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Ted Black out: Russ Brandon to head Sabres and Bills


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There is a lot of blame to go around for the record the last 15 years. Brandon has some accountability, but certainly not the majority of it. The most important thing you can do with any valued personnel is ensure they are in the correct role to maximize their talents and contributions. I think the Pegulas are doing that. Brandon as a GM wasn't a good fit, but that doesn't mean he isn't supremely valuable.

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@BuffaloSabres

"It's the best time ever to live in Buffalo." More of @RussBrandon's comments this afternoon: http://goo.gl/kV0Chd

#OneBuffalo

 

7/27: BILLS & SABRES PRESIDENT RUSS BRANDON IN STUDIO ON WGR 17:23

@wgr550

CK818VsWsAA1rCk.jpg

Russ- Never in my wildest dreams did this cross my mind.

Russ-The main thing that we're focused on now is how we can create a high level of efficiency between the Bills and Sabres on the bus. side.

Russ-Buddy was in charge of football, period. Then it transferred to Whaley. I've never made a decision on the 53 man roster.

Russ-I don't know it (hockey) as well as I know baseball or football, but I don't need to from that aspect. I know how to run a business.

Russ-I always stress region, because it's important that we reach out and are successful regionally.

Russ-One of our goals with the Bills is to make this more of a "football destination" for players that want to come here.

Russ- The number one thing we're inheriting (with the Sabres) is an extraordinarily passionate fan base.

Russ-I'll be at league meetings for both franchises.

Russ-It comes down to relevance, and a 96% season ticket renewal rate is outstanding.

Russ-I pride myself on being very accessible. We will continue to do that. You need to be accessible to be successful.

 

@WGR550

Video: @pham1717 and @SalSports discuss and analyze Russ Brandon replacing Ted Black as Sabres President: http://www.wgr550.com/Video-Analysis-of-Brandon-replacing-Black-as-Sabre/21794969

 

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There is a lot of blame to go around for the record the last 15 years. Brandon has some accountability, but certainly not the majority of it. The most important thing you can do with any valued personnel is ensure they are in the correct role to maximize their talents and contributions. I think the Pegulas are doing that. Brandon as a GM wasn't a good fit, but that doesn't mean he isn't supremely valuable.

I think that the portion of the blame that he shoulders is having the wrong people making the football decisions (specifically Modrak, Guy and Jauron). Those guys made the decisions when Marv was the GM too (Marv literally slept through draft meetings). RB was the boss of those incompetent guys but he wasn't EVER involved in player decisions.
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@BuffaloSabres

"It's the best time ever to live in Buffalo." More of @RussBrandon's comments this afternoon: http://goo.gl/kV0Chd

 

#OneBuffalo

 

7/27: BILLS & SABRES PRESIDENT RUSS BRANDON IN STUDIO ON WGR 17:23

 

@wgr550

 

 

 

@WGR550

Video: @pham1717 and @SalSports discuss and analyze Russ Brandon replacing Ted Black as Sabres President: http://www.wgr550.com/Video-Analysis-of-Brandon-replacing-Black-as-Sabre/21794969

 

"I've never made a decision on the 53 man roster."

 

Can we finally put claims to the contrary to rest?

 

GO BILLS!!!

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Does Russ Brandon even think Russ Brandon made good football decisons? I'm sure if you asked him honestly, and off the record, he'd say no.

 

He's basically intimated that. Some of his statements give the impression he would prefer to be as far away from those decisions as everyone wants him to be.

 

I've never heard anything, but good things about his ability to run a business though.

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"I've never made a decision on the 53 man roster."

 

Can we finally put claims to the contrary to rest?

 

GO BILLS!!!

 

Judging by the very next post, I say no? :D

 

He said he never offered any input on the roster... I find that far fetched

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He said he never offered any input on the roster... I find that far fetched

That's the truth as I understand it. Again, he did oversee some people not capable of doing that. If you want to pin the record on him that's the place to do it. Hold him accountable for believing in Modrak & Guy but not for ____ player.
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Does Russ Brandon even think Russ Brandon made good football decisons? I'm sure if you asked him honestly, and off the record, he'd say no.

From what I know about about it from someone who should know, Russ basically fired himself from the GM job and convinced Ralph to get a football man in the job, which is when Buddy was named GM. I think it was obviously a wise move.

"I've never made a decision on the 53 man roster."

 

Can we finally put claims to the contrary to rest?

 

GO BILLS!!!

Not really, simply because even though I think Brandon is absolutely great at his job and hope he retires as Prez of the Sabres and Bills in 30 years, I don't believe a word he says publicly as the truth. ;)

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That's the truth as I understand it. Again, he did oversee some people not capable of doing that. If you want to pin the record on him that's the place to do it. Hold him accountable for believing in Modrak & Guy but not for ____ player.

But even then, are we presuming he would've had the power to oust those guys w/o Ralph's approval? It's interesting...and I'm curious to what extent Ralph was still involved in team affairs at this time.

Brandon is all about publicity stunts to sell tickets and jerseys like when he signed TO.

 

Dude cares about the bottom line, not about whether a team wins or loses. That is a bad thing.

Other than TO, what has he done as a pure "publicity stunt" to sell tickets?

Edited by stony
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But even then, are we presuming he would've had the power to oust those guys w/o Ralph's approval? It's interesting...and I'm curious to what extent Ralph was still involved in team affairs at this time.

 

Other than TO, what has he done as a pure "publicity stunt" to sell tickets?

RW wasn't really involved at that point but Littman was. I would assume that what Russ said would have stuck. That's an assumption though.
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I think that Terry P did what a smart business man does. He evaluated all the personal, got rid of who he didn't think were doing his corporation any favors and set up his management team. He now has one president of business operations and two GM's and HC's he hired. I personally applaud him

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"I've never made a decision on the 53 man roster."

 

Can we finally put claims to the contrary to rest?

 

GO BILLS!!!

 

Russ has been caught in a few lies so why would his word put a "claim to the contrary to rest"? :rolleyes:

 

I think him never making a decision on the 53 man roster falls more in the category of half-truths.

Jauron

 

Mmmm that really isn't the way he told it back in the day.

 

His biggest personnel decision was trading Jason Peters for a piece of balsa wood.

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Russ has been caught in a few lies so why would his word put a "claim to the contrary to rest"? :rolleyes:

 

I think him never making a decision on the 53 man roster falls more in the category of half-truths.

 

 

Mmmm that really isn't the way he told it back in the day.

 

His biggest personnel decision was trading Jason Peters for a piece of balsa wood.

Ha, we all know the Lamonica trade was Russ's worst.
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Ha, we all know the Lamonica trade was Russ's worst.

 

The two worst trades in Bills history took place AFTER Russ was promoted to GM.

 

He was responsible for the Peters trade. He botched that whole situation and got taken to the cleaners.

 

And his hand picked successor was responsible for the Lynch-for-beans trade.

 

Which was the worst of those two is debatable. That they are 1 and 2 is not.

 

Lamonica was a good player at a time when QB's weren't nearly as important as they are today and he had a nice run but those two are both on track to finish as HOF'ers and are still at the top of their game.

 

Russ was just promoted above his competency by a very old owner who was more concerned about hiring someone he trusted than hiring someone who could build a high quality football operation.

 

The Pegula family wisely and swiftly put an end to his influence on football ops.

 

He is right where he belongs now.

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