A televised gag during a Dallas Cowboys at Buffalo Bills Monday Night Football game offered the implication that no one knows who Ralph Wilson is. That is, he is a low-profile owner compared to Jerry Jones. At the 2009 NFL Hall of Fame ceremony in Canton, Ohio, a football pioneer will be enshrined.
Ralph Wilson, Lamar Hunt and the American Football League
Ralph Wilson was one of seven entrepreneurs contacted by the late Lamar Hunt to form the American Football League. His choices were between Buffalo and Miami and he ultimately chose to settle in Western New York. His team kicked off its inaugural season in 1959, defeating the New York Titans (now the New York Jets) and Wilson has been at the helm ever since. The AFL merged with the NFL in 1970 and the Bills became part of the American Football Conference (AFC).
No stranger to the NFL and its style of play, Wilson was once a minority shareholder in the Detroit Lions. Though he is a low-profile owner, without the notoriety of a Jerry Jones or Al Davis, his behind the scenes activity has been significant for football. At one point, he even loaned money to the Oakland Raiders to ensure their financial survival.
The Foolish Club
Wilson is one of two members of the original group of AFL owners, the self-proclaimed “Foolish Club”. He is also considered to be one of the more influential figures in the modern NFL era. An outspoken owner, he has vocally opposed the league’s collective bargaining unit, even though he is almost the only one to have done so.
Wilson is also known for his philanthropy, which has aided his football team. His donations to spinal injury research came to fruition after an injury toMKevin Everett of the Bills, when he was nearly fatally injured after a clean hit by Denver’s Dominic Hixon.
Buffalo Bills in Pro Football Hall of Fame
Wilson will join several others in the Hall of Fame, which will include legendary quarterback Jim Kelly, Marv Levy and Bruce Smith. The living tribute has been considered significant because, as of 2009, the Bills are one of only two teams to have had one owner. The other is the Tennessee Titans, whose owner Bud Adams is the only other living member of “The Foolish Club.”
The timing also seems appropriate, because 2009 marks the 50th anniversary of the Bills as an NFL franchise. Ralph Wilson, who is over 90 years old, has stated that his family has no intention to operate the Bills franchise after he passes on, which makes this living tribute even more special.
