Edwards revisited

[rpcolosi]

There HAS to be more to this story. *Something* must have happened with Edwards, either directly leading up to, during, or right after the Tennessee game. The sequence of events just makes no sense. I've postulated elsewhere that it looked to me like Edwards purposely dogged his last series, possibly out of spite due to something that happened on the sideline. Another theory I have is that Dick wanted to name Fitz the starter coming out of the bye week, but Ralph overruled him, and possibly that back-and-forth precipitated Jauron's exit. But I repeat: something happened. No NFL franchise - not even the inept Bills - completely changes course at the QB position during a single week. Now, I know that Edwards' track record doesn't give any of us confidence that he could be The Man long-term, and I also feel that, in a sense, who cares what happened, let's just move forward now that it's clear a new regime is coming to town.

 

But I hate the idea that there is an interesting story here that we're not privy to. I repeat: something happened. Perhaps a player-revolt. A confrontation between Edwards and AVP. A comment (or even a shrug) that Edwards made to someone in the front office. Something that they saw on film. I don't know the answer, but I'd sure like to know how a team can give up on a 3 year investment after one mediocre performance.

 

Media types, consider this a call to action.

 

 

isnt it apparent the WRs are very unhappy with him? and AVP has seen the same things... It came down to Edwards taken on the DJ approach - be safe, don't turn it over. He's been coached to NOT TURN IT OVER. Instead he should be coached to win the game and make good decisions. Its part of his curve - Since he came in and played the kid was solid and lead 4th quarter comebacks... now he is getting coached to not lose and has gotten away from what made him a good QB - feeling pressure, delivering it quickly and make the mid range throws. DJ has ruined him for now. Isn't it interesting to see how TE turned into JP Losman rather quickly? This has coaching written ALL OVER IT>

 

I Agree with Peter King - TE has some game in him. But we better get one heck of a coach who can undo everything DJ did. Jauron has ruined QBs his whole career with his - be safe, don't turn it over philopsphy. He doesn't coach to win - he coaches to not lose. We all know this. It's less the player as so much it is him. And because he is "such a nice guy" the players all love him and buy into it. ughh....

 

maybe holmgren can turn TE around. I am sure another team will pick him up and he will show some flashes again..

[Captain Hindsight]

I honestly think his heart just isnt into it

[Lori]

Cue that Tim's not a reporter in 3, 2, 1.....

Not quite the detached-observer status of a traditional beat reporter, if that's what you mean. It's actually been kind of interesting to see the blog evolve over the last year or so, and watch him develop a stronger "voice" as he started to become more familiar with the teams he's covering. He still combines elements of both jobs, but he's now more of a columnist than a beat guy, and definitely willing to share his opinion.

 

JMO. And it's also interesting (to me, anyway) how much that rule has changed just in the last four years since it was the main topic of discussion at the Joyce Symposium:

POLLOCK: Line between columnists and beat writers blurred

[Delete This Account]

¶ i am spartacus. i am chimp. i am the media. i am to blame for all that's gone wrong at 1 Bills Drive since the beginning of time. in fact, i was the one blowing wind to insure Scott Norwood's infamous kick sailed wide right. and how can we prove this, well, of course, i am Canadian, and obviously standing on The Left of the field.

¶ and how late it was for Magox to pile on. what, your dial-up slow today?

¶

¶ a pound of flesh has been called for, and all you'll get is pure baloney from me, because your butcher's knives are so dull, they couldn't cut a fart. you come at the media for all that's happened because your desires are as misplaced as a pocket-pool party.

¶ in the wake of Dick Jauron's dismissal, there seems to be this sense of surprise that the Bills are dysfunctional, as if the curtain has been pulled and Oz exposed, and he proves to be Ralph Wilson. has anyone intimated anything different this decade? is the media required to hold your hand and lead you through this, as if it were some kind of a mirror maze at some county fair?

¶ really, are there enough daft people out there to somehow be surprised by what's gone on? we, in the media, are supposed to hold these people accountable because, of course, we pay their salaries. actually it might come as a surprise, that we are have no say over who's ultimately fired?

¶

¶ and again, i bring up the fact that no one here on this side of the media trench has ever observed anything more than what's gone on: and by this, i contend, that many in the media have been as objective and subjective as professionally possible.

¶ and yet you demand the spanish inquisition to poke sticks and pins into this dead horse of a topic. this just in, the bills haven't made the playoffs for nine years, going on 10, which is tied with the lions. i know this, because i've written this about 10 times this fall already.

¶

¶ oh, but you want pure, acidic criticism. well, the stuff that's been planted on this board, i think, is enough to fulfill those needs. is it not enough that some kids defaced Leodis McKelvin's front lawn to open the season. perhaps, we should all hold similar vigils at 52 other homes, or more depending on what front-office person belongs in the crosshairs.

¶

¶ good god, you vigilantes are beyond reason and logic, some of whom base their obtuse points by proudly announcing they've live in many towns. well, good for you. so have i. the point escapes me, except to express that there is a transient nature among some of us.

¶ and yet, i am not the one who buys the tickets, picks up the latest starting qb's jersey, and supports this franchise with his/her wallet. my point is that there are some bigger suckers out there than i.

¶ but, of course, some questioned whether the people who paid for the billboard might have crossed some line. really? at least they put their money where there points were. and the media reported on it.

¶

¶ the masses are dazed and crazed and confused, because some have gone back to reliving the good old days of Flutie-Johnson. wow.

¶

¶ but, no, it's obviously, the media's fault, because we have been the ones throwing interceptions, giving up 300 yards rushing and essentially spending this entire decade pulling the rug out from under the team's playoff hopes.

¶ buffalo fans or buf-foons, i don't know. i can look in the mirror and know that i've done my job no matter what anyone says. i've reported what i know, and it hasn't been pretty, but it's been accurate and consistent.

¶

¶ prove me wrong, Chimp. and don't suggest that i'm wasting my time on this board, when there are plenty of posters out there who have written differently and have my back. and i ain't going anywhere.

¶

¶ jw

¶

[bills44]

that post hurt my eyes.

[zazie]

that post hurt my eyes.

me too. Must have taken some time and effort to author that tome.

 

Thanks for trying.

[Dawgg]

¶ i am spartacus. i am chimp. i am the media. i am to blame for all that's gone wrong at 1 Bills Drive since the beginning of time. in fact, i was the one blowing wind to insure Scott Norwood's infamous kick sailed wide right. and how can we prove this, well, of course, i am Canadian, and obviously standing on The Left of the field.

¶ and how late it was for Magox to pile on. what, your dial-up slow today?

¶

¶ a pound of flesh has been called for, and all you'll get is pure baloney from me, because your butcher's knives are so dull, they couldn't cut a fart. you come at the media for all that's happened because your desires are as misplaced as a pocket-pool party.

¶ in the wake of Dick Jauron's dismissal, there seems to be this sense of surprise that the Bills are dysfunctional, as if the curtain has been pulled and Oz exposed, and he proves to be Ralph Wilson. has anyone intimated anything different this decade? is the media required to hold your hand and lead you through this, as if it were some kind of a mirror maze at some county fair?

¶ really, are there enough daft people out there to somehow be surprised by what's gone on? we, in the media, are supposed to hold these people accountable because, of course, we pay their salaries. actually it might come as a surprise, that we are have no say over who's ultimately fired?

¶

¶ and again, i bring up the fact that no one here on this side of the media trench has ever observed anything more than what's gone on: and by this, i contend, that many in the media have been as objective and subjective as professionally possible.

¶ and yet you demand the spanish inquisition to poke sticks and pins into this dead horse of a topic. this just in, the bills haven't made the playoffs for nine years, going on 10, which is tied with the lions. i know this, because i've written this about 10 times this fall already.

¶

¶ oh, but you want pure, acidic criticism. well, the stuff that's been planted on this board, i think, is enough to fulfill those needs. is it not enough that some kids defaced Leodis McKelvin's front lawn to open the season. perhaps, we should all hold similar vigils at 52 other homes, or more depending on what front-office person belongs in the crosshairs.

¶

¶ good god, you vigilantes are beyond reason and logic, some of whom base their obtuse points by proudly announcing they've live in many towns. well, good for you. so have i. the point escapes me, except to express that there is a transient nature among some of us.

¶ and yet, i am not the one who buys the tickets, picks up the latest starting qb's jersey, and supports this franchise with his/her wallet. my point is that there are some bigger suckers out there than i.

¶ but, of course, some questioned whether the people who paid for the billboard might have crossed some line. really? at least they put their money where there points were. and the media reported on it.

¶

¶ the masses are dazed and crazed and confused, because some have gone back to reliving the good old days of Flutie-Johnson. wow.

¶

¶ but, no, it's obviously, the media's fault, because we have been the ones throwing interceptions, giving up 300 yards rushing and essentially spending this entire decade pulling the rug out from under the team's playoff hopes.

¶ buffalo fans or buf-foons, i don't know. i can look in the mirror and know that i've done my job no matter what anyone says. i've reported what i know, and it hasn't been pretty, but it's been accurate and consistent.

¶

¶ prove me wrong, Chimp. and don't suggest that i'm wasting my time on this board, when there are plenty of posters out there who have written differently and have my back. and i ain't going anywhere.

¶

¶ jw

¶

 

With all due respect, Mr. Wawrow, you seem to be quite an insecure individual, albeit a good writer.

 

Nobody blamed the Bills' problems on the media -- it's only you who is construing it as such. I think you need to get off your high horse and listen to your readership. By saying I have lived in many towns I wasn't trying to boast -- I was simply stating my basis for comparison. If that brings out your vast insecurities, so be it, sir.

[Delete This Account]

With all due respect, Mr. Wawrow, you seem to be quite an insecure individual, albeit a good writer.

 

Nobody blamed the Bills' problems on the media -- it's only you who is construing it as such. I think you need to get off your high horse and listen to your readership. By saying I have lived in many towns I wasn't trying to boast -- I was simply stating my basis for comparison. If that brings out your vast insecurities, so be it, sir.

and i never intimated i was insecure.

 

jw

 

ADD: i'm merely following up on several questions that have been raised in this thread. if you lack center because you've lived in several towns, then i can't help but wonder whether you, too, are being defensive -- vast or not -- by your own assertion. because, in all due respect, how does being in one place or in 12 help this discussion?

[Dawgg]

and i never intimated i was insecure.

 

jw

 

ADD: i'm merely following up on several questions that have been raised in this thread. if you lack center because you've lived in several towns, then i can't help but wonder whether you, too, are being defensive -- vast or not -- by your own assertion. because, in all due respect, how does being in one place or in 12 help this discussion?

It simply states my basis for comparison. It's an FYI.

If that's all you drew from my post, so be it. The inner circle thanks you.

[generaLee83]

I think Jauron benched Edwards in a last ditch effort to appease management and save his job. There must have been rumblings around OBD of a possible firing given 1 more lousy performance to throw on the scrap heap.

[Arkady Renko]

and i never intimated i was insecure.

 

jw

 

ADD: i'm merely following up on several questions that have been raised in this thread. if you lack center because you've lived in several towns, then i can't help but wonder whether you, too, are being defensive -- vast or not -- by your own assertion. because, in all due respect, how does being in one place or in 12 help this discussion?

 

The Chimp is probably the worst and most annoying poster on this board.

[Coach Tuesday]

Boy.

 

The point of the original post was not to start an attack on the local media. It was about trying to figure out what happened to cause the Bills to give up on a three-year investment with little explanation. JW seems to have taken this all personally, or at least, has felt the need to defend the entire Buffalo media. I'm sorry that's happened, but IMO part of JW's reaction needs to be addressed. The response to my initial question seems to be, "Why do you need it spelled out for you? The Bills Front Office is in disarray and have been that way for a decade. Thus, it shouldn't be any surprise, and shouldn't require any explanation, as to why they keep missing on key draft picks and coaching selections, and why the carousel keeps spinning with no progress."

 

I take issue with that explanation. It's certainly TRUE, but that does not mean that it excuses the media from following up and writing stories about what actually is going on. I continue to think that part of the lack of accountability that pervades OBD involves a complicit local media that doesn't want to rock the boat by going on record with the stories they come across. They don't push too hard, they get continued access, however limited it is. And since Buffalo is a cozy, sleepy little market, everyone remains employed and happy. Is the media to blame for the Bills' decade of futility? Of course not. Have they done anything to make the situation more transparent or accountable? Not really.

 

And that pisses me off.

 

Now to be clear, JW, I'm not talking about you. There are a few good eggs out there IMO, and you're one of them, Mr. Pollock seems to be one of them, and there are one or two others. In fact, I even tried in my initial post to exempt you from the criticism in order to avoid what has happened in this thread. But since you've gone on the attack regardless, here is my issue: it's just not enough to say that the Bills' crappiness speaks for itself and no further digging is needed. That's ridiculous. People still need to do their jobs. For example:

 

Last December, we've heard glimpses of a dispute between Brandon and Ralph about keeping Jauron; supposedly, Brandon wanted him out. I'd like to know what happened. The answer is not, Who cares, it's a bad franchise, it speaks for itself.

 

Last January, after Jauron was retained, some group at OBD met to review the roster and come up with an offseason plan. That plan included (i) keeping Edwards; (ii) not drafting or signing a serious contender for the starting QB position; (iii) switching to a no-huddle attack; (iv) trading Peters; (v) moving Langston Walker to LT; and (vi) not aggressively attempting to draft a young LT. I'd like to know who specifically was consulted with respect to, and made, these decisions. These decisions got us exactly where we are today, and some people in the "inner circle" need to be held accountable. Who? Who was in favor of this? Who was against it? Was their any internal consensus or plan? And again, the answer is not, Who cares, it's a bad franchise, it speaks for itself.

 

This April, some decision-makers at OBD executed a draft that involved (i) picking an undersized, unprepared DE over Michael Oher and others (Orapko, Ayers), and (ii) failing to draft a QB. Again, Who? And again, the answer is not, Who cares, it's a bad franchise, it speaks for itself.

 

This September, Schonert was inexplicably fired a week before the season. Other than his comments about disagreements with Jauron, we don't have any details. I'd like some details please. How on Earth does something like this happen? Weren't there disagreements leading up to this? What happened one week before the season to make Jauron - who was coaching for his job - decide to completely scrap the offense? Was it just poor performance and design in the preseason, or was their a blowup of some sort? Did Schonert refuse to implement certain changes dictated by Jauron, and if so, what were they? The answer is not, Who cares, it's a bad franchise, it speaks for itself.

 

Again, in September, Walker was inexplicably cut. I want to know where Jauron stood on this. Presumably he would have at least lobbied to keep LW as a backup even if they deemed him fit to man the LT spot, in case of injury. And he would've been right, as Butler promptly went down. It certainly seemed at the time like an Overdorf/Littman/Ralph maneuver to cut Walker outright. I'd like to know the answer. It is not, Who cares, it's a bad franchise, move along.

 

I could go on and on. The decision to scrap the no-huddle. The back and forth between Fitz and Edwards prior to Jauron's exit. Edwards' benching during the Tennessee game. Jauron's termination. Jauron's possible successor. Edwards' permanent benching. Etc.

 

The fact is, we get no real details or analysis from *most* - NOT ALL - of the local media when these things happen. Instead, we get human interest stories about Rob Johnson visiting kids at a hospital after playing one of the worst games I've ever seen a QB play (that's very nice, but I'd like to know what went on in the huddle and afterwards in the film room). We get stock puff pieces about replacement players who have been thrust into the lineup because of injuries - what they've overcome in their lives, their excitement for the opportunity, their position coach gushing about them, etc. etc. We get the weekly Sullivan cynical rant that by now could write itself and is just as repetitive and tiresome as the product that we've seen on the field for the last ten years.

 

For once, I'd like to know what actually is going on behind the scenes, who we has fans should be trying to hold accountable and who is actually on the right (but losing) side of the bonehead decisions that are made, just how deep the dysfunction goes, what the players truly think about their coaches and each other, etc. You do get this in other cities, but not here. There are weekly articles written in DC about Campbell, Cerrato, Snyder, etc. - to the point where the local media and Snyder are estranged from each other (but the media still manages to get weekly scoops). And it's not about being "first" to report something, which I understand often involves breaching the ethics of the profession. I could care less about who is first. What I'd like to see more of from our local media is the deep analysis AFTERWARDS, explaining to us who do not have access to the "inner circle" what really went down and why. I don't think it's too much to ask, and while I don't mean to offend anyone personally (especially not you, JW), I'm frustrated, and I'm not the only one.

[dave mcbride]

Nice post, Coach -- and way to bring it back to the issue(s) that generated the original post.

[Delete This Account]

hearing rumors and reporting facts are two different things in this business, Coach T.

the difficulty in doing this job is getting the particulars to speak on or off the record. you'll note that no one -- from LaCanfora to Shefter and on down -- haven't been able to do that on regular, semi-regular or monthly basis.

there's no compliciteness on the part of the media. the show is run by Ralph Wilson, who talks sparingly at best. and before that, the show was run by tom donahoe, who eventually alienated nearly everyone in town.

 

jw

[Dawgg]

Boy.

 

The point of the original post was not to start an attack on the local media. It was about trying to figure out what happened to cause the Bills to give up on a three-year investment with little explanation. JW seems to have taken this all personally, or at least, has felt the need to defend the entire Buffalo media. I'm sorry that's happened, but IMO part of JW's reaction needs to be addressed. The response to my initial question seems to be, "Why do you need it spelled out for you? The Bills Front Office is in disarray and have been that way for a decade. Thus, it shouldn't be any surprise, and shouldn't require any explanation, as to why they keep missing on key draft picks and coaching selections, and why the carousel keeps spinning with no progress."

 

I take issue with that explanation. It's certainly TRUE, but that does not mean that it excuses the media from following up and writing stories about what actually is going on. I continue to think that part of the lack of accountability that pervades OBD involves a complicit local media that doesn't want to rock the boat by going on record with the stories they come across. They don't push too hard, they get continued access, however limited it is. And since Buffalo is a cozy, sleepy little market, everyone remains employed and happy. Is the media to blame for the Bills' decade of futility? Of course not. Have they done anything to make the situation more transparent or accountable? Not really.

 

And that pisses me off.

 

My feelings exactly, great post.

[Dawgg]

there's no compliciteness on the part of the media. the show is run by Ralph Wilson, who talks sparingly at best. and before that, the show was run by tom donahoe, who eventually alienated nearly everyone in town.

Does Snyder talk to the Washington media? Absolutely not, yet somehow they seem to provide some in-depth analysis as to how the organization is run.

 

To say that Ralph Wilson runs the show and leave it at that is somewhat of a copout. Yes, we all know Ralph Wilson runs the show and that he's a lot more meddlesome than anyone in the Bills organization will ever admit. But it wasn't just him who made the decision to sign Dockery, to move Walker to left tackle, to reach on Donte Whitner, the list goes on and on. Some additional insight would be useful. Compared to other NFL markets, the coverage in WNY is sorely lacking in this respect.

[Kelly the Dog]

Coach, those are all good questions, although I would argue that a lot of them have been answered by the local media in stories and perhaps you missed them. And you're also right that the local media needs to be vigilant in trying to get real answers to these questions. You MAY be right that they don't do enough, and I am surely not here to stick up for the whole of the Bills beat writers and columnists, local and national.

 

BUT, I go back to the people in the know, and what kind of personalities they themselves are. Bob Woodward would be very hard pressed to get a solid answer out of Ralph Wilson and Dick Jauron and Russ Brandon, even using his triangulation and threat tactics. Those guys simply do not ever give specific believable answers to anything, and I would bet they are pretty much the same way in private as public.

 

Frankly, I don't think there is anything going on at One Bills Drive behind the scenes except a fractured paradigm of power that was unfortunately created by Ralph, and a crapload of ineptitude by numerous men who just aren't good at their jobs.

[Magox]

Boy.

 

The point of the original post was not to start an attack on the local media. It was about trying to figure out what happened to cause the Bills to give up on a three-year investment with little explanation. JW seems to have taken this all personally, or at least, has felt the need to defend the entire Buffalo media. I'm sorry that's happened, but IMO part of JW's reaction needs to be addressed. The response to my initial question seems to be, "Why do you need it spelled out for you? The Bills Front Office is in disarray and have been that way for a decade. Thus, it shouldn't be any surprise, and shouldn't require any explanation, as to why they keep missing on key draft picks and coaching selections, and why the carousel keeps spinning with no progress."

 

I take issue with that explanation. It's certainly TRUE, but that does not mean that it excuses the media from following up and writing stories about what actually is going on. I continue to think that part of the lack of accountability that pervades OBD involves a complicit local media that doesn't want to rock the boat by going on record with the stories they come across. They don't push too hard, they get continued access, however limited it is. And since Buffalo is a cozy, sleepy little market, everyone remains employed and happy. Is the media to blame for the Bills' decade of futility? Of course not. Have they done anything to make the situation more transparent or accountable? Not really.

 

And that pisses me off.

That's what I call a well thought out post.

[keepthefaith]

I think Jauron benched Edwards in a last ditch effort to appease management and save his job. There must have been rumblings around OBD of a possible firing given 1 more lousy performance to throw on the scrap heap.

 

My guess is Jauron saw it coming. He knows what it looks like.

[JohnC]

Boy.

 

The point of the original post was not to start an attack on the local media. It was about trying to figure out what happened to cause the Bills to give up on a three-year investment with little explanation. JW seems to have taken this all personally, or at least, has felt the need to defend the entire Buffalo media. I'm sorry that's happened, but IMO part of JW's reaction needs to be addressed. The response to my initial question seems to be, "Why do you need it spelled out for you? The Bills Front Office is in disarray and have been that way for a decade. Thus, it shouldn't be any surprise, and shouldn't require any explanation, as to why they keep missing on key draft picks and coaching selections, and why the carousel keeps spinning with no progress."

 

I take issue with that explanation. It's certainly TRUE, but that does not mean that it excuses the media from following up and writing stories about what actually is going on. I continue to think that part of the lack of accountability that pervades OBD involves a complicit local media that doesn't want to rock the boat by going on record with the stories they come across. They don't push too hard, they get continued access, however limited it is. And since Buffalo is a cozy, sleepy little market, everyone remains employed and happy. Is the media to blame for the Bills' decade of futility? Of course not. Have they done anything to make the situation more transparent or accountable? Not really.

 

And that pisses me off.

 

Now to be clear, JW, I'm not talking about you. There are a few good eggs out there IMO, and you're one of them, Mr. Pollock seems to be one of them, and there are one or two others. In fact, I even tried in my initial post to exempt you from the criticism in order to avoid what has happened in this thread. But since you've gone on the attack regardless, here is my issue: it's just not enough to say that the Bills' crappiness speaks for itself and no further digging is needed. That's ridiculous. People still need to do their jobs. For example:

 

Last December, we've heard glimpses of a dispute between Brandon and Ralph about keeping Jauron; supposedly, Brandon wanted him out. I'd like to know what happened. The answer is not, Who cares, it's a bad franchise, it speaks for itself.

 

Last January, after Jauron was retained, some group at OBD met to review the roster and come up with an offseason plan. That plan included (i) keeping Edwards; (ii) not drafting or signing a serious contender for the starting QB position; (iii) switching to a no-huddle attack; (iv) trading Peters; (v) moving Langston Walker to LT; and (vi) not aggressively attempting to draft a young LT. I'd like to know who specifically was consulted with respect to, and made, these decisions. These decisions got us exactly where we are today, and some people in the "inner circle" need to be held accountable. Who? Who was in favor of this? Who was against it? Was their any internal consensus or plan? And again, the answer is not, Who cares, it's a bad franchise, it speaks for itself.

 

This April, some decision-makers at OBD executed a draft that involved (i) picking an undersized, unprepared DE over Michael Oher and others (Orapko, Ayers), and (ii) failing to draft a QB. Again, Who? And again, the answer is not, Who cares, it's a bad franchise, it speaks for itself.

 

This September, Schonert was inexplicably fired a week before the season. Other than his comments about disagreements with Jauron, we don't have any details. I'd like some details please. How on Earth does something like this happen? Weren't there disagreements leading up to this? What happened one week before the season to make Jauron - who was coaching for his job - decide to completely scrap the offense? Was it just poor performance and design in the preseason, or was their a blowup of some sort? Did Schonert refuse to implement certain changes dictated by Jauron, and if so, what were they? The answer is not, Who cares, it's a bad franchise, it speaks for itself.

 

Again, in September, Walker was inexplicably cut. I want to know where Jauron stood on this. Presumably he would have at least lobbied to keep LW as a backup even if they deemed him fit to man the LT spot, in case of injury. And he would've been right, as Butler promptly went down. It certainly seemed at the time like an Overdorf/Littman/Ralph maneuver to cut Walker outright. I'd like to know the answer. It is not, Who cares, it's a bad franchise, move along.

 

I could go on and on. The decision to scrap the no-huddle. The back and forth between Fitz and Edwards prior to Jauron's exit. Edwards' benching during the Tennessee game. Jauron's termination. Jauron's possible successor. Edwards' permanent benching. Etc.

 

The fact is, we get no real details or analysis from *most* - NOT ALL - of the local media when these things happen. Instead, we get human interest stories about Rob Johnson visiting kids at a hospital after playing one of the worst games I've ever seen a QB play (that's very nice, but I'd like to know what went on in the huddle and afterwards in the film room). We get stock puff pieces about replacement players who have been thrust into the lineup because of injuries - what they've overcome in their lives, their excitement for the opportunity, their position coach gushing about them, etc. etc. We get the weekly Sullivan cynical rant that by now could write itself and is just as repetitive and tiresome as the product that we've seen on the field for the last ten years.

 

For once, I'd like to know what actually is going on behind the scenes, who we has fans should be trying to hold accountable and who is actually on the right (but losing) side of the bonehead decisions that are made, just how deep the dysfunction goes, what the players truly think about their coaches and each other, etc. You do get this in other cities, but not here. There are weekly articles written in DC about Campbell, Cerrato, Snyder, etc. - to the point where the local media and Snyder are estranged from each other (but the media still manages to get weekly scoops). And it's not about being "first" to report something, which I understand often involves breaching the ethics of the profession. I could care less about who is first. What I'd like to see more of from our local media is the deep analysis AFTERWARDS, explaining to us who do not have access to the "inner circle" what really went down and why. I don't think it's too much to ask, and while I don't mean to offend anyone personally (especially not you, JW), I'm frustrated, and I'm not the only one.

 

Sometimes the explanation for why things are as they are become lost in the fog of complexity when the reality is very simple. The Bills are owned by a 91 yr old baron owner who sees the team as his piggy bank and his toy. The organization has a peculiar structure primarily run by non-football people such as Brandon, Littman and Oberdorf. This is the structure which the owner instituted. The team has had short stints of success, such as the Polian era. But the HOF GM was driven out by the owner who sided with his finance man over the football man. That shouldn't be surprising to anyone who has followed the team through its mostly mediocre history.

 

While everyone who takes a football perspective easily concludes that the team is a failure that conclusion isn't necessarily shared by the owner who over the past decade has made more than a quarter of a BILLION dollars from his operation of the team. The Bills are what they are (an irrelevant team) because of the owner. The Raiders are what they are (chaotic team) because of their lunatic owner.

 

How does one explain such gross ineptitude? In all fields of endeavor there are people who are malignantly incompetent. When they own the enterprise they act within their own unchallenged authority. It is as simple as that. Of course it is frustrating to watch such stupidity when the proper recourse seems so obvious to most. When a stubborn owner has to be "encouraged" to get some quality outside football people to come in and clean up the organizational mess then it is at a futile point. When I have a problem with my leaking faucets I call in a plumber. When the obtuse owner has a franchise in free fall he calls in the marketing guru to straighten out the mess. How much sense does that make? To the owner it makes a lot of sense when money is the prime consideration.

 

The owner has owned the team for half a century. He is at a very late stage of is life when consistent lucidity is not always attainable. Do you expect him to be innovative at this point? Do you expect him to become reasonable and let go of the reigns when he never has? This is a person who has the team on the auction block for heavens sake. Is he going to care what the local fans or media think? The situation is what it is. While everyone else seems to be scrambling around for solutions and ideas the only thing that counts is what this very tired and clueless baron decides to do.