Gordio Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 He absolutely was a HOF caliber NT. He was one of the best of his generation. If he was absolutely a HOF caliber NT then why isn't he in the HOF or even better yet even getting voted on? Take of the rose colored glasses. I have never even heard Smerlas' name be mentioned as a possible canidate for the HOF. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Offside Number 76 Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 My feelings on the topic should be obvious. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EasternOHBillsFan Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 He absolutely was a HOF caliber NT. He was one of the best of his generation. If that's the case, then he must have been a part of the weakest generation of NTs in NFL history. I'm taking Pat Williams or Ted Washington ANY DAY OF THE WEEK over him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jr1 Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 He's a mark for Belichick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Cowlings Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 http://www.buffalobi...paign=BillsBuzz I loved Fred Smerlas as a Bill. I know he was heartbroken when Marv Levy replaced him with Jeff Wright right before the Bills Super Bowl run. But living in NH I hear Fred on Boston sports talker WEEI, and he regularly put down the Bills, Ralph Wilson, and the city of Buffalo when he is on the air. He can be pretty harsh. But then Fred is more than happy to to put on a smile and come back to Buffalo to sign autographs and such. He just strikes me as a two-face. When I saw this article, I thought back to what he would say on Boston radio and think "yeah, right." PTR So I guess he should have stayed around Buffalo and done nothing with his life but wave a Bills flag around (what Jim Kelly is doing-after he failed in every other post career venture.) How come everyone forgives Kelly for the ultimate Buffalo diss (pooting about having to go to Buffalo) but has problems with Fred Smerlas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PromoTheRobot Posted September 27, 2012 Author Share Posted September 27, 2012 So I guess he should have stayed around Buffalo and done nothing with his life but wave a Bills flag around (what Jim Kelly is doing-after he failed in every other post career venture.) How come everyone forgives Kelly for the ultimate Buffalo diss (pooting about having to go to Buffalo) but has problems with Fred Smerlas? 1) Kelly had that opinion before coming to Buffalo. 2) Lots of players leave the Bills and play elsewhere but how many trash talk the team and city on radio while coming back to Buffalo for Bills-related events? PTR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
todzilla Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 So I guess he should have stayed around Buffalo and done nothing with his life but wave a Bills flag around (what Jim Kelly is doing-after he failed in every other post career venture.) How come everyone forgives Kelly for the ultimate Buffalo diss (pooting about having to go to Buffalo) but has problems with Fred Smerlas? Perhaps because he came to Buffalo and had a hall of fame career that included 4 Super bowl appearances. Oh yeah, and now he is a champion for the city. Remember that charity he runs that raises all that money to help children...what a failure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Vader Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 Why is everyone always putting Mickey Mouse down? I never understood that either. Maybe it sounds more like a put down to say "The Bills are a Mickey Mouse Operation", than it would be to say "The Bills are a Walt Disney Operation". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Jack Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mickey_Mouse#Pejorative_use_of_Mickey.27s_name Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KollegeStudnet Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 True, Fred has drank the Patsies Kool-aid over the past 10 years...it's not because he used to be a Bill, he grew up in New England and also played his final year with him in 1991--He is just being a homer just like us! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butch Rolle 4 President Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 (edited) D-Line Coach Chuck Dickerson told Marv that Fred was done and that was the biggest reason Fred was let go. Bill Polian was not happy about it either and Bill was present at a farewell party for Fred. Fred held a grudge with Marv until all the facts about his departure were divulged. Fred has always been opinionated and up for debates. Not a strong listener though. Criticizing the Bills front office should not be in any way controversial given the disastrous job they did for so long and he is always upset about the fact that the Bills never develop front office and coaches internally. He is on the inside of the Patriots organization and defends them on a regular basis to my disgust. He has been nominated for the Hall of Fame several times. He never missed a game for the Bills from 1979-1989 and played in over 200 games total at a very physical position. He made many linebackers look very good for a very long time and beat the crap out of offensive lineman and running backs. He was a force and dominated for years. He had tremendous respect for Kent Hull and I think they both are Hall of Famers. Edited September 27, 2012 by Butch Rolle 4 President Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TakeYouToTasker Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 (edited) D-Line Coach Chuck Dickerson told Marv that Fred was done and that was the biggest reason Fred was let go. Bill Polian was not happy about it either and Bill was present at a farewell party for Fred. Fred held a grudge with Marv until all the facts about his departure were divulged. Fred has always been opinionated and up for debates. Not a strong listener though. Criticizing the Bills front office should not be in any way controversial given the disastrous job they did for so long and he is always upset about the fact that the Bills never develop front office and coaches internally. He is on the inside of the Patriots organization and defends them on a regular basis to my disgust. He has been nominated for the Hall of Fame several times. He never missed a game for the Bills from 1979-1989 and played in over 200 games total at a very physical position. He made many linebackers look very good for a very long time and beat the crap out of offensive lineman and running backs. He was a force and dominated for years. He had tremendous respect for Kent Hull and I think they both are Hall of Famers. Additionally, he was a Pro-Bowler 5 times betwen 1980 and 1988, including an All-Pro nomintaion. During that stretch no NT or DT received more accolades. As a side note, he was nominated for Hall of Fame consideration again this year. Edited September 27, 2012 by TakeYouToTasker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Best Player Available Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 Additionally, he was a Pro-Bowler 5 times betwen 1980 and 1988, including an All-Pro nomintaion. During that stretch no NT or DT received more accolades. As a side note, he was nominated for Hall of Fame consideration again this year. Fred was a great Bill. Who cares what the New England native says now? He's on the Pats bandwagon big deal. As mentioned before in this thread, him blocking the last second field goal by the Jets, giving Buffalo the division was HUGE! I still remember the goal posts coming down and part of one being delivered to Ralph's suite. What an awesome play and game. One of the best Bills games in Bills history. Smerlas was a gamer, who earned his checks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim in Anchorage Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 All this talk about Smerlas makes me wonder how the Bills SB's would have turned out if Knox had been retained as HC. Be interesting to see what he could have done with all that talent/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buftex Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 Fred Smerlas= great Buffalo Bills player also Fred Smerlas= total a-hole All this talk about Smerlas makes me wonder how the Bills SB's would have turned out if Knox had been retained as HC. Be interesting to see what he could have done with all that talent/ I love Marv... but Knox will always be my favorite Bills HC in my lifetime... it is amazing how great those pre-Super Bowl team defenses were... I know, people will say that they the Bills defense didn't dominate so much in the 4 Super Bowl years (as opposed to the 87-89 teams) because of the no-huddle...and that may be true to a degree, but I think Walt Corey's defensive schemes (if he really had any) left a lot to be desired...they had all-world talent on defense, but had just "pretty good" results. Hell, forget Knox...just think of how different things might have turned out if Wade Phillips had come to Buffalo a little earlier.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vincec Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 (edited) Fred Smerlas= great Buffalo Bills player also Fred Smerlas= total a-hole I love Marv... but Knox will always be my favorite Bills HC in my lifetime... it is amazing how great those pre-Super Bowl team defenses were... I know, people will say that they the Bills defense didn't dominate so much in the 4 Super Bowl years (as opposed to the 87-89 teams) because of the no-huddle...and that may be true to a degree, but I think Walt Corey's defensive schemes (if he really had any) left a lot to be desired...they had all-world talent on defense, but had just "pretty good" results. Hell, forget Knox...just think of how different things might have turned out if Wade Phillips had come to Buffalo a little earlier.... Wade Phillips was available in 1989 but the Bills were happy with Corey. Wade went to Denver instead. He absolutely was a HOF caliber NT. He was one of the best of his generation. No he wasn't. He was a very good player but not a HOF. Of course the HOF has become so watered down with guys like Doleman, Martin and Kennedy getting in that I suppose Smerlas was as good as them. Edited September 27, 2012 by vincec Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kasper13 Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 "Plan B free agency permitted all teams in the NFL to preserve limited rights of no more than 37 total players a season. If a player was a protected Plan B free agent, he was incapable of signing with another team without providing his old team the first opportunity to sign him again. The rest of the players were left unprotected, liberated to negotiate contracts with the rest of the teams in the league" Buffalo Bills 1990 "Plan B" Free Agents Derrick Burroughs, DB; Joe Devlin, G; Tom Doctor, LB; Darryl Franklin, WR; Mitch Frerotte, T-G; Gale Gilbert, QB; Ronnie Harmon, RB; Richard Harvey, LB; Flip Johnson, WR; John Kidd, P; John Kolesar, WR; Adam Lingner, C; James Lofton, WR; Bruce Mesner, NT; Carl Mims, DB; Matt Monger, LB; Robb Riddick, RB; Fred Smerlas, NT; Art Still, DE; Steve Tasker, WR; Tim Vogler, G. Smerlas said the Marv never talked to him for more than 30 seconds in 4 years. Going into 1990, he was 33 and a backup. San Fran offered him big money for that time. $750,000+. Some of the names on that list.....this place would have burned down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick the Greek Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 Fred would also shovel crap on the Bills on his WHAM radio show with Bob Matthews. Anyone ever listen to that. I can't quote what Fred said specifically on WEEI but the gist was 1) The Bills are a mickey mouse operation, 2) Ralph is a terrible owner 3) the city of Buffalo is a hellhole. (Frankly the first two are common themes here on TBD.) Actually I can recall one thing: When Buddy Nix was hired Fred said it was a typical cheap Bills move. Nix was too old to have a clue and Ralph was too cheap to hire anybody good (read: famous) and the Bills will continue to suck. Now Fred says the Bills are a good team? I guess he's changed his tune on Nix, or he can't remember the crap he spewed 3 years ago. PTR I've heard Fred on the Bob Matthews radio show as well here in Rochester, and I agree, his commentary regarding the Bills can be less than flattering. However, I don't see how you can really blame the guy. As much as it breaks my heart to say this, the Bills have sucked for the past 12 years, and Fred isn't afraid to say it. The man isn't two-faced, he's a realist. If you don't like his opinion, there is always Ralph Wilson's personal little minion: Chris Brown. He'll give it to ya straight Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ted William's frozen head Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 I still like him. He burnt the hell out of his hands when he was autographing my head. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MyHorseAteTheKid Posted September 28, 2012 Share Posted September 28, 2012 He absolutely was a HOF caliber NT. He was one of the best of his generation. 100% Agree.. Fred Smerlas and Tim Krumrie in the 1980's were both touted as the very best nose tackles in the league.. If Fred holds a grudge against the Bills and the city of Buffalo, we don't have to like hearing it, but lets not degrade who he was as a player.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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