If Beane had not gone on WGR in April 2025, would you still think he is the problem?

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12 minutes ago, NoSaint said:

it’s an interesting crossroads. 
 

given their ppg im not even sure he believes he’s fully wrong now on thinking it’s a want vs a need compared to fixing the defense.

As pretext, I have been very vocal about how badly they ###### up the WR room this season, to the extent that I thought Beane should be fired. However, as infuriating as not having 1 guy in that WR room that can be relied on to separate is, they put up 30 on the road on the second ranked defense in the NFL. If the defense could have stopped a 2nd year QB with only 2 healthy receivers in the 4th Q on 3-11 instead of giving up a 25 yd pass, a problem that has plagued them for seasons in the playoffs, McDermott is probably still employed...

[uticaclub]

1 minute ago, hondo in seattle said:

Of course, the WGR call hurt his reputation. But I was already entertaining doubts about his abilities as a GM before then.  

 

He started with a bang.  Got Allen with his very first draft pick.  Signed Hyde and Poyer as free agents that same spring.

 

He's been more fizzle than sizzle since.  

He did not sign Hyde or Poyer

[KOKBILLS]

Honestly... I was not a huge fan of his approach specifically at WR long before that... But I also felt that he was OK at times in the Draft and a fair GM... That call just lacked class and was the opposite of how I want my GM to act in public when he disagrees...And he was dead wrong anyway... So yes, that interview really dug a massive hole for BBB in my eyes...

[hondo in seattle]

12 minutes ago, Walking Tall said:

I didn’t even think the discussion with the WGR guys was that bad. 
 

The way people acted over It reminds me of everyone flipping out over a typo in a press release.

 

I listened to it when it happened and was surprised how unprofessional Beane was, uncomfortably so.  

 

So a couple of media guys critiqued your free agent moves.  Getting criticized is part of the game.  Shrug it off.  Get over yourself.  

[SoonerBillsFan]

Of course he did.

[hondo in seattle]

2 minutes ago, uticaclub said:

He did not sign Hyde or Poyer

 

My memory isn't always a dependable instrument.  But this just makes Beane's story worse.

 

 

[transient]

15 minutes ago, BRH said:

Let me throw something else into the mix.

 

Suppose these signings and picks — Palmer, Samuel, Coleman, etc — were what McDermott wanted, and Beane went out and got them for him.  

 

Then he goes on WGR and offers a full-throated defense of the strategy.  Essentially puts his own rep on the line defending McD.

 

Then the games start and it becomes obvious it’s not working, just like what happened last year when Beane had to go get Cooper at the deadline.

 

Wouldn’t you think Beane would have grown progressively more frustrated and resentful at taking all the heat for building a roster in Sean’s image?

This is what I want to believe so that I am ok with the direction of the franchise moving forward. It's not impossible. And it would explain Beane and Pegula's reaction to McDermott pointing out the shortcomings of the roster if it was his change of direction in the first place. I'm not holding my breath that this is reality, though.

[Captain Murica]

3 minutes ago, london_bills said:

Is Jerry Sullivan banned from the press conferences?

I haven’t heard that name in forever. My last memory of him was when he called women fans the worst and just cheerleaders. 

[Don Otreply]

Beane has been only half the problem at most,  when folk wrap their minds around this fact, it will be easier for them to move forward with a more objective vision. 
 

McDermott with his very questionable moments in games and his personnel usage, and Beane with his questionable draft picks…, both have been the issue.

 

Go BILLS!!!

[atlbillsfan1975]

No. He had a human moment. I think it was wrong and he came across as arrogant, but it hasn’t changed my opinion. There was enough talent on that roster to be the one seed and be playing the AFCC at home against someone not named KC. If McD did say there wasn’t enough talent on this team, and by his response in the press conference to the question, I believe McD did say it. He needed to be fired, that’s loser mentality. 

Edited January 20 by atlbillsfan1975

[davefan66]

To answer your question.

 

He showed his true colors with the call and the continuation of slamming WGR to anyone who would listen afterwards.  Completely childish and thin skinned.

 

The fact he was not heard or seen from for a large part of the season didn’t help.

 

Yes. It totally destroyed his reputation with many people, including me.  The way the firing of McD is going down doesn’t help.

 

He starts tomorrow repairing that reputation if he wishes.

[Rousseauisnoschmo]

Could care less what he said on WGR. I care about the substandard drafting in the first and second round and the below average free agent signings. 

[Walking Tall]

36 minutes ago, hondo in seattle said:

 

I listened to it when it happened and was surprised how unprofessional Beane was, uncomfortably so.  

 

So a couple of media guys critiqued your free agent moves.  Getting criticized is part of the game.  Shrug it off.  Get over yourself.  

It happens all the time in professional sports. Ever recall some if Belichick’s pressers?

[BillsPride12]

Beane did himself no favors the way he handled himself in that interview and it completely blew up in his face.  I'm sure there's not a minute that goes by that he doesn't regret the way that went down.

 

With that said myself(and many others) were already questioning Beane's drafts and roster builds wayyyy before that

 

The only thing now I am also questioning how much of McDermott's influence factored into the personnel decisions?

[Mike in Horseheads]

52 minutes ago, strive_for_five_guy said:

Maybe he’ll show up in McD’s glasses 🤓 

Ah man, fire the guy and then take away his glass's bought on the team health insurance... brutal lol

[BillsPride12]

59 minutes ago, strive_for_five_guy said:

Maybe he’ll show up in McD’s glasses 🤓 

Oh man that would be the ultimate Beane turned fully Heel move trolling McDermott with the glasses

That's a plotline straight out of 90s WWF

[Mike in Horseheads]

50 minutes ago, Captain Murica said:

I haven’t heard that name in forever. My last memory of him was when he called women fans the worst and just cheerleaders. 

Sportswriter Jerry Sullivan has been fired by WIVB-TV (Channel 4), the Niagara Gazette and the Lockport Union Sun & Journal after he made sexist comments on a livestream podcast Monday night.

Sullivan was under fire on social media immediately from Twitter followers and other journalists after he said: “The worst fans really are the women. They don’t get critical journalism. They’re all wannabe cheerleaders.”

[The Jokeman]

Personally I'm glad he called the radio hosts out. In retrospect it looks like a poor decision to a degree. As despite the poor WRs we still had an above average offense etc. 

[HardyBoy]

I don't think he was wrong necessarily about what he said and I think it was largely misinterpreted...what player during the draft that was available or within realistic trade range should he have taken?

 

I'm not saying I support Beane, just I think people are not necessarily listening to what he was saying and should relisten to the conversation...especially after White said what he said about how receivers offer a lot of value on their rookie deals, and beane responded so do interior penetrating defensive lineman and it's how the board fell.

 

Like it really wasn't that big a deal at all (I relistened yesterday and I suggest you all do the same)...it was a misunderstanding...now going on other radio shows, probably a bad look, but Pat McAfee is a parody of a sports show largely (like Le Betard show used to be, especially back in like 2012 and earlier before they went national) and he was just having fun with it.

 

Again, I'm not defending beane overall, I think the looking at what beat you in your last game and basing your entire off-season strategy at fixing that one thing, when it's a match up league and so much changes year to year...it is monumentally stupid and just recency bias and is a huge factor in chasing not just needs, but chasing perceived needs/windmills.

 

That said, listen to that interview again, it really is pretty tame

Edited January 21 by HardyBoy
Recency bias, not decency bias (lol, auto correct)

[zow2]

I really don’t give two shiitakes about his kerfuffle with Jeremy and Joe on WGR.  Never has something so minor been made to be such a big deal.  Newsflash, NFL GM has an ego and doesn’t like to be called out by “never wrong” radio guys.  Just move it along and keep winning games and get a coach in here who can finish playoff games.