Terry Pegula And The Buffalo….

Why does Terry Pegula and his efforts to purchase the Buffalo Bills have any effect on the Buffalo Sabres?

While this may not have any direct influence on either side, but Terry Pegula is making moves in the Queen City, and Sabres fans should have an eye on the owners charge into a three-sport franchise ownership. Don’t forget that he also owns the Buffalo Bandits.

Jan 20, 2013; Buffalo, NY, USA; Buffalo Sabres Buffalo Sabres owner Terrence Pegula (center) meets with fans before the game against the Philadelphia Flyers at the First Niagara Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports

In the past three years as the Buffalo Sabres owner, many fans had their optimism diminish slowly as he seemed to disappear behind a curtain and appear like the Wizard did in Oz when Dorothy, Tin-man, the Cowardly Lion and Toto arrived in the Emerald City.

He seems to have reappeared in the latter end of these three years, but he seems to have a new attitude. Stepping up, not just as a fan, but as an owner.

He has completely redesigned the front office and bench, while also revamping a winning attitude in the surrounding area, not only inside the First Niagara Center, but in the Buffalo region as well.

He’s investing his own money in developing the city, not just a team. That’s what Buffalo needs.

Why does this affect the Sabres though?

I have heard it all, and it is mostly, “Oh he shouldn’t own the Bills, he will forget about the Sabres and run them into the ground.”

Realize this. He had no intentions of owning a football team when he came home in 2011. He had no idea when Ralph Wilson was going to pass, so why would he ditch on the team he came to Buffalo for?

The answer. He wouldn’t.

Terry Pegula has a shot at joining Buffalo even more than his wallet has done already. He has shown that he can own a team and act like it’s boss. Had Lindy Ruff, Ron Rolston or Darcy Regier not been let go, I wouldn’t be saying the same thing I am right now.

He has shown Buffalo that he is willing to foot the bill in bringing a stadium to the actual city, something that would for sure secure the teams spot in Western New York.

One HSBC Center (now One Seneca Center) has been a sight that isn’t hard to miss, since it is the largest building in Buffalo and a towering building that can be seen from all around, and is sadly growing vacant due to companies moving elsewhere or in HSBC’s case, folding.

The newly created Pegula Sports and Entertainment has begun to rent and use floors out of the tower as it’s headquarters, keeping his business in Buffalo and giving jobs to the region.

“But if he spends all of this money on the Bills, he won’t have enough to support both teams and groom them to elite status, one will fail and it is probably the Sabres.”

On the money side of it, yes he has reportedly dropped $1.3 billion on the initial bid for the team, which is huge based on Forbes valuing the team at just about $870 million. But he has the money to buy both. He will be able to support both fairly well. Consider the fact he sold a gas well to buy the team, I think he is very able to support. If he wins the bid for the Bills, he will begin to garner more and more revenue, which he will be able to pool and use it for all three teams, the surrounding city and even a new stadium.

By the way, just spinning tires, but what if Pegula built a brand new stadium, with a dome, that he created as a dual purpose arena, and converted the field into an ice rink and the Buffalo Sabres had a 76,000+ arena for home games? But back to reality.

I don’t think that Pegula owning the Bills and Sabres is a bad thing at all. I believe that in reverse, it’s the best thing for Buffalo to have, one man who is committed to improving this city, starting at the heart of the majority of the population, this cities sports teams.

What are your thoughts? Is it for the good or bad that Pegula owns both teams?