Is McD the most polarizing figure in Bills history?

[pennstate10]

3 hours ago, Shaw66 said:

OJ is certainly number 1 on the list of most polarizing. 

 

Daryl Lamonica is way up that list, too. 

 

Buddy Nix. 

 

Dick Jauron.

 

I think McDermott is close to the top of the list, because it was too hard to argue against a coach who was winning as much as he won. 

I live in Buffalo (actually kenmore and Tonawanda) in the 1960s. I didn’t know anyone who disliked Lamonica. People I knew blamed Wilson for trading him. But that wasn’t Lamonicas fault. 

[DeepPass]

Kemp vs. Lamonica  - -   Long before social media could blow nothing into something!

[SydneyBillsFan]

5 hours ago, SectionC3 said:

OJ. 
 

Flutie. 

 

Agree.

 

Special mention for the Bills taking Basham ahead of Humphrey, Troup ahead of Gronk and Ford ahead of DJ Metcalf. If we just got one of those three right, we'd probably have a Lombardi in WNY.

[Shortchaz]

McDermott got hit with some bad luck and some of it was his fault. He’s not completely to blame but at the level the failures happened something had to change. Solid borderline good/excellent coach but some dice rolling needed to take place.

[cba fan]

4 hours ago, Lionel Hutz said:

Is there really a big portion of the fanbase that likes OJ? Was there really anyone that wanted him to be associated with the Bills again after the murder trial? 

 

Maybe it's just cause I'm younger but I've never really had a strong feeling either way about OJ's status as a Buffalo Bill.

are you not paying attention?? Start any chat or thread about dirtbag double murderer OJ and immediately you are inundated by those who say he is a dirtbag to those who say he was never convicted (in criminal court) so he is not guilty and should stay on wall of fame and be on wall of fame in new stadium. About a 50 50 split. You can't change their mind with any reasonable info..

[Kirby Jackson]

It’s a fair question. It really comes down to, “how responsible was he for the success” and “how much was he to blame for the failures?” I’ve long leaned towards the latter but you can make a strong case on both sides. That makes him pretty polarizing.

[Chaos]

To answer the OP question directly, the answer is an unequivocal yes.   The sheer length of time people had to argue about whether McDermott had the right stuff or not has no precedent.  The defenses of Doug Whaley or Buddy Nix or Ryan Fitzpatrick where all divisive at their times, but comparatively very short lived.  

[PonyBoy]

6 hours ago, Mikie2times said:

Despite his name in the title, this is not a McD thread. I felt compelled to post this because of how deeply it was effecting my fandom, to the extent I didn't even understand it. On one hand watching Allen and this great run we have had has been a ton of fun. I've been a fan since the Super Bowl years which is not long enough to see it all, but long enough to see a lot. Posting on this forum a long time, it says 2003 but before that I had another TBD account I lost the log in for so it dates back even further than that. 

 

For 20+ years on TBD I have been a very positive poster. The last two years or so, completely negative, almost always at McD. Totally against who I am in normal life. Then over the last few months, outside of a few McD driven thread, basically right back to who I used to be. I even started to wonder myself if I was just turning into a bit of a bitter a-hole? That didn't flush with life where I was still light hearted with most things. But this singular issue was far more consuming then I could have known. Also knowing how many people feel different than I do on this subject, perhaps even some feeling just as strongly about his departure as I did regarding his tenure here.

 

I'm trying to think back if anything in this journey as a fan is even close to being as divisive to our fan base as this? The obvious one that comes to mind is Johnson and Flutie. Which I recall feeling much more neutral about, but I don't recall the message boards at the time. I'm also not a Buffalo native, so I don't have a local pulse from that time frame.

 

So the broader question is, is this the most divisive topic you have encountered in your time as a fan? If not, what would you say was? I'm also curious if others felt like me where they had this intensely negative view on a singular aspect of this team and it was sort of hurting them as far as being a fan. Can people relate to what I said, either about McD and how you felt or about another situation in Bills history that maybe felt similar? 

 

It's the off-season & appreciate you putting this much thought into a post. 

 

The replies have been interesting as well. 

[BillyJoeBills]

OJ by a California mile

[Thrivefourfive]

Nah. Ralph > McD

5 minutes ago, BillyJoeBills said:

OJ by a California mile

20 mins. A mile on the 405… 20 mins. It’s incredible. 

[May Day 10]

Russ Brandon inflamed far more arguments.

 

"Just a marketing guy, hes a marketing genius" people vs "he is making decisions and is the defacto gm" people

2 hours ago, Don Otreply said:

Ralph Wilson was the most polarizing figure in Bills history and second place isn’t even close,

 

 

I said russ brandon, but reading this, Wilson is the correct answer

[transient]

Marv 

[transient]

4 hours ago, Goin Breakdown said:

I'd say Demetrius Flanagan Fowles is. 

Oh crap... now you've done it... you've just started a war between the hyphenators and the non-hyphenators...

[MJS]

Gosh, if the 2nd most successful coach in Bills history was the most polarizing figure ever, with the best win percentage and 2nd most playoff wins, I guess we sure don't have much to complain about.

 

Pretty silly that some fans hated him so much. I guess it is a product of the times we live in today.

 

But the answer is obviously no. There have been MUCH more polarizing individuals, even Ralph Wilson himself being one of them.

25 minutes ago, May Day 10 said:

Russ Brandon inflamed far more arguments.

 

"Just a marketing guy, hes a marketing genius" people vs "he is making decisions and is the defacto gm" people

 

I said russ brandon, but reading this, Wilson is the correct answer

Brandon wasn't polarizing because nobody really liked him. Some fans were more neutral than others, and maybe defended him because they defend most things related to the organization, but virtually nobody actually thought he was a strong positive for the organization. At the most, some fans downplayed his involvement.

[Puckman5]

2 hours ago, machine gun kelly said:

Puckman, if you want to call him divisive, fine.  How I would characterize Dickerson is a baffoon.

Got it.  "Baffoon" it is.  

[Urban Achievers]

This question is too complex for me. 

[Mikie2times]

9 minutes ago, MJS said:

Gosh, if the 2nd most successful coach in Bills history was the most polarizing figure ever, with the best win percentage and 2nd most playoff wins, I guess we sure don't have much to complain about.

 

Pretty silly that some fans hated him so much. I guess it is a product of the times we live in today.

 

But the answer is obviously no. There have been MUCH more polarizing individuals, even Ralph Wilson himself being one of them.

Brandon wasn't polarizing because nobody really liked him. Some fans were more neutral than others, and maybe defended him because they defend most things related to the organization, but virtually nobody actually thought he was a strong positive for the organization. At the most, some fans downplayed his involvement.

The guy is apparently beyond reproach. We should all be grateful for his greatness. My point exactly.

[machine gun kelly]

42 minutes ago, Mikie2times said:

The guy is apparently beyond reproach. We should all be grateful for his greatness. My point exactly.

Don’t forget Brandon was a lech.  Remember all the women who came forward about his antics with the female staff.  For the other poster, those were my sentiments exactly, that how can the second winningest HC in the history of the Bills be considered so divisive.   Now, I’m fine with mgmt and ownership moving on as McD hit a ceiling, but the vitriol is over the top.

 

in retrospect, I have zero problems with elevating Brady, bring in in Carmichael and Leonard.  If they have close to the success of Payton as they are all disciples of him, we will be fine.  It kind of stinks Payton is in the AFC as I’m sure he would mentor Brady even more if Payton was still in the NFC.

[Thurman#1]

OJ? Saban? Flutie/Johnson? Dennis Shaw and what we learned about him? Conrad Dobler?

 

Not even close.

 

He's a guy who did his absolute best and had some bad luck. Turned the team around but the Bills couldn't win one during his time. Still a terrific person. Every chance he'll win one or more as time passes.

 

 

Edited May 30 by Thurman#1

[hondo in seattle]

6 hours ago, Lionel Hutz said:

Is there really a big portion of the fanbase that likes OJ? Was there really anyone that wanted him to be associated with the Bills again after the murder trial? 

 

Maybe it's just cause I'm younger but I've never really had a strong feeling either way about OJ's status as a Buffalo Bill.

 

OJ was the only sports hero I ever had.  I don't tend to lionize athletes or other celebrities, but OJ was special.  Until he became a killer.  

 

Even now, when I watch old clips of him, I'm filled with awe and admiration for his otherworldly skill and athleticism.  I think any conversation about the greatest RB of all time that doesn't include OJ is whacked.  At the same time, I hope his name is taken down from the Wall of Fame and he rots in Hell.   

 

Polarizing?  Not in the normal sense.  He has very few supporters anymore.  But some of us old-timers have bipolar views of him.