Ralph is out of touch huh? [Archive] - BillsZone.com

FlyingDutchman

03-29-2008, 05:50 PM

http://www.nfl.com/news/story;jsessionid=3...mp;confirm=true (http://www.nfl.com/news/story;jsessionid=390C7FAB8EC473B088514708702357A8?id=09000d5d80772c56&template=with-video&confirm=true)

"Who saw then what the majority of the group sees now? Buffalo Bills owner Ralph Wilson and Cincinnati Bengals owner Mike Brown.

This is interesting because both have been labeled in past years by critics as slightly out of touch and too small-market minded. But Wilson and Brown can fairly assert that their voices should have made more impact."

Bulldog

03-29-2008, 06:42 PM

ddaryl

03-29-2008, 06:48 PM

I side with the owners on this one. The players contracts are way out of control, and we the fans end up eating the majority of this in the form of inflated ticket prices. I love football as much as the next guy, but this is really starting to leave a bad taste in my mouth. This all can be summed up in one word : greed!

IMHO there is a lot of that greed stuff going on these days. Politically, corporately, etc...

The counter argument is... what keeps the owners from reducing player salaries successfully through a lockout and fan outrage, and then the owners never really lower ticket prices or anything else for that matter.

under both those scenarios, player greed / owner greed there is one constant... us

ParanoidAndroid

03-29-2008, 07:12 PM

We're all suckers.

coastal

03-29-2008, 07:17 PM

Ralph was made fun of for not understanding the agreement.

That is all he said...

now who's the fool?

Goobylal

03-29-2008, 07:51 PM

Ralph was made fun of for not understanding the agreement.

That is all he said...

now who's the fool?
Ralph was joking when he said that, but no one knew that because ESPN only showed the part where he said he didn't understand it and not the part where he explained why he voted "no."

YardRat

03-29-2008, 08:16 PM

Some people may think Ralph isn't the smartest business person in the NFL, but he knows the league and what made it successful better than anybody.

Goobylal

03-29-2008, 10:23 PM

Some people may think Ralph isn't the smartest business person in the NFL, but he knows the league and what made it successful better than anybody.
It doesn't take a genius to realize that giving the players a 5% raise is bad business. I said as much at the time, when everyone and their mother was bashing Ralph, including a lot of Bills fans. The owners panicked because the NFLPA wouldn't push-back the start of FA a 3rd time and they risked having to cut players. And in their haste/stupidity, they FUBAR'd the league.

OpIv37

03-29-2008, 10:30 PM

Ralph was made fun of for not understanding the agreement.

That is all he said...

now who's the fool?

Ralph, for picking the wrong words. If he had said "this agreement doesn't make sense," he would have been seen as questioning it from the beginning. But what he said was "I don't understand it," which shows the problem as being with Ralph rather than with the agreement itself.

Admittedly, it's semantics, but that's how it works. We have 2 24-hour ESPN's plus NFL Network plus regional sports network plus sports talk radio plus sports publications plus sports websites all looking for material. They're going to nitpick every word. So, a year later it comes out that Ralph's line was misinterpreted- too late, the damage is done.

Goobylal

03-29-2008, 10:50 PM

Ralph, for picking the wrong words. If he had said "this agreement doesn't make sense," he would have been seen as questioning it from the beginning. But what he said was "I don't understand it," which shows the problem as being with Ralph rather than with the agreement itself.
Wrong. As I said above, ESPN merely showed what they wanted to show, to make Ralph look like a doddering old fool in the face of a great and historic agreement created by the "best and brightest" NFL owners. What they didn't show (enough of) were the clips where Ralph said the CBA gave too much to the players.

OpIv37

03-29-2008, 10:55 PM

Wrong. As I said above, ESPN merely showed what they wanted to show, to make Ralph look like a doddering old fool in the face of a great and historic agreement created by the "best and brightest" NFL owners. What they didn't show (enough of) were the clips where Ralph said the CBA gave too much to the players.

and this is solely ESPN's fault because they're the only sports medium out there? The other stuff I mentioned somehow doesn't exist?

Let's not forget that Ralph does plenty of things to hurt his own credibility, like *****ing about revenue when he ignores a potential revenue stream by keeping his own name on the stadium.

realdealryan

03-29-2008, 11:00 PM

So is Keanu Reeves gonna be our quarterback when this all comes to a head?

Goobylal

03-29-2008, 11:00 PM

and this is solely ESPN's fault because they're the only sports medium out there? The other stuff I mentioned somehow doesn't exist?
What does that other stuff have to do with the CBA? The topic was how ESPN made Ralph look after the CBA was signed, leaving out what he REALLY meant to say, only later-on to be proven right.

Let's not forget that Ralph does plenty of things to hurt his own credibility, like *****ing about revenue when he ignores a potential revenue stream by keeping his own name on the stadium.
Ralph never *****ed until that stupid CBA was passed and the salary cap went up $10M without Ralph seeing an extra dime. And if the owners were feeling so generous to give a 5% raise to the players, what's a little money towards fellow owners? And besides, the $1.5M he's lost in naming rights isn't going to change anything.

THE END OF ALL DAYS

03-29-2008, 11:05 PM

Michael82

03-30-2008, 12:55 AM

So is Keanu Reeves gonna be our quarterback when this all comes to a head?
:rofl: That would be hilarious! Hopefully we have the stripper cheerleaders too.... :naughty:

jamze132

03-30-2008, 01:48 AM

I'm not going to have a broken heart about a lockout.

YardRat

03-30-2008, 05:32 AM

It doesn't take a genius to realize that giving the players a 5% raise is bad business. I said as much at the time, when everyone and their mother was bashing Ralph, including a lot of Bills fans. The owners panicked because the NFLPA wouldn't push-back the start of FA a 3rd time and they risked having to cut players. And in their haste/stupidity, they FUBAR'd the league.

Not to quibble over numbers, but the 'raise' was much more than 5%. Also, it's not very comforting if the league is being influenced by 30 morons, so-called 'successful' businessmen that 'panic' when the heat gets turned up a little bit.

Night Train

03-30-2008, 05:44 AM

The second they ratified that last agreement, I knew the days of the small market teams were numbered. The old 82 Mil cap was pushing the limit. Now it's 112 and climbing, with the clock ticking louder than ever.

When average to good players are having their agents ask for 5-6 Mil a year and the All-Pro's demand 8-10 Mil, it's fantasy world football which doesn't include the working season ticket holder. Corporate dollar is King and the real fans are cast aside.

When they ask for a massive hike from me next year for my Club tickets, I'm walking. I'll forward it to Xerox, so they can write it off and invite clients to the game.

TacklingDummy

03-30-2008, 06:04 AM

I side with the owners on this one. The players contracts are way out of control, and we the fans end up eating the majority of this in the form of inflated ticket prices.

Unless you are Bills fans, who enjoy some of the lowest ticket prices in the NFL.

ddaryl

03-30-2008, 07:43 AM

Unless you are Bills fans, who enjoy some of the lowest ticket prices in the NFL.

but those same great ticket prices is pretty much what will determine if we have a team in 5 - 10 years.

our ticket prices won't cover the new owners expenses when the owner pays 600 - 900 million for the team.

Michael82

03-30-2008, 08:11 AM

I'm not going to have a broken heart about a lockout.
I will definitely be upset, but it's definitely needed IMO. They have to fix this before it gets even worse. :ill:

Michael82

03-30-2008, 08:12 AM

Then again....a lockout may bring about the end of the small market teams. :mad: :(

coastal

03-30-2008, 08:21 AM

and this is solely ESPN's fault because they're the only sports medium out there? The other stuff I mentioned somehow doesn't exist?
ESPN isn't a news network.

It's the marketing arm of the NFL.

Goobylal

03-30-2008, 08:33 AM

Not to quibble over numbers, but the 'raise' was much more than 5%. Also, it's not very comforting if the league is being influenced by 30 morons, so-called 'successful' businessmen that 'panic' when the heat gets turned up a little bit.
I forget how much of a raise it was, but it's somewhere in the 5-5.5% range. And I agree that it's sad the way the league is being run. People act like the NFL's prosperity was ALL because of Jones, Kraft, and Snyder, when in fact it was because Fox entered the picture and created demand for a product that previously was covered by all 3 major networks.

Yasgur's Farm

03-30-2008, 11:55 AM

but those same great ticket prices is pretty much what will determine if we have a team in 5 - 10 years.

our ticket prices won't cover the new owners expenses when the owner pays 600 - 900 million for the team.The team will sell for at least $1B... Plus, I believe the NFL requires a $500M ownership transfer fee.

gr8slayer

03-30-2008, 12:00 PM

I don't have a problem with what the veteran players are getting four years into their career. I have a problem with rookies getting $40+ million when they haven't done crap or proven anything.

Though the Dolphins are horrible they are on the rise, if they blow this number one pick it could set them back another four years. The NFL needs to just do what the NBA does when it comes to paying rookies.

BTW, Wilson is not out of touch, he's probably one of the smarter business minded owners in the league. He just sucks at making football decisions.

gr8slayer

03-30-2008, 12:00 PM

ESPN isn't a news network.

It's the marketing arm of the NFL.
ESPN is Dallas/New England/Lakers Sports Network. They make me sick.

hydro

03-30-2008, 12:04 PM

ESPN is Dallas/New England/Lakers Sports Network. They make me sick.

Don't forget Yankees/Red Sox!

gr8slayer

03-30-2008, 12:05 PM

Don't forget Yankees/Red Sox!
Oh yea, sometimes I forget baseball exists.

ddaryl

03-30-2008, 12:26 PM

The team will sell for at least $1B... Plus, I believe the NFL requires a $500M ownership transfer fee.

you are probably correct, and if that is the case there is 0 chance of the Bills staying in Buffalo

heck I would actually say less then 0

hydro

03-30-2008, 12:30 PM

Oh yea, sometimes I forget baseball exists.

Sometimes I forget you exist. You going to play CoD anytime soon?

Night Train

03-30-2008, 12:40 PM

guess what... the nfl is headed for pay per view and all sunday ticket type viewing.

bank on it. the advertisers will still follow it and the fans will pay for it.

And I'll begin spending my time on sunday more productivly

You're correct and I'll take a pass on any pay per view league. I'll watch college football on Saturday and the NFL can go suck a fat one.

ParanoidAndroid

03-30-2008, 01:09 PM

Professional sports salaries are way out of control. If I didn't have this annoying sentimental attachment to the Bills, I could easily walk away. It's like a movie and all I want to see is that justice is served. All that Buffalo has been through, I can't help rooting for it, from its economy, to its schools, to its professional sports franchises. They deserve to win it all. I have a hard time peeling myself away from the saga.

Goobylal

03-30-2008, 01:38 PM

Though the Dolphins are horrible they are on the rise...
When you're 1-15, there is nowhere to go but up!

gr8slayer

03-30-2008, 04:31 PM

Sometimes I forget you exist. You going to play CoD anytime soon?
I'll play some this week. I've got one more HUGE paper due so once that's done it's easy sailing.

YardRat

03-30-2008, 05:18 PM

Then again....a lockout may bring about the end of the small market teams. :mad: :(

That's where Ralph has a distinct advantage, though, as long as he is alive and owns the team. Wilson isn't burdened by the costs of buying the team or building a stadium as some others are. He can afford to sit back and watch a lot of others when they begin to struggle with their 'mortgage' payments when the revenue stops coming in.

coastal

03-30-2008, 05:58 PM

ESPN is Dallas/New England/Lakers Sports Network. They make me sick.I knwo there are other sports and franchises that are a part of that contractual relationship.

My point is that the NFL has a very big interest in what is being reported on ESPN. It's there cash cow.

The whole Tom Donahoe experience screamed of being corporate espionage.

Think back on it... Tom Donahoe held out for the title of President of the Buffalo Bills. That may not seem like anything of consequence when you are dealing with John QT Public, but in the corporate world that title comes with very real power and control.

Then the whole way Mort and ESPN treated his dismissal in the face of what was an atrocious field record was more than eye-opening for me. It was over the top bizarre in how it was being reported and didn't even come close to being the truth.

When I saw that I asked why?

Becasue Tom Donahoe and Mort **** each other up the butt? Probably, but why would ESPN sign off on reporting like that... because they hate Ralph Wilson and they hate the Buffalo Bills being in Buffalo.

The owners each stand to make millions of dollars off of a Bills relocation. Plain and simple.

ESPN can blow me. So can the NFL for that matter with the Patriots and their cheating and the way that was handled. The only thing that made last season enjoyable was watching the Patriots getting beat.

It restored my faith in a just God.