What the Governor said...
by Calvert on Apr 9, 2009 8:54 PM EDT
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PrintOn WGR Radio, Governor Paterson said, "I have a relationship with Commissioner Goodell and he told me that if things ever get bad [about the Bills leaving], he will call me. He hasn't called me yet."
My questions to my fellow Rumblers are:
A: Is Paterson credible on this issue? If Paterson is telling the truth, is Goodell?
B: If Goodell told him that the Bills were moving to Toronto or somewhere else, what would Paterson do? What could he do?
C: What precisely is the nature of the "relationship" between Goodell and Paterson? Who first sought the other out and why?
D: As Paterson is a life-long downstater, would he use the same sort of regionalist bias towards NYC as many other state political figures have over the last century and actively antagonize upstate? As a Democrat, he can more safely risk alienating upstate and still win election than a Republican or Independent could. Would he do so in this instance?
E: Would Paterson use state funds (presumably by helping to fund a new stadium) to help keep the Bills in Buffalo should the league threaten to move the team?
Discuss.
Just another great fan opinion shared on the pages of BuffaloRumblings.com.
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Well Paterson will be out of office by the end of next year anyhow, so it probably doesn’t matter what he thinks. Unfortunately, the new Gov. will probably be Guiliani, so the downstate concerns will continue….
I don’t think it’s imminent that the Bills would be leaving, so that quote doesn’t really apply, I suppose….
~K
"As the governor of Louisiana once said, the only way Chris Kelsay can lose his job is if he got caught in bed with a dead girl or a live boy."
will probably be Guiliani,
dont’ say that K – please don’t say that
The rest of you go get the goods on Stan. His mom grounded him once for setting something on fire. Let's find out what that something was and then lie and say it was a puppy.
by J2 on Apr 10, 2009 8:48 AM EDT up reply actions
Could be worse..... I would be surprised if the new Gov. was something like this
My family was so poor that if I hadn't been born a boy, I wouldn't of
had anything to play with. - Rodney Dangerfield
the new Gov. will probably be Guiliani
I doesn’t happen often, but sometimes I honestly pity americans… Well I pittied you for 8 years straight, but thats besides the point.
by CanadianBillsFan on Apr 11, 2009 9:10 AM EDT up reply actions
umm id say hes probably some what credible
i mean the bills r a significant part of buffalos economy. so getting rid of the bills would devastate buffalo. and yea i saw that on the news about the paterson getting booed. pretty funny he had a smile on but u could tell he was like get me the ef out of here
The governor (not just the current one—and party doesn’t matter) can’t do any more to stop the Bills from leaving than all of the other jobs/industries that have fled western New York for greener pastures.
you hit the nail on the head there Ron!!!
good point on the jobs that have left the area…….. that is why i’m down here in NC.
Are we drafting Dino's now?
"6'6" monster receiver with a Terradactyl wingspan "....... Keysh67
by Billsfanstuckinthesouth on Apr 10, 2009 12:56 AM EDT up reply actions
The state could put up $$ for a stadium in order to get the Bills to stay in Buffalo.
They offer insentives to keep jobs in NY, but on a smaller scale
http://www.empire.state.ny.us/press/press_display.asp?id=576.
http://www.nylovesbiz.com/default.asp
They gave 1.2 million to Tops Supermarkets.
As the governor said, the Bills are “Upstate New York’s only professional sports team.”
Actually there has already been money set aside to “retain a professional football franchise in WNY”.
I’ll see if I can find it – but we’ve talked about this before and it was reported. So they are already giving money to keep the Bills in WNY.
I would say that Patterson is credible because why else would he say that? Maybe to get elected but I not so sure that would be his motive. I’m sure he’s probably talked with Goodell and they’ve had discussions.
The rest of you go get the goods on Stan. His mom grounded him once for setting something on fire. Let's find out what that something was and then lie and say it was a puppy.
by J2 on Apr 10, 2009 8:51 AM EDT up reply actions
The issue with all of this is that a new owner can pack up and leave, regardless of funding provided to keep a team in Buffalo. If they want greener pastures, and the opposite coast with different wine orchards, there’s no keeping the Bills a Buffalo team.
"Buffalo Bills Football 2009 (sponsored by Labatt): A Future as Uncertain as the Beer You’re Drinking"
"It's not delivery, it's DiGiorgio!"
by TheAfghanTwilight on Apr 10, 2009 10:17 AM EDT up reply actions
well yes and no
he can’t just pack up and leave. The league has to approve it – the owners have to approve it and i beleive the leasing of the stadium has to be worked out.
but your 100% correct on that – no question. I was trying to drive home the point that all hope is not lost when Ralph passes because there are ways it can work out. Anytime this happens with any team there is a chance of the new owner wanting to change it up.
The rest of you go get the goods on Stan. His mom grounded him once for setting something on fire. Let's find out what that something was and then lie and say it was a puppy.
When has the NFL ever kept a franchise from moving?
by Ron From NM on Apr 10, 2009 10:37 AM EDT up reply actions
never – but I know they have approve it. so obviously there’s a chance if they have to approve or disapprove of it.
what if hte new owner wants to move them to des moines idaho or something.
The rest of you go get the goods on Stan. His mom grounded him once for setting something on fire. Let's find out what that something was and then lie and say it was a puppy.
I think the worst situation if the Bills were to leave would involve some really special people deciding it’d be great to relocate the Jets to Buffalo. That would break my heart. I could see it being discussed though: Die hard football city in need of a team, and the Jets wouldn’t have to share a stadium.
It’s a nightmare, but hopefully just that.
"Buffalo Bills Football 2009 (sponsored by Labatt): A Future as Uncertain as the Beer You’re Drinking"
"It's not delivery, it's DiGiorgio!"
by TheAfghanTwilight on Apr 10, 2009 10:55 AM EDT up reply actions
I didn’t just read that – nope. {plugs ears}
The rest of you go get the goods on Stan. His mom grounded him once for setting something on fire. Let's find out what that something was and then lie and say it was a puppy.
Any owner looking to move the Bills is going to be moving the team to a bigger market, not a smaller one. I could see the league being less than thrilled if they became the Albuquerque Bills or Austin Bills or Las Vegas Bills (instead of the L.A. Bills) but not stopping the move.
by Ron From NM on Apr 10, 2009 10:55 AM EDT up reply actions
it was just an example Ron. and like I said – its part of the process. not necessarily a game stopper if it were to go down – but to say its not a possiblity would be leaving out a key piece of theprocess
The rest of you go get the goods on Stan. His mom grounded him once for setting something on fire. Let's find out what that something was and then lie and say it was a puppy.
Right, it all hinges on if the current stadium gets a new lease, or a new stadium contract is worked out while Ralph Wilson is still with us.
I wasn’t aware that the league and owners had to approve an owner packing up and leaving – was that the case with the Colts and Browns?
"Buffalo Bills Football 2009 (sponsored by Labatt): A Future as Uncertain as the Beer You’re Drinking"
"It's not delivery, it's DiGiorgio!"
by TheAfghanTwilight on Apr 10, 2009 10:53 AM EDT up reply actions
I don’t know about the Colts but the league did approve the Browns’ move. That was an ugly end of the season for them. I seem to recall that Belicheat was their coach that year.
by Ron From NM on Apr 10, 2009 10:57 AM EDT up reply actions
The fact that the Bills are contractually obligated to play 12% of their homegames in Canada will also help discourage potential buyers that want to bring a team to the west coast.
only until said contract ends.
My family was so poor that if I hadn't been born a boy, I wouldn't of
had anything to play with. - Rodney Dangerfield
The issue with all of this is that a new owner can pack up and leave, regardless of funding provided to keep a team in Buffalo.
An owner can no longer just pack up his team and leave, there are league provisions in place now, the NFL needs to aprove any move, which can actually work in the Bills’ favor.
by CanadianBillsFan on Apr 11, 2009 9:15 AM EDT up reply actions
All that has to happen is for Goodell to sign off on the move and for 2/3 of the owners to approve it through a vote. If a new owner wants to move the team, he will have no problem whatsoever.
Dang
I must admit that I know more about the NHL’s rules for moving a team than the NFL’s rules. And it’s MUCH harder to move a team in the NHL.
by CanadianBillsFan on Apr 11, 2009 2:24 PM EDT up reply actions
Remember that both candidates in the last election said that they’d remove the Thruway tolls and both were absolutely desperate for upstate votes. Of course only eight miles of the Thruway have had the tolls removed and the tolls were raised for the rest of the line. A politician, regardless of party, will say anything if he feels it will get him votes, even if he has absolutely no intention of coming through on his promise…as was made plainly clear with the Thruway. I can’t imagine this is going to be any different. If Giuliani runs, Paterson will need upstate votes. Saying that he will work to save the Bills will get him some, even if he has absolutely no intention of coming through on his promise.
@rat – Did Paterson really say that the Bills are “Upstate New York’s only professional sports team”? I’m rather curious to see how Golisano reacted to that. I would have considered such a statement as a deliberate political slap, calculated to belittle a political opponent.
"I could have conquered Europe, all of it, but I had women in my life." - King Henry II of England
Remember that both candidates in the last election said that they’d remove the Thruway tolls and both were absolutely desperate for upstate votes. Of course only eight miles of the Thruway have had the tolls removed and the tolls were raised for the rest of the line. A politician, regardless of party, will say anything if he feels it will get him votes, even if he has absolutely no intention of coming through on his promise…as was made plainly clear with the Thruway. I can’t imagine this is going to be any different. If Giuliani runs, Paterson will need upstate votes. Saying that he will work to save the Bills will get him some, even if he has absolutely no intention of coming through on his promise.
Exactly why there is no reason to listen to anything a politician says…ever.
"I guarantee you don't wanna tase me, bro" - Donte Whitner
Someone did a great article about 5 years ago on the topic of states paying through the nose for new stadiums in order to keep teams from leaving. If I remember right, it was written as the Patriots were trying to get Taxachussetts to foot the bill for their new digs. The author (and I have no idea who wrote that brilliant piece) made the dollars and cents case that paying for stadiums was bad economic policy—that the state never really recouped the money that was spent. I believe that the Patriots stadium was built without any public financing at all. The only costs the state incurred were in road improvements (widening, I think) around the stadium.
The Bills do get public money but I don’t know if it is from the state. From what little I’ve read it sounds more like it comes from local governments than Albany. Again, I may be misremembering but I think the Bills actually turned down several million they were due in the form of some kind of light rail system to make getting to the game easier.
Ron, I think we’ve gone over this before. “Taxachusetts” is a myth. Taxachusetts had a high tax rate through the Reagan years (when the term first started being applied as part of the Bush-Dukakis campaign) overwhelmingly because of federal taxes, something that the state had no control of. When only state and local taxes were counted, Massachusetts was actually one of the lowest taxed states in the country, ranked in the mid 30s.
Not that I’m disagreeing that spending tax money on stadia to be used for professional sports teams is a bad idea. I think it is and it is largely why sports commissioners have the political pull that they do. People like Selig and Goodell look for government money first, private money second.
"I could have conquered Europe, all of it, but I had women in my life." - King Henry II of England
"Upstate New York’s only professional sports team."
Apparently the gov doesn’t watch hockey.
by CanadianBillsFan on Apr 11, 2009 9:13 AM EDT up reply actions
hence this being his last term? is there a term limit for gov’s? or do you guys just hate him?
by CanadianBillsFan on Apr 11, 2009 2:24 PM EDT up reply actions
OMG… wow, i didn’t know… great, now I feel like a$$hole.
by CanadianBillsFan on Apr 11, 2009 2:44 PM EDT up reply actions
haha. I think it’s pretty acceptable for non-New Yorkers to not know. I wonder how many people on this site know a single thing about the Canadian Goverment. We’re a stones throw away in Buffalo and all I can really tell you is Steven Harper is the Prime Minister, there is an elected House of commons, something about a senate and it still technically has something to do with the British monarchy. So essentially, I know nothing.
Actually you know more than your present president… and a hell of a lot more then the last one.
by CanadianBillsFan on Apr 11, 2009 3:14 PM EDT up reply actions
Do your officials in the House of Commons wear robes and white wigs,
or deer skin jackets and beaver pelt hats? :-) Hahahahhaha
"Get ready for the pain women…the pain train is coming Whooo Whooooo !!!!!" – Terry Tate Office Linebacker
lol, nope just a regular suit and tie… except the Speaker of the House, he wears a robe and fancy white sache.
by CanadianBillsFan on Apr 11, 2009 5:06 PM EDT up reply actions
Yeah, I found a pic of him
"Get ready for the pain women…the pain train is coming Whooo Whooooo !!!!!" – Terry Tate Office Linebacker
LOL!!!!!!!!
Wow, cola just shot out of my nose!
That there would be your average Albertan… picture them as our version of Alabama red necks :-P.
by CanadianBillsFan on Apr 11, 2009 5:10 PM EDT up reply actions
Dude....you have a great sense of humor!!!!
"Get ready for the pain women…the pain train is coming Whooo Whooooo !!!!!" – Terry Tate Office Linebacker
LOL!!! good one
"Get ready for the pain women…the pain train is coming Whooo Whooooo !!!!!" – Terry Tate Office Linebacker
Way too funny
i just chocked on my coffee………LOLOLOL
Are we drafting Dino's now?
"6'6" monster receiver with a Terradactyl wingspan "....... Keysh67
by Billsfanstuckinthesouth on Apr 13, 2009 2:09 PM EDT up reply actions
If I didn’t have a good scene of honour you guys wouldn’t get away with half the stuff that you do. Besides, I like it here, so I’ll put up with it for now :-P
by CanadianBillsFan on Apr 11, 2009 5:18 PM EDT up reply actions
Alabama red neck
"Get ready for the pain women…the pain train is coming Whooo Whooooo !!!!!" – Terry Tate Office Linebacker
Prime Minister?
I thought Canada only had a Chief Mountie.
~K
"As the governor of Louisiana once said, the only way Chris Kelsay can lose his job is if he got caught in bed with a dead girl or a live boy."
Oh we have one of those too
His main job entails bringing the outgoing PM onto a block of ice in the water and sending him adrift.
by CanadianBillsFan on Apr 12, 2009 2:47 AM EDT up reply actions
No, Governor Patterson is legally blind. There’s a huge difference. The definition of legal blindness is:
20/200 or worse in the better eye after best possible correction or a visual field of less than 20 degrees
20/200 is a lot of vision. In fact, that’s about what I have without correction. (And, no, that doesn’t make me ‘legally blind’ without my glasses—just an idiot who needs to put his glasses on.) You can easily drive with 20/200, though the DMV clearly doesn’t want you to as they require 20/40. (20/20 is ‘normal’.) Interestingly, at least to me, a person with a field of about 3 degrees and perfect 20/20 acuity could pass the DMV test….never mind that it would be like you driving while looking through a straw.
So, Patterson probably does watch TV, sports, movies and so on.
He has to memorize his speeches
because he can’t read a teleprompter. They were making fun of him on SNL a few months back. He would wander into and out of shots and look at the wrong camera, etc. Some people got pretty irritated.
When he signs documents and stuff he puts his face almost right up against the paper.
Playing Realistic Optimist at Buffalo Rumblings since 2008. Fear can hold you prisoner. Hope can set you free.
by MattRichWarren on Apr 14, 2009 11:24 AM EDT up reply actions
Some people got pretty irritated.
lol – people get irritated at the smallest things. I think the UK are a bunch of nannies but the US is catching up for biggest pansies
The rest of you go get the goods on Stan. His mom grounded him once for setting something on fire. Let's find out what that something was and then lie and say it was a puppy.
making fun os someone for bad decision (Bush, Clinton, etc.) is one thing
Making fun of a disability is another IMO. I wasn’t irate or anything but it didn’t sit well with me.
Playing Realistic Optimist at Buffalo Rumblings since 2008. Fear can hold you prisoner. Hope can set you free.
by MattRichWarren on Apr 14, 2009 12:58 PM EDT up reply actions
No one wants to be the guy in charge that has an NFL team leave his state. Especially so in a high profile state, even if the city involved isn’t.
I had a recent fanpost, rather long winded, and I asked a bunch of questions. Many of them didn’t get answered, and I expected that. One I was hoping to get an answer on was this one, regarding luxury boxes:
“Did any corporation out of Toronto pick up one or two?”
Anybody got anything on that?
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