ChevyVanMiller Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 Thank you, Mr. Wilson for both bringing a team to Buffalo and for never moving it while many other franchises jumped cities. I hope that the next owner of the team will have the same dedication to Buffalo that you did. May you R.I.P. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slack_in_MA Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 Rest in Peace, Mr. Wilson, and thank you for the good things you did. And tell God that Jim Kelly has more still left to do down here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Georgia Bill Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 Farewell Ralph, I'm glad you got to live a long and fruitful life, and forever grateful that you brought the Bills to Buffalo and stuck with the team and city through thick and thin. Wish you could have hoisted that Lombardi trophy one time, to truly cap off all the hard work and effort. No two ways about it, you were a great, and will always be remembered. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mousetrap08 Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 RIP Mr Wilson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HurlyBurly51 Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snafu Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 R.I.P. Mr. Wilson. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dean Cain Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 (edited) A sad week gets sadder. Emptiness is in my heart. Losing our father & now possibly the "son" makes for trying times. Love all you Bills fans! Edited March 26, 2014 by Dean Cain Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garion Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 RIP and God Bless Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reed83HOF Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 Always knew this day was coming; figured it would have been soon too... Very sad day, he still had so much left to do. I wish he got to see a SB win... Here is a statement from Marv My favorite Ralph Wilson moment: when Tagliabue fined him $50k for speaking out after the "Just Give It To 'Em" game, and Ralph responded: Thanks for the memories, Ralph. Here is a pic of the entire statement posted by Howard Simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DDD Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 Mr. Wilson was a loyal man and that is a sign of his character. He served his country in WWII and made his fortune in the insurance industry that allowed to buy an AFL franchise that would lead to a huge ROI. An American success story to say the least. He always liked a good joke in my observations of him and I think that sense of humor contributed to his longevity. He gave back to the community- my grandmother died in a hospice center in Orchard Park that bore is name. Thank you for the inspiration Mr. Wilson. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Overseas Bills Fan Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 This is a bad week for us, folks. This is a very bad week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattM Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 Oh, what a sad day it is. Rest in peace, Mr. Wilson. I'm so sorry the team never won the Big One for you, but we all appreciate what you've done for WNY and the Bills.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seq004 Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 Thank you Mr Wilson for everything you did, you will not be forgotton Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dennis in NC Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 Rest in peace, Mr Wilson, and thank you for everything! I am so glad Ralph Wilson made the Hall of Fame while he was still alive to enjoy it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobobonators Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 Rest in peace. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bufcomments Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 RIP Mr. Wilson. Thanks for keeping the team in Buffalo all these years. We knew this day was coming but I am still very sad that its come to pass. And thanks for being NOT cheap Prayers to his wife and family . Feel like I lost a fav uncle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chef Jim Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 As most of you know I've been gone from the WNY area for over 30 years. Many of us here are living someplace else. This is our connection to our roots. And that connection is family, friends and the Buffalo Bills. Thanks Scott for creating this fantastic place for all of us to congregate, cheer, B word, high five and call each other !@#$s. But we all have something in common. The Buffalo Bills. Some of us are young, some not so young and some of us old. I was born a year after Ralph gave birth to the Bills so I've seen a lot. A page in a chapter in a book has been turned. What's on the next page? Well waiting I guess. What's in the next chapter? Who knows but whatever it is we still have each other. To congregate with, to cheer with, to B word with, to high five with and of course best of all.......to continue to call each other !@#$s. RIP Ralphy-Boy. Thanks for creating something that spawned this crazy fun place. And if for some idiotic reason the Bills leave, TBD will live on. I know it! Cheers all!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrwilson60 Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 Thank You Mr. Wilson. You have earned my respect and admiration since I first walked into the Rockpile as an 8 year old in 1967 and became a Bills fan. I shook your hand once at the Ralph on a game day and it remains one of my most cherished memory's. The Buffalo bills and I share a birthday and I thank you Mr. Wilson. You were one of the greatest generation. You were a WW2 Veteran, a champion of business, a philanthropist, and a giant in the development and success of American football. But foremost, Mr. Wilson, you were always a gentleman. The short list of good men I need to see in heaven now includes , Johnny Cash, My Dad, and Ralph Wilson Jr. ( My Dad aint dead yet but he took me to that game in 67 and showed me how great it is to be a Bills fan.) God bless you Mr. Wilson, RIP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackel_One Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 It’s a sad day for the BILLS Nation... R.I.P. Mr. Wilson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boyst Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 I look back on it and think of the one time I ever saw him. It was after a game walking around the stadium after it was nearly empty and he had an entourage with him. I was intimidated to say anything but I wanted so much to thank him for his team. even at whatever age he is in that photo, ralph appears to be the healthiest, most stylish, and generally best looking dude in that picture. You've not seen Jay in a kilt, clearly. The first 15 minutes of the 6:00 Sportscenter were all Bills - first RW passing and then update on Kelly. We always want the Bills to be on ESPN... unfortunately now it is under circumstances like this instead. It was surreal to me being the only one affected by this down here. I stood in the gym watching it, reading the CC. People just do not understand and the poser Panthers fans are clueless what it is like to be a fan. As most of you know I've been gone from the WNY area for over 30 years. Many of us here are living someplace else. This is our connection to our roots. And that connection is family, friends and the Buffalo Bills. Thanks Scott for creating this fantastic place for all of us to congregate, cheer, B word, high five and call each other !@#$s. But we all have something in common. The Buffalo Bills. Some of us are young, some not so young and some of us old. I was born a year after Ralph gave birth to the Bills so I've seen a lot. A page in a chapter in a book has been turned. What's on the next page? Well waiting I guess. What's in the next chapter? Who knows but whatever it is we still have each other. To congregate with, to cheer with, to B word with, to high five with and of course best of all.......to continue to call each other !@#$s. RIP Ralphy-Boy. Thanks for creating something that spawned this crazy fun place. And if for some idiotic reason the Bills leave, TBD will live on. I know it! Cheers all!! The only thing we have connecting us to our true home is the Bills via this site. We have each other, memories and a Billief that next year, yeah! It'll be the year! Ian Rapoport @RapSheet 2m Ralph Wilson called #Bills CEO Russ Brandon four days ago about a safety prospect he believed was a 3rd or 4th rounder. Amazing. Pretty cool. I am curious who that guy is... I guarantee you that more than half the owners in the league couldn't do something like this. Very sad day. and can only imagine what happens when we sign him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLO Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 Finally got the text I was dreading but knew was inevitable, hard to believe this day is finally upon us.... Thanks for all youve done for Western New York Mr. Wilson, and the memories(proud as well as the painful) your investment has provided me and the rest of the Bills Nation faithful. R.I.P and God Bless Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nobody Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 Sad day. RIP Ralph Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boyst Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 Finally got the text I was dreading but knew was inevitable, hard to believe this day is finally upon us.... Thanks for all youve done for Western New York Mr. Wilson, and the memories(proud as well as the painful) your investment has provided me and the rest of the Bills Nation faithful. R.I.P and God Bless I feel you on that text. I would think some times when all my devices would alert and wonder before I picked them up. This moment, it was the tablet going twice (BB App, NFL App), my phone 3 times (ESPN Text, BB App, NFL App), and my laptop pulling up TBD at the same time. I knew. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chef Jim Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 Paver? Sorry...too soon? Hey, you morn your way, I mourn mine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bowery4 Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 wow, just wow, condolences to the Wilson family and all Bills fans everywhere. RIP Ralph and RESPECT. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reed83HOF Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 So who knew this: He was a commander on a mine sweeper, which is a wooden boat waiting to be blown up," said Joe Horrigan, vice president of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, which enshrined Wilson in 2009. "He was one of the early responders after Pearl Harbor was attacked. He was at Hiroshima after the bomb. He was on the Missouri when the Japanese surrender took place. And he would never, ever talk about it. http://www.latimes.com/obituaries/la-me-ralph-wilson-20140326,0,5316477.story#ixzz2x2A64YJO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExWNYer Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 (edited) R.I.P., Mr. Wilson. Thanks for all you did for the community, the league, and for bringing professional football to WNY. And a heartfelt thanks from three generations of Bills fans from my father, to me, to my sons. Beyond my family, the Bills have been my lifelong passion and I thank you for that, sir. It truly is the historic end of an era. Godspeed. You will be missed. (Nice job with the header change, SDS. Classy touch) Edited March 26, 2014 by ExWNYer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocky Landing Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 Rest in peace, Mr. Wilson. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rubes Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 What a sad day. I've been dreading this for so long, it's hard to believe it's here. This is a tough one to take. Such a difficult time to be a Bills fan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beerme1 Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 The expected day has arrived. And it is regardless, if you appreciated the man or not, truly a sad moment in our history. RIP Ralph. Thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boyst Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pilsner Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 RIP Mr. Wilson. Without him none of us would ever be here and none of this camaraderie we have would have ever happened. So who knew this: He was a commander on a mine sweeper, which is a wooden boat waiting to be blown up," said Joe Horrigan, vice president of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, which enshrined Wilson in 2009. "He was one of the early responders after Pearl Harbor was attacked. He was at Hiroshima after the bomb. He was on the Missouri when the Japanese surrender took place. And he would never, ever talk about it. http://www.latimes.com/obituaries/la-me-ralph-wilson-20140326,0,5316477.story#ixzz2x2A64YJO Wow! What places he has been and what memories he had. Thanks for posting this info. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prickly Pete Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 He appeared to have lived a great, and full life. Obviously a man with "vision" and courage, and I salute him for his accomplishments. I didn't know him personally, only as a prominent public figure, but I'm glad I got to share some time on Earth with Ralph Wilson, and appreciate his great contributions to my community, and country. In my mind he is a historical figure, who played a huge role in a pastime of my youth, and lives on in my memory...what more can you ask of someone you have never met? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
folz Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 THANKS RALPH! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buffalo Barbarian Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 Condolences to Ralph's Family. Thank you Mr. Wilson for bringing a team here and keeping it here. I believe you did everything that you thought was best even if it didn't turn out the way you wanted. Thanks for the Championships and many more to come, Rest in peace Ralph. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corp000085 Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 Excellent! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BreezeMafia Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 Thank you Ralph. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nanker Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 RIP Ralph. Thank you for bringing us The Bills. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CSBill Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 It's funny, so many people talk about change of ownership and everything else wrong with this franchise. But now that it's actually happened, I don't know what to feel. It's surreal. Overwhelming. And honestly a little scary. Between this and what's happening with Jim, just not good things happening I feel the same way. But RIP Mr. Wilson, and "thank you" for your commitment to our community and the contribution to the quality of life (and fun) in WNY Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FLFan Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 Like so many others, the Buffalo Bills have been an integral part of my life and that of my family - from my father, to me, to my sons. We have Mr. Wilson to thank for that. His vision, his dedication, and his commitment. He understood, perhaps better than anyone, the special bond his team shared with the community. RIP Mr. Wilson, and thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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