Former Erie County Legislator Al DeBenedetti Goes Off on Ralph

[Meathead]

Show Me The Money!

Former Erie County Legislator Al DeBenedetti was one of only two lawmakers to vote against the Buffalo Bills lease deal with Erie County back in 1998. Greg Olma was the other.

Eight years later, and now retired, DeBenedetti has harsh words for team owner Ralph Wilson concerning his claims that the future of the franchise in Western New York is in jeopardy because of the N.F.L.’s new labor agreement.

DeBenedetti’s message to Wilson: show me the money.

"If he's claiming he's losing money, he's got to prove it to us. We can't just go based on his verbal claim. That's not a way to do business. He wouldn't do business with anybody that way. Why would we do business with him that way? Just take his verbal claims without seeing his books?
I'm confident they're making money. I think the question is: how much money? And is he just asking us to increase his profit,” asked DeBenedetti.

"I love football. I go to games. I love sports. What I dislike intensely is private greed. And that's what this is all about. If he can prove to me that he's losing money, I'll personally apologize to him. I don't think I'm ever going to have to worry about that," said DeBenedetti.

[don137]

Re: Former Erie County Legislator Al DeBenedetti Goes Off on Ralph

I dont think Ralph said he was losing money now. Its down the road he said it will be hard to compete. Look at today. Small revenue teams that hand out huge signing bonuses to multiplr players do risk generating extremly low revenue or losing money.

[Night Train]

Re: Former Erie County Legislator Al DeBenedetti Goes Off on Ralph

I dont think Ralph said he was losing money now. Its down the road he said it will be hard to compete. Look at today. Small revenue teams that hand out huge signing bonuses to multiplr players do risk generating extremly low revenue or losing money.

You are correct. Al D is the ultimate " Look at Me " politician who misses the attention.

[Mitchy moo]

Re: Former Erie County Legislator Al DeBenedetti Goes Off on Ralph

Show Me The Money!

Former Erie County Legislator Al DeBenedetti was one of only two lawmakers to vote against the Buffalo Bills lease deal with Erie County back in 1998. Greg Olma was the other.

Eight years later, and now retired, DeBenedetti has harsh words for team owner Ralph Wilson concerning his claims that the future of the franchise in Western New York is in jeopardy because of the N.F.L.’s new labor agreement.

DeBenedetti’s message to Wilson: show me the money.

"If he's claiming he's losing money, he's got to prove it to us. We can't just go based on his verbal claim. That's not a way to do business. He wouldn't do business with anybody that way. Why would we do business with him that way? Just take his verbal claims without seeing his books?
I'm confident they're making money. I think the question is: how much money? And is he just asking us to increase his profit,” asked DeBenedetti.

"I love football. I go to games. I love sports. What I dislike intensely is private greed. And that's what this is all about. If he can prove to me that he's losing money, I'll personally apologize to him. I don't think I'm ever going to have to worry about that," said DeBenedetti.

Yep, you did pull a better quote.

[superbills]

Re: Former Erie County Legislator Al DeBenedetti Goes Off on Ralph

Al DeBenedetti is a tool. I can't believe I still have to listen to this idiot, I thought he was gone for good. Please Al, if you have no idea what the hell you're talking about then shut the **** up.

Ralph never said anything about profit or losing money. He is concerned that there will not be enough profit made to cover the costs of escalating signing bonuses. And he is worried about the revenue sharing qualifiers and whether (because this city actually supports the team) the Bills will meet those qualifiers. He's not asking for handouts. He's asking for government officials to get involved in the process and press the NFL to take better care of the smaller markets. Sure, it's probably moot rhetoric and his grandstanding won't amount to much in the grand scheme of things, but to call the guy out as a profit-monger is inane.