Russ Salvatore letter to the editor in 2018

[snafu]

Holy Moses, haven't we all gotten fed up with this team at one time or another?

If you didn't get fed up with the QB decisions last year then you weren't paying attention.

I don't care if he's Russ Salvatore or the person that cleans out the grease trap at the restaurant. The guy gets a pass. 

 

[freddyjj]

Russ is obviously not a Process Guy.  Put himself above the team.  Too bad.

 

Don't quit before the miracle happens.  Words to live by.

[BringBackOrton]

3 hours ago, K-9 said:

FFS, the last person who deserves derision for losing faith in this team is Russ Salvatore. He’s a great, self-made man and we have been fortunate to have him in our community for all these years. From his many philanthropic contributions to his ceaseless Buffalo boosting in the business community, he’s shown time and time again that he puts Buffalo and it’s people first. 
 

How many other fans have we known to have reached their breaking point over the years? Christ, how many of them come to this forum just to rejoice in that? There has never been a bigger fan of this team and he’s welcome aboard the band wagon any time he wishes to climb back on. 

Who takes the time to write that letter? Who has that kind of ego? Bananas even in Bills land. You own a restaurant bro, chill out.

[OldTimeAFLGuy]

2 hours ago, dollars 2 donuts said:

Have you had the steaks?

 

Will change you life, nothing more than the seafood bisque will.

 

He gets a pass.

 

..69 bucks for a ribeye?......do I get a blonde in my doggie bag?...........

[BringBackOrton]

2 hours ago, Rico said:

26CB?

TBC??

[Beast]

Whatever.

 

I hope he is still a Bills fan and is enjoying this season.

[K-9]

1 hour ago, BringBackOrton said:

Who takes the time to write that letter? Who has that kind of ego? Bananas even in Bills land. You own a restaurant bro, chill out.

Who takes the time to write that letter? A person totally committed to the team for decades who has had his heart broken and needs to vent. 
 

And he is SO much more than a restaurant owner. That’s the LEAST of what he is. 

[BringBackOrton]

5 minutes ago, K-9 said:

Who takes the time to write that letter? A person totally committed to the team for decades who has had his heart broken and needs to vent. 
 

And he is SO much more than a restaurant owner. That’s the LEAST of what he is. 

So write a letter and put it in the garbage. Don’t send it. 

 

We joke about “I’m so DONE with this team” posts on TBD because it’s the ultimate crybaby look at me move about a game. Might as well pen a letter to Hollywood because Tony Stark died. 

 

I don’t really care if Russell is the Bill Gates of Buffalo. It’s a childish move. An 85 year old man “with a broken heart” about a football team because they had a down year with a rookie QB? For the love of god, it’s embarrassing. 

 

He even writes like a child. “Congratulations Coach McDermott, you win!” Eyeroll.gif

Edited December 16, 2019 by BringBackOrton

[John from Riverside]

Whoops

[K-9]

1 hour ago, BringBackOrton said:

So write a letter and put it in the garbage. Don’t send it. 

 

We joke about “I’m so DONE with this team” posts on TBD because it’s the ultimate crybaby look at me move about a game. Might as well pen a letter to Hollywood because Tony Stark died. 

 

I don’t really care if Russell is the Bill Gates of Buffalo. It’s a childish move. An 85 year old man “with a broken heart” about a football team because they had a down year with a rookie QB? For the love of god, it’s embarrassing. 

 

He even writes like a child. “Congratulations Coach McDermott, you win!” Eyeroll.gif

What kind of person begrudges an 85 year old man his right to protest after years of dedication? Especially given all that he did for his fellow Bills fans over the years. You sound bitter towards Russ. What, did he overcook your steak or something? Kick you out of his party in Fort Lauderdale? 

[BringBackOrton]

16 minutes ago, K-9 said:

What kind of person begrudges an 85 year old man his right to protest after years of dedication? Especially given all that he did for his fellow Bills fans over the years. You sound bitter towards Russ. What, did he overcook your steak or something? Kick you out of his party in Fort Lauderdale? 

Right to protest? He’s a fan. It’s entertainment. If you don’t like the station, change the channel.

 

My only “grudge” against Russ is that by penning that letter, he sounds like a egotistical child. “The Bills are upsetting ME!!!!! I hate you Sean McDermott!!!!!!”

 

PU and good riddance.

Edited December 17, 2019 by BringBackOrton

[YoloinOhio]

I think it was just posted in good fun as part of the Bills Cold Takes. I actually think he still had his party down in Miami last month so looks like he didn’t stay off the bandwagon long 

[BADOLBILZ]

6 hours ago, K-9 said:

FFS, the last person who deserves derision for losing faith in this team is Russ Salvatore. He’s a great, self-made man and we have been fortunate to have him in our community for all these years. From his many philanthropic contributions to his ceaseless Buffalo boosting in the business community, he’s shown time and time again that he puts Buffalo and it’s people first. 
 

How many other fans have we known to have reached their breaking point over the years? Christ, how many of them come to this forum just to rejoice in that? There has never been a bigger fan of this team and he’s welcome aboard the band wagon any time he wishes to climb back on. 

 

 

 

Shame on @YoloinOhio for starting this abortion of a thread.

 

We're from Buffalo not Columbus!    

 

Oh wait.......

 

[BADOLBILZ]

 

3 hours ago, freddyjj said:

Russ is obviously not a Process Guy.  Put himself above the team.  Too bad.

 

Don't quit before the miracle happens.  Words to live by.

 

 

Let you in on a little secret...........back in those days when Bills blackouts were often lifted at the last minute.........many times that was made possible by a check from Russell Salvatore.

 

In some cases a complete ***** waste of hundreds of thousands of dollars that went right into "posthumous uber-philanthropist" Ralph Wilson's wallet.........unless of course you care THAT MUCH about your fellow Bills fans being able to see the game on TV.

 

Russell has been putting the team of Bills fans above himself for a long, long time.

 

[Phil The Thrill]

7 hours ago, YoloinOhio said:

Guess he won’t be hosting any playoff parties 

This might be the funniest thing I have read!  I actually met Russell Salvatore years ago.  He seemed like a kind old man, but this letter makes his sound like a delusional jerk.  I can actually picture him now huddled over a keyboard type one letter at a time with his pointer finger.

 

He should have used his connections to contact a Medium to voice his complaints to Ralph Wilson - the real architect of “the drought”

12 minutes ago, BADOLBILZ said:

 

 

 

Let you in on a little secret...........back in those days when Bills blackouts were often lifted at the last minute.........many times that was made possible by a check from Russell Salvatore.

 

In some cases a complete ***** waste of hundreds of thousands of dollars that went right into "posthumous uber-philanthropist" Ralph Wilson's wallet.........unless of course you care THAT MUCH about your fellow Bills fans being able to see the game on TV.

 

Russell has been putting the team of Bills fans above himself for a long, long time.

 

Russell should be pissed at Ralph though....not McDermott.  He just comes off as Delusional 

6 hours ago, Rico said:

26CB?

Whatever happened to 26CB

[dave mcbride]

7 hours ago, YoloinOhio said:

Guess he won’t be hosting any playoff parties 

To be fair, the Derek Anderson/Nathan Peterman combo era was a dark one ...

2 hours ago, K-9 said:

Who takes the time to write that letter? A person totally committed to the team for decades who has had his heart broken and needs to vent. 
 

And he is SO much more than a restaurant owner. That’s the LEAST of what he is. 

My wife and I had our wedding at Salvatores on September 15, 1991. We had to delay the ceremony until Pat Leahy missed a last second fg attempt for the Jets to tie the game. Bills win!

[Phil The Thrill]

2 minutes ago, dave mcbride said:

To be fair, the Derek Anderson/Nathan Peterman combo era was a dark one ...

Yeah but Don Salvatore is holding 20 years of bad management (thanks to Ralph Wilson) against a coach who was there for less than 2 years.  It’s unfair.

 

By the way, Ralph IS the reason for the drought

[TigerJ]

7 hours ago, The Wiz said:

He makes pizza right?

That's the Rochester Salvatore.  Russ Salvatore is more into steaks and high priced Italian fare.

[dave mcbride]

Just now, Phil The Thrill said:

Yeah but Don Salvatore is holding 20 years of bad management (thanks to Ralph Wilson) against a coach who was there for less than 2 years.  It’s unfair.

 

By the way, Ralph IS the reason for the drought

Salvatore is fine by me. We forget, but that offense halfway through last season was on pace to be the worst in NFL history.

[Phil The Thrill]

1 minute ago, dave mcbride said:

Salvatore is fine by me. We forget, but that offense halfway through last season was on pace to be the worst in NFL history.

Like I said, I met him a few years ago and he was very nice.  In that letter he just comes off as a jerk.  I’d love to see how Russ would react if someone trashed his restaurant 

[YoloinOhio]

7 hours ago, DaBillsFanSince1973 said:

steaks? known for his steaks.

 

This steak looks amazing 

[LeGOATski]

Just another example of how wisdom does not come with age.

 

Some people are just forever dumb.

12 minutes ago, dave mcbride said:

Salvatore is fine by me. We forget, but that offense halfway through last season was on pace to be the worst in NFL history.

So? It just means he had no understanding of the context. First year offense with a rookie QB. 

 

Eating his words a year later to the surprise of no level-headed Bills fan.

[BADOLBILZ]

57 minutes ago, BringBackOrton said:

Right to protest? He’s a fan. It’s entertainment. If you don’t like the station, change the channel.

 

My only “grudge” against Russ is that by penning that letter, he sounds like a egotistical child. “The Bills are upsetting ME!!!!! I hate you Sean McDermott!!!!!!”

 

PU and good riddance.

 

 

Hilariously bad take in light of the already mentioned fact that he many times made late season Bills games available to local fans on tv with his generosity.

 

Learn something about the community your team is in before you say something that exposes your ignorance like that.

 

I mean........wtf people.........google is your friend.  

 

 

[Phil The Thrill]

4 minutes ago, LeGOATski said:

Just another example of how wisdom does not come with age.

 

Some people are just forever dumb.

So? It just means he had no understanding of the context. First year offense with a rookie QB. 

 

Eating his words a year later to the surprise of no level-headed Bills fan.

???? He comes off very badly in this letter.  But if you met Russell, you would like him.  He seems like a nice and friendly guy and he was still working as host at 85 years old!

Just now, BADOLBILZ said:

 

 

Hilariously bad take in light of the already mentioned fact that he many times made late season Bills games available to local fans on tv with his generosity.

 

Learn something about the community your team is in before you say something that exposes your ignorance like that.

 

I mean........wtf people.........google is your friend.  

 

 

But they shouldn’t his grudge be against Ralph?  It makes no sense to blame someone for events that happened 20 years prior.  McDermott has zero connection to anything that happened during those games.  
 

Russ is being an old baby here

[BADOLBILZ]

16 minutes ago, Phil The Thrill said:

Like I said, I met him a few years ago and he was very nice.  In that letter he just comes off as a jerk.  I’d love to see how Russ would react if someone trashed his restaurant 

 

 

It's too bad there wasn't a way to go online and see reviews of restaurants and owner responses so you could finally find love.?

 

 

[Augie]

7 hours ago, DaBillsFanSince1973 said:

I really didn't know who he was until I googled it.

 

 

33 years removed from wny and even when I lived there, I couldn't tell you I knew who he was/is.

 

I’m gone longer than that, and I just remember it as a WAY over the top, gaudy Italian joint. Would Olive Garden with worse decor be fair? As I said, I’ve been gone a long time. 

 

Regardless, he sure can pick’em! Was he a Rex fan, but drew the line when he was replaced?  

[John in Jax]

8 hours ago, Crayola64 said:

OKAY BOOMER!!!

 

i did it

Hilarious. Except for the small FACT that he's NOT a Boomer; he's 86 years old.

 

So you're really not funny, but just a dummy trying hard to be funny, and failing miserably.

 

And before your small mind thinks about replying "OK, Boomer" to THIS post, shove it where the sun don't shine. LOL

[K-9]

50 minutes ago, dave mcbride said:

Salvatore is fine by me. We forget, but that offense halfway through last season was on pace to be the worst in NFL history.

He certainly had ample reason to complain, that’s for sure. 

[4BillsintheBurgh]

37 minutes ago, BADOLBILZ said:

 

 

Hilariously bad take in light of the already mentioned fact that he many times made late season Bills games available to local fans on tv with his generosity.

 

Learn something about the community your team is in before you say something that exposes your ignorance like that.

 

I mean........wtf people.........google is your friend.  

 

 

Jenners being jenners

[BADOLBILZ]

6 hours ago, Nextmanup said:

He's pretty well known in the WNY community.  Wealthy guy who has given a lot back in various ways over the years.

 

Not sure we need a "Let's bash Russ Salvatore" thread just when the team is finally enjoying a 10 win season.

 

The fact is this season is turning in to a bit of a perfect storm in its own right.

 

 

 

 

The Bills functioned like a 4 win team last year and were blessed to have a spectacularly easy schedule this season and it's not like they are the 1990 Bills.........right now they figure to be just the 5th seed.............they aren't 14-0 and slaughtering teams this is more like the "when are we finally going to get those kinda' lucky breaks" season we've been waiting two decades for..........if there is such a thing as bad karma then using modest success to call out a longtime community supportive Bills fan like Salvatore is asking for it.

[Phil The Thrill]

He deserves to be roasted after the foolishness of that letter.  
 

I love the excuse from @BADOLBILZ.  “he spent thousands of dollars to get the blackout lifted, so he’s allowed to act like a jackass and blame a new hire for 20 years Of failure” 

 

Come on....it’s a classic case of misplaced

anger

 

????

Edited December 17, 2019 by Phil The Thrill

[The Dean]

8 hours ago, bills_fan said:

Honestly, posting this is crap.  Russell has been a Bills supporter for decades, he would buy out the tickets just in time to lift a blackout (and donating the tixs to local charities), supporting and funding the Jills when they needed it, hosting a great party in Ft. Lauderdale every year before the Bills-Miami game and charging nothing to go....Russell is one of the all time good guys in Buffalo and deserves praise for his efforts over the years.

 

I know, and have done some business with Russ. Good guy. A bit full of himself, but good guy nonetheless.  But how is posting something he wrote and published  "crap"? 

 

I don't care who you are, you make a public statement like that and it's fair game to be tossed back at you.

 

It's incredibly easily rectifiable. Russ simply needs to write a retraction and admit his stupidity. Easy. Something a good guy would do---unless his ego gets in the way.

 

Just follow Kornheiser's lead. 

Edited December 17, 2019 by The Dean

[Numark3]

1 hour ago, John in Jax said:

Hilarious. Except for the small FACT that he's NOT a Boomer; he's 86 years old.

 

So you're really not funny, but just a dummy trying hard to be funny, and failing miserably.

 

And before your small mind thinks about replying "OK, Boomer" to THIS post, shove it where the sun don't shine. LOL

Capitalizing random words is very boomer, boomer

[The Dean]

1 minute ago, Crayola64 said:

Capitalizing random words is very boomer, boomer

 

If you read the post, you should realize the capitalization wasn't random. Using "random" in place of "specific" or "various" is very GenX, GenXer.

 

Just playing. But it's pretty obvious the capitalization isn't random.

[freddyjj]

2 hours ago, BADOLBILZ said:

 

 

 

Let you in on a little secret...........back in those days when Bills blackouts were often lifted at the last minute.........many times that was made possible by a check from Russell Salvatore.

 

In some cases a complete ***** waste of hundreds of thousands of dollars that went right into "posthumous uber-philanthropist" Ralph Wilson's wallet.........unless of course you care THAT MUCH about your fellow Bills fans being able to see the game on TV.

 

Russell has been putting the team of Bills fans above himself for a long, long time.

 

Duly noted. Which way to the woodshed?

[steven50]

9 hours ago, Crayola64 said:

OKAY BOOMER!!!

 

i did it

 

Hate to bust your bubble by Russ Salvatore  isnt a boomer. He was born in 1933

[muppy]

9 hours ago, K-9 said:

FFS, the last person who deserves derision for losing faith in this team is Russ Salvatore. He’s a great, self-made man and we have been fortunate to have him in our community for all these years. From his many philanthropic contributions to his ceaseless Buffalo boosting in the business community, he’s shown time and time again that he puts Buffalo and it’s people first. 
 

How many other fans have we known to have reached their breaking point over the years? Christ, how many of them come to this forum just to rejoice in that? There has never been a bigger fan of this team and he’s welcome aboard the band wagon any time he wishes to climb back on. 

The fact that he was such a bills supporter and great citizen and benefactor to buffalo for all the years he was just makes this public announcement after a playoff break the drought year just very peculiar and sad. I think there has to be more to this story/letter than the surface shows like maybe beef with the pegulas frankly this letter to me seems extremely out of character. Never mind that he abandons the team after a playoff appearance? I don’t buy it could this be a hoax of some sort?  Something about this just doesn’t smell right 

[Reks Ryan]

Russ definitely gets a pass.  
 

But man did he misjudge McD.  I guess after a couple decades of bad coaches,  he couldn’t see when a good one came along.   It really was apparent even last year that McDermott was doing things the right way.

[BringBackOrton]

5 hours ago, BADOLBILZ said:

 

 

Hilariously bad take in light of the already mentioned fact that he many times made late season Bills games available to local fans on tv with his generosity.

 

Learn something about the community your team is in before you say something that exposes your ignorance like that.

 

I mean........wtf people.........google is your friend.  

 

 

Awesome for him. Charity doesn’t mean you get to act like a baby.

 

Your take is hilarious when you’ve argued for YEARS that getting emotionally attached to the Bills and treating them like anything other than entertainment is stupid, but when Russ Salvatore pens a letter with tears streaming down his face about quitting being a fan because coach McD is just so bad, well you gotta learn your history! He’s a super fan!

 

I care about Russ Salvatore’s fandom as much as I care about Elvis’s and Fireman Ed’s. They are free to root for whoever doesn’t make them weep crocodile tears as long as they stop embarrassing themselves while doing it.

Edited December 17, 2019 by BringBackOrton

[WideRightRevenge]

The man is a "visionary" and a WNY legend.  To build this on ode to classic Italy on Transit Road by the airport and host many a festive wedding event (I attended a few on site), picture Tuscany in WNY at minus 3 degrees in February.  Bottom line he supported (I probably think letter aside still does) the Bills for decades and lost it last year, but put it in writing versus just yelling at the TV as many of us do.