Toronto bid had advanced. Meets with trust tomorrow

[Novacane]

After almost two weeks either on the outs or in limbo, the Bon Jovi/Toronto bid group has been advised it is a finalist in the Buffalo Bills sale, QMI Agency learned Monday morning.

The group is scheduled to meet with the seller and its transaction team on Tuesday in Manhattan.

Over the weekend the Toronto group finally was informed its rebid had been accepted, sources say

http://www.torontosun.com/2014/08/11/toronto-group-advances-to-final-phase-of-bills-sale

[swiper]

https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1843975333/Adam-Benigni_normal.jpgAdam Benigni ✔ @AdamBenigni (https://twitter.com/AdamBenigni)

Was told Friday Toronto would not be eliminated since trust is in no place to eliminate bidders with limited number. @wgrz (https://twitter.com/WGRZ)

[SpikedLemonade]

https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1843975333/Adam-Benigni_normal.jpgAdam Benigni ✔ @AdamBenigni (https://twitter.com/AdamBenigni)

Was told Friday Toronto would not be eliminated since trust is in no place to eliminate bidders with limited number. @wgrz (https://twitter.com/WGRZ)

Yes, the Bills in Buffalo are in great demand.

[bleve]

Bid fodder

[Fletch]

After almost two weeks either on the outs or in limbo, the Bon Jovi/Toronto bid group has been advised it is a finalist in the Buffalo Bills sale, QMI Agency learned Monday morning.

The group is scheduled to meet with the seller and its transaction team on Tuesday in Manhattan.

Over the weekend the Toronto group finally was informed its rebid had been accepted, sources say

http://www.torontosun.com/2014/08/11/toronto-group-advances-to-final-phase-of-bills-sale

It's a false report. This can't be.

We were assured by the experts here that JBJ/Tannenbaum's offer was DOA.

[OpIv37]

The only thing we know about this whole process is that we don't know nearly what we think we do. Pretty much everything that has been released has been contradicted, and as fans we have no way to know which one is the truth.

So there are three possibilities here.

1. Due to the lack of bids and the bids possibly being lower than what was initially reported, perhaps this report is right and the trust cannot afford to reject the bid based on non-relocation alone.

2. The trust isn't seriously considering the bid but has made them a finalist to attempt to drive up the bids or possibly attract new bids.

3. The 2nd Bon Jovi bid satisfied the trust's concern that the group would not move the team.

IMO #3 is the least likely, but that's just an opinion. I have no way of knowing.

All I know is that I'm getting pretty damn sick of this ****ty roller coaster ride. Every time it seems like the interest/ability to move the team is dead, the rumors rise from the ashes like some taunting pheonix. This cycle has been happening like twice a week since Ralph died.

[Fletch]

We know that it's a circus now.

We know that the trust has handled the sale the same what that the GMs and front office have handled the team since Ralph fired Polian.

As a direct result, after that we don't know much.

[better days]

We know that it's a circus now.

We know that the trust has handled the sale the same what that the GMs and front office have handled the team since Ralph fired Polian.

As a direct result, after that we don't know much.

NOBODY knows anything until it is over when it comes to the sale of an NFL team.

For some reason Fletch, NOBODY thinks it necessary to keep you in the loop.

[YardRat]

The relocation parameters of the trust must be the biggest factor. There are plenty of people with enough money that would want to own an NFL team, but most of them don't want to own one in Buffalo.

If the bids were as low as some have reported, and relocation wasn't a factor, they'd have bidders in double digits hopping on the bandwagon after the preliminary non-binding numbers were in place.

[THATHURMANATOR]

Spiked and Fletch seem so offended by this whole process.

Take a deep breath guys. Step away from the keyboard and enjoy life.

[SpikedLemonade]

Spiked and Fletch seem so offended by this whole process.

Take a deep breath guys. Step away from the keyboard and enjoy life.

I am not offended.

The Bills will remain in Buffalo (Thank GOD) but the reality is they are are worth a lot less than the initial information.

[better days]

I am not offended.

The Bills will remain in Buffalo (Thank GOD) but the reality is they are are worth a lot less than the initial information.

Why should the fact the Bills are worth less in Buffalo than they would be in Toronto or LA be of any concern to any Buffalo Bills fan?

LA had two teams at one time, they have proven to be fair weather fans & lost both teams.

Toronto could not even attract 40,000 fans to regular season NFL games, yet you harp on the fact Buffalo can't sell 70,000 seats late in the year when the weather is terrible & the team sucks.

NYC has two NFL teams two baseball teams & two hockey teams. Chicago is also a great sports town with two baseball teams & I think they deserve a second football team before LA or Toronto gets an NFL team.

[OpIv37]

Why should the fact the Bills are worth less in Buffalo than they would be in Toronto or LA be of any concern to any Buffalo Bills fan?


Because as long as the team is worth significantly more elsewhere, then this is going to come up every time there is an ownership change. Now, despite my reservations about Ralph, he did give us stability, but we can't expect that stability to continue forever. None of the bidders are exactly spring chickens.

IMO though, this plays out differently if we had a viable stadium. Right now, the team needs a new stadium whether they stay or go, so any potential new owner knows they need to eat that cost in the next 6-10 years. That further dilutes the already small pool of people with the money to buy the team, and it makes moving more attractive because the new owner can't avoid a huge expense by simply staying put.

But for the moment, we need to depend on the altruism of the trust and a local buyer to keep the team where it is precisely because the team would be more valuable in LA or Toronto than it is in WNY.

[Buffalogic]

The writing is on the wall it's Pegula's team. These are just minor details of a foregone conclusion.

[trapezeus]

OP, i think it's odd they elected to take 130MM for a renovation than just starting the new stadium build in 2012.

[OpIv37]

OP, i think it's odd they elected to take 130MM for a renovation than just starting the new stadium build in 2012.

That was a questionable decision. I think they just realized that it takes time to build a stadium- locations, feasibility studies, agreeing on public vs private financing, infrastructure improvements, phyiscal construction, etc- and they thought the Ralph would implode in that time without an overhaul.

[better days]

Because as long as the team is worth significantly more elsewhere, then this is going to come up every time there is an ownership change. Now, despite my reservations about Ralph, he did give us stability, but we can't expect that stability to continue forever. None of the bidders are exactly spring chickens.

IMO though, this plays out differently if we had a viable stadium. Right now, the team needs a new stadium whether they stay or go, so any potential new owner knows they need to eat that cost in the next 6-10 years. That further dilutes the already small pool of people with the money to buy the team, and it makes moving more attractive because the new owner can't avoid a huge expense by simply staying put.

But for the moment, we need to depend on the altruism of the trust and a local buyer to keep the team where it is precisely because the team would be more valuable in LA or Toronto than it is in WNY.

Pegula is not that old & he has a wife from WNY & Children.

And hopefully Pegula lives long enough to see a new Stadium built, to continue developing Buffalo, see the Bills win the Super Bowl & the Sabres the Stanley Cup.

How cool would it be if the Bills won the Super Bowl & the Sabres the Stanley Cup in the same year?

[YardRat]

I'd be happy at this point if they both made the playoffs in the same year.

[Skooby]

I'd be happy at this point if they both made the playoffs in the same year.

Yeah, I'll take these baby steps & hope one steps up big for us just once.

[trapezeus]

if pegula gets the team, i just hope he can get reputable FO types in to set up a proper scouting department and getes a coach that is going to get support and be worthy of that support.

[better days]

if pegula gets the team, i just hope he can get reputable FO types in to set up a proper scouting department and getes a coach that is going to get support and be worthy of that support.

Well, it took him time to do, but Nix has already set up a proper scouting department before he left.

You just have to look at the last two or three drafts to see evidence of that.

[Fletch]

Well, it took him time to do, but Nix has already set up a proper scouting department before he left.

You just have to look at the last two or three drafts to see evidence of that.

LMAO

If you had a clue you'd have known that that was Whaley's responsiblity as Asst. GM. It was also Whaley that was the primary influence in gambling on reaching for Manuel and then in trading away next year's 1st and 4th for Watkins.

Seriously, the boy needs to check himself into Gamblers Anonymous. I'm sure that if he ever goes to Vegas casinos will be fighting to comp his suite.

[Fletch]

OP, i think it's odd they elected to take 130MM for a renovation than just starting the new stadium build in 2012.

I'm not sure that I'd say it was odd, I think what it was was Wilson cementing his remaining days as owner of the Bills in Buffalo for personal reasons.

If he truly cared about keeping the team around, as you imply, he would have been better off selling the team to say Pegula and then putting that money towards a new stadium, and no doubt even more from the state, at a time when stadiums cost somewhat less than they do today.

[Fletch]

if pegula gets the team, i just hope he can get reputable FO types in to set up a proper scouting department and getes a coach that is going to get support and be worthy of that support.

Any new owner can, the question is will they. We've been hearing for years how the team doesn't have the money to pay a good GM and head coach, but look at all the wasted money on players that don't do jack or that don't play even close to what else we could get for the money.

Mario, almost $100M.
Fitzpatrick, another huge contract
Many others

[better days]

LMAO

If you had a clue you'd have known that that was Whaley's responsiblity as Asst. GM. It was also Whaley that was the primary influence in gambling on reaching for Manuel and then in trading away next year's 1st and 4th for Watkins.

Seriously, the boy needs to check himself into Gamblers Anonymous. I'm sure that if he ever goes to Vegas casinos will be fighting to comp his suite.

No, it is the GM's responsibility to set up the scouting dept, not the asst GM.

And since Nix stepped down, Whaley has made a few adjustments to the scouting dept.

His asst GM did not do that, Whaley did it himself.

I will agree with you Whaley is a Riverboat gambler.

Nix was much more conservative.

And Whaley played a roll in drafting EJ, but Nix had the final call on that.

[OpIv37]

I'd just like to know why either one of you think you know who had responsibility for what?

The org can put the janitor in charge of scouting if they want, and we have no idea who pulled the trigger on Manuel (although, I have to believe the org knew Nix was out and Whaley was in, and I have a hard time believing they would make such a bold move without Whaley being 100% in agreement).

So, unless either of you has a source, this discussion is going nowhere.

[better days]

I'd just like to know why either one of you think you know who had responsibility for what?

The org can put the janitor in charge of scouting if they want, and we have no idea who pulled the trigger on Manuel (although, I have to believe the org knew Nix was out and Whaley was in, and I have a hard time believing they would make such a bold move without Whaley being 100% in agreement).

So, unless either of you has a source, this discussion is going nowhere.

Well, I do have a source, but I can't link it.

I heard Nix discuss the scouting dept on the John Murphy show while he was GM.

It is in the podcast archives no doubt.

Nix said he likes to have a consensus when making a pick & listens to everyone in the room.

But he said it is the GM's job to put the name on the board & make the final call.

Knowing he was going to retire, I am sure Nix only drafted EJ with Whaley's full approval.

[OpIv37]

So, you believe tha Nix is going to honestly describe the inner workings of the organization in a public setting? why?

[better days]

So, you believe tha Nix is going to honestly describe the inner workings of the organization in a public setting? why?

Why not? What harm does it do to explain to people how the front office operates in regards to the draft?

[trapezeus]

Well, it took him time to do, but Nix has already set up a proper scouting department before he left.

You just have to look at the last two or three drafts to see evidence of that.

i don't see evidence. i see mediocre at best and slightly above fail at worst. long term from the 2010 drafting, sure we are getting ok 1st rounders, but still OL depth is weak. still no QB, no TE, not enough LB depth. but they drafted two kickers. what the hell?

nix did nothing but continue on a tradition of mediocrity. which sadly is a slight step up from total dysfunctionality of the jauron years.

[better days]

i don't see evidence. i see mediocre at best and slightly above fail at worst. long term from the 2010 drafting, sure we are getting ok 1st rounders, but still OL depth is weak. still no QB, no TE, not enough LB depth. but they drafted two kickers. what the hell?

nix did nothing but continue on a tradition of mediocrity. which sadly is a slight step up from total dysfunctionality of the jauron years.

Well, if you consider Cordy Glenn or Kiko Alonso as mediocre you are correct.

But IMO, both of them are better than many teams first round draft picks.

And IMO that is ample evidence Nix IMPROVED the scouting dept.

[Buffalogic]

I miss Jauron. He was so smart that he was dumb. You know what I mean?

[OpIv37]

Why not? What harm does it do to explain to people how the front office operates in regards to the draft?

It gives the people someone to blame if the draft picks go wrong, or gives him the opportunity to take credit for others' work if a draft pick goes right and it wasn't his call, it can make it seem like he's publicly blaming others in the FO.

We've been over this before. GM's have to keep their players and other employees happy and have to keep asses in seats during the game. They don't have the luxury to tell the media the truth if the truth is going to interfere with those things.

[better days]

It gives the people someone to blame if the draft picks go wrong, or gives him the opportunity to take credit for others' work if a draft pick goes right and it wasn't his call, it can make it seem like he's publicly blaming others in the FO.

We've been over this before. GM's have to keep their players and other employees happy and have to keep asses in seats during the game. They don't have the luxury to tell the media the truth if the truth is going to interfere with those things.

This post is ridiculous Op.

When there is success, there is ample credit to be shared by everyone in the room & when there is failure, there is enough blame to go around as well.

But since Nix fixed the scouting dept, he added a number of more scouts than the Bills had previously for example, there has been much more success than failure.

[trapezeus]

Well, if you consider Cordy Glenn or Kiko Alonso as mediocre you are correct.

But IMO, both of them are better than many teams first round draft picks.

And IMO that is ample evidence Nix IMPROVED the scouting dept.

So if there are 7 rounds and each round as 1 pick, from 2010 to 2014, nix had 5 draft classes and picked ~35 times. He has 2 decent players you cited. Glenn also isn't on the field and there are a lot of worries from most of the articles that he may not return to form. plus we have absolutely no idea why he's being held out.

i'll give you kiko as very good on the verge of elite prior to injury and needing to do that consistently. even if i gave you glenn, he's been good at ~6% of his selections and that's a sign that they've gotten better?

i disagree.

[better days]

So if there are 7 rounds and each round as 1 pick, from 2010 to 2014, nix had 5 draft classes and picked ~35 times. He has 2 decent players you cited. Glenn also isn't on the field and there are a lot of worries from most of the articles that he may not return to form. plus we have absolutely no idea why he's being held out.

i'll give you kiko as very good on the verge of elite prior to injury and needing to do that consistently. even if i gave you glenn, he's been good at ~6% of his selections and that's a sign that they've gotten better?

i disagree.

It was not until Nix's third draft that he had the scouting dept fixed.

His first draft, he was entirely at the mercy of the people that were in place before he was hired as regards to scouting that draft.

[trapezeus]

it took him 3 years to get proper scouting that in the end yielded two players?

that still remains fixed to you?

[better days]

it took him 3 years to get proper scouting that in the end yielded two players?

that still remains fixed to you?

What the HELL are you talking about?

The two players I named, are players with FIRST ROUND TALENT that where drafted AFTER the first round.

Would you like me to list every player drafted by the Bills still on the roster since Nix was hired?

[The Jokeman]

if pegula gets the team, i just hope he can get reputable FO types in to set up a proper scouting department and getes a coach that is going to get support and be worthy of that support.

If he follows his Sabres model he'll gave Whaley and Marrone enough time to prove or hang themselves.

[YardRat]

I like the job, and aggressive philosophy, that Whaley and Co have done, and seem to have, so far. I wouldn't go so far as to call them 'riverboat gamblers', but they do target and get the guys they want. I don't necessarily agree with the Watkins move completely, but I can live with it. Also, Marrone (like EJ) gets more than one season to prove what he can do at this level. It takes time to build a winner, and all of these guys are still in the early stages of that process. Chances are not in their favor that will succeed considering most fail and the odds are against them, but the outcome remains to be seen.

[OpIv37]

What the HELL are you talking about?

The two players I named, are players with FIRST ROUND TALENT that where drafted AFTER the first round.

Would you like me to list every player drafted by the Bills still on the roster since Nix was hired?

Still on a roster that managed 6-10 last year?

Wow. Impressive.

[better days]

Still on a roster that managed 6-10 last year?

Wow. Impressive.

99% of the Bills roster would find a job on another team if the Bills cut them.

If Tom Brady or Peyton Manning were the QB of the Bills, we would be debating if they made it all the way to the Super Bowl or fell just short.

[trapezeus]

What the HELL are you talking about?

The two players I named, are players with FIRST ROUND TALENT that where drafted AFTER the first round.

Would you like me to list every player drafted by the Bills still on the roster since Nix was hired?

please. i'd like to get every player drafted by buddy nix that is considered his pick and under his "developed" scouting team. then lets look at who we have and what the numbers look like.

[trapezeus]

If he follows his Sabres model he'll gave Whaley and Marrone enough time to prove or hang themselves.

seeing that pegula has long term plans for the team to stay, if he wants to give them a year or two to show themselves, that's fine. but i would suspect he won't because those guys went all in on watkins and win now. if they aren't a 15 -32 pick, that lost first round pick and a bad team will make it very hard to keep whaley.

and what's so sad is that that was most likely a brandon push. "do what ever you want! we want to make the playoffs". so whaley is going to pay for it ifs wrong. And brandon will start doing pressers the second the team looks pretty good.

[better days]

please. i'd like to get every player drafted by buddy nix that is considered his pick and under his "developed" scouting team. then lets look at who we have and what the numbers look like.

2009- Eric Wood 1st Rnd, Andy Levitre 2nd rnd

2010- CJ Spiller 1st rnd, Marcus Easley 4th rnd

2011- Marcell Dareus 1st rnd, Aaron Williams 2nd rnd, Da'Norris Searcy 4th rnd, Chris Hairston 4th rnd

2012- Stephon Gilmore 1st rnd, Cordy Glenn 2nd rnd, TJ Graham 3rd rnd, Nigel Bradham 4th rnd, Ron Brooks 4th rnd, Mark Asper 6th rnd

2013- EJ Manuel 1st rnd, Robert Woods 1st Rnd, Kiko Alonso 2nd rnd, Marquise Goodwin 3nd rnd, Duke Williams 4th rnd, Jonathan Meeks 5th rnd, Dustin Hopkins 6th rnd, Chris Gragg 7th rnd, Nickell Roby CFA, Jeff Tuel CFA,

2014 (Whaley Draft)- Sammy Watkins 1st rnd, Cyrus Kouandjio 2nd rnd, Preston Brown 3rd rnd, Ross Cockrell 4th rnd, Cyrill Richardson 5th rnd, Seantreal Henderson 7th rnd


So more than half the Bills roster is composed of players drafted since Nix was hired & more like Jerry Hughes were acquired thanks to the scouting dept.

[WagonCircler]

I don't understand the bickering. All of these people are either already gone or are dead careers walking.

Terry P will have learned from his initial Sabres missteps and will clean house.

Goodnight, Russ. Goodnight Doug, and Doug. Goodnight EJ.

[trapezeus]

2009- Eric Wood 1st Rnd, Andy Levitre 2nd rnd

2010- CJ Spiller 1st rnd, Marcus Easley 4th rnd

2011- Marcell Dareus 1st rnd, Aaron Williams 2nd rnd, Da'Norris Searcy 4th rnd, Chris Hairston 4th rnd

2012- Stephon Gilmore 1st rnd, Cordy Glenn 2nd rnd, TJ Graham 3rd rnd, Nigel Bradham 4th rnd, Ron Brooks 4th rnd, Mark Asper 6th rnd

2013- EJ Manuel 1st rnd, Robert Woods 1st Rnd, Kiko Alonso 2nd rnd, Marquise Goodwin 3nd rnd, Duke Williams 4th rnd, Jonathan Meeks 5th rnd, Dustin Hopkins 6th rnd, Chris Gragg 7th rnd, Nickell Roby CFA, Jeff Tuel CFA,

2014 (Whaley Draft)- Sammy Watkins 1st rnd, Cyrus Kouandjio 2nd rnd, Preston Brown 3rd rnd, Ross Cockrell 4th rnd, Cyrill Richardson 5th rnd, Seantreal Henderson 7th rnd


So more than half the Bills roster is composed of players drafted since Nix was hired & more like Jerry Hughes were acquired thanks to the scouting dept.

So we give him the draft before with levitre, but maybin isn't his?

Easley was supposed to be a viable 1-3 WR. he's a special team player on a weak unit.

Dareus, i wanted, but he is a head case. aaron william had to be moved to S as he wasn't good at the position he was drafted at. Hairston, consistently hurt. Searcy beingn pushed by a rookie this year.

Glenn is mysteriously hurt but good. TJ graham was a trade up but could have been had at any other point and of course we passed on SB winning R. Wilson. Brooks and ASper are your signs that he was good?

2013 is mostly a waiting to see how it pans out. but they took a kicker and then got a FA who is much better than him.

Kujo is having a tough go at it.

I just don't see how this is a sign of improvement. even if it is, it still doesn't explain how a crappy 7-9 team got crappier over that period of time.

i will say i support that the 6-10 bills have been more fun to watch than the 7-9 bills of yesteryear, but we still aren't good enough and the years you've cited proves to me that nothing is fixed.

[better days]

So we give him the draft before with levitre, but maybin isn't his?

Easley was supposed to be a viable 1-3 WR. he's a special team player on a weak unit.

Dareus, i wanted, but he is a head case. aaron william had to be moved to S as he wasn't good at the position he was drafted at. Hairston, consistently hurt. Searcy beingn pushed by a rookie this year.

Glenn is mysteriously hurt but good. TJ graham was a trade up but could have been had at any other point and of course we passed on SB winning R. Wilson. Brooks and ASper are your signs that he was good?

2013 is mostly a waiting to see how it pans out. but they took a kicker and then got a FA who is much better than him.

Kujo is having a tough go at it.

I just don't see how this is a sign of improvement. even if it is, it still doesn't explain how a crappy 7-9 team got crappier over that period of time.

i will say i support that the 6-10 bills have been more fun to watch than the 7-9 bills of yesteryear, but we still aren't good enough and the years you've cited proves to me that nothing is fixed.

I saw he was hired by the bills in 2009, but he was named GM in Dec 2009. So take away Wood & Levitre, he did not draft them.

Still over half the roster is made up of players drafted since Nix's first draft.

[trapezeus]

I saw he was hired by the bills in 2009, but he was named GM in Dec 2009. So take away Wood & Levitre, he did not draft them.

Still over half the roster is made up of players drafted since Nix's first draft.

teams usually have rosters made up of who they drafted. but when the team is 6-10, it suggests that the drafting is poor. you aren't winning this arguement, BD. Nix was another weak hire to satisfy the general mold of hire who fits our profile of hire who we know. not how to get better. we got worse and stayed there. That is on Ralph and russ all the way down.

it works that way in organizations outside of football as well as inside.

[better days]

teams usually have rosters made up of who they drafted. but when the team is 6-10, it suggests that the drafting is poor. you aren't winning this arguement, BD. Nix was another weak hire to satisfy the general mold of hire who fits our profile of hire who we know. not how to get better. we got worse and stayed there. That is on Ralph and russ all the way down.

it works that way in organizations outside of football as well as inside.

You are the one that said only two players.....remember?

You asked me to list the players drafted still on the roster which I did.

Over half the roster composed of players drafted since 2010.

And MANY of those players are REALLY GOOD.

OH YEAH, you can deny it all you want, but I won that argument.