WarMemorial Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 I must first admit to being a casual Bills follower- due to, in my opinion, the fan- loyalty-killing effects of "free agency" (please let's not debate this grenade here!). Simply stated, my reason is that when I was growing up- MANY years ago- I had access to all the Bills players through my father's work. I viewed them all as friends, hanging out at training camps each year and being lucky enough to entertain a lot of the early Bills at our home. My allegiance grew from that intimacy and when free agency became law and players changed teams so often, I became disillusioned on just whom to root for. Enough of this history! The purpose of this thread is to coax my forum mates to open dialogues on just WHAT the Bills need to really be successful and to become a legendary franchise, so the fans can experience WINNING! Possible answers are a better front office, coaching, coaches, playbook, players, draft, new ownership. etc. Please share your passion and suggestions, but don't merely list them- DEFEND and legitimize them! And let's not devolve into demeaning the opinions expressed; let's rather attempt to distill our points into a plan! Thanks ya'll! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsPhan Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 (edited) ...The purpose of this thread is to coax my forum mates to open dialogues on just WHAT the Bills need to really be successful and to become a legendary franchise, so the fans can experience WINNING!... Before I list anything, the Buffalo Bills are already a "legendary franchise". Since 1960, they are one of only two NFL franchises that are still owned by the same MAN, not just "family", that originally started the teams. (Wilson and crazy Al Davis out in Oakland, but Ralph has kept the Bills here since 1960, while Al has taken his Raiders down to L.A. and then back up to Oakland again.) They are the only NFL team in the history of Super Bowls to play in 4 consecutive ones. They are the only NFL franchise to ever play regular season games in Canada. That makes them pretty legendary as far as I'm concerned, although losing all 4 of those SB's and taking home games out of RWS certainly is not the type of "legendary" for we fans that I know you really mean. So here is my list of things to do so to speak, for the Bills to become "legendary" in the hearts and souls of we die hard Bills fans: Long Term Goals: 1) Dump the games in Toronto after the original contract is up - forever. Let Toronto get their own team into the NFL if it thinks it would be such a great city to add. 2) Sign another 25 year lease with Erie County to remain here and play in RWS and then eventually in a new stadium to be built ONLY in downtown Buffalo - WITH a retractable roof like Indy has. 3) For #2 to ever happen, Western New York must come up with an ownernship group that will buy the team from the Wilson family after Ralph dies. Short Term Goals for these Buffalo Bills to start winning again: 1) Sign at least TWO high quality free agents for the OL or the DL or at LB - THIS March, if the new collective bargaining agreement gets done. (If it doesn't get done by March 1st, the first day of UFA signing period, there most likely won't be a season in 2011.) 2) Draft a franchise QB....Gabbert, Locker or even Newton, this April. 3) Bring in Dave Waandstadt or another qualified defensive coach to replace or "oversee" George Edwards.....NOW....this off season. 4) Draft the very best available OT and DT along with the franchise QB this coming draft, with that high pick in each round. Edited January 17, 2011 by BillsPhan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EastRochBillsfan Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 I must first admit to being a casual Bills follower- due to, in my opinion, the fan- loyalty-killing effects of "free agency" (please let's not debate this grenade here!). Simply stated, my reason is that when I was growing up- MANY years ago- I had access to all the Bills players through my father's work. I viewed them all as friends, hanging out at training camps each year and being lucky enough to entertain a lot of the early Bills at our home. My allegiance grew from that intimacy and when free agency became law and players changed teams so often, I became disillusioned on just whom to root for. Enough of this history! The purpose of this thread is to coax my forum mates to open dialogues on just WHAT the Bills need to really be successful and to become a legendary franchise, so the fans can experience WINNING! Possible answers are a better front office, coaching, coaches, playbook, players, draft, new ownership. etc. Please share your passion and suggestions, but don't merely list them- DEFEND and legitimize them! And let's not devolve into demeaning the opinions expressed; let's rather attempt to distill our points into a plan! Thanks ya'll! I think that's what we do here everyday. minus the demeaning of opinions expressed part, of course. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WarMemorial Posted January 17, 2011 Author Share Posted January 17, 2011 I think that's what we do here everyday. minus the demeaning of opinions expressed part, of course. I figured as much Guess I'm hoping to make a concise thread- to save time in searching the 1000's of threads for the pearls And thanks to Billsphan for participating- and by "legendary" I meant perhaps 8-10 Super Bowl victories! Your points are well taken however! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homey D. Clown Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 Before I list anything, the Buffalo Bills are already a "legendary franchise". Since 1960, they are one of only two NFL franchises that are still owned by the same MAN, not just "family", that originally started the teams. (Wilson and crazy Al Davis out in Oakland, but Ralph has kept the Bills here since 1960, while Al has taken his Raiders down to L.A. and then back up to Oakland again.) They are the only NFL team in the history of Super Bowls to play in 4 consecutive ones. They are the only NFL franchise to ever play regular season games in Canada. That makes them pretty legendary as far as I'm concerned, although losing all 4 of those SB's and taking home games out of RWS certainly is not the type of "legendary" for we fans that I know you really mean. So here is my list of things to do so to speak, for the Bills to become "legendary" in the hearts and souls of we die hard Bills fans: Long Term Goals: 1) Dump the games in Toronto after the original contract is up - forever. Let Toronto get their own team into the NFL if it thinks it would be such a great city to add. 2) Sign another 25 year lease with Erie County to remain here and play in RWS and then eventually in a new stadium to be built ONLY in downtown Buffalo - WITH a retractable roof like Indy has. 3) For #2 to ever happen, Western New York must come up with an ownernship group that will buy the team from the Wilson family after Ralph dies. Short Term Goals for these Buffalo Bills to start winning again: 1) Sign at least TWO high quality free agents for the OL or the DL or at LB - THIS March, if the new collective bargaining agreement gets done. (If it doesn't get done by March 1st, the first day of UFA signing period, there most likely won't be a season in 2011.) 2) Draft a franchise QB....Gabbert, Locker or even Newton, this April. 3) Bring in Dave Waandstadt or another qualified defensive coach to replace or "oversee" George Edwards.....NOW....this off season. 4) Draft the very best available OT and DT along with the franchise QB this coming draft, with that high pick in each round. I couldn't have said this better myself. The team does need to add an elite QB at some point, this is just unavoidable no matter how you feel about Fitzpatrick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sisyphean Bills Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 Chet Soda was the original owner of the Oakland Raiders. The good news is that Bud Adams was the original and only owner of the Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPicc2114 Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 Paul Bearer ftw Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hapless Bills Fan Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 Long Term Goals: 1) Dump the games in Toronto after the original contract is up - forever. Let Toronto get their own team into the NFL if it thinks it would be such a great city to add. 2) Sign another 25 year lease with Erie County to remain here and play in RWS and then eventually in a new stadium to be built ONLY in downtown Buffalo - WITH a retractable roof like Indy has. 3) For #2 to ever happen, Western New York must come up with an ownernship group that will buy the team from the Wilson family after Ralph dies. Agree with you, and hopefully you realize this, many do not: #3 is against league rules unless it is a small group with a majority stake? At least, one stake has to be >30%. Short Term Goals for these Buffalo Bills to start winning again: 2) Draft a franchise QB....Gabbert, Locker or even Newton, this April. Would you be so kind as to wander over to the neighboring "franchise QB" thread, and give us the benefit of your thoughts on what is a franchise QB? That would be so helpful to me. I agree with the chap who started that thread, it's become a puzzling term to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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