Teams Buffalo Bills - The Stampede

[Exe Gesis]

Bills launch process of finding a buyer

Posted by Mike Florio on June 19, 2014, 4:39 PM EDT

If anyone has an extra billion or so laying around, they’re in luck. The Buffalo Bills have officially pushed a For Sale sign into the front lawn.

According to John Kryk of the QMI Agency, the team mailed to prospective buyers on Wednesday a non-disclosure agreement and “teaser” sale documents.

The materials went to those who expressed an intention to make an offer. It’s possible that the documents were sent to other potential buyers identified by Morgan Stanley, hired by the Bills to get the deal done.

The expected bidders include former Sabres owner Tom Golisano, former New Jersey Generals owner Donald Trump, current Sabres owner Terry Pegula, and a Toronto-based group including Jon Bon Jovi and Larry Tanenbaum.

Trump remains viable contender primarily because he and/or those close to him insist he is.

“Donald Trump continues to remain interested in exploring the opportunity to acquire the Buffalo Bills,” executive vice-president and special counsel to Trump Michael Cohen told Kryk.

“Financially he is more than capable of buying the team on his own,” Cohen said. “Whether he does, or elects to syndicate, is something he will decide at a later date.”

Eventually, a bid from someone will be accepted by four trustees. The sale will then require approval by the league at large; votes from 24 owners will get the deal done.

The standard for choosing a buyer isn’t known. If it’s based on the highest offer, there’s a chance a buyer who intends to move the team will be in position to fashion the best offer, since the value of the franchise would increase significantly if it were moved to a market like Los Angeles.

 

[Exe Gesis]

Report: Bon Jovi, Goodell had business lunch on Thursday

Posted by Mike Florio on June 20, 2014, 8:28 AM EDT

A day after the Buffalo Bills officially commenced the process of selling the team, one of the most prominent suitors reportedly had a lengthy lunch with the man who steers the NFL’s ship.

According to Ian Mohr and Stephanie Smith of the New York Post, Jon Bon Jovi and Commissioner Roger Goodell spent two hours at lunch on Thursday.

“They were definitely talking business,” an unnamed source told the Post. “Jon was taking notes — he had a pen and paper with him at the table.”

Bills fans undoubtedly hope that the notes Bon Jovi took included advice from Goodell that, if Bon Jovi’s group intends to move the Bills to Toronto, he should give up now.

While there may be potential buyers who’d try to move the franchise to L.A., Bills fans bristle at the possibility of any relocation, even a fairly close move to Toronto. Several expected bidders would keep the team in Buffalo. Ultimately, the question is whether those bid will be better than the bids made by those who would want to move the team.

 

[Exe Gesis]

Terry Pegula “following the developments” of Bills sale

Posted by Josh Alper on June 20, 2014, 1:54 PM EDT

The sale of the Buffalo Bills took another step forward this week when the team mailed non-disclosure agreements and “teaser” sale documents to prospective buyers.

The full list of potential buyers has not been revealed, but Buffalo Sabres owner Terry Pegula is believed to be among the bidders. Pegula and his wife released a statement through the Sabres on Friday saying that they want to see the Bills remain in Buffalo without offering any confirmation or details about their plans to make a play for the team.

“Terry and Kim Pegula have a deep commitment to Buffalo and Western New York. Their ownership of the Buffalo Sabres and Rochester Americans and the construction of HARBORCENTER are evidence of that fact,” the statement reads. “Like everyone else in this community, they have a strong desire to have the Buffalo Bills remain a centerpiece of this region. Accordingly, they have been following the developments involving the sale of the Bills. However, out of respect for the process being conducted by representatives of the Wilson Estate and the Bills, they will not be making any additional comments about the sale process.”

Pegula reportedly netted $1.75 billion via the sale of 75,000 acres of Utica and Marcellus Shale leases in West Virginia and Ohio earlier this year. That money would come in handy if he does move forward in pursuit of the Bills, although several other deep-pocketed possibilities have been kicked around as potential buyers since the death of Bills founder and owner Ralph Wilson.

 

[Exe Gesis]

Wolf in sheep clothing....

Bon Jovi’s group vows to keep team in Buffalo
Posted by Mike Florio on July 19, 2014, 6:32 PM EDT

Getty Images
Rocker Jon Bon Jovi has indeed joined a Toronto-based group that hopes to buy the Buffalo Bills. And Bon Jovi and company indeed are claiming that they intend to keep the team in Buffalo.

Via the Associated Press, Bon Jovi’s group has retained a banking firm and submitted paperwork expressing interest in buying the franchise from the estate of Ralph Wilson. Via John Kryk of the Toronto Sun, Bon Jovi’s group has told others, and will inform the trust that will sell the team, that the Bills won’t leave Buffalo.

The first hint that Bon Jovi’s intentions had changed came when his former partner in the AFL’s Philadelphia Soul, Ron Jaworski, told Buffalo radio that Bon Jovi never intended and doesn’t intend to move the team.

It remains to be seen whether they mean it. There’s a chance they mean it for now, and that they’ll mean it for as long as it takes to buy the franchise. Then, after the 2019 season (when a window opens to buy out the rest of the lease) or after the 2022 season (when the lease at Ralph Wilson Stadium expires), they can have an unexpected change of heart.

That’s why it’s important for Bon Jovi to align with key former members of the team and to sell to them that he’s telling the truth, hopeful that they in turn will send that message to the fan base. There’s a special connection between the all-time great Bills players and the fan base, and the fan base will be far more likely to believe the likes of Thurman Thomas than a guy who clearly wants to own the team not because it’s in Buffalo but because it’s in the NFL.

 

[Exe Gesis]

Bills could go for at least $1.1 billion
Posted by Mike Florio on July 21, 2014, 11:18 AM EDT

As the process of selling the Buffalo Bills ramps up, the numbers likely will be large.

Sal Paolantonio of ESPN says that the franchise is expected to sell for at least $1.1 billion. That’s considerably higher than a recent valuation from Forbes of $870 million, although the presence of name Forbes gives what amounts to speculation and guesswork plenty of caché.

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.

In the end, the team will be sold for whatever someone decides to pay for it. That’s what any asset or person ultimately is worth. With only 32 seats at the most exclusive table in sports and plenty of folks who disagree with the notion that the only thing better than being rich and famous is being rich and anonymous, someone will be forking over much more than $1.1 billion for the Bills.

 

[Exe Gesis]

Report: Bon Jovi’s ownership group has explored building Toronto stadium
Posted by Mike Florio on July 24, 2014, 11:17 PM EDT

Getty Images
While the potential Bills ownership group fronted by Jon Bon Jovi may currently be saying all the right things about keeping the team in Buffalo, Bon Jovi and company reportedly have explored the possibility of moving the team to Toronto.

According to the Associated Press, the Bon Jovi group has conducted a feasibility study regarding the construction of a stadium in the Toronto area. The study identified at least three potential sites.

Andy Bergmann, who oversees the group’s stadium plan, denied that any feasibility study has been conducted.

“We have undertaken engineering and design studies,” Bergmann told the AP via email. “All of our work has been about a generic site and whether it was more rural or urban. We are aware of potential sites in the western NY and southern Ontario region, and are in fact meeting with two Buffalo area developers next week.”

Despite reports that the Bon Jovi group wouldn’t move the team, many aren’t buying it — including Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz.

“It is my personal opinion that any bid associated with the Toronto group has a long-term interest in moving the team to Toronto,” Poloncarz told the AP.

Any group that would move the team can’t say it would move the team until the time comes to actually move the team, for a variety of reasons. So none of the groups looking to buy the team will admit they want to move the team, and the question then becomes whether anyone believes the statements of intention to remain in Buffalo.

Few Bills fans believe that Bon Jovi would keep the team in Buffalo. The latest report from the AP will do nothing to change the minds of those who are convinced that on a steel horse the franchise will ride to Toronto.

I knew if I babbled long enough I’d eventually come up with a way to force a Bon Jovi song reference into this thing.

 

[Exe Gesis]

What a lovely bunch of guys up there in Buffalo....

Andre Reed has very strong words for Bon Jovi
Posted by Mike Florio on July 29, 2014, 12:54 PM EDT

Getty Images
You know that group hug we suggested earlier today to salvage Jon Bon Jovi’s bid for the Buffalo Bills? The one with Bon Jovi and Jim Kelly and Thurman Thomas and Bruce Smith and Andre Reed?

It might be a good idea to not invite Reed to the party.

“[F]–k Bon Jovi!” Reed tells New York Magazine, via ESPN.com. “”You might as well just take this city, throw it in the river, and let it go down Niagara Falls.”

We’ll interpret that as a “no” vote from Reed on Bon Jovi’s candidacy to buy the Bills.

Reed will be inducted into the Hall of Fame speech on Saturday night. Hopefully, he won’t grab the mic and utter similar profanities.

Then again, hopefully he will.

Regardless of what happens on Saturday night, Reed may have given the Buffalo faithful three words that will become the prevailing chant that echoes from Fawcett Stadium out to I-77 when the Bills play the Giants to cap Hall of Fame weekend in Canton.


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Buffalo backlash building against Bon Jovi
Posted by Mike Florio on July 29, 2014, 10:06 AM EDT

Getty Images
As the deadline arrives on Tuesday for potential buyers of the Bills to formally express interest in acquiring the franchise, one of the biggest names of the bunch faces a building backlash in Buffalo.

As explained by Eric Adelson of Yahoo! Sports, Jon Bon Jovi currently doesn’t have many fans in the city where the Bills currently reside, due to the perception that Bon Jovi’s Toronto-based ownership group would move the team there.

“It’s a big threat,” 49-year-old truck driver Charles Pellien told Adelson. “He’s aligned with guys from Toronto. They’ve got more money than everybody else. We don’t believe they will keep the Bills in Buffalo. Why would they?”

From a perception standpoint, he’s right. If Bon Jovi were aligned with a group based in Los Angeles, it would be a given that the group wants to move the team there. With Bon Jovi, a New Jersey native, becoming the front man for Toronto money, it’s impossible to not think that Bon Jovi’s group would move the team to Ontario at the first legal opportunity.

Pellien has organized a grass-roots group to keep Bon Jovi’s group from winning the team. Coupled with Bon Jovi’s ongoing silence about his plans or intentions, it makes it hard for anyone to believe the reports that Bon Jovi and company intend to keep the team in Buffalo.

“It’s the Buffalo Bills, and they will do everything they can to make that work there,” consultant to the Toronto group recently told the Buffalo News.

Which doesn’t make it any better.

“They will do everything they can to make that work there” possibly means, “They’ll dog paddle in Buffalo, saying all the right until the lease allows them to load up the Mayflowers and declare, ‘Well, we did everything possible to make it work there. Bye.'”

Bon Jovi, who seems to be doing all the right things behind the scenes to position himself to have a legitimate shot at the team, should have been doing all the right things in front of the scenes, too. Free concerts. Donations to local charities. Other public appearances. Radio interviews.

For a guy who has made millions and millions working the crowd, he has blown it on this one. His silence has invited suspicion, and as the suspicion mounts and the silence continues, the suspicion gets even stronger.

At this point, nothing short of a public group hug involving Bon Jovi, Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas, Andre Reed, and Bruce Smith will commence the process of getting folks in Buffalo to believe that Bon Jovi is buying the Bills not because they’re in Buffalo but because they can be taken, eventually, to Toronto.

 

[Exe Gesis]

Some actual hardcopy on the sale...

Buffalo Bills Franchise Sale update: The first round of bids are in for the Buffalo Bills sale. Only 3 bids were submitted:

Pegula's
Trump's
Toronto/Bon Jovi's.

Pegula bid $1.3B. That's $200M more than any NFL team has ever sold for. And that's just the opening round for bids. And People think Mark's franchise is only worth $850M. In a real live auction it'd be worth a lot more. Provided the owner could choose to relocate.

 

[arkie]

* Bon Jovi.

 

[Woodson]

**** Bon Jovi.

Considering he and BB are 'buddies'

I'll throw this one out there..

http://boston.cbslocal.com/2014/07/...jovi-one-step-closer-to-owning-buffalo-bills/

 

[Exe Gesis]

Bon Jovi’s bid continues to face scrutiny over relocation concerns
Posted by Mike Florio on August 8, 2014, 1:31 PM EDT

Getty Images
It’s too bad Bon Jovi never did a baseball song, because this would be an appropriate time to quote a lyric that mentions strike three.

The first two have come via a pair of efforts to submit non-binding bids deemed to be insufficient by the folks responsible for selling the Buffalo Bills. The initial attempt was rejected due to concerns regarding the amount of money offered and the lack of assurances the team wouldn’t move. According to John Kryk of the Toronto Sun, the second bid resulted in another request to clarify its supposed non-relocation intentions.

The news comes at a time when the Bills process has been muddied by a moving-target bid process that apparently yielded only three offers by the initial July 29 deadline.

“”We’re in weirdo world at this point,” a source close to the process told Kryk.

It’s hard to disagree. The effort to concoct a convoluted dot-connecting process aimed at organically generating leverage hasn’t worked. The far better approach would be to park a For Sale sign in front of the team facility, and to identify an asking price and other preferred terms.

If, alternatively, the sale process is going to be an auction, then hold a true auction. A hybrid process aimed undoubtedly at creating an auction-style sense of urgency without honoring the usual “best offer wins” rule of the auction ritual is creating a sense of inconsistency and unfairness that ultimately may hurt, not help, the effort to secure top dollar for the team, along with a clear assurance that the Bills won’t move.

Maybe the message is that, at a time when the L.A. Clippers are somehow being sold for $2 billion, maybe the Bills franchise isn’t worth as much as the folks trying to sell the team think it is.

 

[Beetlebum]

Doctors treating Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly for sinus cancer found "no evidence" of remaining cancer in a follow-up screening Tuesday.

"The treatments so far have completely eliminated Mr. Kelly's pain, and his level of function has essentially returned to normal," Dr. Peter Costantino said in a statement released by Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan.

Kelly will be evaluated over the coming weeks to determine if further treatment is necessary.

I still need the prayers," Kelly told ESPN.com.

Kelly underwent several rounds of chemotherapy and radiation in the spring, followed by a three-month waiting period.

"It is possible that no further treatment will be required, and the testing over the next week will define this issue," Costantino said.

Kelly's wife, Jill, welcomed the news in a note posted on her Instagram account.

"We have come away from our checkup visit in NYC encouraged and hopeful," she wrote.

She added that the follow-up tests will include biopsies to confirm the cancer has been eradicated.

Kelly was initially diagnosed with oral cancer in mid-2013 before surgery removed tumors. Doctors found a recurrence of that cancer in March.

He was in a weakened state following a two-month barrage of treatments.

In one of his first public appearances following the treatments, Kelly surprised Bills players and staff by showing up to one of their final minicamp practices in June.

Kelly was then strong enough to attend the Pro Football Hall of Fame induction ceremonies in Canton, Ohio, three weeks ago, when former Bills teammate, receiver Andre Reed, was among the seven inductees. Reed closed his speech by having Kelly throw him a pass on stage.

A day later, Kelly served as the Bills honorary captain before their preseason-opening game against the New York Giants.

Kelly's battle with cancer has been a public one, and attracted thousands of supporters and well-wishers on social media.

"Kelly Tough" and "Prayers For JK" have become catch phrases and hashtags on Twitter by those voicing their support for Kelly.

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/11383849/jim-kelly-no-evidence-sinus-cancer-doctors-say

 

[Exe Gesis]

Report: High Bills bid by Sabres owner Terry Pegula
Posted by Darin Gantt on August 22, 2014, 6:53 AM EDT

AP
Through all the twists and turns of the sale of the Bills, with all the potential celebrity possibilities, it appears the high bid so far has come from a local.

Via the Buffalo News, Buffalo Sabres owner Terry Pegula turned in the highest of the three bids so far for the team.

According to a report by Forbes, the three non-binding bids all came in under $900 million.

The report said Pegula’s bid of $890 million topped the $820 million bid by the Toronto group faced by Jon Bon Jovi and the $809 million from Donald Trump. (What happened to $1 billion, all cash?)

Those numbers aren’t final, and the Forbes report suggested they’re so low that the league might want to scuttle the sale process and start over. But it does point to what has been reported previously, that Pegula was the front-runner to buy the team.

 

[Exe Gesis]

Source: CBS Sports

CBS Sports reports coach Doug Marrone and Bills' team officials' tensions are starting to boil, and it recently led to an expletive-laden shouting match on the practice field.

Marrone and director of player personnel Jim Monos got into a heated exchange this summer to the point where "they were more or less MFing each other." GM Doug Whaley intervened, followed by team president Russ Brandon, but the expletives continued to fly. Marrone allegedly even said "go ahead and fire me." Per the report, Marrone has been known to refer to himself as "Saint Doug" because of his "miracle" work at Syracuse. He's also frequently clashed with players, most notably stud DE Jerry Hughes. Bills brass is said to be "bristled" at how Marrone has used certain players. Marrone may have the hottest seat in the NFL. He has to be the odds-on favorite as the first coach to be fired this season.

 

[arkie]

What a great win to start the season. Never beaten the Bears at Soldier Field. Gutsy win!

Manuel looked so much better than he did in the pre-season!

Look at this run from Freddy Jackson!

 

[BlueRoos]

Great win for your boys Arkie. A lot of people are on the Bears to make some noise at the business end of the season, so to travel there and get the win says plenty. Will be a great matchup with the Dolphins next week. The Bills really match up well against the Fins, and our revamped O-Line will really earn their keep against the vaunted Bills D-Line. You swept us last year and we will have a tough challenge to get a square up this game. Good luck for the game Bills fans.

 

[Exe Gesis]

Bills buyer Terry Pegula meets with finance committee today
Posted by Darin Gantt on September 17, 2014, 6:56 AM EDT

Getty Images
The NFL gets to the the kind of business it would prefer to be doing today.

According to WGRZ in Buffalo, prospective owner Terry Pegula will meet with the league’s finance committee today, the next step in the process of his purchase from the family of the late Ralph Wilson.

Pegula has offered $1.4 billion in cash for the Bills.

The owner of the Buffalo Sabres is a popular choice locally, since he’s calmed concerns about the team relocating.

If his bid is approved by the finance committee as expected, the deal will be voted on by the owners at their October 7-8 meeting.

 

[hoddo22]

Live on 7mate Monday morning. Don't get live games all that often. Let's try and not utensil this up. Plus it's for sole first in the AFC east, kind of a big deal.

 

[Exe Gesis]

Pegulas expected to become Bills owners this morning
Posted by Mike Florio on October 8, 2014, 7:36 AM EDT

AP
The NFL’s owners have gathered in Manhattan, and on Wednesday morning there will be a new member of the club. Actually, two of them.

Tim Graham of the Buffalo News explains that the vote approving the purchase of the Bills by Terry and Kim Pegula is expected to occur early Wednesday. The vote also is expected to be unanimous.

Already, other owners are speaking as if it’s a done deal.

“We’re excited,” Steelers owner Art Rooney II said, via Graham. “I think it will be no problem.”

“They’ve conducted themselves as a class act throughout the process,” Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie said. “We’re delighted to approve them, and I think they’ll be great for Buffalo.”

“I think they’ll be great owners,” Texans owner Bob McNair said. McNair chairs the finance committee, which already has approved the transaction that will result in $1.4 billion changing hands from the Pegulas to the estate of Ralph Wilson, who founded the franchise back in 1960. Wilson died in March at the age of 95.

The vote is expected to happen early on Wednesday, so that the Pegulas can thereafter represent the franchise at the balance of the quarterly meetings. As Graham explained last week on PFT Live, Kim Pegula is expected to be heavily involved in the day-to-day operation of the team.

As one league source recently explained it to PFT, the Pegulas are expected to build a new stadium in Buffalo within the next 5-10 years, securing the team’s presence in Western New York for years to come.

 

[Exe Gesis]

Pegulas declare “Bills are here to stay”
Posted by Mike Florio on October 10, 2014, 4:13 PM EDT

AP
Terry and Kim Pegula have purchased the Bills from the estate of Ralph Wilson. Now that the transaction has been approved, they’ve issued a letter declaring, in scream-at-your-eyeballs all caps, that the “BILLS ARE HERE TO STAY.”

Actually, the whole letter was printed in scream-at-your-eyeballs all caps. The full text appears below, in non-scream-at-your-eyeballs normal printing.

“Today marks a historic day both for our family and for the city we love. As the new owners of the Buffalo Bills, it’s with great privilege that we can say to all the fans: the Bills are here to stay.

“We are grateful to Ralph Wilson for choosing Buffalo 54 years ago and we look forward to continuing the Buffalo Bills legacy. We are truly honored to represent this team and everything it stands for and are dedicated to sustaining the long-term success of this franchise.”

(That implies there has been success of the franchise in recent years. While success may come, it hasn’t visited lately.)

“Our family continues to be inspired by the work ethic, loyalty, and character or those who live in this great region. We understand the commitment needed to meet the level of dedication fans have shown to this team. A new chapter begins today for both the city and our family.

“We are grateful to Senator Chuck Schumer and Governor Andrew Cuomo for their support and desire to keep our Bills in Western New York. We also offer our appreciation to the NFL and Bills staffs for helping to guide us through the sale process.

“Our singular goal is to win a Super Bowl for our fans. We are one team; one community; one family; one Buffalo.”

The next step will be to build a new stadium, which could come within five to 10 years. And the Pegulas surely will count on Schumer and Cuomo and others in the political machine to help shake a little cash from the public money tree.

 

[Exe Gesis]

What the hell is up their butt FFS...

---------------

Pegulas have no immediate plans to shake up the Bills
Posted by Mike Florio on November 5, 2014, 9:59 PM EST

AP
No owner buys an NFL team for the privilege of employing the team’s current G.M. and/or head coach. And most owners take over the team with an idea or two about the persons who will be hired to fill those jobs.

In Buffalo, the new owners of the Bills won’t be making any changes in the immediate future. Key word: Immediate.

“We recognize, A, that we’re in the middle of a season and, B, the season’s not going too bad right now,” co-owner Terry Pegula told the Buffalo News on Wednesday. “So I think the smart thing right now is to just let everything be and let the season play out.”

That’s hardly a guarantee that changes won’t be made, A, when the season is over and, B, if the season doesn’t turn out very well. In fact, Pegula’s comments mesh with the impression many have had throughout the process of selling the Bills. The new owner will hire a new coach and/or G.M. unless the guys currently do so well that the fans wouldn’t tolerate change.

Pegula, who was interviewed along with his wife and co-owner, Kim, hinted that changes could be inevitable.

“Hire good people and let them run with it; that’s my attitude,” Terry said regarding the intended management approach.

He said “hire good people” not “trust the people who already have the jobs.” It may be nothing; it may be something.

It may ultimately depend whether the Bills parlay their 5-3 start into the franchise’s first postseason appearance since 1999.

 

[SHAKESPEARE]

Move the team to Detroit

 

[hoddo22]

Well after a dominant defensive performance like that, I thought I'd bump the Bills thread up the order. That is two future hall of fame quarterbacks we've made to look ordinary in two weeks. Derek Carr will pass for 400 yards and 5 tds next week.

 

[Gralin]

Another season over another head coach search but hey at least it was a winning record so that we can't draft a quarterback

 

[DaveyBoy123]

Rex Ryan... Hmmm!

Thoughts?