Fan in Chicago

Don't remember the specifics but the general feeling around here was that the 'ball bounced in favor of Chicago' very often that year in the close games.

Aah, I can say my second favorite team is a toss-up between the Steelers and Packers. As you can tell my choices are teams from mostly blue-collared type towns. Living in Bears country and watching a game with friends makes me a Packers fan just to irritate the heck out of them. Hey, I was even rooting for the Panthers this past weekend and was a very unpopular viewer ! As for DB, I think after the weekly debates earlier on in the season most of us either got tired of that topic or gave up. I was one who still believes it was the right move to get rid of him. he could have done nothing much more significant this season. Atleast by being abysmal, it gave us a chance to shake up the organization rather than bordering on the playoffs and changing nothing. How things turn out after now only time will tell.

Not to mention that we will get a few free fans from Green Bay along the way. I mean it - looks like several posters from that board liked the guy and may follow the Bills as a secondary favorite. As an aside - kudos to SDS for soliciting views of the teams whose HC may become ours. I am sure if he did that from Bears fans, the universal opinion would be stay as far away from Jauron as possible.

Neither do we know how good or bad ML is at choosing HCs. So I will reserve judgment for 2 years.

Thanx for the post. Yes we hired Marv Levy (our coach during the superbowl years) as the new GM. And yes, TD was too dense for a number of things and in his mind, may have truly believed his five years of strategizing would pay off this year. To your point about Sherman, I think from the opinions of all cheeseheads and observence of Jauron in Chicago: I think Sherman may be the best available candidate.

I don't see how not playing a rookie for half of his first season makes you say ML reluctant to go with rookies

Hope it ain't true.

What I have learned after so many years on this board is this - the larger sentiments of this board truly are a lead indicator of changes that happen on the Bills. I am too lazy to type out examples, but my point is that this hiring has to create positive excitement else that HC will be fighting a tough battle right from the beginning.

For one reason or the other, he was a loser as Chicago's HC and in Detroit. In addition, if he cannot handle press conferences the Buffalo media and this board will roast him alive. I repeat that we can consider him for the DC position but not as a HC.

Putting all these discussions in perspective: We know what these ex-HCs have done in their previous jobs (known devil) as compared to some hot-shot co-ordinator who we know squat about as a HC. Short of getting a winning HC out of retirement, Sherman looks like the best option out there. I highly doubt the current management will take chances on yet another coordinator.

Hadn't the previous guy won a game for Jax causing much excitement when we brought him in ? Forgive me if my memory fades.

The thought of taking on a Jax back-up as our starter gives me the shudders.

Best under pressure ? Ignoring Hasselbeck and Plummer (both not tested in playoff pressure), I give the edge to Delhomme simply because he has been to the SB and played well against NE (under pressure). Ben R has proven it in one game against the Colts.

Random thought - I wonder if there is some way to calculate what percent of fired head coaches have won the SB for their subsequent teams ? We are in a damned if you do damned if you don't situation. On one hand you can ask for previous head coaching experience and end up with any number of fired HCs as candidates. On the other hand we can hire a co-ordinator and run the risk of having yet another disaster on our hands.

Olin Kreutz (Center) was Chicago's Rd 3 pick in the 1998 draft and has been doing very well.

Wish we could talk Mike Ditka (despite his latest HC job) or Jimmy Johnson (despite his spiky hair-do and general feeling of resentment on this board) out of retirement.

I would like to think this is for the DC position - ya I know that is not the case as we don't have a HC yet. Guess the top brass is just bringing in all available coaches with HC experience. Slim pickings ...

As well as Carolina played against Chicago, I think they do not have the number of weapons required to win the big one. I was mightily surprised that Steve Smith was left in single coverage so much. I am not sure Carolina will do so well offensively if a team contains Smith (note I did not say shutdown Smith 'cos that appears very difficult). Overall, I think the Seahawks appear to have the best balance on both sides of the ball to win it. However, my thoughts are only after seeing the playoff games so it is unclear if this last weekends games were won on talent+consistency or a group adrenaline rush. My personal order of probability= Seattle, Denver, Pittsburgh and Carolina.

That is exactly why I advocate keeping EM & MW (after negotiations) and NC. We cannot run every above average player out of town hoping to find a better replacement.

That was good ! Thanx for the late evening laugh.

Yep, like the national experts who predicted a mediocre season from Buffalo and who got slammed on this board for not giving us enough respect.

My definition, should anyone care, would be both of them hanged from the top of the Statue of Liberty.

Umm.. the resignation did happen yesterday.

Entertaining ? Like seeing a major disaster will hold your attention but can hardly be classified as entertaining unless you are the sicko types. I am beyond disgusted with whatever has been going on. How many times are we fans going to get this flurry of activity in the off-season with promises of a brighter future ? If we continue to keep cleaning out the house, we will never have a home. I am at a point where I really think the best for the franchise would be if someone bought it from RW. I am not referring to age, but simply to the fact that he just does not have a grip on matters any more. Once a strategic decision is charted, an organization must take actions to continue down that road even if some sections are not the most optimal. If we keep changing personnel, how can you have any stability to implement a plan ? While I was ecstatic that TD was gone, MM's resignation seems to have officially put me over the edge. Sure in two weeks time, I will still be supporting the Bills but at a reconciled lower level of mediocrity as a benchmark.

How many times have I heard that over the past 5-6 years ?