Where things stand with the Toronto group bidding on the Buffalo Bills: answers to 5

[Fletch]

Where things stand with the Toronto group bidding on the Buffalo Bills: answers to 5 vital questions, via sources

http://blogs.canoe.ca/krykslants/nfl/where-things-stand-with-the-toronto-group-bidding-on-the-buffalo-bills-answers-to-5-vital-questions-via-sources/

fwiw

What it does do is state that what some people claim to know is in fact still unknown.

Some examples and excerpts:

5. DO THEY [Toronto Group] HAVE ANY HOPE OF WINNING?

If the trust has written instructions, or merely the sentimental wish, to honour Wilson’s legacy and sell the team only to a bidder with local ties and no suspected relocation intentions (notions that many grizzled financial insiders totally roll their eyes at, I’m told), then no.


If the trust doesn’t really care whether the team stays or goes and only wants to maximize the sale price, and if the NFL doesn’t care about said short-term lame-duck hell in Buffalo (because the NFL actually wants the team to relocate to Toronto, the thinking goes by some insiders), and if none of Pegula, Donald Trump or Western New York billionaire Tom Golisano is prepared to go much over $1 billion, and if Bon Jovi really wants to pour virtually all of his liquid net worth (and maybe liquidize other parts) into an illiquid sports team, then yes.


I'm not sure that I agree that it would be lame-duck hell in Buffalo if the assumption is that the team's moving. First of all they're not going to state that up front, it won't be said until several years from now more than likely as the construction of a new stadium in Mississauga or Toronto becomes approved.

I see fans if anything showing up in bigger numbers knowing that the next bunch of seasons would be the last here. I don't think that any significant number would still avidly follow the team there, but imo they underestimate the Bills fanbase. I think tix for that last season, unless we really suck worse than we do now, would be a hot ticket. Even then they might be.

[Skooby]

Re: Where things stand with the Toronto group bidding on the Buffalo Bills: answers t

Rubbish.

[Fletch]

Re: Where things stand with the Toronto group bidding on the Buffalo Bills: answers t

Rubbish.

What's rubbish?

If you ask me, what's rubbish is that the NFL is adamant on keeping the team in Buffalo. There's reasons for keeping them here, but there are also lots of valid reasons to move the team. Absolutely no one that thinks that the team would best serve the interests of the NFL by moving is going to make that known at this time, including NFL people and insiders. This is one of those things where you can't trust anyone involved except for Pegula or Golisano.

What had me very concerned was reading in another piece on the topic a few days ago was that the writer said that a new owner would likely leave the major parts of the FO in place. To me that would be the most devastating blow right there, if the current morons were kept on to continue to ruin this team and drive it into the ground.

[better days]

Re: Where things stand with the Toronto group bidding on the Buffalo Bills: answers t

Where things stand with the Toronto group bidding on the Buffalo Bills: answers to 5 vital questions, via sources

http://blogs.canoe.ca/krykslants/nfl/where-things-stand-with-the-toronto-group-bidding-on-the-buffalo-bills-answers-to-5-vital-questions-via-sources/

fwiw

What it does do is state that what some people claim to know is in fact still unknown.

Some examples and excerpts:

5. DO THEY [Toronto Group] HAVE ANY HOPE OF WINNING?

If the trust has written instructions, or merely the sentimental wish, to honour Wilson’s legacy and sell the team only to a bidder with local ties and no suspected relocation intentions (notions that many grizzled financial insiders totally roll their eyes at, I’m told), then no.


If the trust doesn’t really care whether the team stays or goes and only wants to maximize the sale price, and if the NFL doesn’t care about said short-term lame-duck hell in Buffalo (because the NFL actually wants the team to relocate to Toronto, the thinking goes by some insiders), and if none of Pegula, Donald Trump or Western New York billionaire Tom Golisano is prepared to go much over $1 billion, and if Bon Jovi really wants to pour virtually all of his liquid net worth (and maybe liquidize other parts) into an illiquid sports team, then yes.


I'm not sure that I agree that it would be lame-duck hell in Buffalo if the assumption is that the team's moving. First of all they're not going to state that up front, it won't be said until several years from now more than likely as the construction of a new stadium in Mississauga or Toronto becomes approved.

I see fans if anything showing up in bigger numbers knowing that the next bunch of seasons would be the last here. I don't think that any significant number would still avidly follow the team there, but imo they underestimate the Bills fanbase. I think tix for that last season, unless we really suck worse than we do now, would be a hot ticket. Even then they might be.

From the same article

1. ARE THEY LYING?
Almost nobody in Western New York-or Toronto for that matter-believes that the Toronto group is in earnest in its intention to keep the club in Buffalo. Who can blame them?

3. Do they have the money?

but at some point soon thereafter, especially if the sale price approaches $1.5 billion they'll be out.

1. This is why if the Toronto group does win & buys the Bills they will play to a ghost of a crowd at the Stadium in Buffalo.

3. Pegula or Golisono will have no problem outbidding the douches from Toronto!

[YardRat]

Re: Where things stand with the Toronto group bidding on the Buffalo Bills: answers t

Lol...'grizzled' financial insiders.

The threat of moving will always be a factor, regardless of who owns the team.

[Novacane]

Re: Where things stand with the Toronto group bidding on the Buffalo Bills: answers t

I see fans if anything showing up in bigger numbers knowing that the next bunch of seasons would be the last here. I don't think that any significant number would still avidly follow the team there, but imo they underestimate the Bills fanbase. I think tix for that last season, unless we really suck worse than we do now, would be a hot ticket. Even then they might be.

Wow. This writer is really stupid.

[trapezeus]

Re: Where things stand with the Toronto group bidding on the Buffalo Bills: answers t

well a canadian blog said it, so i'll hold my breath.

these are all the points we've tried to assess 1000 times. its down to the bidding process.

[Yasgur's Farm]

Re: Where things stand with the Toronto group bidding on the Buffalo Bills: answers t

The new owner of the Bills (assuming he/she keeps them in WNY) will need to shift marketing to CNY and NWPA. Toronto can support an NFL franchise on it's own... They will eventually get one IMO. That means the Bills need to focus there fan base efforts away from Canada in order to be viable in the future. Look for the new stadium to be west of Buffalo. probably close to the 90 IMO.

PS... A rivalry with Toronto will be epic and something the NFL will want to pursue.

[Fletch]

Re: Where things stand with the Toronto group bidding on the Buffalo Bills: answers t

1. This is why if the Toronto group does win & buys the Bills they will play to a ghost of a crowd at the Stadium in Buffalo.

You really think this?

I can't even imagine. All we hear here and everywhere else is what great fans we have. So now everyone's insisting that if the team is sold and announces future plans to move the team AFTER 6 more seasons, that no one's going to games here?

That doesn't add up now, does it.

Even if that happens they're still the BUFFALO Bills for how ever many more seasons. Now, I can see the stadium being empty if Whaley, Brandon, and the rest of the fools in the front office are left in there under a new owner and with no end to misery in sight the current trend continues, particularly once we get within 3 seasons or so of the move date, but I wouldn't relate that to the team moving, I'd more relate it to a front office that has insulted its fanbase for a couple of decades and treated them more like boosters than actual paying fans.

[Fletch]

Re: Where things stand with the Toronto group bidding on the Buffalo Bills: answers t

Wow. This writer is really stupid.

So what you're saying is that we have the best fans in the NFL, but the second that it's announced that the team is moving then that fanbase will turn on its own team in a split second even though that team is still here in Buffalo?

WOW! Just WOW!

And you guys call me not a fan.

WOW!

[Fletch]

Re: Where things stand with the Toronto group bidding on the Buffalo Bills: answers t

The new owner of the Bills (assuming he/she keeps them in WNY) will need to shift marketing to CNY and NWPA. Toronto can support an NFL franchise on it's own... They will eventually get one IMO. That means the Bills need to focus there fan base efforts away from Canada in order to be viable in the future. Look for the new stadium to be west of Buffalo. probably close to the 90 IMO.

PS... A rivalry with Toronto will be epic and something the NFL will want to pursue.

Ever been to NWPA? It's either Steelers or Browns there. Also, that population base is scrawny and insignificant.

As to CNY, the only way that they're going to capture that audience more than it follows the Giants is to build a stadium closer to it. Not sure that's in the cards. I guess we'll find out what Pegula's or Golisano's plans are once they buy the team if they get it.

[Fletch]

Re: Where things stand with the Toronto group bidding on the Buffalo Bills: answers t

well a canadian blog said it, so i'll hold my breath.

these are all the points we've tried to assess 1000 times. its down to the bidding process.

Yeah, agree. I only posted this because it made a couple of good points that people here claim to know when no one else does, not even people much closer to the situation, such as the notion that we have no idea what's in the instructions to the trust, whether it's highest bidder or to someone that promises to keep the team around here, which is all but worthless since every bidder will.

The other thing was that the trust can hardly prevent selling to a future owner while dictating what he's going to do with the team regarding moving it. It's not like Wilson or his "will" is going to run this team posthumously for two more decades, which some people here seem to think will happen. It's a ridiculous thought.

[Bill Cody]

Re: Where things stand with the Toronto group bidding on the Buffalo Bills: answers t

1) the reason I've been concerned for many years about the fact that Wilson failed to make a deal before he died for the team (even if that deal did not take effect until he died) is that it left open the possibility of the team going to the highest bidder. It's still a concern. So I agree with the grizzled financial insiders on this.

2) The lease is the one reason, and it's a big reason, why I'm not in full panic mode right now. $400m is a lot of dough. My money is still on Peg to come out of this standing. But it ain't over till it's over and that's entirely Ralph's fault.

3) I don't know about ghost town, that's strong but I lean much closer to Better Days take on the issue of attendance if a Toronto group buys the team. Human nature says people don't like being lied to to the faces and being told in essence that they're idiots. That's about what the Toronto group would be saying to Bills fans if they said they were staying in Buffalo. And make no mistake, attending football games is a community event. It costs a lot to go and there's a lot of effort involved. if Bills fans feel a sense of pending betrayal lots of them simply won't bother. It may not reduce the TV ratings as much, old habits die hard, but forking out big bucks to go to games is an entirely different matter and it would hurt attendance a LOT.

[ServoBillieves]

Re: Where things stand with the Toronto group bidding on the Buffalo Bills: answers t

So what you're saying is that we have the best fans in the NFL, but the second that it's announced that the team is moving then that fanbase will turn on its own team in a split second even though that team is still here in Buffalo?

WOW! Just WOW!

And you guys call me not a fan.

WOW!

Would the team feel like it was still the Buffalo Bills if you knew that in a few years that would no longer be the case? Would you be proud to say "yeah, I rooted my heart out for the team that was taken to Toronto and USED to be an NFL team?" So many underlying factors that you disregard to favor "being right."

If a group comes in here, after saying they aren't moving the team and then move them, would you support a bold faced lie to millions of people? That's no longer Ralph's/Buffalo's/our team, it's a bold faced lie. "Let's hope that before they leave, the NFL can script a great, feel good story for us so that it hurts less when they're the Argo's!" It's bull****, the team stays in WNY and we all stay fans, it goes and people will jump ship with good reason.

[Goobylal]

Re: Where things stand with the Toronto group bidding on the Buffalo Bills: answers t

Lol...'grizzled' financial insiders.

The threat of moving will always be a factor, regardless of who owns the team.

Not if it's Pegula.