shane nelson Posted May 1, 2014 Share Posted May 1, 2014 Seems like a great short term fit, but we really need a local owner deeply committed to the area. To ensure long term success we need a clear generational succession plan. If not we could be back in the same position in a few years Could be a great fit, but we need a local person with the next generation committed to WNY. I don't want to be in this position again in a few years from now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PromoTheRobot Posted May 1, 2014 Share Posted May 1, 2014 What if he owns the land where the new stadium is constructed? What if one of his closest conifidants is the governor (keep in mind only 1 NFL team plays in his state)? Does that still count as an out of towner? I have a hunch Cuomo is already steering the committee to Milstein and his Falls property. Kills many birds with one stone. No land acquisition costs, huge perk for a cronie, puts the Bills as close to Toronto without being in Canada, redevelopment potential for NF, etc. If Milstein pays for some or all of the stadium construction it will be a slam dunk. What am I saying? Of course taxpayers will be footing a big chunk of that bill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuntheDamnBall Posted May 1, 2014 Share Posted May 1, 2014 That is enough to give you pause, for sure. That said, a lot of posters here have commented similarly about Golisano, and not wanting him to be the Bills owner because he was cheap with the Sabres. BUT... If Golisano gave the same edict to Brandon and Whaley as he did to Larry Quinn and Darcy when he owned the Sabres, we would be spending money like crazy on the Bills. TG told Flynn "do anything you want as long as you do not lose money." In the NHL, you can lose money. It's almost impossible to lose in the NFL. So just because a guy wanted to make a profit in the NHL and was perceived as being cheap, that doesn't necessarily translate to being cheap in the NFL as an owner. It's also tougher to be cheap with a salary floor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirby Jackson Posted May 1, 2014 Share Posted May 1, 2014 I have a hunch Cuomo is already steering the committee to Milstein and his Falls property. Kills many birds with one stone. No land acquisition costs, huge perk for a cronie, puts the Bills as close to Toronto without being in Canada, redevelopment potential for NF, etc. If Milstein pays for some or all of the stadium construction it will be a slam dunk. What am I saying? Of course taxpayers will be footing a big chunk of that bill. Tax payers will be fronting part either way but he certainly checks a bunch of boxes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shane nelson Posted May 2, 2014 Share Posted May 2, 2014 Getting over Grand Island will be a nightmare. It will only work if there is a major upgrade to the bridges and highways through the area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PromoTheRobot Posted May 2, 2014 Share Posted May 2, 2014 Getting over Grand Island will be a nightmare. It will only work if there is a major upgrade to the bridges and highways through the area. All roads into NF, not just through Grand Island. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ET1062 Posted May 2, 2014 Share Posted May 2, 2014 The Development Site. http://www.niagarafallsredevelopment.com/development-opportunities/142-acre-site/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Omar Little Posted May 2, 2014 Share Posted May 2, 2014 That is enough to give you pause, for sure. That said, a lot of posters here have commented similarly about Golisano, and not wanting him to be the Bills owner because he was cheap with the Sabres. BUT... If Golisano gave the same edict to Brandon and Whaley as he did to Larry Quinn and Darcy when he owned the Sabres, we would be spending money like crazy on the Bills. TG told Flynn "do anything you want as long as you do not lose money." In the NHL, you can lose money. It's almost impossible to lose in the NFL. So just because a guy wanted to make a profit in the NHL and was perceived as being cheap, that doesn't necessarily translate to being cheap in the NFL as an owner. Golisano really wasn't all that cheap with the Sabres. They regularly spent near the cap ceiling during his ownership reign. He wasn't Daddy Warbucks like Pegula, but he wasn't Millstein with the Isles, either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelly the Dog Posted May 2, 2014 Share Posted May 2, 2014 That seems like a pretty great site if we had to build a new stadium in Niagara Falls. That really would not be a bad idea. It could lead a long needed renaissance of the United States side, which has always been a terribly run area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SF Bills Fan Posted May 2, 2014 Author Share Posted May 2, 2014 Golisano gets a bad rap sometimes but Golisano told his management that he wanted an exciting team and that if they were going to lose at least wanted to score a lot of goals while doing it. Let's not forget that if for the fact that we lost all of our defenseman in that series against the Hurricanes, we very likely would've won the Stanley Cup that year. If we had, there would be a statue outside of the arena of him and everybody would bow to it as they walked in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kasper13 Posted May 2, 2014 Share Posted May 2, 2014 Roger Trevino is the vice-president of the Niagara Falls Redevelopment LLC. He just happens to be Jim Kelly's old agent. Milstein has been buying land in the Falls since 1998 and has never done anything with it. 142 acres of prime land. Sitting there within spitting distance of the Falls for 16 years. Wonder why? He has tried to buy the Redskins and the Browns. He is from NY. His family is worth $6 billion. Hmmmmm.....let's see here.....the Bills are for sale....their lease expires in 2020 .....and I own 142 acres of land 20 miles from downtown Buffalo.......I'll take 2 upper deck seats and have a view of the Falls along with the Bills game. FWIW, they are also building a brand new train station in the Falls.,,,,, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobbyC81 Posted May 2, 2014 Share Posted May 2, 2014 Seems like a great short term fit, but we really need a local owner deeply committed to the area. To ensure long term success we need a clear generational succession plan. If not we could be back in the same position in a few years Could be a great fit, but we need a local person with the next generation committed to WNY. I don't want to be in this position again in a few years from now Yep, there are also no guarantees. For those too young to remember, the Buffalo Braves (now Clippers) went through various ownership changes in their 8 years in Buffalo. John Brown was the one that wanted to move the team but instead swapped teams with Irv Levin who owned the Celtics and Levin moved them to San Diego. Three years later, Sterling bought the team from Levin and then in 1984 he moved them to Los Angeles. Just like with neighbors, you never know when things could change. Look at the Sabres. After nearly two decades of stability with one set of owners with the Knoxes, they've been sold 3 times since. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purple haze Posted May 2, 2014 Share Posted May 2, 2014 (edited) Well, if Howie does buy the Bills, expect the team to suck for 15 years while he sits on his assets (as in Niagara Falls, NYC, etc). Oh wait, I've seen that movie already:. http://en.wikipedia...._York_Islanders Initially the team made numerous trades and increased their payroll in an effort to assemble a better team. In one transaction, youngsters Todd Bertuzzi and Bryan McCabe were traded for veteran Trevor Linden. However, after the Islanders finished 12 points short of the playoffs in 1997-98, Milstein and Gluckstern decided to run the team on an austere budget in an attempt to make a profit. They also complained about the condition of the Nassau Coliseum and made noises about moving the team elsewhere. They began trading or releasing many popular players to avoid paying their salaries, including star scorer Zigmund Palffy, team captain Linden, former rookie of the year Bryan Berard, and rugged defenseman Rich Pilon. With the loss of so much talent, the result was predictable. The Islanders finished with 58 points in 1999 and 57 points in 2000. Attendance, which had been in a steady decline over the past few years, fell off even further to under 12,000 per game. At the same time, Milstein bid hundreds of millions of dollars in unsuccessful attempts to purchase the National Football League's Washington Redskins and Cleveland Browns. NHL is a different business than the NFL. The NFL is more profitable. Teams have to spend to a certain amount in the NFL. The Islanders were also having issues with Nassau Coliseum right? Hence the move to Brooklyn. A new stadium is not going to be an issue for the Bills. I don't think it's an apples to apples comparison between his Islanders tenure and his potential NFL tenure. I know nothing about him but I heard WGR say he was voted down by other owners when he tried to purchase the redskins. Why, I don't know. But why would they vote him in now if they didn't then? Because it was believed his financing of the purchase would include too much debt. I have a hunch Cuomo is already steering the committee to Milstein and his Falls property. Kills many birds with one stone. No land acquisition costs, huge perk for a cronie, puts the Bills as close to Toronto without being in Canada, redevelopment potential for NF, etc. If Milstein pays for some or all of the stadium construction it will be a slam dunk. What am I saying? Of course taxpayers will be footing a big chunk of that bill. Sounds like a good possibility. I would say though, as much as Niagara Falls could use redevelopment, if the Bills played out there the state and Erie County need to ensure the continue redevelopment of downtown Buffalo at the same time. WNY should be a gold mine in general. Hopefully, this will be one time when corruption, lack of vision or incompetence won't derail a good possibilities. Edited May 2, 2014 by purple haze Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelly the Dog Posted May 2, 2014 Share Posted May 2, 2014 I did a quick search and didnt come up with an answer. Is 145 acres enough for a new stadium, all sufficient parking, practice facility, and team offices, along with a hotel and bars and shops and development, too? It seems like it would be but I'm not sure. I think Gillette Place is on 300 acres but there is a huge mall and other stuff there, too. That site seems pretty ideal for a stadium by the Falls though, from the picture. That could really work in the Bills favor as far as being financially viable in the region. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ET1062 Posted May 2, 2014 Share Posted May 2, 2014 I did a quick search and didnt come up with an answer. Is 145 acres enough for a new stadium, all sufficient parking, practice facility, and team offices, along with a hotel and bars and shops and development, too? It seems like it would be but I'm not sure. I think Gillette Place is on 300 acres but there is a huge mall and other stuff there, too. That site seems pretty ideal for a stadium by the Falls though, from the picture. That could really work in the Bills favor as far as being financially viable in the region. 145 acres should be more than enough, keep in mind most Canadians will likely park in NF Ont and walk across the Rainbow Bridge, so fewer parking spaces will be needed. I've been to Patriot Place a few times, ideally the NF NY stadium would be similar with an NFL Experience tourist attraction for the summer months. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buffalo Barbarian Posted May 2, 2014 Share Posted May 2, 2014 WTH is the different between him and Trump? See Trump would want a WINNER as that is his way. He has bid on two NFL teams and didnt' get them. Look all I want from a new owner is WINNING is priority #1. Not pulling a 'Major League' and going cheap ass on the fans because he knows they will flock to the stadium even if they field a crap team. What IS interesting is his owning 140 acres of under developed land in Niagara. Can you say New stadium location? This This guy is a snake. A few notches better than mlse but I'd be waiting for the knife in the back What's a mise? Aren't most businessman snakes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
May Day 10 Posted May 2, 2014 Share Posted May 2, 2014 MLSE is maple leaf sports and entertainment Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CSBill Posted May 2, 2014 Share Posted May 2, 2014 I really don;t care whom, as long as they keep it in WNY Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
machine gun kelly Posted May 2, 2014 Share Posted May 2, 2014 Millstein seems for many reasons as a likely suitor. It's obvious he wants a team as evidenced by Washington and Cleveland bids. Besides the NF land grab and what's reported about his relationship with Cuomo, he also looks attractive to the other NFL owners. They like quiet in the background owners who do not have to join a group to buy. With all of the real estate holdings, Millstein can use the purchase as a substantial write off in taxes for the next 15 years. He can also influence Cuomo mad the legislature not only to significantly assist in the construction of a new possibly retractable roof stadium, but NYS would funnel more tax dollars to revitalize NF area and improve infrastructure as the roads etc. If you live in NF, you want this option. There will be jobs and improvements to the area. Lastly, given the significant influence has over companies in NYC, you can bet we'll score a naming rights from some company, and sky box sales will improve from not only Buffalo companies, but also more from Toronto, Ft. Erie, and Rochester. I hope he gets it as we want a financially viable team. This will keep Buffalo from ever playing another regular season game in Toronto, and cement the team here forever. You can bet NYS to fund a significant portion of the stadium is going to mandate a locked up contract like we have now for a long time. The part I don't get is if this is moving this fast, why continue to spend the $130 mil. Dollars to upgrade the Ralph. Unless it structural for safety, I'd rather they use those dollars to get moving on the new stadium. At the least suspend spending until the sale of the Bills, and a decision is made on the committee looking for a new stadium. Is that too common sensical? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thewildrabbit Posted May 2, 2014 Share Posted May 2, 2014 Roger Trevino is the vice-president of the Niagara Falls Redevelopment LLC. He just happens to be Jim Kelly's old agent. Milstein has been buying land in the Falls since 1998 and has never done anything with it. 142 acres of prime land. Sitting there within spitting distance of the Falls for 16 years. Wonder why? He has tried to buy the Redskins and the Browns. He is from NY. His family is worth $6 billion. Hmmmmm.....let's see here.....the Bills are for sale....their lease expires in 2020 .....and I own 142 acres of land 20 miles from downtown Buffalo.......I'll take 2 upper deck seats and have a view of the Falls along with the Bills game. FWIW, they are also building a brand new train station in the Falls.,,,,, Man that would be so great to keep the team in Buffalo, and build a new state of the art stadium in NF. Milstein gets my vote over the rest, JBJ can go himself Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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