buckeyemike Posted August 15, 2008 Share Posted August 15, 2008 Don't know if this has been posted...very good read for a 23 year old writer. Luke, your dad would be so proud. I think that his proposal would be a terrific option for keeping the team in Buffalo. The other wild card in the bag? Roger Goodell's from Jamestown. Goodell has to know what the team means to Western New York. But I also think he's powerless to stop a move. Hey, I speak from experience. I saw the Browns move, and even though it's been 13 years, old wounds heal slowly. If the Browns had never moved, I wouldn't have started posting here in 2002. You would never have heard from me, let's put it that way. There has to be a way to do this. Believe me, you do not want to go through what we went through here. The first link was an intro with another link. Complete article is here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rubes Posted August 15, 2008 Share Posted August 15, 2008 I hadn't seen it. Thanks for the link. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Fong Posted August 15, 2008 Share Posted August 15, 2008 Sounds great in theory, but file it under stuff that will never happen. As much as it depresses me I think the Bills days in Buffalo are numbered. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PromoTheRobot Posted August 15, 2008 Share Posted August 15, 2008 We need a guy like Golisano to step up if we have a prayer of keeping the Bills in Buffalo (most of the time anyway.) That said, I'm not too impressed with him as the owner of the Sabres. If fans have issues with Ralph being cheap, then what has TG shown us in the way he deals with his star Sabres players? PTR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Anderson's Lunch Pail Posted August 15, 2008 Share Posted August 15, 2008 Great article. Gotta love his passion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lets_go_bills Posted August 15, 2008 Share Posted August 15, 2008 I can honestly say that I would contribute and be a part of the fan base buying the team. I do however believe that the NFL won't change its stance on that rule. I think a group involving Kelly and Thomas will buy the Bills and keep them there. Yes, Buffalo does have economic problems. But fan support does not. Long live the BUFFALO Bills. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fingon Posted August 15, 2008 Share Posted August 15, 2008 IMHO, it would be simply idiotic to move The Bills. Where would you move them to, Toronto? You would lose the millions of upstaters that are fans for this team, and trade them for Toronto fans who may or may not be committed to an NFL franchise. Would you move them to LA? Los Angles has shown time and time again that they cannot support a franchise. The best possible solution would be a new stadium on the waterfront or in Niagara Falls so you can lure more corporate money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pyrite Gal Posted August 15, 2008 Share Posted August 15, 2008 I still think folks are missing the natural outcome of what I think is true. The NFL owners are a bunch of Jerry Jones types who primary motivation is money. There clear goal is to move the league toward getting more eyeballs to deliver to the networks so that the nets pay them even more money. The motherlode of more eyeballs comes from having NFL teams in Mexico City, Toronto and in Europe and Tokyo if they can figure out how to work with the time difference. However, when given a choice involving Buffalo and Toronto, the obvious money making choice is to choose both. The key question right now is whether if a podunk outfit like the NHL can make it work with franchises in both Toronto and Buffalo then is it possible for the NFL to pull off this same trick. There is no doubt that there is a ton more money in Toronto than in Buffalo. However, the fact also simply is that Buffalo offers a bird in the hand with almost 40 years of advertising having produced the reality of between 50 and 60 K season ticket holders, untold business relationships with local advertisers and tie-ins, and other extraneous pieces of cash from parking sales. Zubazz pants, and other items the team gets a part or all of cash from. All of these things would simply be given away should the team move and dollars spent replicating it in a new town. Add top that when a team leaves Buffalo and thus NYS as a home for the generation of tax receipts to the state the team plays in, it is quite likely that Buffalo partisans and the Schumers and Clintons of the world will pull the same trick that the Cleveland folks used to extort a franchise from the NFL group when one of the owners looked out for himself as an individual which was threatening the limited protection for being a monopoly which the NFL and NFLPA enjoy. Such a threat is one that will create instability in their promising to deliver a product to the networks and likely is something to be avoided. In addition, the NFL will be selling itself to new municipalities and voters while at the same time undergoing a round of publicity about who no municipality should trust the NFL. Maybe the NFL will simply throw away the smaller than Toronto but not insubstantial amount of cash generated by the Bills but my guess is that when asked to make a choice the obvious NFL answer will be both. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buffalo_soul-dier Posted August 15, 2008 Share Posted August 15, 2008 I can honestly say that I would contribute and be a part of the fan base buying the team. I do however believe that the NFL won't change its stance on that rule. I think a group involving Kelly and Thomas will buy the Bills and keep them there. Yes, Buffalo does have economic problems. But fan support does not. Long live the BUFFALO Bills. I dunno why...but deep down i really feel like the kelly thomas group IS going to save the bills when the time comes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeInABQ Posted August 15, 2008 Share Posted August 15, 2008 All I know is, if the Bills are moved out of Buffalo, after all the people begging Ralph to sell before he dies, I'll be the first guy to drop trou and crap right on that old !@#$'s grave. Not even joking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jarthur31 Posted August 15, 2008 Share Posted August 15, 2008 I can honestly say that I would contribute and be a part of the fan base buying the team. I do however believe that the NFL won't change its stance on that rule. I think a group involving Kelly and Thomas will buy the Bills and keep them there. Yes, Buffalo does have economic problems. But fan support does not. Long live the BUFFALO Bills. Would one have to live in WNY to buy shares? This brought a smile to my heart and a tear to my eye: "the Bills will stay in the only place they should call home: God's country, Buffalo, New York." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buckeyemike Posted August 15, 2008 Author Share Posted August 15, 2008 All I know is, if the Bills are moved out of Buffalo, after all the people begging Ralph to sell before he dies, I'll be the first guy to drop trou and crap right on that old !@#$'s grave. Not even joking. Don't you think there's still about 250,000 people in Cleveland who would love to do the same thing with Art Modell's grave? Modell is still alive, but reportedly in very poor health. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LabattBlue Posted August 15, 2008 Share Posted August 15, 2008 I don't know what is so great about the article. It's old ideas that have discussed 100's of times on TSW. Downtown stadiums, public ownership of the team, Ralph's refusal to be proactive in the sale prior to his death, Golly possibly buying the team, etc... It's not like the kid came up with this fantastic innovative plan to save the Bills. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SouthernMan Posted August 15, 2008 Share Posted August 15, 2008 Sounds great in theory, but file it under stuff that will never happen. As much as it depresses me I think the Bills days in Buffalo are numbered. Never happen? A real "Can Do" mentality ya got there Fong. It's naysayer attitudes like yours that has propelled Buffalo into the economic tailspin it's been in for 40 years. I can't for the life of me understand why there is such a prevelant small-thinking, negative mentality among Buffalonians. Always too scared of risk and progress. Nothing ever get done because of this attitude! How's that Peace Bridge and Waterfront project coming along? You see where it gets you? A great city like Buffalo falling into despair. I've said for years that the Green Bay model should be followed in Buffalo. I'd love to see it get challenged in a court of law. I really don't think there's any way the law could stop Wilson or any other owner from selling shares. The other owners might try to stop it, but the only way they could would be to leave the Bills off the schedule or stop sharing revenue. Don't think they'd ever do it. Especially with Goodell as the top banana. I think if it happened, the other owners would resign themselves to it, rather than fight it. Not even sure why they'd resist the idea of fan ownership. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buckeyemike Posted August 15, 2008 Author Share Posted August 15, 2008 I think if it happened, the other owners would resign themselves to it, rather than fight it. Not even sure why they'd resist the idea of fan ownership. Because they prefer to restrict membership of their billionaires' club, that's why. I love the article, but I have my doubts as to a) it ever happening again, b/c of the Green Bay model, and b) because I don't think that the fan model would hold up in a court of law. The NFL, sad to say, is a private entity. You can't own stock or go to shareholders meetings in the NFL unless, of course, you own a share of Packers' stock. It is an unincorporated association controlled by 31 other closed businesses and the Green Bay Packers. Maybe an antitrust-based challenge could be brought, but that has been shot down by Congress previously. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patience Posted August 15, 2008 Share Posted August 15, 2008 I don't know what is so great about the article. It's old ideas that have discussed 100's of times on TSW. Downtown stadiums, public ownership of the team, Ralph's refusal to be proactive in the sale prior to his death, Golly possibly buying the team, etc... It's not like the kid came up with this fantastic innovative plan to save the Bills. Because it's nice to see Luke continuing on his father's approach to keeping the Bills in Buffalo, as well as overall support. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In-A-Gadda-Levitre Posted August 15, 2008 Share Posted August 15, 2008 I don't know what is so great about the article. It's old ideas that have discussed 100's of times on TSW. Downtown stadiums, public ownership of the team, Ralph's refusal to be proactive in the sale prior to his death, Golly possibly buying the team, etc... It's not like the kid came up with this fantastic innovative plan to save the Bills. espn.com... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Fong Posted August 15, 2008 Share Posted August 15, 2008 Never happen? A real "Can Do" mentality ya got there Fong.It's naysayer attitudes like yours that has propelled Buffalo into the economic tailspin it's been in for 40 years. Like I said it's a nice dream, but it's not based in reality. The rules of the NFL simply don't allow it. Move on. Find another way. Is it preferable to have a positive attitude about a plan that will never work? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JK2000 Posted August 16, 2008 Share Posted August 16, 2008 I dunno why...but deep down i really feel like the kelly thomas group IS going to save the bills when the time comes Or that Ralph's wife will have a change of heart and assume ownership. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Hindsight Posted August 16, 2008 Share Posted August 16, 2008 I dunno why...but deep down i really feel like the kelly thomas group IS going to save the bills when the time comes I hope so i just dont think they would have the money Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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