The man who once helped sue the NFL could be joining the ranks of the league’s owners.
Or maybe he just wants a little publicity, and he’s a week too late for the whole “hogs get slaughtered” routine.
Regardless, billionaire Donald Trump told WBEN radio in Buffalo that he has been approached about buying the Bills.
“People have actually talked to me about the Bills,” Trump said, via ESPN.com. “I mean, the group of people called me -- would I be interested in investing and I’ll take a look at it. I mean, I look at a lot of things. I’ll take a look at it.”
It’s unclear whether Trump would be the lead dog or merely a minority owner. In the 1980s, Trump owned the USFL’s New Jersey Generals. At Trump’s urging, the upstart league (which pilfered more than a few big-name players) moved from the spring to the fall, taking on the NFL directly -- and quickly failing. An antitrust lawsuit against the NFL resulted in a $1 verdict, which by law was trebled to $3.
But decades have passed since that unfortunate legal entanglement, and nothing rebuilds bridges like cold hard cash. It also will help Trump’s cause if the group in which he could be involved commits to keeping the team in Buffalo. Trump seems to be willing to make that commitment.
“I know so many people in Buffalo and they have asked me about look at that and I certainly would look at it but I would ... if it were me I’d keep the team in Buffalo,” Trump said. “I think it’s something that is really vital to the area. ... It would be catastrophic, in my opinion, if Buffalo lost the Buffalo Bills.”
Either way, the ultimate reality show could soon be joining forces with a man whose reality show spawned the catch phrase that plenty of Bills coaches have heard in recent years.