Tolstoy

Actually, I loved Kelly's and X's references to Odysseus and Polyphemus! Bravo!

Right on. This is the limit of absurdity. The height of the Parcells, Belichick coaching-lineage madness. This is one bubble that is bound to pop soon. I would have been very upset if we had hired this guy. Fortunately, Marv is smarter than that.

Well said. A good GM, talent on the field, good assistant coaches, a little luck--all these are factors that affect whether a coach is successful or not. Hence, you cannot judge a coach simply on the basis of his record. NO! You must look at the way he ran managed the team, the record of his decisions, how he carried himself, etc.

Look, whomever Levy will hire (whether Jauron, Sherman, or someone else), the guy will have the following: (1) Experience (2) Character (3) Leadership ability (4) Football savvy and also (5) he will be someone Marv thinks that he can work with Isn't #5 important, as important as the others? If so, how the hell can the rest of us judge properly whether the candidate Marv chooses is the right choice????? Why don't all of you chicken littles take a deep breath and remember that Marv is no dummy.

It is suddenly hitting me (what many of you have been pointing out for some time), but Mularkey has a dismal record with players who were vital to this team's success. M. Williams--benched S. Adams--benched E. Moulds--benched and suspended J.P. Losman--benched W. McGahee--effectively benched every third-down, and inside the ten-yard line How in heaven's name are we supposed to win if the coach can't get his players to play for him? Folks, MM may have some good coaching qualities, but this is a damning record. We are better off without him if only because the players listed above will have a better chance to be productive in the future. Of course, the final nail in the coffin of my support for MM is the way he up and quit one week after declaring he would stay. According to Ron Borges of the Globe, it was because Levy wouldn't give him two-year contracts for his assistant coaches.

Isn't this water under the bridge?

There are grammatical errors all over this thing. First of all, "I can no longer be able to continue" is redundant and grammatically in error. "Can" means "be able." He either "can no longer continue," or "is no longer able to continue," but not "can no longer be able to continue." But that is not the worst of it. How about this: "...for my own personal reasons and in the best interests of my family, on balance, outweigh any future benefits..." Where, my friends, is the subject in this indirect statement? What "outweighs any future benefits"? Well, either the man is under a great deal of stress, or he just doesn't care. Hmmm. I hope it is the former, but suspect it is the latter.

Well-said. My sentiments exactly. If Marv puts this team on the right track, MM will look pretty silly for this. It seems like he doesn't want to be associated with an organization that is the talk of the league. He is disassociating himself with the Bills because he thinks it is the popular thing to do, and will win him credits with the rest of the league. If this is the case, it is a profound miscalculation on MM's part. On the other hand, maybe there are other issue here.

Marv is a smart guy with good intuition. He will hire not only a good football guy as coach, but a guy with character. Take it to the bank. This entire front office and coaching staff will be completely transformed now. It will be enthusiastic, reliable, and driven to succeed. I think this is a turning point in BB history, and a positive one at that.

Moreover, this is a slap in the face to Levy. By resigning, Mularkey just told the rest of the league: "this guy Levy is a joke, and I refuse to be a part of this charade."

I don't care who says what, but this resignation has something to do with chemistry between Levy and Mularkey. What, Mularkey decides to stay on when TD gets fired, then works with Levy one week, and then decides to quit???? Over a difficulty getting assistant coaches??? That is a lame reason. No way. I think he decided that he couldn't work with Levy. Why? I don't know. Personnel decisions? Perhaps. The whole resignation surprises me. Levy is a coach's GM if there ever was one, and I can't understand why a guy wouldn't want to work for him, especially a guy who is as driven and ambitious as Mularkey for an NFL coaching position. This story will come out sooner or later. Mark my words.

I agree completely.

D'Brickashaw Ferguson, OT (Virginia) and Mathius Kiwanuka, DE (BC) I watched both of these players quite a bit, being a ACC fan. I can say that both are very good players, both capable of dominating against weaker players, and both capable of having the exceptional game (especially Kiwanuka). However, neither of them, in my opinion (and I am no expert) are worth the 8th pick in the draft. Mid-to-late first round--yes, but no earlier. Some of the other players that might be available may be better prospects--I just don't have any first hand knowledge of them. If I were the Bills, and nothing better came along, I would seriously think of trading down out of the 8th slot, and picking up extra picks. I can't believe I am thinking draft already. I have to get my head examined.

I happen to think that installing Marv as GM is significant on a number of levels. Sometimes, small changes are big. First, the man will infuse the entire organization with his dedication, intelligence, enthusiasm, humor, and decency. How can you possibly underestimate this? Second, so far as "football smarts" are concerned, Wilson hired the "brilliant" GM five years ago, and look where it got us. Maybe hiring a guy who has years of coaching experience, and a good measure of success, is not a bad idea. I would trust Marv's judgment on what this football team needs, because he has coached pro teams for years. Third, what a wonderful statement to all the elderly people out there. Hiring an 81-year old tells society that old age need not mean that a person is worthless, but could in fact mean that the person has experience and wisdom that we value. If Butler and Donahoe failed, what new wonder-GM are you going to bring in now? Why not give a guy like Marv a chance for a few years?

Sullivan has done nothing in his lifetime but write commentary on what others do, and more often than not, provide commentary that is criticism. My question is: what the hell does he know about anything? He is not a good writer, and he has no expertise about anything, much less football. Maybe he is a good parent, husband and friend. I hope so, otherwise he is a complete loser as a human being, and should be ashamed of himself. Sullivan criticizing Wilson? Levy? He doesn't hold a candle to these men. Sullivan is a whiny schoolyard nerd criticizing men who aren't afraid to try to accomplish some good in the world. What has Sullivan done that gives him license to criticize? Has Sullivan fought in a war? Set up charitable foundations? Taught our children? Practiced Medicine? Law? Set up a business? Fixed water pipes? Built a house? Tilled a field? What good has he accomplished other than filling our ears with negativity? I think we should flood the Buffalo News with demands to fire Sullivan. Than, maybe, he would be forced to get a real job and serve others in some positive capacity.

Many of you are talking about what a disaster this new management structure will be. An octogenarian (80 year old) as GM, a trickster as coach, etc. Get a clue. Football is not a science requirings M.A.'s and Ph.D.'s. It requires experience, savvy, foresight, and leadership. Marv Levy has all of those. Can he identify a good DE? A good WR? A good OL? I'll bet he can, especially with capable scouts. Can he bring confidence and stability to the entire organization? You bet. What the hell. TD was hailed as the football genius when he blazed into town. Look where that got him. As for MM, give the guy a chance. For Pete's sake. He has coached two years, one of them a winning season (with questionable talent to boot). Repeat after me: Football is not a science. Football is not a science. Football is not a science.

Marv may not have the energy levels of a young buck, but the man has good sense, and a lot of experience (not to mention some good karma to spread around). I, for one, am going to enjoy his tenure as GM, however brief it is. The entire organization will benefit from his presence.

Sure, MM has made questionable coaching decisions, but what coach hasn't? Here is what bothers me about the anti-MM crusade going on here: (1) If Donahoe has really done such a bad job of bringing talent in, then Mularkey had his hands tied and should be given a chance with some decent players. On the other hand, if Mularkey is such an idiot, then maybe our talent wasn't so bad, and Donahoe should be given another chance. I happen to think TD made more than his share of colossal blunders, so MM should be given a chance to coach another year or two. It is too damn easy to blame everyone. (2) Last year, MM used to run WM inside the 10. This year, it is these stupid trick plays and passes. Does anyone stop to think that perhaps because our O-line is so terrible, MM doesn't have any confidence that running WM is going to work? (3) MM handled the Moulds thing, in the middle of a losing season, fairly well. The inmates don't run the prison here.

I'm not sure that we shouldn't give Gray another shot, but Capers would be a hell of a replacement at Defensive Coordinator. As for an Offensive Coordinator, I know that Martz would bring a good passing game (that would be good for JP), but it is a bit like making a pact with the devil. Tom Clements is definitely done. Just a thought.

So what if a thread was already started! Let's get more than one going. This is the World Cup! Tell us more about Italy's team, as you seem to know a lot about it. What kind of formation do they play? How is their midfield? Offense? Goaltending?

Here's my take on the US's group. The US will need to take a step forward if it wants to advance from group play. They would have to beat out one of two elite soccer teams in the world (Italy and Czech Republic) to move on, and doing so would firmly place them as one of the best soccer teams in the world. As of right now, the US is improved, but still relatively unseasoned and untested. 2002 could have been a fluke if the Americans don't make a good showing here. These games with Italy and the Czechs (and don't count Ghana out either) are going to be extremely difficult. These teams do not have weaknesses. Those who say that Italy will collapse are dreaming. The Italians have an extremely talented team with perhaps the finest defense in the world. The same can be said for the Czech's offense. To defeat or tie Italy or the Czechs will require the finest play. Can the US do it? I really don't know, but I can't wait to see them try. We are deeper and more talented than we have ever been. In my opinion, the World Cup is, bar none, the finest sporting event in the world.

The hardest thing to do for an NFL team is develop a young QB into a successful starter. One has only to look at the long list of NFL first round QB busts to see this. The Bills, however, may be more than halfway there (it is too early yet to declare success). I can tell you this, however. Having such a star QB is probably the best predictor of team success over the long haul--even more than a dominant defense (which comes a close second). Consider some of the dominant teams in recent years--Indianapolis with Manning and Cincinnati with Palmer(this year), New England with Brady (the past few years), Denver with Elway, Green Bay with Favre, Dallas with Aikman, Buffalo with Kelly, etc. A few teams each decade win the Superbowl with average QB play, and a dominant defense, but more often than not, the teams who win it all have the great QB (along with a better than average defense). My point is that while the Bills season this year has been a major disappointment, maybe there is a bright light shining at the end of this long tunnel of misery. If JP continues to develop as he is, we may very well be on the road to numerous years of success.

If Donahoe was an architect, and Mularkey his builder, I would agree that they should both be fired. However, we are not dealing with bricks here, but human beings. Sometimes, human beings fail, get injured, have chemsitry problems, etc. And sometimes, too (I am coming to realize), luck enters into the equation. Every great coach and GM have had bad years. You do not judge them on a few bad years. You judge them on how sensible their decisions are, and their success over the long term. We need to give TD and Mularkey a chance. Thus far, they have failed, but I think they both have good football sense, and will eventually succeed. The last thing we need to do is to start all over again, and watch others go through the same thing.

I, too, am frustrated by the embarassment that was Sunday's game. Every time we think this team might be on track towards respectability, they do a nosedive. Let's do a diagnosis. Why have the Bills done so badly? (1) Injuries to key players: Losman lost a year of development last year; Parrish and Everett this year, and of course, TKO on defense. Good teams need their high draft picks to produce, but many of our picks have not had an adequate chance to do so because of delayed development. Other injuries, especially on the O-line, don't help, but good teams need to overcome these game -to-game type injuries. My Point: you cannot reasonably blame anyone for this factor. Our offense has not developed as it should have if injuries didn't happen. (2) Some talent has not played to its potential. Mike Williams, Benny Anderson, and JP Losman (if you think he has had an adequate chance) come to mind. I don't know about you, but I do not blame TD for Mike Williams. MW had everything coming out of college, and there is simply no way to predict how a player will develop over time. They are not machines, but humans, who often fail. It is far too early to call Losman a bust. Benny Anderson, however, I do blame TD for. Anderson has played enough in the league that we ought to have seen his failings. My point: as far as talent evaluation is concerned, I think TD has made enough good signings that we can overlook the mistake with Anderson. MW is the only one to blame for MW. (3) Bad rushing defense: I think we miss Pat Williams more than we thought we would. Defense used to be our strength. It is now our weakness. The TKO loss hurts, but the Bills were having trouble stopping the run before they lost TKO. Those of you calling for Jerry Gray's head should take a deep breath. This team has been a top 3 defense for several years now. Give Gray a chance. Perhaps Donahoe can be blamed for letting PW go, but perhaps PW wasn't worth the money he was asking for, at his age. So, this one is a tough call. My point: I think it is too facile to blame Gray or Donahoe for the way the D has played this year. They may be contributing factors, but injuries, a free agent loss, and perhaps aging veterans are greater factors. Bottom line: We need some infusion of talent on the O-line, and D-line, and time for our young players to develop. Until then, the last thing we need is an overhaul of management and coaching, so that we have to start from square one.

World Cup Soccer!!! Can't wait! Good for the aussies! Good for all of us. Thanks for the reminder, it brightened my day.