BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) Buffalo Bills and Sabres owner Terry Pegula filled both teams vacant chief operating officer positions on Tuesday by hiring Pete Guelli, who returns to his roots after spending the past five years as the New York Giants chief busine s officer.The 59-year-old Guelli will oversee the busine s operations of both franchises at a time the NFL's Bills are building a new stadium and the NHL's Sabres are launching renovations to their home arena. Hes from nearby Rochester, New York, and previously spent 10 years working his way up the Bills ranks to become their senior vice president of busine s operations in 2008 under late owner Ralph Wilson.Guelli left the Bills in 2009 to work for the NBA's Charlotte Bobcats, and was part of the transition management team when Michael Jordan purchased the franchise a year later and eventually renamed them the Hornets. In Charlotte, Guelli eventually became the team's COO and was credited for helping revitalize the sagging franchise, which included securing A.J. Pollock Jersey the Hornets television rights deal and overseeing renovations of the teams arena.With the Giants, Guelli revamped the teams busine s operations, led efforts to sign former quarterback Eli Manning to a role with the franchise and is currently serving on the NFLs team presidents busine s optimization committee.ADVERTISEMENT It was hard not to be impre sed by the experience and overall busine s acumen of Pete Guelli, Pegula said in a statement announcing the hiring.He is a proven leader with tremendous skills and experience in the sports busine s landscape, Pegula added. With the upcoming changes on the way in both teams venues, we are happy to have Pete to help lead our teams.In Buffalo, , who was fired along with Bills general counsel Kathryn DAngelo in October, because the two were in a romantic relationship. Roth had just taken over the COO position of both teams in July.I know the importance of these franchises to the market, and understand the responsibility that comes with that role, Guelli said. I am looking forward to getting to work and becoming part of the community again.Guelli broke in with the Bills in 1999 in helping oversee the franchise expanding its market by relocating its training camp to Rochester a year later.In hiring Guelli, Pegula announced interim Bills COO Josh Dziurlikowski will take over as the Bills senior vice president of finance and busine s operations, and interim Sabres COO Rob Minter will take over the same VP role with the Sabres.___AP NFL: Don Drysdale Jersey