Nevergiveup Posted December 26, 2009 Author Share Posted December 26, 2009 Mr. Wilson is 90 plus without anyone in his organization who has ever even hired a coach excpet him. That is a cause for concern. I don't understand why people can't come to grips with that. I hope he stumbles upon the right coach or personnel man, but it is unlikely. I won't hang this current situation on Brandon. He inherited that entire football department and who knows if he has had any real input into that side of the business until now. If my choice is Mr. Wilson or Brandon handling this process, no matter how much history he Ralph has had, I would go with Brandon. For that matter, I would take most of the people on this board over Ralph. Take a random sample of 90 year olds you come into contact with and let me know how you think they would do in this position. Ralph hiring Levy as a GM was a bad move and hiring and extending Jaroun was as well. That being said, I hope there is some kind of consultant involved. Short of that, throw the names into a hat and let's hope we get lucky. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuckincincy Posted December 26, 2009 Share Posted December 26, 2009 Short of that, throw the names into a hat and let's hope we get lucky. That's very sound advice, all in all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nevergiveup Posted December 26, 2009 Author Share Posted December 26, 2009 Short of that, throw the names into a hat and let's hope we get lucky. That's very sound advice, all in all. Works for the Bengals Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuckincincy Posted December 26, 2009 Share Posted December 26, 2009 Works for the Bengals Sure did - so far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spartacus Posted December 26, 2009 Share Posted December 26, 2009 Is RW willing to spend money, or is that merely a rumor started somewhere? I expect there to be plenty of activity beginning 1/4, but there's no indication RW is about to spring big dollars onto a "name" commodity. The Bills are being forced into hiring a real GM like they should have in early 2006. There is no one on the Bills payroll in the front office capable of making a good decision on the next GM. 24 years ago about this time, RW hit the lottery by naming Bill Polian GM. Because he won't hire a consultant and won't trust anyone but Brandon, all we've got is hope that they'll hit the trifecta once again. 1. Agree that the only indication of money being spent by the Bills has come from unsupported media speculation. Having eaten Dick's contract, any real NFL coach will require Ralph to fire the remaining staff which will not sit well with Littman. Expect Fewell to stay as HC or another craptacular has-been like Haslett who will be required to keep most of the existing staff. (It was the injuries in 2009, not bad coaching) 2. Disagree on GM. No one in the Bills organization has indicated that ANY changes will be made in the front office, let alone a total overhaul with a new GM. The most Ralph has said, is that he will consider the "possibility" of making changes in the front office and that was immediately after firing Dick. Now that he has calmed down, don't expect much. People are going to be sorely disappointed when next season starts with the Inner Circle Jerk intact, except for the likely addition of the 70 year old Buddy Nix. 3. Polian. Even with Polian, Ralph did not suddenly become an astute talent evaluator. At the time, Polian again was the cheap internal promotion- after Ralph's hand picked GM, Terry Bledsoe, failed miserably. Without a topflight consultant like Ron Wolf or an NFL executive search firm, the likelihood of the Bills obtaining a quality GM are next to nil. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nevergiveup Posted December 26, 2009 Author Share Posted December 26, 2009 1. Agree that the only indication of money being spent by the Bills has come from unsupported media speculation. Having eaten Dick's contract, any real NFL coach will require Ralph to fire the remaining staff which will not sit well with Littman. Expect Fewell to stay as HC or another craptacular has-been like Haslett who will be required to keep most of the existing staff. (It was the injuries in 2009, not bad coaching) 2. Disagree on GM. No one in the Bills organization has indicated that ANY changes will be made in the front office, let alone a total overhaul with a new GM. The most Ralph has said, is that he will consider the "possibility" of making changes in the front office and that was immediately after firing Dick. Now that he has calmed down, don't expect much. People are going to be sorely disappointed when next season starts with the Inner Circle Jerk intact, except for the likely addition of the 70 year old Buddy Nix. 3. Polian. Even with Polian, Ralph did not suddenly become an astute talent evaluator. At the time, Polian again was the cheap internal promotion- after Ralph's hand picked GM, Terry Bledsoe, failed miserably. Without a topflight consultant like Ron Wolf or an NFL executive search firm, the likelihood of the Bills obtaining a quality GM are next to nil. I thought Wilson was quoted saying that money was not the issue or he would spend to get the next coach? It was shortly after Jaruon was fired. Same article talked about how he was evaluating the entire front office. I will try to locate it. Obviously doesn't gaurantee anyhting, but it would end this discussion about whether he said there would be changes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spartacus Posted December 26, 2009 Share Posted December 26, 2009 I thought Wilson was quoted saying that money was not the issue or he would spend to get the next coach? It was shortly after Jaruon was fired. Same article talked about how he was evaluating the entire front office. I will try to locate it. Obviously doesn't gaurantee anyhting, but it would end this discussion about whether he said there would be changes. Brandon and/or Wilson have never committed to anything other than firing Dick. post any link you can find in which Ralphs says anything more than he is considering the "possibility" of changes in the front office which came out of JW's interview with Ralph. Everything else has been media speculation based on what could, should and might happen. Unattributed "reports" that the Bills will do something after Christmas are no more reliable than postings on this message board. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheLynchTrain Posted December 26, 2009 Share Posted December 26, 2009 wilson started the NFL as we know it today. he was a pioneer of the sport as we now know it. i dont think you have to worry about his ability to hire a good GM or coach. after 50 years in the business he has many connections to the best minds in the game. believe me he will not rely on brandon to make the decisions for him you can bank on that. he is fully aware that brandon is a marketing man,no worries man! Yeah Ralphie did have a lot of connections but I'm pretty sure they are all dead by now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nevergiveup Posted December 26, 2009 Author Share Posted December 26, 2009 Brandon and/or Wilson have never committed to anything other than firing Dick. post any link you can find in which Ralphs says anything more than he is considering the "possibility" of changes in the front office which came out of JW's interview with Ralph. Everything else has been media speculation based on what could, should and might happen. Unattributed "reports" that the Bills will do something after Christmas are no more reliable than postings on this message board. According to John Wawrow of the Associated Press, who spoke with Wilson via phone from his home in Detroit, Wilson is sticking to his guns on that statement. Quoting Wilson from Wawrow's report, which you can read in full here: "We've got to revamp and take a look at the whole operation, and that's what we're going to do... It's not about money, it's about winning." Is that enough for you? He addresses revamping the entire operation and money. Who knows what he will actually do, but he said it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Posted December 26, 2009 Share Posted December 26, 2009 I know we joke about it, but how can we possibly get this straightened out. Ralph huddles in Detroit with who? What can Jeff Littman bring to any discussion related to football? I guess we already know that answer. Who else is there when Ralph heads to the office? Mary Owen is the niece of his 3rd wife and seems to have a new title every other year. We can only hope she does not have any input. What a joke that would be. I can't locate anyone else. Back in Buffalo it's Brandon, Overdorf, John Guy (donahoe hire) and Modrak (might not even count since he lives in Florida) This is a complete disaster. I think Ralph will hire a football exec and a coach with a decent name, but it will be blind luck if they end up being the right ones. I guess that is what we are left with. If I have no other choice, I would probably rather have Brandon make the call. At least he is a competent business executive. As long as he steps aside on the football side once the process is complete. So much for living up to my screen name. Thanks for lettng me vent and post. If anyone can make me feel better, please do. Merry X-mas. What is Overdorf's role, exactly? Isn't he in charge of the purse strings? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nevergiveup Posted December 26, 2009 Author Share Posted December 26, 2009 What is Overdorf's role, exactly? Isn't he in charge of the purse strings? Overdorf is the VP of Football Administration. Handles player contracts and manages the cap, but it is unlikely he would have any control over what Ralph would pay a coach or GM. With a new regime he might not even be there. Littman would probably have input on the money, but you have to believe it will be Ralp's call. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spartacus Posted December 26, 2009 Share Posted December 26, 2009 According to John Wawrow of the Associated Press, who spoke with Wilson via phone from his home in Detroit, Wilson is sticking to his guns on that statement. Quoting Wilson from Wawrow's report, which you can read in full here: "We've got to revamp and take a look at the whole operation, and that's what we're going to do... It's not about money, it's about winning." Is that enough for you? He addresses revamping the entire operation and money. Who knows what he will actually do, but he said it. yeah and he then went on to reference the TO contract as his big example of spending the big bucks 50 years of not hiring top notch coaches and front office people tends to offset the occasional sound bite designed to keep the fans interest hyped. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delete This Account Posted December 28, 2009 Share Posted December 28, 2009 yeah and he then went on to reference the TO contract as his big example of spending the big bucks 50 years of not hiring top notch coaches and front office people tends to offset the occasional sound bite designed to keep the fans interest hyped. with all due respect, I don't think this was a sound bite. in my dealings with Mr. Wilson, he doesn't speak for the purposes of sound bites. i believe he was and still is very much intent on revamping the front office and spending as much money on the project as necessary. the fact that the bills took an run at shanahan is an indication of that. i believe there will be a significant shakeup. jw Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spartacus Posted December 28, 2009 Share Posted December 28, 2009 with all due respect, I don't think this was a sound bite. in my dealings with Mr. Wilson, he doesn't speak for the purposes of sound bites. i believe he was and still is very much intent on revamping the front office and spending as much money on the project as necessary.the fact that the bills took an run at shanahan is an indication of that. i believe there will be a significant shakeup. jw 50 years of history says otherwise big moves only come when ticket sales tank in Ralph's world the significant shakeup was firing Dick why don't you call him up since Christmas has past and ask him who is qualified in the organization to direct this major overhaul of which you are so confident. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sisyphean Bills Posted December 28, 2009 Share Posted December 28, 2009 wilson started the NFL as we know it today. he was a pioneer of the sport as we now know it. i dont think you have to worry about his ability to hire a good GM or coach. after 50 years in the business he has many connections to the best minds in the game. believe me he will not rely on brandon to make the decisions for him you can bank on that. he is fully aware that brandon is a marketing man,no worries man! You must be kidding or clueless. Do you remember Ralph saying, "I don't even know the man," when asked about the Bills pursuit of Mike Shanahan? Mr. Wilson is 91 years old. He's not out there pursuing the best young football minds by attending clinics and conventions, etc. That's why he pays Mr. Smithers. He doesn't have many connections to the best minds in football. Quite the opposite in fact. He's been involved with creating situations and firing the best minds in football; that's not a connection, that's poisoning the well. He hired Marv Levy because, as he said, that he didn't know who to hire or even where to start, so he called Marv to see if he had any advice on how to fix the franchise and as they talked it occurred to him that Marv might be the positive influence that he wanted for the job. When you look at the 50 years of Bills football, there is overwhelming evidence that Ralph has few connections and rarely, and only when forced, goes outside his own organization for help. Since the Bills have historically had 1 winning season out of 3, this directly contradicts that Ralph knows, appreciates, and can hire many of the elite minds in the sport. He's not chummy with much of the new NFL ownership: he, Mike Brown, and Al Davis are widely regarded as out of touch ownership that are living in the past and who have turned down opportunities to remain competitive as the NFL has evolved. Edit: That doesn't mean that he won't get it right this time. I do believe that he sincerely wants to bring a winner to Buffalo. But, I have to discount any blind homeristic balderdash that Mr. Wilson is well-connected and his unflappable decision-making consistently targets putting the best football team on the field. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuffaloBill Posted December 28, 2009 Share Posted December 28, 2009 50 years of history says otherwise big moves only come when ticket sales tank in Ralph's world the significant shakeup was firing Dick why don't you call him up since Christmas has past and ask him who is qualified in the organization to direct this major overhaul of which you are so confident. Why not let the situation play out then complain if you wish. JW has more direct insight than any of us can claim as he spoke directly with RW about the situation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nevergiveup Posted December 28, 2009 Author Share Posted December 28, 2009 with all due respect, I don't think this was a sound bite. in my dealings with Mr. Wilson, he doesn't speak for the purposes of sound bites. i believe he was and still is very much intent on revamping the front office and spending as much money on the project as necessary.the fact that the bills took an run at shanahan is an indication of that. i believe there will be a significant shakeup. jw Nice to hear from someone who actually spoke to him. Thanks John. Of course it remains to be seen whether he will follow through. Also, if one one these coaches actually has interest, will Ralph pony up the money when this thing becomes real. When you add in the money that he still has to pay Dick and any assistants that will get let go, that will be a big number all in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delete This Account Posted December 28, 2009 Share Posted December 28, 2009 50 years of history says otherwise big moves only come when ticket sales tank in Ralph's world the significant shakeup was firing Dick why don't you call him up since Christmas has past and ask him who is qualified in the organization to direct this major overhaul of which you are so confident. then please, tell me if you recall Mr. Wilson ever saying something like this in the past: "We've got to revamp and take a look at the whole operation, and that's what we're going to do." and then say he is in a position to spend money on solving the problem. in all my encounters with Mr. Wilson, he's never gone that far. jw Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bring Back Kelly Posted December 28, 2009 Share Posted December 28, 2009 wilson started the NFL as we know it today. he was a pioneer of the sport as we now know it. i dont think you have to worry about his ability to hire a good GM or coach. after 50 years in the business he has many connections to the best minds in the game. believe me he will not rely on brandon to make the decisions for him you can bank on that. he is fully aware that brandon is a marketing man,no worries man! Are you kidding me! The man cant string a sentence together, let alone a list of good hires. Have you ever seen him speak at halftime. I think he's still inducting Andre Reed to the wall of fame. Lets look at the list of people he has failed with. It's a lot longer than his list of the best minds in the game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sisyphean Bills Posted December 28, 2009 Share Posted December 28, 2009 then please, tell me if you recall Mr. Wilson ever saying something like this in the past: "We've got to revamp and take a look at the whole operation, and that's what we're going to do." and then say he is in a position to spend money on solving the problem. in all my encounters with Mr. Wilson, he's never gone that far. jw A blind man can see that maintaining the status quo is not improving the situation. Fans are obviously frustrated to know that the Bills appeared to get a jump on this process only to see teams like the Browns -- the Browns! -- and Redskins pass right on by... Which is a way of saying, can't wait to read your next article as the situation starts to clarify a bit more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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