Jerry Jones - thinks Bills unique .. should not leave Buffalo

[Doc]

1 hour ago, Mr. WEO said:

LOL-- Pegula couldn't wait to goose those "discussions" from the get go!

 

Sites were being scouted for years.  No one was seriously pushing for renovations on the PSE doc.  Stop. Bottom line:  you cannot credibly claim (now) you were of the belief (then) that Pegula would/could threaten to move the team if the overwhelmingly likely scenario of a new stadium was desired by PSE came to pass. 

 

Most SD citizens aren't crying much I bet over the Chargers--they voted overwhelmingly against it (57-43%).  St. Louis citizens agitated against publicly funding a new stadium so loudly that a bill was introduced that would require a a public vote before funds could be used. It died because local politicians thought it would be a vote against funding.  The Raiders have come and gone form OAK more than once. 

 

Not so much with the "crying and moaning"....

 

You just keep (unwittingly, as always) making my point weo.  A new stadium wasn't even close to being a lock until just a year or so ago.  Sure Terry was trying to "goose" the discussions, hoping to keep renovating the Ralph, like Lambeau and Arrowhead have been.  Now that it has been determined he needs a new stadium, he's asking the taxpayers to pay for a good chunk of it.  And they will and thus the team will stay in Buffalo.  So...as I said when he bought the team: "the Bills will remain in Buffalo for the rest of my lifetime."  Deal with it, accept it and move on.

 

And Oakland will never see another NFL team again so who cares if they cry.  Meanwhile it remains to be seen if SD will pursue a new team.  But Baltimore, Cleveland and Houston...

Edited September 7, 2021 by Doc

[Mr. WEO]

36 minutes ago, Doc said:

 

You just keep (unwittingly, as always) making my point weo.  A new stadium wasn't even close to being a lock until just a year or so ago.  Sure Terry was trying to "goose" the discussions, hoping to keep renovating the Ralph, like Lambeau and Arrowhead have been.  Now that it has been determined he needs a new stadium, he's asking the taxpayers to pay for a good chunk of it.  And they will and thus the team will stay in Buffalo.  So...as I said when he bought the team: "the Bills will remain in Buffalo for the rest of my lifetime."  Deal with it, accept it and move on.

 

And Oakland will never see another NFL team again so who cares if they cry.  Meanwhile it remains to be seen if SD will pursue a new team.  But Baltimore, Cleveland and Houston...

 

No, he wasn't.  You made that up.  He wanted a new stadium.  He funded studies that would look into locations and what fans might want as far as design.  He had no interest in another significant renovation--which everyone knew were not possible structurally/fiscally.  The year he bought the team, he was looking.  Since the locals had just shelled out 100 million in reno's before he bought the team, he wasn't going to tell them to knock it down--but he was looking.  All evidence confirms this. 

 

He's clearly a guy who would move the team if he didn't get the funding he wants (that doesn't make him worse than the others).  This has also been made clear, despite what many were saying when he bought the team.  Few of those people would have, back then, said "yeah, I can see under some circumstances, Pegula would threaten to move the Bills" (the point of this discussion).  You were not in that group, doc.  Admit it and move on.

 

What if the gov't offers him 200-400 million, final offer?  

[Doc]

16 minutes ago, Mr. WEO said:

No, he wasn't.  You made that up.  He wanted a new stadium.  He funded studies that would look into locations and what fans might want as far as design.  He had no interest in another significant renovation--which everyone knew were not possible structurally/fiscally.  The year he bought the team, he was looking.  Since the locals had just shelled out 100 million in reno's before he bought the team, he wasn't going to tell them to knock it down--but he was looking.  All evidence confirms this. 

 

He's clearly a guy who would move the team if he didn't get the funding he wants (that doesn't make him worse than the others).  This has also been made clear, despite what many were saying when he bought the team.  Few of those people would have, back then, said "yeah, I can see under some circumstances, Pegula would threaten to move the Bills" (the point of this discussion).  You were not in that group, doc.  Admit it and move on.

 

What if the gov't offers him 200-400 million, final offer?  

 

Yeah Terry was looking into a new stadium...because the owners were telling him he needed to have one, not necessarily because he wanted one.  If you have a link proving otherwise, do share.  But as of 2016, Russ Brandon was publicly saying "we’ve had zero discussions relative to anything related to a new stadium.”  Maybe you were in high level meetings, but wanting to renovate rather than spend 3/4 of a billion or more on a new stadium is what I thought.

 

And I told you for years that Ralph could have moved or sold the Bills any number of times (spare me the "he would never have moved" as that's not the point).  Why do you think I would think any differently with Terry?

 

As for what Terry's cut-off is, I don't know.  But I doubt $400M gets it done.

 

[JakeFrommStateFarm]

7 hours ago, Mr. WEO said:

 

Citizens in NY don't get to vote for or against tax increases.

 

Thats surprising.  Isn't that taxation without representation ?

[cba fan]

19 minutes ago, JakeFrommStateFarm said:

Thats surprising.  Isn't that taxation without representation ?

Possibly but highly subjective. It depends on your opinion of if a "Republican Democracy" is representation.

Some say it is some say it is not.

Someone coming from a country with a gov't that a King, Royal family, dictator, military General, Iman, Ayatollah, etc.......makes all laws, would say it is representation.

Full democracy never could work. How would changes/laws  etc....etc. be formulated and how could every citizen vote for every measure proposed? It would be gridlock.

Democracy works in small groups however is not scalable.

 

Edited September 7, 2021 by cba fan

[Mr. WEO]

1 hour ago, JakeFrommStateFarm said:

Thats surprising.  Isn't that taxation without representation ?

 

 

No.  Your elected representatives set tax rates.

[Punching Bag]

1 hour ago, JakeFrommStateFarm said:

Thats surprising.  Isn't that taxation without representation ?

 

Representation is electing representatives who are supposed to vote on behalf of their constituents.

 

We live in a republic not a democracy.

1 hour ago, Doc said:

 

As for what Terry's cut-off is, I don't know.  But I doubt $400M gets it done.

 

 

Amount contributing should be a factor in yearly rent.  Higher contribution, lower rent.

[Mr. WEO]

2 hours ago, Doc said:

 ne.  If you have a link proving otherwise, do share.  But as of 2016, Russ Brandon was publicly saying "we’ve had zero discussions relative to anything related to a new stadium.”  Maybe you were in high level meetings, but wanting to renovate rather than spend 3/4 of a billion or more on a new stadium is what I thought.

 

And I told you for years that Ralph could have moved or sold the Bills any number of times (spare me the "he would never have moved" as that's not the point).  Why do you think I would think any differently with Terry?

 

As for what Terry's cut-off is, I don't know.  But I doubt $400M gets it done.

 

 

Hmmm...2016?  This is what Pegula was saying in 2016, as an example of what these guys say publicly:

 

"You have to have continuity, don’t care if you’re drilling oil in gas wells or you’re running a sports team. If you keep changing things, nothing’s going to work."

Despite reports, Pegula says he never considered letting Ryan or general manager Doug Whaley go after last season, and there's "no way" their jobs rely on a playoff appearance this year.

"Our coach needs to know that, through the good and the bad, there’s stability. The players need to know there’s stability," Pegula said. "And by the way, that doesn’t help our players any to start reading that their coach is going to get fired."

 

Of course he soon canned Rex.

 

Anyway...

 

Russ obviously can't be telling the truth in 2016.  In 2014, Pegula joined a working group to study the feasibility of a new stadium formed by Cuomo. The County also put some people on it as did the Bills (including a guy also named "Russ Brandon"!).  Within a year they had hired an outside consultant company who came up with 4 new stadium locations.  That was in 2015.  Pegula laid low for 2 years then said he would wait until after the 2018 elections to pursue a new stadium.  Then in 2018  he hired CAA/ICON to begin the endlessly awaited secret "study" of what the fans would want: renovation or a new stadium (it shockingly found they demanded a new stadium!!).  The county tossed in $500K for a "new stadium fund".  Any meaningful talk of a renovation option was really dead 3 years ago. 

 

So at $400 M, Pegula, the Savior of the Bills Who Prevented Them From Inevitably Moving To Toronto's Tiny Baseball Stadium, waves goodbye and calls....Austin?  Or, wait, what was it where you imagined Ralph sending the moving vans to....San Antonio!

 

 

[Doc]

2 hours ago, Mr. WEO said:

 

Hmmm...2016?  This is what Pegula was saying in 2016, as an example of what these guys say publicly:

 

"You have to have continuity, don’t care if you’re drilling oil in gas wells or you’re running a sports team. If you keep changing things, nothing’s going to work."

Despite reports, Pegula says he never considered letting Ryan or general manager Doug Whaley go after last season, and there's "no way" their jobs rely on a playoff appearance this year.

"Our coach needs to know that, through the good and the bad, there’s stability. The players need to know there’s stability," Pegula said. "And by the way, that doesn’t help our players any to start reading that their coach is going to get fired."

 

Of course he soon canned Rex.

 

Anyway...

 

Russ obviously can't be telling the truth in 2016.  In 2014, Pegula joined a working group to study the feasibility of a new stadium formed by Cuomo. The County also put some people on it as did the Bills (including a guy also named "Russ Brandon"!).  Within a year they had hired an outside consultant company who came up with 4 new stadium locations.  That was in 2015.  Pegula laid low for 2 years then said he would wait until after the 2018 elections to pursue a new stadium.  Then in 2018  he hired CAA/ICON to begin the endlessly awaited secret "study" of what the fans would want: renovation or a new stadium (it shockingly found they demanded a new stadium!!).  The county tossed in $500K for a "new stadium fund".  Any meaningful talk of a renovation option was really dead 3 years ago. 

 

So at $400 M, Pegula, the Savior of the Bills Who Prevented Them From Inevitably Moving To Toronto's Tiny Baseball Stadium, waves goodbye and calls....Austin?  Or, wait, what was it where you imagined Ralph sending the moving vans to....San Antonio!

 

Again weo, I said that Ralph could have moved or sold the team (doesn't matter where or when, that's just you trying to deflect, as I predicted you would) if he didn't get what he wanted.  Why would I think Terry would be any different?  You know the answer, even if you won't admit it.  Doesn't matter, so does everyone else.  And that takes care of what started this whole thing.

 

And I'm sorry if you were under the delusion that any owner of the Bills was ever going to pay entirely, or even a major part, for a new stadium in Buffalo, NY, much less one he/she wasn't going to own.  But you know, I know and everyone else knows the taxpayers will kick in a huge chunk of money for a new stadium, and (wait for it)...the Bills won't leave Buffalo.  The sooner you accept it, the better off we'll all be.

[Mr. WEO]

21 minutes ago, Doc said:

 

Again weo, I said that Ralph could have moved or sold the team (doesn't matter where or when, that's just you trying to deflect, as I predicted you would) if he didn't get what he wanted.  Why would I think Terry would be any different?  You know the answer, even if you won't admit it.  Doesn't matter, so does everyone else.  And that takes care of what started this whole thing.

 

And I'm sorry if you were under the delusion that any owner of the Bills was ever going to pay entirely, or even a major part, for a new stadium in Buffalo, NY, much less one he/she wasn't going to own.  But you know, I know and everyone else knows the taxpayers will kick in a huge chunk of money for a new stadium, and (wait for it)...the Bills won't leave Buffalo.  The sooner you accept it, the better off we'll all be.

 

Look, doc...if you want to come on here now and claim that, all along, you were a guy who said that if Pegula didn't get what he wanted in public money for a new stadium (OR for a massive renovation), that he would threaten to and likely move the team......I mean, hey, if you are willing to make such a nutty claim---I guess I'll just let you....because it's so absurd that it's funny.  

 

I find that you, right off the bat, pegged Pegs as a "gimme or I'm gone" owner heartbreakingly cynical, doc. 

[dave mcbride]

8 hours ago, Mr. WEO said:

 

Well, in SD, with an NFL approval in January 2016 to move the team a year later, AND after the Chargers (just in case) had registered the name "Los Angeles Chargers", AND having already filed an application to move to LA AND an agreement to share the LA stadium with the Rams......even with all that, the citizens of SD still overwhelmingly rejected funding of a stadium.

 

 

The population of San Diego is … very, very different from the population of western NY.

[Mr. WEO]

Just now, dave mcbride said:

The population of San Diego is … very, very different from the population of western NY.

 

St Louis isn't.

 

This isn't hard to figure out.  Ask the citizens if they want to see the Bills to leave Buffalo.  They would say no almost to a person.

 

Ask them if they are willing, through their local tax revenue to pay proportionally more for the Bills to stay in Buffalo (so that  fans in Rochester, Ontario, Syracuse, etc can continue rooting for a Buffalo team).  I bet the results are similar to those in SD.

[dave mcbride]

3 minutes ago, Mr. WEO said:

 

St Louis isn't.

 

This isn't hard to figure out.  Ask the citizens if they want to see the Bills to leave Buffalo.  They would say no almost to a person.

 

Ask them if they are willing, through their local tax revenue to pay proportionally more for the Bills to stay in Buffalo (so that  fans in Rochester, Ontario, Syracuse, etc can continue rooting for a Buffalo team).  I bet the results are similar to those in SD.

Bills fans will pay. I lived for 20+ years in Buffalo and 8 years in southern California and my wife worked in southern california govt for a half dozen years. They are not remotely similiar.

[Mr. WEO]

6 minutes ago, dave mcbride said:

Bills fans will pay. I lived for 20+ years in Buffalo and 8 years in southern California and my wife worked in southern california govt for a half dozen years. They are not remotely similiar.

 

Rams fans were certain St. Louis would pay.  Oakland would pay.  Houston would pay (even though they just payed for Astrodome renovations).  Every town that lost a team was sure that the local gov't would pay. 

[Doc]

 

12 hours ago, Mr. WEO said:

Look, doc...if you want to come on here now and claim that, all along, you were a guy who said that if Pegula didn't get what he wanted in public money for a new stadium (OR for a massive renovation), that he would threaten to and likely move the team......I mean, hey, if you are willing to make such a nutty claim---I guess I'll just let you....because it's so absurd that it's funny.  

 

I find that you, right off the bat, pegged Pegs as a "gimme or I'm gone" owner heartbreakingly cynical, doc. 

 

 

It's absurd that I said that Ralph could have moved/sold the team...but wouldn't think the same for Terry?  LOL!  Good one weo!

 

Find where I ever said "Terry is keeping the Bills in Buffalo no matter what."  You can't because I never did.

 

[Mr. WEO]

2 hours ago, Doc said:

 

 

 

 

 

Find where I ever said "Terry is keeping the Bills in Buffalo no matter what."  You can't because I never did.

 

 

 

Found it:

 

 

23 hours ago, Doc said:

 

So...as I said when he bought the team: "the Bills will remain in Buffalo for the rest of my lifetime."  Deal with it, accept it and move on.

 

 

 

 

I had to scroll all the way to the top of this page!  You're making me work too hard, doc....

[Doc]

1 hour ago, Mr. WEO said:

Found it:

 

 

 

 

I had to scroll all the way to the top of this page!  You're making me work too hard, doc....

 

I still don't see a "no matter what" in there.  I also knew Ralph would keep the Bills in Buffalo as long as he was alive. 

 

Keep digging, weo!  Maybe a few pages earlier...

 

And hey, I'm sorry Jon Bovi didn't become the owner like you fantasized.  I'm sure he would have kept the Bills in Buffalo (what with the Toronto stadium feasibility study his group commissioned, and based on your logic, you know what that means) and paid the entire $1.4B of his own money to build a new stadium.  Right.

Edited September 8, 2021 by Doc

[Mr. WEO]

5 hours ago, Doc said:

 

I still don't see a "no matter what" in there.  I also knew Ralph would keep the Bills in Buffalo as long as he was alive. 

 

Keep digging, weo!  Maybe a few pages earlier...

 

And hey, I'm sorry Jon Bovi didn't become the owner like you fantasized.  I'm sure he would have kept the Bills in Buffalo (what with the Toronto stadium feasibility study his group commissioned, and based on your logic, you know what that means) and paid the entire $1.4B of his own money to build a new stadium.  Right.

 

Bon Jovi was never a legit buyer---just like "The Kelley Group" (lol, sorry man..).

 

Anyway, "The Bills will remain in Buffalo for the rest of my lifetime" wasn't an equivocal statement.  It needs no extra room  for a redundant "no matter what". It's forceful simplicity allowed for no incorrect interpretation or qualification.....

 

 

......until now! (here we go again!). NOW you're saying that really means "for the rest of my lifetime....unless he doesn't get what he wants for the public---then they're out of here".  Sure, like, whatever...right??!

 

 

No one runs from his plainly stated opinions like the doc!

[Doc]

1 hour ago, Mr. WEO said:

Bon Jovi was never a legit buyer---just like "The Kelley Group" (lol, sorry man..).

 

Anyway, "The Bills will remain in Buffalo for the rest of my lifetime" wasn't an equivocal statement.  It needs no extra room  for a redundant "no matter what". It's forceful simplicity allowed for no incorrect interpretation or qualification.....

 

 

......until now! (here we go again!). NOW you're saying that really means "for the rest of my lifetime....unless he doesn't get what he wants for the public---then they're out of here".  Sure, like, whatever...right??!

 

 

No one runs from his plainly stated opinions like the doc!

 

Yes, I guess I should have specified (to you, since you're the only one who seems to have a problem understanding) each and every instance that could cause Terry to not keep the Bills in Buffalo:

 

"Unless he's embroiled in a legal/ethical scandal and is forced to sell the team."

 

"Unless he gambles away all his money and has to sell the team."

 

"Unless he has an affair, Kim divorces him and has to sell the team."

 

"Unless he and Kim die prematurely, the team passes to the kids, they don't want it and..." well, you get the idea.

 

Should I go on?  Or have you had enough yet?

 

And just for ***** and giggles, who is this mythical owner that you fantasize would spend $1.4B, or even $1B, on a new stadium in Buffalo?  You must have someone in mind because you keep whining about Terry not being willing to finance it himself.  Let's hear it weo.  This is your chance to shine!

Edited September 9, 2021 by Doc

[Mr. WEO]

12 hours ago, Doc said:

 

Yes, I guess I should have specified (to you, since you're the only one who seems to have a problem understanding) each and every instance that could cause Terry to not keep the Bills in Buffalo:

 

"Unless he's embroiled in a legal/ethical scandal and is forced to sell the team."

 

"Unless he gambles away all his money and has to sell the team."

 

"Unless he has an affair, Kim divorces him and has to sell the team."

 

"Unless he and Kim die prematurely, the team passes to the kids, they don't want it and..." well, you get the idea.

 

Should I go on?  Or have you had enough yet?

 

And just for ***** and giggles, who is this mythical owner that you fantasize would spend $1.4B, or even $1B, on a new stadium in Buffalo?  You must have someone in mind because you keep whining about Terry not being willing to finance it himself.  Let's hear it weo.  This is your chance to shine!

 

You left out the real one:

 

On 9/7/2021 at 4:56 PM, Doc said:

  

 

As for what Terry's cut-off is, I don't know.  But I doubt $400M gets it done.

 

 

The one where the county/state doesn't give him what he wants. 

 

Anyway, your question is immaterial--there is no "other owner" of the Bills, nor one pending---but maybe he should consider calling in JBJ or "The Kelly Group" if he's so strapped that kicking in a billion will cut deep into the Pegula Family Lifestyle Funding Project's----oops!, I mean "PSE's" "viability".

 

My point all along is that he can afford to cover it all, so he can certainly be expected to cover the vast majority of it, as have other owners.  This isn't a bizarre or difficult point to grasp.  The local and state government should squeeze him hard....because, you know, he would never in your lifetime move the Bills out of Buffalo. 

[Doc]

46 minutes ago, Mr. WEO said:

You left out the real one:

 

 

The one where the county/state doesn't give him what he wants. 

 

Anyway, your question is immaterial--there is no "other owner" of the Bills, nor one pending---but maybe he should consider calling in JBJ or "The Kelly Group" if he's so strapped that kicking in a billion will cut deep into the Pegula Family Lifestyle Funding Project's----oops!, I mean "PSE's" "viability".

 

My point all along is that he can afford to cover it all, so he can certainly be expected to cover the vast majority of it, as have other owners.  This isn't a bizarre or difficult point to grasp.  The local and state government should squeeze him hard....because, you know, he would never in your lifetime move the Bills out of Buffalo. 

 

Yeah, the "real one" was already discussed and was always implied.  Ralph only ever threatened to move because of stadium issues.  It would be no different with Terry.

 

It's not immaterial: you just don't want to answer it, for obvious reasons.  But I'll do it for you: there is no one who would pay more than half for a stadium, in Buffalo, that he/she won't own, even though he/she "can afford to cover it all." 

 

Look, I know deep down you have some irrational dislike of Terry that's driving this charade.  It's a "see, he's not so great because he won't pay for a new stadium and might threaten to move."  You're transparent as always.

[Mr. WEO]

11 minutes ago, Doc said:

 

Yeah, the "real one" was already discussed and was always implied.  Ralph only ever threatened to move because of stadium issues.  It would be no different with Terry.

 

It's not immaterial: you just don't want to answer it, for obvious reasons.  But I'll do it for you: there is no one who would pay more than half for a stadium, in Buffalo, that he/she won't own, even though he/she "can afford to cover it all." 

 

Look, I know deep down you have some irrational dislike of Terry that's driving this charade.  It's a "see, he's not so great because he won't pay for a new stadium and might threaten to move."  You're transparent as always.

 

I don't love or hate the man.  But this hero worship was always a bit much--as soon as he had the opportunity to show he was just like any other rich owner who MAY not get his way, he starts the threats.  He's here 7 years and already  it's "right now the City of Buffalo and the State are going to have to decide if they want a team".

From the guy who "saved the Bills from moving"....the gun went to the locals' head pretty quick.  

 

I've answered your question.  Let me try this: 

 

Their are over 400 billionaires in the US--125 have more money than Pegula. 

 

Of them, it is very easy to conclude the number who would purchase the Bills tomorrow is well into the double digits. 

 

Of those, you are saying it is impossible to conceive that, in order to own the team, even a single one of them would agree to pay more than 50% of the cost of a new stadium in Erie County.

 

That's not, for obvious reasons, a credible claim.  So your question is nonsensical. 

[WhoTom]

Seems like this thread has devolved into a shouting match between two people arguing over who said what and exactly how they phrased it. You've both made your points, the horse is dead, so let it go, guys.

 

Edited September 9, 2021 by WhoTom

[PrimeTime101]

oh man 🤦‍♂️

 

 

[stuvian]

Jerry Jones cares nothing for Buffalo and its fans. As he cared nothing for the fans of the Chargers, Rams and Raiders whose relocations he profited handsomely from. If Legends cannot sell enough ads, sponsorships and seat licenses in Buffalo the Bills will face relocation. 

 

Jerry Jones is ruining the NFL as we know it.

 

Dallas Cowboy fans know Jerry Jones as the egotistically meddlesome owner who has driven their once proud franchise into the ditch of mediocrity. But Jerry’s reach doesn’t end with his own team. Despite his squandering of the Cowboy’s on field legacy, he has had considerable influence on NFL business affairs. His lobbying ability within league circles is persuasive to the point that he is already in the NFL Hall of Fame. While his business acumen has not helped his team on the field, it has been notably effective in furthering his commercial interests. 

Jones and Patriots owner Bob Kraft are shareholders in fantasy football website Draft Kings. Fantasy sports is a cultural phenomenon enjoying the participation of nineteen percent of the American adult population aged nineteen or over. Formerly known as rotisserie league sports, participants can draft a team of players and compete for monetary prizes. The fantasy sports market is worth over twenty billion dollars worldwide. 

Jones’ investment in Draft Kings would not be noteworthy but for one exception. Draft Kings has since added a Sportsbook and Casino to it’s website. The NFL has long restricted players and owners from any association with sports gambling. As gambling has moved beyond the confines of Las Vegas and Atlantic City to mainstream society, no fewer than twenty two states have legalized sports betting. The risk of insiders influencing outcomes looms large. 

Gambling has successfully infiltrated big time sports throughout history. Having professional teams like the Raiders and Golden Knights in Las Vegas will only exacerbate the risk. NHL player Evander Kane is the latest professional athlete to be accused of allowing gambling to influence his performance.

Association with gambling raises risks and concerns for the integrity of the game but it is Jones’ role in Legends Hospitality that poses a threat to the NFL and its small market teams. Since his purchase of the Cowboys, Jones has railed hard against the league’s traditional revenue sharing arrangements that see large market teams share revenue for luxury boxes, merchandising and parking with smaller markets teams. This arrangement has played a large part in competitive parity between large and small market teams. 

Buffalo Bills fans — photo by author

Legends Hospitality is a partnership between Jones and the New York Yankees. Among its business lines is negotiating new stadium deals for professional sports teams including NFL franchises. Legends was the key player in the establishment of SoFi stadium in Los Angeles that now houses the Rams and Chargers. Central among the premises for new stadium deals is Jones’ original premise that each franchise stand alone as an independent business irrespective of market size, never to be subsidized by rival clubs.

While it could easily be argued that the NFL’s return to the Los Angeles market was an inevitability, it has come at the expense of fanbases in St. Louis and San Diego. The Rams eventually settled a class action lawsuit on behalf of its St. Louis based Personal Seat License holders. The City of St. Louis has an active lawsuit against Rams owner Stan Kroenke and the NFL.

Legends’ role in the Oakland Raiders relocation was pivotal as it was tasked with selling the seat licenses and sponsorships that were used to finance the new venue in Las Vegas. This activist role in relocation enriches Jones and Legends while watering down the NFL’s traditional revenue sharing model while maximizing sponsorship and stadium revenue solely for the host team. 

Buffalo Bills owners Terry and Kim Pegula retained Legends to handle the Bill’s negotiation with Erie County and the State of New York on a new stadium deal. Jerry Jones will see to it that his big market Cowboys won’t be subsidizing the small market Bills. As a former Bills season ticket holder, I see limited capacity in the Buffalo market for seat license and sponsorships that paid for SoFi and Allegiant stadiums in Los Angeles and Las Vegas, respectively. 

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is from Western New York. He has said all the right things about keeping the Bills in Buffalo. But Roger Goodell works for the owners, not the fans. As special as the Bills are to their loyal fan base, the only language the NFL understands is money. If the Raiders, Chargers and Rams had loyal fan bases, why would Buffalo think it is any different for the Bills? 

If Jerry Jones has his way, the Bills will leave Buffalo for a larger, more prosperous market. One that can afford luxury boxes and Personal Seat Licenses so that he and his big market pals can keep more of their coinage and count their lucre while the Bills faithful cry in their beer. Doing so would destroy one of the NFL’s best fan bases and further create a divide of mistrust confirming once and for all that money is God in professional sports.

[TBBills]

I thought Jerry said something so I clicked on this thread....

 

and got demolished in the face by a wall of text!