‘Buffalo owner Ralph Wilson denied the Chargers permission to talk to Smith yesterday, but a source said San Diego will seek to overturn Wilson’s decision today by asking the commissioner’s office to review Smith’s contract.’
BillsBeat - January 5, 2001
Bills' owner blocks executive from exit
‘Buffalo Bills owner Ralph Wilson has decided to be petty, as well as penurious.’
Ralph Wilson is firing back
‘…the 82-year-old owner of the Buffalo Bills yesterday denied the Chargers permission to interview his pro personnel director, A.J. Smith, for an undisclosed front office position.’
Wilson Passes The Ax
‘It’s even harder to imagine Donahoe, who lost his job in Pittsburgh after a power struggle with Steelers coach Bill Cowher, being force-fed an incumbent coach.’
Bills coaches' futures to be decided by new GM
‘Phillips, who is well-liked by the players, was criticized for his handling of quarterbacks Rob Johnson and Doug Flutie. Blame also fell on the Bills offensive coaching staff, headed by coordinator Joe Pendry, and first-year special teams coach Ronnie Jones.’
Chargers hire Butler as GM
‘Butler will be introduced at a news conference Friday morning, spokesman Bill Johnston said.’
CHARGERS TAP BUTLER AS GM
‘Butler will triple his salary, according to NFL and San Diego sources. His deal is worth $7.5 million over five years, the sources said, which is believed to put him among the top five paid GMs in the league.’
BILLS' LOSS OF BUTLER HURTS IN MANY WAYS
‘Butler was always supportive of the Bills’ players, sometimes to a fault. No matter how serious a player’s transgressions off the field, he wouldn’t publicly condemn his actions. He sometimes would protect players by limiting our access to them. That circle-the-wagons mentality didn’t go over well with the media or the public, but it made him a hero in the Bills’ locker room.’
BillsBeat - January 4, 2001
Here's a Vote for Sports Talk Radio to Get Real
‘But let’s face reality; a lot of times, our "experts" are long on opinion and short on everything else, including the facts. Once again, the hope must be that if you hear it said often enough, you’ll believe that Johnson is better than Flutie, even if Flutie plays better, wins more games, and entertains the fans.’
Chargers clear the deck to let Butler do it as GM
‘Chargers president Dean Spanos is so certain that former Buffalo Bills executive John Butler is the right man to take over his football operations that before boarding a private plane yesterday to meet with Butler in Las Vegas, Spanos fired the top two people in his personnel department.’
Chargers clear way for Butler
‘Any chance Butler can entice Bills free-agent defensive end Marcellus Wiley (10 1/2 sacks) and/or disgruntled quarterback Rob Johnson – both Southern California residents – to tag along? Those familiar with Butler’s success wouldn’t be shocked.’
Bills divided on QB issue
‘"But Doug gets them going much more when he’s on the field. He changes things when he’s out there, it’s a different game with Doug. But he is 38."’
Bills hurry up and wait for next GM
‘It’s been learned Donahoe, who has comparable credentials to Butler, also wants a five-year deal worth at least $1 million annually, parameters Wilson may be unwilling to commit to.’
Chargers fire top personnel men
‘The San Diego Chargers fired their top two talent evaluators Wednesday, presumably to clear the way for John Butler to be hired as general manager of the NFL’s worst team.’
Christie: Bills divided by QB controversy
‘He is the first Bills player to admit publicly how deeply the rift affected the team. Bills officials were not immediately available for comment.’