Scrappy Posted July 14, 2011 Author Share Posted July 14, 2011 Free Agency is fools gold. Unless of course the players want to come to a winning team, unlike ours. Then FA works for some but not for others, who would we attract as a 4-12 team?? You can make excuses all you want but the good teams add people through FA all the time, we can't because of record & won't because of Ralph. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orton's Arm Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 (edited) The economics speech was only believed by people who are zombies & followers, it's all based on the owners economic model. Pegula came back from out of state with Billions in his hands & is paying to improve the conditions inside HSBC. He paid top dollar for the team & is paying the players with upfront loaded contracts over long periods for cap sake. The Sabres already had solid coaching in place & a solid management system to work inside. The Bills have management that is suspect at best, a coach with little or no winning experience & a stadium that is quite old / in need of remodeling. We currently lack the talent to win over half our games on next year's schedule & have had 10 seasons of no playoffs, which tells me the current model is broke. Please don't give me a speech about baseball miracle teams that win one year, that doesn't happen that often in the NFL. It takes years of building & working to even see some type of results but moreover it takes a financial commitment from the owner to pay. Ralph will not pay anymore & will cut every corner he can in the name of profit, that is been proven year in / out. PS The Rays might win it this year but have no cigars yet. I woke up & wrote this, it's a story you'll see later this year & can come back to realize that this is how it's played out. I hate to be the bearer of bad news on the Bills front but at least I have something to look forward to out of the Sabres. The Sabres had a good mousetrap & have worked to make it better, as a fan that's all I can ask for. There's a lot in the above post with which I agree. (Though I'm more optimistic about Nix/Gailey than you seem to be.) First, you raised an excellent point about the fact it takes years to build a good team in the NFL. It's been claimed that Bill Parcells falsified that notion during his tenure with the Dolphins. He inherited a 1-15 team, and took it to a division championship during his first year as GM. But a lot of that division championship was based on lucky bounces, and a lot was based on short-term stopgaps with no long-term value. The most glaringly obvious example of the latter is at quarterback. Over the short-term, Chad Pennington's play proved a very important part of getting that division championship. But squeezing a solid year out of an aging quarterback nearing retirement is a much less impressive achievement than finding a long-term answer at QB. Parcells achieved the former without achieving the latter. This is a big reason why the Dolphins haven't made the playoffs since that year. Meaningfully rebuilding takes time, because core players like Pro Bowl quarterbacks must typically be added through the draft. "Ralph will not pay anymore & will cut every corner he can in the name of profit, that is been proven year in / out." Your statement is literally true. The last ten years have seen Antoine Winfield, Nate Clements, and Jabari Greer leave via free agency because the front office chose to pinch pennies. You could point out that San Francisco overpaid for Clements, and you'd be right. But the reason things got to that point in the first place was because of the Bills' failure to get Clements locked up long-term during the years leading up to his free agency. The Bills do seem determined to save money by cutting every corner they can--or at least by letting those corners go first-contract-and-out. Edited July 14, 2011 by Edwards' Arm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DDD Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 Huh? That was way before Snyder owned the team & the skins built their team through the draft. Free Agency is fools gold. Sure, New Orleans signed Drew Brees. Look where that got them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C.Biscuit97 Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 Sure, New Orleans signed Drew Brees. Look where that got them. Congrats. You named one franchise qb who was ever allowed on the market. Of course, if Brees doesn't wreck his shoulder to the point where teams can't pass him on a physical, he is never allowed to walk in the first place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrappy Posted July 14, 2011 Author Share Posted July 14, 2011 Congrats. You named one franchise qb who was ever allowed on the market. Of course, if Brees doesn't wreck his shoulder to the point where teams can't pass him on a physical, he is never allowed to walk in the first place. I wouldn't of called NO a great destination to land either but Brees literally put them over the top, which can happen out of FA. This was also a recent event, not like it happened decades ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KollegeStudnet Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 Excellent angle I never thought of. That would leave quite a legacy for Mr. Wilson. I hope your right. IF he passes owning the team...it's on record that the team would be sold to the highest bidder! NOW, if this means the team would be sold to the highest bidder--NOT, the highest bidder overall, but the Wilson family selecting the highest bidding person/group that will keep the team in WNY! This would make HOF owner Ralph Wilson Jr. an icon...hero...and will justify him as an owner to be remembered in the sporting world... Overall, he would be a legend...he's fought the good fight on keep this team here with us fans...I don't see him giving up on his legacy--I see it moving on to something bigger! Again, this is just my opinion...I could be wrong! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billsguy Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 Terry Pegula has sent a shadow that covers OP / the Bills that will be difficult to get out from under. It actually shows that people who want to field talent & love their team pay to bring in it in. I am really saddened by how the Bills have went down hill the past ten years & feel the time to call out Ralph is right now. Step up & make the last years of your life something to remember, open your wallet not your ~century old mouth. If you can't handle the payment, step away & sell it to a local that can. Pegula is exposing Ralph Wilson's true colors. Now it is obvious what an ambitious owner looks like and conversely what a loser owner looks like. Hopefully the next Bills owner will be more like Pegula and less like Wilson. If Wilson cared about Buffalo he would have already made arrangements to keep the team here after his demise, but he has done nothing of the sort. Hey Ralph, "You can't take it with you!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrappy Posted July 14, 2011 Author Share Posted July 14, 2011 Pegula is exposing Ralph Wilson's true colors. Now it is obvious what an ambitious owner looks like and conversely what a loser owner looks like. Hopefully the next Bills owner will be more like Pegula and less like Wilson. If Wilson cared about Buffalo he would have already made arrangements to keep the team here after his demise, but he has done nothing of the sort. Hey Ralph, "You can't take it with you!" That's pretty much my whole point in a nutshell, don't tell us about the pregnancy / just show us the baby. This BS about small market team / not making money doesn't mean that you can't step up & make financial decisions or even sell the team for an improved situation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K-9 Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 Comparing RW to TPegs is very unfair. Pegula is a unique, one in a million franchise owner. What owner in the NFL currently compares to him? I can only come up with two that are as wealthy in Paul Allen and Stephen Ross (according to Forbes anyway) but I don't see them doing anything special with their teams either. I think Robert Kraft could compare given he held Pats season tickets for years going all the way back to the Schaefer Stadium days. Anyone else? GO BILLS!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrappy Posted July 14, 2011 Author Share Posted July 14, 2011 Comparing RW to TPegs is very unfair. Pegula is a unique, one in a million franchise owner. What owner in the NFL currently compares to him? I can only come up with two that are as wealthy in Paul Allen and Stephen Ross (according to Forbes anyway) but I don't see them doing anything special with their teams either. I think Robert Kraft could compare given he held Pats season tickets for years going all the way back to the Schaefer Stadium days. Anyone else? GO BILLS!!! I think Jerry Jones is willing to invest in his, along with many other owners for the long haul. It's about improving as a franchise, not just as a team. The Sabres are becoming a first class organization & have the fan support / area support to become the new hockeytown. The Bills are 2nd class franchise at best, running at barely the minimum to keep the lights on. That effort last year was putrid & our team is a majority mix of lepers / jokes, blended with some talent. I see Dareus as a huge step in the right direction, one of many needed that will only come when Ralph is no longer affliated with this team. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cornerville Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 I have to agree with this. Honestly I am not even that excited about the Bills season, we know it will be 6-10 at best and blah. The Sabres have made a 100% committiment to winning, give me the Sabres anyday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ICanSleepWhenI'mDead Posted July 15, 2011 Share Posted July 15, 2011 (edited) The Bills do seem determined to save money by cutting every corner they can--or at least by letting those corners go first-contract-and-out. Reggie Corner must be Doubly Doomed! IF he passes owning the team...it's on record that the team would be sold to the highest bidder! Actually, it's just conventional wisdom that in that situation the team would be sold "to the highest bidder." Not the same thing. Edited July 15, 2011 by ICanSleepWhenI'mDead Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrappy Posted July 15, 2011 Author Share Posted July 15, 2011 (edited) Reggie Corner must be Doubly Doomed! Actually, it's just conventional wisdom that in that situation the team would be sold "to the highest bidder." Not the same thing. It's also conventional wisdom that our owner is not currently fielding the best possible team / coaching staff / facilities that money can buy, it's not even close. Edited July 15, 2011 by Scrappy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stony Posted July 15, 2011 Share Posted July 15, 2011 It's exciting that the Sabres are doing what they are doing. But it doesn't mean crap at this point. Fans, with their hot pocket mentality, fail to always see the big picture. The Redskins spent a ton of money. What has that gotten them? The Pack & Steelers rarely spend big money on FAs. It's not exciting but good teams build their teams through the draft. The reason the Bills haven't been in the playoffs is because they have sucked at drafting, not because they don't spend a ton of money on FAs. You're right about us sucking with the draft. However, can you honestly say it doesn't mean crap to this point regarding what the Sabres have done thus far? In the era of salary cap, this is what it feels like to root for a team that is at least going for the ultimate prize. The past month has highlighted the gap of these two team's ownership so much, I'm much more cognizant to why people crap on the Bills so much. In regards to seeing the big picture, I don't understand how fans have missed the point. Signing free agents is part of the game, something the Bills choose to forgo every offseason. Its some cruel irony that the venerable, iconic Marv Levy's 1st FA class and it's expensive busts will probably be our last foray into this integral part of the game. Go Bills. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrappy Posted July 15, 2011 Author Share Posted July 15, 2011 You're right about us sucking with the draft. However, can you honestly say it doesn't mean crap to this point regarding what the Sabres have done thus far? In the era of salary cap, this is what it feels like to root for a team that is at least going for the ultimate prize. The past month has highlighted the gap of these two team's ownership so much, I'm much more cognizant to why people crap on the Bills so much. In regards to seeing the big picture, I don't understand how fans have missed the point. Signing free agents is part of the game, something the Bills choose to forgo every offseason. Its some cruel irony that the venerable, iconic Marv Levy's 1st FA class and it's expensive busts will probably be our last foray into this integral part of the game. Go Bills. We're going to be AWOL in FA every year Ralph is around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tcali Posted July 15, 2011 Share Posted July 15, 2011 Agreed. You can't take your money to the grave. But in economically depressed WNY outside of Pegula just who is there? Please don't say Golisano- we saw how he ran the sabres. Rich,Jacobs,Cellino and barnes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hplarrm Posted July 15, 2011 Share Posted July 15, 2011 Congrats. You named one franchise qb who was ever allowed on the market. Of course, if Brees doesn't wreck his shoulder to the point where teams can't pass him on a physical, he is never allowed to walk in the first place. The one franchise QB yes but is that what your goal is as its an incredibly difficult thing to draft a franchise QB as well (just ask the teams which spent early picks on busts like Harrington, Akili Smith, Russell, Dilfer and B. Johnson. The last two are instructive as the actual goal is to win the SB (actually the for a decade unreachable goal for the Bills is to simply make the playoffs. What Dilfer, Johnson and others teach us is that the fools gold here is to bank so much on getting a franchise QB when actually there are first rounders and even two time loser players capable of leading a team to the SB. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Section 237 Posted July 15, 2011 Share Posted July 15, 2011 Regarding the Bills future. Really there is nothing 'on the record'. And why would there be? First off it is tough to tell what capital gains are going to be from one year to the next so the plan has to be fluid. Every year there are different considerations. Should Ralph come out every Jan 1 and say "ok, now the plan is....". Regarding legacy. I think it is important to Ralph. I think it just might be that it is Ralph Wilson Stadium more for legacy than for the here and now. What could be more a powerful statement than after Ralph passed having the Bills still in western NY and still playing at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Great way to get the final word and quiet the naysayers. Great exclamation point to a long and complicated legacy. Some might think that a reach. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rpcolosi Posted July 15, 2011 Share Posted July 15, 2011 The NHL is small potatoes compared to the NFL. And unlike football players, hockey players (who play on ice) don't really care too much where they play. As for the Sabres specifically, they did extremely well under Golisano, who was basically a caretaker owner who didn't spend a lot on the team. And in the NHL, 16 out of 30 teams make the playoffs, meaning it's harder to miss them than make them. So while it's great that Pegs is spending money, it means little unless the Sabres win championships. Hopefully they do that, and if they do, we can revisit this again. BINGO! problem isn't ralph. Hockey playesr are simple guys, out of the lime light. NFL players are show boats. they love the clubs and night life. big difference. hocky players stay in buffalo and raise a family. not a ton of NFLers do Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrappy Posted July 15, 2011 Author Share Posted July 15, 2011 BINGO! problem isn't ralph. Hockey playesr are simple guys, out of the lime light. NFL players are show boats. they love the clubs and night life. big difference. hocky players stay in buffalo and raise a family. not a ton of NFLers do Hockey players are smarters guys, they have to navigate ~410 violent games versus only ~56 for an NFL player on average. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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