BillnutinHouston

You wrote that with your heart and not your head. Not that I can fault you for that. I do agree that, still, no news is good news, for the following reasons: 1) If Carolina truly wants Cowher, and if he wants them, why does leveraging Buffalo against them make Carolina want him more? They either want him or they don't right? 2) You would think that Cowher's silence about Buffalo MIGHT prompt the Panthers to move more quickly than if Cowher flat out said no to Buffalo, since theoretically he could sign at any time with us. But wouldn't the Panthers have made a play for him by now after the news that the Bills met with him twice? 3) If Cowher intends to just not coach this year, why be coy about it and leave Bills fans twisting in the wind? Certainly the billboard will bring up the subject and Cowher will have to deal with it one way or another - if only by leaking out his intentions. One last possibility - is Cowher just waiting for another vacancy to open this year (i.e., the Jags or Titans)? If that was the case you'd think he'd be getting antsy to lock in somewhere so he could assemble a staff. But, we did hear recently that Cowher was calling to assemble a staff - maybe he already has the key players in place. But how long will those assistants hang on with Cowher? Surely they want some security so sticking with Cowher while he plays the field can't be a pleasant waiting game. Man I can't wait for this to be done. If it's not Cowher my money's on Brian Schott - family ties to Nix, history of developing QB's in SD (Brees and Rivers), plus by stealing him away from a division rival you wound a key opponent.

I think they ARE telling us.

Found this on another site. Cowher quote from today's show on Pete Carroll becoming coach of the Seattle Seahawks: "it's about the challenge that lies ahead. I totally understand where he's coming from. I think it's a good move." If this is how he really feels... Link

I dutifully clicked on the link and read the article, but I missed the part where Schefter substantiates his statement that Fox doesn't want to go there. I guess I have to work on my reading comprehension.

You mean you've seen it, up close AND PERSONAL? Let's get back to his record...

Simon, isn't there a new thread that needs to be merged or something?

Ah, a choice that can't be attacked and doesn't have to be defended. Brilliant! So, you prefer any other person on the planet, but it's not personal... Got it.

Apparently you either know I'm not a Marv fan at all, or you picked your comparison very well. So who is your choice and why is he a better, lower risk fit for this team than Cowher?

How does his overall record compare to other choices out there? Not bad, I'd say.

Extreme negativity tends to lend the impression of a personal vendetta of some kind.

Wow Simon, this Cowher thing is really personal with you.

When you pair the odd non-mention of Cowher-to-Bills today on CBS, with the rumor of a visit this weekend, it does make you wonder. I've put myself out there with the prediction that Cowher will be the next HC, and I'm staying with that. Whether Ralph lands Cowher or not, I'm putting all my chips on the belief that Ralph is "all-in" on getting a title before he passes on. What greater motivation is there, than coming face-to-face with your own mortality?

While you can't expect any real insights from the CBS show, the complete Cowher-to-Bills silence is strange, and if Cowher really asked CBS not to even mention it, that is even more strange. I agree that no news is still good news. I still think that the Bills are keeping Cowher as the #1 target and are giving him as much space as they can to make his decision. With the playoffs continuing and no other teams now seeking a HC, the process will drag on for awhile.

I think that Nix will go with a can't-miss LT or DT/DE before he addresses the QB situation. I think his approach is to solidify the lines first, then you can have a second tier QB (or an aging free agent vet) run your offense and be just fine. If I was GM the best blueprint for making the Bills better faster is to achieve a run-first offense with good OL play and a stout defense. This allows you to build efficiently without putting all your chips on "make-or-break" draft picks (see JP Losman, Ryan Leaf, etc.) A competent OL can make an average QB look pretty good. Even getting "pretty good" QB play would do wonders for this franchise - and the most solid way to do this is to build a good OL.

Are you really expecting some insight from this show?

Because it's been reported that Cowher and Modrak have a good past relationship. Why, at this point, would you jettison an asset that could help land you Bill Cowher? There's plenty of time to give Modrak the ax if you want to.

I think this one has legs. Cowher remains the top choice but Schottenheimer has the family connection to Nix, professional ties from San Diego, the offensive mind and history of developing young QBs that Nix is looking for.

This is a) Bilick's reputation and b) the reason why Nix won't select him. Buddy wants someone he can work with.

At least the Bengals were playing today. We weren't.

I can't believe how many people are swallowing this leak hook, line and sinker. If the Bills really were excited by Leslie Frazier and had real designs on him as their next coach, don't you think they'd keep their yaps shut about it? Yet they go out and scream it to the world? I read it as an obvious effort to tell Cowher to think real hard about the offer the Bills gave him.

Generally I agree with the original post. Those who like to trumpet the statistic about SB winning coaches not winning a second one as a reason not to select a proven commodity, are kind of annoying. I think you CAN and SHOULD extrapolate past performance into the future, like you can with most employees. Past performance of the exact same role in the past (taking into account the variables around him, of course) is the best predictor of future success in that role. The reason that no coach in the modern era has won SBs with 2 different teams has much more to do with the statistical improbability of winning it twice, than it does some made up theory that says once a HC has won a SB, he is incapable of winning another. If Ralph is serious about making this team a winner and making it relevant, he MUST hire either Cowher or Billick. This franchise is in dire need of credibility and a HC with a SB ring is the best credibility you can get.

Then why doesn't he cut the Bills loose once and for all?

Ironic, if there ever was a team that would hire a football coach named "Cower", it would be the Bills.

I need you to tell me that image was altered from the real one.

You know the funny thing is, everyone involved right now has to swallow their pride. From what we know, Shanahan was contacted first so everyone after that, including Cowher, has the indignity of not being the Bills' first choice.