Jerry Jabber

Sure

I am currently working on my Master's Degree in Information Systems and came across these sections in the course book: “The Boston Red Sox won the World Series in 2004 and 2007. Contributing to their success is their sophisticated recruitment and layoff strategy, which is heavily supported by IT. Winning depends on identifying players with the right talents, knowing how long to keep each player, and developing the right strategy—all of which depend on information, analysis, and intelligence. Extensive and detailed data is available on each player and game. Players’ performance is measured down to every swing, step, or throw taken. Baselines are calculated on every facet of an athlete—height, weight, arm strength, hitting discipline, and mental errors. The Red Sox require players in their farm system to keep a log of their every at-bat.” “Teams need to develop a winning strategy. Sports data needs to be analyzed to compare actual performance of each player against average number of wins. This determines whether or not to pay $10 to $20 million per year to a star pitcher or other player and when to retire a player. Some teams can afford to pay more for players and therefore acquire the best players. Business intelligence (BI) can give every team an edge. BI is a broad category of applications, technologies, and processes for gathering, storing, accessing, and analyzing data to help business users make better decisions. BI helps identify the winning characteristics of “human capital” before the competition finds them. BI does analysis with sabermetrics. Sabermetrics is the mathematical analysis of player batting and pitching performances.” “The term is derived from SABR (Society for American Baseball Research), a community of baseball enthusiasts, and differs from traditional player metrics, such as runs batted in and batting averages. Sabermetricians use measures that accurately reflect a player’s contribution toward achieving a win, such as “runs created.” This statistic counts the number of times a batter gets on base and factors in an added value for the power of a hit (single or home run). The purpose is to determine what the batter does at the plate to create an opportunity for his team to score a run. Sabermetrics can help teams more accurately find minor league prospects likely to succeed in the big leagues.” "The Dallas Mavericks: Using IT for successful play and business. The Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA) expect to fill every seat at every game in their stadium and to maximize sales from concessions and souvenir items.” “To track attendance, the Mavs were the first NBA team to put barcodes on tickets and then scan them.The information encoded in the barcode enabled them to find out whether group sales and community organization giveaways were filling seats or whether those marketing efforts were just wasting tickets.The team’s business managers have found other uses for the attendance information as well. By using forecasting models in a DSS, they more accurately predicted attendance for particular games and demand for beverages, which reduced beverage inventories by 50 percent—reducing inventory costs.” “Each of the 144 luxury suites is equipped with a PC that handles orders for merchandise, food, and beverages.Wireless access from all seats in the arena is available so that fans can place orders directly from their seats. All 840 cash registers at concessions stands, restaurants, stores, and bars use a sophisticated point-of-sale (POS) system. In the big retail store on the ground floor, salespeople using handheld computing devices ring up credit card purchases when lines get too long. During a game, managers can see which concession stands are busy and which can be closed early to cut labor costs. IT also supports the Mavs on the court. The team has 10 assistant coaches, and each has a laptop computer and a handheld computing device. Game films can be streamed over the Web for coaches to view on the road or at home. Another system developed in-house matches game footage with precise, to-the-minute statistics provided for every play of every game by the NBA. Coaches use data from the database to analyze the effectiveness of particular plays and combinations of players in different game situations." "Since 2002, the Mavs have used handheld computers to track the performance of each referee in every one of their games.The coaches look at patterns and trends—for example, to see which referee favors a given team or which one calls more three-second violations—and alert their players.Another system logs different offensive and defensive schemes used against the Mavs. It’s used by coaches to make realtime adjustments based on statistics from previous games." Depending on how much data the Bills are looking at, this could be very beneficial to the Bills in numerous areas, such as player acquisitions (draft/FA), game day situations (for example, if a ceratin player is on the field for the opposite tea, what is the likelihood of it being a pass or run). If the Bills analytical department is as extensive as the Boston Red Sox, then this could pay dividends in years to come.

James Hardy was also 6'6" Has injuries been the issue with this guy?

The Bills have a long history of trading or not signing their RB's & CB's/Secondary (after their rookie contract) that they drafted in the first round. Don't be surprised to see Spiller's rookie contract expire (or him traded).

It's sad to think it's been 17 years since our greatest QB played his last snap as a Buffalo Bill. If only the Bills could get lucky and land a QB the caliber of P. Manning or Brady. After 14 years of missing the playoffs (and 9 losing seasons), I feel we deserve another great run like we had in the late 80's-mid 90's. I hope Manning & Broncos put a beating on the Patriots next week as I wish the Patriots would lose every game they play.

Ravens. I live closer to DC, but don't like the Redskins and prefer to root for the AFC. Next would be any team that beats the Patriots.

So anyone that is upset at Bills management/coaches for 9 consecutive losing seasons and 14 consecutive years of missing the playoffs is not a "Billever" and is not allowed to voice their opinions? Keep drinking the kool-aid, Russ & Ralph are counting on you.

Not much in either. Should have hired Lovie Smith as he will have the Bucs in the playoffs before the Bills. While I'm not upset that the Bills drafted Manuel last year, l feel they should draft another QB in the early rounds this year. I don't feel confident that Manuel will become a Top 10 QB in the league, which is exactly what the Bills need with playing against Brady/Belichek twice a year.

I'm willing to bet Smith gets the Bucs back in the playoffs before the Bills. IMO, it was a huge mistake passing on Smith for Marrone.

Marrone stated after he was hired that the coordinators he brought on board would be experts in their field. Does anyone really consider Crossman and Hackett experts?

A lot of us don't see it as year 1, but either year 9 (meaning the amount of consecutive losing seasons) and/or year 14 (meaning the consecutive years of missing the playoffs).

You're forgetting about his tenure as GM. It's not as if Brandon just started on the job a year or two ago, he's been here a while now.

:thumbsup:

http://www.nfl.com/videos (The link is kind of messed up, after you click on the link, scroll down and click on the link that says "Haslam responds to "Three Stooges" question.) "This team remains an embarrassment, not only to the NFL, but to the fans as well, we deserve better. Who really cares anymore, they have lost their fans trying to outsmart the rest of the league. Totally done with anything Browns, Haslam and his Stooges, Banner and Lombardi, can pack up and get out of Cleveland." I wish this was directed at Russ Brandon because everything the fan/reporter said to Browns owner, Jimmy Haslam, should be said about the Bills.

Thanks for asking my question in regards to adding a QB.

More of the same "rah-rah" stuff from Brandon. My guess is the Bills will try a Big FA signing or two as their offseason kool-aid . I love that movie (haven't seen it in years). I love it when they hijacked the news stations and shot up/blew up the cars from the other dealership.

I agree with PolishDave's assessment. When I referred to "Kool-aid," usually what happens is the Bills will try and put a band-aid on a gushing wound. They do something to try and make the team better, but it is nowhere near enough. While signing TO was meant to create a big spark on offense as the Bills finally had a legitimate #1 WR in TO, and a solid #2 WR in Evans, it did not produce the results intended as the much bigger problem was the Bills QB at the time, followed by Jauron telling Schonert to dumb down the offense, and the fiasco at LT. Signing Mario Williams was supposed to be the huge spark that ignited the defense, but instead the Bills had Wannstedt operating an old/outdated 20+ year old defense which failed miserably and had no clue how fix it. Last year, Brandon had his big rah-rah speech about how he was going to leave no stone unturned to make this team a winner, but yet we have the exact same result as the following 3 years (6-10, 4th in the AFC East). Brandon hired a guy who had a .500 overall record as a college HC, when Lovie Smith, an NFL HC with an overall winning record was available and wanted the job. Marrone then stated he would hire coordinators that are experts in their field...does any consider Hackett and Crossman experts? Last year, it was the youth movement at OBD. I'm interested in seeing what is next? Will the Bills try and land some big name FA's, or make some big moves in the draft? I feel the Bills will not draft a QB, even if a QB is available that has more upside at QB because they drafted Manuel last season. Until the Bills get a legitimate franchise QB, they will not be a playoff team. Like others have said, the Bills will take 1 step forward, and take 2 steps backwards.

I should add Marrone to the list. Marrone stated when he was hired as the Bills HC that the coordinators he hires are one's that are experts in their field. Does he honestly feel Hackett and Crossman are experts? Gailey, Brandon, Nix, and Marrone are all great talkers. They talk a great game, but have failed to delivered. Gailey's "I don't hope to win, I expect to win." Nix's "Show me the baby!" Brandon "The Bills image has been tarnished... I will leave no stone unturned to turn the Bills into a winner." This offseason's kool-aid should be interesting.

After 9 losing seasons and 14 years of missing the playoffs, we're not allowed to complain about how bad the Bills suck?

Sure thing Mrs. Brandon.

+1

It's pathetic. Over the past 14 years, the Bills average win/ loss record is 6-10. If the Bills really want to become a playoff team/Super Bowl contender, then they need to draft a real franchise QB, and not a project QB that could be the guy in a few years (which Glass Joe (Manuel) looks like another backup QB).

I think Brady wants to win at least 1 more Super Bowl. I wouldn't doubt he would want to win 2 more to break Montana's Super Bowl record of 4 Super Bowl wins . My guess for Russ' kool-aid will be another big free agent signing (similar to TO or Mario).

And how many years have the Bills been drafting around the same position?

Unfortunately, Brady is showing no signs of slowing down. Wouldn't doubt he plays for another 5 years (give or take a year or two). Agreed. But, the Bills have proven that they are not the sharpest tools in the shed and will stick with Manuel for another 2 years before drafting another QB.