Bills could go for at least $1.1 billion

[Fletch]

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/07/21/bills-could-go-for-at-least-1-1-billion/

Nothin' new here, but the piece makes a good point that people here seem to overlook.

The final price hinges in large part on the still-unknown mandate of the trust that will be responsible for selling the team. If expected to get the most possible money without regard to the potential for relocation, a group that would eventually Mayflower its way to L.A. could be willing to pay a lot more than $1.1 billion. If expected to find an owner that will keep the team in Buffalo, the number will be lower.


Few expect the team to move. The final purchase price, along with the identity of the purchaser, will go a long way toward allowing a full assessment of whether the perfunctory “we have no intention to move the team” can be believed.

The question is who does the trust serve. It doesn't seem like anyone in Wilson's family has any reason to care about whether or not the team remains in Buffalo, besides his niece Mary Owen that is who's currently employed by the team as Exec VP of Strategic Planning, one of the glaring faults of this organization when it comes to performance. But she won't be a factor as an employee.

[trapezeus]

Re: Bills could go for at least $1.1 billion

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com...t-1-1-billion/

Nothin' new here, but the piece makes a good point that people here seem to overlook.

The final price hinges in large part on the still-unknown mandate of the trust that will be responsible for selling the team. If expected to get the most possible money without regard to the potential for relocation, a group that would eventually Mayflower its way to L.A. could be willing to pay a lot more than $1.1 billion. If expected to find an owner that will keep the team in Buffalo, the number will be lower.


Few expect the team to move. The final purchase price, along with the identity of the purchaser, will go a long way toward allowing a full assessment of whether the perfunctory “we have no intention to move the team” can be believed.

The question is who does the trust serve. It doesn't seem like anyone in Wilson's family has any reason to care about whether or not the team remains in Buffalo, besides his niece Mary Owen that is who's currently employed by the team as Exec VP of Strategic Planning, one of the glaring faults of this organization when it comes to performance. But she won't be a factor as an employee.

other than mary wilson probably wanting to honor he late husbands wishes. this is an example of you pushing your narrative that you hope the team moves.

people have repeatedly said that the way the trust works, is you follow the wishes of the deceased. they can be as specific as they want. if the heirs have issues with following through, it becomes a big court deal. so far, knowing none of the details, one thing is consistent. a fast sale. so that suggests they will follow what the trust has set forth.

if she wasn't interested in ralph's wishes, she wouldn't have come to the field house after his death and shake hands with every fan who showed up and swap stories.

[stuckincincy]

Re: Bills could go for at least $1.1 billion

if she wasn't interested in ralph's wishes, she wouldn't have come to the field house after his death and shake hands with every fan who showed up and swap stories.

Leave her out of this.

[Dr. Who]

Re: Bills could go for at least $1.1 billion

Really, why? She has some say in the future of team, doesn't she? Surmising from her past behavior where her sympathies are likely to be is germane. I don't see how it is in any way unethical to speculate, if that is what you are implying.

[stuckincincy]

Re: Bills could go for at least $1.1 billion

Really, why? She has some say in the future of team, doesn't she? Surmising from her past behavior where her sympathies are likely to be is germane. I don't see how it is in any way unethical to speculate, if that is what you are implying.

No implication on my part. I was replying to a poster that speculated as to motive, saying "if she wasn't interested in ralph's wishes, she wouldn't have come to the field house after his death and shake hands with every fan who showed up and swap stories.".

I don't think that that poster takes any offense; nor do I. We both expressed opinions.

[Dr. Who]

Re: Bills could go for at least $1.1 billion

Okay. The terse "leave her out of this" appeared to me to express some kind of umbrage. I stand corrected.

[stuckincincy]

Re: Bills could go for at least $1.1 billion

Okay. The terse "leave her out of this" appeared to me to express some kind of umbrage. I stand corrected.

Heh - one of the problems with this form of communication...we don't get the inflections of oral speech.

There's an old sentence:

"I didn't say John was stupid."

Play around with it. I didn't, I didn't say, I didn't say, I didn't say John, and so forth. Each emphasis changes the intent of the speaker.

[trapezeus]

Re: Bills could go for at least $1.1 billion

i didn't take offense, but its worth pointing out. the sale is still on which suggests they are honoring whatever the trust's plan is. Sure, Ralph could just have said, "sell it quickly and run with the money like you stole it, love". But he also allowed for that long term lease to lock in football for another 6 years. So in my mind, ralph wanted to give buffalo a chance to keep the team, and she isn't standing in his way. It's not a long leap.

what is a big leap is to suggest there is someone in the trust who wants to run rogue from whats in the trust. and fletch routinely comes back to this point.

[Fletch]

Re: Bills could go for at least $1.1 billion

other than mary wilson probably wanting to honor he late husbands wishes. this is an example of you pushing your narrative that you hope the team moves.

people have repeatedly said that the way the trust works, is you follow the wishes of the deceased. they can be as specific as they want. if the heirs have issues with following through, it becomes a big court deal. so far, knowing none of the details, one thing is consistent. a fast sale. so that suggests they will follow what the trust has set forth.

if she wasn't interested in ralph's wishes, she wouldn't have come to the field house after his death and shake hands with every fan who showed up and swap stories.

Wrong, you follow the letter of what's written in the trust. Presumably that's the deceased's wishes, but if he wished for something else after writing it, too bad, it's what's written. There is no more discussion after someone passes.

What I'm pointing out is precisely that. People here talk as if they know what's in the trust and that's that the board has the choice to be selective in choosing who buys the team, which could be the case, but so far nothing's been released to that effect, as the piece says, specifically, it's an "unknown mandate." If it's unknown, how do you then implicitly know what it says.

Let me ask you, what if it does in fact say to sell to the highest bidder?

As to your insistence that I'm somehow secretly wishing that the team moves, isn't that a little childish?

I'll freely admit, as I have numerous times now, that if the choice is the team moving or staying and sucking, I really don't care. I'd gladly take a Super Bowl champion over another 20 years of Brandon/Littman/Majeski led idiocy any day of the week.

But saying that I hope that the team moves is silly and childish on your part. Sorry to see you stoop down like that. I enjoy your commentary otherwise.

The bottom line is that we haven't been told what's in the trust. To try to spin it the other way is simply dishonest discourse.

[BertSquirtgum]

Re: Bills could go for at least $1.1 billion

Yeah, right.

[better days]

Re: Bills could go for at least $1.1 billion

Wrong, you follow the letter of what's written in the trust. Presumably that's the deceased's wishes, but if he wished for something else after writing it, too bad, it's what's written. There is no more discussion after someone passes.

What I'm pointing out is precisely that. People here talk as if they know what's in the trust and that's that the board has the choice to be selective in choosing who buys the team, which could be the case, but so far nothing's been released to that effect, as the piece says, specifically, it's an "unknown mandate." If it's unknown, how do you then implicitly know what it says.

Let me ask you, what if it does in fact say to sell to the highest bidder?

As to your insistence that I'm somehow secretly wishing that the team moves, isn't that a little childish?

I'll freely admit, as I have numerous times now, that if the choice is the team moving or staying and sucking, I really don't care. I'd gladly take a Super Bowl champion over another 20 years of Brandon/Littman/Majeski led idiocy any day of the week.

But saying that I hope that the team moves is silly and childish on your part. Sorry to see you stoop down like that. I enjoy your commentary otherwise.

The bottom line is that we haven't been told what's in the trust. To try to spin it the other way is simply dishonest discourse.

Keep in mind that even if the Bills move they could SUCK in perpetuity.

A move is no guarantee that they become a great team.

[Fletch]

Re: Bills could go for at least $1.1 billion

Really, why? She has some say in the future of team, doesn't she? Surmising from her past behavior where her sympathies are likely to be is germane. I don't see how it is in any way unethical to speculate, if that is what you are implying.

What is so complicated here?

If she keeps the team she has some say. If she sells it, which is clearly happening, she'll have no say once the team is sold. Why on earth would she have a say once she sells it.

If you bought a car from someone that had spruced it all up nice the way that he wanted it, would that person have a say in what you did with it, even if you wanted to run it in a demolition derby? No, he wouldn't.

I don't get why everyone thinks that those entrusted with selling this team, outside the terms of the trust, which will have to be severely limited or the team's value plummets, are going to have much say as to its future. And if they can only sell to certain people, like people promising to keep the team here, then it'd better be in writing or it's worthless. If it's in writing then I highly doubt that they'd be wasting the time of ineligible potential suitors.

They're selling the team, it won't be theirs anymore after it sells. They won't be able to say or control anything after the sale. All future decisions will be the new owner's.

Has anyone thought about this, that Bon Jovi's the face of that Toronto group, and he's promising us that the team won't move. But, it's reported to be a 1/3, 1/3, 1/3 ownership breakdown.

So, fast forward several years and Bon Jovi claims to still be interested in keeping the team in Toronto, but he's distraught because the other 2/3 interests disagrees and wants to move the team. Bon Jovi can still claim forevermore that he wanted to keep the team here as he promised, but that he was outvoted.

[better days]

Re: Bills could go for at least $1.1 billion

Keep in mind that even if the Bills move they could SUCK in perpetuity.

A move is no guarantee that they become a great team.

In fact if the Bills move to Toronto with Rodgers as owner, the Bills could become the NFL equivalent of the Leafs.

Think about that for a minute.

[Fletch]

Re: Bills could go for at least $1.1 billion

i didn't take offense, but its worth pointing out. the sale is still on which suggests they are honoring whatever the trust's plan is. Sure, Ralph could just have said, "sell it quickly and run with the money like you stole it, love". But he also allowed for that long term lease to lock in football for another 6 years. So in my mind, ralph wanted to give buffalo a chance to keep the team, and she isn't standing in his way. It's not a long leap.

what is a big leap is to suggest there is someone in the trust who wants to run rogue from whats in the trust. and fletch routinely comes back to this point.

The assumptions you make are ridiculous.

i didn't take offense, but its worth pointing out. the sale is still on which suggests they are honoring whatever the trust's plan is.

That's been my point all along. But the difference between you and me is that I don't claim to know what's in the trust, whereas you do, like selling it to someone that wants to keep the team here.

Ralph could just have said, "sell it quickly and run with the money like you stole it, love".

That's idiotically ridiculous. That could very well be the case, the mandate of the trust is UNKNOWN. But of course you alone know what it is and you know that it's not to sell to the highest bidder. We get that.

What did you expect, the team to be on the auction block as Wilson's casket was being lowered into its grave? These things take time, this isn't a franchise of Horton's being bought.

The difference between you and me is that I recognize that Mary Wilson doesn't live in Buffalo, has openly expressed that she won't care about the team or its business after her husband dies, and then I draw the link between that and the notion that money's likely more important to her than the welfare of the team which she has never even expressed a fleeting interest in.

You on the other hand seem to think that all of a sudden she cares about things that she's already said she doesn't care about, things that she's never publicly stated she cares about, and that things that other people typically value, like wealth in this case, is insignificant to her otherwise. Does that sound wise or logical to you?

I think some of you still can't get over the fact that Wilson lied to you when he said that he's done all that he could do to keep the team here. That's a proven lie now. He could have sold the team prior to his passing but chose not to. So he didn't do all that he could. He lied.

But he also allowed for that long term lease to lock in football for another 6 years. So in my mind, ralph wanted to give buffalo a chance to keep the team, and she isn't standing in his way.

Wrong! Everyone's pitching this as if he did this just before he died and that was the best he could get. The truth of the matter is that he did this four years ago. It was a 10-year stipulation. He didn't know when he was going to kick.

If he had lived another two years we'd be on the cusp of that buyout year of 2019 given how much time it takes to build a stadium.

Everyone's giving him credit for the circumstances that exist after his passing, but they existed prior to his passing and the whole "6 years" thing is only 6 years because he happened to die this year. If he had died three years from now it would have been 3 years. How would everyone have felt then? Would everyone be saying what a great guy he was because he's committed the team to be here for one more bumbling coaching cycle? I very much doubt it. I think we'd be hearing a lot more complaints.

Or worse yet, if he had lived four or five more years and he would have failed to get a new stadium, as I think would have been likely given the state of things now, then the team would be poised to move almost immediately.

So in essence we're giving Wilson credit for dying now, this year, instead of a year or two down the road, and then crediting him with the circumstances that only exist because of the arbitrary timing of his death.

Seriously, some of you really need to get a grip on reality.

[Guest]

Re: Bills could go for at least $1.1 billion

In fact if the Bills move to Toronto with Rodgers as owner, the Bills could become the NFL equivalent of the Leafs.

Think about that for a minute.

Rogers owns the Blue Jays and not the Leafs.

You really have no clue.

Just pull stuff out of your old ass.