G. Host
04-25-2006, 10:04 PM
While Wilson only recently began talking openly, extensively and publicly about his franchise's muddled future here, the topic has long served as a gathering point for those with powerful names or politically empowered positions.
The talks, which began about four years ago, were kept hushed, never made public. They happened at the behest of Stanford Lipsey, the well-connected publisher of The Buffalo News, and at various points included Schumer, Russert, former Bills quarterback and Congressman Jack Kemp and football Commissioner Paul Tagliabue.
Lipsey won't reveal details of the discussions except to say that they centered on what would happen to the Bills after Wilson's death.
Approximately one year ago, Lipsey ended the talks. "I felt I had taken it as far as it was going to go," he says, "and I just left it at that."
Was a grand scheme hatched? It seems not, but even if there was, the NFL's new collective-bargaining agreement has - by Wilson's estimation - crashed all succession plans.
"Before, I was going to sell the team," Wilson, 87, told reporters during his Sunday, April 9, press conference with Schumer. "I don't know now. It (the labor pact) has changed everything."
http://buffalo.bizjournals.com/buffalo/stories/2006/04/24/story1.html?hbx=e_sw
Well it appears this is part of what was going behind the scenes.
The talks, which began about four years ago, were kept hushed, never made public. They happened at the behest of Stanford Lipsey, the well-connected publisher of The Buffalo News, and at various points included Schumer, Russert, former Bills quarterback and Congressman Jack Kemp and football Commissioner Paul Tagliabue.
Lipsey won't reveal details of the discussions except to say that they centered on what would happen to the Bills after Wilson's death.
Approximately one year ago, Lipsey ended the talks. "I felt I had taken it as far as it was going to go," he says, "and I just left it at that."
Was a grand scheme hatched? It seems not, but even if there was, the NFL's new collective-bargaining agreement has - by Wilson's estimation - crashed all succession plans.
"Before, I was going to sell the team," Wilson, 87, told reporters during his Sunday, April 9, press conference with Schumer. "I don't know now. It (the labor pact) has changed everything."
http://buffalo.bizjournals.com/buffalo/stories/2006/04/24/story1.html?hbx=e_sw
Well it appears this is part of what was going behind the scenes.