B Schottenheimer declines interview

[ChasBB]

Interesting comment from a Jets fan:

 

"I'm a Jet fan, but I will say this. At least the Bills play IN my home state! Not to worry, Lil' Schott is a good O coordinator, but he isn't even ready for the big show yet, so this was a break for the Bills. Rex Ryan took over offensive play mix up, limiting Sanchez to 20 throws per game and less, and that helped the Jets turn things around. Lil' Schott would be still calling Sanchez over the middle, for 30 attempts per game, that's how wise he is. Buffalo dodged one here. Why doesn't Wilson jsut put up some bigger bucks to get a Cowher or a Gruden, or a Billick?

I always root for the Bills, come rain or shine (or snow), unless they're playing the Jets. Billick would be a good fit in Buffalo, build another Defensive machine."

 

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=ap-j...p&type=lgns

[spartacus]

Schefter now says Bills next HC:

 

1. Frazier

2. Grimm

3. The Field

 

Some great investigative work there by Schefter.

 

His contacts with the Bills and ability to break stories are almost as good as the local media

[firedawg]

His contacts with the Bills and ability to break stories are almost as good as the local media

 

 

He is apparently trying to convince himself by reporting the same thing over and over. If he says it enough it must be true. He's a broken record..

[dave mcbride]

He is apparently trying to convince himself by reporting the same thing over and over. If he says it enough it must be true. He's a broken record..

Yet he's been right so far about everything. Go figure.

[Sisyphean Bills]

Why was Jauron fired mid- season?

 

OK dude...

Step away from the crack pipe...

 

 

duh.....

 

It's really pretty simple. Ever heard the expression, "cutting your nose off to spite your face"? The Bills weren't going to make the playoffs this year and it was fairly well understood that this was Jauron's make or break year. Was Jauron going to survive another 7-9 or worse season? Probably not.

 

So, the question is, once again, "Why fire Jauron in mid-season?" Even the Detroit Lions, as inept a franchise as exists in the NFL, gave Rod Marinelli a full season to make chicken salad out of the chicken **** he had. It's clear now that the Bills had no succession plan when they fired Jauron, very much unlike the last time they fired a coach mid-season in order to bring in Marv Levy. (The denialist might argue that the succession plan they had fell through, but that also says something about how the organization is run that they would make a bold move and have their safety net yanked out from beneath them.)

 

By firing Jauron mid-season, the Bills were publicly pointing the finger of blame at the coach. No one else. While I am no fan of Jauron (ask anybody on this board), he is clearly not the only problem with this organization. Other people around the NFL know the situation and know Dick Jauron. For instance, the front office structure was not Dick Jauron's doing and so on.

 

So, they fire Jauron in mid-season; there is no succession plan, and they are still trying to figure that part out; and, they promote the acting Matt Millen in the room to CEO. The big shake-up is to promote a guy from scout emeritus to GM.

 

From your comments, you apparently see this all as very sound judgment and decision making that has identified the root problem, addressed it, and will send this organization on an upwards trajectory.

 

Unfortunately, each passing interview request that is turned down further diminishes the denialist's optimistic slant to which you seem to subscribe. Others in the NFL have not been fooled. The problems with this team are not simply a question of getting better coaching. They know it. Even the rats know when to leave a sinking ship.

[Bufcomments]

this explains rw's reluctance to fire Jauron. He must have suspected that no one any better would put up with him.

This might be post of the month......

 

I agree by the way

[extrahammer]

So, they fire Jauron in mid-season; there is no succession plan, and they are still trying to figure that part out; and, they promote the acting Matt Millen in the room to CEO. The big shake-up is to promote a guy from scout emeritus to GM.

 

From your comments, you apparently see this all as very sound judgment and decision making that has identified the root problem, addressed it, and will send this organization on an upwards trajectory.

 

Unfortunately, each passing interview request that is turned down further diminishes the denialist's optimistic slant to which you seem to subscribe. Others in the NFL have not been fooled. The problems with this team are not simply a question of getting better coaching. They know it. Even the rats know when to leave a sinking ship.

 

Very logical and realistic post. Coaches, personnel, everything has progressively gotten worse each year.

[birdog1960]

It's really pretty simple. Ever heard the expression, "cutting your nose off to spite your face"? The Bills weren't going to make the playoffs this year and it was fairly well understood that this was Jauron's make or break year. Was Jauron going to survive another 7-9 or worse season? Probably not.

 

So, the question is, once again, "Why fire Jauron in mid-season?" Even the Detroit Lions, as inept a franchise as exists in the NFL, gave Rod Marinelli a full season to make chicken salad out of the chicken **** he had. It's clear now that the Bills had no succession plan when they fired Jauron, very much unlike the last time they fired a coach mid-season in order to bring in Marv Levy. (The denialist might argue that the succession plan they had fell through, but that also says something about how the organization is run that they would make a bold move and have their safety net yanked out from beneath them.)

 

By firing Jauron mid-season, the Bills were publicly pointing the finger of blame at the coach. No one else. While I am no fan of Jauron (ask anybody on this board), he is clearly not the only problem with this organization. Other people around the NFL know the situation and know Dick Jauron. For instance, the front office structure was not Dick Jauron's doing and so on.

 

So, they fire Jauron in mid-season; there is no succession plan, and they are still trying to figure that part out; and, they promote the acting Matt Millen in the room to CEO. The big shake-up is to promote a guy from scout emeritus to GM.

 

From your comments, you apparently see this all as very sound judgment and decision making that has identified the root problem, addressed it, and will send this organization on an upwards trajectory.

 

Unfortunately, each passing interview request that is turned down further diminishes the denialist's optimistic slant to which you seem to subscribe. Others in the NFL have not been fooled. The problems with this team are not simply a question of getting better coaching. They know it. Even the rats know when to leave a sinking ship.

great analysis of a sad state of affairs.

[Sisyphean Bills]

Very logical and realistic post. Coaches, personnel, everything has progressively gotten worse each year.

Thanks.

 

Another point is that Ralph kept Jauron on despite the 08 collapse and despite his inner circle recommending that they go in another direction. In other words, he made a commitment to Jauron for 09. "Dick and I will go out together." Little more than halfway through the season, Ralph points the finger at Jauron and fires him. Consider also that Wilson demands loyalty from those that work for him to the degree that he has had obvious reservations about going outside of his own small bubble for any executive management hires. It doesn't seem like that loyalty and trust is bidirectional through the structure, does it?

[Nervous Guy]

So, the question is, once again, "Why fire Jauron in mid-season?"

 

He was just listening to the fans and the Buffalo media...that is what they wanted.

[Sisyphean Bills]

He was just listening to the fans and the Buffalo media...that is what they wanted.

Why didn't he listen to his own inner circle, the fans, and the Buffalo media the previous off-season?

 

Edit: Jauron is still on his payroll now.

[Nervous Guy]

Why didn't he listen to his own inner circle, the fans, and the Buffalo media the previous off-season?

 

Edit: Jauron is still on his payroll now.

He just extended him, that would have been a bad business deal. The sad reality of the situation was undeniable by mid season. He had to act to appease the media and fans. He was listening.

[Sisyphean Bills]

He just extended him, that would have been a bad business deal.

Sunk cost. Ralph is still paying Jauron. Thus that argument has no legs.

The sad reality of the situation was undeniable by mid season. He had to act to appease the media and fans. He was listening.

The fans and media were clamoring for Perry Fewell? This is the first I've heard of it. Rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic isn't exactly what I'd call "listening". By the way, the billboard had three names on it.

[GG]

If you don't think that defense was custom built and run by Jauron, there's a bridge in Brooklyn I'd be happy to sell you. I actually have nothing against Fewell, and I certainly don't think he's a joke. But let's face it -- he coached the team to a 2-4 record (the same percentage wise as Jauron's 3-6 record). He was hardly an improvement. And no, he doesn't get credit for beating the Colts' backups in a blizzard. Both you and I know that if the game mattered, the Colts would have blown them out.

 

But there was a noticeable difference in how the team played and how the coaching staff approached the games. The master design was Jauron's, there's no doubt and that's where he excels. But you cannot ignore his fingerprint on the final roster, the piss poor conditioning, the rash of injuries, awful game day management, insistence on playing vets when youngsters are better.

 

I could go on and on, but in the 7 games that Fewell coached, there was a quantum improvement in team play with a worse cast of players.

[Nervous Guy]

Sunk cost. Ralph is still paying Jauron. Thus that argument has no legs.

 

The fans and media were clamoring for Perry Fewell? This is the first I've heard of it. Rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic isn't exactly what I'd call "listening". By the way, the billboard had three names on it.

Point being in the offseason it would have been a bad business deal to can him. Whether or not he's paying him now is not the point.

 

 

Come on...the fans and media just wanted DJ gone period. He was the "sacrificial lamb" to quiet people down, it worked.

[Sisyphean Bills]

Point being in the offseason it would have been a bad business deal to can him. Whether or not he's paying him now is not the point.

It is entirely the point. It was a bad business decision to extend him prematurely and, according to reports, on his own and against the advice of others. It was another bad business decision to keep a coach that was unpopular with fans, had presided over an epic meltdown and free fall, and who was part of the decision team that had further reduced the competitive product on the field. It was a third bad business decision to lay the blame at the feet of the coach when people know the coach wasn't the only issue.

 

Your statement that it would have been "a bad business deal" to try and correct problems and put a better product on the field is nonsensical.

Come on...the fans and media just wanted DJ gone period. He was the "sacrificial lamb" to quiet people down, it worked.

Actually, the right business approach isn't knee-jerking all over the map to deflect blame, but to deliver a good product to the customer.

[Nervous Guy]

It is entirely the point. It was a bad business decision to extend him prematurely and, according to reports, on his own and against the advice of others. It was another bad business decision to keep a coach that was unpopular with fans, had presided over an epic meltdown and free fall, and who was part of the decision team that had further reduced the competitive product on the field. It was a third bad business decision to lay the blame at the feet of the coach when people know the coach wasn't the only issue.

 

Your statement that it would have been "a bad business deal" to try and correct problems and put a better product on the field is nonsensical.

 

Actually, the right business approach isn't knee-jerking all over the map to deflect blame, but to deliver a good product to the customer.

Maybe you're misunderstanding me...I'm not defending RW at all. I'm just saying why I think RW did it...I never implied it was what I thought was right or that it made any sense. I never would have extended him...I thought that was a bad idea. But he did it and for him it would have been a bad business deal to terminate him in the offseason.

 

The original question I answered was "Why fire Jauron in mid-season?" And he did it to calm the masses...do you dispute that?

[Sisyphean Bills]

Maybe you're misunderstanding me...I'm not defending RW at all. I'm just saying why I think RW did it...I never implied it was what I thought was right or that it made any sense. I never would have extended him...I thought that was a bad idea. But he did it and for him it would have been a bad business deal to terminate him in the offseason.

Fair enough.

The original question I answered was "Why fire Jauron in mid-season?" And he did it to calm the masses...do you dispute that?

Yes and no. I'm not a mind reader and don't claim to know all the reasons. Was it a reaction to billboard sized messages from fans? That's likely a factor, I agree. That doesn't explain the timing of the decision however, which is the crucial point of the entire question. Fans wanted Jauron gone for quite some time, so if it was simply to appease the fans, he'd have been fired far earlier. Other factors that could have been in play: 1) advice/blame from members of the executive crew that Jauron was the main culprit behind the team's failures (objectively, he had no chance with bad situations at OC, QB, and OL, which were not entirely his doing, I bet); 2) the mood of the locker room that the situation was hopeless; and 3) the defeated mood of Jauron himself. The notion of appeasement of the masses appeals to fans hope that they are full participants in the decision making processes, but it far more likely a minor concern. The fans already demonstrated their fickleness fully when T.O. was brought in and season ticket sales skyrocketed even though appeals for Jauron's head were laughed at and ignored. There is always another rabbit in the hat.