‘Agents reacted with shock. Butler was synonymous with the Bills and they said he bled for the team.’
BillsBeat - December 20, 2000
Smith, Adams have an inside shot
‘Long-time personnel men A.J. Smith and Dwight Adams are among the leading candidates to replace the fired John Butler as general manager of the Buffalo Bills.’
Butler deserved better than this
‘With apologies to angry women everywhere, hell hath no fury as an NFL owner scorned.’
Temporary insanity Bills' only explanation
‘Yesterday at the Bills practice facility named after himself, Wilson stood at the podium looking for all the world like he had swallowed a lemon.’
Petty problems in locker room doomed Bills GM Butler
‘…Bills players paint a portrait of the worst quarterback controversy in recent memory, a poor work ethic and ridiculous team edicts that represent a child-care center more than a football team.’
Buffalo's stupid move
‘Listening to Wilson, it sounds as if Butler precipitated the move. But it is Wilson, not Butler, who is to blame for an exit the Bills will regret.’
BUTLER GETS THE BOOT CONTRACT FLAP LEADS WILSON TO OUST GM
‘Wilson said he needed to settle the issue due to the weighty matters facing the team this offseason, and Butler was reluctant to strike a deal. Butler, meanwhile, was eager to receive what he considers his full market value given his lofty reputation for personnel evaluation in the NFL. And it was clear from Wilson’s description of events that Butler was not impressed enough by the contract offer the owner made in the past week.’
PLAYERS, AGENTS CAUGHT BY SURPRISE
‘”There’s definitely a surprise,” Bills linebacker John Holecek said. “You don’t expect this. . . . The timing is what’s shocking. We kind of expected some changes, but not at this time.”‘
BUTLER HAD LONG STRING OF SUCCESS STORIES
‘The free-agent salary cap also came into play in 1993, but Butler didn’t seem encumbered by it.’
BUTLER'S FIRING MAY PORTEND MORE UPHEAVAL FOR THE BILLS
‘The Bills’ performance has been miserable in the past four weeks, increasing pressure on the coaching staff. The offense, in particular, has been a big disappointment.’
RALPH'S RUSH TO JUDGMENT A SAD SPECTACLE
‘Now Butler is gone, too, like Polian the victim of his owner’s rash and dubious judgment. Wilson fired him Tuesday for refusing to sign a new contract and take himself out of the running for other GM positions in the league — specifically, the San Diego job that is apparently his for the taking.’
BillsBeat - December 19, 2000
GM John Butler Fired!
‘Owner Ralph Wilson was stunned over the whole thing. He was particularly disturbed that Butler seemingly did not want to stay with the Bills. Wilson said since July he talked to Butler six times about renewing his contract, but Butler was non-committal each time – as if he had some place to go already, or he wanted to be somewhere other than Buffalo all along.’
Bills send Butler packing
"I said, generally speaking, ‘John, if you can’t give me an answer that you’re going to be the general manager of the Bills, now, not in the future, not after the last game, then I’m going to have to look elsewhere,’ " Wilson said he told Butler. "He was just nonchalant about it and left."
Bills fire Butler
‘The Buffalo Bills on Tuesday fired general manager and executive vice president John Butler. "John Butler has been dismissed of his duties as executive vice president and general manager of the club effective immediately," team owner Ralph Wilson said in a prepared statement delivered at Bills headquarters.’
Flutie, not Johnson, likely to start finale
‘In what may be considered a mercy move by many Bills fans, Bills coach Wade Phillips said yesterday that quarterback Rob Johnson will probably sit out the season finale Saturday in Seattle.’