Excellent post and nice to know there's a few others that can think rationally.
However, I must disagree with the bolded part. People want Billick or Fassel hired, preferably quickly, so they can continue to and complain that the Bills didn't even try to hire a good coach. That they went out and hired some tired retread.
Regarding the HC search, go back to December and early Jan. and read the posts, and you'll see dozens upon dozens of posters crying that all they want is a thorough search - don't interview one guy and hire him; look at up and comers; go after the big names. Well, now that the Bills are doing that, you see these same people complaining. Why? Because it's taking too long, no one likes us, we're a joke.
What did people expect? Cowher, Shanny, and every coach out there to get in a reverse bidding war just for the privilege of being here? When you go after the best candidates, they have other options. So you don't get them all, especially when you're not one of the premier franchises in the league. I guess that's just a little too much for people's frail little insecurities to take.