Miyagi-Do Karate Posted January 30, 2017 Share Posted January 30, 2017 I feel like a lot about being a GM is a crap shoot anyway. Scott Pioli was considered a genius, but how much of that was because they lucked out onTom Brady. And then he went to KC and was terrible. As a GM, if you basically make 1 right decision (QB), you will do well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GunnerBill Posted January 30, 2017 Share Posted January 30, 2017 I feel like a lot about being a GM is a crap shoot anyway. Scott Pioli was considered a genius, but how much of that was because they lucked out onTom Brady. And then he went to KC and was terrible. As a GM, if you basically make 1 right decision (QB), you will do well. I don't think Pioli was terrible in KC. I think his failing was that he picked bad Head Coaches. Todd Haley was a guy he couldn't get on with and then Crennel was a "my guy" type pick who was a total failure. He left a reasonably talented team in place though - they had 6 pro-bowlers the year he was fired...... but having Tom Brady makes everyone looks a genius. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpberr Posted January 30, 2017 Share Posted January 30, 2017 It will be interesting to see how this is received. There is an entire cottage industry of scouts and assistant GMs all with agents that compete for these GM jobs and the 49ers literally pick a guy out of thin air. Maybe it got to that point. Perhaps none of the scouts or assistant GMs wanted to go there. I've always wondered if there was an unwritten rule that teams were strongly suggested to hire guys that were in the "pipeline". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PromoTheRobot Posted January 30, 2017 Share Posted January 30, 2017 Ummmm, HMMMMM? I KNEW I should have applied! I've WATCHED football before! Find out what his account name is on the Niners equivalent of Two Bills Drive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnC Posted January 30, 2017 Share Posted January 30, 2017 It's amusing how Buffalo fans are ridiculing the hire of Lynch as a GM. Let's review our history of GM hiring. Buffalo hired a befuddled Levy to take over as GM. After two years in a position even he was aware that he was unqualified he on his on volition walked away. For the short term Brandon the marketing man took over managing the operation. The next person hired by the inscrutable owner was Country Buddy Nix. Why was he selected from the list of candidates given to owner? His name was the only one that the owner was familiar with. Buddy was a football lifer but he was out of his element as a GM. John Lynch doesn't have front office experience. But he is a HOF player who knows the game from a player, coach and locker room standpoint. As an experienced TV analyst he knows the players and coaches in the league. Lynch is smart enough to know what he doesn't know and will find people to support his efforts. His important task is to build a quality staff and create an environment where everyone is moving in the same direction. In Buffalo does anyone really believe that Whaley and the braggadocio Buddy were in sync? This hire was a surprise hire but it is also a creative hire that goes against the crony system that is prevalent in this think alike business. Time will tell but I don't consider it a bad hire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. WEO Posted January 30, 2017 Share Posted January 30, 2017 Dysfunctional? Well, their new GM hasn't been prove dysfunctional yet..... One wonders what Lynch will be privy to in SF. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GunnerBill Posted January 30, 2017 Share Posted January 30, 2017 It's amusing how Buffalo fans are ridiculing the hire of Lynch as a GM. Let's review our history of GM hiring. Buffalo hired a befuddled Levy to take over as GM. After two years in a position even he was aware that he was unqualified he on his on volition walked away. For the short term Brandon the marketing man took over managing the operation. The next person hired by the inscrutable owner was Country Buddy Nix. Why was he selected from the list of candidates given to owner? His name was the only one that the owner was familiar with. Buddy was a football lifer but he was out of his element as a GM. John Lynch doesn't have front office experience. But he is a HOF player who knows the game from a player, coach and locker room standpoint. As an experienced TV analyst he knows the players and coaches in the league. Lynch is smart enough to know what he doesn't know and will find people to support his efforts. His important task is to build a quality staff and create an environment where everyone is moving in the same direction. In Buffalo does anyone really believe that Whaley and the braggadocio Buddy were in sync? This hire was a surprise hire but it is also a creative hire that goes against the crony system that is prevalent in this think alike business. Time will tell but I don't consider it a bad hire. Just because Buffalo has made mistakes doesn't preclude Buffalo fans from pointing out when they feel other teams have made mistakes. I can think Buffalo screwed up hiring Marv and still think this is a bad move (not that I do think this is necessarily a bad move as I explained earlier.... he is there to be a figurehead GM and they will presumably build a strong personnel department beneath him). On the "crony" system a few posters have referred to I am with the Big Cat. Hiring an ex player with no scouting or GM experience because he played for your new Head Coach's dad 20 years ago.... that is pretty much the definition of cronyism. The guys who are not crony hires are the ones who broke into scouting without a parent or a former college coach opening doors for them and did the hard yards battling their way up based on merit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PromoTheRobot Posted January 30, 2017 Share Posted January 30, 2017 (edited) It's amusing how Buffalo fans are ridiculing the hire of Lynch as a GM. Let's review our history of GM hiring. Buffalo hired a befuddled Levy to take over as GM. After two years in a position even he was aware that he was unqualified he on his on volition walked away. For the short term Brandon the marketing man took over managing the operation. The next person hired by the inscrutable owner was Country Buddy Nix. Why was he selected from the list of candidates given to owner? His name was the only one that the owner was familiar with. Buddy was a football lifer but he was out of his element as a GM. John Lynch doesn't have front office experience. But he is a HOF player who knows the game from a player, coach and locker room standpoint. As an experienced TV analyst he knows the players and coaches in the league. Lynch is smart enough to know what he doesn't know and will find people to support his efforts. His important task is to build a quality staff and create an environment where everyone is moving in the same direction. In Buffalo does anyone really believe that Whaley and the braggadocio Buddy were in sync? This hire was a surprise hire but it is also a creative hire that goes against the crony system that is prevalent in this think alike business. Time will tell but I don't consider it a bad hire. Well that's one way to spin it. In one breath you ridicule a HoF coach Levy and in the other you praise a HoF player Lynch's assumed smarts. But who knows? It could be a good hire. Or it could be Shanny's show. As for cronyism, how many people want the Bills to hire Jim Kelly for a similar position? Edited January 30, 2017 by PromoTheRobot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnC Posted January 30, 2017 Share Posted January 30, 2017 Just because Buffalo has made mistakes doesn't preclude Buffalo fans from pointing out when they feel other teams have made mistakes. I can think Buffalo screwed up hiring Marv and still think this is a bad move (not that I do think this is necessarily a bad move as I explained earlier.... he is there to be a figurehead GM and they will presumably build a strong personnel department beneath him). On the "crony" system a few posters have referred to I am with the Big Cat. Hiring an ex player with no scouting or GM experience because he played for your new Head Coach's dad 20 years ago.... that is pretty much the definition of cronyism. The guys who are not crony hires are the ones who broke into scouting without a parent or a former college coach opening doors for them and did the hard yards battling their way up based on merit. This isn't such an oddball selection as many are portraying it to be. He was a smart player who knows the game from a player, coaching and locker room standpoint. He has been an TV and media analyst for quite awhile. So he is familiar with the players in this league and the various schemes played by teams in the league. Simply put he knows the game. That's an asset for his job. What we don't know is his managerial abilities. From being associated with all the teams in the league through his media job he has been exposed to different organizational environments and cultures. So he should have some thought on how he would like to structure a team and an organization. Your describing this hire as crony hire makes little sense to me. He wasn't attached to anyone in the organization and weaseled his way up because he of who he knew. Lynch is well acquainted with the league and the people and players who work in it. That is a positive attribute to have for this job. Without a doubt he doesn't have experienced managing an operation but that doesn't mean he can't do it with the help of good hires to help him with that aspect of the job. San Francisco is starting over with the hiring of Shanahan. That certainly is a reasonable hire, and I'm sure he was involved with it or agreed with it. As I stated before the Lynch hire is a creative and reasonable hire. While others scoff at it I don't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tombstone56 Posted January 30, 2017 Share Posted January 30, 2017 NOW YOU SEE what happens when desperation meets stupidity! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnC Posted January 30, 2017 Share Posted January 30, 2017 Well that's one way to spin it. In one breath you ridicule a HoF coach Levy and in the other you praise a HoF player Lynch's assumed smarts. But who knows? It could be a good hire. Or it could be Shanny's show. As for cronyism, how many people want the Bills to hire Jim Kelly for a similar position? Your post is so far misdirected I don't know if it is worth responding to. Marv is a HOF HC. No one is saying otherwise on that issue. He was an incompetent GM who was in over his head. Even he recognized it. I agree with you that it remains to be determined if the hiring of Lynch works out. What I am saying though is that it wasn't such an odd and imbecilic hire as other are making it out to be. Yes, there are people who want Jim Kelly to be hired for a similar position. I will say with no equivocation those people are dopes, at least on that issue, and not worth having a discussion with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GunnerBill Posted January 30, 2017 Share Posted January 30, 2017 (edited) Your describing this hire as crony hire makes little sense to me. He wasn't attached to anyone in the organization and weaseled his way up because he of who he knew. Lynch is well acquainted with the league and the people and players who work in it. That is a positive attribute to have for this job. Without a doubt he doesn't have experienced managing an operation but that doesn't mean he can't do it with the help of good hires to help him with that aspect of the job. That is got you have got the order of this wrong. They chose Shanahan and then hired Lynch because they want someone who can get along with him - Lynch played for mike and must have known Kyle a long time. He was tied to the Head Coach and the Head Coach's dad and that is how he got this job. I have not called it a bad hire though. He is going to be asked to be a General Manager in the dictionary definition more than the traditional football thinking of get a great personnel guy, but that can still work. Jerry Jones has looked pretty smart the past few years as a GM managing a team of talented personnel people. John Elway has proven that model can work too. I like that they have admitted the whole thing is a mess and are giving him and Shanahan 6 year deals to build it from the ground up. I am just saying that it IS cronyism. It might be outside of the normal NFL thinking - you are right about that.... but hiring a GM who has been out there and put in the hard yards as a regional scout and worked his way up on merit is LESS of a crony hire than a guy who knows your chosen Head Coach's dad - even if that person is as bright and knowledgeable as Lynch may be. Edited January 30, 2017 by GunnerBill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aristocrat Posted January 30, 2017 Share Posted January 30, 2017 elway became a solid gm cause he was able to identify defenders based on guys he would never want to face as a qb. maybe lynch can do the same identifying a qb he wouldn't want to face. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klos63 Posted January 30, 2017 Share Posted January 30, 2017 elway became a solid gm cause he was able to identify defenders based on guys he would never want to face as a qb. maybe lynch can do the same identifying a qb he wouldn't want to face. Lynch will be starting with a much more inferior roster than Elway did. He definitely has a difficult job ahead of him, a seasoned GM would have a difficult task in SF. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnC Posted January 30, 2017 Share Posted January 30, 2017 That is got you have got the order of this wrong. They chose Shanahan and then hired Lynch because they want someone who can get along with him - Lynch played for mike and must have known Kyle a long time. He was tied to the Head Coach and the Head Coach's dad and that is how he got this job. I have not called it a bad hire though. He is going to be asked to be a General Manager in the dictionary definition more than the traditional football thinking of get a great personnel guy, but that can still work. Jerry Jones has looked pretty smart the past few years as a GM managing a team of talented personnel people. John Elway has proven that model can work too. I like that they have admitted the whole thing is a mess and are giving him and Shanahan 6 year deals to build it from the ground up. I am just saying that it IS cronyism. It might be outside of the normal NFL thinking - you are right about that.... but hiring a GM who has been out there and put in the hard yards as a regional scout and worked his way up on merit is LESS of a crony hire than a guy who knows your chosen Head Coach's dad - even if that person is as bright and knowledgeable as Lynch may be. The Shanahan hire has been in the works prior to the playoffs. There is no secret there. Lynch was aware of that. That is what I stated. If he felt that it wasn't an appropriate hire or a hire he couldn't work with he wouldn't have taken the job. I can't say for sure but he might have been asked for his thoughts on the coaching hire even before he was considered for the GM position? I don't think we disagree as much as it might seem. I do believe in good systems and organizational structure. But what I believe in most of all is in good people who are creative and flexible and who are good working with people. That is the essential ingredient for success. Lynch seems like a person who is not afraid or intimidated by surrounding himself with quality people who have different positions. The Tom Donahoe dictatorial approach to management is more suited for coal industry barons, not in the modern era of analytics and competing ideas. This was an intriguing hire that went beyond the standard approach to hiring GMs. For me that isn't a reason to dislike it as it is a reason to like it even more. What I liked even more is that the ownership provided the HC and GM long term contracts. That's telling the new employees to think and act with a long term basis when making decisions. That is another aspect of the hires that I think is a smart way to go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boyst Posted January 30, 2017 Share Posted January 30, 2017 Ehr mah gerdermaghard jhoyn leencha isda geemmmm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aristocrat Posted January 30, 2017 Share Posted January 30, 2017 Lynch will be starting with a much more inferior roster than Elway did. He definitely has a difficult job ahead of him, a seasoned GM would have a difficult task in SF. oh for sure. it's gonna be a tough 2 years for them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry Jabber Posted January 30, 2017 Share Posted January 30, 2017 Matt Millen 2.0? That's what I'm thinking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PromoTheRobot Posted January 30, 2017 Share Posted January 30, 2017 Your post is so far misdirected I don't know if it is worth responding to. Marv is a HOF HC. No one is saying otherwise on that issue. He was an incompetent GM who was in over his head. Even he recognized it. I agree with you that it remains to be determined if the hiring of Lynch works out. What I am saying though is that it wasn't such an odd and imbecilic hire as other are making it out to be. Yes, there are people who want Jim Kelly to be hired for a similar position. I will say with no equivocation those people are dopes, at least on that issue, and not worth having a discussion with. I was simply pointing out how you cited Lynch being a hall of fame player as a positive while calling Levy, a hall of fame coach, an incompetent GM. Yes, hindsight proved that to be the case with Levy. So I question why raising that as a qualification of Lynch means anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Posted January 30, 2017 Share Posted January 30, 2017 Hiring Lynch is bold I tell you. Bold! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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