Bucky and Sully Blackballed By The Pegulas?

[Ridgewaycynic2013]

15 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

 

I'm betting it was Bob Matthews. Not exactly Peter King. I'm also betting his source was one of the drunks who call his radio show.

 

Why can't you just say who it was? It's not a state secret.

Dunkirk Dave calls Rochester sports shows?!

[Metal Man]

Everyone defending Sully and saying the Pegulas are trying to control the negative narrative might not have a clear idea about just how bad Sully has been during his time covering the Bills.

 

There was a post on here a couple months ago that summed it up perfectly by describing a radio interview Sully did in which the host was asking him about the negative articles Sully kept writing about TO being a locker room cancer and what not. Despite the fact that there was no evidence that TO was doing anything other than trying to be a good teammate Sully just kept insisting he was a bad player and the Bills made a terrible move bringing him in no matter what kind of proof to the contrary the host kept offering.

 

This is typical Sully over the years. Will just argue his negative take to his grave regardless of facts. It is definitely a valid argument that the dissenting voice should be given a chance to speak but Sully is so far beyond reason that it shouldn't surprise anyone that he isn't given team access anymore. 

 

Like someone else pointed out in this thread Sully is just that crusading negative Bills fan who can never stop posting pessimistic views on the boards so who can blame the Pegulas for putting him on their ignore list.

[Mickey]

I get that people don't really care about these two particular sports reporters but the thing is, if the Bills organization can get away with this kind of thing, they can do it to reporters you like as well as those you don't. Not cool. 

[May Day 10]

1 hour ago, HankBulloughMellencamp said:

 

I wonder if Bucky is still on there promoting his "AD for a day" grand vision for UB Athletics... cutting the football program down to the studs because it's too expensive or whatever.

 

Bucky admonished former AD Danny White at every turn, despite White helping to build what now stands (and who has already injected considerable life into the UCF athletic programs). Visionary Bucky wanted to scale back the level of football competition, presumably to better match Coach Leipold's experience.  Instead, the program will soon have a double digit win season and several high NFL draft picks to go along with All-Pro Khalil Mack. He's an idiot.

 

We are now stepping into the golden age of UB Athletics, with football at 9-1 and an impending bowl bid.  MBB is heavily favored to win the MAC and then some, & WBB is coming off a sweet 16 appearance. We will enjoy Coach Oats and Coach Jack as long as we have them, as they are each bound to get tough-to-refuse offers as soon as this spring. 

 

And these three highest profile UB athletic programs are all built to sustain that level of success for the foreseeable future.

 

Eff off Bucky!!! 

(and Sully, who was above covering UB athletics unless it meant a free road trip to Cleveland or wherever)

 

While I disagreed with that column.  From what I recall, it was basically slide football back and put a bunch of eggs into the basketball program and take that to a high (national) level.   I did think that it made some valid points, and I'm not going to bash a columnist for writing his/her opinion.  It did create some dialogue between me and some friends and people online.  I certainly don't want these guys locked out and blacklisted by not cow-towing to ownership due to financial and access leverage.  Freezing them out because they say negative things (that frankly, are justified) is a weak move and concerning.  Think Sal apologizing to McDermott for having the 'nerve' to ask if a punter was receiving some payment or something.  

I recall many positive columns by Sullivan and Gleason during the Sabres' runs of 2005-2007.  

 

 

When Pegula bought the Sabres, at the PC or just after, he went on some laughable and incredibly naive tangent that the local media should only write positive things about the organization and the players.    It kind of perked everyone's ears, but everyone was so geeked out about hearing "multiple stanley cups" that it kind of went by the wayside.  TBN mocked him for it (rightly so), and since then there has been a tense feud between Pegula(s) and TBN.  Sullivan isnt going to sit there and listen to Pegula (with a booger hanging out of his nose) dictate what he can and cant write about his sports teams.  Sorry, Sullivan is in the right, whether you agree or disagree with his opinions.  Does Bob Kraft try to shut down that Shaughnessy guy?  

 

[\GoBillsInDallas/]

15 hours ago, Phil The Thrill said:

Later he said that they both tried to get press credentials from the Bills to cover the team.  The Bills denied their website The Maven - which is kind of like a free version of The Athletic - and are the only team in the NFL team to deny press rights to The Maven.  He later tried getting credentialed through 1270 AM, where he has a radio show.  1270 AM was already approved but since Bucky and Sully weren’t on the original press list for 1270, they were again denied.  Again, Bucky says this is very rare in the NFL.

 

This is not rare, this is pretty much the norm for all pro sports teams.

Here's the Houston Texans' policy as an example:

 

https://www.houstontexans.com/team/credentials

 

[bigK14094]

Unprofessional behavior gets the same in return.  so be it, the money talks.  I am ok with that....as I understand the system.  I also dropped my season tickets because of the management mess in the Bills organization which continues under new owners.  In this case, my money walks........

[teef]

i've never paid any attention to sully or bucky, so i've never understood the anger towards them.  at the same time, i don't think the pegulas shutting them out is petty either.  guess what?  actions have consequences.  people just want to be able to spout off in any way they want, yet they expect no negative reaction.  that's not how this world works.  i have no idea what happened with these two and the pegulas, but if they consistently come off as condescending and rude, they might get blow back.  it's more than ok to challenge the organization, but if you do it in a d-bag manner, expect that you may be treated in the same way back.

[PromoTheRobot]

54 minutes ago, Metal Man said:

Everyone defending Sully and saying the Pegulas are trying to control the negative narrative might not have a clear idea about just how bad Sully has been during his time covering the Bills.

 

There was a post on here a couple months ago that summed it up perfectly by describing a radio interview Sully did in which the host was asking him about the negative articles Sully kept writing about TO being a locker room cancer and what not. Despite the fact that there was no evidence that TO was doing anything other than trying to be a good teammate Sully just kept insisting he was a bad player and the Bills made a terrible move bringing him in no matter what kind of proof to the contrary the host kept offering.

 

This is typical Sully over the years. Will just argue his negative take to his grave regardless of facts. It is definitely a valid argument that the dissenting voice should be given a chance to speak but Sully is so far beyond reason that it shouldn't surprise anyone that he isn't given team access anymore. 

 

Like someone else pointed out in this thread Sully is just that crusading negative Bills fan who can never stop posting pessimistic views on the boards so who can blame the Pegulas for putting him on their ignore list.

 

...and uses the team's lack of success as justification.

14 minutes ago, May Day 10 said:

 

While I disagreed with that column.  From what I recall, it was basically slide football back and put a bunch of eggs into the basketball program and take that to a high (national) level.   I did think that it made some valid points, and I'm not going to bash a columnist for writing his/her opinion.  It did create some dialogue between me and some friends and people online.  I certainly don't want these guys locked out and blacklisted by not cow-towing to ownership due to financial and access leverage.  Freezing them out because they say negative things (that frankly, are justified) is a weak move and concerning.  Think Sal apologizing to McDermott for having the 'nerve' to ask if a punter was receiving some payment or something.  

I recall many positive columns by Sullivan and Gleason during the Sabres' runs of 2005-2007.  

 

 

When Pegula bought the Sabres, at the PC or just after, he went on some laughable and incredibly naive tangent that the local media should only write positive things about the organization and the players.    It kind of perked everyone's ears, but everyone was so geeked out about hearing "multiple stanley cups" that it kind of went by the wayside.  TBN mocked him for it (rightly so), and since then there has been a tense feud between Pegula(s) and TBN.  Sullivan isnt going to sit there and listen to Pegula (with a booger hanging out of his nose) dictate what he can and cant write about his sports teams.  Sorry, Sullivan is in the right, whether you agree or disagree with his opinions.  Does Bob Kraft try to shut down that Shaughnessy guy?  

 

 

Sounds like a certain someone in Washington DC.

[Steptide]

1 hour ago, PromoTheRobot said:

 

I'm betting it was Bob Matthews. Not exactly Peter King. I'm also betting his source was one of the drunks who call his radio show.

 

Why can't you just say who it was? It's not a state secret.

I did say. It was Dittulio. And supposedly his source was in the bills organization, not a caller 

[Homey D. Clown]

16 hours ago, Phil The Thrill said:

I came across and interesting interview on Twitter with Bucky Gleason.  In the interview he sounds good about a number of topics.  Including the Buffalo News - he said that the new management from outside of Buffalo too over and didn’t understand Buffalo sports.  He said they bought into the Twitter mob that said they were too negative.  So when they took away his column, he knew it was time to leave.

 

He also said that the Pegulas and the Bills significantly influence the local media either directly ($$$$) or indirectly (advertising $$$) - alluding to WGR and other outlets in Buffalo.  

 

Later he said that they both tried to get press credentials from the Bills to cover the team.  The Bills denied their website The Maven - which is kind of like a free version of The Athletic - and are the only team in the NFL team to deny press rights to The Maven.  He later tried getting credentialed through 1270 AM, where he has a radio show.  1270 AM was already approved but since Bucky and Sully weren’t on the original press list for 1270, they were again denied.  Again, Bucky says this is very rare in the NFL.

 

His take is that the Pegulas and The Bills are essentially blackballing Bucky and Sully because they don’t like how critical the duo has been.  In his mind, this is an atrocious and petty thing to do to a journalist.  

 

Its a facinating interview.  Check it out:

http://moranalytics.com/ep-66-bucky-gleason-sports-writer-radio-host/

 

Sullivan was and still is a "jerry Springer" hack with no real ability to provide anything more than pot-stirring garbage.  The only thing that was atrocious was how long it took for him to be fired.

[Jerry Jabber]

 

[corta765]

14 hours ago, stony said:

I can't disagree more.  It's a private enterprise which depends upon significant public support both in the form of patronage and tax money.  All press coverage should be expected and accepted.    

 

It still is a private business and I really don't care what support it does or doesn't get from who. This isn't native to Buffalo either if you check across a lot of professional teams they have denied access to reporters. It's part of the business at this point.

[DC Tom]

10 hours ago, Ol Dirty B said:

 

He doesn't know what he's talking about. Him telling anyone to crack open a history book is incredible.

 

He lacks perspective, or even really an understanding of what he's talking about.

 

Obviously.  I mean, the dumbass recommended history over a Constitutional law text...

[Shaw66]

17 hours ago, oldmanfan said:

Assuming it's true, seems a little petty.  But if I had been called a liar and stupid in print by someone I might also decide I don't want them around my team.

Right, on both counts. 

 

What Bucky and Dully never understood is how far out of bounds their behavior was, both in terms of quality journalism and human decency.  They're now reaping what they sowed.  

 

Still, it's petty.  The Pegulas essentially ran them out of the News, which the News didn't have the stones to do on their own.  That should be enough.  

[Bob in STL]

And for all the fans that think that the mostly lousy product produced by the Bills and Sabres for the past 20 years justifies the lousy coverage provided by Bucky and Sully I submit the names Phil Ranallo, Larry Felser, and Jim Kelley.   All true professionals and highly respected among their peers. 

 

Each if these men went through bad sports periods too, yet I looked forward to their columns every day.    No comparison. 

[Lurker]

1 hour ago, Shaw66 said:

The Pegulas essentially ran them out of the News, which the News didn't have the stones to do on their own.  That should be enough.  

 

Bupkis.    

 

A new sports editor with fresh eyes and large market experience was hired by the BN.   He came in, observed what 'talent' he had and decided to "purge the roster" (through buyouts) and rebuild his team.    No different than what the Bills do every time a new HC is hired.

 

Sully and Bucky were 'retired in place' hacks long before they got the big check from uncle Warren.    Addition by subtraction may have been tough on their egos, but guys like that are always the last to see the writing on the wall...

[hondo in seattle]

[K-9]

1 hour ago, Bob in STL said:

And for all the fans that think that the mostly lousy product produced by the Bills and Sabres for the past 20 years justifies the lousy coverage provided by Bucky and Sully I submit the names Phil Ranallo, Larry Felser, and Jim Kelley.   All true professionals and highly respected among their peers. 

 

Each if these men went through bad sports periods too, yet I looked forward to their columns every day.    No comparison. 

The aforementioned journalists above were often more critical, more scathing in their reports on the Bills and Sabres than Sully or Bucky ever were. But they had class and knew that certain venues, like bars and restaurants, were not for pressing matters, being rude, and acting unprofessionally. As critical as they were, they had the respect of people in the organizations, from ownership on down. And they knew how to turn it off and have a pour of scotch with their subjects once in a while, which is why they could maintain relationships and be privy to more information. 

 

Bucky and Sully were the antithesis of that behavior. Being rude and insulting got them nowhere.

[ndirish1978]

I'd like to offer an objective opinion on this, but I dislike Sully and Bucky to such an extent that I find it hard to 1-believe what they are saying is credible 2- have any sympathy for their situations.  

[bbb]

19 hours ago, Idandria said:

And Schopp and bulldog get a pass? They are awful to the Bills. Could the Pegulas please ban them as well. 

 

S & B don't have a vendetta against the Pegulas.  Bucky and Sully have since the first day that the Pegulas had their Sabres press conference.........................They want to be petty aholes - I don't blame the Pegulas for blackballing them.