I Think The NFL Can't Believe What's Happening In Buffalo

[BillsImpossible]

I can realistically imagine hearing NFL bigwigs talking to each other 1 year ago saying, "Nobody in Buffalo has the money to buy the Bills after Wilson dies, only a Unicorn can save the team from moving to a more lucrative market that will help expand our market share of the sports industry. Don't worry boys, we've got Bon Jovi on our side and Buffalo is living on a prayer."

I don't think the NFL thought Terry Pegula would ever step up to the plate and hit a home run like he just did.

Terry Pegula played coy after buying the Buffalo Sabres, and only very recently did he sell land for $1.7 billion.

After Pegula sold that land, I wouldn't be surprised if the NFL's money masters took a giant collective crap in their pants.

"Oh no he didn't."

Oh yes he did.

$1.3 billion Buffalo Bills.

The NFL never saw Pegula coming. They thought they had Buffalo in the bag, but got left holding it.

Why has the NFL been pushing for a team in Toronto since 2006?

Because the NFL is enamored by numbers.

Pigs get fed, hogs get slaughtered.

Speaking of bacon, I'm going to make a BLT tonight with a slice of American cheese.

Priceless.

http://www.worldpopulationstatistics.com/ontario-population/

Based on the estimates made using population census data and historical population growth statistics, the population of Ontario as of the year 2013 is 13,472,400.

[Skooby]

If it meant that much, they'd give Toronto an expansion team.

[IlluminatusUIUC]

Nobody in Buffalo has the money to buy the Bills after Wilson dies

Well they were right. Nobody in Buffalo does have that money, we've lucked into a crazy rich guy who loves Buffalo.

[YardRat]

I don't know why some are fretting about having 'only' three bidders. Three parties that were interested enough to plop down initial offers of over a billion is just fine by me. Sure, there were a lot more alleged interested prties, but the reality probably is many were either scared away over the no-relocation language, or wet their pants when they got a whiff of what somebody like Pegs was going to put on the table. Obviously there were a lot of people that wanted to move the team, or thought they were going to get an $850mil dollar steal.

[swiper]

I don't know why some are fretting about having 'only' three bidders. Three parties that were interested enough to plop down initial offers of over a billion is just fine by me. Sure, there were a lot more alleged interested prties, but the reality probably is many were either scared away over the no-relocation language, or wet their pants when they got a whiff of what somebody like Pegs was going to put on the table. Obviously there were a lot of people that wanted to move the team, or thought they were going to get an $850mil dollar steal.

Count me in as a 'fretter', at least initially. Now I'm not. I agree with you. We were told by the media of all this interest, then it boiled down to three - or at least that is what we're being told. (I think you have to leave the door open to some surprises). But I agree that most of the interested parties likely wanted to move the team. When they found out how hard that would be they backed off. And absolutely three is better than none. I think this will work out just fine.

[Albany,n.y.]

I don't buy any of this nonsense that the NFL bigwigs want the Bills out of Buffalo.

[sudzy]

I don't buy any of this nonsense that the NFL bigwigs want the Bills out of Buffalo.

I think most owners would like to keep the Bills in Buffalo. Jerry Jones is the only one that has made commits that the Bills maybe should be moved.

[Thurmal]

I don't buy any of this nonsense that the NFL bigwigs want the Bills out of Buffalo.
That scumbag Roger Goodell would love to see them move to LA, Toronto, London, wherever.

[Albany,n.y.]

That scumbag Roger Goodell would love to see them move to LA, Toronto, London, wherever.

Where's your evidence?
These "The NFL hates Buffalo" threads are and have been ridiculous.
Here's a timeline of things I've seen Bills fans say without any regard to actual facts:

Ralph is getting old, when he dies the NFL will surely want to sell the team to someone who will move the team to LA or Toronto.
Ralph has no succession plan.
The lease is almost up, the Bills will be gone in 2013.
The lease says they can pay a penalty & leave, they're gone as soon as the new owner buys the team.
Bon Jovi's moving the team to Toronto (in spite of the fact he doesn't own it and probably never will)

...and the dumbest thing I've seen (from the comment section of Bucky Gleason's Pegula article)-"I also mentioned before that the left leaning federal government might just put some pressure on the NFL to steer away from Pegula based on their hatred for the idea of America to be self sufficient for our energy needs."

All the Negative Nancys will always find a way to be miserable & find some way to talk themselves into thinking that everyone hates Buffalo, wants to move the Bills or in the extreme, will say their political enemies don't want the most likely buyer to buy the team. It's always something but the bottom line is the negative conjectures are never supported when the facts come out. If the NNs were correct the Bills would have left WNY 40 years ago. Some of you are just masochists looking for your next whipping.

[Ingtar33]

If it meant that much, they'd give Toronto an expansion team.

yep.

BillsImpossible doesn't really grasp what the NFL is if he thinks the owners sit around imagining Bon Jovi as one of them. The NFL is just a giant lucrative rich man's club. They're interested only in who will fit in with the rest of the guys. The only thing that irritated them about buffalo was you could count on Ralph Wilson to say no to any change the league wanted to employ. So their only dream about ownership in buffalo is finding a billionaire who wants to get along with the clique. Sure they can make money from a popular team in Toronto... more money they they would make from a popular team in buffalo... but that cash gets split 32 ways... so it's not enough money to really factor into their thought process.

They actually make quite a bit of money from expansion... expanding the league +2 teams, one to LA and one to Toronto would make them a fortune. But again... we're talking about people for whom billions of dollars is in the profit margins of their annual portfolio... so again... it's apparently not enough money to get the league to expand to LA or Toronto because those options aren't on the table.

No... the only interest the league has in this whole mess, is that the team get sold ABOVE market value. Because teams get sold so rarely, the "market" value is more hypothetical then real... so the more the team is sold for the more "everyone's" team is worth... and THAT my friend is all they really care about.

[Fletch]

yep.

BillsImpossible doesn't really grasp what the NFL is if he thinks the owners sit around imagining Bon Jovi as one of them. The NFL is just a giant lucrative rich man's club. They're interested only in who will fit in with the rest of the guys. The only thing that irritated them about buffalo was you could count on Ralph Wilson to say no to any change the league wanted to employ. So their only dream about ownership in buffalo is finding a billionaire who wants to get along with the clique. Sure they can make money from a popular team in Toronto... more money they they would make from a popular team in buffalo... but that cash gets split 32 ways... so it's not enough money to really factor into their thought process.

Actually, only some of the revenues are shared, much of which is locally generated goes to the team.

According to this link http://harvardsportsanalysis.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/the-nfl-business-model-and-potential-lockout.pdf;

60% is shared and what is not shared is ...

"Only 40 percent of the Packers’ revenues are locally generated. The sources of this local revenue include home ticket receipts, private boxes, parking, concessions, and local marketing, sponsorships, and media deals"

Agree with your assessment of the NFL club environment.

[stuckincincy]

yep.

BillsImpossible doesn't really grasp what the NFL is if he thinks the owners sit around imagining Bon Jovi as one of them. The NFL is just a giant lucrative rich man's club. They're interested only in who will fit in with the rest of the guys. The only thing that irritated them about buffalo was you could count on Ralph Wilson to say no to any change the league wanted to employ. So their only dream about ownership in buffalo is finding a billionaire who wants to get along with the clique. Sure they can make money from a popular team in Toronto... more money they they would make from a popular team in buffalo... but that cash gets split 32 ways... so it's not enough money to really factor into their thought process.

They actually make quite a bit of money from expansion... expanding the league +2 teams, one to LA and one to Toronto would make them a fortune. But again... we're talking about people for whom billions of dollars is in the profit margins of their annual portfolio... so again... it's apparently not enough money to get the league to expand to LA or Toronto because those options aren't on the table.

No... the only interest the league has in this whole mess, is that the team get sold ABOVE market value. Because teams get sold so rarely, the "market" value is more hypothetical then real... so the more the team is sold for the more "everyone's" team is worth... and THAT my friend is all they really care about.

"and THAT my friend is all they really care about."

Which is why the last time I attended an NFL game was in 1986, in PGH. Drunken brawls, even back then. Never bought a single trinket. I follow it, watch games, enjoy the banter, and pay for that via the cut out of my hide that the cable company extracts for sports programming and a sales tax increase in the county I live in, savaged by stadium bond repayments to give a local businessman essentially a free building to pile up profits.

[Fletch]

I don't know why some are fretting about having 'only' three bidders. Three parties that were interested enough to plop down initial offers of over a billion is just fine by me. Sure, there were a lot more alleged interested prties, but the reality probably is many were either scared away over the no-relocation language, or wet their pants when they got a whiff of what somebody like Pegs was going to put on the table. Obviously there were a lot of people that wanted to move the team, or thought they were going to get an $850mil dollar steal.

Don't know why anyone would be upset over only three bidders. I thought it was great and the best possible scenario. It seems to me that the opposite is true, that had we had more it would have been worse.

Ideally two bidders, Golisano and Pegula, or maybe only one of them even. Three seems to be about as few as they could have while still keeping the process legit.

What has me worried are the rumors that they're going to open it up to more bidders which obviously would decrease Pegs' chances. But if that happens then it raises other questions. Right now the trust has pretty much what appears to be a green light to taking Pegs' offer and everyone will be happy, at least for now and until the whole new stadium issue begins to pop up.

[notacon]

I don't think this was a "surprise" at all....and I don't buy the analysis presented in the first post for a moment.

In fact, I would say that the NFL leadership would seek out local ownership if needed. The last thing in the world the NFL wants is for the Bills to move out of Buffalo. Having a team in LA would do nothing for the bottom line...which is the value of the TV contracts. That cash cow has no signs of ever reducing, much less ending, and if it was a deciding issue, there would have been a team in LA long ago.

The politics of this are what is important. A move out of Buffalo could possibly bring the NFL's antimonopoly exemption into play. Don't think for a second that the governor of NY, the Senators of NY, and several other NY politicos have not had long talks with Goodell. Goodell is not a "scumbag"...he is a very astute businessman that has to keep 32 really rich guys happy and deals with the most powerful people in the entertainment industry.

This takes an immense amount of skill, diplomacy and sharp business acumen. Anyone who doubts that has no idea what they are talking about.

[stuckincincy]

Don't know why anyone would be upset over only three bidders. I thought it was great and the best possible scenario. It seems to me that the opposite is true, that had we had more it would have been worse.

Ideally two bidders, Golisano and Pegula, or maybe only one of them even. Three seems to be about as few as they could have while still keeping the process legit.

What has me worried are the rumors that they're going to open it up to more bidders which obviously would decrease Pegs' chances. But if that happens then it raises other questions. Right now the trust has pretty much what appears to be a green light to taking Pegs' offer and everyone will be happy, at least for now and until the whole new stadium issue begins to pop up.

I think they are forced consider other bids under pain of not honoring the intent of a trust. You can't imbed a covenant that demands that the item purchased must be bound within a particular piece of geography and at the same time established a trust with seeking maximizing return.Devil is in the details, but I can't see the legal folks who certified the trust would allow such. Be it's asset sports team or not. Sheik X could show up, bid 2bn for fun and giggles. Sheik X could sue the trustees for unsound care of the beneficiaries.

The NFL knows that the RW situation is so messy because of the lease deal. IMO, it's another Jarndyce vs. Jarndyce. I can see ownership decisions pending for quite a time. I'm sure a few season ticket holders will file suit, merit or not.

[Fletch]

I don't think this was a "surprise" at all....and I don't buy the analysis presented in the first post for a moment.

In fact, I would say that the NFL leadership would seek out local ownership if needed. The last thing in the world the NFL wants is for the Bills to move out of Buffalo. Having a team in LA would do nothing for the bottom line...which is the value of the TV contracts. That cash cow has no signs of ever reducing, much less ending, and if it was a deciding issue, there would have been a team in LA long ago.

The politics of this are what is important. A move out of Buffalo could possibly bring the NFL's antimonopoly exemption into play. Don't think for a second that the governor of NY, the Senators of NY, and several other NY politicos have not had long talks with Goodell. Goodell is not a "scumbag"...he is a very astute businessman that has to keep 32 really rich guys happy and deals with the most powerful people in the entertainment industry.

This takes an immense amount of skill, diplomacy and sharp business acumen. Anyone who doubts that has no idea what they are talking about.

Politics aren't what drives the sale of NFL teams, economics do. Politics influence, but at the end of the day it's pure economics unless an unprecedented occurrence, such as an uberwealthy bidder wants to overpay for a purpose, in this case keeping the team in WNY.

I just posted an article however that denies that $1.3B was Pegs' bid. Now that could mean that it's really $1.34B or something close, who knows. Just sayin', we do not know, all of these things are rumors.

Cuomo, the governor as you generically mention him, has already adamantly come out and said that the State will not contribute to a new stadium. A new stadium will cost near $1B. Any buyer such as Pegs will have to factor that into his business planning. No owner can make money and recoup his investment reasonably, especially not in Buffalo, by paying $2.3B for the team and to keep it here. Whether Pegs will care, if he's even the high bidder, remains to be seen.

[Fletch]

I think they are forced consider other bids under pain of not honoring the intent of a trust. You can't imbed a covenant that demands that the item purchased must be bound within a particular piece of geography and at the same time established a trust with seeking maximizing return.Devil is in the details, but I can't see the legal folks who certified the trust would allow such. Be it's asset sports team or not. Sheik X could show up, bid 2bn for fun and giggles. Sheik X could sue the trustees for unsound care of the beneficiaries.

The NFL knows that the RW situation is so messy because of the lease deal. IMO, it's another Jarndyce vs. Jarndyce. I can see ownership decisions pending for quite a time. I'm sure a few season ticket holders will file suit, merit or not.

I hear ya, but would the trust solicit bids from bidders that are ineligible and would they not disqualify any such bidders at the onset. It's rhetorical, but it takes a lot of time, money, and as notacon says, a "an immense amount of skill, diplomacy and sharp business acumen," largely via attorneys that do not work cheaply at this level.

I have a very difficult time believing that it's ethical to feign that a party is eligible while knowing that it is not the case. I see potential for lawsuits of any such bidders demanding the money that they spent to prepare such bids along with other related expenses such as stadium studies or whatnot.

[notacon]

Politics aren't what drives the sale of NFL teams, economics do. Politics influence, but at the end of the day it's pure economics unless an unprecedented occurrence, such as an uberwealthy bidder wants to overpay for a purpose, in this case keeping the team in WNY.

I just posted an article however that denies that $1.3B was Pegs' bid. Now that could mean that it's really $1.34B or something close, who knows. Just sayin', we do not know, all of these things are rumors.

Cuomo, the governor as you generically mention him, has already adamantly come out and said that the State will not contribute to a new stadium. A new stadium will cost near $1B. Any buyer such as Pegs will have to factor that into his business planning. No owner can make money and recoup his investment reasonably, especially not in Buffalo, by paying $2.3B for the team and to keep it here. Whether Pegs will care, if he's even the high bidder, remains to be seen.

I never said that "politics drive the sale of NFL teams". My point is that politics prevent the NFL from "not believing what's happening" in the sale of the Bills, and politics plays a HUGE part in the NFL doing all they can to prevent the Bills from moving.

Additionally, I strongly object to the "scumbag" label being put on Goodell. It's simply ridiculous.

I was not "generically referring to Cuomo". What I said applies to ANY governor of this state. Who cares that Cuomo says that the state will not contribute to a new stadium. He is not going to be governor forever, and politics have a strange way of changing on a dime.

The economics definitely affect keeping this team in Buffalo, and I have always been one to say that the penalty clause in the current stadium contract would not stop a new owner from moving the team, if the right deal came along in another city.

I would not suppose to know the kind of financial deal a new owner would have to deal with. None of us do. But, to minimize the importance of the NFL antimonopoly exemption and what politics play into that is foolish.

[Mr. Pink]

I never said that "politics drive the sale of NFL teams". My point is that politics prevent the NFL from "not believing what's happening" in the sale of the Bills, and politics plays a HUGE part in the NFL doing all they can to prevent the Bills from moving.


I would not suppose to know the kind of financial deal a new owner would have to deal with. None of us do. But, to minimize the importance of the NFL antimonopoly exemption and what politics play into that is foolish.

Yes, politics and the antimonopoly exemption thing really stopped the Oilers from leaving Houston or the Browns from leaving Cleveland.

Hell, the city of Cleveland sued Art Modell and won, the team still left and the antimonopoly exemption wasn't threatened.

People talk about leases with cities like they matter, Modell had a lease and broke it.

This isn't saying that the Bills are leaving, this is just saying them leaving isn't a complete impossibility that some people like to believe it is. Actually with the bids so far, I'd say there is a very good likelihood they stay.

[notacon]

Yes, politics and the antimonopoly exemption thing really stopped the Oilers from leaving Houston or the Browns from leaving Cleveland.

Hell, the city of Cleveland sued Art Modell and won, the team still left and the antimonopoly exemption wasn't threatened.

People talk about leases with cities like they matter, Modell had a lease and broke it.

This isn't saying that the Bills are leaving, this is just saying them leaving isn't a complete impossibility that some people like to believe it is. Actually with the bids so far, I'd say there is a very good likelihood they stay.

The Browns left Cleveland almost 20 years ago, and the Oilers left Houston over 15 years ago. Things change.

And both of those cities were awarded new franchises. What, exactly, is your point?

[WagonCircler]

Goodell is not a "scumbag"...he is a very astute businessman that has to keep 32 really rich guys happy and deals with the most powerful people in the entertainment industry..

It's also highly probable that he grew up a Bills fan, being from Jamestown.

[WagonCircler]

Yes, politics and the antimonopoly exemption thing really stopped the Oilers from leaving Houston or the Browns from leaving Cleveland.

Hell, the city of Cleveland sued Art Modell and won, the team still left and the antimonopoly exemption wasn't threatened.

People talk about leases with cities like they matter, Modell had a lease and broke it.

This isn't saying that the Bills are leaving, this is just saying them leaving isn't a complete impossibility that some people like to believe it is. Actually with the bids so far, I'd say there is a very good likelihood they stay.

Those two situations were highly contentious four long periods of time.

This situation is TOTALLY different. There is a committed, local, very wealthy owner who has pledged to keep the team here.

This is still, by the way, a family matter, first and for most. The NFL would have absolutely no reason to disqualify Pegula.

Idiots like you act like the NFL is awarding a franchise from scratch and has a choice to make between Toronto and Buffalo. There's not a choice. This is an existing franchise and it's going to be sold to a local owner who meets all the requirements of NFL ownership.

[Mr. Pink]

The Browns left Cleveland almost 20 years ago, and the Oilers left Houston over 15 years ago. Things change.

And both of those cities were awarded new franchises. What, exactly, is your point?

Neither Cleveland nor Houston were guaranteed franchises when the owner of each respective franchise announced they were moving. So what does them both getting rewarded new franchises have anything to do with it?


Those two situations were highly contentious four long periods of time.

This situation is TOTALLY different. There is a committed, local, very wealthy owner who has pledged to keep the team here.

This is still, by the way, a family matter, first and for most. The NFL would have absolutely no reason to disqualify Pegula.

Idiots like you act like the NFL is awarding a franchise from scratch and has a choice to make between Toronto and Buffalo. There's not a choice. This is an existing franchise and it's going to be sold to a local owner who meets all the requirements of NFL ownership.

If some outisde ownership group who wanted to move the team to LA, San Antonio or even Anchorage came in and bid 1.8 billion dollars, you know what would happen?

The Buffalo Bills would cease to exist sometime between the end of this upcoming season and the end of the lease.

Money talks and someone placing an inflated number on an NFL franchise is exactly what the 31 other NFL owners would love to see. Why? Because it validates a value on their own franchise and likely makes it even more valuable.

It amuses me how people seem to think the NFL owes any city an NFL team or there is any loyalty to a city. You have billionaire owners who don't give a F or have any loyalty to their own millionaire employees let alone the random ahole fans. Then again the millionaire employees don't give a F or have any loyalty to their billionaire owners and the random ahole fans either.

If Bon Jovi somehow bought this team tomorrow and announced that he was moving the team to Toronto, do you think he would give a shiz what anyone on this board thought of him doing that? Do you think he even cares now that half of Buffalo already hates him because he's a pretentious pompous dick? He's too busy counting his money to care what some random ahole stranger thinks of him.

By the same token, do you really think Roger Goodell would care if the Buffalo Bills ceased to exist in 7 years?

It's all business. The only people who have any stake or loyalty is the fans. The fans have loyalty to absentee landlord owners who only care about their bottomline. The fans have loyalty to players who only care how many zeroes will be in the guaranteed money portion of their next contract.

And Ralph and loyalty? Please. He wanted to put a team in Miami not Buffalo originally. He threatened to move to Seattle to leverage the city into getting a new stadium. The last 14 years he gave you barebones BS football that was only set up to widen his profit margin not win football games. Even downtrodden teams can luck into a good season here and there, this team was set up for monetary gain and mediocrity.

Welcome to reality.

So here's the hope. The hope is Pegula, if he does have the highest bid as being reported, actually cares to keep this team here long term so that maybe you can take your grandchildren to a game one day and talk about the good old days of 1990 and actually cares enough to win football games so we're not all sitting here 14 more years from now still living off the golden years like Miami Dolphin fans still live off of 1972.

[Mace]

To me, the weird thing isn't that Pegula might ante up, which would be wonderful and glorious, it's that the NFL and Morgan Stanley appear to want more insufficient bids...like it seems more important 15 people bid low than one will bid high.

It's not a complete impossibility that they will leave, but I despise the NFL for cultivating the overbid maybe when it hasn't materialized. It's like begging for Gates to blow 15 billion to move them to Podunk when you have someone delighted to near double their value and keep them in Buffalo, a city that adores them. Shut down that damn bid deadline, people had enough time to see who wants to own the Bills. Don't beg rich people, they have a chance to ante up once.

Almost looks to me like the NFL is whoring past their own process. Goodell needs to grow some spine for the league he's pretending to shepherd.

[WagonCircler]

Neither Cleveland nor Houston were guaranteed franchises when the owner of each respective franchise announced they were moving. So what does them both getting rewarded new franchises have anything to do with it?



If some outisde ownership group who wanted to move the team to LA, San Antonio or even Anchorage came in and bid 1.8 billion dollars, you know what would happen?.

Yes. I do.

That ownership group would have placed a bid already.

No one had any clue that the deadline for bids would be extended, so a group bidding $1.8 BIL would not gamble that the deadline wouldn't.

Nobody is bidding $1.8 BIL.

And my main point is, has, and will continue to be, that Roger Goodell, Jerry Jones, nor anyone else will be able to stop the sale if the Good Widow Wilson wants to sell her late husband's team to a committed, local owner.

They can dream all they want to about larger markets and international marketing, but as has been pointed out here time after time, an anti-trust suit would have clear merit and would imperil the very existence of the league itself.

You keep saying your Rosary that the Bills leave so your faking stupid snarky ass can say "I told you so" but you're going to be disappointed in the end, *****.

[Mr. Pink]

And my main point is, has, and will continue to be, that Roger Goodell, Jerry Jones, nor anyone else will be able to stop the sale if the Good Widow Wilson wants to sell her late husband's team to a committed, local owner.

They can dream all they want to about larger markets and international marketing, but as has been pointed out here time after time, an anti-trust suit would have clear merit and would imperil the very existence of the league itself.

You keep saying your Rosary that the Bills leave so your faking stupid snarky ass can say "I told you so" but you're going to be disappointed in the end, *****.

Just like that USFL anti-trust lawsuit right? Or the fact the Oilers moved or the Browns moved. People keep hanging their hats on this anti-trust BS like it means anything or would stop someone from moving a team if they wanted to.

Of course all you really took from what I said is that I want the team to move. God forbid you can open your eyes past your own loyalty to a brand that has and never will have any loyalty to you.

If the NFL every had any loyalty to its respective fanbases the Colts would still play in Baltimore, the Browns would still be owned by Art Modell's family and you could still watch the LA Rams come into Ralph Wilson Stadium every eight years.

[notacon]

Neither Cleveland nor Houston were guaranteed franchises when the owner of each respective franchise announced they were moving. So what does them both getting rewarded new franchises have anything to do with it?



Just like that USFL anti-trust lawsuit right? Or the fact the Oilers moved or the Browns moved. People keep hanging their hats on this anti-trust BS like it means anything or would stop someone from moving a team if they wanted to.

Of course all you really took from what I said is that I want the team to move. God forbid you can open your eyes past your own loyalty to a brand that has and never will have any loyalty to you.

If the NFL every had any loyalty to its respective fanbases the Colts would still play in Baltimore, the Browns would still be owned by Art Modell's family and you could still watch the LA Rams come into Ralph Wilson Stadium every eight years.

Seriously? Do you have any idea of the history of political interaction with the NFL, specifically concerning movement of franchises and the anti-trust exemption granted the NFL??

Obviously, not.

Let me explain it to you.

First, the latest wave of movement of teams in the 90's, there has been only one city that ultimately did not obtain another franchise. LA. They did for a period of time after the Rams moved to St. Louis, but, Al Davis stretched the rules and ultimately never saw fulfillment of his dream of riches and a new stadium in LA. He put his tail between his legs and went back to Oakland.

Every other city that lost a franchise, got another, and that is no small matter. It's irrelevant if the city was "promised" a new team before the old one left or not.

In 1966, the NFL went to Congress pleading for further anti-trust exemptions expressly to have the ability to STOP uncontrollable franchise movement. This was required to allow the NFL-AFL merger. In asking for that exemption, Pete Rozelle, more or less promised that stability of franchise location would be served with the anti-trust exemption.

This history, and much more information is present in the House hearings concerning a proposed law that was in direct response to the movement of teams in the 90's.

House Report 104-656 - Part 1 - Fan Freedom and Community Protection Act of 1996 (http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/cpquery/?&dbname=cp104&sid=cp104h8NYK&refer=&r_n=hr656p1.104&item=&sel=TOC_21531&)

Some pertinent passages...



In 1966, arguing that competition between the NFL and the American Football League (`AFL') was undermining the stability of teams in both leagues, the NFL approached Congress again seeking special protection under the law: an antitrust exemption to permit the NFL and the AFL to merge. In testimony before Congress, then-NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle argued forcefully for the merger, saying that if it were approved:


Professional football operations will be preserved in the 23 cities and 25 stadiums where such operations are presently being conducted. This alone is a matter of considerable public interest--to local economies, stadium authorities, and consumers. Without the plan, franchise moves and/or franchise failures will occur as a matter of course within the next few years.


Professional Football League Merger: Hearings on S. 3817 Before the Antitrust Subcommittee of the House Committee on the Judiciary, 89th Cong., 2d Sess. 37 (1966). Congress once again responded to the leagues' entreaties, this time by enacting the Football Merger Act of 1966. See 15 U.S.C. Sec. 1291.


During congressional consideration of the Sports Broadcasting Act and the Football Merger Act, the professional sports leagues made certain promises, both explicit and implicit, as to how they would behave if the exemptions were granted. Specifically, they argued that the exemptions would create stability for the leagues, communities, and the fans. Recent history indicates that this has not been the case. Instead of bringing stability, pro sports team owners have taken advantage of the guaranteed television income stream and the limited number of franchises available to pit city against city in ever-escalating bidding wars with public officials desperate to keep existing teams or attract new ones.


Now, thirty years later, the leagues have returned to Congress looking for a third antitrust waiver to halt the recent rash of team movements because franchise relocations have caused continuing controversy for the NFL. In the 1980s, owner Al Davis moved the Oakland Raiders to Los Angeles; in 1994, he moved them back to Oakland. The St. Louis Cardinals moved to Arizona in the late 1980s, while the Los Angeles Rams recently moved to St. Louis. The city of Baltimore lost its team in 1984 when the Baltimore Colts abruptly abandoned that city for Indianapolis, Indiana. At present, the Houston Oilers are actively seeking to move to Nashville, and there are numerous rumors concerning possible moves by other teams. Since the early 1980s, the number and cost of team movements have dramatically increased. For example, the state of Maryland agreed to spend approximately $200 million dollars of public money to entice the Cleveland Browns to move.


The recent move of the former Cleveland Browns illustrates the problem that the cities and fans face. On November 6, 1995, the owner of the Browns, Art Modell, announced that he was moving the team to Baltimore, Maryland. Citing financial difficulty, Mr. Modell agreed to move his team in return for promises from the Maryland Stadium Authority of a new, multi-million dollar, state-of-the-art stadium. The Cleveland community, which has fervently supported the Browns for years, erupted in a storm of protest. In the controversy which followed, the public has hotly debated the economic, social, and emotional costs and benefits of moving professional sports franchises from one city to another.


In response, the city of Cleveland filed a lawsuit seeking to block the move. On February 8, 1996, the NFL reached a settlement with the city which, among other things, will provide Cleveland with a team by the 1999 season and allow the new team to use the `Browns' nickname. However, as part of the settlement, Cleveland will have to build a new stadium that will be funded in large part with public funds, but with a small part coming from a loan from the NFL. On February 9, the NFL owners voted to approve the settlement and to approve the relocation of the old team to Baltimore. Under the NFL Constitution, any move by an NFL owner must be approved by a 3/4ths majority of the team owners. The owners approved the move by a vote of 25-2.


The point is that the NFL has enjoyed such success because of the anti-trust exemptions that are a political matter. The movement of teams during the 90's caught the national attention of Congress.

To try and minimize the effects of fan outrage at the Buffalo Bills being moved to ****ING CANADA, and the importance of the political fallout and response, is ignorant beyond measure.

The history of movement of teams, where EVERY city that lost a team (except one) getting another is proof that movement of NFL teams is not strictly an financial matter of the owner.

The NFL has maintained the stance that it requires anti-trust exemptions in order to PREVENT mass movement of teams.

You are wrong!

[YardRat]

Anybody that believes putting an NFL team in LA, Toronto and/or London is a 'smart move' obviously is very bright, especially from a business standpoint. Unless, of course, the ultimate goal is to attempt to maximize franchise value and make a quick buck selling to another dumbass.

Also, I don't believe Goodell actually lived in Jamestown for very long, so it's pretty unlikely he grew up a Bills' fan to begin with.

[notacon]

Anybody that believes putting an NFL team in LA, Toronto and/or London is a 'smart move' obviously is very bright, especially from a business standpoint. Unless, of course, the ultimate goal is to attempt to maximize franchise value and make a quick buck selling to another dumbass.

Also, I don't believe Goodell actually lived in Jamestown for very long, so it's pretty unlikely he grew up a Bills' fan to begin with.

Probably very true.

The whole premise that the NFL "wants" a team in LA, Toronto or London is probably specious on it's own merits, but ridiculous if involving moving a team that has strong local support, like Buffalo.

My point is that the premise of this thread is not correct and relatively silly. The NFL CAN "believe what's happening in Buffalo", and, taking into consideration the decades long attempt by the NFL to do all it can to keep teams from moving, I would say the NFL is greatly relieved.

Additionally, I would speculate that the NFL has had a hand in encouraging the strong local bid. When a NFL franchise comes up for sale, the maneuvering does not happen in a vacuum or in public view. The owners have to approve any sale. Any perspective buyer has already had extensive communications with both the NFL and every team owner. This communication goes both ways. Goodell is not sitting on his hands, with furrowed brow, hoping that things go well with the ale of the Bills. Jesus, Goodell is the commensurate insider who is paid millions by the team owners to do what he does best. Work behind the scenes to make sure the NFL is run properly and with efficiency and lack of muss & fuss.

I believe, that the combination of the NFL's desire to ensure their anti-trust exemption, rabid local support that would explode if any talk of moving the team is even hinted at, political involvement that is not insignificant and the stadium problems of LA all point toward the NFL doing all it can to keep the Bills in Buffalo.

[gebobs]

That scumbag Roger Goodell would love to see them move to LA, Toronto, London, wherever.

That scumbag native of Jamestown. Makes me sick.

[Woodman]

16990

Biggest pile wins!