BillsVet

No solutions? You cannot be serious. Sully advocated hiring Jim Harbaugh, who (and I'll fabricate something here) turned down the job. Sully is on record as recommending the Bills hire a consultant to find the GM and help transition from the era of TD/Marv into something new. I see a lot of people marginalizing a columnist through generalizing what he does. There are excellent columnists out there who say things that aren't popular and are routinely criticized. Ever hear of Mike Royko? How about Jim Murray, long time writer for SI? But you're the poster who mysteriously goes away when things go bad. Ironic you've come back after the season ended.

Seeing Nix and Gailey on the stage yesterday, I knew both of them were happy to just be in the NFL. Sure they wanted to be here in Buffalo and that's admirable. But as has been pointed out, Nix doesn't strike me as the type who would reward Ralph's hiring him by going contrary to him in the all important coach search. Nix chose Marty's side in the latter's ongoing feud with AJ Smith in SD. That sort of loyalty either went out the window since early 07 when Schottenheimer was fired, or someone intervened to shoot down Marty. I can't see two friends (and Nix wanted someone he was on the same page with) being unable to work with. Regardless, Gailey has an even bigger hole to climb out of since this report no matter who decided against it.

Smithers was getting Homer Simpson to talk to C. Montgomery Burns and wasn't available. He likes it that way. Waylon is very astute PR-wise. He'll never open himself up to criticism, nor place himself anywhere that there's a remote possibility of it.

Teams haven't been in cap hell in a long time, and it's looking like they'll be no cap next year. There's a chance there may never be another cap, but that's not for awhile. This off-season will be unique, in that without a cap it will be interesting to see what team do. Particularly with UFA's not becoming so until they've completed 6 seasons of NFL service. Anyone who hasn't is a RFA, meaning they'll be tendered and require draft pick compensation.

Thank you kindly NGU. Just seems strange Buddy could be "buds" with Marty, but couldn't work with him.

Pants on the ground, pants on the ground. Looking like a fool with your pants on the ground. Is this a thread about American Idol or captioning a picture of the newest Bills retread HC.

We need a Chan-O-Meter.

Daggum, the song goes "lookin like a fool with your pants on the ground." Ralph warned me you media people twist everything.

I have to believe Buddy likes Marty, based on their years in SD. Problem is, Buddy controls nothing aside from running draft day and UFA. RW and Smithers would and will not take his advice if it contradicted their opinion. I've made the point that micromanaging owners do not work. Wilson, Jerry Jones, Al Davis, Mike Brown, and Dan Snyder have a combined for ONE playoff win since 2003.

If this report is true, and I trust Tim Graham, then there is no hope anymore. RW is not just part of the process in selecting any front office person, he is the process. He's deciding, and for all those mindless posters who think RW knows football, try again. Given RW's history, is it really surprising to think the owner was concerned with Schottenheimer threatening his power base?

No one complain! If you don't have anything good to say, don't say anything at all. Seriously, are we in kindergarten or something? Forgive me for not being overly enthused by a guy who wasn't able to get a HC job in more than a decade. Coincidentally, that's the same amount of time it's been since this franchise made the playoffs.

Let me get this straight. You're banking on a 70 year old first time GM who worked out of his home in Tennessee while Assistant GM and didn't manage day to day operations. And, hoping a Guy and Modrak will somehow get things right? You could have substitued Levy and Brandon for Nix and said the same thing in 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009. I wish DJ would call Gailey and tell him what he's got in front of him. Then again, both are being paid a sum that no other team would.

Good thing Minnesota didn't spend on Favre, trade for Jared Allen, sign Pat Williams, Antoine Winfield, Steve Hutchinson, and Bernard Berrian. They'd at least be in the NFC Title Game if they did. UFA dollars spent wisely is what counts. This franchise hasn't done that since the TD era. Example: all UFA's signed from 2006-07 were not with the team when the season started in 2009. But go ahead living in absolute world.

So what happened in 06 and 07 when there were multiple games blacked out? The NFL remains wildly popular, but Buffalo wasn't selling games out even after Marv was inexplicably named GM (of football I might add). The Dear John letters are more plentiful because the organization stopped caring about winning after TD failed. And no amount of PR can make up for the trainwreck they've become. I suppose ignorance is bliss. Except fewer people are ignorant with hirings like this that serve to remove that they've become Raiderish.

Mr. Smithers gives a rat's arse. He's the guy who has to sell this move to the people who are going to wonder why they should continue supporting the team. They've probably got a wildcard up their sleeves, a la TO, but really there's no way they can't hide who they really are.

I'm just surprised no one has attacked Lombardi for his opinion. I mean, anytime someone says something negative about the Bills, they're destroyed by the faithful homers of TBD. For the record, Lombardi once worked for the 49ers during the Walsh years. And BW told him there are really only a few teams in it to win it each season. Unfortunately, former league executives like Lombardi understands better than others that the Bills are going in the opposite direction. They've quit and the only way out is to have luck as RW puts it. Raiderish is the new adjective to describe the Bills. Or perhaps the Raiders are really Billish.

Three games out from being a WC team after four seasons of rebuilding. Pardon me for not being over-enthused. The Jets may finally have a long term answer at QB, along with possessing an outstanding defense. Buffalo has neither and thus haven't even started their rebuild.

Anyone saying "give the guy a chance" is saying that you trust Bills management. This is the same organization that has approved of Williams, Mularkey, Jauron, and now probably Gailey. Call me crazy, but as long as Smithers and Brandon haven't made a good decision in forever. The rest of the NFL didn't want to give the guy a chance, but he's good enough here? It's mindbending to think we're at the point where it's necessary to make excuses for everything, no matter what it is. Why has he not been mentioned for any other HC job since forever? Why was he not even mentioned for an OC job since his firing in KC? Who is the last manager, HC, GM, or otherwise that was hired by Buffalo and actually in demand by the NFL? And the first person who cites Levy in 86 should remember ML inherited too many quality players and had the greatest GM of his generation running the show.

The marketing plan is pursue a name UFA one a one or two year deal to make people forget how awful their HC hire was. Sound familiar? I'd be willing to bet they're in save face mode after Harbaugh turned them down. They just needed the right stooge who wouldn't demand the front office make the wholesale changes OBD led us to believe would happen. Jim Kelly and Thurman Thomas are becoming shills for the front office and hurting their credibility.

No matter how many homers come out in this thread, hiring Gailey will be seen as another in a long line of ridiculous moves by Ralph since TD was fired. Levy, Jauron, promoting Brandon, keeping DJ, not going outside the team for a GM, and now perhaps Gailey. Buffalo continues to take people off the scrap heap and pronounce them lost treasure. Well, the gold paint will be chipping real soon from those "gold" bars. How many solid coaches go 10 years between NFL HC jobs?

Plenty of talk about coaches based on which "list" they're on. Buffalo couldn't get an A List guy like Cowher or Shanahan. B Listers turned them down too, as in Frazier, Harbaugh, and Rivera. So now, we're down to the Z list and we finally find someone. This is liking waking up as a kid hoping for GI Joes, getting all the hints you'll get them and then opening up all clothes.

The Bills could hire Wayne Fontes and there would be someone on TBD heralding the move. Chan freaking Gailey. What's next, Tom Olivadotti and John Shoop as his DC and OC respectively?

Nix isn't running anything. Burns and Smithers are the power brokers with this franchise. We know this because Nix, as a guy hired last February, couldn't fire the three people who most need to go: Guy, Modrak, and Overdorf. If the guy can't fire these people, what can he do? There's more to being a GM than just scouting and the draft.

I'm convinced that even if RW moved the team to Cameroon, you'd be all for it. Somehow, you'd probably equate that with having a better chance at Ndamukong Suh. Gailey was loved in KC that fans were irritated he was fired? TBD has become Looney Tunes. Where's Porky Pig? Da da, da da, that's all folks!

RW said at Nix' PC that luck was necessary. How about a real GM, a non-retread HC, and perhaps new people in the front office. But that'd be asking too much. They'd better have a lot of luck, as in winning the lotto three times in a row.