hands of the court system, which is not necessarily a great idea for anybody.

 

Wilson resisted last week saying, "I told you so," to the 30 owners who voted the other way in 2006.

 

The owners opted out because they felt the deal had become too rich. The players were making too much money. A lot of them felt that way at that meeting in Dallas in March of 2006, but voted for the deal anyway, even with two years left on the old one. Wilson did not.

 

He objected to the revenue sharing plan that didn't put enough money in the pockets of the small-market teams like the Bills rather than to any distaste he had for all the money - 59.5% - that was going to the players. He felt the revenue-sharing portion was being shoved down his throat without a proper explanation what he would be signing.

 

"I'm upset about the whole deal and the way it was presented," Wilson said five years ago. "And 59.5% is far too much money for the whole league, not just Buffalo."

 

Whatever his reason, the fact remains that Wilson voted no when just about everyone else voted yes. If they had listened to him, this might have been settled a long time ago.

 

"I came into this game 50 years ago because I enjoyed the game of pro football. Not to make money," Wilson said. "In those days, everybody was hoping to break even. We lost money for a number of years. I am really not into the game to make money, but I would like to break even or make a little."

 

 

 

this man with lamar hunt brought the NFL as it is now a powerhouse...without the merger back in the day we would never be talking about the rival matchups that we now have....ralph brought the bills here..for his own reasons and for decades kept a team in a area where economic downturn has been in play long before any recession...we have the lowest ticket prices so our local fans can afford to purchase a decent seat in the house that ralph built...of course he is in it for the gain of flowing money....but if he really wanted just money he would of took this team somewhere else....he brought us 4 straight superbowls...something that will never be matched ever...yes he is old yes he is dependent on others more than he should have....can we blame a soon to be 93 year old to make sharp decisions...90 percent of us wont live to be ralphs age...and i guarantee he would like to win more than any of us...i love ralph and i love the bills without him and his initiativewe wouldnt even be in buffalo...if just some of the other owners would of listened to ralph we wouldnt be locked out this season...thanks mr wilson for building a great empire of never back down, good character, good business, some unforgetable years, and some forgetable, i do not blame you 100 percent...thanks for a great franchise..thanks for a damn team to root for and everything youve done to keep it here..number 1 bills fan

I too am thankful for Ralph Wilson's willingness to bring professional football to Buffalo without which we still might not have an NHL team.

 

I can afford to go to a Bills' game, which wouldn't happen if we had a stadium with seat licenses, etc..

 

Do I criticize the man at times? Of course I do. I still wish he'd just sign a long term commitment to the area as a last act of support.

 

What I remember most are the experiences my parents had when Mr. Wilson would have breakfast at Friendly's in Williamsville and take the time to chat with my mom and dad.

 

He has given back a lot to charity and his gift of the Bills is something we should all celebrate.

 

Thanks for the reminder!

[EastRochBillsfan]

OK Russ

 

your avatar of stevie after the drop in the endzone tells me all I need to know about you. go back under the rock from which you crawled out of.

[K-9]

I too am thankful for Ralph Wilson's willingness to bring professional football to Buffalo without which we still might not have an NHL team.

 

I can afford to go to a Bills' game, which wouldn't happen if we had a stadium with seat licenses, etc..

 

Do I criticize the man at times? Of course I do. I still wish he'd just sign a long term commitment to the area as a last act of support.

 

What I remember most are the experiences my parents had when Mr. Wilson would have breakfast at Friendly's in Williamsville and take the time to chat with my mom and dad.

 

He has given back a lot to charity and his gift of the Bills is something we should all celebrate.

 

Thanks for the reminder!

 

Good post. Should be required reading for everyone who's so quick to bash him. They know nothing of the man they're bashing. RW is too humble a man to mention his charitable works over the years but if we knew more about even half of them we'd be embarrassed.

 

But there would still be those who would label him a "cheap philanthropist."

 

GO BILLS!!!

[hondo in seattle]

I really admire Ralph's loyalty. As Buffalo has declined over the years, he could have moved the franchise to a big market city (like LA, for example) and made a pile of cash. And he's been loyal to the Buffalo area despite not being a Buffalonian. He was born and raised in Detroit and still lives in that area. The only reason we have a Bills club to cheer for, and moan about, is Ralph Wilson.

 

I don't admire Ralph's ability. The Bills all-time regular season record is 358-406-8 (.469) and we've never won a Super Bowl. Just dumb random luck would produce a .500 record and 1 SB win. He seems to have tremendous patience with incompetency. And he's driven away some very good personnel guys.

[BobChalmers]

your avatar of stevie after the drop in the endzone tells me all I need to know about you. go back under the rock from which you crawled out of.

 

+1

[section122]

Making bad hiring choices is far different than not investing in a wining team. Please cite specific cases where RW DELIBERATELY chose not to invest in a winning team and I'll give your argument come credence.

 

Regarding the quotes from the NY Daily News article you chose in your post, are you saying RW is wrong about Buffalo and its economic decline since 1960?

 

GO BILLS!!!

Before I respond please don't think I'm a ralph basher. I appreciate all he has done and am a third generation bills fan. That being said he did hire russ brandon as the gm instead of getting a football guy as well as numerous hirings of under the radar coaches. My beef isn't with ralph as the owner however I am very frustrated with the lack of resources put into training and developing players.

[Lurker]

I am so sick and tired of this BS! Buffalo can support the Bills. Pittsburgh is no different than us and yet they are one of the most successful teams in the league. You don't hear about them leaving or being unviable, sames goes for Cincy, Cleveland or Detroit.

Among the largest 100 metros, only seven lost population from 2000 to 2010 (Buffalo-Niagara Falls was 6th worst):

 

http://www.gnocdc.org/JobsPopulationAndHousing/OtherMetroGraph.png

 

The fact that Pittsburgh, Cincinnatti, Cleveland and Detroit--despite their economic woes--are 2-4 times larger than the Buffalo metro area is surely an advantage. Rochester and Southern Ontario help even the field, but there's no question that this region is hurting more (in terms of filling a 72,000 seat stadium) than any other NFL market but New Orleans.

 

Metro area population:

 

Detroit---4.4 million

Pittsburgh---2.3 million

Cincinnati---2.2 million

Cleveland---2.1 million

 

Buffalo+Rochester---2.1 million

 

Buffalo---1.1 million

[Rockinon]

When Ralph Wilson said, "I didn't get into this for the money" personally, I believe him. People always seem to think the worst about others. He became an owner because he loves football and was only hoping to break even or make a small profit, keeping the game alive. Is that so hard for people to understand? Another thing that really annoys me is that people tend to bash Ralph with derogatory comments about his age. Yea, he is very old. Where I come from, you honor your elders. You don't spew crap about how we'd be better off with someone younger and more aggressive. At least as long as he is still alive, the Buffalo Bills will remain in Buffalo. Thank You, Mr. Wilson.