The Bills Are Doing Things Right

[All_Pro_Bills]

Re: Billick being arrogant.

 

Do you think Parcells, Belichick, Johnson, etc. aren't arrogant? Rex Ryan rubs many people the wrong way with his brashness. Frankly, in a field full of arrogant personalities, not interviewing someone because they think he might be arrogant is short-sighted out-of-touch stupidity. Whatever happened to wanting to surround yourself with the best and most qualified people, aka, a commitment to winning?

 

Agree. What's wrong with having somebody that's got a pair for a change? As I posted earlier, my belief is commitment to winning is the root issue, or lack of it. That’s the ‘elephant in the room’ that no uninterested candidate speaks of directly.

 

There was talk earlier of ‘doing whatever it takes’ (I’m paraphrasing) but so far all we’ve seen out of the front office is a superficial rearrangement of the reporting relationships but no real changes in the power and decision structure. As long as marketing and finance sit at the head table with the owner and football operations is at the kiddies’ table nothing is going to translate to winning on the field.

[Never NEVER Give-up]

As far as no GM would want the Bills job, I believe it was Tim Graham that reported that several GM candidate-types were miffed they didn't get to interview for the Bills job.

 

If the Bills like Frazier, then there won't be a hire until the Vikes are out of the SB Tourney. So whay are people saying we need to hire someone right away?

 

Funny how Casserly (who reportedly was one of the aforementioned GM candidate-types) was the ONLY one to report the Jim Harbaugh snub. Whenever any other journalist mentions Harbaugh, they report that he "reportedly" snubbed the Bills or they say that the Bills may be interested in him. There have been no other utterances of such certainty. Obviously there is a lack of confirmation here. I'm not too worried about this "story" (read fairy tale).

 

Peter King says the Bills are doing exactly what they said they were going to do. It will be a long & thorough process. It has been and will continue to be.

 

I like reading Jerry Sullivan, because he always gives you something to think about (that's his job). However, I rarely agree with him on the majority of his contentions and I gotta believe, based on his usual tone, that the guy is pretty miserable in his life . . . so a little pity for the guy as opposed to consternation.

 

I like Buddy Nix. Strikes me as a thoughtful guy, a football guy - in the Polian-Butler mold. (Remember Terry Bledsoe and Stew Barber - they were jokes as GM!!!) I actually think Ralph may have done this one right.

 

Lastly, anyone catch Felsers article in the Bflo Snooze on Sunday? His comparison to the Jets and how each organization has built their current rosters was sobering. Read it, he was dead on. The Jets are in the Championship game because they hit on their draft choices and FA pick-ups while we struck-out on most (almost all!!) since 2006!!

 

Hopefully Buddy still has plans for Guy (the ax) and Modrak (scout). Perhaps he didn't want to go into the Senior Bowl with no help. Remember what Felser said . . . the Jets have like 20 scouts. The Bills 12 and 3 are emeritus (retired) - that says it all. (#'s approximated based on my recollection)

 

Sorry I have no link on the Felser article. It is not in the online version of the Bflo News (yet?). It is in the print edition of the Sunday Paper.

[May Day 10]

You're on drugs, Ralph never even hinted that Brandon was charge of football decisions. He made it clear that Nix was the football guy.

 

Brandon's name came up when he interviewed Mike Shanahan, which occurred before the Nix hire, and the way it was reported, the so-called interview was more about "hi Mr Shanahan, I'm here to tell you about the Bill's organization and why you should consider working here..."

 

 

Im not on drugs. Ralph Wilson overtly said that Brandon would oversee the football department. It was during the Nix press conference. I know they tried to appease everybody by saying that they wanted a football guy/not a marketing guy, etc... But Wilson's senility spilled out the truth in a very telling moment.

 

 

 

 

 

Here it is.

 

Listen from :40 to the 2:00 mark

 

http://audio.wgr550.com/m/audio/28155136/b...-conference.htm

[billnutinphoenix]

IF Frazier holds the Saints under 20 points regardless of the Vikings winning or losing, then he is the right guy...

[BuffaloBill]

Intent doesn't matter. Results do.

 

 

Amen ... however, the way the Bills have gone about this search puts the incoming coach at a disadvantage because by default he will appear to be about the tenth choice down on the list. Perhaps, the Bills have not been in entirely control of this as the national sports media is digging and hyping the situation.

 

Personally, I am now left to wonder if the Bills would have been better off giving Fewell serious consideration.

[CodeMonkey]

Personally, I am now left to wonder if the Bills would have been better off giving Fewell serious consideration.

As it has turned out, clearly they would have. However can you imagine the outrage of the Bills fans if they had hired Fewell? Even if they felt Fewell was the right choice, they had no option but to pass him over.

[Beebe's Kid]

As with others on the Board, I grow weary of the hyperventilating over the coaching search. Now I read Jerry Sullivan today and he sounds like my first wife. Notiwthstanding all the whining, the Bills are trying to do exactly what most fans want in their coaching search.

...

 

Awesome post. Thanks.

[Mr. WEO]

Seriously...My blind optimism left a long time ago...To assume The Bills are doing things right nowadays is about akin to assuming our Government can handle running Health Care, Banks and the Automobile Industry and turn a profit at the same time...It's a MAJOR, MAJOR stretch...

 

I'm not crazy about Frazier as a candidate, but right now he looks like our best option...Which, to me at least, says a whole hell of a lot about how far this Organization has fallen over the past decade...It's bad...It's REAL bad and unless we have some kind of miracle happen it's not getting any better any time soon...

 

Hope I'm wrong though...REALLY hope I'm wrong...

The "banks" are turning a profit. So is the auto industry (minus GM and Chrysler).

 

What does Frazier do about our offense? Our defensive front 7?

[Dan]

As with others on the Board, I grow weary of the hyperventilating over the coaching search. Now I read Jerry Sullivan today and he sounds like my first wife. Notiwthstanding all the whining, the Bills are trying to do exactly what most fans want in their coaching search.

 

First, the Bills hired a "real" GM. Is he the only guy they could have hired, who knows? Who knows if GM candidates were more interested in the Bills than hot coaching candidates given the Bills situation. But we got a real football guy, so we have to see what he does. Hopefully better than Donahoe, the big name guy we got last time.

 

Now, on to the coaching search. The Bills are in a hole as a team given their record over the past 10 years, the QB situation, the labor situation, the ownership uncertainty, and a city that is perpetually in an economic hole with a fourth rate stadium from a revenue perspective. OK, we are not the most desireable coaching job in 2010--what a shock. The only way to get more desireable when you've hit bottom is to get to work and change things. The Bills are doing that, and we are the only coaching job right now, which is a lucky break.

 

Now, the Bills have set their coaching sites very high despite their situation. Would you want them to do less? They have not been trolling at the bar at closing time looking for anyone with a pulse. Cowher, Shanahan, Gruden, Harbaugh, Leslie Frazier, Brian S., Russ G.--these are the cream of the crop in terms of what is out there. If you ask out Jessica Biel, Heidi Klum and Scarlett Johanssen and score only one date, have you failed? It's not like the Bills have been courting the Three Stooges.

 

Some folks want a Billick or Fassel, mostly to hire someone now so they can reduce their blood pressure. Obviously, the Bills don't want these guys--they are selective too(there, I said it). I live in Washington, and when Billick's name comes up as a possible candidate for the Bills, sports talk folks down here think it's a joke. "Good luck with that" they say. His rep down here is that he is an arrogant and difficult person whose success is mixed despite the SB ring. Not wanting him is not crazy, it's a reasonable judgment. That's why these guys are unemployed.

 

If the Bills end up with a guy like Frazier, and for all we know the Bills have told him he's the guy, we will have landed a top prospect as a coach. Given the Bills situation, that is a very good outcome--the best you could hope for given where this franchise is right now. The fact we don't get to tell three other pretty girls we won't date them may make us feel less special, but at the end of the day we only need one good coaching prospect. And the Bills seem intent on getting one. The rest of the media firestorm is just BS, designed to fill air time and internet pages... CD

Excellent post and nice to know there's a few others that can think rationally.

 

However, I must disagree with the bolded part. People want Billick or Fassel hired, preferably quickly, so they can continue to and complain that the Bills didn't even try to hire a good coach. That they went out and hired some tired retread.

 

Regarding the HC search, go back to December and early Jan. and read the posts, and you'll see dozens upon dozens of posters crying that all they want is a thorough search - don't interview one guy and hire him; look at up and comers; go after the big names. Well, now that the Bills are doing that, you see these same people complaining. Why? Because it's taking too long, no one likes us, we're a joke.

 

What did people expect? Cowher, Shanny, and every coach out there to get in a reverse bidding war just for the privilege of being here? When you go after the best candidates, they have other options. So you don't get them all, especially when you're not one of the premier franchises in the league. I guess that's just a little too much for people's frail little insecurities to take.

[K Gun Special]

Excellent post and nice to know there's a few others that can think rationally.

 

However, I must disagree with the bolded part. People want Billick or Fassel hired, preferably quickly, so they can continue to and complain that the Bills didn't even try to hire a good coach. That they went out and hired some tired retread.

 

Regarding the HC search, go back to December and early Jan. and read the posts, and you'll see dozens upon dozens of posters crying that all they want is a thorough search - don't interview one guy and hire him; look at up and comers; go after the big names. Well, now that the Bills are doing that, you see these same people complaining. Why? Because it's taking too long, no one likes us, we're a joke.

 

What did people expect? Cowher, Shanny, and every coach out there to get in a reverse bidding war just for the privilege of being here? When you go after the best candidates, they have other options. So you don't get them all, especially when you're not one of the premier franchises in the league. I guess that's just a little too much for people's frail little insecurities to take.

 

 

yea its those same people who always say things like "plain and simple" as if football decisions are black and white and the posters years of GM experience and film study erases any doubt.

Most of the people on here no absolutely nothing about these coaches philosophy etc. you cant pick up on htat stuff from watching the game from your couch. Tampa 2 sucks plain and simple, the bills are a joke plain and simple even "sully

---- wtf are you buddies with him??? no, then stop calling him sully d-bag-------

Hey if the Bills hire Joe Schmoe as their HC, fine blister them for hiring another no name..... but until then get the sand out of your you know what... and relax.

[May Day 10]

I dont think people are mad because it is taking too long... People are mad because they suspect that nothing has really changed at OBD and the repeated rejections confirm this.

[BILLS02138]

Given our track record with HC selections in the past decade - what's the rush? what's to be embarrassed about?

 

Buffalo already has a bad reputation - this certainly can't make it worse. Let them take their time. Certainly can't do any worse than the past ten years.

 

GO BILLS

[Easy Money]

As with others on the Board, I grow weary of the hyperventilating over the coaching search. Now I read Jerry Sullivan today and he sounds like my first wife. Notiwthstanding all the whining, the Bills are trying to do exactly what most fans want in their coaching search.

 

First, the Bills hired a "real" GM. Is he the only guy they could have hired, who knows? Who knows if GM candidates were more interested in the Bills than hot coaching candidates given the Bills situation. But we got a real football guy, so we have to see what he does. Hopefully better than Donahoe, the big name guy we got last time.

 

Now, on to the coaching search. The Bills are in a hole as a team given their record over the past 10 years, the QB situation, the labor situation, the ownership uncertainty, and a city that is perpetually in an economic hole with a fourth rate stadium from a revenue perspective. OK, we are not the most desireable coaching job in 2010--what a shock. The only way to get more desireable when you've hit bottom is to get to work and change things. The Bills are doing that, and we are the only coaching job right now, which is a lucky break.

 

Now, the Bills have set their coaching sites very high despite their situation. Would you want them to do less? They have not been trolling at the bar at closing time looking for anyone with a pulse. Cowher, Shanahan, Gruden, Harbaugh, Leslie Frazier, Brian S., Russ G.--these are the cream of the crop in terms of what is out there. If you ask out Jessica Biel, Heidi Klum and Scarlett Johanssen and score only one date, have you failed? It's not like the Bills have been courting the Three Stooges.

 

Some folks want a Billick or Fassel, mostly to hire someone now so they can reduce their blood pressure. Obviously, the Bills don't want these guys--they are selective too(there, I said it). I live in Washington, and when Billick's name comes up as a possible candidate for the Bills, sports talk folks down here think it's a joke. "Good luck with that" they say. His rep down here is that he is an arrogant and difficult person whose success is mixed despite the SB ring. Not wanting him is not crazy, it's a reasonable judgment. That's why these guys are unemployed.

 

If the Bills end up with a guy like Frazier, and for all we know the Bills have told him he's the guy, we will have landed a top prospect as a coach. Given the Bills situation, that is a very good outcome--the best you could hope for given where this franchise is right now. The fact we don't get to tell three other pretty girls we won't date them may make us feel less special, but at the end of the day we only need one good coaching prospect. And the Bills seem intent on getting one. The rest of the media firestorm is just BS, designed to fill air time and internet pages... CD

Russ Brandon is the major problem with the Bills.

[dgrid]

If you ask out Jessica Biel, Heidi Klum and Scarlett Johanssen and score only one date, have you failed? It's not like the Bills have been courting the Three Stooges.

Let's make Jessica Biel our HC. At least she'd be something to look at on gameday...

[VADC Bills]

Baltimore Ravens fans think Billick is a joke, or Washington Redskins fans? If it's the Ravens' fans, I really don't get that. Before Billick came in, the last time the city of Baltimore celebrated a SB parade was 12 years before the Colts abandoned the city, and they abandoned the city in 1984! Folks, that makes a total of 29 years between SB wins, and the second one was with the re-named stolen Cleveland Browns, for Gods' sake! Come on, we are all Bills' fans out here. If Levy's crew could have somehow won just ONE of those 4 SB's, Marv would be forever considered a Saint in Western New York. If another team thought about hiring him at 90 freakin' years old we would have congratulated them on a wise choice! It seems that the only big problem the Browns...er...I mean Ravens had during Billick's run was QB. Well, didn't the Ravens have scouts and a GM working with Billick? Why was he blamed completely for trying to turn Boller into a real NFL starter? Why didn't Ozzie and his guys draft another QB or two to compete with poor Kyle?

 

Sorry, as much as I enjoyed reading your excellent take on the Bills' coaching search, I cannot see how such a pathetic, lost organization like our beloved Bills can simply ignore a coach who won a SB ring 10 years ago. Look at all the chances Marty Sr, Norv Turner, Wade Phillips & DJ got and keep getting, and those coaches have won squat! I think its' a shame the Bills have not at least invited Billick in for that interview.

Newsome brought in Steve McNair for that very reason. It was Billick that was responsible for getting rid of Dilfer as well. Dilfer was not a HOF qb but he had a great chemistry with the offense. The kind you want when winning championships. Billick tried to fix something that wasn't broke. Dilfer has stated this publically. Billick has a reputation of having a large ego and being difficult to work with. Maybe the Bills would rather hire some one that doesn't have a reputation of being a butthead. No shame here.

Just for grins ask people in DC how they feel about Norv.

[BarkLessWagMore]

As it has turned out, clearly they would have. However can you imagine the outrage of the Bills fans if they had hired Fewell? Even if they felt Fewell was the right choice, they had no option but to pass him over.

 

Good point. But that outrage will be nothing compared to that felt if the Chan Gailey rumor is true. An absolute retread and nothing more. Oh, and a quality organization makes the choice it feels is best regardless of how the fans may feel about it. My point is that if they really felt Perry was the right guy, they should have hired him.

[CodeMonkey]

My point is that if they really felt Perry was the right guy, they should have hired him.

But that would have required Cojones.

[Casey D]

The Bills absolutely are NOT doing things right. If they Bills were concerned about doing things right, Ralph would - RIGHT NOW - sell all or a portion of his ownership interest to a group committed to keeping the Bills in Buffalo long-term. Maybe there's no such group out there - if so, I'd like to know that information. But assuming such a group exists or could be put together, there is nothing other than Ralph's selfish taxation strategies that is keeping the organization at rock bottom right now.

This is America. Communism has failed. It's RW's property, he has no obligation to sell anything because it suits you. Perhaps you should make him an offer he cannot refuse, if you have the money.

[Casey D]

Excellent post and nice to know there's a few others that can think rationally.

 

However, I must disagree with the bolded part. People want Billick or Fassel hired, preferably quickly, so they can continue to and complain that the Bills didn't even try to hire a good coach. That they went out and hired some tired retread.

 

Regarding the HC search, go back to December and early Jan. and read the posts, and you'll see dozens upon dozens of posters crying that all they want is a thorough search - don't interview one guy and hire him; look at up and comers; go after the big names. Well, now that the Bills are doing that, you see these same people complaining. Why? Because it's taking too long, no one likes us, we're a joke.

 

What did people expect? Cowher, Shanny, and every coach out there to get in a reverse bidding war just for the privilege of being here? When you go after the best candidates, they have other options. So you don't get them all, especially when you're not one of the premier franchises in the league. I guess that's just a little too much for people's frail little insecurities to take.

Well said...CD

[Casey D]

Russ Brandon is the major problem with the Bills.

No he isn't, he really is not. He is a good smart guy who knows his limitations, but also has RW's trust. He is an executive again, and out of any football role by choice, because he knows the organization needed a football guy to improve the team so he has something he can market. He makes RW a better owner, notwithstanding what you may believe.