CodeMonkey Posted September 7, 2012 Share Posted September 7, 2012 I can debunk this Wall Streeters asinine thesis, in one simple statement; the Buffalo Bills have ZERO LONG TERM DEBT and have a viable 8 million population when counting Ontario, Erie PA, Rochester, Syracuse and Buffalo. The argument can be made that Ralph is old and hence ownership is unsettled and the stadium is old, but an argument cannot be made that the finances aren't right. If the state of NY steps up and helps finance renovations and a new iron clad lease this will do much to settle the "uncertainty". To hell with these Wall Street elites (many of whom are Jets fans) saying the Bills days are numbered. The Bills best days are ahead of us! GO BILLS!!!!!! Whoever buys the Bills for $800M almost certainly is going to be carrying a fair amount of debt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BiggieScooby Posted September 7, 2012 Share Posted September 7, 2012 Whoever buys the Bills for $800M almost certainly is going to be carrying a fair amount of debt. You fell into my evil trap. Ralph's wife is born in 1946, same year as my season ticket holder dad. She can inherit the team "tax" free and upon her death the assets can be distributed. Do you think Ralph wants his niece Mary Owen in the unemployment line? My best guess is a plan has been already hatched. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KollegeStudnet Posted September 7, 2012 Share Posted September 7, 2012 This smells like bull Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Best Player Available Posted September 7, 2012 Share Posted September 7, 2012 The Bills playing a game in Toronto is equivalent to tarping 9000 seats per game.The Forbes description is right and Bills fans have to cometo grips that this could be their last season in Buffalo That may be true. But, in the first Toronto contract you can rest assured Rogers paid for those tarped seats. Plus putting a butt ugly product on the field for the past 12 years has not helped the Bills regionalize. Hence, the 100 million dollar man, and others this year. Don't think the Bills bean counters didn't know this. Also, finally making a good attempt at raising the quality of the team isn't going to hurt lease negotiations. Littman, etc. know that. The Forbes assessment is absurd. I have been to at least half of the NFL stadiums and the Ralph while not being "modern" is still a good stadium. a couple hundred mil will help the stadium out. Look at the Oakland coliseum that chithole needs to be razed. Some friggin Jets homer at Forbes has nothing better to do than blow smoke. One thing residents of Buffalo will need to come to grips with though. Is ticket prices will soar when the team is sold. I may be wrong on this but for a Giants/Jets home game in the lower sections between the 40's you are looking at $400 each. Making current Jim Kelly club seats a bargain. Which IMO they are. The Bills aren't going anywhere. Shumer said so, and when has a politician ever lied? Ooops. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CodeMonkey Posted September 7, 2012 Share Posted September 7, 2012 You fell into my evil trap. Ralph's wife is born in 1946, same year as my season ticket holder dad. She can inherit the team "tax" free and upon her death the assets can be distributed. Do you think Ralph wants his niece Mary Owen in the unemployment line? My best guess is a plan has been already hatched. So your thought is that despite every indication to the contrary, that Mrs. Wilson is going to own the Bills for the rest of her life after Mr. Wilson passes? Well I have to give you credit for stating an outcome that I haven't heard expressed before Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KollegeStudnet Posted September 7, 2012 Share Posted September 7, 2012 I'm not a pyschic medium, but there is a plan and always has been a plan to keep this team here. Logically, it is all about Ralph's legacy and his legacy will remain intact way after his death...the team will not be sold to the highest bidder, but to the highest bidder who will keep the team in Buffalo. the lease will make it hard for the team to move...etc...etc... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apuszczalowski Posted September 7, 2012 Share Posted September 7, 2012 I can debunk this Wall Streeters asinine thesis, in one simple statement; the Buffalo Bills have ZERO LONG TERM DEBT and have a viable 8 million population when counting Ontario, Erie PA, Rochester, Syracuse and Buffalo. The argument can be made that Ralph is old and hence ownership is unsettled and the stadium is old, but an argument cannot be made that the finances aren't right. If the state of NY steps up and helps finance renovations and a new iron clad lease this will do much to settle the "uncertainty". To hell with these Wall Street elites (many of whom are Jets fans) saying the Bills days are numbered. The Bills best days are ahead of us! GO BILLS!!!!!! That should be "Ralph Wilson has Zero Long Term Debt as owner of the Buffalo Bills" Unless of course you know someone who would be interested in purchasing a team valued at $805 million (2nd lowest in the league) with cash they have laying around. The new owner will have to finance some of that money as there are very few people in the world who have that kind of money just sitting around and not tied up in other businesses or investments already. The other parts you mentioned, like the lease are issues they consider in determining the franchise being in trouble because they haven't been done yet. Its great to say they have to enter into an "Iron Clad Lease", but thats easier said then done, and not easy to do legally and might not be something both sides would want. Whats the advantage to Ralph signing an Iron Clad Lease? It lowers the value of the franchise when it comes to sell them because it limits who is going to make an offer and buy them because they either have to get it low enough that they can still afford to break the lease, or have to really want to keep them where they are. Less possible buyers, lower the amount they will be sold for. As for Erie County, they would certainly have to give some kind of perks to Ralph and the Bills in order for them to agree to a deal that could possibly lower the value for the team, and they also would have to fully agree to honor whatever is in the lease for the full terms of it so they wouldn't break the lease themselves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Romes Posted September 7, 2012 Share Posted September 7, 2012 Our stadium should be the cheapest around to do a great upgrade - the reason is that per its unique design the middle height of the stadium is at ground level - you could build a Walden Galleria of amenities on the ground right next to the stadium if you wanted to accessible to everyone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clearwater cadet Posted September 7, 2012 Share Posted September 7, 2012 Why can't Ralph do it, why can't Ralph set the monkey free Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaineMoxie Posted September 7, 2012 Share Posted September 7, 2012 Our stadium should be the cheapest around to do a great upgrade - the reason is that per its unique design the middle height of the stadium is at ground level - you could build a Walden Galleria of amenities on the ground right next to the stadium if you wanted to accessible to everyone. Not to mention the fact that, despite all the griping about it being in Orchard Park and not downtown, it's location provides a fair amount of open land for expansion and additions (assuming that land could be purchased). Downtown is a bit more geographically challenged. Personally, I wouldn't mind seeing a new stadium built up in Niagara County or along the 990 somewhere. It would make it closer for people coming from Toronto and Rochester and it would give UB an opportunity to host some big opponents occasionally. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KollegeStudnet Posted September 7, 2012 Share Posted September 7, 2012 Not to mention the fact that, despite all the griping about it being in Orchard Park and not downtown, it's location provides a fair amount of open land for expansion and additions (assuming that land could be purchased). Downtown is a bit more geographically challenged. Personally, I wouldn't mind seeing a new stadium built up in Niagara County or along the 990 somewhere. It would make it closer for people coming from Toronto and Rochester and it would give UB an opportunity to host some big opponents occasionally. Agreed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BiggieScooby Posted September 7, 2012 Share Posted September 7, 2012 Not to mention the fact that, despite all the griping about it being in Orchard Park and not downtown, it's location provides a fair amount of open land for expansion and additions (assuming that land could be purchased). Downtown is a bit more geographically challenged. Personally, I wouldn't mind seeing a new stadium built up in Niagara County or along the 990 somewhere. It would make it closer for people coming from Toronto and Rochester and it would give UB an opportunity to host some big opponents occasionally. A joint stadium venture with UB would be fantastic. Getting UB into the football depressed Big East would also boost area revenues as college game is growing on a massive level. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PromoTheRobot Posted September 7, 2012 Share Posted September 7, 2012 (edited) When the Bills go they will go for over a billion. That Forbes estimate means nothing when an NFL team comes to auction, if that's what happens. A team that could be moved to L.A. will go for an L.A. price. That's the danger here. Jim Kelly may have a group, but will it be able to outbid Anshutz? He wouldn't sneeze at $1.5B. PTR A joint stadium venture with UB would be fantastic. Getting UB into the football depressed Big East would also boost area revenues as college game is growing on a massive level. UB doesn't need a stadium. They can't fill the 30K one they have. Going to a bigger conference would double their athletic budget. SUNY won't pay it and there are no big UB donors. Niagara Falls is where a new stadium/hotel/convention complex should go. Edited September 7, 2012 by PromoTheRobot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uncle flap Posted September 7, 2012 Share Posted September 7, 2012 A joint stadium venture with UB would be fantastic. Getting UB into the football depressed Big East would also boost area revenues as college game is growing on a massive level. Yeah but if there's gonna be a new stadium it has to be downtown. I think there's enough room between the inner harbor and the arena to house a stadium, parking, and room to tailgate. I'm no planner or architect, but I think it could work. Except for the fact they'd have to take down the Skyway, and it doesn't look like that's happening anytime soon: http://www.bizjournals.com/buffalo/news/2012/09/05/nysdot-skyway-staying-put.html I really don't understand the appeal to move the stadium from the middle of nowhere to the middle of nowhere. If you're coming from Rochester or Toronto, is saving 15 minutes of travel time that big of a deal? You don't need room for expansion when there's unused or misused infrastructure already downtown. Couple that with the development of the Webster block and you've got yourself a destination. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wnyBacker Posted September 7, 2012 Share Posted September 7, 2012 I think that they are the most troubled magizine, so there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevestojan Posted September 7, 2012 Share Posted September 7, 2012 Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canks Posted September 7, 2012 Share Posted September 7, 2012 Yeah, I'd say unsettled. Ownership is the biggest question surrounding this team. Until that is resolved things are unsettled. (think "up in the air" if the word unsettled bothers you) Dont worry, I know a guy. trust me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PromoTheRobot Posted September 8, 2012 Share Posted September 8, 2012 (edited) Downtown Buffalo is the worst place for a new stadium. Bad traffic, limited tailgating space, and potentially brutal freezing winds off the lake late in the season. Seriously, a terrible idea. PTR Edited September 8, 2012 by PromoTheRobot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRAWNDO Posted September 8, 2012 Share Posted September 8, 2012 (edited) With the NFL trying to expand its product internationally, how much sense would it make for the NFL to move a team that is two hours away from Canada's largest city. The Bills Regional Plan into Canada is a way to grow the product . A new owner may have to play 2 to 3 games in Toronto, but they should remain the Buffalo Bills. Besides even Roger Goodell joked that if the Bills left Buffalo he would never be available to go home to his Chautauqua Lake House. Edited September 8, 2012 by BRAWNDO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragonborn10 Posted September 8, 2012 Share Posted September 8, 2012 What takes the Bills out of that list, though? Seriously. If anything, put the Bills in and take the Rams out. The quote from the executive editor says it all - small market, old stadium and uncertain ownership. No other team is facing those three things simultaneously. It's a sad truth. And the Jacksonville has a mother of all leases to keep the team in town. Green Bay is a publically owned team - no ownership issues there. If your owner's life span is measured in days and not years then yes your situation is unsettled/tenuous/troubled/on the brink/potentially devastating...you choose the right words. If the late Art Modell can move the Browns out of Cleveland then whoever owns the Bills can move them to LA in a heartbeat... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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