For those who defend Ralph Wilson...

[boltuprite]

I don't think he's cheap (allthough he does watch the bottom line). It's the way the money is spent that is the real question.

 

Like who makes a decision to pay Lee Evans $9 million a season when you don't have a QB that can deliver the ball to him? Does it may sense to invest all that cash is a deep threat when you don't have a proven QB to throw the ball?

[marsadale]

I'm 56. I don't defend Ralph for his moves like hiring bad coaches etc, but I do defend him on 2 things.

1) The man is not senile, he knows what he's doing. He did the same things 30 years ago. He hasn't changed much, he just walks & talks a little slower. The people who call him senile are those a lot younger than me who have never known people in their 70s, 80s & 90s. They are totally clueless when it comes to the mental capacities of senior citizens. My parents lived into their mid 80s and both were sharp right to the end, I knew them and their friends of similar age who all didn't miss a beat mentally. My 97 year old aunt is still sharp. I'll defend Ralph's sanity any time some kid with no clue disparages him.

2) While Ralph has shown to be cheap over the years, he has also spent when he has had to. The ridiculous statements that there's no way Ralph will pay for the top pick are just dead wrong. When Ralph has been put in the position where he believes the team has no QB & the opportunity arises, he spends $ on QBs. You can't say Ralph cheaped out with the contracts given to Kelly, Johnson, Flutie, and Bledsoe. A good example of the Ralph is cheap people going too far was this preseason when they came to the erroneous conclusion that because Fitzpatrick made the most money among the QBs that he was going to be cut. Their conclusion was based strictly on his salary & their perceived opinion of Ralph pinching every penny & they were dead wrong.

a voice of reason

 

He is clearly senile, do you ever listen to him talk? He can barely get out complete sentences. He's over 90 years old. Before you dismiss me as some rude punk, I used to work at a retirement home and I have a huge family and know lots of old people.

 

I still think we should respect and honor our elders, but Ralph should really just step down and relax for what little time he has left.

 

People in their 90s are not even able to survive on their own. He simply can not even live on his own without assistance anymore, and likely requires assistance to use the bathroom.

 

That is not the kind of sharp, dynamic leader that can turn this thing around.

Who called you a rude punk?? What made those words enter your mind?

[Fan in San Diego]

I wish RW would sell the team to Jim Kelly and investment partners. Jim Kelly has the fire and passion and know how to build a winning team. You cant take the money or team with you RW, sell the team!

[nucci]

I wish RW would sell the team to Jim Kelly and investment partners. Jim Kelly has the fire and passion and know how to build a winning team. You cant take the money or team with you RW, sell the team!

any examples? and not just because he played on one.

[akm0404]

It is very honorable to defend the elderly. They are human beings with genuine feelings and are entitled to our deepest respect and care.

 

Unfortunately, it is a fundamental scientific condition of humanity that our bodies break down and fail as we age. A person in their 90s have lived FAR longer than the average human lifespan, and that longevity comes at a price.

 

The extreme elderly necessarily suffer from a decrease in mental and physical acuity. This is not opinion, not speculation, not propaganda, but merely a scientific fact of life.

 

We get old, our minds and bodies fail, and we die.

 

Ralph Wilson absolutely lacks the mental and physical sharpness required to run a complex business at a very high level. He has every right to own a business for as long as he lives, but please do not kid yourself into thinking that he has the same faculties as someone 40 years his junior. It just isn't possible.

Edited October 5, 2010 by akm0404

[Billsguy]

I would guess that the majority of posters on this board are under 50 years of age and quite a few became Bill's fans during the late 80's and 90's. I was following and rooting for this team since their inception and I can tell you that Ralph Wilson has always been a cheapskate and the "glory years" were simply due to Polian. In the 70's, for Pete's sake he made Harvey Johnson the head coach twice!

 

Wilson has a track record that proves what type of commitment he has... which is dedicated to the bottom line.

 

I will always support the Bills and this team absolutely stinks but there have been worse periods like the 70's. You should have heard the fans then. They HATED Wilson.

 

I never want to see the team leave but for those apologists of Wilson, I am afraid you are clueless.

 

I think a lot of fans are missing the point. Regardless of Wilson's mental capacity and regardless of his cheapness, he's been in the football business 50 years and he has been a huge failure. He makes really bad personnel decisions and the team suffers proportionately.

 

He spends a lot of money on players so in that sense he is not cheap,but he is not wise because he spends the money poorly. Is it cheap that he just re-signed the useless Kelsay for $6 million per year? Was it cheap that he gave Derrick Dockery $7 million per year? No, but it was certainly not wise!

 

You can argue that he had all his mental faculties in the 70's and 80's but he still made horrendous decision after horrendous decision. His record of failure is monumental!

 

The only blip in his NFL failure streak was the era of Bill Polian/John Butler/AJ Smith when the team accumulated some top notch talent. Even then he let Polian leave.

 

He is the root of every problem with the Bills. It's not about who the next QB savior will be, but rather who will be the new owner and in which city will the team play.