Uncle Monkeyhead Posted October 1, 2011 Share Posted October 1, 2011 Media Attention: I liked it for about two days, now I'm almost sickened by it. First off, I really hate that the national mainstream media says things like "Nobody was giving Buffalo a chance" and had them ranked dead last in the division before the season started. The "nobody" was them. Why don't they say "we" as in the so-called experts? Now I'm seeing things like "Ryan Fitzpatrick is a big reason they are 3-0". Well, duh....but 3 weeks ago they were still calling him a journeyman and "not a franchise QB". Now it's "Buffalo better rework that deal and tie him up". It's been 3 games....they crack me up. We, as in Bills fans, knew there was something special about Fitz last year.....well, a great majority of us. I don't know any Bills fan personally that wanted to draft a QB in April. There were some here on TSW, but not a majority. Fitz was one of the first QB's to hold off-season workouts with his recievers and Freddy, yet there was not a mention of it from the mainstream media. The recognition went to other QB's in bigger markets (can't remember who exactly any more). Then I just read the "5 Questions with Fred Jackson". I'm glad to be able to read it, don't get me wrong, and Fred definitely deserves it, but he deserved it last year, and the year before. We all knew what he meant to this team. The odds that this guy faced is similar to that of Kurt Warner before his star shined like a beacon for the media to flock to. Ah Freddy....I'm glad to say I held you as the heart and soul of this offense for the last 3 years. Which leads me to the next topic..... Marv Levy: I read a lot of negative stuff on this board about Marv's GM moves that set this team back. Well, I for one never trashed Marv. I think it was great to have him in the FO.....mainly because he brought us F-Jack. Marv saw something and kept his word to this guy and look at what it has done for this team. One of Marv's best qualities paid off huge for the Bills. I mean, he kept in contact with Fred monthly while he was on the outside looking in at the NFL. Kudos to Marv. I am just wondering if anyone still feels his GM days hurt this franchise. Any thoughts/feedback? Go Bills! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Offside Number 76 Posted October 1, 2011 Share Posted October 1, 2011 I'm a little sick of the media attention, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phillyrich Posted October 1, 2011 Share Posted October 1, 2011 I don't the media attention we get especially when the media attention focus's in on the break down of how we beat each of our three opponents. I don't think Marv did a stellar job as a GM. To the question of whether Marv as a GM hurt the bills, I have no justification other than to say yes. Marv did not grade out well as a GM was his draft day decision making and the money he wasted in overpaying on average free agents - Derrick Dockery and Langston Walker. With how the Bills missed on picks 1, 2, 3 in the 06 and 07 draft, those misses set the franchise back a few years. In 06 we could have drafted Haloti Ngata, we draft Donte Whitner. In 07, we could have traded up to either draft Adrian Peterson or Patrick Willis, we draft Marshawn Lynch. With regards to FJ, you have to remember that Tom Modrak was working on the staff with Marv when Marv was here. When it comes to uncovering un-drafted free agents, Modrak had a hand in that. Modrak had a hand in uncovering Jabari Greer as well. Make no mistake, we absolutely scored with Fred Jackson. He is my favorite Bill. Me personally, I saw him as a better running back and overall player than Marshawn Lynch. I am happy he is here and I hope he retires a Bill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plenzmd1 Posted October 1, 2011 Share Posted October 1, 2011 (edited) Marv Levy: I read a lot of negative stuff on this board about Marv's GM moves that set this team back. Well, I for one never trashed Marv. I think it was great to have him in the FO.....mainly because he brought us F-Jack. Marv saw something and kept his word to this guy and look at what it has done for this team. One of Marv's best qualities paid off huge for the Bills. I mean, he kept in contact with Fred monthly while he was on the outside looking in at the NFL. Kudos to Marv. I am just wondering if anyone still feels his GM days hurt this franchise. Any thoughts/feedback? Go Bills! In terms of media attention..i love it, but it worries me if it takes their focus away. I do know I listen to all lot of talk radio as i drive quite a bit..and the rest of the country is tired of hearing about the Bills as well. To Marv..I can only point back to interviews he did a month or so back while out promoting his book. He felt the Bills gave up to soon on players like Edwards and McGargo, and especially gave up to soon on ole Dickie J. Now thats a scary thought to think where we would be if Trent was still under center with Jauron on the sidelines...30,000 in the stands maybe? Edited October 1, 2011 by plenzmd1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gray Beard Posted October 1, 2011 Share Posted October 1, 2011 I agree with both points from the OP. The media attention is getting scary, and when (if?) the Bills lose, that attention will flip to being just as negative. Fitz has demonstrated for as long as he was in a Bills uniform that he is a starting caliber NFL quarterback. These days, a combination of ability and intelligence from the likes of P. Manning, Brady, Aaron Rogers, Drew Brees and a few others make them potential MVPs. Fitz may be a notch lower in terms of passing ability but he is right up there in terms of intelligence (I mean football intelligence, not the Harvard intelligence). In terms of being negative on Marv Levy as GM, I feel that some people are forgetting some Bills history. In my opinion, the guy who is responsible for a decade of mediocrity is Tom Donahoe. He came with a great pedigree, but he soon became arrogant and unapproachable. When Ralph finally realized that he had to go, he ended up turning to Marv as a familiar and reliable old friend. I have no problem with that. I feel that now with Nix and Gailey, the Bills are finally on the right track in terms of getting the right people in place to move things forward. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eme123 Posted October 1, 2011 Share Posted October 1, 2011 Yes. Marv deserves some props for Freddie J Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuntheDamnBall Posted October 1, 2011 Share Posted October 1, 2011 Thanks, Marv! Thanks for the UDFA star running back. Nice find. Thanks also for drafting a first round RB bust, a DT bust that you traded up for, a plethora of CBs, and all those victories. Also thanks for Dick Jauron. Without his extreme futility the bills probably would have attracted a more "name candidate" as successor, which, it turns out, would not have been good. It's worked out, but I thank Marv only for the memories of the seasons in which he helped the team get to the Super Bowl. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miyagi-Do Karate Posted October 1, 2011 Share Posted October 1, 2011 Me personally, I saw him as a better running back and overall player than Marshawn Lynch. I am happy he is here and I hope he retires a Bill. Lynch defenders always boggled my mind. I remember getting ripped apart for arguing that Jackson was the much better back, and Lynch was just a dancer. Do folks still think Lynch is better? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greybeard Posted October 1, 2011 Share Posted October 1, 2011 My link I don't think anyone posted this link, but it shows Marv's opinion of the team at the start of the season. He wasn't too happy to see his guys go. I think in Marv's opinion, his guys were not the problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob in STL Posted October 1, 2011 Share Posted October 1, 2011 (edited) Media Attention: I liked it for about two days, now I'm almost sickened by it. First off, I really hate that the national mainstream media says things like "Nobody was giving Buffalo a chance" and had them ranked dead last in the division before the season started. The "nobody" was them. Why don't they say "we" as in the so-called experts? Now I'm seeing things like "Ryan Fitzpatrick is a big reason they are 3-0". Well, duh....but 3 weeks ago they were still calling him a journeyman and "not a franchise QB". Now it's "Buffalo better rework that deal and tie him up". It's been 3 games....they crack me up. We, as in Bills fans, knew there was something special about Fitz last year.....well, a great majority of us. I don't know any Bills fan personally that wanted to draft a QB in April. There were some here on TSW, but not a majority. Fitz was one of the first QB's to hold off-season workouts with his recievers and Freddy, yet there was not a mention of it from the mainstream media. The recognition went to other QB's in bigger markets (can't remember who exactly any more). Then I just read the "5 Questions with Fred Jackson". I'm glad to be able to read it, don't get me wrong, and Fred definitely deserves it, but he deserved it last year, and the year before. We all knew what he meant to this team. The odds that this guy faced is similar to that of Kurt Warner before his star shined like a beacon for the media to flock to. Ah Freddy....I'm glad to say I held you as the heart and soul of this offense for the last 3 years. Which leads me to the next topic..... Marv Levy: I read a lot of negative stuff on this board about Marv's GM moves that set this team back. Well, I for one never trashed Marv. I think it was great to have him in the FO.....mainly because he brought us F-Jack. Marv saw something and kept his word to this guy and look at what it has done for this team. One of Marv's best qualities paid off huge for the Bills. I mean, he kept in contact with Fred monthly while he was on the outside looking in at the NFL. Kudos to Marv. I am just wondering if anyone still feels his GM days hurt this franchise. Any thoughts/feedback? Go Bills! Media attention - It is fun but too much promotion is a bad thing. They need to stay humble and play like they are proving themselves. They have a long season in front of them and I feel that if they miss the playoffs again this will just look like another misssed opportunity. Marv - I love Marv but he was not a good GM. The Jauron selection was not inspiring and he was defending Dickie J and his players right up to the start of the sesson. As for Freddy Jax, Marv did not find him. Jackson went to Coe College which is where Marv got his undergraduate degree. Jackson's coach called Marv told him about Jackson. This was a one of those "please give one of our guys a look" thing. Credit Marv and Co, when they gave him a look they liked what they saw but then again Marv also drafted Marshawn Lynch in the first round. Edited October 1, 2011 by Bob in STL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C.Biscuit97 Posted October 1, 2011 Share Posted October 1, 2011 Say what you want about Marv & Jauron but they produced 7-9 football teams that were quarterbacked by Losman & Edwards. The Colts, put together by the great Bill Polian, lost Manning & look like they might go winless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clip Smith Posted October 1, 2011 Share Posted October 1, 2011 Say what you want about Marv & Jauron but they produced 7-9 football teams that were quarterbacked by Losman & Edwards. The Colts, put together by the great Bill Polian, lost Manning & look like they might go winless. Great point... Marv was brought in because Donahoe was a snakeoil salesman and we had just suffered through a blowhard coach in Williams and a meathead in Mularkey. Marv and Jauron were a transition to stop the rocking of the ship and get it back on course. It wasn't until Modrak was out of here that we stopped with the gadget guys in the draft. I still don't understand why Polian wasn't on the phone with Cincy for Carson Palmer a month ago. It's almost too late to salvage at this point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thewildrabbit Posted October 1, 2011 Share Posted October 1, 2011 Media attention - It is fun but too much promotion is a bad thing. They need to stay humble and play like they are proving themselves. They have a long season in front of them and I feel that if they miss the playoffs again this will just look like another misssed opportunity. Marv - I love Marv but he was not a good GM. The Jauron selection was not inspiring and he was defending Dickie J and his players right up to the start of the sesson. As for Freddy Jax, Marv did not find him. Jackson went to Coe College which is where Marv got his undergraduate degree. Jackson's coach called Marv told him about Jackson. This was a one of those "please give one of our guys a look" thing. Credit Marv and Co, when they gave him a look they liked what they saw but then again Marv also drafted Marshawn Lynch in the first round. I dunno exactly how Fred Jackson was introduced to Marv Levy, but I can tell you for a certainty that Marv is entirely the reason Fred Jackson is a Buffalo Bill. He was signed to the Bill practice squad in 2006 From Freddy himself: ""People like Coach Levy. He knew me from Coe College, from being alumni. He gave me a chance. There aren't a lot of people at Division III schools that know someone that can bring them to an NFL camp to get a chance like that."" http://bleacherrepor...and-his-answers For as long as I've been reading in this forum it seems almost weekly i see a post written about how Marv and Jauron screwed this franchise. There is no question that Jauron was a horrible choice as HC, and an even more horrible de facto GM after Marv left the Bills I do recall reading that Marv went to the owner and presented him with two candidates, ex- GB Packer HC Mike Sherman and Dick Jauron and the owner hired Jauron. I also recall Marv stating that in regards to the draft it would be by committee, that he and the scouts would have input but that Jauron would make the final decision. Anyway, as long as Tom Modrak had any input into the draft it was doomed before it even started. All Marv Levy did was comply to the owner of this franchise when he was asked to step in and help by being the GM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJ (not THAT RJ) Posted October 1, 2011 Share Posted October 1, 2011 Great point... Marv was brought in because Donahoe was a snakeoil salesman and we had just suffered through a blowhard coach in Williams and a meathead in Mularkey. Marv and Jauron were a transition to stop the rocking of the ship and get it back on course. It wasn't until Modrak was out of here that we stopped with the gadget guys in the draft. I still don't understand why Polian wasn't on the phone with Cincy for Carson Palmer a month ago. It's almost too late to salvage at this point. The Polian worshippers on this board will spin this as proof of what a genius Bill is for setting the Colts up to draft Andrew Luck.... But I especially liked the OP's comment on media attention. I love the fawning press as much as the next fan, but truth is that up until 12 September, the media (and many people on this board) were outdoing themselves in heaping scorn and derision on the Bills, their players, the FO, and their fans. Even though Buffalo was still the same wonderful place then that is is now, Fitz an Fred were the same people, etc. etc.. As I have said before in this forum and elsewhere (http://therecoveringpolitician.com/friends/ronaldg/ron-granieri-heres-to-the-laundry-and-the-guys-in-it), it is not true that Americans love an underdog. Americans hate underdogs until they win; then they rush to embrace them. Before they win, underdogs are "losers," loveable only in the eyes of their most devoted fans. But to all those who want to jump on the bandwagon, I can only say, "Come on up, and enjoy the ride!" Amazing what a couple of wins can do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelly the Dog Posted October 1, 2011 Share Posted October 1, 2011 I love the media attention since it does a pretty good job of disproving most all of the crap people post about how the media hates Buffalo and they don't give us any respect and all they do is trash us like it is a conscious decision and unwarranted hatred of a small market. Guess what, you win you get media attention, too much of it, and likely not worthy of it. You lose, the media dumps on you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hapless Bills Fan Posted October 1, 2011 Share Posted October 1, 2011 My link I don't think anyone posted this link, but it shows Marv's opinion of the team at the start of the season. He wasn't too happy to see his guys go. I think in Marv's opinion, his guys were not the problem. I was hoping someone would bring that up. Thanks, Greybeard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Monkeyhead Posted October 2, 2011 Author Share Posted October 2, 2011 The media attention will reach a new level if we beat the Bengals Sunday. Because I truly believe the Bills will...and I believe even more, that the Pats* and Jets will lose this week as well. We should be up 2 games on both of them by Sunday evening. This is a huge opportunity for the Bills. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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