Bills vs Redskins

[cale]

There isn't one coach hire in DC since Snyder has been owner that has resulted in success. Save maybe Schottenheimer who was fired as well. Snyder is just as meddlesome, if not more so than Ralph. The Redskins are just as dysfunctional if not worse. And yet Snyder is from a national perception is better positioned. Why? Just because he has more money?

 

There's an old saying, "Money can't buy common sense"

 

This is pure BS. The guy has money but doesn't know what to do with it or how to treat people. Yet the Bills are ignored and marginalized.

 

Weird and screwed up.

 

C

[Like A Mofo]

I am sorry to break the news to you and other Bills fans who have delusions, but Buffalo is one of the least desirable markets in sports.

 

Plus, when you factor in an owner who let so many good players just leave for various reasons (Peters, Clements, Winfield, Pat Williams, Fletcher etc) you begin to have a reputation around the league.

 

Ralph, you reap what you sew.

[BillsPride12]

I love Buffalo and the Bills as much as anyone, but seriously people really don't understand why the Bills are such an undesired market???

[billsfan89]

The real difference isn't the roster. Its the fact that the Skins play in a fairly new stadium, have a stable ownership situation, have an owner willing to spend money on coaches and players, and have world class facilities. The Skins also play in a city that is more attractive to free agents.

 

Don't get me wrong I love this team and will be visiting the city come next season. BUT with a old stadium, a owner perceived to be cheap, a ownership situation that is up in the air, and a city that isn't highly thought of around the league its not exactly hard to picture why coaches and players don't think much of Buffalo.

 

Now there are somethings the Bills can fix asap. 1- Ralph try to show you aren't afraid to spend money (I think hiring Bill Cowher or Marty is a way to do that but don't spend stupid like on Derrick Dockery) 2- Ralph show us you have a plan for when you pass wither its your wife or this mysterious Jim Kelly group show the league this team isn't a rental its here to stay.

 

Once you have an owner willing to spend and a team that is in stable hands the rest of the issues will resolve themselves. Once you build a winner and spend some money free agents will want to come here. Once the team is in stable hands there can be the process of working on building a new stadium or renovating the Ralph.

[NewEra]

lol...living is buffalo sucks if you've lived anywhere else in the world.

 

true story

[benderbender]

Living in Redskinville, I can't help but agree. The Skins have had similar seasons the past 3 seasons. Last year they were 6-0 and dropped the last half of the season just like us. And this year we barely managed to win two more games. But all in all we're in the same boat at opposite sides.

 

They have a money soaked owner with no plan. We have all plans but no money to make it work, or to keep the good players we have

[BuffaloWings]

The real difference isn't the roster. Its the fact that the Skins play in a fairly new stadium, have a stable ownership situation, have an owner willing to spend money on coaches and players, and have world class facilities. The Skins also play in a city that is more attractive to free agents.

Bingo. Add in the fact that Shanahan was given the VP role and he has a good history with Bruce Allen, this seemed like a slam dunk for him.

 

I think this is just a better situation for Shanahan.

[LGB]

The difference between the Bills and the Redskins is well over $100 million a year in revenue and growing (this article is from 2007). There has also been recent reports of NFL owners planning to alter revenue-sharing.

 

I guess you could say money isn't everything, but is sure helps if you know how to spend it. The Bills player choices (ala the Modrak and Guy tandem) since the Donahoe era has been about as bad as Dan Synder's choices with the Redskins, but Synder has had much deeper pockets in which to recover from.

[LGB]

lol...living is buffalo sucks if you've lived anywhere else in the world.

 

true story

If you've lived anywhere else in the world, WNY is not so bad, but I guess it depends on what you view as important in your surroundings. If you like traffic and sitting in your car, any other big city might be for you, but if you like state parks and the area lakes...

[Fewell733]

DC is a high profile, national exposure team that has demonstrated it will give you the resources you want (even if that usually doesn't end up working out). It's also warmer.

 

however - DC's newish stadium is basically universally reviled and there is already talk of tearing it down.

[buffaloaggie]

lol...living is buffalo sucks if you've lived anywhere else in the world.

 

true story

We can all make statements about Buffalo, like it's a great place to be FROM, but does anyone think about Green Bay vs. Buffalo? Is Green Bay that much more of a better place than Buffalo? Plain and simple, it starts at the top. Ralph Wilson is a smart businessman, but a terrible football guy. Don't blame this on the city of Buffalo, blame it on the organization.

 

Dan Snyder has the glamour of our Nation's Capital, so naturally he'll have an advantage to attract the better candidates. Buffalo has numerous problems, first and foremost is a bumbling front office and a franchise in question thanks to no ownership plan in place. If Ralph would decide to designate a group to buy the team, it will give the Bills a better foundation to build upon. Until then, this team will be in utter disarray.

[8-8 Forever?]

Living in Redskinville, I can't help but agree. The Skins have had similar seasons the past 3 seasons. Last year they were 6-0 and dropped the last half of the season just like us. And this year we barely managed to win two more games. But all in all we're in the same boat at opposite sides.

 

They have a money soaked owner with no plan. We have all plans but no money to make it work, or to keep the good players we have

 

Shanahan is an NFL rock star. very prideful. 20,000 sft home in denver. b lo is a national joke punchline. it would be embarrasing to go there. too bad, his son would have been a great succesor. Skins will be good with him and his son there...

[8-8 Forever?]

If you've lived anywhere else in the world, WNY is not so bad, but I guess it depends on what you view as important in your surroundings. If you like traffic and sitting in your car, any other big city might be for you, but if you like state parks and the area lakes...

 

oh stop it. these guys are rock stars. they don't hang around an f ing lake in the f ing state parks in the off season... geez.

[pkwwjd]

I came back to WNY after 15 years living elsewhere ... Western PA, Chicago, & outside GB ... I'll take WNY every time.

[zazie]

oh stop it. these guys are rock stars. they don't hang around an f ing lake in the f ing state parks in the off season... geez.

So true, Atlanta seems to be a fav place for current and ex NFLers to live.

 

There are a surprising amount of ex bills and sabres though, who DO end up making Buffalo or East Aurora or Orchard Park, their permanent homes.

 

IF you have money and don't need an ongoing reasonably high income, Buffalo is a wonderful place to live and raise a family and that is pretty well recognized by ex players and those who spend some time there.

 

Even Losman said he would love to live in Buffalo long term and kept his residence there for quite a while.

[VADC Bills]

I live in the middle of Redskinville after growing up in Buffalo. There are many things I like about both cities.

If Buffalo had the same weather as DC I would probably be living there now. Other than that my money goes much farther in Buffalo. Buffalo is known for bad weather in the US but if marketed properly it could be the Miami of Canada. That is one of the attractive points about Toronto. It's one of your best weather locations in Canada.

I don't see Shanahan as being the savior he is touted as being. However the Redskins aren't that far off. With a few OL and QB changes they will compete soon. Just like the Bills they lost more games due to stupidity than bad play.

[zow2]

I don't think the Redskins "team" is any better than the Bills, no way. The suburbs around DC, Maryland, Northern Virginia is much nicer though. If you're not FROM Buffalo, there's just no way you are going to have any desire to re-locate yourself and family to WNY. DC area is world class and DC actually has a very good nightlife and club scene that the athletes love.

So being from Buffalo is annoys me that people like Shanahan would choose DC, but i can totally understand why it happens.

[Stardawgs]

I am sorry to break the news to you and other Bills fans who have delusions, but Buffalo is one of the least desirable markets in sports.

 

Plus, when you factor in an owner who let so many good players just leave for various reasons (Peters, Clements, Winfield, Pat Williams, Fletcher etc) you begin to have a reputation around the league.

 

Ralph, you reap what you sew.

 

I think that is bunk.... what do these players have in common? Drew Brees, Bryan Dawkins, Wes Welker, Cedric Benson, Kyle Orton, Kurt Warner... I could go on and on. They are players that other teams for one reason or another gave up on. It's a different NFL than it was when Bruce, Jimbo, Thurman all stayed an played for one team for the most part. The business requires teams must make tough decisons. I think if you examine all teams you'll find a laundry list of ex-players performing in the NFL. And did you really say Nate Clemens.. how's that working out?

[dancing_joker]

I came back to WNY after 15 years living elsewhere ... Western PA, Chicago, & outside GB ... I'll take WNY every time.

 

I moved back to WNY 2 years ago. Best decision we ever made. We had great jobs in SC. SC is a great place to vacation for a week, not to live permanently.

[dancing_joker]

I will say this, I was very excited to see that Shanny only got 7 mil in DC. The bar for Cowher can't be higher than 10 mil. Good news, since 10 mil was the max that Wilson said he would pay.

[QB Bills]

I live in the middle of Redskinville after growing up in Buffalo. There are many things I like about both cities.

If Buffalo had the same weather as DC I would probably be living there now. Other than that my money goes much farther in Buffalo. Buffalo is known for bad weather in the US but if marketed properly it could be the Miami of Canada. That is one of the attractive points about Toronto. It's one of your best weather locations in Canada.

I don't see Shanahan as being the savior he is touted as being. However the Redskins aren't that far off. With a few OL and QB changes they will compete soon. Just like the Bills they lost more games due to stupidity than bad play.

What does that even mean?

[8-8 Forever?]

I don't think the Redskins "team" is any better than the Bills, no way. The suburbs around DC, Maryland, Northern Virginia is much nicer though. If you're not FROM Buffalo, there's just no way you are going to have any desire to re-locate yourself and family to WNY. DC area is world class and DC actually has a very good nightlife and club scene that the athletes love.

So being from Buffalo is annoys me that people like Shanahan would choose DC, but i can totally understand why it happens.

 

Agreed. Doesn't make it fair or right, but it is what it is. The Bills can get the Jim McNallys of the world, but thats about it if other jobs in other cities are available at around the same price. Plus the franchise is about to be sold. who will move to a place like buff (unless they are from there) with a franchise sale/move about to happen, unless you are 1) drafted and have no choice in the matter or 2) Dick Jauron types, who have no other options. It is what it is.

[ntjacks79]

We can all make statements about Buffalo, like it's a great place to be FROM, but does anyone think about Green Bay vs. Buffalo? Is Green Bay that much more of a better place than Buffalo? Plain and simple, it starts at the top. Ralph Wilson is a smart businessman, but a terrible football guy. Don't blame this on the city of Buffalo, blame it on the organization.

 

Dan Snyder has the glamour of our Nation's Capital, so naturally he'll have an advantage to attract the better candidates. Buffalo has numerous problems, first and foremost is a bumbling front office and a franchise in question thanks to no ownership plan in place. If Ralph would decide to designate a group to buy the team, it will give the Bills a better foundation to build upon. Until then, this team will be in utter disarray.

Completely agree. When you do things like giving away your home field advantage to play a game in Toronto, you give the league the impression you are in dire straits. This is an organizational issue, not a Buffalo issue.

[cale]

We can all make statements about Buffalo, like it's a great place to be FROM, but does anyone think about Green Bay vs. Buffalo? Is Green Bay that much more of a better place than Buffalo? Plain and simple, it starts at the top. Ralph Wilson is a smart businessman, but a terrible football guy. Don't blame this on the city of Buffalo, blame it on the organization.

 

Dan Snyder has the glamour of our Nation's Capital, so naturally he'll have an advantage to attract the better candidates. Buffalo has numerous problems, first and foremost is a bumbling front office and a franchise in question thanks to no ownership plan in place. If Ralph would decide to designate a group to buy the team, it will give the Bills a better foundation to build upon. Until then, this team will be in utter disarray.

 

I think this observation is true. But by most accounts, Snyder is a megalomaniac and a bully. I think to some extent most NFL owners are megalomaniacs - but Snyder takes it to another level. Why would a sane person like Shanahan want to work in that sort of environment?

 

My initial post was a question more of the organizations and owners themselves as opposed to the city. I think DC is a great city the politicians not withstanding. But as a HC you're not gonna see much of any city you're in except for the off season. Though if Shanny has designs on politics after coaching, he'd be in the right place.

 

The only thing Snyder has that Ralph doesn't in the ownership dept. is money, IMHO. So the Bills have less margin for error. Snyder just throws money at it and it seems to soften the national PR blow. No matter how many coaches end up running for the hills after the Redskins gig, it still seems like a "desirable" job. That was my main comment on the situation.

 

C

[finknottle]

Differences in the rosters, facilities, and management aside, one cannot ignore the paycheck.

 

Coaches salaries are uncapped, and as a rich franchise the Redskins can pay a great deal more than the Bills. And let's not forget the impact of the welfare state: even if the Bills offered the same amount, taxes in Buffalo are significantly higher. A coach would pay an extra 5% of his salary to New York State over what he would to Virginia, and I imagine the disparity in county taxes are even worse. It takes a $1.1m salary in Buffalo to equal a $1m salary in DC. Differences in cost-of-living don't matter, since these coaches are not spending their money. It is their nest egg. They are banking it and will move on when they are done.

[LGB]

oh stop it. these guys are rock stars. they don't hang around an f ing lake in the f ing state parks in the off season... geez.

8&8, just making a general statement, not just specific to "rock stars", but my point is there are more than a couple nice natural resources in WNY. Sure, there are more bars and night life elsewhere, but you already knew that.

[dreadlox]

oh stop it. these guys are rock stars. they don't hang around an f ing lake in the f ing state parks in the off season... geez.

 

Shawn Taylor, Adam Jones, etc. Not saying I disagree with your sentiment, but I think eventually the tide will turn. Being a family man myself, I would find WNY a very attractive place to live.

[jscap]

What makes Green Bay a desirable destination? It's colder than Buffalo, similar size, and last I checked not the nightlife capital of the USA. Seems the only thing that matters to people these days is the weather and the "upscale" nightlife. Everytime I here ESPN or any other media outlet joke about it snowing here in August I just think to how i've never had to flee my home due to wildfires, never waited out a hurricane, and never had to rebuild from an earthquake. I guess paradise has a price.

[apuszczalowski]

I am sorry to break the news to you and other Bills fans who have delusions, but Buffalo is one of the least desirable markets in sports.

 

Plus, when you factor in an owner who let so many good players just leave for various reasons (Peters, Clements, Winfield, Pat Williams, Fletcher etc) you begin to have a reputation around the league.

Ralph, you reap what you sew.

Where did you hear that it was the owners decision to let those guys go? Last time I heard it was the coaches and "GM" that made the personel decisions for the team

[Conch]

There isn't one coach hire in DC since Snyder has been owner that has resulted in success. Save maybe Schottenheimer who was fired as well. Snyder is just as meddlesome, if not more so than Ralph. The Redskins are just as dysfunctional if not worse. And yet Snyder is from a national perception is better positioned. Why? Just because he has more money?

 

There's an old saying, "Money can't buy common sense"

 

This is pure BS. The guy has money but doesn't know what to do with it or how to treat people. Yet the Bills are ignored and marginalized.

 

Weird and screwed up.

 

C

 

Snyder will go get the players that Shanahan needs. Ralph will not...Buddy "we will build from the draft."

 

Shanahan, Cowher et al want to win and win now. These coaches will help attract the players they need to be successful and they want an aggressive owner. Ralph will build slowly if at all.

[spartacus]

I will say this, I was very excited to see that Shanny only got 7 mil in DC. The bar for Cowher can't be higher than 10 mil. Good news, since 10 mil was the max that Wilson said he would pay.

 

this is pure fantasy

 

please provide link where Ralph actually said he would spend $10 mil (per year) on a coach.

 

(Ralph may pay $10 mil in total)

 

pure speculation made up by the media.

[billsfreak]

I see two reasons why coaching the Redskins is such a major upgrade over coaching in Buffalo.

 

1. The team will never move.

2. The owners wallet isn't welded shut, and although he goes about it in a messed up way, he does all he can to win.

[Wing Man]

It's all about the endorsements. A coach can do as much or more in endorsements in a major television market. I can't wait to see Cowher's first ad for City Mattress or Cowher Crunch cereal.