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Wearing her late husband's 1964 AFL championship ring, Wilson saluted Cuomo, Poloncarz and the more than 800 workers who renovated the stadium.
Murphy then introduced the team's Hall of Fame quarterback and the fans' cheering reached fever pitch. Jim Kelly recently announced he was cancer free after getting treatment for sinus cancer, and the crowd saluted him.
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Ralph Wilson's legacy was immortalized in gold on the stadium that bears his name.
"I wish we had a game ball for every one of them," she said. "Each one was so important."
"He was a man of high ideals who set a high standard for himself and those he worked with," said emcee John Murphy,Cheap Jerseys, the Bills radio play-by-play broadcaster.
The upgrades include new fan-friendly amenities such as larger concessions stands,Wholesale NFL Jerseys, a sports bar,Cheap Jerseys Wholesale, easier access into the stadium and wider concourses.
Wilson,Wholesale Basketball Jerseys, who died in March, was one of many Bills legends whose names were written in black along the upper bowl of the stadium. Those names have been changed to gold during the $130 million renovation of the stadium this summer.
The home opener comes at the end of a busy week for Bills fans. They learned that the new owners of the team, pending league approval, will be Terry and Kim Pegula, who will pay an NFL-record $1.4 billion to purchase the team.
The key renovations include 3 million feet of linear cable to improve communications and technology in the stadium. There are also two new video boards and 53 more points of entry.
"And that is the story of true friendship. Don't tell me who's with you when things are easy,Wholesale Jerseys Free Shipping. Tell me who's with you when things are tough and when it's hard and you're not winning. And that's Ralph Wilson."
"It took real friendship and real commitment and real loyalty to stick with Buffalo in the dark days, and that is the story for Ralph Wilson and Mary Wilson,nfl jerseys china," Cuomo said.
Fans at a sold-out Ralph Wilson Stadium gave its late namesake a standing ovation Sunday as the Buffalo Bills saluted their founder before the home opener against the Miami Dolphins.
The Bills' future in Buffalo was aided by a lease agreement, signed off by Wilson and approved by NFL owners last year, that included a strict non-relocation clause. That essentially prevented the team from moving before the 2020 season.
Earlier Sunday, the Bills held a ribbon-cutting for the refurbished stadium, with the renovations significantly altering the game-day experience. Wilson's widow, Mary, led the ribbon-cutting, with New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz and Bills CEO Russ Brandon speaking as well. |
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