4:20pm: Former Sabres owner Golisano has indeed submitted an initial bid for the Bills now, after not doing so prior to last week’s deadline, tweets Graham. In a separate tweet, Graham adds that Morgan Stanley, the firm heading the sale, is “still bringing people to the table.”
9:33am: As many as eight groups interested in bidding on the Bills franchise will attend personal presentations given by the team’s trust, reports Tim Graham of the Buffalo News. Though only three parties were confirmed to have submitted offers by the July 29 deadline, it appears that the cutoff date wasn’t hard and fast, and more prospective candidates surfaced.
The presentations will presumably allow the potential buyers a more circumspect look at the Bills’ finances and inner-workings, while acting as an opportunity for the trust to get a better sense of the parties bidding. While the order of the meetings isn’t known, Graham did learn that this week’s sessions are being held in the Detroit area, while next week’s gatherings are to take place in Manhattan.
Donald Trump, who reportedly advanced to the second round of the sale selection process, was presumably meeting with the trust in Detroit yesterday, as his jet was seen in the area. A source tells Graham that Trump was the first bidder to meet with the trust.
Another potential ownership group involves former Bills quarterback Jim Kelly, who has been linked to the process since April. Kelly would apparently team with bond investor Jeffrey Guldlach in an effort to purchase the Buffalo franchise. Jon Bon Jovi will meet with the trust this week, while Buffalo Sabres owner Terry Pegula will see the presentation next week in New York.
The remaining bidders aren’t yet known, but one strong possibility is former Sabres owner Tom Golisano. It has yet to be confirmed that Golisano even submitted a bid, but he has been linked to the sale for some time. Per Graham, another interested party might include Dean Metropoulos, the owner of the Pabst Brewing Company, who expressed interest in the process in early June.