Chris Jordan

@ChrisFHJordan

How is Jon Bon Jovi's pursuit of the Buffalo Bills coming along? It depends on who you listen to.

The Sayreville rocker was dumped by a Toronto-based group that included Larry Tanenbaum, chairman of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, and Edward Rogers, chairman of Rogers Communications, because Bon Jovi doesn't have enough money as the price of the Bills is inching over $1 billion, according to the New York Post.

Mermaid visits Jon Bon Jovi Soul Kitchen

Bon Jovi, as the potential controlling owner, needs to put up at least 30 percent of the purchase price but as his net worth is around $300 million, according to the Post, he doesn't have enough for winning bid so Tanenbaum and Rogers are looking for a new partner.

Yet, another version is that Bon Jovi is still with Tanenbaum and Rogers but as their highest bid can "only" go up to $1.2 billion, they're not expecting to get the deal done, according to a QMI Agency report.

Final binding bids must be submitted by Tuesday, Sept. 9, according to QMI. In addition to the Bon Jovi group, Donald Trump, Buffalo Sabres owner Terry Pegula, and payroll-systems executive Tom Golisano are also bidding.

Bills fans are not happy about a potential sale of the team to Bon Jovi as the perception is that he'll move the team to Toronto. A grass-roots movement banning Bon Jovi music in Buffalo has taken hold and the founders of a Bills fan club delivered 13,000 letters to the team last month stating that they do not want current ownership selling to Bon Jovi.

"Every single one of these letters says the same thing: we will not support the Bills if Bon Jovi buys the team because we know he's moving it to Toronto," said Charles Pellien, co-founder of Bills Fan Thunder, in a statement. "For Bon Jovi, this game is over and Bills fans have spoken: he is not welcome in Ralph Wilson Stadium and he needs to give up his bid for the team."

A letter from Bon Jovi to Bills fans published in the Buffalo News was largely met with skepticism, due to the fact that he never said he would not move the team out of Buffalo.

Bills' long-time owner Ralph Wilson passed away in the spring at the age of 95. Reports surfaced last November that Bon Jovi was looking to buy the Bills, but the rocker, through his rep, shot those down at the time.

Bon Jovi is a professed football fan and the former owner of the Philadelphia Soul arena football team. His son played for Notre Dame football last year.

A request for the status of Bon Jovi's bid was not answered by his spokesman.

Chris Jordan: 732-643-4060; cjordan@njpressmedia.com