GhostsOfTheRockpile

Who cares if they "get it" and know how badly Buffalo wants a ring? You think Belicheck or Brady care about winning a Super Bowl for the New England region? Or that David Ortiz cares about winning for Red Sox Nation? These guys want to win because they want to be the best at what they do - if they have no idea about "what it means to be a Bill" or have zero concept of Bills history, I couldn't care less so long as they're dedicated to being the best team possible.

I disagree. Henry played tough and hurt because that's Henry. He coulda been in Oakland, Seattle, St. Louis, wherever... he'd still play with broken ribs and legs. Again, winning is the cure-all. If the Bills were opening up holes for Willis like other running backs get and the Bills were winning games, Willis would love Buffalo. You never like where you are when you're losing. Again, gimmie guys who don't care about Buffalo but dominate on the field over guys who love Buffalo but don't have what it takes. Goes for coaches and players.

I hate watching Sabre games because they remind me of what a team looks like when they bust their asses for each other, sacrifice for the team, go at it from pillar to post... ... and then I think of the Bills...

Clemens is gone, and good riddance. I've never seen such a master of self-promotion be so bad at what he self-promotes ("Playmaker"). For every good play/interception, he gets roasted three times. His production per dollar spent on him is horrid.

I see the point you and others are trying to make, and I think its a valid one. But again... I want the best man for the job. A coach who's going to come in and dedicate himself to winning each and every football game he coaches. If he hates the cold, doesn't like wings, things beef on weck is disgusting, etc. I don't mind... just so long as he's committed to the business who employs him, his fellow employees, and wants nothing more than to bring home the hardware. WINNING builds an "aura," not someone who's rah-rah about the city he coaches in.

Who cares if Willis - or anyone else for that matter - "wants" to be in Buffalo? If Player X hates Buffalo and everyone in it, but goes out every Sunday and busts his ass because he wants nothing more than to win for his teammates and employer, I can't see the problem.

Yeah, you're right. It took Marvin Lewis, Fox, and others SO LONG to build winners.

Yeah, hiring coordinators is a HORRIBLE move. Guys like Fox, Marvin Lewis, Lovie Smith, Jon Gruden, Mike Shannahan, Mike Holmgren... they've all stunk in their first stints as head coaches. Hiring a guy who's already been a head coach is no more a guarantee of success than hiring a coordinator.

I don't care if they want to be in Buffalo or not, I just want coaches and players who want a ring more than anything else in the world. If they love The Lo, that's a bonus. Otherwise, get guys in here who want to rack up W's and nothing else.

Not just ESPN, but every single media outlet covering the NFL seems to have Mangini heading to the Meadowlands.

Because he's living on reputation alone. What has he ever won? He had one winning record in something like 8 years of head coaching. No thank you. And if you want to say something about the talent he had to work with being subpar, well why bring him into Buffalo where the talent ain't necessarily up to snuff, especially where it counts on the offensive and defensive lines? You must really want that 7-9 record, eh?

What kind of experience do you want? Head coaching experience? Plenty of guys succeed without it. Assistant experience? He's got a decade of it. I don't see why he isn't as desireable as someone who's already PROVEN they can fail like Haslett, Martz...

Jim Tressel? A guy who only won in COLLEGE with someone else's players? Please.

Enough yap about hiring Haslett because he's a former Bill or because he "understands" what it means to be a Bill more than other coaches. That equals zero wins. Zero. Try and spin it any way you want, it ain't equating to any increased success. Loyalty in sports is worthless. If the Patriots had been loyal, Brady would have been benched for Bledsoe and the Pats would have won squat. There's no room for loyalty amongst players or coaches in this BUSINESS. You bring in the personnel who give you the best chance to win. Period. Do you honestly think NFL players will buy into some rah-rah crap someone who "loves" Buffalo will throw at them? If you do, I've got a bridge in Brooklyn I'd like to sell you. These guys are professionals. Maybe it works when some college coach tries to instill what it means to be a Longhorn or a Blue Devil or a Fighting Irishman. Not in the pros. These guys may love or hate the fans their playing for, but they don't play for them or the community. So unless Haslett gives the Buffalo Bills the best chance to win by being the best teacher and communicator with his staff and roster, I don't want him anywhere close to One Bills Drive. On an unrelated topic, why the obsession for Mike Martz? Sure he was a good offensive coordinator for a niche team (built for speed in a dome), but once he took over the head coaching duties of a team someone else built for him, their productivity and success began to disappear. Not to mention very public tiffs he's had with former players. This guy is a monster ego maniac and I guarantee you won't see him going back to coordinate any time soon. He wants control, and he wants it now.

Bad choices. Retired, coach of the Chargers (still), not leaving Iowa.

Because that story likely isn't true. First of all, if a guy "threw in the towel" it would be easy for players and other coaches to spot. Second, once it were spotted, you really mean to tell me an entire locker room of coaches and players would keep that under wraps? I don't think so...

Just said Bills have gotten permission to talk to Cowboys OC Sean Payton, will interview Jerry Gray, and Dick Jaron should pay attention "even though the people's choice is Haslett."

Yet another case of the media creating the story, rather than reporting it. Nobody has been interviewed, and Haslett hasn't even been contacted. It all starts with one guy writing "Hey, I think X would be a good fit for team Y's coaching position/trade/free agent because I said so, nevermind I have no idea what is going on in the front office." Then you get dopes like Clayton and others who read this and take it as fact. Then it snowballs.

Exactly. Who would have thought a retread coach from Cleveland would win three of four Super Bowls? Let's let the brain trust hire a new coach and give him the requisite couple of years to see what he can do.

Excellent point. Parcells hasn't won squat without Belicheck, who hasn't won squat without Brady. Holmgren? Nothing without Favre. Shannahan? Nothing without Elway. The list goes on. The difference is, though, finding a coach - like the ones listed above - who without their star QB still make the playoffs. Which is why I believe Sherman or Mooch are decent picks (besides the fact Mooch coached a QB similar in style to Losman in Garcia to the Pro Bowl, and all those "in the know" compare Losman's raw skills to Favre's).

You try turning a bunch of has-beens and no-names into a cohesive o-line. The fact the guy has turned Jason Peters into a serviceable - potentially quality - RT shows me he knows a thing or two about coaching 'em up. With their garbage talent, Willis still ran for how many yards?

The last thing this team needs is another DE, even considering the so-so ones on the roster right now. Bug the hell out of D'Brickashaw Ferguson, Winston Justice, Haloti Ngata, Leonard Pope, Taitusi Lutui, Nick Mangold, even Orien Harris

Schott is a BAD pick for a head coach. Sure, he may be able to turn the Bills around after a few years and win a few games, but Marty teams are notorious for doing one thing: Winning a bunch of games in the regular season and - if they make the playoffs - exiting rather quickly. His teams choke in big spots. No thanks. I'd take him over Marv, but that's about it.

For what its worth, my pecking order: 1) Mike Sherman 2) Ron Rivera 3) Haslett 4) Bates 5) Mooch 6) Jerry Gray 7) Merv Griffin 8) Marv Levy No matter who the coach is, please, please, PLEASE keep Bobby April and Jim McNally.

Generally like Clayton despite his horrid appearance. But to say the Bills are in worse shape than any other franchise in the last 10 years is just dumb, irresponsible journalism.