BillsfaninFl

But he didn't lead his team back from 4 Td's down or anything miraculous like that. He just threw a ball as far as he could and T.O. caught it. I've seen that a number of times. But no one does a piece on that throw. What makes Fitzpatrick so special. I say nothing, but I'm interested in others opinions. Now if you want to talk about something special, let's marvel at how one man pulled the greatest comeback in college football history, then did it again in the NFL. That's truly special.

You're just jealous because they both could move the ball down the field -and- actually scored 2 touchdowns. The last time the Bills could drive at will, it was because Tampa Bay still thought it was a preseason game.

I don't think they all want to have a dual role. Just that they want to be able to have a strong influence. I'd be surprised if Holmgren wants another GM ride and Marty just wants a GM who will work with him. Some of them, like Cowher, just want to coach. Then again, I doubt that Parcells would consider a coaching position at this stage of his career.

Good point. It's hard to teach an old dog new tricks, and in dog years, Ralph is more than 13 years old. I've never had a dog live that long, let alone doing something different.

True. It starts with power and organizational potential. There may be more top coaches out there now than at any time in the past. And you guys have named most of them. From an elite coach's point of view, he doesn't really care if it's a big or small market. HCs have no life outside of football, so it doesn't need to be a party town either. Money is great, especially if you can be in one place earning it for several years. So that's the rub. A coach may be thinking if I go there, will I have enough power to do my job in a way that will allow me to be successfull? Will the organization support me by consistently bringing in (and keeping) high quality players? If the answers to both are "yes," then it's time to talk money.

T.O. has some quality play left, but is too expensive for a team that needs many positions filled. Therefore, the Bills would not resign him if they really want to make improvements. All these threads indicating that the only thing that will work is to replace the staff from the top down are right on. So let's think about the dollars involved and the return on investment. Even IF Ralph Wilson has a change of heart and wants to actually build a competitive team, he doesn't have time. Not just because of his age, but also because bringing in top management and coaching would take all the additional bucks Wilson might agree to spend, and the turnabout would take at least a few years. That is because the team is several good drafts (and a few decent free agent signings) away from being competitive. The scenario is illogical because the fans are not going to keep filling the stadium for a few more years if the team remains toothless. So Wilson couldn't do a complete makeover if he wanted to. Too costly and too slow. The only "business smart" option (I'm sad to say) is to make a few half-hearted changes to keep a false sense of hope going.

Oh well, "a new Brohm sweeps clean." Forgive me, I couldn't resist. One thing that is starting to scare me is that a growing number of people are following ex-Bills who are successful elsewhere. There are so many of them, it's like a bizarre version of Fantasy Football. If Madden Ex-Bills hits the shelves at Christmas, I'm going into hiding.

I talked to Perry after the game. He said he was just doing what he has been taught was the way to coach during the last 2.5 years. Actually, I thought it was real, but then I realized I had fallen asleep on the couch and spilled beer over my crotch. Talk about a terrible loss, that was my last beer.

Amen. Moreover, who is confident that we will draft more than one or two decent players? And when was the last time we actually brought in a free agent who made the team significantly better? (I say this as I am watching a couple of NE free agent aquisitions: Moss and Welker dominate the Jets.) Then I start thinking about who would actually want to come to Buffalo. The Bills made a reasonable offer for Tony Gonzalez, who had indicated he wanted out of KC. When told of the offer, Tony said, well maybe I'll stay in KC until next year. Today he is a happier man.

How can you bash sports writers? True they rarely have "scoops," but they usually offer good opinions with supporting facts once news becomes public. Can you imagine trying to do a job of informing others about an organization's actions when the few representatives who speak to you go to great lengths not to share anything of value? It's not a matter of them lazily cashing paychecks. It's a job as frustrating as being a door-to-door salesman. And let's be honest. We fans clamber to read every article written about our team.

I think Russ has done a good marketing job, but let's not get carried away. His accomplishments are mainly expanding the Bills' geographic territory and income from outside of Erie County. (i.e. Changing the location of the practice venue, more assertive advertising, shuttle trains from central NY, snuggling up with the Toronto contingent, etc.) He has had some influence on filling the stands, but other factors came into play also: 1. Some show up because they are the cheapest NFL tickets to be had. 2. Some keep following the Bills because they live in a depressed, dwindling population area where there is not a lot of top sports entertainment. (See Buffalo Braves, etc.) 3. Others keep buying their tickets because they are hoping it will keep the team in Buffalo. 4. But the most important factor IMO is that Buffalo has the finest group of fans in the league. This is a blue collar town where people are loyal to a flaw and love the game of football. If the Bills were community owned, like Green Bay, there would not be any talk of them leaving town and there wouldn't be any decade-long playoff droughts.

Hmmm... I wonder if the difference is related to coaching. Naw, couldn't be.

Amen. No sympathy for someone who can laugh all the way to the bank. Luckily, I was sitting down when I found out that Ralph pulled the plug on Dick. I would have bet a lot of money he wouldn't do it this early in the contract. Whic makes me a little suspicious. Could there have been a clause in the contract that would let Wilson get out of the deal without paying the full amount?

Why do they let Ralph talk at all? He's the owner, the President, chief meddler, the check writer and the only real power in the organization. Who is going to tell Wilson to shut up?

If the Bills charged an average of $15 more per game ticket, would you pay it if RW spent it on better personnel? My days of Bills season tickets are behind me, because I now live in Florida. But I have been paying over $200 per year to watch the Bills on NFL Sunday Ticket (until this season). I just wonder how many others out there would gladly pay a little more for a decent chance to get their money's worth. If the average Bills ticket price is $51.24 and adding in another $20+ spent on game days, wouldn't it make sense to agree to pay a little more to actually be entertained at the games? I know these are tough times, but now you are tossing $70+ down the toilet each game to be frustrated. What do you think?

Wow! "Hope springs eternal within the human breast." Even I, as bitter as I have been lately, feel a spark of hope. P.T. Barnum was right. There is a sucker born every minute. After so many times getting shafted by RW I'm setting myself up again. Like T.O. last year, Ralph will go just far enough to fill the stadium seats. I know it, yet I want to not believe it.

Hmmm... that one was close to the famous "they were who we thought they were." Perry has been watching those Bud commercials. I predict "Fewell" want Perry to be our next real head coach. Of course, what COULD he say? Seriously, I think Fewell and April have done a better job than most of the rest of the staff. No defense or special teams can win a lot of games when they are back on the field every five minutes.

Just some constructive criticism. You made a typing error. It's "to the Wilson goes the spoils."

This just in. As of December, T.O. is gone.

Rats! I guess the cheerleader turned down the offer for HC.

This could be the most lame post of the month. Aren't you the guy who predicted the Bills would win 10 games this season?

Don't do it! Don't punish yourself by thinking anything is going to change significantly. I won't remind you of all the bad coaches the Bills have hired in recent years. But as I have said before, Ralph will not 1. hire a top notch head coach. 2. give anyone any real power.