Maguire's Beer

That is disheartening. Holy crap, that's terrible. Yeah, that would pretty much disqualify Whisenhunt from any search for a coach who has a clue about probability.

Let's just imagine that, against conventional wisdom, ten days from today Chip Kelly is considering an offer from the Bills to become head coach. Isn't it significant that Kelly doesn't have to meet Wilson prior to the offer being made? I mean, does anyone honestly believe that young, affable Russ Brandon is not a more attractive owner figure than old, out-of-touch Ralph from the perspective of a prospective coach? And does anyone believe that Brandon is more likely than Ralph to capriciously reject a qualified candidate for inconsequential reasons (e.g., Marty in 2010)? Yes, I'm taking Brandon at his word that Ralph has ceded all ownership responsibility. I suppose it's possible that he's lying. But we have no concrete reason to believe that, and it's usually wisest not to assume facts contrary to those publicly available. So I can't see how today's news isn't good - particularly if you consider the possible post-Ralph implications that I raised early in this thread.

But now Russ has all the incentive in the world - more than he even had as CEO - to ensure that he keeps his elevated position under new ownership. In practice, that means he has to try to become PART of the new ownership. He needs to ally himself with an ownership group that will retain him as the managing partner, even while he doesn't bring any serious money to the table. That sounds daunting, but Russ has two key pieces of leverage - his current role as owner-in-all-but-title, and his close relationship with Ralph. If anyone is going to convince Ralph to give a hometown discount to a prospective ownership group, it's his boy Russ.

Looking ahead, I see this as a good thing for those of us who want to keep the Bills in Buffalo. Russ Brandon is now the de facto owner of the team. That's a sweet gig. I foresee him being highly motivated to keep such a great job after Ralph's passing, and the only way to do that is to try to organize an ownership group which would give him an initially small equity stake and employ him as a "General Partner," ala Al Davis in Oakland in the '60s. I give Russ a significantly better chance of succeeding in that endeavor than I do Jim Kelly.

Eh. I sort of figured this was the de facto order of things already. Well, until there's a new owner, better Russ than Ralph making the final call.

Wrong answer. I'm assuming "athlete" is code, right?

I've been saying for awhile that IF Tajh declares for the draft - and that's a big "if" - he'd be my favorite QB prospect. Runs a pro spread, prefers to work from the pocket (but can run well), big arm, accurate, good decision making. More upside than most of the other names. And yeah, he looks good so far tonight.

I'm a Clemson fan, and there's no way in hell I'd want Dabo with the Bills in any capacity. That said, the best thing Dabo has done (otherthat his preternatural success in recruiting) was hire Chad Morris as his OC. The Chad might not have "had an ounce of college cred," but he's a brilliant OC and may well end up as the next Chip Kelly.

In rod we trust!

I'd say it's 50-50. There are some very realistic ownership candidates who would keep the team in Buffalo. Of course, there are plenty of folks who'd like to move the team to LA. So yeah, we might lose the team when we get a new owner. But if the new owner keeps the team in Buffalo, we're pretty much guaranteed someone more engaged and better positioned to win than Ralph.

I imagine that Nix tried to get Dabo's take on whether Tajh Boyd is coming out. He projects as a good fit in Chan's spread.

Jints, Steelers, or Browns, due to proximity to Buffalo. That's who we would have gotten on TV growing up, right? My answer to a slightly different question: if the Bills move, I'll probably end up as either a Skins fan (I live in DC), or a Raider fan. I like the idea of the Raiders as a home for all of society's outcasts - a football French Foreign Legion - accepting the spurned and heartbroken. Moreover, they currently suck on toast, so no one could accuse me of being a frontrunner.

I'd rather go 9-7 than 4-12, but I'd rather go 4-12 than 8-8. 9-7 means you're probably still in the playoff mix going into Week 17, and that you've made a real step forward. 8-8 is the only thing worse than 7-9.

I assume you're joking, but just in case - the model is that of Green Bay. A privately or publicly traded corporation, where shareholders elect a Board of Directors, which in turn hires a management team, which in turn hires a football operations team.

60,290

1) End the prohibition on public/community ownership of NFL franchises. Aside from being a generally good idea that would promote more and better fan involvement, a la Green Bay, it would provide a defined avenue for keeping the Bills in Buffalo. I have little doubt that a corporation settled with the sole purpose of purchasing the Bills (and keeping them in WNY) could sell enough shares to, at the very least, put together a competitive bid for the club on that day that Ralph passes to the great beyond. 2) College OT. 3) End the league's efforts to stop New Jersey from legalizing sports wagering.

Whoops, I was wrong. It was DeHaven. He took the fall, and Wade replaced him with Jones. Then Jones was awful, Wade refused to can him, and the rest was history. Ancient history.

No, Ronnie Jones was the ST coach in '99.

Brooks was in on at least one play from scrimmage in the 4th.

Look, Ralph's not gonna live forever. Sooner or later, like it or not, we'll find out if the team is leaving or staying. If they leave, it'll be devastating, but the purgatory of the past 13 years will be at a merciful end. But if they stay, under new ownership, things are almost guaranteed to improve. Ralph is probably the worst owner in the NFL - odds are good the new guy will be better. So the choice isn't "they suck forever or they move." It's "they move or they get better here in Buffalo." It's just a matter of when the old man goes to his reward, and who steps up when he does.

Ah, but there's the ownership problem. Ralph doesn't have a great reputation as an employer (just ask Wade, or Polian, or AJ Smith, or Mularkey), and worse, he's likely to die soon - without any succession plan. I'm not sure I'd like to work for an erratic owner, with the added threat of a new owner likely to come on board with new ideas for managing the team. It's not a recipe for success.

Same here. But I'd say it's 50/50 whether any of us EVER sees another Bills playoff run. It all depends on who buys the team when Ralph dies - because we'll never see another playoff game as long as Ralph lives. That's the saddest part of all.

And while I don't think he deserves to be in the Hall as the owner f the Bills, I do believe he belongs as a builder and savior of the AFC.

I'm with you; I'd attribute the phenomenon primarily to the uncertainty caused by his age and perceived health, and secondarily to his historical lack of effectiveness. His mental state probably isn't that big of an issue, except as it ties nto his general health and likely lack of longevity.

It doesn't really matter whether Ralph is completely senile or sharp as a tack. Even when he was at the height of his powers, he was a demonstrably ineffective owner. And today - regardless of the truth about his physical/mental condition - he's PERCEIVED by the outside world as a doddering old man on death's door. That's why we really don't have a prayer of successfully replacing Nix or Gailey until there's new ownership.