BillsNYC Posted December 31, 2009 Share Posted December 31, 2009 The Bills should have hired a fresh set of eyes at GM from another team that's actually built a Super Bowl Champion, but what's done is done. At least Nix has a strong resume. The Brandon promotion ticks me off, he should NOT be the CEO of the franchise which gives him final say on decisions, including those in the football department. First off, Brandon has been WAYYY overrated. There was nothing impressive about the TO signing. It sold tickets, so what? Anybody could have made a simple move like that. The Toronto thing is a joke, it was more Rogers throwing money around trying to get an NFL team. Brandon has done a terrible job making it successful and has been nothing short of embarrassing. And let's be honest, ticket sales are more about loyal fans trying to keep their team here, not genius marketing. That said, Brandon is a glorified used car salesman who got on Wilson's good side and was happy to pose in pictures with TO and be front and center in the offseason taking credit wherever he could, but once the team became an embarrassment vanished behind closed doors and took no accountability. Nix reporting to Brandon is laughable, a salesman with no football knowledge will have final say on all football decisions. That folks is the worst thing that could have happened, just next to Brandon playing make believe as a GM the last 2 years where the team has played the worst football seen in 20 years. In the end, I'm convinced they went with Nix because no serious outside GM/Coach would share power with a guy like Brandon. The Bills would have been better off dropping Brandon and going after serious GM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buffalo_Stampede Posted December 31, 2009 Share Posted December 31, 2009 The Bills should have hired a fresh set of eyes at GM from another team that's actually built a Super Bowl Champion, but what's done is done. At least Nix has a strong resume. The Brandon promotion ticks me off, he should NOT be the CEO of the franchise which gives him final say on decisions, including those in the football department. First off, Brandon has been WAYYY overrated. There was nothing impressive about the TO signing. It sold tickets, so what? Anybody could have made a simple move like that. The Toronto thing is a joke, it was more Rogers throwing money around trying to get an NFL team. Brandon has done a terrible job making it successful and has been nothing short of embarrassing. And let's be honest, ticket sales are more about loyal fans trying to keep their team here, not genius marketing. That said, Brandon is a glorified used car salesman who got on Wilson's good side and was happy to pose in pictures with TO and be front and center in the offseason taking credit wherever he could, but once the team became an embarrassment vanished behind closed doors and took no accountability. Nix reporting to Brandon is laughable, a salesman with no football knowledge will have final say on all football decisions. That folks is the worst thing that could have happened, just next to Brandon playing make believe as a GM the last 2 years where the team has played the worst football seen in 20 years. In the end, I'm convinced they went with Nix because no serious outside GM/Coach would share power with a guy like Brandon. The Bills would have been better off dropping Brandon and going after serious GM. You have it very wrong. Brandon's promotion was for the business side of the operation, has nothing to do with football. From a business perspective Brandon has done a great job keeping Buffalo profitable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsNYC Posted December 31, 2009 Author Share Posted December 31, 2009 You have it very wrong. Brandon's promotion was for the business side of the operation, has nothing to do with football. I have read that Nix reports to Brandon, including BillsDaily.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buffalo_Stampede Posted December 31, 2009 Share Posted December 31, 2009 I have read that Nix reports to Brandon, including BillsDaily.com Brandon will have no say in personnel decisions, thats the whole reason he is not GM anymore. Nix may have to go to Brandon before they write a check, thats about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLZFAN4LIFE Posted December 31, 2009 Share Posted December 31, 2009 Brandon will have no say in personnel decisions, thats the whole reason he is not GM anymore. Nix may have to go to Brandon before they write a check, thats about it. That's what I got out of what Ralph himself said at the PC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvermike Posted December 31, 2009 Share Posted December 31, 2009 If you've got some other candidate for CEO, I'd be interested in hearing it - but Russ Brandon somehow managed to sell a whole bunch of jerseys and a whole bunch of season tickets with no talent on the field. He'll continue to do that from the CEO position. Brandon takes decisions away from Ralph. Nix is in charge of Sundays. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori Posted December 31, 2009 Share Posted December 31, 2009 Owner Ralph Wilson, Jr.: Good afternoon everyone. I’m here to let you know I’m still around (laughing). But, seriously, I’m here to introduce somebody that we needed for a long, long time, something that the fans and everybody in the area, and myself, have wanted. And that’s a General Manger of Football. We really needed somebody who knew all the aspects of football, and along with Russ (Brandon) who was our Chief Operating Officer, we went over a list of people who might be eligible and good to the Buffalo Bills and as a General Manager of Football Operations only. Has nothing to do with marketing and advertising and tickets or anything like that, it’s just going to be football. He will hire the new football coach and oversee him and the whole operation connected with football. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeF Posted December 31, 2009 Share Posted December 31, 2009 I like a few things with this: 1) He is already renowned as a talent evaluator 2) He understands that he and the new coach are a team. He was the only civil bridge between AJ and Schotty in San Diego when it blew up. 3) Its not just building through the draft, its the philosophy he espoused--he mentioned the line coaches, the development of Diehlman in SD, the development of the QB--All things we need. He has a great reputation.......I am only pissed that we didn't give him the job a year ago when he came back. By the way--watch Ron Rivera move quickly to the top 2 or 3 of this coaching search..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaGimp Posted December 31, 2009 Share Posted December 31, 2009 Brandon will have no say in personnel decisions, thats the whole reason he is not GM anymore. Nix may have to go to Brandon before they write a check, thats about it. and there u have it folks... same **** different person. let's see the "big" changes that are coming. I'm guessing the promote the dynamic duo of modrak and guy to supereme overlord of football air quality checking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonInBuffalo Posted December 31, 2009 Share Posted December 31, 2009 If you've got some other candidate for CEO, I'd be interested in hearing it - but Russ Brandon somehow managed to sell a whole bunch of jerseys and a whole bunch of season tickets with no talent on the field. He'll continue to do that from the CEO position. Brandon takes decisions away from Ralph. Nix is in charge of Sundays. That's what I took out of it too. Now the entire football operation can be run without Ralph being involved in any day-to-day capacity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed_Formerly_of_Roch Posted January 1, 2010 Share Posted January 1, 2010 So if Brandon wasn't around and Nix reported to RW himself, you could say the same thing that Nix is reporting to a guy with no football knowledge RW himself. The Bills should have hired a fresh set of eyes at GM from another team that's actually built a Super Bowl Champion, but what's done is done. At least Nix has a strong resume. The Brandon promotion ticks me off, he should NOT be the CEO of the franchise which gives him final say on decisions, including those in the football department. First off, Brandon has been WAYYY overrated. There was nothing impressive about the TO signing. It sold tickets, so what? Anybody could have made a simple move like that. The Toronto thing is a joke, it was more Rogers throwing money around trying to get an NFL team. Brandon has done a terrible job making it successful and has been nothing short of embarrassing. And let's be honest, ticket sales are more about loyal fans trying to keep their team here, not genius marketing. That said, Brandon is a glorified used car salesman who got on Wilson's good side and was happy to pose in pictures with TO and be front and center in the offseason taking credit wherever he could, but once the team became an embarrassment vanished behind closed doors and took no accountability. Nix reporting to Brandon is laughable, a salesman with no football knowledge will have final say on all football decisions. That folks is the worst thing that could have happened, just next to Brandon playing make believe as a GM the last 2 years where the team has played the worst football seen in 20 years. In the end, I'm convinced they went with Nix because no serious outside GM/Coach would share power with a guy like Brandon. The Bills would have been better off dropping Brandon and going after serious GM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C.Biscuit97 Posted January 1, 2010 Share Posted January 1, 2010 Brandon helped us steal $78 million from Toronto and prove they aren't a NFL threat; consistently is hiring guys (like Nix) to improve operations; and just sold out an entire season of a 5-10 team that hasn't made the playoffs in a decade in a declining rust belt city. He is better at his job than you are at yours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catsnbills Posted January 1, 2010 Share Posted January 1, 2010 The Bills should have hired a fresh set of eyes at GM from another team that's actually built a Super Bowl Champion, but what's done is done. At least Nix has a strong resume. The Brandon promotion ticks me off, he should NOT be the CEO of the franchise which gives him final say on decisions, including those in the football department. First off, Brandon has been WAYYY overrated. There was nothing impressive about the TO signing. It sold tickets, so what? Anybody could have made a simple move like that. The Toronto thing is a joke, it was more Rogers throwing money around trying to get an NFL team. Brandon has done a terrible job making it successful and has been nothing short of embarrassing. And let's be honest, ticket sales are more about loyal fans trying to keep their team here, not genius marketing. That said, Brandon is a glorified used car salesman who got on Wilson's good side and was happy to pose in pictures with TO and be front and center in the offseason taking credit wherever he could, but once the team became an embarrassment vanished behind closed doors and took no accountability. Nix reporting to Brandon is laughable, a salesman with no football knowledge will have final say on all football decisions. That folks is the worst thing that could have happened, just next to Brandon playing make believe as a GM the last 2 years where the team has played the worst football seen in 20 years. In the end, I'm convinced they went with Nix because no serious outside GM/Coach would share power with a guy like Brandon. The Bills would have been better off dropping Brandon and going after serious GM. Ralph summed it up best himself: " We need a lot of luck". As you can tell by listening to him and looking at him; He doesn't know what the hell he is doing!!! He's throwing darts and hoping one sticks. Lets just hope that Nix makes a LUCKY coaching selection. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turftoe Posted January 1, 2010 Share Posted January 1, 2010 Is Buddy Nix friends with Rusty Jones? Just crossed my mind considering our annual megamojo injured reserve list. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billsfan_34 Posted January 1, 2010 Share Posted January 1, 2010 Brandon helped us steal $78 million from Toronto and prove they aren't a NFL threat; consistently is hiring guys (like Nix) to improve operations; and just sold out an entire season of a 5-10 team that hasn't made the playoffs in a decade in a declining rust belt city. He is better at his job than you are at yours. Alot of times I dont agree with you..but your dead accurate on this one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLARS Posted January 1, 2010 Share Posted January 1, 2010 Brandon helped us steal $78 million from Toronto and prove they aren't a NFL threat; consistently is hiring guys (like Nix) to improve operations; and just sold out an entire season of a 5-10 team that hasn't made the playoffs in a decade in a declining rust belt city. He is better at his job than you are at yours. Couldn't have said it better.....Brandon knows how to market....his new position is where he should have been all along. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillnutinHouston Posted January 1, 2010 Share Posted January 1, 2010 Bill, did you hear how Ralph jokingly asked Brandon during the press conference whether his new title represented a promotion? To me it's clear that Ralph's intent is to allow Brandon to save face, to shield him from the football side of the operation, and to cement his role as leader of the business side of the operation. Nix is clearly in control of the football operation now. Don't get hung up on Nix reporting to Brandon, either. When it comes to football judgements, Brandon will not butt heads with Nix, and if he does it will only be in cases where business considerations override the pure football considerations (implementing a decision by Ralph). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nevergiveup Posted January 1, 2010 Share Posted January 1, 2010 Bill, did you hear how Ralph jokingly asked Brandon during the press conference whether his new title represented a promotion? To me it's clear that Ralph's intent is to allow Brandon to save face, to shield him from the football side of the operation, and to cement his role as leader of the business side of the operation. Nix is clearly in control of the football operation now. Don't get hung up on Nix reporting to Brandon, either. When it comes to football judgements, Brandon will not butt heads with Nix, and if he does it will only be in cases where business considerations override the pure football considerations (implementing a decision by Ralph). Bingo! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bills_red Posted January 1, 2010 Share Posted January 1, 2010 Brandon helped us steal $78 million from Toronto and prove they aren't a NFL threat; consistently is hiring guys (like Nix) to improve operations; and just sold out an entire season of a 5-10 team that hasn't made the playoffs in a decade in a declining rust belt city. He is better at his job than you are at yours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuffaloBlood Posted January 1, 2010 Share Posted January 1, 2010 Guy and Modrak must be fired for me to have any chance of liking this move. If the inner circle of morons is still there regardless of title the team remains doomed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flbillsfan#1 Posted January 1, 2010 Share Posted January 1, 2010 The Bills should have hired a fresh set of eyes at GM from another team that's actually built a Super Bowl Champion, but what's done is done. At least Nix has a strong resume. The Brandon promotion ticks me off, he should NOT be the CEO of the franchise which gives him final say on decisions, including those in the football department. First off, Brandon has been WAYYY overrated. There was nothing impressive about the TO signing. It sold tickets, so what? Anybody could have made a simple move like that. The Toronto thing is a joke, it was more Rogers throwing money around trying to get an NFL team. Brandon has done a terrible job making it successful and has been nothing short of embarrassing. And let's be honest, ticket sales are more about loyal fans trying to keep their team here, not genius marketing. That said, Brandon is a glorified used car salesman who got on Wilson's good side and was happy to pose in pictures with TO and be front and center in the offseason taking credit wherever he could, but once the team became an embarrassment vanished behind closed doors and took no accountability. Nix reporting to Brandon is laughable, a salesman with no football knowledge will have final say on all football decisions. That folks is the worst thing that could have happened, just next to Brandon playing make believe as a GM the last 2 years where the team has played the worst football seen in 20 years. In the end, I'm convinced they went with Nix because no serious outside GM/Coach would share power with a guy like Brandon. The Bills would have been better off dropping Brandon and going after serious GM. Nix was assistant GM for the CHARGERS until just before the last draft. That is fresh enough for me. I guess there are some people in HELL that if offered Ice Cream would complain about the flavor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John from Riverside Posted January 1, 2010 Share Posted January 1, 2010 Buddy Nix equals football guy Russ Brandon equals money guy Sounds like they are in the correct jobs now to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sisyphean Bills Posted January 1, 2010 Share Posted January 1, 2010 Owner Ralph Wilson, Jr.: Good afternoon everyone. I’m here to let you know I’m still around (laughing). But, seriously, I’m here to introduce somebody that we needed for a long, long time, something that the fans and everybody in the area, and myself, have wanted. And that’s a General Manger of Football. We really needed somebody who knew all the aspects of football, and along with Russ (Brandon) who was our Chief Operating Officer, we went over a list of people who might be eligible and good to the Buffalo Bills and as a General Manager of Football Operations only. Has nothing to do with marketing and advertising and tickets or anything like that, it’s just going to be football. He will hire the new football coach and oversee him and the whole operation connected with football. The conundrum with this is that it is a business. He will have limits placed on him by the business and by his bosses. The question will be if these will be the same sort of limits that the Bills have imposed the last decade or not. For example, will they spend the going rate to get a good, complete, and competent coaching staff? Will they pay market values to keep their own players? Will they continue to stack the deck against themselves with cash to cap? Any idiot can say, "We need to get players like Peyton Manning." The rubber has to meet the road somewhere though. Hopefully, Ralph is serious and the bean counters will not be cutting solid football players out from underneath the football operation based on nothing more than their latest spreadsheet numbers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattyT Posted January 1, 2010 Share Posted January 1, 2010 By the way--watch Ron Rivera move quickly to the top 2 or 3 of this coaching search..... Interesting! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattyT Posted January 1, 2010 Share Posted January 1, 2010 Brandon helped us steal $78 million from Toronto and prove they aren't a NFL threat; consistently is hiring guys (like Nix) to improve operations; and just sold out an entire season of a 5-10 team that hasn't made the playoffs in a decade in a declining rust belt city. He is better at his job than you are at yours. Quoted for truth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BADOLBILZ Posted January 1, 2010 Share Posted January 1, 2010 Is Buddy Nix friends with Rusty Jones?Just crossed my mind considering our annual megamojo injured reserve list. The very thinly veiled accusation that the strength and conditioning dept was a serious problem and the fact that Rusty worked for the 90's Bills that Nix were a part of? Yeah, I think that crossed more than a few minds. Especially with Lovie Smith on borrowed time in Chicago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BADOLBILZ Posted January 1, 2010 Share Posted January 1, 2010 Quoted for truth Brandon has done a nice job with the business side, following in Donahoe's shoes. Donahoe actually turned the marketing of the franchise around and hiring Brandon was part of that. Donahoe actually began selling the Bills as an experience and not just another game. However, Brandon as a football GM has been a horror show. Who was the GM the extended Jauron? Who was the GM when Jauron was brought back, against all logic, to be the HC again this season? Who was the GM when the team lost it's 26 year old franchise LT for a couple maybes? Who was the GM when the team dumped 4 OL starters which caused the team to open the season with the least experienced OL the entire NFL has seen in the past 40 years? Epic short term failure. And yeah, BillsNYC is right, he cowered from the media when it became blatantly clear he had taken a bad situation and turned it into a complete clusterf*ck. He was not accountable, which is probably because he's not used to being a complete idiot at something and didn't know how to handle it. But that he was. But as a marketer he is excellent. In addition to the money directly gotten from the Toronto deal, if you are in the stadium every week it's very clear that there are more fans from Toronto in the stands than there were even a few years ago. That has helped keep the place sold out, not just the locals. Selling out this season, an obvious abortion waiting to happen, is almost unbillievable. I will say though, Bills gear is cold product this year. I haven't seen less Bills gear being worn around WNY than I've seen in the past couple months since prior to the SB era. The place is sold out, but morale is very low. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RkFast Posted January 1, 2010 Share Posted January 1, 2010 I like the moves, which amount to little more than a re-org of the management structure. We got a good GM with a very nice resume running the football side of things, and as Dick Drawn said above, Russ Brandon seems like a very solid businessman. So as we wake today to greet 2010, the Bills have a strong football man running the football side of the operation and a strong businessman running the business side of it. Thas something we didnt have yesterday and is a VERY nice improvment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8-8 Forever? Posted January 1, 2010 Share Posted January 1, 2010 I have read that Nix reports to Brandon, including BillsDaily.com the reality is they both report to Wilson. the Nix thing is fine. they weren't going to get a Scott Pioli- type anyway with Ralph still around. Now we'll get a relatively unknown or 2nd tier coach and just more forward (I guess), because no top NFL coach is coming to the Bills with Ralph still around and ownership/franchise location still up in the air. it is what it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RkFast Posted January 1, 2010 Share Posted January 1, 2010 I agree with that, 8 and 8. The ownership thing must be settled. The rumor of that happenning had me really excited. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vincec Posted January 1, 2010 Share Posted January 1, 2010 Nix said all the right things at his press conference and in his interview. That's nice. Talk is cheap. Now we'll see if he can really get the job done. Step 1: find a head coach. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillnutinHouston Posted January 1, 2010 Share Posted January 1, 2010 Gotta love Ted Knight's laugh! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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