The possible end of an era for Buffalo as a franchise

[bonechiller]

I'm assuming you are not a motivational speaker, if so you should consider a occupational change!

 

Such doom and gloom after all the positives coming out of camp.

 

Just grab a big ol' jug of the kool-aid and swig it down like the rest of us!

 

Way too many hypothiticals to even get worked up over.

[Cheddar's Dad]

But what if Ralph passes in the middle of selling a policy?

 

This is simply great. Thanks for starting my morning off with a hearty laugh. :lol:

[mousetrap08]

WOW ! Just when I started thinking that the Bills were headed in the right direction we get another gloom and doom post.

[prissythecat]

This is not a Ralph Wilson should go away post. I have not heard anyone go into depth about what this upcoming season could bring if Ralph Wilson passes during the season.

 

Let's say hypothetically the Bills finish 4-12, as many experts expect us to do. E.J. Manuels rookie season looks more like Blaine Gabberts than RG3s, which is fairly likely if history is any indicator for this team. Doug Marrone does a decent but not great job in his first year (also likely). And Ralph Wilson passes during the season. What would happen?

 

Although there are a lot of hypothiticals there is a good chance all of this may happen.

 

My thoughts would be the Wilson family would sell the team to the highest bidder and the new owners would likely want to start from scratch (Brandon included) with a team that missed the playoffs for a 14th straight year and a QB and coach that did not show any great potential in this league. My guess is we might be talking about drafting Manziel with 1 of the top 3 picks in next years draft.

 

I hope this is not the way the season plays out but then again it might all be for the best. So assuming Manuel, Marone, and the Bills struggle which is fairly likely and Wilson passes what do you think happens to the Buffalo Bills next offseason?

 

I love your optimism.

[PromoTheRobot]

A meteor might hit RWS too.

 

PTR

[Best Player Available]

This is not a Ralph Wilson should go away post. I have not heard anyone go into depth about what this upcoming season could bring if Ralph Wilson passes during the season.

 

Let's say hypothetically the Bills finish 4-12, as many experts expect us to do. E.J. Manuels rookie season looks more like Blaine Gabberts than RG3s, which is fairly likely if history is any indicator for this team. Doug Marrone does a decent but not great job in his first year (also likely). And Ralph Wilson passes during the season. What would happen?

 

Although there are a lot of hypothiticals there is a good chance all of this may happen.

 

My thoughts would be the Wilson family would sell the team to the highest bidder and the new owners would likely want to start from scratch (Brandon included) with a team that missed the playoffs for a 14th straight year and a QB and coach that did not show any great potential in this league. My guess is we might be talking about drafting Manziel with 1 of the top 3 picks in next years draft.

 

I hope this is not the way the season plays out but then again it might all be for the best. So assuming Manuel, Marone, and the Bills struggle which is fairly likely and Wilson passes what do you think happens to the Buffalo Bills next offseason?

The chatter coming out of Moscow today is Putin is interested in buying a NFL team. So there's that too.

[Charles Romes]

Manziel is not seen as a high first rounder I don't think.

[RocBuffalo]

Ralph Wilson dies and the Bills live happily ever after.............

[Ralph W.]

HYPOTHETICAL SITUATIONS!!!!

 

FYI your little Johnny football has been having problems.

Edited June 17, 2013 by EJ3

[Chandler#81]

HYPOTHETICAL SITUATIONS!!!!

 

 

Glad you cleared that up...

[Cheddar's Dad]

A decade from now, likely will not need a two bills drive website. Unfortunately. Buffalo market to small to play in the big money NFL long term. I don't like it, but I am prepared for it. Just check the demographics in this country, lots of bigger venues to move to....with better weather as well, meaning potential sell outs in November and December, something not seen here since the playoff days of Jim Kelly.

 

Buffalo has a 52 year history of selling tickets; when the team wins, lots of tickets. There are larger cities with franchises that do not do that. Additionally, Buffalo has, perhaps, the most advantageous TO THE OWNER lease agreement of any in the league. It costs Ralph and the future owner nearly nothing to play at the Ralph. Jarra Jones, on the other hand, frantically works to schedule non football events at his 1.2 billion playpen in order to pay his mortgage. A rabit fan base + low facility costs are good reasons for any owner to want to stay here. Add the fact that each team gets most of it's revenue from TV contracts and the reason for not moving the franchise become ever more compelling. I think we should all relax and enjoy our team.

[Lurker]

go away post.

[MarkyMannn]

LONG TERM:

#3- when ralph passes, of course they sell to the highest bidder and russ is likely out.

 

And if Terry Pegula is the highest bidder then Russ is out and President/CEO title goes to Darcy Regier for his success with the hockey team................or is it suffering?

[Kirby Jackson]

Fwiw, I am not sure that Russ is out after an ownership transfer. He has a rock solid reputation around the league and good relationships with some of the rumored ownership groups (ie Kelly).

[hondo in seattle]

LONG TERM:

#1- with Toronto, the Bills are the 4th LARGEST nfl market. that is a very desirable size market. bills unlikely to relocate anywhere, plus it helps that the L.A. situation is messed up.

#2- they recently signed a 7 year lease with a $400 million poison pill buyout. while not iron clad, it is a sizable deterrent for relocation. other franchises are more likely to move before buffalo (i.e. jax, san diego, raiders).

#3- when ralph passes, of course they sell to the highest bidder and russ is likely out.

 

SHORT TERM:

#1- doug whaley probably stays in any scenario of ownership change and/or a very high draft pick.

#2- I doubt they take a QB with the #1 pick in 2014, even if a top 3 pick. besides, the bills will be picking 7th.

 

I agree the Bills aren't going away any time soon. But linking us with Toronto is a bit of a stretch. TO watches the Bills, and Canadians attend Bills games to a certain extent. But saying Buffalo is the 4th biggest market is misleading. We don't have the 4th biggest fan base. We don't have the 4th highest TV ratings nor the 4th highest merchandise sales. Torontonians don't support the Bills the way Buffalonians do. Toronto is just too far away to be considered the same market.

 

And I have to say, there are reasons to worry about the long term viability of the Bills.

 

Imagine you are a billionaire entrepreneur buying the Bills when Ralph passes and, doing your due diligence, you know these trends... In 1900, Buffalo was the 8th biggest city in the US. By 1960, the year Ralph started the Bills, Buffalo was still in the Top 20 (#20). Buffalo is now the 49th biggest metro area in the US. Our ranking is collapsing.

 

Worse yet, Buffalo is not a particularly affluent market - we're ranked 55th in metro GDP. There are many cities with more money and more people and better futures than Buffalo where a NFL team could thrive.

 

After spending almost a billion dollars to buy the Bills, why keep them in Buffalo?

 

We all need to hope the Bills are purchased by a Buffalo homer.

 

http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0922422.html

 

http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,25513.0.html

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Table_of_United_States_Metropolitan_Statistical_Areas

[eme123]

Fwiw, I am not sure that Russ is out after an ownership transfer. He has a rock solid reputation around the league and good relationships with some of the rumored ownership groups (ie Kelly).

 

I agree. Russ Brandon has had a big hand in developing this franchise from a business perspective over the past decade. Its likely that he doesn't have the money but maybe he can develop plans for an ownership group. Russ Brandon would be favored above anyone else in regards to league approval of the sale.

 

The Bills' growth in the southern ontario market is something that can't be ignored. At this point moving the franchise to Toronto would alienate part of Ontario let alone all of Upstate NY.

[Cheddar's Dad]

I agree the Bills aren't going away any time soon. But linking us with Toronto is a bit of a stretch. TO watches the Bills, and Canadians attend Bills games to a certain extent. But saying Buffalo is the 4th biggest market is misleading. We don't have the 4th biggest fan base. We don't have the 4th highest TV ratings nor the 4th highest merchandise sales. Torontonians don't support the Bills the way Buffalonians do. Toronto is just too far away to be considered the same market.

 

And I have to say, there are reasons to worry about the long term viability of the Bills.

 

Imagine you are a billionaire entrepreneur buying the Bills when Ralph passes and, doing your due diligence, you know these trends... In 1900, Buffalo was the 8th biggest city in the US. By 1960, the year Ralph started the Bills, Buffalo was still in the Top 20 (#20). Buffalo is now the 49th biggest metro area in the US. Our ranking is collapsing.

 

Worse yet, Buffalo is not a particularly affluent market - we're ranked 55th in metro GDP. There are many cities with more money and more people and better futures than Buffalo where a NFL team could thrive.

 

After spending almost a billion dollars to buy the Bills, why keep them in Buffalo?

 

We all need to hope the Bills are purchased by a Buffalo homer.

 

 

 

Why you ask? Because that billionaire new owner would likely have to spend another billion to build a stadium. How long would it take for that owner to recover that cost in a new city? (I like to be optomistic. It's too early in the week for gloom and doom.)

[Best Player Available]

I agree. Russ Brandon has had a big hand in developing this franchise from a business perspective over the past decade.

Brandon has actually had a big hand in 13 years of crap product. Not a decade. Coincidently the same amount of time the Bills have endured their latest chapter(s) of suck.

Is it all Brandon's fault? No. But from a business perspective is all he is worth. He can sell tickets delivering a garbage product year after year. he is not a football man. But make no mistake selling hope is one of his biggest skills. And, after Littman and Overdorf will be the next executive fired when new ownership arrives.

[Kirby Jackson]

Brandon has actually had a big hand in 13 years of crap product. Not a decade. Coincidently the same amount of time the Bills have endured their latest chapter(s) of suck.

Is it all Brandon's fault? No. But from a business perspective is all he is worth. He can sell tickets delivering a garbage product year after year. he is not a football man. But make no mistake selling hope is one of his biggest skills. And, after Littman and Overdorf will be the next executive fired when new ownership arrives.

 

Not all about "selling tickets". It is about securing local contracts (ie Toronto) and other non-traditional unshared revenue sources to compete with the larger markets. The revenues that large market teams can generate drive the cap each year. NY may make $50M a year in suite sales and Buffalo $7M. That drives the cap year over year but Buffalo cannot continue to raise prices to off-set that number. Although the revenue is shared it still drives the cap. What Russ has been able to do is creatively generate large chunks of $$ to off-set the gaps that they cannot make up for in traditional manners. That is why his reputation is strong around the league. Not simply because he advertises and sells tickets in Rochester and Ontario.

Edited June 17, 2013 by Kirby Jackson

[metzelaars_lives]

A decade from now, likely will not need a two bills drive website. Unfortunately. Buffalo market to small to play in the big money NFL long term. I don't like it, but I am prepared for it. Just check the demographics in this country, lots of bigger venues to move to....with better weather as well, meaning potential sell outs in November and December, something not seen here since the playoff days of Jim Kelly.

 

This is not a well thought-out argument because, while I agree that Buffalo isn't Miami or San Diego, THOSE PLACES ALREADY HAVE TEAMS. There aren't these giant markets with beautiful palm trees and rabid football fans just sitting there. Who are possible football markets in North America? Toronto? This Bills-Toronto thing has been a godsend if nothing else because it has exposed Toronto as not being an NFL market. No one's moving a team there at this point. Oklahoma City? San Antonio? Sorry, neither are bigger enough than Buffalo for a new owner to roll the dice on either of them being a good football market. The difference in market sizes between them and Buffalo is too small for someone to justify moving a team like the Bills with such a rich football tradition. That leaves LA. LA is the only market that anyone should worry about. That is why we have to hope that San Diego, Oakland or Jacksonville move there first because, despite the recent hiccup, I can assure you that LA gets a team at some point. But please stop pretending that there are all these big "nice weather" markets just sitting there waiting for a team to fall into their laps.