Jim Kelly would hate to jeopardize the CFL and Argos

CFL Talk
#1

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NFL: Buffalo Bills not "going anywhere," Jim Kelly says

[url=http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/postedsports/archive/2008/12/03/nfl-buffalo-bills-not-quot-going-anywhere-quot-jim-kelly.aspx]http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blog ... kelly.aspx[/url]

Posted: December 03, 2008, 1:44 PM by Sean Fitz-Gerald

[i]Jim Kelly wants to save the Buffalo Bills.

“I don’t think the team’s going anywhere, to be honest with you,? the retired quarterback said on Wednesday. “As long as I have anything to do with it, they’re going to stay in Western New York.?

Kelly, along with former Miami Dolphins great Dan Marino, were at the Rogers Centre to promote a series of five Ontario high school football bowl games being played Wednesday.

The Bills host the Miami Dolphins at Rogers Centre in Toronto on Sunday, the first in an unprecedented series of five regular-season games the National Football League team will stage in the city. Rogers Communications Inc. has leased the games, plus three exhibition contests, for $78-million.

It had been speculated the move was only a first step down the path to a more permanent relocation of the franchise, which has been forced by a stagnant local economy to expand its reach into Canada. But the issue has become clouded following the death on Tuesday of Ted Rogers, the Rogers Communications president and CEO, who had an estimated net worth of $7.6-billion.

While he would not elaborate on Wednesday, it has been widely reported that Kelly is the front man for a would-be ownership group that would keep the Bills in Buffalo.

Kelly was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame six years ago following a stellar career with the Bills. The former first-round draft pick took the franchise to four straight Super Bowl appearances in the early 1990s — all, infamously, losses — and was named to the Pro Bowl five times.

He made another public appearance in Toronto last August, as the Bills were preparing to host the Pittsburgh Steelers in a pre-season game.

“As much as I love coming to Toronto and I love a lot of the people up here, I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure the Bills stay in Buffalo,? Kelly said that day. “I wouldn’t want to see anything jeopardize the CFL and what the Toronto Argonauts have done here, and I wouldn’t want to see anything happen with the Buffalo Bills.?[/i]

#2

Great words coming from Kelly, me likes it. Not sure if Rogers Corp. likes it but maybe they do if they have changed their tune and want out of owning an NFL team. Don't know. But I just might have to buy a Bills hat and start wearing it in the CFL offseason with comments like this from one of the greatest QB's of all-time, might be a great ambassador for the CFL! :thup:

#3

I think with Ted Rodgers passing away has really thrown a monkey wrench into a move for the Bills to Toronto. That combined with Jim Kelley's comments makes me feel more at ease.

#4

Just reading that Larry Tanenbaum of MLSE does not want to be associated with what is turning out to an eye sore of sorts for Toronto not having scooped up the tickets for the game pronto, it looks bad and he knows it and MLSE doesn't like looking bad, that's for sure. The NFL also thinks the Bills brand has been hurt by all of this, not good, well not good for Phil Lind and company that is.

[i]There are also questions about whether the changing leadership structure at Rogers would be willing to foster a long-term partnership with the Bills, especially given the insiders who claim Rogers overpaid for the games, which include three pre-season contests.

"It's one of the dumbest deals ever, certainly for Rogers," a source familiar with the arrangement said.

And while the NFL is pleased that the Canadian company provided a windfall for one of its poorest franchises, the league is said to be unhappy because it believes the brand has been damaged by the struggle to sell tickets for Buffalo's first foray into Canada in August. The Bills hosted the Pittsburgh Steelers at Rogers Centre in the pre-season, and it proved a tough sell.

"Rogers overcharged for the tickets and then was forced to give away about 15,000 tickets to an NFL game, which is unheard of," a source familiar with events said. "The high price for the exhibition game set a benchmark for ticket prices for a game that meant nothing. People resented paying that much money."

Larry Tanenbaum, the Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment chairman who is part of the group trying to bring NFL football to Toronto, is said to be "doing backflips to stay away from being associated with staging the games."

Sources say Tanenbaum had no involvement in the execution of the games, which was supposed to be handled by Rogers through its media division and its Toronto Blue Jays network.

Importantly, the deal negotiated by Rogers did not include a right of first refusal to buy the Bills should the franchise come up for sale. Without the right of first refusal, Rogers has no advantage over its competitors despite lining the Bills' pockets with tens of millions of dollars.[/i]

[url=http://www.nationalpost.com/sports/story.html?id=1024168&p=2]http://www.nationalpost.com/sports/stor ... 024168&p=2[/url]
#5

MLSE is out to make money. Now with Rogers passing, the company will now focus on making money. Any money losing situation with these 2 parties now is out of the question.

I have never thought that the Bills were ever going to move. The support in Toronto shows you that they don't want an NFL team. Not many people in Toronto like the Bills. They like the Cowboys or Packers or Giants, etc, etc. They are fans who root for the teams that were winning during their childhood. That's why there are so many 49er fans.

#6

Article in The Star by Richard Griffin about Jim Kelly's comments. Of course no mention by Griffin that Kelly spoke of not wanting to jeapordize the Argonauts. Doesn't surprise me he conveniently left this out.

And check out the photo in the article, Marino and Kelly tossing around CFL balls, nice stuff!

[url=http://www.thestar.com/Sports/article/548160]www.thestar.com/Sports/article/548160[/url]
#7

Do people in Toronto really need one more bad team. How much can they take ? Raptors - Brutal, lost by 300 hundred to Denver. LoL. Argos - Embarrassing, Toronto F.C - Have they scored a goal yet. Leafs - 1967 , nuff said.
You need the Bills, like Canada needs those three morons running our country.

#8

If these 3 clowns are running the country, watch the markets and everything else in this country go down, down, down, at least down more than if our elected party PM is running it, regardless if some people hate him or whatnot. :frowning:

#9

Nothing from Marino though. Nothing surprising about that given his previous negative comments about the CFL. He's just about the only one to have those thoughts about our league though. I've heard Kelly say good things before, and that puts him in very lofty company with guys like Moon, Theisman, Fluty and Garcia.