Tim Russert to the Rescue!

[Meathead]

http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial/20060418/1052890.asp?tbd1052890.asp (Schumer calls meeting with Tagliabue, Russert)

NFL chief, 'son of Buffalo' will discuss future of Bills

By DOUGLAS TURNER
News Washington Bureau Chief
4/18/2006

WASHINGTON - National Football League Commissioner Paul Tagliabue plans to show Sen. Charles E. Schumer how the NFL's new contract with its players will help, not hurt, the Buffalo Bills during a meeting here Thursday, league spokesman Greg Aiello said Monday.
Tagliabue, Schumer and Tim Russert, Washington bureau chief of NBC News and host of the network's "Meet the Press," will meet Thursday in the senator's office at his invitation.

Russert said he will take part in the meeting "as a son of Buffalo, not as a journalist."

"I want to do everything I can, of course, to keep the Bills in Buffalo," said Russert, who has had private discussions with Tagliabue in recent years about the future of the team.

While the focus is on Buffalo, Schumer said, he wants to discuss with Tagliabue what the league is doing to preserve other small-market teams.

"I'm looking forward to this meeting because keeping the Bills in Buffalo is vital to Western New York," the New York Democrat said in a statement. "We are looking forward to hearing what the commissioner has to say. This is going to be the first step of a long process to do everything we can to help the Bills and small-market teams."

ok not really on chris berman

[ICE74129]

How bad is it going to look if the NFL brass shows those guys Ralph was off the mark? how much support will ralph get if those guys go up there and get embarrassed?

I know most homers feel Ralph is 100% on the mark, but I for one doubt it. We had better hope I am wrong and Ralph IS completely on the mark.

[FlyingDutchman]

How bad is it going to look if the NFL brass shows those guys Ralph was off the mark? how much support will ralph get if those guys go up there and get embarrassed?

I know most homers feel Ralph is 100% on the mark, but I for one doubt it. We had better hope I am wrong and Ralph IS completely on the mark.

Dude....do you always feel the need to constantly bash Ralph no matter what the topic of the thread is. Youre the only one embarrassed by this situation. Why are you constantly so concerned about how he "looks"? If he does nothing, you'll have nothing to complain about anymore bc we wont have a team. Give it a rest...

[Mitchy moo]

Dude....do you always feel the need to constantly bash Ralph no matter what the topic of the thread is. Youre the only one embarrassed by this situation. Why are you constantly so concerned about how he "looks"? If he does nothing, you'll have nothing to complain about anymore bc we wont have a team. Give it a rest...

Actaully I agree w/ ice, RW will look like a freaking idiot and we will lose the team because of his greed. $750 M later he still wants more @ 87 years old. Real smart guy to pull this crap around a bunch of poor WNY people.

[Stewie]

How bad is it going to look if the NFL brass shows those guys Ralph was off the mark? how much support will ralph get if those guys go up there and get embarrassed?

I know most homers feel Ralph is 100% on the mark, but I for one doubt it. We had better hope I am wrong and Ralph IS completely on the mark.

Ralph has read the new CBA. You haven't. What the hell makes you the expert?

He is positioning himself well for the ongoing labor negotiations. The new revenue sharing stipulations have to be looked at and renegotiated after the 2008 season. This is all about Ralph posturing for the future valuation of his franchise.

Ralph knows a new owner will face less opposition to moving the team if he purchases a "money-loser". That's why this is so important. It's not about Ralph making a few million bucks more than he already will. It's about making the Bills a viable contender in Buffalo forever, so a new owner can't come in and burn the forest down, so to speak.

And Ralph was one of the first group of forward-thinking owners who brought the league to where it is today. What do you think he cares more about? That his grandkids might have an extra hundred grand in the multimillion dollar trust fund? Or that his team, his stadium and his legacy are cemented in Buffalo forever?

[Saratoga Slim]

How bad is it going to look if the NFL brass shows those guys Ralph was off the mark? how much support will ralph get if those guys go up there and get embarrassed?

I know most homers feel Ralph is 100% on the mark, but I for one doubt it. We had better hope I am wrong and Ralph IS completely on the mark.

Ralph isn't reading this thing in a vacum, he's got attorneys and advisors to spell out the fine print and there have been plenty of articles explaining exactly what provisions of the agreement he's worried about. Moreover, Chuck Schumer and Tim Russert are not dumb, they're not going to "get embarrassed" by Tagliabue.

Wouldn't you rather hope that Ralph IS WRONG, and the deal doesn't actually hurt the Bills? Me, I'm more worried about whether the deal hurts us financially than how Ralph looks to the other owners.

[Jan Reimers]

Tagliabue will have some serious 'splainin' to do, if he wants to make the qualifiers that (1) preclude new ownership from participating in revenue-sharing, and (2) require teams to be at 80% of average league revenue to receive shared revenue, sound helpful to small market teams.

[Bulldog]

How bad is it going to look if the NFL brass shows those guys Ralph was off the mark? how much support will ralph get if those guys go up there and get embarrassed?

I know most homers feel Ralph is 100% on the mark, but I for one doubt it. We had better hope I am wrong and Ralph IS completely on the mark.

Let's see, who do I think knows more about the new CBA. Ralph Wilson, one of the founding fathers of the NFL, who has a plethera of people at his disposal to sort out the mess that is the CBA, or ICE? Man thats a tough choice. Get over yourself already!

[ICE74129]

Ralph has read the new CBA. You haven't. What the hell makes you the expert?

He is positioning himself well for the ongoing labor negotiations. The new revenue sharing stipulations have to be looked at and renegotiated after the 2008 season. This is all about Ralph posturing for the future valuation of his franchise.

Ralph knows a new owner will face less opposition to moving the team if he purchases a "money-loser". That's why this is so important. It's not about Ralph making a few million bucks more than he already will. It's about making the Bills a viable contender in Buffalo forever, so a new owner can't come in and burn the forest down, so to speak.

And Ralph was one of the first group of forward-thinking owners who brought the league to where it is today. What do you think he cares more about? That his grandkids might have an extra hundred grand in the multimillion dollar trust fund? Or that his team, his stadium and his legacy are cemented in Buffalo forever?

He read it? According to him he saw it for 45 minutes. Apperantly 30 other owners read it and have no issues. Now either he read it and is wrong, or he didn't have time to fully read it and is going off of what he THOUGHT he saw.

You can't have it both ways.

[ICE74129]

Let's see, who do I think knows more about the new CBA. Ralph Wilson, one of the founding fathers of the NFL, who has a plethera of people at his disposal to sort out the mess that is the CBA, or ICE? Man thats a tough choice. Get over yourself already!

Ralph admitted he didnt' understand it. What part of this are you missing? Either he knows it and 30 other owners have no issues with it, or he reviewed it for 45 min, and THINKS he knows what is going on.

All I am saying is this, If ralph is dead on, great. If he isn't he makes russert etc look like fools for coming to his aid.

[ICE74129]

Dude....do you always feel the need to constantly bash Ralph no matter what the topic of the thread is. Youre the only one embarrassed by this situation. Why are you constantly so concerned about how he "looks"? If he does nothing, you'll have nothing to complain about anymore bc we wont have a team. Give it a rest...

Yeah I care how he looks. So far it looks to the NFL that we have an old fart that has lost it as an owner. Maybe ralph is right, we will see.

And I am far from the only one totally embarrassed by ralphs antics.

[HAMMER]

Why doesn't everyone get off Ralphs back and be more respectful. He is a very old man that helped found the modern NFL, he may not be 100% anymore but you can't just put him out to pasture. Newsflash! He owns the team and can say and do whatever he wants, he has earned that right. It seems to me that much of Generation X thinks respecting your elders is a thing of the past, very sad.

[FlyingDutchman]

Yeah I care how he looks. So far it looks to the NFL that we have an old fart that has lost it as an owner. Maybe ralph is right, we will see.

And I am far from the only one totally embarrassed by ralphs antics.

If youre leaving the option open that maybe he is right, then why do you constantly bash him, question him, and say he uncapable of handling this?

[dplus47]

Ralph admitted he didnt' understand it. What part of this are you missing? Either he knows it and 30 other owners have no issues with it, or he reviewed it for 45 min, and THINKS he knows what is going on.


did they shred the CBA after they voted on it? i would hope that ralph has had a little time since the vote to look into the agreement.

[justasportsfan]

I wouldn't be surprised if ICE claims he knows how to develop NFL owners :rolleyes:

[Saratoga Slim]

He read it? According to him he saw it for 45 minutes. Apperantly 30 other owners read it and have no issues. Now either he read it and is wrong, or he didn't have time to fully read it and is going off of what he THOUGHT he saw.

You can't have it both ways.

it isn't having it both ways. Ralph may not have fully understood the CBA the day it got voted on, but he's had PLENTY of time to read it since.

[ICE74129]

Why doesn't everyone get off Ralphs back and be more respectful. He is a very old man that helped found the modern NFL, he may not be 100% anymore but you can't just put him out to pasture. Newsflash! He owns the team and can say and do whatever he wants, he has earned that right. It seems to me that much of Generation X thinks respecting your elders is a thing of the past, very sad.

Yeah he did all of that, but so what? He is past the point where he needs to sell. I hate when someone says they have earned the right to possibly destroy something many people love because of past deeds. It isn't genX talking it is reality.

[ICE74129]

I wouldn't be surprised if ICE claims he knows how to develop NFL owners :rolleyes:

No but as a longtime QB coach and OC I do know how to develop QB's. We have been over this, you are trying to take shots when you dont' have any ammo.

But then again who is dumber, the guy that doesn't get it or the guy that keeps trying to explain it to him?

[ICE74129]

did they shred the CBA after they voted on it? i would hope that ralph has had a little time since the vote to look into the agreement.

so have 31 other owners and no one has stepped up to back his stance on the CBA. Now mr Brown has ripped the press for the personal bashing of ralph, but not his stance on the CBA.

Where are the other owners if it's so bad?

but hey, bottom line, it will all come out soon enough

[dplus47]

No but as a longtime QB coach and OC I do know how to develop QB's. We have been over this, you are trying to take shots when you dont' have any ammo.

But then again who is dumber, the guy that doesn't get it or the guy that keeps trying to explain it to him?

what does this mean? who is explaining what to whom? maybe i'm dumber for not understanding, but you do seem to step into a lot of discussions with the final, expert opinion. it doesn't leave a lot of room for sharing ideas, IMO.

[dplus47]

so have 31 other owners and no one has stepped up to back his stance on the CBA. Now mr Brown has ripped the press for the personal bashing of ralph, but not his stance on the CBA.

Where are the other owners if it's so bad?

but hey, bottom line, it will all come out soon enough

it will come out soon enough. nobody in this thread is having anything "both ways," however, because time has passed since ralph first said he didn't understand the agreement.

[justasportsfan]

No but as a longtime QB coach and OC I do know how to develop QB's. We have been over this, you are trying to take shots when you dont' have any ammo.

But then again who is dumber, the guy that doesn't get it or the guy that keeps trying to explain it to him?
Haha! I say the one dumber is the one who can't see the problem of your logic.

You claim to be a qb coach and I don't know a thing about that ,fine (I'll agree with you for a second) . So that makes the dumb one.

Now based on your logic, what qualifies you to know more than Ralphy? He's an owner and you have never been one or will never be one. Do you so see the problem with your logic now? Pot calling the kettle?

45 minutes is more than you know.

here's another thing that you fail to see. Ralphy has gotten the attention of the politicians. He's already stated numerous times that he could be gone soon and yet cares what happens to the team. If the team leaves, it could hurt the economy of WNY that isn't all that to begin with.

You can B!tch about Ralphy looking like an idiot all you want. I don't care what the rest of the league thinks of us like you and your buddy Patmoran does. Aside from the team I care more about WNY.

[FlyingDutchman]

Yeah I care how he looks. So far it looks to the NFL that we have an old fart that has lost it as an owner. Maybe ralph is right, we will see.

And I am far from the only one totally embarrassed by ralphs antics.

way to cover your ass with "maybe ralph is right". my question is why are you so pissed about how he looks? do you go through life saying all the right things to people so youre not to offend or disagree with anyone? you have to look out for #1 sometimes regardless of who you have to cross. your arguements about him being old and not understanding are BS. we dont have a team of monkies advising Ralph either. who is embarrassed by this? im not. id rather ralph do everything in his power to ensure my beloved buffalo bills stay in buffalo versus just crawling into a corner and taking any beating the league has to give us. my next question and is this is a big one. since you dont like how ralph is handling this, what the **** would you like to see him do. if he just sat back and said nothing, is he just still an old man whos lost it? what does it take for the know nothing ralph wilson to appease the expert ice? he sees the longevity of the bills threatened and is doing what he deems necessary for the bills to stay in buffalo before he passes away. thank god he is, bc if he were to pass away and the team was given to his family, you could kiss the bills goodbye.

[Stewie]

He read it? According to him he saw it for 45 minutes. Apperantly 30 other owners read it and have no issues. Now either he read it and is wrong, or he didn't have time to fully read it and is going off of what he THOUGHT he saw.

You can't have it both ways.

I don't even know why I'm arguing with you, cause your argument has the cognitive reasoning of a 12 year old. Do you know the other 30 owners personally? Do you think that NFL owners have press releases for every thought that crosses their mind?

Do you think its reasonable for someone to be forced to sign a contract hundreds of pages long after only getting 45 minutes to review it? And don't you think he had his lawyers sift through it later?

Owners of companies aren't all lawyers. That's why lawyers exist. He was railroaded into signing, so he decided to say no. And later on, we found out why.

The revenue sharing technicalities can be re-written after 2008. That means there could be another labor disagreement among the owners, creating another ugly labor dispute. More likely, though, the owners at the top will railroad everyone else through again. And it won't matter for most teams. It wont matter for Buffalo either, cause the L.A. Bills will be doing just fine.

[Stewie]

Yeah he did all of that, but so what? He is past the point where he needs to sell. I hate when someone says they have earned the right to possibly destroy something many people love because of past deeds. It isn't genX talking it is reality.

I know this will come as a shocker, but try and stay with me: just because you have a team worth 700 million, does not mean you have a bank account with 700 million in cash that you can spend on anything you want.

Ralph bought the team for thousands. I can only presume that he had other investments that give him some decent cash flow.

Owning a 700 million dollar asset that has a negative cash flow means he has to come up with that cash from some other business. It also means that an increase in equity is the only potential benefit to continuing team ownership. The Bills will simply not increase in equity at the same rate as the other 31 teams if they're losing money. If you handed me the bills tomorrow, I would have to sell the team because I cannot come up with the 10 million dollars cash its going to take to run the franshise over the next 12 months.

Ralph didn't "earn" any right. He bought it. Just becuase you love another man's possessions, doesn't give you or anyone else the "right" to say what happens to it.

[Spiderweb]

.....................Ralph didn't "earn" any right. He bought it. Just becuase you love another man's possessions, doesn't give you or anyone else the "right" to say what happens to it.

Hummm. So since Ralph is the sole owner, it's his possession and he can do with it what he likes? Now that's a strange concept. Why that's, well, almost American.

Yet, an NFL franchise also gets local tax payer support, through there stadium deals (upgrades, maintenance, security, etc) so there is an implied responsibility an owner has with regard to the community in which they reside. Has Ralph been a good corporate citizen? Well when one looks at what has left Buffalo and what remains, he appears to have commitment to the local community. Has he gouged the fan base (ticket prices, etc)? Seems Ralph has done well in this area too. As a businessman, might he know a bit more about the financial end of owning a franchise than the self righteous, self professed geniuses on this board? You bet he does!

Overall, Ralph has done well by Buffalo and at this point, in the twilight of his life, I prefer to give him my respect (bizzare concept?) overall. Want to citicize him? Fine, make your case upon who he's employed (GM's, HC's, etc) over the years and for the years he went cheap (70'2 & half of the 80's), but as a businessman?

But given the fine tradition of message boards, he will be far more likely to be dis'd rather than be held in regard.

[ICE74129]

Haha! I say the one dumber is the one who can't see the problem of your logic.

You claim to be a qb coach and I don't know a thing about that ,fine (I'll agree with you for a second) . So that makes the dumb one.

Now based on your logic, what qualifies you to know more than Ralphy? He's an owner and you have never been one or will never be one. Do you so see the problem with your logic now? Pot calling the kettle?

45 minutes is more than you know.

here's another thing that you fail to see. Ralphy has gotten the attention of the politicians. He's already stated numerous times that he could be gone soon and yet cares what happens to the team. If the team leaves, it could hurt the economy of WNY that isn't all that to begin with.

You can B!tch about Ralphy looking like an idiot all you want. I don't care what the rest of the league thinks of us like you and your buddy Patmoran does. Aside from the team I care more about WNY.


Well good for WNY! bottom line is this, I see NO other owners, including Brown, coming to ralphs aid or backing him on his ASSUMPTIONS about the CBA. And Like I have said, I may be wrong, but we will know soon enough.

And if you care about the team and WNY you had best hope Ralph is NOT wrong and his assumptions make those reps look like asses.

[justasportsfan]

Well good for WNY! bottom line is this, I see NO other owners, including Brown, coming to ralphs aid or backing him on his ASSUMPTIONS about the CBA. And Like I have said, I may be wrong, but we will know soon enough.

And if you care about the team and WNY you had best hope Ralph is NOT wrong and his assumptions make those reps look like asses.Why would anyone else come to Ralph's aid when they signed for the CBA?

Like I said, I don't care if it makes Ralph and his people look like asses. There are people who's livelihood depend on the bills staying and there isn't much left in WNY. The last thing we need are these people claiming unemployment and welfare checks.

[ICE74129]

Why would anyone else come to Ralph's aid when they signed for the CBA?

Like I said, I don't care if it makes Ralph and his people look like asses. There are people who's livelihood depend on the bills staying and there isn't much left in WNY. The last thing we need are these people claiming unemployment and welfare checks.

You are missing the point. IF RALPH IS WRONG it makes all the people in WNY helping him look stupid. That = No more help from them in the future. It's called crying wolf.

Now if ralph is right, then fine.

[justasportsfan]

You are missing the point. IF RALPH IS WRONG it makes all the people in WNY helping him look stupid. That = No more help from them in the future. It's called crying wolf.

Now if ralph is right, then fine. YOU missed the point. Who gives a rats ass if Ralph is wrong and looks stupid? People have every right to question something that affects their ability to put food on the table. If the tables were turned Jerry Jones and Snyder would be wondering about it too. Once again, this is no laughing matter, the bills are an essential part to Buffalo's economy. You just don't sign people's lives away with 45 mins. There is concern and I'm not surprised you don't get it, you say you're a football coach not a businessman.

[ICE74129]

YOU missed the point. Who gives a rats ass if Ralph is wrong and looks stupid? People have every right to question something that affects their ability to put food on the table. If the tables were turned Jerry Jones and Snyder would be wondering about it too. Once again, this is no laughing matter, the bills are an essential part to Buffalo's economy. You just don't sign people's lives away with 45 mins. There is concern and I'm not surprised you don't get it, you say you're a football coach not a businessman.

Oh I get it. And soon Ralph might too.

[justasportsfan]

And soon Ralph might too.But "Ralph may be right" ... :shakeno: Make up your mind.

[ICE74129]

Again you take from the post what you want. I have always said 'IF' he is wrong. Sorry man I'm not stupid enough to put up a post saying 'WHEN ralph is found completely wrong'. I know how this board works :roflmao:

[Stewie]

Why would anyone else come to Ralph's aid when they signed for the CBA?



Not only that, the other owners are incented to see the Buffalo Bills fail. After all, the team is far more profitable to them (and the league) by relocating to a larger market like L.A.

Look at how much the NFL just got from the networks, imagine how much more it would be if there were teams in the second largest viewing market in the country.