Doc Posted January 2, 2013 Share Posted January 2, 2013 Sorry you got suckered by the rumors, WEO. But did you think was going to happen? You should be ecstatic that Ralph is no longer making decisions for the team and that Brandon will be President and leave the GM'ing to Nix and Whaley, unlike his last go-around. Now the next step is picking a new head coach, which will be done by all 3, but likely with Nix and Whaley having the majority of the say. Then onto the draft. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MDH Posted January 2, 2013 Share Posted January 2, 2013 You are totally right Mr. WEO, Brandon has done nothing for the Bills that any message board warrior couldn't do. The guy obviously doesn't know how to run a business. You should have submitted your resume to run the billion dollar business, I'm sure you'd have done well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Best Player Available Posted January 2, 2013 Share Posted January 2, 2013 Can anyone honestly say the owner of a $800 million dollar enterprise will not be consulted on big ticket acquisitions or letting go "owner favorites" who are failing to produce. Quite honestly, despite all the stroking of egos yesterday, it is possible Brandon wanted to get a new GM or at least promote Whaley to GM right away....the reason it didn't happen? I'll leave you to draw your own conclusions but I tend to think Ralph likes Buddah and told Brandon you are President but keep Buddy on for awhile (thus, making Brandon nothing more than a lame duck President). On the other hand, as other teams are scampering to find a new GM, we have our front office in place and can concentrate fully on a new coach, new coordinators and a solid game plan for FA acquisitions and the Draft (Aaron Murray Round 1). Go Bills!!! This makes some sense. An org chart that was floating around somewhere yesterday shows Brandon reports to Ralph Wilson jr. the owner. The "owner" had no title though. A lot of owners require no title for obvious reasons.Polishing a turd indeed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QB Bills Posted January 2, 2013 Share Posted January 2, 2013 This franchise is a joke. In essence, this press conference was just to say "hey, its status quo here...ralph is not going to be calling the shots anymore though". Which he really hasn't in years anyway, according to most reports. I'm so sick of everyone praising this Brandon clown for being able to sell the Bills during this down time. He hasn't done anything. Newsflash: The Bills sell themselves. Its like narcotics for most of us. There's no way to prove this, but I don't think he's done anything to sell one more seat than would have been sold anyway. Every marketing gimmick they have is low rent and embarrassing. PSY as the half-time show? Have some dignity, for F's sake. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogman Posted January 2, 2013 Share Posted January 2, 2013 Never knew a guy (Brandon) who had so many father figures... How does promoting from within change the culture of a franchise? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebandit27 Posted January 2, 2013 Share Posted January 2, 2013 whisenhunt also made comments shared by howard simon about how he thought he could get on the same page as brandon and whaley, that he knows whaley has a great reputation, etc.... nixs name noticeably absent. hsimon62 on with @RapSheet:said whisenhunt likes how Brandon thinks and feels he can be on same page with whaley. hsimon62 said whisenhunt considered good coach when it comes to x's and o's. he was too involved in personnel decisions w/cards. should just be coach hsimon62 he also said he's been talking to scouts and personnel people around league about Whaley last couple days and hearing good things Indeed...pretty obvious that the conglomerate is making it clear to potential coaches that Whaley is the long-term GM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Posted January 2, 2013 Share Posted January 2, 2013 Alright then, who should else have been hired/fired? Let's hear some names. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelly the Dog Posted January 2, 2013 Share Posted January 2, 2013 He's not the one who will pick the next HC? Everyone else seems to think he is. And if you want him hire "the right football people", who do have in mind? He already has Buddy and Whaley--who do you think he is going to hire? The comparison of a professional GM and a meddling owner is meaningless. The sellouts at the Ralph have nothing to do with Russ Brandon. That is nuts. The Bills have the most loyal fans in the league ina region with very few other such distractions. I am convinced that the Bills could have gotten all of the current Ontario fans in the seats at the Ralph without selling the home games to the Rogers family. The Toronto games have proven beyond a doubt--to the fans in Buffalo, in Canada, to the press and to the players--to be an unmitigated embarrassment. How does Ralph make tens of millions in profit every year despite hardly any sellouts past Dec 1? Easy--The vast majority of his expenses are paid by the shared revenue/TV contracts. The gate money is gravy. None of this has anything to do woth Russ Brandon's marketing genius. That's the whole point of this thread---aren't you tired of the same old names?? Ralph, Jim, Russ---what's the difference? It's all the same "thinkers" who have gotten us where we are. Do you really think Russ Brandon has some totally new vision he's never shared with Raplh for this team that he is now ready to put forth into motuon? I have no reason to suspect this is the case. Does anyone think that the new owner(s) of the team would keep Brandon as CEO/President, given his past performance (in all capacities)? This post is so wrong on so many levels I don't even know where to start. Brandon is a star, both here and around the league for what he does. As far as he stays out of making football personnel decisions he's absolutely great at his job and is well known around the league for it. Southern Ontario now buys as many seats to the Bills games as Rochester because of the Toronto thing. It's been a huge success for the Bills (regardless of the games there). St John Fisher is his thing and has been an enormous unqualified success. New owners, IMO, would barely even consider getting rid of him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buffalover4life Posted January 2, 2013 Share Posted January 2, 2013 (edited) He is going to invest more into the analytic department. The old guys nix and wilson did not want to make the moves to stick with the times, maybe this is why the move was made yesterday. Link Maybe Russ will be able to "change the culture." The culture of an organization starts at the top and works it's way down, having ralph out makes it so he is no longer part of the equation, just an owner with an investment. I want to see him invest in some trainers too. Is it just me or does it seem like other teams are bigger and faster than our guys? Edited January 2, 2013 by buffalover4life Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saint Doug Posted January 2, 2013 Share Posted January 2, 2013 He is going to invest more into the analytic department. The old guys nix and wilson did not want to make the moves to stick with the times, maybe this is why the move was made yesterday. Link Maybe Russ will be able to "change the culture." The culture of an organization starts at the top and works it's way down, having ralph out makes it so he is no longer part of the equation, just an owner with an investment. I want to see him invest in some trainers too. Is it just me or does it seem like teams like other teams are bigger and faster than our guys? That link makes Nix sound like a caveman. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mousetrap08 Posted January 2, 2013 Share Posted January 2, 2013 Alright then, who should else have been hired/fired? Let's hear some names. I think some of the posters on this board would say no to a gold brick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BringBackFergy Posted January 2, 2013 Share Posted January 2, 2013 I think considering the fact that they all like Nix and that Nix hired Cook, Gibbons, Whaley, and most of the personnel department that the Bills determined that it would be way too damaging to show Nix the door at this time. However in another thread Promo posted numerous Howard Simon tweets attributed to Ken Whisenhunt. These quotes comment on Brandon and Whaley but do not mention Buddy Nix. This speaks volumes. I think that the Bills are being more honest to the head coaching candidates than they are to the fans in this regard (Buddy's future with the team). Spot on analysis...SJ - are you related to John Clayton?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoSaint Posted January 2, 2013 Share Posted January 2, 2013 That link makes Nix sound like a caveman. its not a terrible thing if they can marry the two. nix has a good set of eyes. if they can be successful in the numbers game and use him as a confirm or re-evaluate eye test... its not bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
San Jose Bills Fan Posted January 2, 2013 Share Posted January 2, 2013 (edited) "Buddy Nix is the General Manager and will make all football decisions, as he has over the last 3 years" Russ Brandon I guess you're choosing to take Brandon's words at face value, ignoring the evidence so far. I realize also that your post is from almost 3 hours ago so you might now view this differently. The true irony is that those with my interpretation are being lambasted for failing to listen to the pres conference when in fact, we are taking Russ Brandon's words at face value. Perhaps there's some implied subtext as hopeful fans seem to suggest. I for one doubt it. Funny. It seems like you were doing as much lambasting as anyone. Regardless, why are the former Pittsburgh guys being interviewed? Why is Whisenhunt (attributed quotes via tweets) talking about working with Brandon and Whaley, but not Nix? If all is true, why in the world would he keep Nix in any role?? I dunno, Brandon appeared all but infatuated with Nix at his presser and stated that Buddy has FULL CONTROL over the football operations. It was not an ambiguous or vague statement. So now that your questions have been answered upthread, do the explanations hold any water for you? If Nix isn't actually the GM and isn't actually hiring the next coach and heading the draft...why begin the Russ Brandon era by lying about who's in charge? There was a thread merge here I think but upthread are some thoughts on your question. Edited January 2, 2013 by San Jose Bills Fan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. WEO Posted January 2, 2013 Share Posted January 2, 2013 Sorry you got suckered by the rumors, WEO. But did you think was going to happen? You should be ecstatic that Ralph is no longer making decisions for the team and that Brandon will be President and leave the GM'ing to Nix and Whaley, unlike his last go-around. Now the next step is picking a new head coach, which will be done by all 3, but likely with Nix and Whaley having the majority of the say. Then onto the draft. yeah, doc--I was so looking for ward t a peek at the Wizard! Anyway, the point is why build this up as such a big deal, when on the surface it doesn't seem to be a sea change....unless you truly believe that Brandon has always been the guy being held back by Ralph. Or if you really believe Ralph has made all of these bad decisions on his own and agaisnt the advice of Brandon/Nix/etc. Not even you would say you believe that. You are totally right Mr. WEO, Brandon has done nothing for the Bills that any message board warrior couldn't do. The guy obviously doesn't know how to run a business. You should have submitted your resume to run the billion dollar business, I'm sure you'd have done well. I am completely confident that anyone on this board could have run this team over the past 10 years and not lost a penny. Owning an NFL franchise comes with guaranteed income. Throw in an infinitely loyal and patient fanbase and you are printing money. How can you dispute this?? This post is so wrong on so many levels I don't even know where to start. Brandon is a star, both here and around the league for what he does. As far as he stays out of making football personnel decisions he's absolutely great at his job and is well known around the league for it. Southern Ontario now buys as many seats to the Bills games as Rochester because of the Toronto thing. It's been a huge success for the Bills (regardless of the games there). St John Fisher is his thing and has been an enormous unqualified success. New owners, IMO, would barely even consider getting rid of him. Really? Because you say so, Brandon is seen as a star around the league? And guess what? His new job is making football decisions--in fact, he is now the ultmate decision maker on this team. Ralph jus tmade him that--that's the whole point of the announcement and this discussion. The Toronto "thing" has been a huge one time money infusion success for Ralph. We only know about an increase in season tiickets from Ontario because Brandon told us so. A week ago, were you really thinking to yourself or telling others that if only Russ Brandon could be the unfettered ultimate decision maker of this franchise we would be much better off? I don't believe you were even considering it. But now it's a great idea, right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2020 Our Year For Sure Posted January 2, 2013 Share Posted January 2, 2013 I still don't understand, San Jose. If Whaley is actually the GM and Nix is an advisor, just share that with everyone! We gain nothing by telling everyone Nix is in charge when he isn't. Now we're left in this muddled mess to argue with each other about who's doing what...a lack of clarity and accountability that has become far too familiar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrags Posted January 2, 2013 Share Posted January 2, 2013 I still don't understand, San Jose. If Whaley is actually the GM and Nix is an advisor, just share that with everyone! We gain nothing by telling everyone Nix is in charge when he isn't. Now we're left in this muddled mess to argue with each other about who's doing what...a lack of clarity and accountability that has become far too familiar. because its already been known that Nix will transition over to Whaley in time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelly the Dog Posted January 2, 2013 Share Posted January 2, 2013 yeah, doc--I was so looking for ward t a peek at the Wizard! Anyway, the point is why build this up as such a big deal, when on the surface it doesn't seem to be a sea change....unless you truly believe that Brandon has always been the guy being held back by Ralph. Or if you really believe Ralph has made all of these bad decisions on his own and agaisnt the advice of Brandon/Nix/etc. Not even you would say you believe that. I am completely confident that anyone on this board could have run this team over the past 10 years and not lost a penny. Owning an NFL franchise comes with guaranteed income. Throw in an infinitely loyal and patient fanbase and you are printing money. How can you dispute this?? Really? Because you say so, Brandon is seen as a star around the league? And guess what? His new job is making football decisions--in fact, he is now the ultmate decision maker on this team. Ralph jus tmade him that--that's the whole point of the announcement and this discussion. The Toronto "thing" has been a huge one time money infusion success for Ralph. We only know about an increase in season tiickets from Ontario because Brandon told us so. A week ago, were you really thinking to yourself or telling others that if only Russ Brandon could be the unfettered ultimate decision maker of this franchise we would be much better off? I don't believe you were even considering it. But now it's a great idea, right? We would be much better off than if Ralph were making the decisions, which was the only possible scenario in the actual world we live in as of 01.02.13 since Ralph is still owning this team and breathing air on this earth. I don't want Russ Brandon making personnel decisions. There is zero to believe that he is. I do want Russ Brandon running the franchise as long as he is not making football decisions because he is great at it (as far as what he needs to do to keep the team in Buffalo and making money and expending the fan base and keeping the NFL in favor of Buffalo as an NFL. I have heard, I would imagine, 30 times over the last 5-6 years how well Russ Brandon was thought of around the league. I have never heard anything resembling the opposite. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xsoldier54 Posted January 2, 2013 Share Posted January 2, 2013 I'm tired of all the bitching and whining on this board about Brandon moving up. From what I can see, he has paid his dues and is perfectly qualified for this position. I like his trying to incorporate analytics into the methodology at OBD, I believe that Whaley will be the GM before too long and I also believe that is a good move. There are a number of people on this board who just complain about everything with no possible answers of their own. I believe you will see changes at OBD and they will be for the better. I'm on board with this move. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoSaint Posted January 2, 2013 Share Posted January 2, 2013 I still don't understand, San Jose. If Whaley is actually the GM and Nix is an advisor, just share that with everyone! We gain nothing by telling everyone Nix is in charge when he isn't. Now we're left in this muddled mess to argue with each other about who's doing what...a lack of clarity and accountability that has become far too familiar. I don't think "making sure tbd knows who to blame" is high in their priority list in this case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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