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Buffalo Bills' Owner Ralph Wilson Passes Away At 95
- Thread starter Playoffs
- Start date
The1ApplePie
Hall of Fame
RIP
He got to outlive Al Davis and Bud Adams, something I'm sure he enjoyed a little bit.
He got to outlive Al Davis and Bud Adams, something I'm sure he enjoyed a little bit.
TheIronDuke
All Pro
Just like Bud, he never got the Lombardi. Unlike Bud, I feel a little sorry for him because getting to the Super Bowl 4 times in a row and losing each one has gotta be the worst feeling.
He was a solid dude. I heard a speech - maybe HoF? - where he talked about the connection between a city and the franchise that represented it. He said he voted against every franchise relocation, including the Oilers, because he felt in his heart and soul that it was wrong to the fans of those cities.
He did concede economic viability with some situations (like his Bills), but he said most of the franchise moves were solely based on greed. He always advocated patience for NFL owners to work with cities for new facilities instead of holding teams for ransom to get what they wanted.
Guys like him are a dying breed in modern professional sports. Much respect to Mr. Wilson. May he rest in peace.
He did concede economic viability with some situations (like his Bills), but he said most of the franchise moves were solely based on greed. He always advocated patience for NFL owners to work with cities for new facilities instead of holding teams for ransom to get what they wanted.
Guys like him are a dying breed in modern professional sports. Much respect to Mr. Wilson. May he rest in peace.
ChampionTexan
Hall of Fame
He was the last living member of the Foolish Club (original AFL owners).
RIP Ralph - Professional Football is better because of you.
RIP Ralph - Professional Football is better because of you.
toronto
Hall of Fame
Wilson was a truly decent man who did everything in his power to build and keep the team in Buffalo, showing incredible loyalty to a small market.
Sad but was inevitable. The AFL is truly now dead.
toronto
Hall of Fame
Don't be too sure of that. If anything he last 5 years has taught me watching the Toronto experiment, its that to never count this region. Feisty and Folks like Terry Pegula may step up.
kingtexan
All Pro
Doubt it. I spent some time working projects in Buffalo and they are a solid, hard working bunch of folks who are proud of that team. They will want it there and make sure it stays IMO.
RIP RW
yep, I agree. My in-laws are from Buffalo, and that's the same thing they said, as well.
From what I have heard, the city is in the process of working a deal for a new stadium. If/when it happens, then all this talk about the Bills moving will be mute.
cuppacoffee
Resident Grouch
Quote:
"Buffalo Sabres owner Terry Pegula is on verge of buying the Buffalo Bills, per league sources, and the process is said to be "moving quick."
You happen to know the lotto numbers for Saturdays drawing?
toronto
Hall of Fame
Quote:
"Buffalo Sabres owner Terry Pegula is on verge of buying the Buffalo Bills, per league sources, and the process is said to be "moving quick."
You happen to know the lotto numbers for Saturdays drawing?
I work for www.sportsnet.ca as an Associate Producer. I kinda have homefield advantage on stories like that, because I actually know who he is, and what he owns.
Showtime100
Got JJ?
RIP Ralph. One of the great owners. I agree with all of the above posts.
Playoffs
Hall of Fame
Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation releases mission statement
The trustees of The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation today released the organization's Mission Statement, outlining the vision of the organization as it was intended by its founder, the late Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. The Foundation was funded with $1.2 billion from the irrevocable trust created by Mr. Wilson, founder of the Buffalo Bills franchise, who passed away in March 2014.
Per Mr. Wilson's directive, the Foundation's $1.2 billion corpus, and related investment income, will be spent over the course of 20 years.
"Ralph saw firsthand the impact of his generosity in his lifetime," said Mary M. Wilson, wife of Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. "Always thinking of others even in his own legacy, his hope with this trust was that the Foundation's work may make a direct impact in the lifetimes of those who knew him best."
Mr. Wilson made his home and, over the span of his long and storied career, owned and operated many businesses in Southeastern Michigan. He also grew very attached to the people of his adopted second home region of Western New York. Therefore, the Foundation and its Trustees have created a Mission Statement expressing the organization's intent to prioritize serving those regions.
The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation will operate as a grant-making organization, dedicated primarily to sustained investment in the quality of life of the people of Western New York and Southeastern Michigan.
While Mr. Wilson chose not to restrict the discretion of the Foundation, its Trustees have identified priority areas based on Mr. Wilson's own personal passions and the causes that most resonated with him in his lifetime. These priorities include healthy lifestyles, early childhood and youth development, caregivers, community development and economic growth.
Formal, long-term grant cycles for the Foundation will begin in 2016. The Foundation developed a Transitional Legacy Program for 2015 under which it intends to award and fund approximately $60 million in grants. The grant recipient candidates for the Transitional Legacy Program have been pre-selected by the Trustees. No other grant applications are being considered for 2015. Official guidelines for applying for 2016 grants will be announced after the Foundation's program officers are in place.
The Foundation has now begun the process of assembling its staff. A search for a permanent President will begin shortly. Investments are being managed by three leading institutions under an outsourced Chief Investment Officer model. Following selection of a President, program officers and other staff will be recruited to build out the team. This process will continue to be overseen by the Foundation's four Life Trustees: Mary M. Wilson, Mary M. Owen, Jeffrey C. Littmann and Eugene Driker.
The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr., Foundation will continue to share information on its progress as it moves forward to make a powerful, positive difference, fitting of an organization that bears Ralph C. Wilson, Jr.'s name.
Per Mr. Wilson's directive, the Foundation's $1.2 billion corpus, and related investment income, will be spent over the course of 20 years.
"Ralph saw firsthand the impact of his generosity in his lifetime," said Mary M. Wilson, wife of Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. "Always thinking of others even in his own legacy, his hope with this trust was that the Foundation's work may make a direct impact in the lifetimes of those who knew him best."
Mr. Wilson made his home and, over the span of his long and storied career, owned and operated many businesses in Southeastern Michigan. He also grew very attached to the people of his adopted second home region of Western New York. Therefore, the Foundation and its Trustees have created a Mission Statement expressing the organization's intent to prioritize serving those regions.
The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation will operate as a grant-making organization, dedicated primarily to sustained investment in the quality of life of the people of Western New York and Southeastern Michigan.
While Mr. Wilson chose not to restrict the discretion of the Foundation, its Trustees have identified priority areas based on Mr. Wilson's own personal passions and the causes that most resonated with him in his lifetime. These priorities include healthy lifestyles, early childhood and youth development, caregivers, community development and economic growth.
Formal, long-term grant cycles for the Foundation will begin in 2016. The Foundation developed a Transitional Legacy Program for 2015 under which it intends to award and fund approximately $60 million in grants. The grant recipient candidates for the Transitional Legacy Program have been pre-selected by the Trustees. No other grant applications are being considered for 2015. Official guidelines for applying for 2016 grants will be announced after the Foundation's program officers are in place.
The Foundation has now begun the process of assembling its staff. A search for a permanent President will begin shortly. Investments are being managed by three leading institutions under an outsourced Chief Investment Officer model. Following selection of a President, program officers and other staff will be recruited to build out the team. This process will continue to be overseen by the Foundation's four Life Trustees: Mary M. Wilson, Mary M. Owen, Jeffrey C. Littmann and Eugene Driker.
The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr., Foundation will continue to share information on its progress as it moves forward to make a powerful, positive difference, fitting of an organization that bears Ralph C. Wilson, Jr.'s name.