oldmanfan Posted April 20, 2017 Share Posted April 20, 2017 Let's be honest. Ralph's entire ownership reign was failure after failure with one small window of getting lucky in the middle. The Bills were a joke in the 60s, 70s, and early 80s. Did ok from late-80s through the 90s, then right back to being the same joke team that lost to the Dolphins for a decade straight (70s), and then the Pats for almost 2 decades straight. The Bills were AFL champions two years n a row in the 60's. What are you talking about? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest NeckBeard Posted April 20, 2017 Share Posted April 20, 2017 Agreed, of course. I also hate the current power structure and the complete lack of accountability it causes. The Pegulas already have Brandon running the business sides of the teams. They should put their GMs in charge of Football and Hockey operations, with the power to hire/fire their own coaches, and get out of their way. To your latter point, I want to be clear that I don't see Brandon as being some kind of bogeyman or obstructionist as other Bills fans may suggest. I don't care about that dude at all, and, as time tells us, he's a master marketing guy. Fly into Buffalo, and see SW14 posters, on a large scale, as you leave the terminal. That's amazing. How could a mere mortal pull off stuff like that?! That is to say, and even the owners have said this as recently as a few months ago, that Brandon doesn't run the operational side of either organization. I know that when the Bills have been losers for as long as they have, it's easy to point your finger and shoot at the most plausible target for failure, and to some it's the FO, Brandon specifically, ownership, or whatever else, but I argue that outside of his short tenure as GM, Brandon has been the sole source of keeping the Bills franchise a viable one. It's been the constant churn at GM and coaching that has been its poison pill(s). Let's be honest. Ralph's entire ownership reign was failure after failure with one small window of getting lucky in the middle. The Bills were a joke in the 60s, 70s, and early 80s. Did ok from late-80s through the 90s, then right back to being the same joke team that lost to the Dolphins for a decade straight (70s), and then the Pats for almost 2 decades straight. The Bills were a joke in the 60s?! I think this is incorrect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrDawkinstein Posted April 20, 2017 Share Posted April 20, 2017 The Bills were AFL champions two years n a row in the 60's. What are you talking about? Those championships mean jack squat. They've been a joke franchise since the true NFL was formed. That's all that counts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klos63 Posted April 20, 2017 Share Posted April 20, 2017 Because the owners will provide you with financial and other resources to put together things the way you want to, but then hold you accountable such that then if you fail, it's on you. If I were a coach I'd think that's a pretty fair deal. Both franchises need that stability. But you don't have much time to do it. Every team provides the resources... Pegula hasn't figured out how to either, get the right people in charge or how much time to give them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wagon Circler Posted April 20, 2017 Share Posted April 20, 2017 Can't believe the zamboni guy still has his job! Kim is cheap! FIRE WHALEY!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klos63 Posted April 20, 2017 Share Posted April 20, 2017 Yeah because the idiot fan could do so much worse then what the Bills ownership has thrown out for the past 17 years. I think the idiot fans know a hell of a lot more about how to run a successful organization than Bills ownership the past 2 decades. Well, the Pegula's are shattering your theory so far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest NeckBeard Posted April 20, 2017 Share Posted April 20, 2017 Those championships mean jack squat. They've been a joke franchise since the true NFL was formed. That's all that counts. The leagues weren't merged then, so this is an invalid argument. Sorry, but it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klos63 Posted April 20, 2017 Share Posted April 20, 2017 One thing that o wonder about - what does this do to the expansion draft possibilities? George McPhee was said to owe Tim Murray a favor (for that Klesla contract/trade deal). Murray said McPhee remembered this and Murray has told him the player(s) he didn't want to lose. Now that is probably out the window. I could see Linus Ullmark gone (hope not!) now. Hopefully the new GM can swing a deal though. Also, I wonder what it does to our chances of landing a good defenseman from a team with too many to protect for expansion. I'm sure Murray was putting in ground work all season, maybe longer. Deals take quite a while to make in the NHL, and a new GM won't really have any time to set things up like that before the expansion draft in June. And I wonder if the Sabres will still be able to sign that Antikpin from the KHL. He was said to have a deal in place with Buffalo. I hope it still goes through... What about Cal Peterson - I would expect him to go the free agency route, just like Vescey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordio Posted April 20, 2017 Share Posted April 20, 2017 Let's be honest. Ralph's entire ownership reign was failure after failure with one small window of getting lucky in the middle. The Bills were a joke in the 60s, 70s, and early 80s. Did ok from late-80s through the 90s, then right back to being the same joke team that lost to the Dolphins for a decade straight (70s), and then the Pats for almost 2 decades straight. Okay sorry the better part of half a century. I have told you I have a very good friend that has had in the past dealings with the Sabres/Bills(more so the Sabres). He has even flown a couple times on Pegulas private jet with the Pegulas. He says Rusty has more to do with this sh*t show than anybody wants to admit. No offense to you or Kirby but I tend to believe my friend(he has no reason to lie) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigBuff423 Posted April 20, 2017 Share Posted April 20, 2017 They already have Czar for both franchises; a man that goes by the name of Rusty. Snarky comment aside....it's time for one for each franchise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffismagic Posted April 20, 2017 Share Posted April 20, 2017 Okay sorry the better part of half a century. I have told you I have a very good friend that has had in the past dealings with the Sabres/Bills(more so the Sabres). He has even flown a couple times on Pegulas private jet with the Pegulas. He says Rusty has more to do with this sh*t show than anybody wants to admit. No offense to you or Kirby but I tend to believe my friend(he has no reason to lie) Brandon is the money guy. Billionaires tend to listen to them over others. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldmanfan Posted April 20, 2017 Share Posted April 20, 2017 Those championships mean jack squat. They've been a joke franchise since the true NFL was formed. That's all that counts. Not if you grew up with them in the 60's like I did. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffismagic Posted April 20, 2017 Share Posted April 20, 2017 Snarky comment aside....it's time for one for each franchise. I don't see how that helps. Polian? Coughlin? No, we'll end up with some dinosaur past their prime. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrDawkinstein Posted April 20, 2017 Share Posted April 20, 2017 The leagues weren't merged then, so this is an invalid argument. Sorry, but it is. Not sure how it's invalid when I'm referencing the true NFL as we know it, and you guys want to talk about "championships" we won in a league that was only 4-5 years old and subpar to the established NFL (of that time). But I just saw the leagues merged in 1970, so my mention of the 60s was irrelevant anyways. Either way, those AFL championships dont count for squat, and the team sucked through the 70s (immediately following the merger). So my initial point, that the Bills have been a joke franchise far more than a good franchise, still stands. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JM2009 Posted April 20, 2017 Share Posted April 20, 2017 Russ Brandon was seen silently laughing in the corner of the press room. Branden has nine lives. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chandler#81 Posted April 20, 2017 Author Share Posted April 20, 2017 Someone send Jack Eichel a tweet and ask him to push Whaley out next. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed_Formerly_of_Roch Posted April 20, 2017 Share Posted April 20, 2017 I'm not against Whaley like many here are, however, lets see if he still has a job by May 1st. Teams typically keep GMs around till after the draft as they did all the scouting and don't want that knowledge going to another team. Could be ultimately McDermott is making the picks, or at a minimum, he is approving the picks by Whaley. If that is the case, Whaley himself probably knows he'll be out of work in a couple of weeks. No hijacking the thread, but how is Whaley still employed? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffismagic Posted April 20, 2017 Share Posted April 20, 2017 Buffalo's hockey team is now an NHL laughingstock. If the Pegula's hire another incompetent we will lose Jack Eichel. And I think that would be the final straw for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigBuff423 Posted April 20, 2017 Share Posted April 20, 2017 They hire and fire coaches every 2 years....how is that not panicking? Marrone quit, and Rex is well....Rex. So if you don't think Rex should have been fired, we have nothing to discuss. As for Sabres, again, they brought in Nolan - a fan favorite - after giving Darcy too much time and then Murray after Pat came in as President and then abruptly quit....Murray to me did a pretty decent job, but not great - which is why I'm ok with the firing but would not have been upset if it was just Bylsma that was fired. Additionally, I do think that you can't look at "2 years" in a vacuum, you have to evaluate the situation as a whole. So, to me - they were patient enough, and changes needed to be made - but I also think, it's time to figure this thing out. They need a "Czar" for both franchises, and allow all of the information to flow through the Czar both down and up.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Punching Bag Posted April 20, 2017 Share Posted April 20, 2017 There is a hockey thread in Off the wall. Personally I think Pegulas should look closely at options when lease expires for stadium. Press and certain portion of "fan base" will never be happy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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