Part of Ralphs problem is he is too old school

[ICE74129]

I know what Ralph is wanting, but that isn't the way it is anymore. Ralph is NOT the owner to take this team any further. Keeping naming rights, focus more on football than money....sorry, those days are gone.

Ralph wilson isn't going to change the way the NFL works. He is an old school owner in new age times. That means it's past his time and all he is doing is hurting what he built.

To me Ralph is saying 'It's MINE! And I would rather see it die than be changed to what the other teams are today'. That may be his right, but it will signal the end of pro football in WNY. That in effect says FU to all the loyal Bills fans that have fed his pockets all of these years.

He might own the team but he isn't THE team. No owner is! the FANS are that team. Hey let billy friggin gates buy a team. If no one is a fan then he sits with 80K of empty friggin seats! Owners aren't what makes a team.

If ralph wilson really wants to do what is RIGHT for what he built, step aside. You have your legacy ralph. You did what you felt was right for 46 years, but the times have passed you by. You are now more of a liability than an asset. But...he won't. He is bound and determined that when he dies, the team is how HE wants it...even if it means he has to fold it up and move it.

If I were 87 years old, I would sell this SOB to an owner with much deeper pockets, someone I felt would keep her here regardless. (And yes I know there is no guarantee) And I would ask a few things. Make sure fans remembered me. She is yours now but I birthed her, raised her and loved her. I have earned the right to be remembered for that. I also want a free Luxury box for me and the family as long as he owns the team. Things like that. I would get out while I could and leave tons to my family and sit back and just be a damn fan the last few years of my life.

There IS always a time to walk away from things. This is ralph wilsons time. I hope his family and friends can talk him into doing the right thing.

[The_Philster]

Re: Part of Ralphs problem is he is too old school

Name one person you really feel is rich enough to not only buy the Bills, but have them survive without revenue sharing...gonna take more than a mere Billionaire

[Typ0]

Re: Part of Ralphs problem is he is too old school

I really get a kick out of how many people have the attitude "give it to someone who has enough money to throw it away and everything will be fine". I hate to tell you this, but those people don't exist.

[The_Philster]

Re: Part of Ralphs problem is he is too old school

No kidding...Snyder and Jones wouldn't even be able to pull it off for very long...they'd end up moving the team

[patmoran2006]

Re: Part of Ralphs problem is he is too old school

the ONLY way Wilson sells this team AND they stay in Buffalo is if the league changes to the policy towards revenue sharing for a new owner, I dont care how deep his pockets are..

[ICE74129]

Re: Part of Ralphs problem is he is too old school

Ralph can't afford them WITH revenue sharing. Yes the process needs to be changed, but no one is going to listen to ralph.

I love when fans think Ralph is so well thought of in NFL Circles. Yeah they really stood behind him at the CBA table didn't they? He has been elected to the HOF...errr...

Ralph has to sell in order for the Bills to survive.

[Drive 4 Five]

Re: Part of Ralphs problem is he is too old school

As I sit here today, this is not a matter of making money for the Buffalo Bills," he told reporters. "It's a matter of survival. We just want to survive. And I think a lot of other clubs are in the same fix."

Well other than Cinicinatti I sure as hell don't see any other owners stepping up to back him. That will be key.

[The_Philster]

Re: Part of Ralphs problem is he is too old school

As I sit here today, this is not a matter of making money for the Buffalo Bills," he told reporters. "It's a matter of survival. We just want to survive. And I think a lot of other clubs are in the same fix."

Well other than Cinicinatti I sure as hell don't see any other owners stepping up to back him. That will be key.

I honestly wonder how many small market owners have read through the CBA thoroughly

[Drive 4 Five]

Re: Part of Ralphs problem is he is too old school

Ralph can't afford them WITH revenue sharing. Yes the process needs to be changed, but no one is going to listen to ralph.

I love when fans think Ralph is so well thought of in NFL Circles. Yeah they really stood behind him at the CBA table didn't they? He has been elected to the HOF...errr...

Ralph has to sell in order for the Bills to survive.

But how can you say that? What proof do you have? Do you have some financial statements that show how much it takes to run the Buffalo Bill's franchise and how much he makes?

I wonder if he might but he is being a hard ass because he doesn't want to spend his money when the others make more than him. In that sense he feels like it costs him more since he has less?

I don't know.

[ICE74129]

Re: Part of Ralphs problem is he is too old school

I honestly wonder how many small market owners have read through the CBA thoroughly

Well ralph said he wasn't able to read it all so I would say none of them.

[The_Philster]

Re: Part of Ralphs problem is he is too old school

Well ralph said he wasn't able to read it all so I would say none of them.

maybe his press conference will spur them on to reading it and agreeing with him. With the exception of the Packers, no team is 100% safe. Jones and Snyder have it good now, and probably will for a long time to come. But who's to say things couldn't change sometime down the road?

[Drive 4 Five]

Re: Part of Ralphs problem is he is too old school

I honestly wonder how many small market owners have read through the CBA thoroughly

That certainly is an issue. Ralph was quoted a saying that he felt that many were pressured into voting out of fear. It is a pretty legitimate fear too. No salary cap? The small market teams sure as hell would be in trouble then. Still I'm surprised more have not come forth. They need to move their ass.

[Drive 4 Five]

Re: Part of Ralphs problem is he is too old school

Wilson, one of two NFL owners to vote against the new Collective Bargaining Agreement hammered out last month, is keenly interested in how league owners negotiate the fine details of sharing local revenue. Under that local revenue-sharing agreement, large-market teams with higher ticket, suite and sponsorship revenue have to share some of that extra revenue with smaller-market teams.

This quote right here. To me it speaks volumes. Why should those who have maximized their profits be forced to share with the owners who have been less fortunate? Now the revenue from the television market has to be shared equally to be fair but you can't fault those men for being good business.

Worse Ralph refuses to change. He won't seel the naming rights to the stadium. He doesn't want a new stadium. You have to adapt with what is going on in today's business so yes ICE might just be right, he is too OLD SCHOOL.

[The_Philster]

Re: Part of Ralphs problem is he is too old school

naming rights to a stadium in Buffalo won't bring in nearly as much as they do in most NFL cities for one

I think it's ridiculous to blame Ralph for the state of WNY economy. Owners like Jones and Snyder make more because their teams are in wealthier areas where people can afford to spend twice as much on NFL tickets as we do in Buffalo..there are also more wealthy businesses in Dallas and Washington than in Buffalo.

[Drive 4 Five]

Re: Part of Ralphs problem is he is too old school

On the other hand, if he raised ticket prices and parking like everyone else has, that wouldn't neccessarily be the answer either with the crumbling economy of western NY. In the end the only thing that is going to change anything is if we start winning some damn games. I asked this in another thread. If we were among the NFL's elite year in and year out like say the Pittsburgh Steelers, would we even be having this conversation? Was Pittsburgh much different from us long ago? Not likely but they have adapted and the difference is that Rooney is willing to put money forth to make money, to take risk, and Ralph apparently isn't willing to do that.

What I am saying is that Greg Williams (a defensive coordinator) is probably making more than Marv Levy, I sure as hell know he makes more than Jauron. But in the game today, is his salary really too mcuh? Not if you think he will devise the defensive game plan that is going to have you holding the Lombardi Trophy soon.