Utah John Posted December 30, 2015 Share Posted December 30, 2015 The difference between now and the previous years of failure for both franchises is the availability of cash and the willingness to use it. The Pegulas are crazy rich and have no other goals I know of than to have both sports teams win, and to help rejuvenate the Buffalo area. They also provide donations to Penn State but the Buffalo area is their baby. The Sabres have a clear plan and path ahead. It's going to be exciting to watch the progress over the next couple of years, and I think the Pegulas' cash is going to help keep the talent pipeline stocked. The Sabres were always Terry Pegula's primary interest and that seems to be where their focus is -- think about all the hockey-related development downtown and then ask where the equivalent football-related development is. The Bills are Kim Pegula's domain. She is extremely smart and perceptive, and is nobody's fool. With billions in their pockets and no need to think about pinching pennies (like Ralph Wilson and his toadies did), the Pegulas will spend what it takes. I feel confident that if they think Wrecks Ryan should be canned at the end of the year, they'll do it, $27M or no. If he is retained, it will be because they chose to retain him, not that they were afraid of losing money or looking like they're in over their heads. I really don't think Whaley is the problem -- he put the talent together on offense to address the deficiencies there -- but Ryan screwed the pooch. On one hand there's an argument from a management perspective that retaining Ryan is rewarding colossal failure, which is bad for developing the culture of winning. On the other hand there are some legitimate reasons (not many) why the Bills failed this year, and it's not good to change and change and change, so there's a case to be made for keeping Ryan. But Whaley is a keeper. Both Whaley and GMTM have their franchises moving in the right direction. Russ Brandon seems to be staying out of the way, as he should. Not selling off a home game to Toronto anymore was all the contribution I needed to see from him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bananathumb Posted December 30, 2015 Share Posted December 30, 2015 Read the article, bitchers. He's saying they need a football guy in charge...and they DO! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eball Posted December 30, 2015 Share Posted December 30, 2015 Don't know and don't care about the Sabres, but when it comes to the Bills, Pegs is relying on a used car salesman who knows nothing about football, a junior GM/glorified scout, and Rex f'n Ryan. He's absolutely over his head right now, and that's why he needs a czar/consultant to take a serious look at the organization. That's some pretty low level analysis right there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H2o Posted December 30, 2015 Share Posted December 30, 2015 I think someone slipped something into Bucky's cheese steak. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DC Tom Posted December 30, 2015 Share Posted December 30, 2015 I've never had a problem with Lindy. Only problem I ever had with Lindy was longevity. You stay in one place for that long, and you develop habits and inflexibility. After a while, it's good for all concerned to shake things up a bit. Lindy's a great coach, and I didn't like seeing him go...but he was just at that point where it was best for everyone to move on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hondo in seattle Posted December 30, 2015 Share Posted December 30, 2015 Most owners come into the NFL without any NFL experience. And then they hire football people to run their football business. The Pegulas have hired/retained this triumvirate: * Russ Brandon. He's doing well managing the business side. * Doug Whaley. Some knowledgeable football people believe he's off to a credible start as a GM. Peter King - among others - praised his promotion. * Rex Ryan. The Bills weren't the only team interested in making him a HC. This season aside, he has a very strong record running defenses. We can argue about Rex and DW. But the decision to retain their services is not in the Matt Millen category. They're reasonable decisions even if some of us can imagine better options. The Pegulas are in the first season of NFL ownership and their team will finish somewhere in the middle of the pack of the highly competitive NFL. There's no need for panic. Saying the Pegulas are "in over their heads" smacks of Jerry Sullivan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VirginiaMike Posted December 30, 2015 Share Posted December 30, 2015 When in doubt, take a pot shot at the owner. Remember "Ralph is cheap" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canadian Bills Fan Posted December 30, 2015 Share Posted December 30, 2015 I would rather have a Bills owner who is in over his head then have no team in Buffalo at all CBF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heitz Posted December 30, 2015 Share Posted December 30, 2015 Exactly. The Sabres are LOADED with young talent. And by young I mean 18-22 years old. These are some of the most highly touted players in recent drafts, including a generational talent in Eichel. The World Juniors are coming back AGAIN. Buffalo is on the map as the new Hockeytown, USA. The Harbor Center is a world-class facility for hockey. Youth hockey in WNY is booming. The Pegulas are in the PROCESS of turning the Sabres into one of the NHL's elite franchises. Some people are just so bitter and beaten down that they expect everything to fail "because it's Buffalo." Luckily, the Pegulas and the people they have running the show don't buy into that whiny, defeatist crap. Instead, they are getting things done. If you can't be happy about what is going on around the arena and with the hockey team I have no idea what to say to you. I feel sorry for those people because this is the groundwork for something great. They just started with the Bills. Let things take their course. Can someone please send this to Bucky? Great post! And though I'm typically loathe to agree with them, as Schopp and the Bulldog keep out - the Bills are in their 16 year of missing the playoffs, the Pegula owned Bills are in their first year of missing the playoffs. I know it's tough, but we're all going to have to give it a little time. Also not a big fan of the whole "McCoy is going to ruin our Cap space" narrative (to be fair, Bucky uses the phrase "unnecessary pressure", but we know what he's saying). With the cap expected to rise, the ease of cutting players to make cap room, etc., I just don't think it's a big deal. And they're in a tough spot because they have to make a decision on Mario, Tyrod, Glen, Incognito and others? The most veteran owner in the business would be faced with he same decisions - big decisions sure. Tough spot? Not sure about that... Bucky then seemed surprised that Twitter went after him, saying "You know I'm paid for my opinion, right?". Sure you are, but you throw out a opinion that includes lines like "The cold truth: as it stands now the Pegulas are in over their heads". IN YOUR OPINION Bucky, that doesn't make it the "TRUTH". Guess we're posting about it, so the article did it's job... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WotAGuy Posted December 30, 2015 Share Posted December 30, 2015 The Buffalo News must love TBD - with all the publicity for their articles, extra clicks and pages of discussion about their products! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry Jabber Posted December 30, 2015 Share Posted December 30, 2015 (edited) I wouldn't say the Pegula's are in over their heads, I'd say they're learning as they go. Sure they made mistakes with the Sabres, but they appear to be headed in the right direction now. With the Bills, it's too early to tell with Rex Ryan if they made a bad decision or not. If after a couple more seasons of getting Rex the players he wants and the Bills still aren't successful, then the answer will be painfully obvious. As far as Bucky and Sullivan go, those two guys are just terrible hack reporters. I remember when Bucky wrote an article trashing Terry Pegula's for not saying anything about the Penn State sex abuse scandal, which he had absolutely nothing to do with. What a friggin imbecile!! Edited December 30, 2015 by Jerry Jabber Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. WEO Posted December 30, 2015 Share Posted December 30, 2015 I wouldn't say the Pegula's are in over their heads, I'd say they're learning as they go. Sure they made mistakes with the Sabres, but they appear to be headed in the right direction now. With the Bills, it's too early to tell with Rex Ryan if they made a bad decision or not. If after a couple more seasons of getting Rex the players he wants and the Bills still aren't successful, then the answer will be painfully obvious. As far as Bucky and Sullivan go, those two guys are just terrible hack reporters. I remember when Bucky wrote an article trashing Terry Pegula's for not saying anything about the Penn State sex abuse scandal, which he had absolutely nothing to do with. What a friggin imbecile!! I don't understand the animosity toward the piece the guy wrote. It is CLEARLY an opinion piece. His differs from many on this board, but certainly not all. That makes him a "hack"? Many think the hiring of Rex (who, along with Whaley, was perfectly satisfied he had the players he wanted on D), was a bad decision at the time and even more so now. Are they "hacks" as well? If you just want to read puff pieces, stick to Promos posts/threads. You will be 100% undisturbed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FireChan Posted December 30, 2015 Share Posted December 30, 2015 I don't understand the animosity toward the piece the guy wrote. It is CLEARLY an opinion piece. His differs from many on this board, but certainly not all. That makes him a "hack"? Many think the hiring of Rex (who, along with Whaley, was perfectly satisfied he had the players he wanted on D), was a bad decision at the time and even more so now. Are they "hacks" as well? If you just want to read puff pieces, stick to Promos posts/threads. You will be 100% undisturbed. It's an insult the Pegula gods to insinuate first time owners are inexperienced in their first few years of ownership. Burn the heretics. The Waterfront! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
transient Posted December 30, 2015 Share Posted December 30, 2015 I don't understand the animosity toward the piece the guy wrote. It is CLEARLY an opinion piece. His differs from many on this board, but certainly not all. That makes him a "hack"? Many think the hiring of Rex (who, along with Whaley, was perfectly satisfied he had the players he wanted on D), was a bad decision at the time and even more so now. Are they "hacks" as well? If you just want to read puff pieces, stick to Promos posts/threads. You will be 100% undisturbed. Jim Kelley used to write opinion pieces. I didn't always agree with them, but I always read them because he was a good writer who could think clearly. Bucky's a hack, and this piece is full of contradictions and half thought out "truths." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GG Posted December 30, 2015 Share Posted December 30, 2015 According to his summary of net worth he has 9,240,300,000 in assets and 502,760,000 in liabilities. Do you have anything that shows Pegula is worth more than 8.7 billion? And about $5 billion of Trumps number is hot air. Pegula's wealth is a bit more tangible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. WEO Posted December 30, 2015 Share Posted December 30, 2015 Jim Kelley used to write opinion pieces. I didn't always agree with them, but I always read them because he was a good writer who could think clearly. Bucky's a hack, and this piece is full of contradictions and half thought out "truths." ANd that is your opinion (opposed by some who thought otherwise here). I doubt reading your posts, Bucky would consider you a hack. As for the Sabres some seem to se what is there, others see what they like or what may be there some day, no matter how many more years it takes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry Jabber Posted December 30, 2015 Share Posted December 30, 2015 I don't understand the animosity toward the piece the guy wrote. It is CLEARLY an opinion piece. His differs from many on this board, but certainly not all. That makes him a "hack"? Many think the hiring of Rex (who, along with Whaley, was perfectly satisfied he had the players he wanted on D), was a bad decision at the time and even more so now. Are they "hacks" as well? If you just want to read puff pieces, stick to Promos posts/threads. You will be 100% undisturbed. I'm sorry Mrs. Gleason, did I hurt your feelings with what I said about your husband? Did you read my entire post or just part of it? If I want to read "puff" pieces, I'll stick to Buffalo Rumblings or BuffaloBills.com. Many of us on here no longer read anything on here from Bucky Gleason or Jerry Sullivan for many reasons, as their articles are generally terrible! Reporters that I feel do a fair job that don't report "fluff" are: John Wawrow, Vic Carucci, Sal Capaccio and Tyler Dunne. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BackInDaDay Posted December 30, 2015 Share Posted December 30, 2015 I was happy when Trump bowed out of the bidding, but I'm getting this feeling that losing the chance to own the Bills gave him the time to make a run at POTUS.. and that in the near future, a nuclear holocaust originating from Trump's stubby middle finger on the FU button of all buttons will devour our planet - just as the Bills's kicker sends the game winning field goal through the night sky of the last Super Bowl ever played Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. WEO Posted December 30, 2015 Share Posted December 30, 2015 I'm sorry Mrs. Gleason, did I hurt your feelings with what I said about your husband? Did you read my entire post or just part of it? If I want to read "puff" pieces, I'll stick to Buffalo Rumblings or BuffaloBills.com. Many of us on here no longer read anything on here from Bucky Gleason or Jerry Sullivan for many reasons, as their articles are generally terrible! Reporters that I feel do a fair job that don't report "fluff" are: John Wawrow, Vic Carucci, Sal Capaccio and Tyler Dunne. Gleason clearly wasn't reporting and I don't think Sullivan ever does. We are discussing opinion pieces and this is one. I read your entire post, hence, I'm convinced you don't know the difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Best Player Available Posted December 30, 2015 Share Posted December 30, 2015 I was happy when Trump bowed out of the bidding, but I'm getting this feeling that losing the chance to own the Bills gave him the time to make a run at POTUS.. and that in the near future, a nuclear holocaust originating from Trump's stubby middle finger on the FU button of all buttons will devour our planet - just as the Bills's kicker sends the game winning field goal through the night sky of the last Super Bowl ever played F**k it. I'll take it!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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