Clan-Members » Europe and represent them, Westwood

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Ralph Wilson Stadium is entering a New Era.The Buffalo Bills announced on their Twitter account on Saturday they reached an agreement to sell the naming rights of their home stadium to Buffalo-based New Era Cap Company.The team did not provide any further details except to say a news conference will be held next week.Two people with direct knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press the deal will run over the remainder of the teams seven-year lease. New Era also has the right of first refusal to continue the agreement once the current lease expires in 2022, and also if the Bills elect to build a new facility.The people spoke on the condition of anonymity because the team and New Era have not disclosed that information.The people said the agreement was reached about 10 days ago, and after the Bills made a formal presentation to New Era company officials -- including company president and CEO Christopher Koch -- about six weeks ago.The value of the agreement was described by one of the people as being close to average market value for NFL stadium naming rights deals. Without providing an exact figure, the person said it was well north of $3 million per year.Bills co-owner Kim Pegula posted a note on her Twitter account saying: Proud to be partners with a hometown team (at)NewEraCap.Bills president and managing partner Russ Brandon also tweeted: Looking forward to a tremendous partnership with an iconic Buffalo company.The agreement will provide new revenue to a small-market franchise that has spent much of the past 17 years expanding its regional base. That included Buffalo playing regular-season games in Toronto over a six-year period from 2009-13.The Bills stadium is named after the teams late Hall of Fame owner, Ralph Wilson, who died in March 2014.Wilson elected to place his name on the stadium in 1999, after a 25-year naming agreement expired with Buffalo-based Rich Products.The Bills first began considering selling the stadiums naming rights about four years ago before narrowing their focus on New Era because of its local ties.New Era was established in Buffalo in 1920 and now controls about 66 percent of the sports cap headwear market.New Era is the worlds largest outfitter of team caps, having struck 500 licensing deals worldwide, including the NFL, Major League Baseball, the NBA and the NHL. The companys products are sold in more than 80 countries.Last year, the company said it sold more than 60 million caps in 81 countries.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL Adidas Stan Smith Outlet Online . John Tavares, Thomas Vanek and Kyle Okposo were also being counted on to slow down sizzling Rangers forward Rick Nash. That plan didnt go so well early. Cheap Adidas Stan Smith Shoes . "Trying to breathe," he said with a grin. Bernier stopped 42 of 43 shots on Monday night, including all 22 in a hectic middle frame, his heroic performance propelling the Leafs toward an undue point in their final game before the Christmas break. http://www.cheapstansmith.net/ . NBA officials ruled the court unplayable in the Bucks final exhibition game on Oct. 25 because players were slipping, and the game was cancelled midway through the first period. Adidas Stan Smith Sale . As he recorded his 23rd and 24th points of the evening, a segment of the sellout Air Canada Centre crowd expressed their appreciation for the Raptors point guard with a smattering of MVP chants. Adidas Stan Smith Clearance . Canada is now down to its 22-player limit, although but players wont be registered until Christmas Day. Changes could still be made as a result of a suspension or injury. European Tour chief executive Keith Pelley insists he will not be afraid to change the rules regarding Ryder Cup eligibility following last months defeat at Hazeltine.Only European Tour members can play on the team, a regulation which meant captain Darren Clarke did not have the option of selecting world No. 12 Paul Casey, who gave up his membership to concentrate on the PGA Tour.The chance to play in the Ryder Cup has long been seen as one of the key ways the European Tour can try to prevent its top stars from playing full time on the more lucrative PGA Tour.But Pelley believes it is his job to make the Tour an attractive enough proposition that players will choose to play on this side of the Atlantic, rather than be forced to do so.We are always talking to our top players, said Pelley, who was responding to calls this week from Lee Westwood and Rory McIlroy to change the eligibility criteria. We are always listening to what they have to say. We also want to have the best possible team at the Ryder Cup.We are having discussions regarding the qualification system now. We will continue to have them. We will have them with our players. We will have them with our tournament committee and our board over the coming weeks and months.We will adjust the Ryder Cup qualification if we feel that we need to. We wont be afraid to make the changes.I would say that part of our job at the Tour is to get players to come and play because it is a terrific place to play. We play at world-class resorts, like here in Turkey. We play on great golf courses in great cities. To be a world-class player, the European Tour is a fantastic place to be.Our job as the gatekeepers of the Tour is to provide bigger purses, greateer experiences and greater courses so that the players want to play here and play here more than they need to just to stay a member and so be a Ryder Cup player.ddddddddddddThe Ryder Cup is a critical component of our tour and it is a sensational event. But it shouldnt be the only reason why someone wants to be on our tour. Thats our job at hand right now.Pelley conceded that the topic may have only resurfaced due to the 17-11 defeat at Hazeltine, Europes heaviest in the biennial contest since 1981.McIlroy told the No Laying Up podcast that Caseys absence definitely hurt us and Westwood agreed with his team-mates assertion that the best 12 players should feature on each side, regardless of where they play.At the end of the day, youre still European and you still have the passion to play for Europe and represent them, Westwood said.If you prove that youre world class on, say, the PGA Tour and not the European Tour, why should that have any bearing on whether you can play or not?Speaking during the third round of the Turkish Airlines Open, Pelley also revealed there would be changes in how future Ryder Cup venues are selected, with Turkey a possible host.Italy beat Spain, Germany and Austria to the rights for the 2022 Ryder Cup after what the Tour itself described as an exhaustive and comprehensive bid process.The challenge I had with the process was that all of these organisations host tournaments for us and there is one winner and three losers, Pelley added. The three who were not awarded the Ryder Cup are still our partners. That I found was not a good way forward. ' ' '