thewildrabbit Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 While on one hand it is good that the owner is in constant direct contact with his head coach, on the other it makes me wonder how much mental awareness does the owner have if he let a complete offensive moron like Dick Jauron ruin QB's. It also brings up the question that perhaps Jauron was asked to promote Turk Schonert and AVP rather then hiring a known name OC. Looking back over the last 8 years or so that RW has been president of the Buffalo Bills, and given the track record of the drafts.... If Tom Donahoe got fired for Mike Williams, then RW should fire and remove himself over picks like JP Losman-Aaron Maybin-John McCargo and all the rest of the miscues and draft blunders. To RW: hire GM Thomas Dimertoff away from Atlanta and make him president, step away and go play with your race horses, stop trying to compete with Al Davis to see who can screw up their team the most. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bflojohn Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 It seems to me that Ralph, historically, has hired strong, independant leaders at certain stages of ownership. Whether it was Lou Saban, Chuch Knox, Bill Polian, or the current group, he seemingly can tolerate the "anti" yes men for a short period of time. In my view, from years of following this team, we have been "on the brink" several times, only to be short curcuited by Ralph at the critical juncture! Unbelievably, he lasted out Marv Levy to its logical duration, but he's NOT allowed others to finish the jobs they were hired to do. In my sense of things, this is his biggest failing, and unlike, say the Pittsburgh Steelers, as an example, we can only reach mediocrity because of his meddlesome ways. I firmly believe the leopard doesn't change his stripes, so new ownership, in my eyes is the tonic for success in the future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wardigital Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 The team was remarkably well coached by Gailey this year, considering the absolute lack of talent. If Ralph does this to his coaches, it doesn't seem to have hurt Gailey very much. I don't think Gailey could have squeezed another drop out of this team. Several remarkably close games against playoff teams, a big comeback victory, beating one of our division rivals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pine Barrens Mafia Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 leopard doesn't change his stripes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
finknottle Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 I think it's unusual for an NFL owner in this day and age to insist that his head coach be available to him for a weekly "fireside chat." That is what the GM is for. I think it would be unusual if they didn't. Sure, one school of thought say's the head coach reports to the GM, and the GM talks regularly to the owner. But how many head coaches in the NFL see it that way? How many are content to say they work for the GM, and have their fate decided by the GM rather than the owner? I think most teams view the GM and the head coach as semi-equals. They work together, but both report to and are judged by ownership. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanInUticaTampa Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 How has that worked out for him? Pretty damn good. turned 25k into millions and millions of dollars, four afc championships, not bad at all. Of course, the team hasn't won much in the last 10 years, but if I was ralph, I would say things worked out pretty well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djrocks Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 http://blogs.buffalobills.com/2011/01/10/chan-talks-to-mr-wilson/ What I find interesting in here is the mention that Ralph and Chan "visit every week" during the season. That may not seem like much, but it is. Over the years, I've seen it hinted at by insiders and reporters alike that one of the things that Ralph does that drives his subordinates insane is in-week meddling during the season. One reporter (can't remember which one) wrote that Ralph typically would bug his coaches on Monday and Tuesday about the previous game, making them spend hours on the phone with him on the two days that were most critical for gameplanning for the next game. Chan's comments make me wonder if this is still a problem. I also wonder how common it is among NFL owners. I'm guessing it's unusual for an owner to insist on access to the head coach every single week. It would drive me nuts as a coach - while the owner is my employer and surely is entitled to check in and kick the tires whenever he wants, he should try to restrain himself as much as possible. That's what a GM is for, among other things - running interference between ownership and middle management. do you seriously think that is not the practice with every owner in the league.IMO it only shows that Ralph is genuinly interested in whats going on with his team every owner is and if they are not then i guarantee their teams suck. to take these talks as meddling is crazy and to say that the practice is someway wrong is also crazy IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beerball Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 Striped leopard gecko? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K-9 Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 Yeah. The Bills would be SO MUCH better if only RW didn't speak to his employees over the phone on a weekly basis. There's a difference between talking to your personnel and inserting yourself into their processes like Jones, Snyder, Davis, et al have been doing for years. Yep. Once RW stops calling the Bills will magically transform into a team full of talented players and the coaches will never make a mistake again. Right. GO BILLS!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
birdog1960 Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 Pretty damn good. turned 25k into millions and millions of dollars, four afc championships, not bad at all. Of course, the team hasn't won much in the last 10 years, but if I was ralph, I would say things worked out pretty well. and you'd be wrong if winning consistently, or even more often than losing were significant factors in your criteria. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thewildrabbit Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 The team was remarkably well coached by Gailey this year, considering the absolute lack of talent. If Ralph does this to his coaches, it doesn't seem to have hurt Gailey very much. I don't think Gailey could have squeezed another drop out of this team. Several remarkably close games against playoff teams, a big comeback victory, beating one of our division rivals. This was a joke right? Well coached? Dick Jauron and Trent Edwards ALMOST beat the Patriots in the Pats home opener 2 years ago.... almost doesn't count for anything!! Yea, Chan Gailey was ALMOST named coach of the year for his magnificent coaching job this year Get a freakin grip willya.... the Bills won 4 games against 4 bad teams. The one division rival you talk about ALMOST recently fired their current HC, but didn't because they couldn't hire Harbough. I'll bet they will replace their starting QB in Chad Henne, who btw ended up with better stats then Fitz this past season. That last game against the Jets showed what this team would have done without Fitz at QB most of the year, maybe no wins? That last game showed that Fitz has been carrying the team, what happens if he suffers a season ending injury the first game next year, what then? Chan Gailey did in Buffalo exactly what he did in KC as OC, that team went 2-14 with Tyler Thigpin at QB, he played well when he was healthy. So Gailey managed to upgrade the passing offense with ONE QB, and yet drafted a supposed super star RB at #9 and the running game got worse and went down hill....the Special teams and defense went downhill with basically the same players. This HC managed to take a team that they stated was "not that far off" and made them worse then last year at 6-10. The passing offense did manage to become exciting again this year, which was to be expected with an actual offensive minded HC/OC calling plays and setting up game plans. I don't see this HC beating Bill Belichick and the NE Patriots as he is an offensive version of Jauron, he made one area of the team play better. P.S.For ten years this franchise has been changing coaches and players .....every year we have to hear about the "lack of talent"...who's fault is that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob in STL Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 (edited) Pretty damn good. turned 25k into millions and millions of dollars, four afc championships, not bad at all. Of course, the team hasn't won much in the last 10 years, but if I was ralph, I would say things worked out pretty well. Stop making sense. ... and don't forget the two AFL championships and oh yeah, that Pro Football HoF induction. Edited January 11, 2011 by Bob in STL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nervous Guy Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 I don't believe it. The word around here is that Ralph is cheap and does not care about winning. Something smells fishy around here. but it does fit his MO as "meddling". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CardinalScotts Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 If he was a fan he would spend the money and be over the cap to get the right players in here. RIGHT - just the way Daniel Snyder does it !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. WEO Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 The assumption immediately inferred is that Ralph and Chan are meeting (or at least talking) each week and that Ralph is injecting some sort of opinion or mandate into how to run the team. An hour or two meeting/conversation with the owner each week about the team and what your doing is not too much too much to ask; IMO. I'd agree, if Ralph is insisting upon changes in the gameplan, then yes it's a problem. But, if he just wants to get the inside scoop every week from the HC; it's certainly within his right and I don't see how it can do any harm. To imagine that Ralph is even mentioning the gameplan in any detail, let alone insisting on changes is simply impossible. Inconceivable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nucci Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 To imagine that Ralph is even mentioning the gameplan in any detail, let alone insisting on changes is simply impossible. Inconceivable. You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shane nelson Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 This happens the end of every season, by every team in the NFL. Standard operating procedure. As far as Ralph a very good person, who has brought and retained the NFL in WNY. Does he meddle, yes. Is he a good football man. The record speaks for itself. Even during the glory days, the Bills got luck. Bill Polian was already in the organization and Marv was not considered a risky hire at the time. While the Bills will be in Buffalo as long as Ralph is alive; we will never be winners as long as he owns the team. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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