Bills Owner Terry Pegula and his family appeared on the field prior to yesterday's game against the Patriots, and fans "gave him a standing ovation and chanted 'Terry, Terry' until Pegula begged them to stop," according to Stephen Watson of the BUFFALO NEWS. The arrival of Pegula and his wife, co-Owner Kim Pegula, "signaled relief from years of suspense over what would happen to the team after the death of Ralph C. Wilson Jr., the only owner the Bills had until now." The "era of good feelings officially began" yesterday, as fans welcomed the Pegulas with the "kind of enthusiasm typically reserved for a new pope." The Pegulas "hosted their own pregame party for VIPs," including New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), Lieutenant Gov. candidate Kathy Hochul and Patriots Owner Robert Kraft. Schumer said, "The Pegulas are just amazing people. They are decent, honorable people, they are people of their word." Shortly before kickoff, Terry and Kim "led their three children and Terry Pegula’s daughter from a previous marriage onto the field for a brief ceremony that marked the ownership transition." ESPN’s Chris Berman "narrated a video tribute to the team that was drowned out by the roar of the crowd at the end." The Pegulas "came out wearing matching No. 1 Bills jerseys." Their dog was "supposed to join them but he was spooked by the noise." Terry "spoke for 90 seconds." The Pegulas stayed at midfield and "greeted the Bills as the team ran onto the field, huddling up with the players" (BUFFALO NEWS, 10/13). In Buffalo, John Vogl reported the Pegulas have a new "online headquarters for their empire" that includes the Bills, Sabres and HarborCenter. Pegula Sports & Entertainment is "already in command of OneBuffalo.com. The phrase "One Buffalo" was "used on the Pegulas' letter to fans" on Friday, and is "sure to be the sport conglomerate's catchphrase" (BUFFALONEWS.com, 10/10).
BUILDING THE FRONT OFFICE: CBSSPORTS.com's Jason La Canfora cited sources as saying that while the Pegulas have "no intentions to make any changes in the short term, they are expected to bring in an experienced football man at some [point] to oversee their transition and evaluate the organization for them." Sources "pointed to" former Giants GM Ernie Accorsi, former Browns President Mike Holmgren and former Packers GM Ron Wolf as "possibilities to work with the family as the Pegulas evaluate the franchise." Sources added that Bills President & CEO Russ Brandon has "forged a strong relationship" with Terry Pegula, and he is "likely to remain in a role overseeing the business operations of the team." Sources said that Kim Pegula "will serve as the team's CEO ... with Brandon serving as team president but with general manager Doug Whaley expected to be no longer reporting to Brandon but instead directly to the Pegulas, thus drawing more delineation between football operations and the business operation" (CBSSPORTS.com, 10/12). In Rochester, Leo Roth wrote what was "lacking Friday" during the Pegulas' introductory press conference was hearing from Kim. She "wasn't seated at the head table (she sat with the couple's children), didn't speak with the media, and was whisked out." Terry said of Kim's role with the team, "We don't know yet. She'll be involved. She's part owner. ... The division is personal business; we're a private enterprise.'' He added, "She'll put her touch on the organization in her own way, which will be a nice thing. And she has a good business mind, too" (ROCHESTER DEMOCRAT & CHRONICLE, 10/11).
THE WELCOME WAGON: In Buffalo, Jerry Sullivan wrote Terry Pegula "isn’t the smoothest public speaker," but he "nailed it" during Friday's introductory press conference. Pegula "struck the right tone" and was "emotional and funny." He "came off as a regular guy, a sports fan who just happens to be worth billions." But the "grumbling will begin if they mismanage the product and the Bills remain mired in their long cycle of dysfunction" (BUFFALO NEWS, 10/11). Also in Buffalo, Vic Carucci wrote, "Barely a minute into his opening remarks, Pegula was overcome with emotion, triggered in part by looking into the audience and seeing tears stream down the face of Bills Hall of Famer Thurman Thomas. Calling Pegula happy would be like calling Bills defensive tackle Marcell Dareus large" (BUFFALO NEWS, 10/11). Pegula said of the Bills' stadium situation, "We will gradually proceed to plan and design a stadium for the Buffalo Bills. You know, these things take time. It takes time to get this stuff organized." He added, "Owning any professional team is about winning. The primary goal of our ownership will be to win the Super Bowl and bring championships to the city of Buffalo. Myself and my family will dedicate ourselves to that" (ESPN.com, 10/10). The AP's John Wawrow wrote it is "as if the Pegulas fell out of the sky at a time the region needed them most." The Pegulas "have the admiration of an indebted community." Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown: "With Terry and Kim Pegula, we are finally getting the big breaks" (AP, 10/11).
GETTING TO KNOW YOU: THE MMQB's Peter King notes Terry Pegula "does not use a computer" and "does not have an email address." He is "big on talking to people face to face." He also "uses a several-years-old flip phone" and "likes to drive long distances to business and personal meetings and events." On the day that his agreement with the NFL to buy the Bills was announced, he "drove himself seven-and-a-half hours from Buffalo to a hockey tournament in Traverse City, Mich., to see Sabres prospects play." He also has an "office in Pittsburgh and followed the Penguins closely before buying the Sabres." King: "Figures that his Australian Shepherd is named Sidney, after Sidney Crosby" (MMQB.SI.com, 10/13). The DEMOCRAT & CHRONICLE's Roth writes Pegula is "a private person not entirely comfortable with the spotlight but has charm; he's loyal to his people, maybe to a fault; he's committed to bringing a Super Bowl championship to western New York; and at the very heart of it all, he's a sports fan" (ROCHESTER DEMOCRAT & CHRONICLE, 10/11). Pegula said of having his whole family involved in the ownership of the team, "After listening to the fans on the radio saying, 'We have our Bills for generations,' and you sit there and you say, 'Well, that would be a nice thing.' So let's try to alleviate our fans' suffering and hopefully we have a long run." Pegula clarified early comments that he was "uncomfortable" doing interviews and said, "I'm comfortable when I'm in it, I just don't go looking for it" (BUFFALOBILLS.com, 10/10).
