Buffalo Sabers owner Terry Pegula is accused of making a racist comment toward black NFL players.
The billionaire, who also owns the Buffalo Bills, is named in a lawsuit filed against the league by journalist Jim Trotter.
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Trotter claims Pegula said: “If black players don’t like it here, they should go back to Africa and see how bad it is.”
The owner would have made this comment in the context of the footballers’ actions to demonstrate against racial injustice. The plaintiff said he notified the NFL of Pegula’s remark, but no action was taken afterward.
The man who owns the Bills and Sabers issued a statement saying what Trotter said was “completely false.”
“I am appalled that anyone would associate me with allegations of this nature,” Pegula said. Racism has no place in our society and I am outraged that my name is being associated with this lawsuit.”
The journalist is suing Goodell County for discrimination and wrongful discharge, who worked for the league in recent years. The NFL, for its part, stated that Trotter’s contract had simply expired and it could no longer afford to keep him on its team.
In late August, Pegula announced that he would take over as president of his National Hockey League (NHL) team, separating that team’s operations from those of the Bills.
The 72-year-old bought the Sabers in February 2011 for $189 million. Three years later, he bought the Bills for $1.4 billion. He also owns the Rochester Americans (American Hockey League) and the Buffalo Bandits (National Lacrosse League).