Grant

The "Haslett could be another Belichick" theory has many flaws, which I will present. Here's Belichick's record with Cleveland: | 1991 cle | 6 10 0 | 0 0 | | 1992 cle | 7 9 0 | 0 0 | | 1993 cle | 7 9 0 | 0 0 | | 1994 cle | 11 5 0 | 1 1 | | 1995* cle | 5 11 0 | 0 0 | Belichick gets a free pass for the 1995 season because that was the Browns' lame duck season in Cleveland before moving to Baltimore. These circumstances drastically affected the team and were outside of his control. Here's Haslett's record: | 2000 nor | 10 6 0 | 1 1 | | 2001 nor | 7 9 0 | 0 0 | | 2002 nor | 9 7 0 | 0 0 | | 2003 nor | 8 8 0 | 0 0 | | 2004 nor | 8 8 0 | 0 0 | | 2005* nor | 3 13 0 | 0 0 | Haslett gets a free pass for the 2005 season because of the Katrina mess. These circumstances drastically affected the team and were outside of his control. So, what do these records tell us? It shows that where as Belichick inherited a losing team at 6-10 and improved them to 11-5, Haslett inherited a playoff team at 10-6 and the team showed no improvement and slightly regressed to consistent .500 football. There are some small similarities between Belichick and Haslett: both were unpopular in their first head coaching stint and both coached their final season during a stressful period which they had no control over. But the big difference is that Belichick actually improved his Cleveland team and Haslett did not improve his New Orleans team.

Awesome. Again, the only solution is "if you don't like it, GIT OUT!" Maybe in some ways you're right. After all, it is only football. Why really worry about it? Well, we shouldn't. And I don't think the Bills drastically affect one's overall mood or day or whatever drastically anyway. But this is a Bills message board. Although the fans don't have any real say nor power in the direction of the franchise, it is a franchise that, for whatever reason, we've decided we like enough to seek out an internet site to post on about said franchise. And right now, the Bills are in the middle of a quagmire. I can see nothing wrong with wanting to talk about why this is or how to get out of it. After all, it seems kind of ridiculous to want every post to always be "GO BILLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Edit: Since we haven't even discussed the topic at hand since page one and we're already at the bottom of page two and still chasing our tails, it's kind of pointless (for me anyway) to keep this up.

"If you don't like it, GIT OUT!"

Your first sentence is why people are "overreacting." Nobody disagrees with getting rid of Mularkey. It's the way it was done. Who cares if Ralph saved money? He cost the team credibility and class. He should've just fired him straight out and honored the stupid contract rather than waffling on the decision, stripping him of his decisions and manipulating him into resigning.

Aww, is that what made you upset, Marky? I didn't mean it in a harsh way. I was being a bit snarky, but I wasn't trying to be mean. I'm sorry if I hurt your widdle feelings here on Two Bills Drive, where we specialize in football and cuddling! That makes the current events justified? "We were laughed at before, it's okay if it happens again"? What? Jesus, Mark, think before you type. I would try to remind you that you were the first to offer an analysis, but somehow I'm pretty sure it will fall on blind eyes. It's not a rule, but it generally helps your credibility. You don't need to worry about that anymore, though. Er... well, of course no one knows what the future holds. But we weren't talking about the future, hombre. We were talking about the recent past and whether or not it was the right decision. I'm not sure why on TSW it's so difficult to have conversations strictly about football (I'm not even asking for intelligent conversations anymore). More than half the time it degenerates into fights or off-topic silliness. But I do think what transpired with Mularkey is worth talking about. I think it's a terrible blemish on the franchise and it's something that ought to not be just swept aside because we wanted Mularkey out anyway. Yes, most of us (including myself) wanted Mularkey out. But not like this. No one's upset that Mularkey is gone, but I am definitely upset in the way that it was handled. And it's worth talking about, dammit.

Enough said

Enough said

I agree that Mularkey deserved to be fired, but that's just it - he should have been FIRED. Not manipulated into quitting.

Apparently not, as you refuted nothing I said. You merely resorted to personal attacks. Your best retort was that an NFL head coaching position is attractive no matter what the negatives attached, but with as many openings as there are, I doubt Buffalo is number one on many lists. Was this a self-examiniation? Because I would argue that immaturity/insecurity is most readily apparent in shallow personal attacks backed up by no argument what-so-ever.

Because that somehow justifies it? Why? It's not coming out of your pocket. Even if it is, the Bills are a multi-million dollar franchise. They can afford it. Paying Mularkey isn't going to break anyone. If he didn't intend on honoring his contract if Mularkey didn't work out, he shouldn't have allowed a 5 year deal.

I read this a few times hoping for a trace of irony. I concluded there is none. What about the Buffalo situation is promising? An owner who's publicly stating he'll return to meddling? A general manager with no experience and has been out of the game for 10 years? Two coaches in the past 6 years who's contracts haven't been honored (well, one was, but it took legal action to do it)? How is that promising?! This was such an innocent, ignorant thing to say, it kind of made me chuckle. I don't mean to be condescending, but the way it was worded just seemed very... child-like, I don't know. In any case, I obviously didn't mean "OUR terms" as in we, specifically. I meant that we fans wanted TD and Mularkey out, but we wanted them FIRED. That is, we wanted the organization ("us") to reject them - not the other way around. This board and the comments of people regarding RW, ML and the 'handling' of MM clearly cement the fact that Buffalo fans are fickle and weak, by and large. You're right. Why should anyone be unhappy? Things are fine! It's our duty as fans to just accept being taken advantage of, right? Willfull ignorance rules supreme.

Why not just fire him then? It's shameful that Wilson would not honor the fuggin' deal he agreed to. If I were a coach in the NFL, I would look at this situation in Buffalo (coupled with the Wade Philips debacle a few years back) and avoid it like the plague. Why take a job where you'll have no power, be held accountable for what happens anyway, and then not even be guaranteed that your contract will be honored?

Well, you're almost there. If Ralph is making it clear he'd rather manipulate a coach into resigning rather than honoring a written contract, why would any player or coach want to come into an environment that clearly not interested in having any class at all? It drives me nuts that fans on these boards are willing to excuse the behavior from this organization just because we're fans. Like Ralph Wilson is our alcoholic parent and we just keep making excuses for him, trying to convince ourselves that "they" know best. People get angry when a player demands more money or a trade when they don't like their original contract. Why is no one getting upset that Wilson won't honor a deal he made two years ago? You signed Mularkey for 5 years. If you want him here that long, you've got him. If you don't, then be a man, fire him and pay him. But manipulating someone into quitting because you're trying to save a few thousand? Fuggin' ridiculous! It makes me beyond embarassed to associate with this franchise. At least when the Bills didn't make the playoffs a few years ago, we could still say the franchise had class. Well, you can't say that with a straight face anymore.

There's a better chance of Jesus returning to earth as an Easter Bunny, just to screw with everyone's minds.

That's right, we don't joke here on TSW. Football. Serious business.

I'm 90% sure this organization isn't going to see the playoffs for a few years.

I'd like to clarify that we wanted TD and MM out, but on OUR terms. Mularkey resigning is not something that sends a positive message because it means that a second-year head coach decided an organization wasn't good enough for him. That doesn't reflect well on the Bills

But you can get them cheaper if the player actually wants to come and believes they're going to a winner. This is why we landed Sam Adams (I know, we don't like him anymore, but we did!)

Sam's wrong. We wouldn't be in the playoffs with Drew. BUT... It is more evidence that the players do not or did not support JP Losman this year.

He led them to the playoffs in his first season which would obviously then be a team he had little part in building. He hasn't made the playoffs in the 5* years after. But you're right, he's great. I think we're now in danger of swinging in the other direction too far. "NO MORE PITTSBURGH CONNECTIONS" but now it's "ALL OLD BUFFALO CONNECTIONS!" Bring back Marv, bring in Haslett, bring back Jim Kelly... what the hell.

"I know we've changed general managers and had our head coach resign, not to mention have a still uncertain status regarding our DC, but I can't understand why people think this is worth discussing." It's that crazy media out to purposefully make lies just to screw with us again, guys. Nevermind that Levy has been trying to get back in to the coaching ranks for years and just two years ago lobbied hard to be considered for the Chicago opening, and nevermind that Levy was less than firm on his stance of not coaching the Bills again, but it's just being made up by the media. Mularkey is not a bad option, he was the victim of bad management and ownership of a bad organization. He was also able to give Buffalo their best record since 1999. It's fun making excuses and white-washing reality! Haslett's only year in the playoffs was his first. This means that team was largely inherited. His following 5* years were mediocre at best. But nevermind all that, guys! Let's open our arms for a mediocre coach for the sole reason that he once played for the Buffalo Bills franchise. Then, when he inevitably fails, let's run him out of town!

These are the best posts on TSW. "If you don't like it, GIT OUT!" "Hey, man, the Bills are fine by me whatever they do. They want to hire a janitor to play QB and dig up the remains of my buried-but-cremated uncle as head coach? I'm diehard, man. You don't like it, GIT OUT!" Such an outdated mentality. Because, you know, we're not supposed to be able to recognize when our loyalty is being taken advantage of. Nope. We should all be blissfully, willfully ignorant because we "bleed red and blue" or something.

Sure, I'll trust one off-hand comment from Ralph as opposed to the plethora of comments uttered about Ralph's cheapness through the years and what we've witnessed ourselves with the Wade Philips debacle. I mean, I could definitely see Ralph saying "I don't like to hire expensive coaches." That seems plausible.

It may not be THE worst, but the fact that it's even in competition is telling.

Haslett should be right below "Any relatives of Hitler" and right above "sock puppet friend" on the head coach list.