What did everyone think of old Ralph's comments?

[Eric in Va]

There will no team moving to LA.

 

The tV networks are better off without a team in LA since the 2nd biggest TV market is not held hostage to blackouts and the networks are free to televise the best games on each week's schedule to LA.

 

The NFL will continue using the threat of moving teams to LA to extort new stadiums for any team wanting one.

 

Now its New Orleans, Minn, and San Diego.

 

Next will be Indy, KC.

 

The charade will continue as long as taxpayers are stupid enough to support politicians who will push for public money to improve stadiums to "keep" their team.

[cgang]

I'm not an estate attorney nor do I practice law in NY, but if anyone here is, what do you think of the following scenario:

 

Mr. Wilson sets up a trust. The beneficiary of the trust is the new owner (or consortium-- could be the public). They pay now for the right to be the benficiary. Once Mr. Wilson passes, the Bills goes into the trust and the entity that paid money to be the benficiary gets ownership of the team.

 

Am I missing something? Is this doable? If so, I say Mr. Wilson and his family should be entertaining offers now. I know that the law states that you cannot restrict ownership to Buffalo, but under this scenario, you can at least ensure that the beneficiary can be a WNY committed owner. At the same time, Mr. Wilson retains ownership of the team until the day he passes. And if he is concerned about getting the best deal for his family, well, he need not accept a "beneficiary" offer that he believes is not up to snuff.

 

Just a thought....... I would hate having Buffalo lose out on the Bills due to a legal procedural matter. Thoughts?

[BillnutinHouston]

Even better...the team moves to norfolk, va...but again...im dreaming

341742[/snapback]

 

Then they're not the Buffalo Bills anymore!

[jarthur31]

Right now, the Saints are openly talking about moving to Los Angeles.  Apparently, they have an out in their Superdome contract at the end of this year. 

 

We also know that Anaheim is attempting to build a new NFL playpen in the Angel Stadium parking lot.  So as of right now, I think the Saints are most likely to move, followed closely by the Chargers. 

 

Tom Benson has told New Orleans officials either they promise a new stadium or he's gone...possibly as soon as next year. 

 

As far as Ralph Wilson's comments are concerned, he's right in stating that he cannot promise the team will stay once he's gone.  But I also think he lives long enough for estate tax not to be a problem (it will be totally abolished within five years) and someone from WNY will step up and buy the team.

 

I think the Bills are better off in WNY, between tremendous fan support and stepped-up corporate help, than in Los Angeles or anywhere else.

 

Mike

341729[/snapback]

 

I really really really think I'll drop the Bills as my team if they ever left Buffalo. The Chargers won't be "the Chargers" IMO if they relocated.

 

It'll be a dagger in WNY if the Bills ever left.

[Mark VI]

I would never watch the NFL, if the Bills left. I enjoy watching various college games on Saturday. Only the Bills matter on Sunday.

[buckeyemike]

I really really really think I'll drop the Bills as my team if they ever left Buffalo.  The Chargers won't be "the Chargers" IMO if they relocated. 

 

It'll be a dagger in WNY if the Bills ever left.

341961[/snapback]

 

The Chargers started out as the "Los Angeles Chargers" in 1960, but only played one season in LA before moving down I-5.

 

I don't believe the Bills will leave WNY. Does the NFL really want another Cleveland Browns situation on their hands?

 

Mike

[Fake-Fat Sunny]

I'm not an estate attorney nor do I practice law in NY, but if anyone here is, what do you think of the following scenario:

 

Mr. Wilson sets up a trust. The beneficiary of the trust is the new owner (or consortium-- could be the public). They pay now for the right to be the benficiary. Once Mr. Wilson passes, the Bills goes into the trust and the entity that paid money to  be the benficiary gets ownership of the team.

 

Am I missing something? Is this doable? If so, I say Mr. Wilson and his family should be entertaining offers now. I know that the law states that you cannot restrict ownership to Buffalo, but under this scenario, you can at least ensure that the beneficiary can be a WNY committed owner. At the same time, Mr. Wilson retains ownership of the team until the day he passes. And if he is concerned about getting the best deal for his family, well, he need not accept a "beneficiary" offer that he believes is not up to snuff.

 

Just a thought....... I would hate having Buffalo lose out on the Bills due to a legal procedural matter. Thoughts?

341914[/snapback]

 

This suggestion and other ideas I have heard (ex. setting up various irrevocable trust arrangements that escape estate taxes and laws, selling off shares of the team and adopting a Green Bay Packers like model of community ownership, turning the Buffalo Bills into a not-for-profit charitable corporation under the law dedicated to educating the public about competition and encouraging youth engagement in sports and thus escaping various estate laws). All of these and other options are certainly possible. One has to be a fool to lose assets today due to estate laws.

 

It takes having a goal as to what you want to accomplish in terms of use of the money (many want to give every dollar they can to their kids, others like Warren Buffet want their future generations to learn to make it on their own and view giving them big dollars and allowing them to sit on their butts as a negative thing to do to your kids, some want to leave the world in at least as good a shape as the find it, whatever cause this is America and one gets to choose how you spend your money). However, there are other folks (as Joe Robbie of the Dolphins seemed to be) who do not want to confront the fact that ultimately we all will die and refuse to make goals for preserving their wealth in away that allows their designated others to make choices how to spend it (they will be dead and will not make choices).

 

The whole death tax political thing only hits those who do not want to confront their own mortality and refuse to make plans. It cost dollars to have a trusts and estates lawyer do this. However, by definition, if there is enough money that there is a need to do this, there is enough money that this investment is small compared to the total wealth.

 

From what I see RWS is holding his wishes pretty close to the vest in terms of what his goals are. This is quite reasonable it seems to be because thoese goals mau change so why give the public false information to work with. However, the good news is he seems pretty well aware of this dynamic and because the Bills are a publicly important entity, he has committed to doing things which will allow for meeting his goals and those goals do not seem counter to community interests.

 

If they are then tough on us, but it should be in good shape.

[colfax]

I have heard from my "inside source" that Tom Gosliano (sp?- new owner of the Sabres) is very interested in buying the Bills, and keeping them in Buffalo.  Gosliano will not say anything publicly, until Ralph has passed on or decides to sell, because it would be in very poor taste.

 

Now, I have lived away from Buffalo for almost 20 years.  But, from everything I have seen or heard, Gosliano seems like a good man, and I think he is far wealthier than Ralph.  I am sure if this is not the case, someone will correct me.

 

I remember when he purchased the Sabres, Gosliano said that in buying the team, it was not only for the love of the team, but also for the love of the area.  He felt, at the time, losing either the Sabres or Bills would devistate the area.  Being a businessman, it seems that Gosliano also has many other investments in the WNY area, that would be adversely affected if the Bills were no longer in Buffalo.

341811[/snapback]

 

Tom Golisano founded Paychex in Roch, which has become an industry leader in payroll processing - yeah, he's quite loaded and I do think he'll be the next owner of the Bills....many speculated that his acquisition of the Sabres was a test-run for the Bills

 

I have no sources though the scenario that Corp000085 lays out about a local group already in place makes sense to me....I'd assume Goli would be involved but I'm sure Corp won't say....I wonder, would it be a bad thing for someone to own both the Sabres and the Bills? I suppose as long as they're both playing home games in Buffalo it'd be fine by me

[MadBuffaloDisease]

Tom Golisano founded Paychex in Roch, which has become an industry leader in payroll processing - yeah, he's quite loaded and I do think he'll be the next owner of the Bills....many speculated that his acquisition of the Sabres was a test-run for the Bills

 

I have no sources though the scenario that Corp000085 lays out about a local group already in place makes sense to me....I'd assume Goli would be involved but I'm sure Corp won't say....I wonder, would it be a bad thing for someone to own both the Sabres and the Bills? I suppose as long as they're both playing home games in Buffalo it'd be fine by me

He'd probably give up, or be forced to give-up, ownership in the Sabres. That might be a good thing for him.

[Buftex]

...I wonder, would it be a bad thing for someone to own both the Sabres and the Bills? I suppose as long as they're both playing home games in Buffalo it'd be fine by me

342090[/snapback]

 

I am pretty sure that this dual ownership things goes on quite regularly in the other sports, though it is not as NFL, it has happened. Didn't Wayne Huizinga own the Florida Marlins, Florida Panthers and Miami Dolphins at one time, pretty recently. When you are loaded, rules can always be broken. From what I understand, Golisano is a billionaire...if that is the case, he likely wouldn't have much trouble getting approved as an owner.

 

I would rather not leave it to chance though. If Ralph really wants to ensure that the team stays in WNY, why not sell a minority portion now (to Goslisano, or whoever), and start to cement their future in the area, before WNY loses them on some sort of legal technicality. Ralph won't be around forever. This is similar to what happened with Modell in Baltimore. I don't think Ralph has the financial concerns that Modell had, but if he really wants to have his legacy live on in WNY, it would be a great gesture. From what I understand, Gosliano would love to own the team. I am sure he and Ralph could work together...thing I love about Ralph, he is still full of piss and vinnegar, and seems to really love the game. Let him enjoy his twilight years, and not have to worry about all of the day to day BS that would come along with ownership. Of course, then you would have to worry about TG getting along with TD! Look at that, I am already referring to Gosliano as TG! Get 'er done RW!

[Guest BackInDaDay]

Well, RW has been sounding off on the bleak future of small market teams in the NFL's near future. With the end of the players' CBA in sight, and big market owners looking to modify the league's revenue sharing policies, how could he possibly advise his family to struggle to keep the Bills a viable franchise in Buffalo? So much of the Bills future depends upon what the league looks like the day Ralph passes away.

 

There may be prospective buyers with enough wealth and allegiance to WNY to make a go of it. But how much can Buffalo fans afford to spend on the Bills? Prices on everything related to the club will rise. How much money will the new owner have to spend on a more competitive, FA driven payroll, if that is the future?

 

When I was a kid I wrote a letter to Gov. Nelson Rockefeller to help keep the Bills in NY. Ralph was making noise about moving the club to Seattle, I think. I like to think ol' Nellie wiped a tear from his eye as he barked to his secretary to "get that

SOB Wilson on the phone".

 

Anyway, nothing lasts forever, but I'm hoping the NFL will find a way to pacify the large market owners without sacrificing the revenue sharing that built the league. Small market franchises have proven to be the backbone of the NFL's success. The Bills were born and raised in Buffalo, hopefully they'll have the chance to remain.

[obie_wan]

Anyone else wonder why the hell the !@#$ing Arizona Cardinals built a new stadium?  IMO, that's the first team I would have considered for LA if I was the NFL.

341814[/snapback]

 

no NFL is moving to LA.

 

Teams will only threaten to move to extort new stadium deals from thier current homes.

 

 

The networks are worse off with a home team in LA since they lose flexibility of programming the best matchups and will suffer downtime from blackouts.

[Guest BackInDaDay]

http://buffalo.bizjournals.com/buffalo/sto...?tbdstory2.html

 

Long, but informative article.

A must read for anyone interested in the Bills' future in Buffalo.