uncle flap Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 (edited) http://www.wgrz.com/...opnews|bc|large BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) will stand in front of Ralph Wilson Stadium Wednesday afternoon to announce his plan to keep the Bills in Buffalo for the long-term, according to sources. It's unclear if Schumer's new plan includes proposed federal legislation or regulation. A spokesperson for the Bills said the team was unaware Schumer had even planned the news conference. Schumer's announcement comes as the Bills are in lease negotiations with Erie County, which owns Ralph Wilson Stadium. A source tells 2 On Your Side that Schumer has not been involved "at all" in those talks and worried what Schumer's plan might mean for negotiations. Very interesting! F5 all day on my phone at work tomorrow! UPDATE: Sen. Charles Schumer visits Ralph Wilson Stadium in Orchard Park today, one day before the first Bills pre-season game, to announce his plan to get a new lease deal in place and keep the team in Western New York. His proposal, which he'll outline in a press conference at 2:15 p.m., will include stadium improvements. Also, Goodell will be in WNY on Wednesday as well at another event in the morning. Does he show up with Schumer at OBD in the afternoon? Three men with ties to upstate New York and professional sports come to Chautauqua Institution Amphitheater at 10:45 a.m. to address this week's topic, "The Ethics of Cheating." The most prominent among them is National Football League Commissioner Roger Goodell. http://www.buffalone...ticle991234.ece Edited August 8, 2012 by uncle flap Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poo Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 I wonder if that is why Jim Kelly and Andre Reed were at Bills training Camp today? Maybe they will be involved in some way with Schumer's announcement? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KollegeStudnet Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 Hmm interesting Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
You herd it hear last Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 umm, who owns the Bills? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrags Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 Is this going to be attendable today? I'm off, I'm showing up. Freddy jersey and all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AReed Deep For6 Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 damn... i wish they were doing it during the game thursday... this has to be good news Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbb Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 Please let this be so! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrags Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 Where's the people with inside sources on this one? Somebody in the know has to know what's going down tomorrow. Anyone? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reddogblitz Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 As a US Senator from the state of New York, it is good that he is trying to keep the only NFL team in New York state in New York. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bradjames24 Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 I've heard people say before that the league would never let the only team that plays in New York state leave. Have no idea how truthful that is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OvrOfficiousJerk Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 Eh that last line freaks me out a little; that Schumer's plan might negatively affect lease negotiations. And he isn't unknown for being an attention seeker (the most dangerous place in Washington is between a camera and Chuck Schumer) But ultimately he's one of the most powerful senators, and having him actively involved in keeping the team here is huge Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beerme1 Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 Eh that last line freaks me out a little; that Schumer's plan might negatively affect lease negotiations. And he isn't unknown for being an attention seeker (the most dangerous place in Washington is between a camera and Chuck Schumer) But ultimately he's one of the most powerful senators, and having him actively involved in keeping the team here is huge It is a little scary that the team is saying they have no knowledge of what Grandstand Chuck is up to. We'll see soon enough I guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Wiz Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 Is it at all likely related to the Bills stadium lease you think? I don't know what Schumer has invested in those negotiations so I'm just throwing **** and seeing what sticks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimmy10 Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 Is it at all likely related to the Bills stadium lease you think? I don't know what Schumer has invested in those negotiations so I'm just throwing **** and seeing what sticks. Seeing as how the negotiations are between the team and county (and maybe the state to some extent), I don't know what kind of official purview a US Senator could possibly have... But, didn't one of our posters here who knows someone on the inside feel we would know something about the long term status of the Bills before the season starts? Whatever this is, it may be it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GG Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 I'm guessing there will be a lot of cameras there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EndZoneCrew Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 I bet Chuck Lester has something to do with this Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OvrOfficiousJerk Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 (edited) It is a little scary that the team is saying they have no knowledge of what Grandstand Chuck is up to. We'll see soon enough I guess. What I'm telling myself so that I can have some semblance of a workday today is that The Bills spokesman mentioned in the story is low enough that he wouldn't be party to what Schumer is talking about. I mean I love Chris Brown as much as the next guy but his position isn't exactly at Executive VP level. Seeing as how the negotiations are between the team and county (and maybe the state to some extent), I don't know what kind of official purview a US Senator could possibly have... Antitrust legislation Rozelle got away with (antitrust) murder with the merger, and to avoid litigation he made the promise that no team would relocate (to get Louisiana senator support, plus he put a team in NOLA). And with the exception of LA - which is about to get a team anyway - every city that has lost a team got it back. Buffalo won't be so lucky. So Schumer could make life a living hell for the NFL if they want to futz round with Buffalo And so he should Edited August 8, 2012 by OvrOfficiousJerk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimmy10 Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 What I'm telling myself so that I can have some semblance of a workday today is that The Bills spokesman mentioned in the story is low enough that he wouldn't be party to what Schumer is talking about. I mean I love Chris Brown as much as the next guy but his position isn't exactly at Executive VP level. Antitrust legislation Rozelle got away with (antitrust) murder with the merger, and to avoid litigation he made the promise that no team would relocate (to get Louisiana senator support, plus he put a team in NOLA). And with the exception of LA - which is about to get a team anyway - every city that has lost a team got it back. Buffalo won't be so lucky. So Schumer could make life a living hell for the NFL if they want to futz round with Buffalo And so he should Excellent point. A few degrees removed from lease negotiating maybe, and I doubt the words "antitrust exemption" will come out of his mouth today, but there's his leverage on the issue. Well, we'll know more this afternoon. I look forward to hearing what this is all about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GG Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 Excellent point. A few degrees removed from lease negotiating maybe, and I doubt the words "antitrust exemption" will come out of his mouth today, but there's his leverage on the issue. Well, we'll know more this afternoon. I look forward to hearing what this is all about. There is not anti-trust issue. NFL's anti-trust exemption applied to the TV contracts. The league has lost court cases arguing that it is not a monopoly, meanwhile the league gets stronger. I can't see how an attention seeking Senator is going to change the legal standing of the league or have any impact on the dealing sof its franchises. If anything, voiding anti-trust rules would make it easier for individual teams to switch cities, because the league wouldn't have the power to block the move. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CodeMonkey Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 Is it at all likely related to the Bills stadium lease you think? I don't know what Schumer has invested in those negotiations so I'm just throwing **** and seeing what sticks. I believe that is probably correct. The one thing to remember about ole Chuck is he LOVES to see himself in the media. I'm sure he will try and play the lease as "keeping the Bills in Buffalo". But we will see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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