BUFFALO, N.Y. — Rock icon Jon Bon Jovi is once again making enemies here in Western New York.
Jovi is well known in Western New York for his efforts in attempting to buy the Buffalo Bills when founder and first owner Ralph Wilson Jr. died and reportedly wanted to move them to Toronto.
That didn't sit well with many, if not all, Bills fans who continue to boycott Bon Jovi and his music. Back in 2014 many bars in Buffalo actually made "Bon Jovi Free Zones".
Fast forward six years later and Buffalo is still being brought up with the famous rock star.
In an interview with Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy, he mentioned to Bon Jovi that he has interest in buying the naming rights to Bills Stadium and when asked what the price was to buy the naming rights, Bon Jovi laughed at the answer and gave his commentary.
Portnoy: "You're a huge football guy right? You tried to buy the Bills? We're trying to name the stadium, we'll see if we get that. Like the Barstool Bounce House."
Bon Jovi: "Oh, no fooling. What's that going for... $20-$25 (million)?"
Portnoy: "Way less."
Bon Jovi: "Oh sure, cause it's Buffalo." (laughs after)
Portnoy: "Well you tried to buy Buffalo."
Bon Jovi: "I did."
Portnoy: "So, there ya go."
President Donald Trump was also among the list of bidders to buy the Bills, ultimately the Pegula family won the bid.
Bon Jovi years later admitted to Howard Stern on his radio show that he wasn't going to move the Bills out of Buffalo and that it was allegedly Donald Trump who made that rumor up to spoil his bid.
Stern asked Bon Jovi whether he believed a report in GQ magazine that said Trump — who was also bidding on the team — helped orchestrate a campaign against the rock star and his music to try to discredit his bid.
Bon Jovi said he believes it to be true, calling it an "evil genius" move by the man who later became President of the United States.
"It’s genius what he did because he was taking out a serious candidate to buy the team and then hope that he would get it at a bargain price," Bon Jovi said. "But we were as real as real got and, you know, I’m broken-hearted because I would have loved it."
You can watch and listen to what Bon Jovi said during the interview. (Bon Jovi's comments about Buffalo are around the 9:55 point in the video)
