Put yourself in our players shoes

[BuffaloBaumer]

Do you have any idea how much these guys OWE the Bills. No other team in the entire NFL would have 90% of these guys as back ups let alone starters. These guys are getting paid HUGE by the only team dumb enough to do it....I think they are happy

[Albany,n.y.]

Suppose your boss came to your office one day and told everyone that the company is in shambles. The boss goes further on to say that its going to take us years to be respectable. As an employee, you're probably going to start sending out your resumes to as many companies as possible looking for new employment. Now, imagine you are one of our QB's who just heard his boss say that he's going to draft a QB next year. Are you going to work as hard as you can to help this team win now, or are you going to show up each day, do as little work as possible, knowing that you're going to be let go by the end of the year.

 

I can't remember a time in recent memory where an owner of an NFL franchise came out and told his fan base and team that it's going to take a few years to rebuild. No one does that for obvious reasons. I'm afraid a lot of players and fans just checked out. Again, how would you feel if you were a player on this team?

For a player, there are 2 ways to go:

1)You contact Darryl Talley and ask him how he held up during the back to back 2-14 seasons, and follow what he says

2)You give up & go home like Aaron Schobel

[Red]

You know major, I keep thinking this on Game days.

 

Especially watching our beleaguered 'D' these past few years. Just knowing the physical pounding you are about to take, just for your offense to screw it up by turning the ball over, or going 3 and out...it is really something. It goes beyond physical talent.

 

I would say personal pride is the only thing that can keep these guys going in this dreaded time of the Buffalo Bills.

 

But it has got to be a tough mind game to not only get yourself ready for the game, but once the game has started and the beat-down has begun, to keep your head in the game must take so much work.

 

Too mentally draining for most mere mortals, I can tell you that.

 

To take your analogy further, it's like going into your job everyday, only to be beaten to a pulp by Mike Tyson, then to know that you'll have enough time to go home, ice up, rest some, and then come back in a few days for another beating.

 

If it wasn't for their salaries, I'm sure most would quit.

 

The other thing most companies would do is perform some root cause analysis to identify the problem areas, document the current processes, develop a list of process improvements, define a future state, and then develop a transition plan to be executed in order to redefine the organization based on the vision of the future.

 

Losing is just a symptom of the problem. The lack of talent is just a symptom of the problem. No franchise QB is just a symptom of the problem. Bad drafts are just a symptom of the problem. Poor free agent signings is just a symptom of the problem.

 

The root cause (if I might jump ahead) is the management team cannot properly evaluate and acquire the necessary talent to produce a winning team on the field. So the solution is to re-train the current staff in proper player evaluation techniques (whatever they might be) or replace the management team with a group of professionals that can correctly evaluate and acquire talent.

 

I'll wager that while Ralph recognizes the problem he will do absolutely nothing fundamental to change the organization, management personnel, reporting structures, or the business processes used at OBD. What we're likely to see is some token cosmetic gesture aimed at producing the illusion of progress while in reality nothing will change.

 

While I started the season with a positive outlook I'm becoming more and more negative and I'm afraid we're at the mercy of blind luck rather than some well thought out strategy to achieve success on the field.

 

 

You sir, are a genius!

 

I could not have said it any better myself.

 

Tom Modrak must go. The scouting department must be entirely cleaned out. Overdorf and Littman must be demoted to handling contracts only and scrubbing toilets on the side. All the players (except Wood, Jackson, Spiller, Evans, Parrish, Williams, Moorman, Lindell, McKelvin, McGee, and Bryd) should be sent packing.

[BillsfaninFl]

An important point I don't see anyone else has brought up is the impact a statement like Ralph's makes to free agents. To state we lack talent and it's going to take years to get back on track, what free agent in his prime is going to want to come to the Bills?

 

Would you want to sign on in the prime of your career because you think this team is going to improve?? Hell no. With statements like that the only free agents the Bills are going to attract are those with marginal talent that want as top dollar as they can get....... (see Marcus Stroud and Kawika "I go to who pays me the $$" Mitchell)

 

Have you noticed that Wilson has said several things in the last few years that is illadvised for an NFL owner. Like admitting what an inefficient process was used to hire a new GM. Even when he does the right thing, like voting against the now defunct contract with the Players Association, he says, "I didn't understand it." These are not the comments of a savy businessman. He may have been that years ago, but I don't think he deserves that label any more.

[ConradDobler]

I lost my shoes

 

Maybe it was Ralph?

[ChasBB]

Suppose your boss came to your office one day and told everyone that the company is in shambles. The boss goes further on to say that its going to take us years to be respectable. As an employee, you're probably going to start sending out your resumes to as many companies as possible looking for new employment. Now, imagine you are one of our QB's who just heard his boss say that he's going to draft a QB next year. Are you going to work as hard as you can to help this team win now, or are you going to show up each day, do as little work as possible, knowing that you're going to be let go by the end of the year.

 

I can't remember a time in recent memory where an owner of an NFL franchise came out and told his fan base and team that it's going to take a few years to rebuild. No one does that for obvious reasons. I'm afraid a lot of players and fans just checked out. Again, how would you feel if you were a player on this team?

THANK YOU for posting this. I had this very same thought. Fitz has lost 3 games and being a successful QB is all about winning, so I'm not here to defend Fitz, but his role in the 3 losses he started in is minimal when your defense is giving up 30+ points per game. The team is not 0-5 because of Fitz. I thought it was an idiotic thing for the owner to say. He could have just said something like "we need to improve at nearly all positions" and just leave it at that. He didn't have to say we're out to get a QB next year. Oh, here's a thought, how about improving the LINES first!

[RuntheDamnBall]

THANK YOU for posting this. I had this very same thought. Fitz has lost quarterbacked the team that lost 3 games and being a successful QB is all about winning, so I'm not here to defend Fitz, but his role in the 3 losses he started in is minimal when your defense is giving up 30+ points per game. The team is not 0-5 because of Fitz. I thought it was an idiotic thing for the owner to say. He could have just said something like "we need to improve at nearly all positions" and just leave it at that. He didn't have to say we're out to get a QB next year. Oh, here's a thought, how about improving the LINES first!

Fixed. Individual players don't win and lose games. Wins aren't a stat for individual players in football. Your points are taken, though.

 

I am not sure why Wilson felt the need to divulge the need for a QB. For one, you never know when a good FA QB is going to come available, and two, broadcasting your draft plans is always a stupid idea.

[Pilsner]

Suppose your boss came to your office one day and told everyone that the company is in shambles. The boss goes further on to say that its going to take us years to be respectable. As an employee, you're probably going to start sending out your resumes to as many companies as possible looking for new employment. Now, imagine you are one of our QB's who just heard his boss say that he's going to draft a QB next year. Are you going to work as hard as you can to help this team win now, or are you going to show up each day, do as little work as possible, knowing that you're going to be let go by the end of the year.

 

I can't remember a time in recent memory where an owner of an NFL franchise came out and told his fan base and team that it's going to take a few years to rebuild. No one does that for obvious reasons. I'm afraid a lot of players and fans just checked out. Again, how would you feel if you were a player on this team?

 

 

I would be working my ass off from the moment I made it on the roster as a rookie. It wouldn't take a speech by my boss to get me going. Everyone is different though. Some people are motivated by money, others by pride in what they do, and of course there is a combination of these and other factors.

 

If any players checked out, then we didn't need them to begin with. You grow from perseverance. Just my 2 cents.