Bills chief fired after 'romantic relationship' during NFL London Games

13 October 2023 , 14:22

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The fallout from the Buffalo Bills' time at the NFL London Games has led to the firing of two thirds of the management committee (Image: Getty Images)

The Buffalo Bills have fired chief operating officer John Roth and the team's general counsel Kathryn D'Angelo because their "romantic relationship" became "too brazen" while at the NFL London Games.

Earlier this month, the Bills lost 25-20 to the Jacksonville Jaguars at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. During the team's time in London, the issue reached a stage that required addressing by the organisation, according to The Athletic.

Roth only became COO of the Bills in July after assuming the same role at the Buffalo Sabres from the start of the year. Terry Pegula owns both franchises alongside his wife, Kim.

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When announcing his arrival at Pegula Sports and Entertainment, which dissolved in August, the Sabres statement shared Roth has a wife, Sandra, and two children, Abigail and Alexander. He was previously an investor and portfolio manager at American financial services corporation Fidelity Investments for almost a quarter of a century before leaving last December.

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D'Angelo had been with the Bills since April 2016. Starting as a counsel, she was promoted to assistant general counsel three years later before becoming general council in April this year after a year as the interim GC.

At the same time Roth was appointed COO, the former attorney had senior vice president of Business Administration added to her title. Roth reportedly recommended her promotion. Within the team front office, the COO was of superior standing within the structure despite D'Angelo reporting to ownership directly rather than to him.

Roth is fired three months after arriving this summer

D'Angelo leaves three months after her promotion

The two confirmed their dismissals during a joint interview over the phone with The AP. "Both Kathryn and I wish the Pegulas the best of luck, and we think the world of Terry, Kim and [their daughter] Laura, and the rest of the team," Roth said. "And we will be cheering the Bills and Sabres on from afar."

Their departures leave Buffalo with holes to fill in their management committee three months after the changes came into effect. D'Angelo and Roth, alongside senior vice president of finance and business administration Josh Dziurlikowski, formed the team after the exit of the previous COO and executive vice president Ron Raccuia this summer.

Dziurlikowski is now stepping up as interim COO. Replacing D'Angelo will be Jim Overdorf, the senior advisor to Bills general manager Brandon Beane and football operations. The team will conduct an external search for permanent candidates.

Roth was responsible for the team's ticketing, business development, and the media and content departments. Meanwhile, D'Angelo oversaw the Bills' security, human resources, and marketing departments. Ultimately, their relationship was reportedly deemed professionally unethical.

It is not the first time such senior front office figures have departed due to their love life. May 2018 saw the president and managing partner of the Bills and the Sabres, Russ Brandon, resign after an internal investigation into his inappropriate workplace relationships. The now XFL CEO had been with the organization for 21 years.

Matthew Abbott