Wilson speaks

[Chalkie Gerzowski]

a good bowl of tapioca pudding will take away anyone's ailments.

 

[Mr. WEO]

Thanks Dan for the post. After reading through this topic I was just about to post pretty much the same thing.

 

First, to John, major props. Good article and excellent work getting through to Mr. Wilson for an interview. He obviously respects your work or you would not get the access you do. That's a great deal more than can be said by the other "journalists" who cover the Bills, locally and nationally. I think your tone and questions were fine - respectful and informative.

 

Second, many of the postings on this thread are truely sickening. For most of these people, I would not call them fans any more than I would refer to them as decent human beings.

 

It has been clear for some time that RW is not well. He rarely, if ever, appears in public anymore. He does not attend league meetings or games. Despite this some people continue to believe that RW is somehow the puppetmaster behind every personnel decision the team makes, pulling every string to fatten his wallet while the poor fans suffer. This is the worst kind of crap. Ten years from now, when the Bills are long gone, perhaps the people of WNY will realize what they had and lost.

Stockholm syndrome...

 

Anyway, if Wilson is ill and cannot run the team, why does he cling to it? He acknowledges, with a chuckle, that he's not doing a proper job, yet he won't afford the fans a chance to see someone else do so--until he's gone.

 

Why is pointing this out so bad? And why not ask Ralph when you had him right there?

Edited October 12, 2010 by Mr. WEO

[tennesseeboy]

Well Dan, he did say just that to the Buffalo News "" Nix was forthright with Gaughan, saying that upgrading the offensive line "was our main emphasis going into the draft."""

Link http://www.buffaloru...o-line-was-main

 

Like I posted eariler, seems odd that the new GM went into last years draft looking to specifically upgrade the O line and the best they could do was Ed Wang in the 5th round, then Cornell Green as a free agent

 

For me, this sorta shoots down any hope I have for this years up coming draft as RW states they will be after a QB....

 

wow....if they "find" a quarterback the same way they "fixed" the o-line, I'm not sure they won't trade to get Trent Edwards back!

[JohnC]

Stockholm syndrome...

 

Anyway, if Wilson is ill and cannot run the team, why does he cling to it? He acknowledges, with a chuckle, that he's not doing a proper job, yet he won't afford the fans a chance to see someone else do so--until he's gone.

 

Why is pointing this out so bad? And why not ask Ralph when you had him right there?

 

You bring up an interesting question as to why he, at his advanced age, continues to own the team. He was asked that question a few years back. His response was that it keeps him going and gives him a reason to get up.

 

The owner is steadfast in maintaining ownership until he passes. He is not going to sell the franchise while he is on this earth. The next question is what is going to happen to the franchise when he passes. He knows but is not saying. That refusal to state what follows in itself is somewhat odd. But again the owner has been stubbornly consistent in keeping his plans to himself.

 

In JW's interview with the owner there seemed to be an oblique indication that he has made plans that might prove favorable to keeping the franchise in place. Is it wishful thinking on my part? Probably so.

[Rex Ryan's Lapband]

last i checked, the sun did go up this morning, and my car was still damaged from the yahoo, who sideswiped it and took off this past weekend. to me, that's a big worry and perhaps more disturbing than maybe a football team getting off to an 0-5 start.

This drives me crazy. You're a writer. You've chosen to write about sports, a subject that brings out the passion in it's fans. The same passion that probably set you on your career path. Your blog (or articles etc.) all gain their relevance from the passion of the readers who seek out information that fuels their passion. Then, when that passion turns critical, you deride it and chide those who are passionate about their sport and team, for not having placed this in proper perspective. What unmitigated gall.

 

Ease up on telling fans not to be passionate. Without the fans' passions, your writing wouldn't be a career, it would be a hobby. You probably bought your sideswiped car with money made from the passion of sports fans, so please spare us the condescension. As the old saying goes: if you can't stand the heat...

[Delete This Account]

This drives me crazy. You're a writer. You've chosen to write about sports, a subject that brings out the passion in it's fans. The same passion that probably set you on your career path. Your blog (or articles etc.) all gain their relevance from the passion of the readers who seek out information that fuels their passion. Then, when that passion turns critical, you deride it and chide those who are passionate about their sport and team, for not having placed this in proper perspective. What unmitigated gall.

 

Ease up on telling fans not to be passionate. Without the fans' passions, your writing wouldn't be a career, it would be a hobby. You probably bought your sideswiped car with money made from the passion of sports fans, so please spare us the condescension. As the old saying goes: if you can't stand the heat...

um, pretty sure i'd still be a writer. it's what i do.

and having always banked on myself, i think i'd be pretty successful at other things, too. heck, they made a movie out of a professional drunk like Buchowski, but i digress.

 

you miss my point in your overall sweeping generalization of what and who fans are.

in my book, a fan is not someone who roots for someone to die. i'm not accusing you of that, but it's the over the top belligerence of yahoos, who lack shame and perspective, whom i open up to question.

 

bills fans have a right to be passionate and critical. this has been a terrible decade.

but please spare me the high-and-mighty attitude in your awkward response. i never chided fans for being passionate. i chided the knuckleheads who seem to write (if you want to call it that) without thinking, and believing they can be shielded from criticism because of their anonymity and because they consider themselves "fans."

 

jw

[thewildrabbit]

Well three years is what is took for Levy to take the Bills from 2-14 to 12-4 and the AFC East division title, so Ralph has precedent on his said when he says that's how long it'll take.

 

Despite what some TSW GMs think, the O-line project IS progressing - I think we're all surprised at how the D and special teams have regressed.

 

Unless Brohm gets a fair shot to start at QB and shocks the hell out of everyone, I hope the Bills will be in a position to pick Ryan Mallett - maybe pick up Gabe Carimi too, if he slips to the second round or we can trade back into the first.

3 years with Marv Levy AND Bill Polian.... about the only thing in common between those two sets of GM/ HC is the title.... So far Nix and Gailey are worse then Jauron...which I didn't think was possible, their record proves it.

 

 

 

The line played somewhat better against the Patriots and Jags because both those defenses stink...BOTH New England's and Jacksonville's defenses are rated WORSE then the Bills, another which I didn't think would be possible. Total defense Jags #30- NE #29 Bills #28

 

 

OHHHH, so Fitzpatrick has 3 seconds to get rid of the ball instead of 2 seconds in those games so it looks like the line IS improving, get back to me after the Ravens game, after the Steelers game

[bills_fan_in_raleigh]

 

 

bills fans have a right to be passionate and critical. this has been a terrible decade.

but please spare me the high-and-mighty attitude in your awkward response. i never chided fans for being passionate. i chided the knuckleheads who seem to write (if you want to call it that) without thinking, and believing they can be shielded from criticism because of their anonymity and because they consider themselves "fans."

 

jw

How about 4 terrible decades. When you look at this franchise we have been around since 1960, won 2 AFL championships and 4 AFC championships. Throw in a few other playoff seasons and you will find that this Owner has one consistency and that is putting butts in seats. This organization has been basically run by finance guys not football people.

[plenzmd1]

um, pretty sure i'd still be a writer. it's what i do.

and having always banked on myself, i think i'd be pretty successful at other things, too. heck, they made a movie out of a professional drunk like Buchowski, but i digress.

 

you miss my point in your overall sweeping generalization of what and who fans are.

in my book, a fan is not someone who roots for someone to die. i'm not accusing you of that, but it's the over the top belligerence of yahoos, who lack shame and perspective, whom i open up to question.

 

bills fans have a right to be passionate and critical. this has been a terrible decade.

but please spare me the high-and-mighty attitude in your awkward response. i never chided fans for being passionate. i chided the knuckleheads who seem to write (if you want to call it that) without thinking, and believing they can be shielded from criticism because of their anonymity and because they consider themselves "fans."

 

jw

 

here here. especially on the anonymity part.

[lets_go_bills]

John Wawrow,

 

Thanks for posting here your Bill news, I love reading it. You do a great job and you're and invaluable resource for us. I thoroughly enjoyed you on WGR today. Your positive speculation that there's a succession plan in the works and that the Bills will remain in Buffalo fills me with hope and optimism.

 

As for the knuckleheads on here, just ignore them, they're idiots.

 

You do a great job. Just keep doing what you're doing.

[thewildrabbit]

um, pretty sure i'd still be a writer. it's what i do.

and having always banked on myself, i think i'd be pretty successful at other things, too. heck, they made a movie out of a professional drunk like Buchowski, but i digress.

 

you miss my point in your overall sweeping generalization of what and who fans are.

in my book, a fan is not someone who roots for someone to die. i'm not accusing you of that, but it's the over the top belligerence of yahoos, who lack shame and perspective, whom i open up to question.

 

bills fans have a right to be passionate and critical. this has been a terrible decade.

but please spare me the high-and-mighty attitude in your awkward response. i never chided fans for being passionate. i chided the knuckleheads who seem to write (if you want to call it that) without thinking, and believing they can be shielded from criticism because of their anonymity and because they consider themselves "fans."

 

jw

Well spoken, just consider the source of fans frustration, their team is letting them down, it can be downright painful for a week or more to some. Then to watch the teams in the division that the fans hate with a passion winning week after week just accentuates the pain

 

OTOH, some of the so called fans posting here can be brutal and just downright low and mean, it makes me wonder if they are posting from some prison somewhere.

 

Thank you, It was good to hear from Ralph Wilson and to hear that he is in good spirits and doing well enough that he can joke about his health

[thewildrabbit]

John Wawrow,

 

Thanks for posting here your Bill news, I love reading it. You do a great job and you're and invaluable resource for us. I thoroughly enjoyed you on WGR today. Your positive speculation that there's a succession plan in the works and that the Bills will remain in Buffalo fills me with hope and optimism.

 

As for the knuckleheads on here, just ignore them, they're idiots.

 

You do a great job. Just keep doing what you're doing.

here, here

 

 

On the bolded part, I would really like to see RW step down as president and hire someone like Ozzie Newsome or Bill Polian that job, or one of those two, offer them part of the team to ensure their loyalty and success if that is what it takes,

 

Clearly the title as president is just that to RW, hire someone who would have the power to run things properly. This franchise is in desperate need of a knowledgeable football man who is smart enough and young enough to turn the team into a winner while maintaining a profit. A darn shame RW doesn't have family or sons to inherit this team like Robert Irsay or Bill Bidwell.

[DaGimp]

When he spoke did the children of the night howl?

[Chappy444]

 

is it wrong for Mr. Wilson to come clean and accept that blame, saying he's at fault for the decisions that were made.

might be wrong if he hadn't, too.

 

jw

 

if he hasn't been able to build a consistant winner in 51 years then maybe...just maybe...it is time to look for a new profession or simply sell and retire.

how many years would your readers accept mediocre writing before you got the ax?

To me, you seem like the type of person who self evaluates and you would probably figure out for yourself that it is time to leave...way before you got the ax.

 

the difference here seems to be that Ralph keeps getting paid no matter how many articles he submits with spelling errors, and grammer issues...

[TheChimp]

When Ralph declared that they'd be going after a QB next draft, I'd have had a SLEW of questions for him.

 

1. Was he saying that because his GM, Buddy Nix, had told him that's what they would be looking for, or was Ralph deciding FOR Buddy what they'd be going for?

- If Ralph is already willing to say that this rebuild will take a good three years, then why is the QB so important in the FIRST year after this statement? Doesn't Ralph see that a Junior QB like Luck might be worth waiting for and picking up a really superior DE or LB or LT this coming offseason? What has Buddy had to say about it?

- Is Buddy Nix just a yes-man or what? Whose plan IS this, anyway?

2. Depending on the answer to #1, I'd have asked just how much Ralph plays a role in everyday football decisions, to come out and declare, in OCTOBER, what the Bills would be looking for eight months from now.

3. So Ralph is sending his GM on a scouting trip during the bye, eh? Does that mean that he doesn't trust his REGULAR scouts to do a fair assessment?

- Given the failure over the past ten years to assess talent and pick up NFL-calibre talent, what role would Tom Modrak play in this sudden QB hunt?

- Does Ralph even have anything to say about why Modrak is even still HERE? I mean, if Ralph is going to take the heat for "hiring the wrong people" (to paraphrase), wouldn't that include getting RID of said personnel? And if so, why isn't Modrak being sent packing? Doesn't Ralph feel that Modrak is responsible for the bad choices, seeing as he's the DIRECTOR OF COLLEGE SCOUTING?

.....

 

not to tell Mr. Wawrow how to be a reporter or anything....

[Delete This Account]

When Ralph declared that they'd be going after a QB next draft, I'd have had a SLEW of questions for him.

 

1. Was he saying that because his GM, Buddy Nix, had told him that's what they would be looking for, or was Ralph deciding FOR Buddy what they'd be going for?

- If Ralph is already willing to say that this rebuild will take a good three years, then why is the QB so important in the FIRST year after this statement? Doesn't Ralph see that a Junior QB like Luck might be worth waiting for and picking up a really superior DE or LB or LT this coming offseason? What has Buddy had to say about it?

- Is Buddy Nix just a yes-man or what? Whose plan IS this, anyway?

2. Depending on the answer to #1, I'd have asked just how much Ralph plays a role in everyday football decisions, to come out and declare, in OCTOBER, what the Bills would be looking for eight months from now.

3. So Ralph is sending his GM on a scouting trip during the bye, eh? Does that mean that he doesn't trust his REGULAR scouts to do a fair assessment?

- Given the failure over the past ten years to assess talent and pick up NFL-calibre talent, what role would Tom Modrak play in this sudden QB hunt?

- Does Ralph even have anything to say about why Modrak is even still HERE? I mean, if Ralph is going to take the heat for "hiring the wrong people" (to paraphrase), wouldn't that include getting RID of said personnel? And if so, why isn't Modrak being sent packing? Doesn't Ralph feel that Modrak is responsible for the bad choices, seeing as he's the DIRECTOR OF COLLEGE SCOUTING?

.....

 

not to tell Mr. Wawrow how to be a reporter or anything....

some things are relatively obvious:

-- the Bills need a quarterback.

 

-- what Buddy might have to say about this is uncertain. he's on the road.

 

-- i think i answered your next question. the Bills need a quarterback. this is not ground-breaking, though it's notable in the fact that the team has acknowledged this, as opposed to how they went about keeping things a mystery last year.

 

-- note: Buddy is scouting quarterbacks. that doesn't mean he'll like them. that's why he's going out to scout them.

 

-- as for Luck, who is to say he'll fall in the Bills lap in two years? or, are you saying, you would hold the Bills blame-free if they tanked next season in order to get Luck high in the draft (c'mon, you really can't have it both ways, can you?)

 

-- and i'm a bit confused about this "why is Buddy going out scouting" line of questioning for several reasons:

1) if he didn't go out and get a chance to see these guys in game action, wouldn't he be accused of not being familiar with the players he might be drafting?

2) if you're going to use a first-round pick -- and potentially a top-3 one at that -- on a QB, wouldn't you want to have as many eyes watching the crop of prospects as possible?

3) Buddy doesn't have to be in the building, does he? if something comes up, they have these things called "telephones," which he can use to communicate.

 

-- as for Modrak's role. he's also out scouting. it's been noted in previous stories in which Mr. Wilson has expressed his support for Modrak.

 

jw

Edited October 12, 2010 by john wawrow