In a letter published by the Buffalo News on Sunday, Bon Jovi wrote that it’s his ownership group’s objective “to make the Bills successful in Buffalo.” The letter, titled “Why We’re Bidding on the Buffalo Bills,” marks the first time the New Jersey rocker has publicly discussed his plans regarding the franchise.
The team is for sale after Hall of Fame owner Ralph Wilson died in March.
“There has been a lot of conjecture, so we think it’s important to clarify our intentions to the fans of the team and people of Buffalo,” Bon Jovi wrote. “I know how much the Bills mean to the people of this region. So I want you to hear this from me: I’m not risking it all to let you down. If we are given the chance to be the next owners of the Buffalo Bills, I promise you that we will bring the same passion that you do every Sunday, every day.”
The Buffalo Fan Alliance called Bon Jovi’s bluff with a statement Sunday.
Given the Bon Jovi group’s roots and business commitments in Toronto, the Buffalo Fan Alliance believes that this group will have to tangibly and unequivocally demonstrate to Bills fans everywhere the group’s commitment to Western New York before this community and this fan base will believe their intentions. Anything short of formal action taken on their part will be viewed as nothing more than rhetoric.
If they are sincere in their commitment to Buffalo, we would ask them to enter into a binding pre-purchase agreement with the state and county whereby they would agree to proactively waive the one-year buyout clause in the seventh year of the current lease if they were to successfully purchase the team. If they are truly committed to Buffalo, such an escape clause would not be necessary for them anyway and this would be a simple and demonstrable first step of their sincerity for keeping the team in Western New York. As such, the Buffalo Fan Alliance would call for them to now publicly make such a commitment as a show of good faith on their part.
We also believe that they would need to announce formalized plans for a long term-stadium solution in New York either in advance of, or contemporaneously with, any successful ownership declaration. Whether this be a more comprehensive retrofit of Ralph Wilson Stadium or a new stadium altogether, a stated to frame and binding commitment to one of the two options needs to be taken by this group so that the team will remain viable in this region for a period well beyond the current lease term.
