Jim Bob
RIP RJ
The Satchel: Any truth to Sabres sale rumors? Which Bills home game is a must-attend?
Tim Graham's mailbag also addresses who might start in net for the Sabres this fall and Josh Allen's influence on Bills team decisions.
theathletic.com
Is there any truth to the rumor of the Pegulas selling the Sabres? If so, who are potential buyers and what is the risk of relocation? — Adam Z.
Now that the details of the Bills’ new stadium have been finalized, do you believe the Pegulas will sell the Sabres, or sell part of the team? — Joey M.
Much to the bemusement of the Pegulas and their executives, these rumors have been roiling in Western New York for about a year.
People I trust on many matters assure me they’ve heard on good authority the Pegulas are selling the Sabres, are selling a piece of the Sabres, need to sell the Sabres, will sell the Sabres once the Bills’ stadium deal is finalized, will sell the Sabres, sell the Sabres, sell the Sabres.
Even so, I never take second- or third-hand information as gospel. Hell, I don’t always believe first-hand information from my mother.
The Pegulas and their top lieutenants have been 100 percent consistent each time I’ve gone to them to vet any tip the Sabres are on the market. In March at the NFL owners’ meetings, Pegula Sports and Entertainment executive vice president Ron Raccuia told a bank of television cameras and reporters’ microphones the Sabres are not for sale. He was succinct and short when asked: “No.”
As someone who’s cognizant of semantics — I’ve dealt with Don King and Darcy Regier for a living — I know how words can be minced. Was Raccuia saying the Sabres are not for sale at this very moment? He didn’t say they won’t be for sale eventually, did he?
So I asked him again over the weekend.
Raccuia reiterated the Sabres are not for sale, “not today and not once the stadium deal is finalized.”
I’ll also add I had a lengthy, off-the-record Sabres conversation with Terry Pegula at the NFL owners’ meetings, just chit-chat about the club and where he thinks they’re headed. Since he wasn’t being interviewed, I won’t share any specific comments Pegula made, but I don’t think he would mind me noting his excitement about the Sabres’ future and that he didn’t sound one bit like a man who wasn’t going to remain the owner.
Add in that ownership was a part of the interviews with prospects at the combine and I am not buying rumors that the Pegulas are close to giving up controlling ownership of the Sabres any time soon.