Ralph Will Never Fire This Regime

[ConradDobler]

If this regime doesn't turn it around and the team suffers several dismal losing seasons in a row, I'm saying Ralph is now too old to do anything about it. The Bills can win four or fewer games for the next three or four seasons and if Ralph stays alive there will be no consequences for failure.

Good point, MPL! Do you have any other original thoughts?

[DanInUticaTampa]

If this regime doesn't turn it around and the team suffers several dismal losing seasons in a row, I'm saying Ralph is now too old to do anything about it. The Bills can win four or fewer games for the next three or four seasons and if Ralph stays alive there will be no consequences for failure.

 

If he is alive after they go three seasons with no more than 4 wins a year, I am pretty sure there will be plenty of changes, including nix not being here. I don't even see nix staying more than 5 years, by his choice.

 

But I find it very hard to believe that this team only gets 4 wins 3 years in a row. With all the crap this team has done, in recent years there has only been one year they went 4 wins. I don't see them doing that three years in a row.

 

But if they are that bad, and ralph is alive, he will make changes. And if he dies, the new owner will. Eitehr way, if we have 3 years of only 4 wins, the organization will change again. That isn't like 7-9 when we were just mediocre. 4-12 is bad, and not improving on that after three years means changes, and it will be made whether or not raplh is alive. But I doubt the team is that bad for that long. we probably get back to the 7-9 mark by year 3 at least.

 

 

 

Really, you don't know what you are talking about. You are implying that this organization hasn't changed in 10 years. It has changed a lot. People have come and gone several times. It hasn't made anything better, but one thing you can count on, when the team looks bad, someone has to be the scapegoat. Like donahoe, jauron, or whatever. The only exception as far as football operations go is modrak.

Edited October 10, 2010 by DanInUticaTampa

[akm0404]

the Bills appear to be in good hands for the first time in a long time. I think it's pretty clear from the way they've been handling business, from both an evaluation and coaching standpoint.

Are you serious or is this just a joke post?

 

We appear in good hands? We were a terrible team that, by any objective measure, is getting WORSE. This team is literally worse than they were under Dick Jauron. Much worse. But yet we are in good hands? Our pathetically feeble offense over the last 5 years is MUCH worse this year under the stewardship of Chan 'The Offensive Genius' Gailey. Dead last in offense, with more than 20 ypg fewer yards than the worst Jauron offense. Ouch.

 

And your claim that this regieme are such great talent evaluators???? This is the part that convinced me you were trolling this thread. CUTTING your starting QB, who you evaluated painstakingly over the course of 9 months after two games. Really evaluated the heck out of that one. It only left every NFL person scratching their head wondering WTF these clowns are doig.

 

Oh yeah and they extended Kelsay. Way to evaluate talent and lock up your horses.

 

HAHAHHAA. We are in great hands!

 

Really, you don't know what you are talking about. You are implying that this organization hasn't changed in 10 years. It has changed a lot.

Nix was a promotion from within. Same same culprits that have driven this franchise into the ground are still there. A cosmetic change here and there doesn't cover up the fact that the same core group has ruined this thing, and the majority of them are still fleecing Old Man Ralph. It is pretty sad - this is definitely a case of a group of shrewd men taking advantage of the trust of a very very old man.

[DanInUticaTampa]

Nix was a promotion from within. Same same culprits that have driven this franchise into the ground are still there. A cosmetic change here and there doesn't cover up the fact that the same core group has ruined this thing, and the majority of them are still fleecing Old Man Ralph. It is pretty sad - this is definitely a case of a group of shrewd men taking advantage of the trust of a very very old man.

 

Nix was only here one year from the last 10 years. The other years he was in SD with a team with a winning record and a lot of talent. People dismiss Nix saying he was just a scout... but he was actually an assistant GM. So yeah, you are crazy if you are blaming Nix for the bills failures in the last 10 years, unless you are saying it is his fault that he helped a franchise draft good players that the bills didn't because he was working for an enemy.

 

And Whaley is in his first year here in buffalo brought in from pittsburg. So from the last 10 years, the two top football guys have a total of 1 year combined in the last 10 years.... so yeah, these are not the same old guys. Just different guys finding new ways to lose. Apparently, there are a million different ways.

Edited October 10, 2010 by DanInUticaTampa

[IronyAbounds]

The constant refrain is "we have a plan and will stick to it." Frankly the only real plan seems to be to say we have a plan. If the plan is to improve utilizing the draft, then the concern is the last draft was awful - not only did they not draft for need but the guys they drafted stink. They sign Green, who is awful. They extend Kelsay, an awful move. They start Edwards and he is cut in week 3. They barely use Spiller. So far the real plan appears to be to suck as much as possible.

[Gabe Northern]

Nix was only here one year from the last 10 years. The other years he was in SD with a team with a winning record and a lot of talent. People dismiss Nix saying he was just a scout... but he was actually an assistant GM. So yeah, you are crazy if you are blaming Nix for the bills failures in the last 10 years, unless you are saying it is his fault that he helped a franchise draft good players that the bills didn't because he was working for an enemy.

 

And Whaley is in his first year here in buffalo brought in from pittsburg. So from the last 10 years, the two top football guys have a total of 1 year combined in the last 10 years.... so yeah, these are not the same old guys. Just different guys finding new ways to lose. Apparently, there are a million different ways.

 

Nix is a joke. No one every gave him a sniff as for a GM job when he was in his working career. Now he's 70 years old and his only competition for the job was John Guy -- the worst pro personnel director in the NFL.

 

Now, we sign some guy Doug Whaley that no one has ever heard of. Everyone assumes he must be a great hire because he's from Pittsburgh, but the only moves we've seen from him thus far are Cornell Green (worse than any stiff John Guy ever brought in), Dwan Edwards (is he really better than McCargo, who is inactive every game because of Edwards' contract), and Andra Davis (looking washed up, aside from great pic today).

[IronyAbounds]

It really is difficult to point to a single personnel move made with the "new" regime in place that has improved the team. There was absolutely no need to draft Spiller. The draft was just awful, other than maybe Spiller it is hard to see anyone from the last draft being a quality NFL player. The FA are a wash out and the Kelsay signing may be the dumbest move of all.There is a reason Nix didn't get a GM job before hitting 70. There is a reason Gailey was no longer in the NFL. Both reasons aren't that they are great football people who can lead a terribly run franchise to the promised land. Whether it's Ralph or the other football (cough) people in the organization, terrible decisions are being made with discouraging frequency.

[Red]

The current front office regime will never change, as long as Ralph Wilson remains alive and owner of the Bills.

 

When it came time to find a new GM, the Bills promoted from within. Familiar faces like Littman/Overdorf/Brandon/Modrak all remained in the front office. Ralph just didn't have it in him to search for a new GM in earnest and then turn the reigns over someone new this close to the end.

 

These guys all know they are just riding this thing out until the inevitable happens with Ralph, and then and only then true change can take place. Hopefully the team remains so fans can enjoy it.

 

The scary part is that if Ralph lives to be 100, this whole sham of a franchise will continue to twist in the wind year after year. Some people believe that Ralph is still sharp as a tack, but even if that is true, at some point he will begin to lose it. As he begins to slowly succumb to dementia, who will the front office be accountable to? It seems that no matter how poor their performance, at some stage Ralph won't any longer to be able to effectively do anything about it. My personal opinion is that we have already reached that point, and they are taking advantage of Ralph.

 

 

I've been crying for the tar and feathering of Modrak for over 2 years now. He should have left with Donahoe, and CERTAINLY should have been forced out with Guy last year.

 

One of the announcers said on the air today, that the Bills talent-wise are sub-par. Surely, the scouting department and the Head of such department (the aforementioned Modrak) have done such a terrible job of stockpiling this team with talent, that they should no longer be employed.

 

But the role both Littman and Overdorf play should not be dismissed. There were stories of political infighting for Ralph's favor when Polian was here. Something tells me that Littman and Overdorf are atleast as responsible for this disaster as Mr. Modrak himself.

 

It's almost as if they have been scouting for sub-par players so that they would not have to pay them down the line. Draft lesser impact players who will fit in our small market model.

 

It sounds stupidly crazy, but drafting Whitner ahead of Haloti Ngata was pretty dumb. Spending 2 1st round draft picks within 3 years at the QB position (trade to NE for Bledsoe then drafting Losman), only to lose them both with little production was idiotic. Then trading back into the 1st round for McCargo. Oops. Missed on that one, too. Maybin instead of Oher or Orakpo.

 

Who, in the history of the NFL, drafts a project player with their #1 pick?

 

In my 20 years of being a Bills fan and NFL fan, I have never seen that before. I mean, if we had just come from dominating in the Super Bowl I might, MIGHT see drafting a project player like Maybin in the 1st as a smart thing since I was stocked everywhere else.

 

It sounds like a conspiracy theory, but in the case of the Bills I can't believe that we can be that bad, for that long, without someone in a position of influence directing the course of things.

 

10+ years of doing things on the cheap has taken its toll.

[Punch]

Are you serious or is this just a joke post?

 

We appear in good hands? We were a terrible team that, by any objective measure, is getting WORSE. This team is literally worse than they were under Dick Jauron. Much worse. But yet we are in good hands? Our pathetically feeble offense over the last 5 years is MUCH worse this year under the stewardship of Chan 'The Offensive Genius' Gailey. Dead last in offense, with more than 20 ypg fewer yards than the worst Jauron offense. Ouch.

 

And your claim that this regieme are such great talent evaluators???? This is the part that convinced me you were trolling this thread. CUTTING your starting QB, who you evaluated painstakingly over the course of 9 months after two games. Really evaluated the heck out of that one. It only left every NFL person scratching their head wondering WTF these clowns are doig.

 

Oh yeah and they extended Kelsay. Way to evaluate talent and lock up your horses.

 

HAHAHHAA. We are in great hands!

 

is definitely a case of a group of shrewd men taking advantage of the trust of a very very old man.

 

Is there really a need to be such a gigantic !@#$? Seriously, why don't you just go !@#$ yourself? It would be more useful than the gutless posturing you waste your time on with your posts.

 

It's not like there can ever be a winner in these fake conversations that total strangers are having on a football message board. Our opinions are different, and you're a !@#$ing crybaby.

[NaPolian8693]

The problem is Ralph is too old to change anything. He is surrounded by leeches in the front office that will just keep the status quo until he finally dies.

 

Look at the last two GMs, bringing in an old friend like Levy even though he is not qualified for the job, and then just promoting Nix from within and keeping everyone else like Brandon/Modrak/Littman/Overdorf, etc.

 

He's a dying old man, he is not capable of performing a search for a new GM even if he wanted to. I mean, who is even going to make the phone calls and do the interviews? It would be one of his Yes-Men, like Russ, and the leeches would never let anyone come in here that would shake things up too much.

 

It's sad, but it's really just a group of front office executive vultures preying on Ralph for big salaries with no accountability.

[Red]

The problem is Ralph is too old to change anything. He is surrounded by leeches in the front office that will just keep the status quo until he finally dies.

 

Look at the last two GMs, bringing in an old friend like Levy even though he is not qualified for the job, and then just promoting Nix from within and keeping everyone else like Brandon/Modrak/Littman/Overdorf, etc.

 

He's a dying old man, he is not capable of performing a search for a new GM even if he wanted to. I mean, who is even going to make the phone calls and do the interviews? It would be one of his Yes-Men, like Russ, and the leeches would never let anyone come in here that would shake things up too much.

 

It's sad, but it's really just a group of front office executive vultures preying on Ralph for big salaries with no accountability.

 

That's actually a really good point.

 

Who can Ralph trust?

 

Clearly, he has been trusting Littman, Overdorf, and Modrak to the detriment of the team.

 

If he axes these guys, who comes in to fill their stead?

[Fan in San Diego]

Call me optimistic, but can't we just take solace in the fact that Nix does have a plan? I mean yeah he is turning over the roster but I see so many posts about how they need to get rid of dead weight...patience my friends...we've waited 11 years for a playoff team, what's 2 more? I mean granted it could just be another turn of the wheel, but if Nix and Gailey do start to show improvement (which won't be this year and honestly it's a fantasy for anyone to think they would show promise in the 1ST YEAR of the new front office regime) will those that are critical start to recognize what is going on?

 

I'm workin on my PhD in Organizational Leadership right now and doing a dissertation on Organizational Leadership structure in the NFL and what I can tell you is that the current structure that is in place (leadership talent not taken into account) is one that is historically successful in the NFL both in win/loss record and fan devotion.

 

Patience is a word we have heard for way too long...but these are different people (I know I know, Modrak is still there among others) but should we not be more patient then less than half a season?

 

I love this board! Please go easy on me guys, just sayin...it's been a long time, but I'm hopeful. Silly me!!!

 

One thing I do like about these guys is they cut a guy a when they think he cant compete. Who's next?

[TheChimp]

The problem is Ralph is too old to change anything. He is surrounded by leeches in the front office that will just keep the status quo until he finally dies.

 

Look at the last two GMs, bringing in an old friend like Levy even though he is not qualified for the job, and then just promoting Nix from within and keeping everyone else like Brandon/Modrak/Littman/Overdorf, etc.

 

He's a dying old man, he is not capable of performing a search for a new GM even if he wanted to. I mean, who is even going to make the phone calls and do the interviews? It would be one of his Yes-Men, like Russ, and the leeches would never let anyone come in here that would shake things up too much.

 

It's sad, but it's really just a group of front office executive vultures preying on Ralph for big salaries with no accountability.

If that is true, then the courts need to get involved, because this borders on illegal activity, namely fraud, by these men, and a psychiatric evaluation of the old man is in order. If the same thing was happening at a toy factory, the toys would have obviously killed a bunch of kids by now with the shoddy workmanship and dangerous parts, and we wouldn't bat a single eyelash at the courts getting involved and shutting the whole operation down. That's what it sounds like needs to start happening at OBD, and Ralph's family is the group who needs to climb out of the shadows here and do something.

[NaPolian8693]

That is the whole problem, Chimp.

 

In NFL ownership families, normally the owner's heirs would have taken the reigns by now, and would have been heavily involved for most of their lives.

 

Ralph only had one child that had an interest in football, and sadly she is no longer with us. He has no surviving family members with any interest in this franchise or the NFL, except to line up and collect their paycheck when Ralph finally passes.

 

It is a very sad state of affairs.

[TheChimp]

That is the whole problem, Chimp.

 

In NFL ownership families, normally the owner's heirs would have taken the reigns by now, and would have been heavily involved for most of their lives.

 

Ralph only had one child that had an interest in football, and sadly she is no longer with us. He has no surviving family members with any interest in this franchise or the NFL, except to line up and collect their paycheck when Ralph finally passes.

 

It is a very sad state of affairs.

Whoever is in charge if and when Ralph's mind goes, and at his age he almost assuredly has made a Living Will by now and set up his POA, needs to be pressured into action at this point, provided it's true that Ralph can't make his own decisions anymore and the real possibility exists that the folks he's left in charge are bilking him out of millions while sinking his company. If Ralph's stupid !@#$ing family doesn't care, then the !@#$ing NFL should, because this is disgraceful.

[BuffaloWest]

4 weeks? Why would they not have lasted 4 weeks into the first season of a major rebuilding project?

 

As for the young hungry GM I believe Doug Whaley was brought in from Pittsburgh as Assistant GM to be groomed as Nix's replacement when he eventually (probably sooner rather than later) retires. He has been mentioned as one of the best young General Manger "prospects" for a few years now, in fact, some of the critiques levied at the Bills when they hired Nix was that they should have hired Whaley. The fact that Nix brought him in as the de facto 2nd in command indicates he is more than likely the natural successor for the position. I can't imagine a better man for the job.

 

Don't be fooled by blowhards like the OP--- the Bills appear to be in good hands for the first time in a long time. I think it's pretty clear from the way they've been handling business, from both an evaluation and coaching standpoint. The fact that the team on the field still sucks is only indicative of the 10 years of crappy management. It takes time. More than 4 weeks, anyway.

You are absolutely right. The thing is that when you go 7-9 you are always sort of "In it" each season until about week 12 or so...They are blowing this thing up, and I believe there is a blueprint there for player personnel down the road. I wonder about front office and coaching though. Despite the record, there are some very good players on our team-nevertheless, Modrak has failed. The defense is horrid. No way you could go into 2011 with this DC and be taken seriously. The organization is one big enigma from top to bottom.