May Day 10

I think people jump to "Marketing" because it is probably the #1 defense of Brandon that is used. "He is just a marketing guy", "he is a marketing genius". It kind of compartmentalizes the discussion. The fact is, he hasn't been director of marketing since like 2005. I know with certainty that he was very involved in football decisions, pretty much since Donahoe left. Now though, with Pegula as owner, and with Whaley out of the picture, and with his new role(s) it is diminished. Part of the reason though, is Pegula wants to be the guy who plays with the toys in the tub... which ultimately gets us to the same place. I still suspect there is baggage with Brandon and the front office, and that Pegula leans on him for counsel.... which I do not like. I would trust almost anyone else in the world to counsel t-pegs. Also, the fans carry a pretty widespread, and in many cases extreme distrust of the man. Whether it is warranted or not... it should carry some weight. So for now, I believe Brandon is somewhat minimized on the football side. However, I still believe Pegula needs a president of the football side to build from the top-down. No more counsel from Brandon, and Pegula's own decisions should be made, only with a lot of guidance from an experienced football exec. Maybe we struck it rich with McDermott and him bringing in his buddy from Carolina will provide strong leadership on the football side, we get a franchise QB next season, and we can start to talk seriously about NFL competition. If not though.... I really hope the Pegulas consider bringing in a 'power broker' to fix things.

I dont believe that... What kept the team here is Ralph's unwillingness to sell the team while he was alive for both ego and tax reasons. At his advanced age, he also did not want to go through with a major financial commitment in relocation fees and partially funding a new facility to move the team. This team would sell these tickets with or without Russ Brandon. They are cheap as can be, and there is a party element of going to games. People go more for the tailgating and periphery fun. The game and this awful team is secondary for way too many people. Overall... as Russ Brandon said himself: the brand is tarnished. Go poll 1,000 random football fans... or even random people around Buffalo about the Bills and overall perception of the franchise and brand would most likely be very negative. It is not just the losing. They have put forth an ugly face through much of it, such as the strange drama we witnessed through the Rex firing process into Lynn's PC being thrown on a grenade, into Whaley's bizarre PC... Also previous to that, the whole Marrone vs Whaley thing that led to the second 9-7 HC quitting. How is he a 'marketing genius'. I always see him labeled here as that. I don't see much marketing. I am a STH, along with 9 friends, and nothing has had to do with Russ Brandon or 'marketing'. His main claim to fame was the call to move camp to St John Fisher and make an event out of it, which earned him Mr Wilson's admiration. It became a fad, but now, NFL teams are moving away from that. The team's marketing materials and presence are kind of a joke and lazy to be honest. The team is at the bottom of the NFL in revenue and value. Just the fact that a large majority of the fan-base hates him (as well as the Sabres' fan base) should be concerning, and shouldn't be ignored. There are hundreds and thousands of business people and sports business people capable of running the business side of a sports organization and bring in ideas. And then you have every major football decision and action, spanning back almost a decade now. His fingerprints are all over most of them.

The team is at the bottom for revenue and value. The nfl tv sharing has kept the bills viable. The bills sell tickets relatively well... but mainly due to the low price and party element. Ticket dollars are shared with the visiting team anyway. Actual marketing/perception of the team, franchise, and brand is a disaster. Game presentation as well as presence in the media is minor league compared to other teams. Since he has been elevated to president, the team hasnt gotten anything right and has been a continuous clown car of dysfunction. And unless brandon gave a younger terry pegula tips on an emerging technology to extract natural gas... he had nothing to do with saving the bills in buffalo. I think overall, the bills can use some new ideas and modernization in all aspects. Russ brandon is from the "no frills" crusty estate planning mode that he ushered the bills through. It shows. Tgats when you get things like cheap, insulting one buffalo sunglasses given away for fan "appreciation" night. A few things have diminished as a sabres sth since black was swapped with brandon.

I have thought this about marrone for awhile now. I think he wanted basically what mcdermott has. Pegula sided with team brandon/whaley. It wasnt so much about leveraging money. The last few years may have bern different, but overall, I think i would much rather have mcdermott.

If its a great move, and we are in such a hurry to franchise tag him, why does any team pick up the option?

This is not fair. Brandon has been the focus of my distaste of this franchise for 10 years now. The bills have made no progress. As an executive of the team, we have seen nothing but a string of awful hires, dysfunction, losing, and embarassment. What do we have now? A team who cant decide if they are rebuilding or making a run to a possible wild card berth, with bad contracts and an in-place rookie coach looking for a gm. The pegulas need to wake up and find a president of football ops with experience and a clear vision to build a winning program from the top down. Unfortunately, the pegulas seem to have usurped brandon as the "guy who gets to play with the toys", so it will take pegula to completely wake up and realize he needs help and (non russ brandon) in order to see success on the field.

Kryk is probably the most thorough and even-keel bills columnist. His work and understanding of the sale process was by far the best

Not to mention, he is 0-for

I love how the bills have "one of the best" across the board... but just cant find success because if things like the ryans parachuting in from nowhere, and not being lucky enough to have a franchise (or competent) quarterback fall into their laps for 2 decades. Up until now, whaley was "one of the best" talent evaluators. People would tell me he would have another gm gig immediately (same thing people said about darcy regier). Now it seems he has few fans left.

I believe he has had a heavy hand on football matters... and it seems he has been moved out a bit, as the pegulas want to the ones playing with the toy. Brandon is their most senior executive and closest advisor (for both teams) which i dont like. Since Brandon has been raised to the top levels of bills management, the team has been so wrong so frequently. I wouldnt trust his input at all, unless i wanted to confirm what they shouldnt do. As far as "marketing" goes. I, too could do the job and lead the bills to last in revenue and lowest franchise value. I also dont attribute the wjc, combine, and frozen 4 to him. The combine was already here, and the wjc was a multi year process that brandon was on board for the last couple months. Business wise, i feel like both teams could use new blood in the way of how they are marketed and laid out to the fans. I have lived in other markets and both organizations are minor league. I am a season ticket holder for the sabres and things have gotten worse. Having a season ticket card to replace tickets, 1 per account is awful. The fan "appreciation" giveaway of one buffalo "sunglasses" was literally insulting. Game presentations are terrible. Everything around both teams seems lazily done.

No. I want an empowered team president. Terry buys a motorcycle to channel his mid life crisis and leaves football to football people.

Im glad we will have terry and kim in on collaboration. That cant possibly be a problem with these failed teams

I love it

In 3 or 4 years, when we are trying to figure out what happened, people will point to this as "Whaleys draft", and this upcoming season will be "un-do-ing whaleys mess" and doesnt count, etc. This team is a master at putting accountibility into a gray area, and blending many years together in a lineage of failure. What they need is a clean and decisive break, where "yesterday" and "tomorrow" are clearly delineated.

Oh.... wow

Tony lukes, taste of the town... I think the cheese whiz is a must

lol, I dont care about the 'air-time' interference.... I'm used to the customary commercial break as the Bills pick anyways

I have watched several hundred players get drafted, and I have never seen anyone manage to make such an uncomfortable spectacle of himself. I get it, these guys are young, arent choir boys, and it is an incomprehensible, huge emotional moment for various reasons.... but you would think this guy could honor his moment, and give him, his family, and his grandma more dignity than to act like he was in a boxing entourage. I dont wish him any ill will or anything, I hope he does well.

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/news/nfl-draft-takk-mckinley-wins-night-emotional-interview-grandmother-041816583.html

Im all in on Darnold.... Rosen sounds good too if he can prove it next season. Then the two monsters in Wyoming and OK State..... and Lamar Jackson

This is what I got out of it. He just kept repeating "this is why I do this" and even when he went to shake Goodell's hand, that's all he had to say.... like his brain couldnt think of anything else. Then, in the interview with Sanders, he basically just repeated that.... as well as "honoring" his grandma by saying "God Damn" and "F-Word" on national TV while holding her picture. In that 2 minutes of being introduced to that guy, I walked away with the opinion he isnt very smart or genuine.

KC's schedule (at this time) looks pretty tough @ NE Phi @ Chargers WAS @ Hou Pit @ Oak Den @ Dal @ NYG BUF @ Jets OAK Chargers MIA @ DEN

I think its a great move and long overdue. I dont think they lost much value in the pick, got a 3rd and also a 1st next season. I believe KC is also a candidate to hit the floor this season and this could be a top 10 or 15 pick.

So I was wrong, I guess Looks like Labatt is opening a restaurant in the new Pegula building. The rest "commercial, retail, and residential' space.