Wilson speaks

[bowery4]

First off JW thanks for the interview good job

About what I would think RW would say really but good to see he is addressing the fans, he didn't have too. I honestly think he is trying to turn it around and the last few coaches are all people who he thought could do it. I am glad he takes responsiblablity and knows there is no quick turn around and that approach was what he expected before. I think it is hard to tell fans it won't be a quick fix, he might have added that we have tried that before,over and over. I am sure he regrets those decisions too knowing he may not live to see the final result.

I guess one thing I get from the interview is that he might be ill. You don't talk about your own demise like that even in your 90s IMO.

 

 

How about just asking some direct, pointed questions about the team's drafting failures or about the franchise's future? If Ralph chooses to prevaricate or remain silent on these questions, then report that. But at least ask some !@#$ing relevant questions! At least attempt to avoid getting nothing but cliched Jauronesque responses. Is this really that big of a demand from our local sports media? If so, maybe these guys need to find another line of work.

Ah really living up to that idiot name ya picked out there eh

 

Im happy to see he at least spoke up. Yes it is a fluff piece and he needs to take full blame~ which he does...He also needs to understand that no one wants to play or coach or manage here because of him. The team is a wreck. Forget about a 3 year plan to get things back on track. If he dies in year 2 or 3 , they team gets sold and everyone is fired and they start all over again-perhaps in a different city. His biggest problem is that he has no succession plan in place (That we know of), if the team were sold, any of his current hires would be blown out - it is the reason so many people passed on the head coaching job. He'd be better off coming out and laying out a plan for the future, espcially when it comes to the teams future ownership. That way we could at least get the right personnel in place who would feel a sense of job security moving forward. That is his fault and now its to the point where the word is out and no one wants to work there. It wasnt always that way. They once had the most respected front office in the league.I dont even dislike Ralph..I actually like him, but I wish he would just do the right thing and announce the teams succession plan.

 

He doesn't have to and really it would be against his best interests to publicly announce anything as the other owner are going to get what ever choices he has made shoved down their throats when it happens if he does plan on having the team stay here. You should be thankful he is not showing his hand.

 

- Kinda funny how Ralphie reveals his three year turnaround plan when that is precisely when the stadium lease with Erie county expires. This old man is pissing on Bills fans while telling them it's raining. He will eagerly sell you an umbrella though!

 

Stadium lease is up in 2012 IIRC

 

First official reference--albeit an oblique one--to the Bills post Wilson. He brings up his own passing here, and tells us not to worry.

 

Hard not to try to read between the lines there. Hard to come up with anything definitive. Is he hinting there is a plan in place for the team after he's gone? JW, I'd like to hear what you think about those comments in relation to the uncertainty about the franchise's future in Buffalo.

 

kj

 

RW is a clever guy and as I said above he shouldn't do that. I do think he won't ruin his legacy (and now Jimbo's is invariably hooked into it as well) in WNY and has something in the works. There are a lot of reasons not to do it now and certainly not to announce it.

[TheChimp]

The longer version wasn't more informative, just more annoying. There really weren't any tough questions posed, were there? Or am I allowed to say that?

 

TC

[Mr. WEO]

So.....

 

Ralph acknowledges that he's very old, could die anytime and is responsible for the horrible decision making staffing this team. He says "be patient" ("P and P") for another 3 years (!) of anticipated sucking---he doesn't care becuase he's not planning to live though the mess!

 

Sounds less like "P and P" and more like "F U, Buffalo".

 

He's an incredible cynic dressed up as an aw shucks nice old man. He takes his team's fans more for granted than any other owner. He knows the market exists for his product no matter how bad the quality. Why improve it?--that costs money.

 

He is going to milk this bull until he's dead an is assuming the next guy clean might clean up the mess.

 

 

He's laughing at us with his triannual, meaningless mea culpa.

[Chalkie Gerzowski]

It wouldn't take Ralph 3 years if the problem was they/he was losing money, they would turn that around in weeks.

 

 

Does Ralph go to RogersBanC in Toronto and get his Canadian money?

 

[Mr. WEO]

The longer version wasn't more informative, just more annoying. There really weren't any tough questions posed, were there? Or am I allowed to say that?

 

TC

Careful now.....

 

You are dangerously close to telling someone how to do one's job.

[Chalkie Gerzowski]

P P time? Is William Murderface the new Bills mascot?

 

[thewildrabbit]

I never heard them say that the oline was the most important thing to fix. never.

 

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....

 

[Chalkie Gerzowski]

I'm not the smartest guy in the room.

 

[Delete This Account]

 

 

He's laughing at us with his triannual, meaningless mea culpa.

not true. let me check my notes, but i'm pretty sure Mr. Wilson said he was laughing at you, Mr. Happy. ... oh, yes, here it is, mentioned your name twice, and chuckled.

 

jw

[Zulu Cthulhu]

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....

 

 

That's good digging Harvey nice find.

 

Of course it's also soul-crushingly depressing that Nix did say that to Gaughan and we end up with low round draftees and another Raider castoff.

[NaPolian8693]

I'm really surprised that he came right out and said that he would be dead before the team was any good again.

[mary owen]

Thanks John, I have been waiting to see if this guy would talk to anyone in the media.

That being said, his words only prove what many of us already knew; he doesn't have a clue what's going on, he doesn't care much, and he does not let his staff do their jobs in the process.

 

He talks about it taking 3 years and that the fans should have P&P like they are children who have no clue about professional football? This 3 year period that he says he "has been saying all along" didn't happen to be heard about when they upped the ticket prices yet again. What a slap in the collective face of all Bills fans.

 

He's sending Buddy out now to go scout QB's????? The Bills should already have more info on more college QB's than any other team in the league. After all, they "knew" none of the other QB's after Bradford was worth picking in rounds 1 - 6.

 

When he chuckled and said the fans shouldn't worry about him dying, well, Mr Wilson, it's not so much your death that worries them, it's what happens to the team in Buffalo as a result of it.

Edited October 12, 2010 by Arrogant Bastard

[Dan]

it is sad. and it's also sad that a person who got into the AFL because he was a fan of football, and wound up making something of it to the point where he is enshrined in Canton, can't make this thing work.

 

i've written it once and i'll write it again, there are people here who mistake Mr. Wilson for someone who doesn't care. i truly believe he does. and what's sad is that he's provided 51 years of entertainment in Buffalo and gets rightly and wrongly criticized for it to the point where there are people who openly and sadly and insensitively root for his demise.

 

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.

but then again, i'm not a fan. and given some of the ongoing posts on this board in regards to Mr. Wilson's health, i'd rather maintain my objectivity than sink into the mud of some people here.

 

but of course, this will be misconstrued as a post blindly favoring Mr. Wilson and the job he's done, with some responding about Polian this and Jauron that. there have been screwups. major screwups, which is why this team is where it is.

 

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

John,

 

Thanks for the good article. However, if I may be so bold, don't write about Ralph anymore. The ingrates on this board don't deserve to hear what he has to say.

 

I've rarely seen so many insensitive, uncaring, beligerent, disrespectful people in one place. And people wonder why quality posters leave this board? It's because more and more it seems like the posters around here are so full of themselves that they can't have the common decency to show a little respect and humilty.

 

I understand the Bills suck. I understand they've sucked for a decade. I understand none of us want to hear that there's a 3 year plan. But, that doesn't mean people have to act like classless idiots spouting off about something that know little to nothing about. Just shameful. It's threads like this that make me question why I would want call myself a Bills' fan and be associated with these posters.

[birdog1960]

John,

 

Thanks for the good article. However, if I may be so bold, don't write about Ralph anymore. The ingrates on this board don't deserve to hear what he has to say.

 

I've rarely seen so many insensitive, uncaring, beligerent, disrespectful people in one place. And people wonder why quality posters leave this board? It's because more and more it seems like the posters around here are so full of themselves that they can't have the common decency to show a little respect and humilty.

 

I understand the Bills suck. I understand they've sucked for a decade. I understand none of us want to hear that there's a 3 year plan. But, that doesn't mean people have to act like classless idiots spouting off about something that know little to nothing about. Just shameful. It's threads like this that make me question why I would want call myself a Bills' fan and be associated with these posters.

the reason we know little to nothing about the inner workings of one bills drive is that no one informs us. in the same way that the public clamors for inside info on a presidentialn administration, bills fans clamor for it regarding the bills fo. but even the most straightforward, salient questions don't get asked, answewred or both. it's likely that the causes of prolonged failure and dysfunction over 50 years would make for a very interesting and entertaining story. based on this wilson interview, we'll probably never know.

[The Senator]

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.

Edited October 12, 2010 by The Senator

[Bill from NYC]

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.

 

I don't see it. Green is as bad as I have ever seen (and I am counting Loucheiy, Ostroski, Pennington, etc.), and Bell just isn't good. In fact, he would probably give up WAY more sacks, but Green only gives him a second or 2 to do so.

 

Btw, Troup and Carrington actually made a play or 2. For a Bills fan, this is cause to celebrate. If they improve by the end of the season, the Bills need to focus on LBs before any other defensive position imo.

 

As far as Mallett.....

[BarkLessWagMore]

I'm really surprised that he came right out and said that he would be dead before the team was any good again.

 

What's really sad is most of us will be too.

[FLFan]

John,

 

Thanks for the good article. However, if I may be so bold, don't write about Ralph anymore. The ingrates on this board don't deserve to hear what he has to say.

 

I've rarely seen so many insensitive, uncaring, beligerent, disrespectful people in one place. And people wonder why quality posters leave this board? It's because more and more it seems like the posters around here are so full of themselves that they can't have the common decency to show a little respect and humilty.

 

I understand the Bills suck. I understand they've sucked for a decade. I understand none of us want to hear that there's a 3 year plan. But, that doesn't mean people have to act like classless idiots spouting off about something that know little to nothing about. Just shameful. It's threads like this that make me question why I would want call myself a Bills' fan and be associated with these posters.

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.

[JohnC]

Hi John,

 

Thanks for the article. As a business owner, I always feel it is in my best interests to find the smartest and most brilliant people to work with. Now, I could be wrong, but that doesn't seem to be Mr. Wilson's MO. Now, I like Buddy Nix and all, but Mr. Wilson is the same guy who didn't have a GM in place for a number of years. I just don't get that.

 

But hey, it's his team and he can do whatever he wants. I just think the actions don't match the words.

 

Your point is excellent and the essence of the problem with the owner and his stewardship. He is running a billion dollar company like it is a corner store delicatessen. Relying on people you know when your circle of acquaintences is very limited is not going to work in today's fiercely competitive world of the NFL. The person who has failed the owner the most is the owner himself.

[tennesseeboy]

I love this "it takes three years" talk. Why? Is it like planting a seed and watering it or like some super gestation period where a playoff team pops out from some orifice?

 

Time does not have much to do with it. You can pretty much analyze your talent on game film and make a lot of headway in your first draft. You can become active in free agency from the get go. You can make trades. You can be aggressive in keeping what talent you have. This isn't "time" oriented...its "action" oriented. My problem is that I've seen very little action on any significant front that would make change in two years, three years of five years very likely.