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Mt Rushmore of Buffalo coaches (Bills and Sabres)


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8 minutes ago, VirginiaMike said:

My 4 - 2 each:

  Lou Saban

  Marv Levy

  Scottie Bowman

  Lindy Ruff

 

 

Not the only championship winning franchise in Buffalo:  let's not discount the 2 AFL Championships that the Bills won in the 60's..  

 

Punch over Bowman.  Punch went from nothing to the Cup finals in five years by winning in the much tougher East Division.  Punch built a deep team that Bowman leveraged off of.   Punch drafted and traded for the more iconic players. .  

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10 hours ago, bilzfancy said:

That's the answer, maybe in a few years add McDermott

or the opposite

Harvey Johnson, Hank Bullough, Phil Housley, Dan Bylsma

Credit to PMT...they are calling the worst of something ...Mount Flushmore!

 

My 4 

 

Lindy 

McD( yep, already)

Saban

Knox

 

Never was a Marv fan..totally  outcoached in XXV. when should have won the game

 

From there won AFC with superior talent, weak conference, destryed when playing teams with as much talent as his team had...

 

He was not a  coach  " who can take hisn and beat yourin, or take yourin and beat hisn"

 

 

 

 

 

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On ‎5‎/‎27‎/‎2020 at 5:26 AM, vincec said:

Punch Imlach was only with the Sabres for a year and a half after spending his entire career with the Maple Leafs, right? Isn't he really a Maple Leaf and not a Sabre? I don't think he would belong on a Buffalo Mt. Rushmore.

Wrong.  He was the GM longer than than a coach.    Punch’s team made the Cup finals in 5 years, Bowman never got there and Bowman started with a good team.  Punch drafted and acquired the most and best talent in his tenure.  Buffalo became a big hockey town instantly because of Punch’s ability to put a competitive product on the ice quickly.  Bowman built off of Punches team. Punch started with nothing. Given this Punch should rank ahead of Bowman. 
 

If anything, Punch is the first one on the mountain.  

Edited by Bob in STL
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Do I love Levy.  Yes, very much so.  

 

BUT...if I remove my homer glasses, he is over rated.  He squandered a roster FULL of HOF players and couldn't win the big game.  The end game play calling alone against the Giants is a black mark as much as the missed FG is.  He was out coached in all 4 Super Bowls...just flat out was.  He was up against 3 of the greatest HC's of all time, and also one DC that would become the GOAT ever at HC and DC.  So no shame in that, not like he was out coached by some weak HC that had the luxury of a great roster.  But, none the less, he wasn't able to close the deal even against a mediocre backup QB despite having the superior roster.  

 

I have an unpopular opinion.  Its going to get crapped on left and right the moment I say it.  BUT...5 years from now, I am supremely confident I will be proven right.  That is:  Sean McDermott will end his tenure in Buffalo some time way down the road being known as the best HC is Buffalo history.  Is he there now, no he doesn't have the resume just yet.  But I strongly feel we are going to win a Super Bowl in the next 5 years, and once we do, he will catapult his way to the top.  

 

I think McD is on his way as being one of the best HC's of this next generation.  From how he built the culture, how he commands respect, how he commands discipline, how he helps players be their best selves, but all the while still being a players coach.  Thats a rare trait in a coach.  Most players coaches resemble the Rex Ryan's and dont have discipline, balance, culture, etc.  

 

Being fully transparent, McD today reminds me of a young Bill Belichick.  The guy with a great defensive mind, but also knows he needs the offense to go with it and has been very vocal about building a team to score more points.  But most importantly, the guy who knows how to get the most out of players, how to build a team first culture above all else.  To find the right fits for his culture and system.  

 

I know he has to prove a lot more before earning a true comparison to BB, but he really reminds me of that young BB.  I don't know he will reach the same accolades BB and the Pats did as a dynasty, I mean it would be unfair for anyone to have expectations that McD (or any current coach) will leave the NFL as the GOAT.  BUT...I do believe he will leave the Bills at some point far down the road as our best HC in team history with a resume to confirm that.  

 

 

 

 

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5 hours ago, VirginiaMike said:

My 4 - 2 each:

  Lou Saban

  Marv Levy

  Scottie Bowman

  Lindy Ruff

 

 

Not the only championship winning franchise in Buffalo:  let's not discount the 2 AFL Championships that the Bills won in the 60's..  

 

Yes, but AFL was not a national championship.

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2 hours ago, Herc11 said:

 

Yes, but AFL was not a national championship.

Not sure about that logic - The AFL was a different league than the NFL, but was not a minor league to the NFL.  The Bills championships in 64 & 65 were as high as the Bills could go in their league.  

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I understand some people feel Marv was overrated but it's laughable to not have him on the Buffalo Mt. Rushmore he was the head coach during the greatest era of Buffalo football.  He was a great leader of men and watching the Last Dance and seeing the way Phil Jackson was able to handle the larger than life personalities of Michael Jordan and Dennis Rodman had me thinking back to Marv Levy and how all of our star players from back then credit the effect Marv had on them.  People tend to forget how big the ego's were on Jim Kelly, Bruce Smith, Thurman Thomas, Andre Reed, Cornelius Bennett and so on and so on....I've never believed the narrative that any coach off the street would have had the same success or better success with that group.  I'm not sure we get over the Bickering Bills phase as smoothly without the leadership of Marv.  

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7 hours ago, plenzmd1 said:

Credit to PMT...they are calling the worst of something ...Mount Flushmore!

 

My 4 

 

Lindy 

McD( yep, already)

Saban

Knox

 

Never was a Marv fan..totally  outcoached in XXV. when should have won the game

 

From there won AFC with superior talent, weak conference, destryed when playing teams with as much talent as his team had...

 

He was not a  coach  " who can take hisn and beat yourin, or take yourin and beat hisn"

Never a fan of the guy who helped lead us to our only four Superbowl appearances?  It didn't work out for us in the Super Bowl but you need to be a special coach to lead a team to four straight.  Hell, Belichick hasn't even done that yet. 

 

Plus, I recall his regular season record against the elite NFC teams being pretty good during that stretch so I wouldn't say he was "destroyed when playing teams with as much talent as his team had."  We were only favored in one of those Super Bowls and if Norwood kicks the ball straight we win that one.

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1 minute ago, Doc Brown said:

Never a fan of the guy who helped lead us to our only four Superbowl appearances?  It didn't work out for us in the Super Bowl but you need to be a special coach to lead a team to four straight.  Hell, Belichick hasn't even done that yet. 

 

Plus, I recall his regular season record against the elite NFC teams being pretty good during that stretch so I wouldn't say he was "destroyed when playing teams with as much talent as his team had."  We were only favored in one of those Super Bowls and if Norwood kicks the ball straight we win that one.

I get the 4 straight, and that was great, but even back then i thought he was an average at best head coach. He had superior talent across the board, and they never won a championship. 

 

You mention  Norwood missing a kick...i might say a better head coach recognizes the D that was being played against them and has a chat with JImbo and Ted to change the Offensive calls and maybe no Norwood kick is needed at the end.maybe, but maybe not.

 

to whom much is given, much is expected

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7 hours ago, Bob in STL said:

Wrong.  He was the GM longer than than a coach.    Punch’s team made the Cup finals in 5 years, Bowman never got there and Bowman started with a good team.  He drafted and acquired the most talent in his tenure.  Buffalo became a big hockey town instantly because of Punch’s ability to put a competitive product on the ice quickly.  Bowman built off of Punches team. Punch started with nothing.  
 

If anything, Punch is the first one on the mountain.  

Ok, but I thought this was for the “Mount Rushmore of Buffalo coaches.” If we are talking about GMs then Bill Polian needs to be up there.

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9 hours ago, Bob in STL said:

Wrong.  He was the GM longer than than a coach.    Punch’s team made the Cup finals in 5 years, Bowman never got there and Bowman started with a good team.  He drafted and acquired the most talent in his tenure.  Buffalo became a big hockey town instantly because of Punch’s ability to put a competitive product on the ice quickly.  Bowman built off of Punches team. Punch started with nothing.  
 

If anything, Punch is the first one on the mountain.  

Thanks....I know the Sabres were always competitive under Bowman, but I always think of his tenure in Buffalo as a huge dissappointment.

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18 hours ago, Herc11 said:

 

If you're gonna throw in the Braves, might as well throw in the only championship winning franchise in Buffalo (so far), the Bandits. A quick google search shows Les Bartley as the head coach for 3 of the 4 national champion Bandit teams.

 

Indoor lacrosse  isn't nearly on the level of the NBA, it's a minor league and a minor sport. Same reason Bisons (baseball) are not included. 

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6 hours ago, BillsPride12 said:

I understand some people feel Marv was overrated but it's laughable to not have him on the Buffalo Mt. Rushmore he was the head coach during the greatest era of Buffalo football.  He was a great leader of men and watching the Last Dance and seeing the way Phil Jackson was able to handle the larger than life personalities of Michael Jordan and Dennis Rodman had me thinking back to Marv Levy and how all of our star players from back then credit the effect Marv had on them.  People tend to forget how big the ego's were on Jim Kelly, Bruce Smith, Thurman Thomas, Andre Reed, Cornelius Bennett and so on and so on....I've never believed the narrative that any coach off the street would have had the same success or better success with that group.  I'm not sure we get over the Bickering Bills phase as smoothly without the leadership of Marv.  

Agree. I dont think he should be in the HOF but he is still greatest HC in Buffalo history

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