NaPolian8693 Posted October 8, 2010 Share Posted October 8, 2010 The current front office regime will never change, as long as Ralph Wilson remains alive and owner of the Bills. When it came time to find a new GM, the Bills promoted from within. Familiar faces like Littman/Overdorf/Brandon/Modrak all remained in the front office. Ralph just didn't have it in him to search for a new GM in earnest and then turn the reigns over someone new this close to the end. These guys all know they are just riding this thing out until the inevitable happens with Ralph, and then and only then true change can take place. Hopefully the team remains so fans can enjoy it. The scary part is that if Ralph lives to be 100, this whole sham of a franchise will continue to twist in the wind year after year. Some people believe that Ralph is still sharp as a tack, but even if that is true, at some point he will begin to lose it. As he begins to slowly succumb to dementia, who will the front office be accountable to? It seems that no matter how poor their performance, at some stage Ralph won't any longer to be able to effectively do anything about it. My personal opinion is that we have already reached that point, and they are taking advantage of Ralph. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billsfan89 Posted October 8, 2010 Share Posted October 8, 2010 They have lasted this long so I will tend to agree with you. Although I would like to see this team get taken over by a young hungry assistant GM who is given autonomy to fire and hire whoever he wants and to make whatever roster moves he wants even a guy who can hire/fire whatever coach he wants, I just don't see that happening. Even if this team goes 1-15 I don't see much change in store for the franchise overall. They will claim that this season was a bottoming out of sorts a evaluation process and that a turnaround is going to take time and hard work and that this is the group capable of doing it and blah blah blah. I hope Ralph comes to his sense and realizes that 11 years is long enough and he just isn't getting any younger and that he should just try to capture lightning in a bottle with a up and coming assistant GM and let someone clean this house. But usually if you live in a mess for so long you just don't notice how messy things are and you just sit in your own filth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
santoro770 Posted October 8, 2010 Share Posted October 8, 2010 Call me optimistic, but can't we just take solace in the fact that Nix does have a plan? I mean yeah he is turning over the roster but I see so many posts about how they need to get rid of dead weight...patience my friends...we've waited 11 years for a playoff team, what's 2 more? I mean granted it could just be another turn of the wheel, but if Nix and Gailey do start to show improvement (which won't be this year and honestly it's a fantasy for anyone to think they would show promise in the 1ST YEAR of the new front office regime) will those that are critical start to recognize what is going on? I'm workin on my PhD in Organizational Leadership right now and doing a dissertation on Organizational Leadership structure in the NFL and what I can tell you is that the current structure that is in place (leadership talent not taken into account) is one that is historically successful in the NFL both in win/loss record and fan devotion. Patience is a word we have heard for way too long...but these are different people (I know I know, Modrak is still there among others) but should we not be more patient then less than half a season? I love this board! Please go easy on me guys, just sayin...it's been a long time, but I'm hopeful. Silly me!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thewildrabbit Posted October 8, 2010 Share Posted October 8, 2010 Call me optimistic, but can't we just take solace in the fact that Nix does have a plan? I mean yeah he is turning over the roster but I see so many posts about how they need to get rid of dead weight...patience my friends...we've waited 11 years for a playoff team, what's 2 more? I mean granted it could just be another turn of the wheel, but if Nix and Gailey do start to show improvement (which won't be this year and honestly it's a fantasy for anyone to think they would show promise in the 1ST YEAR of the new front office regime) will those that are critical start to recognize what is going on? I'm workin on my PhD in Organizational Leadership right now and doing a dissertation on Organizational Leadership structure in the NFL and what I can tell you is that the current structure that is in place (leadership talent not taken into account) is one that is historically successful in the NFL both in win/loss record and fan devotion. Patience is a word we have heard for way too long...but these are different people (I know I know, Modrak is still there among others) but should we not be more patient then less than half a season? I love this board! Please go easy on me guys, just sayin...it's been a long time, but I'm hopeful. Silly me!!! and yet your avatar shows a dying Buffalo... i get the distinct impression that this owner doesn't trust anyone under 60....Anyway, the one thing that motivates this owner is his fans, if his fans keep showing up to games and buying merchandise he figures he is doing it right. To the OP, Should the fans stop attending in doves and the game stop selling out and the villagers start storming OBD with torches, I have no doubt that change will come to the FO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Punch Posted October 8, 2010 Share Posted October 8, 2010 They have lasted this long so I will tend to agree with you. Although I would like to see this team get taken over by a young hungry assistant GM who is given autonomy to fire and hire whoever he wants and to make whatever roster moves he wants even a guy who can hire/fire whatever coach he wants, I just don't see that happening. 4 weeks? Why would they not have lasted 4 weeks into the first season of a major rebuilding project? As for the young hungry GM I believe Doug Whaley was brought in from Pittsburgh as Assistant GM to be groomed as Nix's replacement when he eventually (probably sooner rather than later) retires. He has been mentioned as one of the best young General Manger "prospects" for a few years now, in fact, some of the critiques levied at the Bills when they hired Nix was that they should have hired Whaley. The fact that Nix brought him in as the de facto 2nd in command indicates he is more than likely the natural successor for the position. I can't imagine a better man for the job. Don't be fooled by blowhards like the OP--- the Bills appear to be in good hands for the first time in a long time. I think it's pretty clear from the way they've been handling business, from both an evaluation and coaching standpoint. The fact that the team on the field still sucks is only indicative of the 10 years of crappy management. It takes time. More than 4 weeks, anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bowery4 Posted October 8, 2010 Share Posted October 8, 2010 and yet your avatar shows a dying Buffalo... i get the distinct impression that this owner doesn't trust anyone under 60....Anyway, the one thing that motivates this owner is his fans, if his fans keep showing up to games and buying merchandise he figures he is doing it right. To the OP, Should the fans stop attending in doves and the game stop selling out and the villagers start storming OBD with torches, I have no doubt that change will come to the FO UM Chan is only 58 4 weeks? Why would they not have lasted 4 weeks into the first season of a major rebuilding project? As for the young hungry GM I believe Doug Whaley was brought in from Pittsburgh as Assistant GM to be groomed as Nix's replacement when he eventually (probably sooner rather than later) retires. He has been mentioned as one of the best young General Manger "prospects" for a few years now, in fact, some of the critiques levied at the Bills when they hired Nix was that they should have hired Whaley. The fact that Nix brought him in as the de facto 2nd in command indicates he is more than likely the natural successor for the position. I can't imagine a better man for the job. Don't be fooled by blowhards like the OP--- the Bills appear to be in good hands for the first time in a long time. I think it's pretty clear from the way they've been handling business, from both an evaluation and coaching standpoint. The fact that the team on the field still sucks is only indicative of the 10 years of crappy management. It takes time. More than 4 weeks, anyway. Good post Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanInUticaTampa Posted October 8, 2010 Share Posted October 8, 2010 (edited) This front office and coaching staff has changed so much over the last 10 years it is ridiculous not to consider it changing again before ralph passes. For all we know, whaley could get offered a GM job somwhere else and nix retires and we get someone new people in here. Like I said, the front office and coaching staff changes like a revolving door. The problem is, no matter how many times we change the coaches and the GM, they always fail. Always. I am not going to call Nix/Whaley failures just yet. So far, the team looks terrible and they better do more in the offseason to make this team at least watchable. If next season the team doesn't look improved, it will be obvious that their plan isn't going to work. I am not saying they have to make the playoffs next year.... but the team needs to have some significant improvement. something that actually shows this team is heading in the right direction. Because right now, even though it is early, it don't look good. Also, I have to say I really like the whaley hiring and I have hope that he will make our free agency offseason more exciting. but that is the optimist in me. Ralph can always ruin that. Edited October 8, 2010 by DanInUticaTampa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Green Lightning Posted October 8, 2010 Share Posted October 8, 2010 The current front office regime will never change, as long as Ralph Wilson remains alive and owner of the Bills. Why should he? It's year one of a total rebuild. What the Hell did you expect? Ten years of bad decisions and drafts and you end up with what we have. I fully expect to see Nix live up to what he just said and you'll see his picks and rooks playing significant time in the weeks ahead. This is a project and not a one year turnaround. It's just nuts that you would look to clean house in year one. Besides, the future was brought in with Nix. His name is Whaley. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sisyphean Bills Posted October 8, 2010 Share Posted October 8, 2010 Ralph may live longer than Nix. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnC Posted October 8, 2010 Share Posted October 8, 2010 I'm workin on my PhD in Organizational Leadership right now and doing a dissertation on Organizational Leadership structure in the NFL and what I can tell you is that the current structure that is in place (leadership talent not taken into account) is one that is historically successful in the NFL both in win/loss record and fan devotion. Success in any organization starts at the top. The owner and most influential person in the NFL franchise located in western NY is a 92 yr old man who has owned the franchise for half a century. Associating the word leadership to its current archaic owner is an absurdity. There is no energy, innovation, accountability and wisdom coming out of the organization. Another way of putting it is that the Bills are a reflection of this most ridiculous and laughable owner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gabe Northern Posted October 8, 2010 Share Posted October 8, 2010 Why should he? It's year one of a total rebuild. What the Hell did you expect? Ten years of bad decisions and drafts and you end up with what we have. I fully expect to see Nix live up to what he just said and you'll see his picks and rooks playing significant time in the weeks ahead. This is a project and not a one year turnaround. It's just nuts that you would look to clean house in year one. Besides, the future was brought in with Nix. His name is Whaley. John Guy never made a pro personnel move as dubious as bringing in Cornell Green for $3 million per year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PromoTheRobot Posted October 8, 2010 Share Posted October 8, 2010 If you mean Overdof and Littman I believe you are correct. If you mean Nix and Gailey then be glad because firing those guys now would set this team back even further. PTR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnC Posted October 8, 2010 Share Posted October 8, 2010 John Guy never made a pro personnel move as dubious as bringing in Cornell Green for $3 million per year. You are right that the Green acquisition is very dubious. The reality is that Cornell Green is a very short term stop gap pickup. Don't be surprised that within this season someone else will be playing RT. The fact of the matter is that Nix is not only right but also wise in adhering to his strategy to rebuild this team primarily through the draft. Assuming that he drafts well it is going to take a few years to turn this roster over. The shame of this situation is that the foolish owner wasted three years with the Levy and Brandon fiasco. A lot of people want Nix to do something dramatic to get this franchise out of the ditch. That is not going to happen. What is going to happen is a steady shedding of players, Edwards, Lynch, Hardy, Meredith and soon McCargo etc. and replacing them with his own selected players. A lot of fans are going to be frustrated at the pace of change and the mounting losses. There is no other way for this particular franchise to do things. Without a doubt some personnel mistakes are going to be made. But if the body of work is good then this sinking ship can be righted. If you mean Overdof and Littman I believe you are correct. If you mean Nix and Gailey then be glad because firing those guys now would set this team back even further. PTR Overdorf and Littman are attached to Ralph's hip. They will never be cut loose by the owner. They are his trusted business and finance associates. The best that one can hope for is that Nix/Gailey/Whaley are allowed to do their jobs without major interference from the Michigan clan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rico Posted October 8, 2010 Share Posted October 8, 2010 Ralph Will Never Fire This Regime No, but the new ownership will wipe the slate clean, I think only some players and maybe a low-level clerk or two will remain.... have faith, it's coming. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bkc Posted October 8, 2010 Share Posted October 8, 2010 you know it is a good thing to have stability in the fornt office, it is a good thing to have a system in place year after year after year. Now all they need it the right players. It will get done\ In budyy we trust Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flmike Posted October 9, 2010 Share Posted October 9, 2010 The Kelsay extension eroded my faith a bit. Green was probably the only experienced tackle on the market that was willing to come to Buffalo at the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Green Lightning Posted October 9, 2010 Share Posted October 9, 2010 (edited) John Guy never made a pro personnel move as dubious as bringing in Cornell Green for $3 million per year. Green was a stop gap signing. Likely for depth and I trust he will be a back-up by season's end. Bad as he is, he's better than our reserves last year. The only move that has given me pause is the Kelsay extension. That, as the King once said "is puzzlement" and I will never buy it. What I need to see from Buddy now is shedding more dead wood and do a few more trades for picks - even if it means moving Stroud, Donte and even Evans if the price is right. We need to see the young guys and rooks play. Wood needs to be at center after the bye. Green needs to be on the bench. Edited October 9, 2010 by Green Lightning Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PJBrown Posted October 9, 2010 Share Posted October 9, 2010 4 weeks? Why would they not have lasted 4 weeks into the first season of a major rebuilding project? As for the young hungry GM I believe Doug Whaley was brought in from Pittsburgh as Assistant GM to be groomed as Nix's replacement when he eventually (probably sooner rather than later) retires. He has been mentioned as one of the best young General Manger "prospects" for a few years now, in fact, some of the critiques levied at the Bills when they hired Nix was that they should have hired Whaley. The fact that Nix brought him in as the de facto 2nd in command indicates he is more than likely the natural successor for the position. I can't imagine a better man for the job. Don't be fooled by blowhards like the OP--- the Bills appear to be in good hands for the first time in a long time. I think it's pretty clear from the way they've been handling business, from both an evaluation and coaching standpoint. The fact that the team on the field still sucks is only indicative of the 10 years of crappy management. It takes time. More than 4 weeks, anyway. SSSHHHH.....don't interject any common sense in any of these "we suck and always will" rants....it'll just slow down the rodeo FWI I am with you....for the first time in a long time I feel that there is a definite plan and it's being executed...these guys seem to be winners and expect to win....it may be rough this year but I am enjoying the show...it feels like we are having a boring appetizer but know that tthe 2 lb lobster tail is coming soon... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helpmenow Posted October 9, 2010 Share Posted October 9, 2010 RW thinks their 4-0, why would he! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NaPolian8693 Posted October 10, 2010 Author Share Posted October 10, 2010 If this regime doesn't turn it around and the team suffers several dismal losing seasons in a row, I'm saying Ralph is now too old to do anything about it. The Bills can win four or fewer games for the next three or four seasons and if Ralph stays alive there will be no consequences for failure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts