Clause forbids Bills' sale to anyone intent on relocation

[Dr. Lecter]

The odds of the Buffalo Bills being sold to a Toronto group -- or any group intent on relocating the NFL franchise -- appear remote.

An overlooked clause in the Bills' restrictive non-relocation agreement with Erie County and the state of New York expressly prohibits the sale of the NFL franchise to anyone who intends to relocate the team -- at least before that agreement expires in July 2023.

This proviso might even supersede the one-time out clause in February 2020 that allows the Bills to break their 10-year lease at Ralph Wilson Stadium for a $28.4-million penalty.

The sale clause all along has been in the non-relocation agreement, signed early last year as a sister legal document to the Bills' 10-year lease extension at Ralph Wilson Stadium.

But, much as the last-resort, $400-million punitive-damages penalty in the non-relocation agreement had been grossly misunderstood and misreported until QMI Agency set the record straight last month, so the prohibition of selling the team to a carpet-bagger of sorts has been disregarded until now.

http://www.torontosun.com/2014/04/28/clause-forbids-bills-sale-to-anyone-intent-on-relocation

[stuckincincy]

Re: Clause forbids Bills' sale to anyone intent on relocation

http://www.torontosun.com/2014/04/28...-on-relocation

Sounds like a recipe for ownership that will pocket every available dollar, never exceed the cap minimum, forget about building a competitive club, dump vets for rookies frequently, never franchise anybody and so on...

[DraftBoy]

Re: Clause forbids Bills' sale to anyone intent on relocation

I saw this last night on Twitter, Tim Graham was questioning whether a move to Toronto would classify as a relocation.

Not sure whose interpretation is right on this but it certainly eliminates any LA group.

[better days]

Re: Clause forbids Bills' sale to anyone intent on relocation

I have read this report before, but it is interesting to see it in a Toronto paper.

This should put an end to those on this board that expect the Bills to move, but it probably won't.

[better days]

Re: Clause forbids Bills' sale to anyone intent on relocation

Sounds like a recipe for ownership that will pocket every available dollar, never exceed the cap minimum, forget about building a competitive club, dump vets for rookies frequently, never franchise anybody and so on...

Even if that is the case, which I doubt, I would rather see that, than the Bills in Toronto or LA.

[Saratoga Slim]

Re: Clause forbids Bills' sale to anyone intent on relocation

Anyone who thinks Ralph only cared about the money hereby stands corrected. By ensuring the Bills stay in Buffalo, he's probably costing his estate hundreds of millions of dollars.

And, even if he was on the frugal side as an owner, I guess it's what you do in the end that counts.

The lease and this accompanying document were a very generous gift to Buffalo.

Thanks Ralph.

[Pinkerton Security]

Re: Clause forbids Bills' sale to anyone intent on relocation

Anyone who thinks Ralph only cared about the money hereby stands corrected. By ensuring the Bills stay in Buffalo, he's probably costing his estate hundreds of millions of dollars.

And, even if he was on the frugal side as an owner, I guess it's what you do in the end that counts.

The lease and this accompanying document were a very generous gift to Buffalo.

Thanks Ralph.

WRONG. He's cheap and only cared about the bottom line, haven't you read anything on this board? Gosh.

[Thurmal]

Re: Clause forbids Bills' sale to anyone intent on relocation

I saw this last night on Twitter, Tim Graham was questioning whether a move to Toronto would classify as a relocation.

Not sure whose interpretation is right on this but it certainly eliminates any LA group.

I'm not a lawyer, but, in my book, if a business moves their headquarters to a completely different country, that would probably be the quintessential definition of a relocation.

[DraftBoy]

Re: Clause forbids Bills' sale to anyone intent on relocation

I'm not a lawyer, but, in my book, if a business moves their headquarters to a completely different country, that would probably be the quintessential definition of a relocation.

Neither am I, but Graham's point was because Toronto is considered to be within the Buffalo regional footprint it may not be a relocation in terms of what the clause excludes. I'm not saying it does or it doesn't, but it appears like its something that would need to be answered.

[OpIv37]

Re: Clause forbids Bills' sale to anyone intent on relocation

WRONG. He's cheap and only cared about the bottom line, haven't you read anything on this board? Gosh.

He did only care about the bottom line when he was alive.

Now that he's dead, he did something that may cost his family 100 million or so, yet they'll still get over 800 million. Gee , thanks.

People sure are quick to forget 54 years of utter mediocrity....

[DraftBoy]

Re: Clause forbids Bills' sale to anyone intent on relocation

He did only care about the bottom line when he was alive.

Now that he's dead, he did something that may cost his family 100 million or so, yet they'll still get over 800 million. Gee , thanks.

People sure are quick to forget 54 years of utter mediocrity....

Not as fast as they forget 2 AFL titles and 4 AFC Championships...

Was the majority of his ownership tenure mediocre? Yes, but let's not over dramatize it.

[better days]

Re: Clause forbids Bills' sale to anyone intent on relocation

He did only care about the bottom line when he was alive.

Now that he's dead, he did something that may cost his family 100 million or so, yet they'll still get over 800 million. Gee , thanks.

People sure are quick to forget 54 years of utter mediocrity....

INGRATE

[Night Train]

Re: Clause forbids Bills' sale to anyone intent on relocation

Sounds like a recipe for ownership that will pocket every available dollar, never exceed the cap minimum, forget about building a competitive club, dump vets for rookies frequently, never franchise anybody and so on...

Let the club be sold and see the new owner before playing self serving taps...

[IlluminatusUIUC]

Re: Clause forbids Bills' sale to anyone intent on relocation

Neither am I, but Graham's point was because Toronto is considered to be within the Buffalo regional footprint it may not be a relocation in terms of what the clause excludes. I'm not saying it does or it doesn't, but it appears like its something that would need to be answered.

The way the text of the clause reads in the section they printed in the article, it sounds like any relocation whatsoever would be barred without the consent of the county and stadium corp.

[Guest]

Re: Clause forbids Bills' sale to anyone intent on relocation

Even if that is the case, which I doubt, I would rather see that, than the Bills in Toronto or LA.

Talking proud.