Tom G. has turned the Sabres into a championship franchise with no experience...

[Mitchy moo]

In managing or running a professional team. The Sabres are a model for a pro-business and have recently won awards for what they bring to the table. So much in such a short period of time but it all happened after the new ownership came in. RW is obviously in capable of understanding the business economics that's necessary because if Tom can do it with a bankrupt NHL franchise and turn it into a darling in ~3 years then why couldn't he do the same with the Bills?

Here are some staggering facts, the Sabres now have a 6,000 person waiting list for season tickets. I know what your thinking the bills have more people to fill the stands but doing the math:

Average Sabres season has 18,960 to sellout X 42 games = 796,320 Tickets to be sold

Average Bills season has 73,967 to sellout = 591,736 Tickets.

So Tom G. has to sell ~255,000 more tickets for a season and pretty mcuh has a full house everynight, nice job Tom.

Buy the Bills please and make us a champion, please.

[TigerJ]

I don't disagree that tom golisano had done some good things as owner of the Sabres. However, much or their success as a franchise over the last couple years stems from their success on the ice. I've always felt that Darcy Regier's dumb luck has a great deal to do with the Sabres' success on the ice. The Sabres as they are today were primarily built before the lockout. It was partially as a consequence of the lockout that the NHL finally had to try and fix the game which had nearly been ruined by the trap defense which made the game dull and boring and made skating ability nearly irrelavant. It so happens the team that Regier built was overloaded with youthful exuberance (that was pretty cheap) and skating ability. The rules changes were perfect for the Sabres and the Sabres are perfect for the new rules. Unless Regier is psychic and knew somehow that hockey was going to change in such a way that it would fit the team he's built, I have to say he's been pretty lucky.

Let me emphasize I'm not unhappy with the Sabres and Regier deserves a lot of credit, but I don't think it would be accurate to discount the luck factor.

[jamesiscool]

bills fans shouldnt count on dolisano buying the bills. he is a business man and an investor yes but he also is a very busy business man.

he bought the sabres at a deep deep discounted proce but he saw promise in them. AND ralph isn't looking to sell the bills just yet IMO.

maybe when he dies but his dughter (sho i belive the franchise will be left to) will want top dollar for the franchise and there are many more places that would love to get an NFL franchise. LA etc.

so don't get yur hopes up.

[gil]

well, the guy's wealth is estimated at 1.2 billion and the bills are valued at something like 750 million - would he invest just south of 3/4 of his net worth on them?

EDIT: sorry, I guess Tom had a really good year, I guess he's worth 1.8 billion now - http://www.forbes.com/lists/2007/10/07billionaires_B-Thomas-Golisano_BBWS.html

[Goobylal]

The Sabres' success has almost nothing to do with Golisano, other than the Sabres NOT having a crook as the owner (Rigas). It has everything to do with Lindy Ruff (best coach in the NHL), the presence of a salary cap (meaning other teams can't spend twice as much on players), and the Sabres anticipating the rules changes.

[mikemac2001]

id rather see ralph out there when we win the SB

[Mitchy moo]

id rather see ralph out there when we win the SB

We all would.

[Jan Reimers]

well, the guy's wealth is estimated at 1.2 billion and the bills are valued at something like 750 million - would he invest just south of 3/4 of his net worth on them?

EDIT: sorry, I guess Tom had a really good year, I guess he's worth 1.8 billion now - http://www.forbes.com/lists/2007/10/07billionaires_B-Thomas-Golisano_BBWS.html
Most business deals, particularly of this magnitude, are not done on a pure cash basis. Golisano wouldn't be writing a check for $750 Million, nor risking a large percent of his net worth.

Given his success with the Sabres, including the franchise appreciating from around $90 Million to north of $150 Million, I would think that Golisano might at least be interested in the Bills, depending on the structure of the deal.

[HHURRICANE]

Tom G. has turned the Sabres into a championship franchise with no experience:

He has?????? Until we are holding the Stanley Cup he's just another Knox or Rigas family at this point.

He didn't build the state of the art arena either.

Don't get me wrong, he seems like a great guy. But he just happenend to get the fastest skating team at a time when the rules changed making us alot better instantly.

Ruff's a great coach as well.

Golisano gets nothing from me until we win it all.