51to3

Or maybe …. it's a reveal of how steep the hill was that Marrone had to climb. Maybe the fights in training camp were a reflection of the degree the culture needed to change and how hard he pushed to make it happen. Maybe his attention on the O-line was a statement about the poor talent he was saddled with in this key area and his astute recognition of the same, rather than his inability to polish those t*s. Maybe Marrone made the bold move to bench E.J. because he saw what he had at exactly that time and knew it was holding the offence back. E.J. wasn't going to work. Is he thin skinned? Yes. Is he goal-oriented and socially inept? Yep. But to say that he was in no way responsible for pushing this team to an at least competent 9-7 record demonstrates agendas.

Doug Farrar in si.com article, http://www.si.com/nf...ts-out-contract, implies Polian deal already done ... "With the announcement that former Bills, Panthers and Coltspersonnel czar Bill Polian will be taking over the team in all relevant ways, it's entirely possible that Marrone, who had a three-day escape clause in his deal related to the sale of the team to current owner Terry Pegula, saw a situation in which he would be the odd man out. Polian has strong opinions about what he wants and how he wants it (to say the least), and it's hard to imagine that he'd return to a front office from his current ESPN position without the promise of absolute control."

I am a long, long time follower of this board; though rare participant. Recent events in the Bills world make this thread, for me, one of the most important in memory. That, and preceding comments, move me to contribute. I believe the announcement of a potentially accelerated Bills sale means one of two things; either the fix was in with Rogers all along regarding a move to Toronto or Jim Kelly wasn't blowing smoke when assuring us that measures were being taken by significant people to keep the Bills in Buffalo. I don't believe any other move option (i.e., L.A.) would materialize this quickly. Let me first provide some context. I was born and raised in Niagara so I know WNY very well. But I also know Toronto. Niagara is the Canadian equivalent of the Niagara Frontier for Buffalonians. Anything south of Hamilton is Niagara and is Bills country. Sure, there are all kinds of NFL fans in Niagara who support other teams. But Niagarans who declare as Bills fans demonstrate the same passion and historical loyalty to the franchise as Buffalonians. We watch every game religiously, attend as many as we can, feel sick after losses, wear the colours and pick up even the slightest mention of the Bills in any crowded room no matter where we are in the world. Regarding the Toronto fears, following is my line of reasoning: - T.O. is a big city that has now proven it can support major league sports e.g., MLB, NBA - Rogers has very deep pockets, can afford a team and a stadium, and has greatly impressed the NFL - Outside of the Leafs, Toronto will only support a winner through attendance; but don't be fooled, it can afford a non-winner - Actions are underway to move the Argonauts out of the Rogers Centre and to an open air stadium - Toronto, Canadians in general, and the Government of Canada have significantly relaxed their opinions about the co-existence of the CFL and the NFL in Toronto - It is my opinion that extensive discussions have taken place between Rogers and the NFL about putting a team in Toronto and I believe that it will come to pass sooner than later. This does not necessarily mean the Bills, but Ted Rogers would certainly have included that as one option when he agreed to the one-game-a-year deal with Ralph. - On a side note, in response to someone's earlier conjecture that Canadians of one region (Quebec) hate those in another (Toronto), you are wrong. There is serious regional rivalries, but don't think for a second that would prevent Montrealers who love the NFL from travelling to Toronto to watch a game. I've lived in Ottawa for many years now and am amazed how many rabid Bills fans there are in Montreal. They frequently fill buses and travel to Orchard Park for games. Regarding the Bills-will-remain-in-Buffalo line of thinking: - There are many declared advocates who hold important positions in the NFL, the city and region, state and business - Ralph not only never mentioned a Bills move in all his years, he constructed a lease agreement that survived him to make it particularly difficult - Jim Kelly, whenever challenged, spoke as directly as he could to the fact that there were multiple, serious businessmen interested in keeping the Bills in Buffalo - The new stadium research committee is comprised of some very impressive business and political leaders. These people have no interest in wasting their and everyone else's time With the speed of this thing, my gut tells me it is a WNY group that is stepping up to keep the Bills in Buffalo. Kelly was the go-between and events are now unfolding as planned.