Author: wxy1123
Posted: 04 Nov 2015 03:26:10
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- During his 95 years, Buffalo Bills owner Ralph Wilson went from fan to "Foolish Club" member to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, enjoying every step along the way. The NFL lost the person regarded as the leagues "conscience" on Tuesday, when Wilson died at his home around 1:40 p.m. Bills president Russ Brandon announced Wilsons death at the NFL owners meetings in Orlando, Fla. His death resonated among the owners -- from old to new. Wilson played an integral role in establishing the modern game, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2009. In 1959, Wilson founded the Bills in helping establish the upstart American Football League, whose owners were dubbed "The Foolish Club" for having the chutzpah to challenge the NFL. Some five years later, Wilson played an influential role in the framework for the merger of the leagues. "Ralph Wilson was a driving force in developing pro football into Americas most popular sport," NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said. "Ralph always brought a principled and common-sense approach to issues." Patriots owner Robert Kraft released a statement saying how grateful he was for how Wilson welcomed him to the NFL, adding: "I will miss him." So will Bills Hall of Fame coach Marv Levy, whom Wilson lured out of retirement to serve as the teams general manager from 2005-06. "He wasnt my boss, he was my friend," Levy said. "Deeply saddened to hear about his passing. He meant so much to the game that both of us revered, and to the community of Buffalo and beyond. Its quite a loss, and hes going to be remembered so fondly by everyone who knew him." The last surviving member of the original AFL owners, Wilson died at his home in Grosse Pointe Shores, Mich., said Mary Mazur, a spokeswoman for the Wayne County medical examiners office. He had been receiving home hospice care. Wilson had been in failing health since having hip surgery in 2011. Though he spent much of his time at his home in suburban Detroit, he attended Hall of Fame induction weekends. He was a regular at Bills home games since founding the franchise, but had not been there since going to one game in 2010. Wilson gave up daily oversight of the club on Jan. 1, 2013, when he relinquished the presidents title to Brandon. "No one loves this game more than Ralph Wilson," Brandon said. "Its very tough. What hes meant to the entire organization. Hes our leader, our mentor our friend. How he loves his players and loved our community. Special guy. They just dont make them like Ralph Wilson." Wilson earned a well-established reputation for loyalty to fans and the stands he took against franchise relocation. Though he butted heads several times with late Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis, it did not affect their friendship. As Davis said in 2009: "There were a lot of guys saying (Steelers owner Dan) Rooney was the conscience. But certainly, Mr. Wilson was more of a conscience of the league." Wilson also earned the respect of his players. Bills Hall of Fame running back Thurman Thomas struggled with his emotions when discussing Wilson. "With Mr. Wilsons passing today, it hurts," Thomas said. "So Im going to miss him, without a doubt. He used to call me his favourite son." Wilsons Bills have never won a Super Bowl. They came close in the early 1990s, when the Levy-coached and Jim Kelly-quarterbacked teams won four consecutive AFC championships, but lost each time. The Bills have not made the playoffs since 1999 and their 14-year post-season drought ranks as the NFLs longest active streak. Running back Fred Jackson said Wilsons death provides the team new focus to end that drought. "We want to continue to cement his legacy," Jackson said. "We want to honour him, and a great way to honour him is going out and winning a lot of football games." Wilson never lost his sense of humour. In 2010, with the Bills 0-5, Wilson began an interview with The Associated Press with an apology. "I want to apologize for this phone system," Wilson said, with a familiar chuckle. "Its almost as bad as my team." The future of the team is now in the hands of Brandon and Wilsons second-in-command, Bills treasurer Jeffrey Littmann. For the meantime, the Bills are expected to be placed in a trust before eventually being sold. Wilson expressed no interest of leaving the team to his family. He is survived by wife Mary, daughters Christy Wilson-Hofmann, who serves as a Bills consultant, and Edith Wilson. Theres also niece Mary Owen, who serves on several NFL committees while working as the teams executive vice-president of strategic planning. Kelly has expressed interest in buying the franchise and has previously said hes assembled a group of investors. Kellys health, however, has become an issue this week. He is expected to have surgery for a second time in a year following the recurrence of cancer that his wife described as aggressive and "starting to spread." Buffalo Sabres owner Terry Pegula is also considered a candidate to purchase the Bills and keep them in Buffalo. That doesnt remove the possibility of outside interests making offers and relocating the team to larger markets such as Los Angeles or nearby Toronto. The Bills future in Orchard Park is secure for the short term. The team negotiated a 10-year lease in December 2012 with the state and county to continue playing at Ralph Wilson Stadium. The agreement includes a provision that essentially locks in the Bills through the first seven seasons. The franchise would have to pay US$400 million if it decides to leave before 2019. The team then has an option of buying out the remaining three years of the lease for $28 million. Under Wilson, the Bills produced 10 Hall of Famers, including himself and Smith. The others were Kelly, Levy, Thomas, O.J. Simpson, offensive linemen Billy Shaw and Joe DeLamielleure, receiver James Lofton and receiver Andre Reed, who will be inducted this year. Born in Columbus, Ohio, in 1918, Wilson moved to Detroit three years later when his father, Ralph Wilson Sr., took a sales job at an auto dealership. The father turned to insurance and in the mid-1930s landed a deal with Chrysler Corp. Among Wilsons first moves upon taking over his fathers insurance business in 1959 was selling his minor share in the Lions and joining up with Lamar Hunt and Bud Adams to help found the AFL. In 1964, Wilson travelled to the Winter Games at Innsbruck, Austria -- where he slept on the floor of a reporters room because all the hotels were booked -- to help broker the AFLs landmark TV deal with NBC. Wilson still carried influence with Goodell, who leaned on the Bills owner for advice, and among current NFL owners. Shahid Khan reached out to Wilson for advice before completing his purchase of the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2012. "Given his legacy as a builder and visionary, I imagine Ralph was able to relate to my dream to one day join him as a team owner," Khan said. "Ill never forget his kindness and will always treasure the letter he wrote welcoming my family to the NFL." Wilson wore the "Foolish Club" badge with honour. "What a damn fool I was," he told the AP in 2009. "But I didnt care. I just wanted to own a team." In 1998, Wilson received the "Order of the Leather Helmet" from the NFL Alumni Association for his contributions to professional football. Wilson always maintained a healthy perspective in regards to what mattered when it came to football, including his place in the game. When asked about the fragmented state of football in the mid-1990s, Wilson joked: "Its such a great game, itll survive us." Funeral arrangements have not yet been determined. AP Pro Football Writer Barry Wilner in Orlando, Fla., Associated Press writers Mike Householder in Detroit and Carolyn Thompson in Buffalo, AP Sports Writers Mark Long in Jacksonville, Fla., Paul Newberry in Atlanta, Larry Lage in Detroit, Dave Skretta in Kansas City, Tom Withers in Cleveland, Teresa Walker in Nashville and AP freelance writer Mark Ludwiczak contributed to this report.
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. They decided to put their faith in Ryan Goins at second and either through budgetary constraints or trades that fell through were unable to get the needed arms.
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. The suit, which accuses the league of ignoring a link between concussions and permanent brain injuries, was filed Tuesday in Houstons federal court and includes 28 former players among the plaintiffs. In its 38 pages, the lawsuit accuses the NFL of negligence and material misrepresentation, fraudulent concealment, negligent misrepresentation and conspiracy.
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) - Right when it appeared the Chicago Bulls were on the verge of a late charge, Hassan Whiteside swatted away any chances of a comeback.
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. "Because this a money generating asset, theyre under no pressure, I would assume, to sell," said Norm OReilly, a professor of sports business at the University of Ottawa. "Im sure, like any equity, they would have their eye on what they would turn around and do.
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. -- Alabama put some smiles back on the faces of the people of Tuscaloosa and gave a city rebuilding from a devastating tornado a reason to cheer.(SportsNetwork.com) - DeMar DeRozan has quietly coasted under the radar as one of the NBAs consistent scorers and will try to lead the Toronto Raptors to a perfect three-game homestand Monday versus the lowly Milwaukee Bucks. You can watch the game live on TSN at 7pm et/4pm pt. and listen live on TSN Radio 1050. DeRozan is averaging 22.3 points per game in his last nine and leads the Raptors with 21.3 ppg this season. He had 26 points in Saturdays 96-80 victory over the Brooklyn Nets and made 9-of-18 shots to go along with seven rebounds and five assists. Patrick Peterson ended with 14 points and 12 rebounds off the bench, Terrence Ross scored 14 points and John Salmons added 13 in a reserve role for Toronto, which has won seven of nine and 11 of its last 15 games. The Atlantic Division-leading Raptors ended Brooklyns season-high five-game winning streak. "Brooklyn is a tough team. Their defense is their strength. During their winning streak it was their defense that has helped them more than their offense," said Raptors coach Dwane Casey. Toronto has won four in a row at home and is 8-8 at Air Canada Centre. Milwaukee has the worst record in the NBA at 7-29 and is mired in a five-game losing streak. It suffered its third straight road loss in Saturdays 101-85 defeat at the hands of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Luke Ridnouur and O.dddddddddddd.J. Mayo scored 16 points apiece off the bench, while Giannis Antetokounmpo and Brandon Knight both had 13 points. Antetokounmpo also grabbed 11 rebounds and handed out five assists for the Bucks, who dropped to 4-15 as the guest and shot 39.5 percent. The Thunder recorded a 39-27 advantage in the third quarter and were led by NBA leading scorer Kevin Durant, who posted 33 points, 10 boards and seven assists. Serge Ibaka also had a double-double with 17 points and 17 rebounds. "It got away in the third quarter. I thought defensively we had some breakdowns and against a good team you just cant do that," said Bucks coach Larry Drew. "Offensively our shot selection wasnt very good and we didnt move the ball very well." Milwaukee hopes big man John Henson can return from an ankle injury Monday and is questionable against the Raptors. Henson is averaging 12.4 points, 8.0 rebounds and 2.3 blocks, and hasnt played since Dec. 27 at Brooklyn. The Bucks sustained a 97-90 loss at home to the Raptors on Nov. 2, as DeRozan scored 17 points and Mayo tallied 16. Milwaukee had won the previous 10 matchups with Toronto until that recent setback and is still a dominant 14-3 in the previous 17 meetings between the teams. Milwaukee is unbeaten in its last five games north of the border.
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