So, What happens when Ralph kicks?

[fushetti]

I remember a while back (when he was merely turning 80) there was an issue with a huge estate tax in the 100's of millions that would have to be paid if his daughters took over the club. I don't see any suitable buyers in the WNY area with the kind of jack necessary to buy the club...

Does anyone know anything?

[Typ0]

After years of mediocrity and dismay for the fans...the bills will be purchased by an investment group headed up by Tom Donahoe and moved to Mobile Alabama.

[fushetti]

i'm starting to think thats not that far fetched!

[SABURZFAN]

when The Old Fart kicks the bucket and if the Bills move,i WILL NOT root for THAT team.

[Demon]

Like everything else in Western NY....... we will all turn our heads and look at Tom Golisano.

But he will have to give up the Sabres so i donno about that.

[TheGhostofJimKelly]

I fully believe that propective owners will be lining up to buy this team and keep it here. There are many factors why I think they will stay:

1. The stadium is paid for. The price of the Bills comes with a recently renovated stadium. Buy a team, get a stadium for free!!!
2. The fan base is solid and they sell out or come close even when the team sucks.
3. The team receives most of the money (not sure if it is all) from parking and concessions.
4. The team has a solid facility.
5. Ralph/The Bills are usually in the top 20 in money makers.
6. The Buffalo market is in the top 5 in TV ratings even if the Bills aren't playing. I have seen them a lot of times third behind like NY and LA. I don't think the NFL wants to see this market lost. I don't think I would be watching pro football anymore.
7. Paul Tagliabu or whoever is the commisioner in 2006 or 2008, whenever his contract is up, would be hunted down and killed by someone in Buffalo (maybe more than one)
8. The team knows that it can rake Erie county over the coals.
9. I think there are rich men that have a lot of interest in the Bills (Business Backs The Bills) that would be willing to get involved in saving the Bills in Buffalo.

Reasons the team could move:
1. You never know what some wacko billionaire or city would pay to have a team in some city (AKA - Baltimore)
2. The out-clause in moving the team is not a very high price, it might be like a million bucks.
3. The team continues to be the 2000 version of the Cardinals and fans start not showing up.
4. The city of Buffalo continues to decline and the city Government continues to destroy the economy of the city and they can't give the Bills anymore, yet they will be forced to help finance a brand new whatever billion dollar facility for the NY Jets.

[Ebenezer]

when Ralph dies the team stays here through the probate of the will and all the legal stuff...then the crap hits the fan and the NFL looks for a local investment group to pony upwards of $1Billion. After the local crap a collective brick the rich around here figure out that they would rather go to Shea's or the BPO than a Bills game. At that point the team is sold and moved out of town.

Nobody wanted to pony up $65 mil for the Sabres how are we going to come up with $1B?

[TheGhostofJimKelly]

The NHL isn't the NFL. That is like saying should I buy the Wal*Mart computer that is broken and may never work again or spend the extra $100 for an IBM that is virtually guaranteed to work forever.

[Mr. Miyagi]

:lolpoint:IBM

[Jayhawk]

maybe HOward STern would buy the team

[fushetti]

maybe HOward STern would buy the team


HEY NOW... Robin, what do u think of the king of all media owning an NFL team ;)

[TheGhostofJimKelly]

:lolpoint:IBM
:peace:

[TedMock]

I don't see the NFL playing MLB and supporting a team until ownership groups come forward. There better be an immediate move, or a group already in place. I don't know personally, but I've been told that it's common knowledge back home that the children don't want that inheritance. It could end up being a Redskins situation where Jack Kent Cook's kids couldn't afford the estate taxes and had to relinquish the team. Then they were out-bid by the worst owner in sports...Dan Snyder.

[Jayhawk]

hopefully there is someone that wnats to keep the team here. Maybe the CEO of Tim Hortons

[superbills]

Galisano, I believe, would be first in line. SOmething tells me that he wanted to establish a presence in Buffalo with his Sabres purchase and will look to get the Bills franchise as well, to offset the costs of running the perennial money-losing Sabres. Can he own both of them, or is there a stipulation that says an owner cannot have a stake in another pro sports franchise?

[Ebenezer]

Galisano, I believe, would be first in line. SOmething tells me that he wanted to establish a presence in Buffalo with his Sabres purchase and will look to get the Bills franchise as well, to offset the costs of running the perennial money-losing Sabres. Can he own both of them, or is there a stipulation that says an owner cannot have a stake in another pro sports franchise?
he got conned into buying the Sabres by Larry Quinn...

[JWatts]

I thought I heard quite a while ago that Ralph has it in his will that on his death the team be sold to an owner that would keep the team in Buffalo. Who knows maybe I'm drunk. LOL :gobills:

[Michael82]

Tom Golisano will sell the Sabres to someone else in Buffalo or out of state and then buy the Buffalo Bills. I mean come on...

if it came down to Golisano and Buffalo only keeping one...it's so damn obvious what the choice would be.

:bigwave: Buffalo Sabres

[Charlieguide]

Who says the investors have to live in Buffalo? It could be Ross Perot or Bill Gates, for all we know. When you have that kind of money, you don't care where it is, as long as it's working for you. BTW, how much do you think Jim Kelly could put up?

Eb, where do you get your figure of $1 billion? How does that compare to the last franchise that changed hands? (Houston?)

Ghost, good points about why they'd stay. If your info is accurate, it's a strong argument.

What worries me is the NFL's continued interest in LA. Despite the fact that two teams failed there, Tags seems convinced that if it's a big TV market, they must want an NFL team. I happen to think that the NFL is too blue-collar for the glitz and glam of LA.

[L.A. Playa]

Welcome to Los Angeles

[snow1989]

There's a real possibility the team could be sold. Any new owner would most likely prefer a new stadium with more luxury suites and all the trappings. It will also depend on how 'marketable' the franchise is. Logo wear, merchandise, etc will be taken into account. Yes, the market is good right now, and Buffalo has one of the lowest ticket prices last I looked. A new owner might want to shoot for a bigger piece of the pie...which is one reason LA is attractive if the team is good, big TV market, large fan base, and money resides there.

[DaBills]

Man do I have a scary scenario that I shouldn't mention. But what the hell, I got spare time.


This week's ESPN (with Moss on the cover) has an interview with Keyshawn. One of his goals after leaving football as a player is to bring an NFL team to LA and then be its owner.

So Ralph kicks the bucket, and Me-Shawn takes over in L.A.

Yikes.

All I know is that if Buffalo moves the team, I really don't know how I could watch the sport anymore. I love Da Bills that much. It just wouldn't be the same. Old Brown's fans must have real mixed feelings about watching the team leave and then win it all as the Ravens a few years back.


:nervous: