Bon Jovi Reportedly Wants To Keep Bills In Buffalo

We'll leave the Jon Bon Jovi-inspired puns to the comments section, but the New Jersey rocker could be a key figure in keeping the Bills in Western New York and out of Toronto.

According to The Toronto Sun, Bon Jovi and investors have been telling people around the NFL they will keep the Bills in Buffalo as opposed to seeking relocation if they acquire the team.

Bon Jovi would become the principal owner of the team in an ownership group also featuring Larry Tannenbaum and the Rogers family. Tannenbaum is the chairman of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment and the Rogers family control the eponymous Rogers Communications giant in Canada.

The group is expected to make a serious bid on the Bills, who are up for sale after the death of owner Ralph Wilson in March. The Bills have had an, at times, tenuous relationship with Buffalo, moving home games to Toronto and suffering attendance during cold months when the team is out of the playoff race.

The group's strong Toronto ties hint at a possible relocation, although nothing has been mentioned publicly.

The Bills announced a new 10-year lease with their current stadium in 2012, one that charges huge penalties if they break the lease to move somewhere else. The agreement also called for explorations on a new stadium.

However, the lease has a one-time out in 2020 for a $28.4 million penalty, as opposed to the $400 million one that would be incurred at any other time. So potential buyers may be saying all the right things now, but Bills fans should remain skeptical until any new owners commit to something concrete.

[ The Toronto Sun]