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Donald Trump wants to keep Jon Bon Jovi from moving the Buffalo Bills to Toronto

By Steve Kupferman
Donald Trump wants to keep Jon Bon Jovi from moving the Buffalo Bills to Toronto
(Image: Donald Trump/Facebook)

The probability of the Buffalo Bills ever relocating to Toronto may come down to a simple question: of Donald Trump and Jon Bon Jovi, which one is richer and weirder?

The Buffalo News reports that Donald Trump is hoping to buy the NFL team away from the heirs of its long-time owner, Ralph Wilson, who died at age 95 last month. “I would love to do it,” Trump told the News, “and if I can do it, I’m keeping it in Buffalo.”

That’s welcome news for fans in Western New York, because the other presumed potential buyer for the team, Bon Jovi, is rumoured to be interested in bringing the franchise to Toronto. The plan, reportedly, would be for the Bills to play in a new stadium built and operated by Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment.

Whoever wants the team the most is going to have to part with a truly ridiculous amount of money. As of last year, when the Bon Jovi rumours first began percolating into the press, the Bills’ purchase price was being estimated at as much as $1 billion—and that’s before the cost of building a stadium. It’s unlikely that either Trump or Bon Jovi would be able to come up with that much cash on his own. Bon Jovi is believed to be working behind the scenes with a small group of investors.

The News says the team could be sold by October, though it’s not clear how much time would pass before a buyer would be able to move the whole operation to another city. Trump would have to divest himself of what remains of his casino holdings before buying an NFL team, because league rules forbid owners and staff from having association with gambling. Lucky for him, though, there are no rules against behaving like a crazy person on Twitter.

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