Rock star Jon Bon Jovi has aspirations of being an NFL owner and is particularly focused on the Buffalo Bills, according to a report.
CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora reported on Sunday that Bon Jovi is “consumed with purchasing an NFL team” and that he is positioning himself to bid for the Bills when that team becomes available. Bills owner Ralph Wilson is 95 years old, so the thinking is that could be the next team to become available.
La Canfora says Bon Jovi has spent time in Buffalo getting to know the movers and shakers in the area and even added a tour date there. He supposedly is so cost-conscious as he prepares for a bid that his dismissal of guitarist Richie Sambora is said to be related to his eventual pursuit of an NFL team.
Bon Jovi is well connected and has a strong relationship with New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, among other NFL players. He led a group that brought Philadelphia the Soul — an Arena team now headed by Ron Jaworski. Bon Jovi also nearly became a minority owner of the Atlanta Falcons in the past, but he wants to be a majority owner now.
If Bon Jovi does make a play for the Bills when they become available, he’ll likely face tough competition from Rogers Communications, which owns the Toronto Blue Jays. Toronto already has a relationship with the Bills. In 2008, the Bills began playing home games at the Rogers Centre in Toronto once a season.
La Canfora also presents the possibility that Bon Jovi could partner with Tim Leiweke, formerly of AEG, and now with Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, in a pursuit of the Bills.
The possibility of Bon Jovi being an NFL owner is certainly an interesting one, but I wonder what Ralph Wilson thinks of everyone talking about buying his team before he’s even kicked the bucket.
