AP State of the Bills

[GG]

I

This is ridiculous. All this bashing over Overdorf. You guys act like he didn't even attend the NFL Executive Program at Stanford University in 2004.

Well guess what. He did. Says so right in his bio:

http://assets.buffalobills.com/news/news.jsp?news_id=3578

 

Wow I did not know that. Almost as impressive as Todd Collins taking that players course at Harvard. Maybe they're as smart as Dick Jauron?

[Coach Tuesday]

Here is my question. Let's say these fraudsters save $7 mil in salary over 2 years by trading Evans. When you factor in the lost ticket sales and merchandise, plus the extra they'll have to pay Stevie as the undisputed no. 1, isn't it basically a wash? They're not even good at being cheap...

[joey greco]

No, grasshopper, S.J. will simply be traded away when it comes time for his payday. It's win-win-donkeypunch (Ralph-Stevie-fans)

[disco]

I can't believe how many of you guys are acting like this is new news. Several of us have been posting the way this organization is run for years. Don't expect John Wawrow to elaborate any further on his point. It took courage to say what he did.

 

Of course, many of you will not believe that this franchise has been devious and dysfunctional for many years, and now is even less subtle about cashing in as much as possible right now. I've been an executive in corporations that are getting ready for sale, more than once.

 

At some point the ownership decides that the ultimate goal is the sale of the business (team) because they know they will not be competitive in the future. This may be because new competition has far more resources, or it may just be that the current ownership (of the Bills) has determined that they are not willing to invest the big bucks it will take to have a champion. So for a period of months or years, the business starts tightening its belt by cutting expenses (therefore improving profitability). When the business goes up for sale, interested buyers see a financial profile that looks very healthy, making it look like they can offer more money for the organization.

 

As fans, we have to hope that a buyer wants more than a lucrative investment. We need new ownership that wants his new toy to be a champion and is willing to spend the additional bucks to make it happen. We also need the purchaser to keep the team where it is. The situation is not hopeless, but we need a "white knight."

 

No disrespect to any posters here, but it is news when this type of information is coming from the AP and not a message board. Even what are just inferences from JW are things not often written. A few years ago there was a story on buffalorumblings.com that had some severe words from John Rauch (http://www.buffalorumblings.com/2011/7/20/2275370/buffalo-bills-ralph-wilson-john-rauch) but that kind of information isn't particularly common.

[Chandler#81]

good god. what a disaster. i'd like to see the cheerleaders of this board spin this one..

 

OK. There's nothing to see here. Nothing at all. Sure, the atricle is written with an ever-disappearing professional flair, but there's no real news here. Evans "modest gains" raised him all the way up to 25th in the League. If that means gains, how bad was he prior? We all know this. One-trick pony and not a Channix guy. Anybody here really think the Bills would give him a new contract at the end of his current one? Anybody?? Otherwise, just unsubstantiated rumors of trade bait for one round earlier. Then, for the glory of the doom-sayers, Jackson's 'wonderment' of where all the players have gone since his rookie year.. Kicked to the curb, Freddie. If you tell me you're not surrounded by better players today than you were then, I'd seriously consider starting someone else.. While trying to hide behind "..'the Free Agent loss of Paul Posluszny.." the author alludes to new, better talent. It's what we've demanded, right? Poz may have been a fan fav for some, but seeing Barnett in that role is day & night -to say nothing of LIGHTS OUT!

 

Yes, we're weary of the gates of hell we've been subjected to this century. But this is just the start of Year 2 in the current rebuild and even the most ardent Doomsayers here have to acknowledge we have more NFL talent than in recent years.

 

Spin? Whatever. Nothing to see here..

[disco]

No, grasshopper, S.J. will simply be traded away when it comes time for his payday. It's win-win-donkeypunch (Ralph-Stevie-fans)

 

Well to be fair Stevie probably get to go to a winning team so it might be a win for him.

 

The funny thing is I don't think being cheap is what the fanbase is angry with. It's that they don't know what the hell they are doing. Spending money won't fix it - see Dan Snyder. Actually hell see the Buffalo Bills. When they do spend money it's on the wrong guys. If you're going to be cheap, at least let someone who knows what they're doing have a shot at it.

[dave mcbride]

OK. There's nothing to see here. Nothing at all. Sure, the atricle is written with an ever-disappearing professional flair, but there's no real news here. Evans "modest gains" raised him all the way up to 25th in the League. If that means gains, how bad was he prior? We all know this. One-trick pony and not a Channix guy. Anybody here really think the Bills would give him a new contract at the end of his current one? Anybody?? Otherwise, just unsubstantiated rumors of trade bait for one round earlier. Then, for the glory of the doom-sayers, Jackson's 'wonderment' of where all the players have gone since his rookie year.. Kicked to the curb, Freddie. If you tell me you're not surrounded by better players today than you were then, I'd seriously consider starting someone else.. While trying to hide behind "..'the Free Agent loss of Paul Posluszny.." the author alludes to new, better talent. It's what we've demanded, right? Poz may have been a fan fav for some, but seeing Barnett in that role is day & night -to say nothing of LIGHTS OUT!

 

Yes, we're weary of the gates of hell we've been subjected to this century. But this is just the start of Year 2 in the current rebuild and even the most ardent Doomsayers here have to acknowledge we have more NFL talent than in recent years.

 

Spin? Whatever. Nothing to see here..

I hope I'm wrong, but I strongly suspect that the bills will be one of the worst teams in the NFL this year.

[thewildrabbit]

Many here, including me, have felt that Littman and Overdorf run this team. It absolutely blows that we have business men making personnel moves. Unfortunately, this team will never win with this set up. I think at Ralph's age he doesn't make any decisions anymore.

I think what escapes most fans is that this owner doesn't care if his team wins a SB, what he does care about is if his stadium is filled and he is making a profit.

 

I just don't get being 26.5 million dollars under the cap and not even trying to solidify the O line with a FA pick up so the team can at least be mediocre, right now they are trying a guard at LT.

[birdog1960]

A few years ago there was a story on buffalorumblings.com that had some severe words from John Rauch (http://www.buffalorumblings.com/2011/7/20/2275370/buffalo-bills-ralph-wilson-john-rauch) but that kind of information isn't particularly common.

wow, never saw this before. but it's actually rauch's son retelling his dad's stories. too bad rauch never finished his book and even worse for him that he didn't sign with the steelers rather than the bills. his legacy might have been very different. with all the failed coaches the bills have produced i don't get why there aren't more published expose's.

[BillsVet]

This is ridiculous. All this bashing over Overdorf. You guys act like he didn't even attend the NFL Executive Program at Stanford University in 2004.

Well guess what. He did. Says so right in his bio:

http://assets.buffalobills.com/news/news.jsp?news_id=3578

 

That's where he learned to cut players mid-season without telling the GM or HC.

 

Here is my question. Let's say these fraudsters save $7 mil in salary over 2 years by trading Evans. When you factor in the lost ticket sales and merchandise, plus the extra they'll have to pay Stevie as the undisputed no. 1, isn't it basically a wash? They're not even good at being cheap...

 

No one said they could anticipate the future. This is a team that paid Dockery and Walker, then got ticked when Peters wanted more money for playing the hardest OL position. Or when they decided to keep Losman in '08 after Edwards won the starting job. Or cut Crowell when he decided to have surgery in 2009 before the season. The blunders never end with this franchise.

[Thoner7]

So its OVERDORF! Thats who Kelsay has the nuddy pictures of!!!!!!!

[K-9]

wow, never saw this before. but it's actually rauch's son retelling his dad's stories. too bad rauch never finished his book and even worse for him that he didn't sign with the steelers rather than the bills. his legacy might have been very different. with all the failed coaches the bills have produced i don't get why there aren't more published expose's.

 

I'm sure Rauch's legacy would have been different had he signed with the Steelers.

 

Then again, so too, would the Steelers' legacy.

 

GO BILLS!!!

[JohnC]

what i wrote is what i wrote. sorry, but staying out of this discussion.

 

jw

 

What the Ralph "adherents" don't realize is that there is nothing new here. This is the same Ralph business model that has been in operation for half a century. Nothing much has really changed. While the football side of the operation regularly turns its staff over the business side under the stewardship of Littman and Oberdorf has been very stable.

 

Kudos to you for offering a glimpse behind the curtain. However, you are not telling me something that I didn't already know. It is simply business as usual.

 

Don't be too surprised if your phone calls to the organization are not answered or returned. Not toeing the company line can have consequences.

Edited August 24, 2011 by JohnC

[BLZFAN4LIFE]

I can't believe how many of you guys are acting like this is new news. Several of us have been posting the way this organization is run for years. Don't expect John Wawrow to elaborate any further on his point. It took courage to say what he did.

 

Of course, many of you will not believe that this franchise has been devious and dysfunctional for many years, and now is even less subtle about cashing in as much as possible right now. I've been an executive in corporations that are getting ready for sale, more than once.

 

At some point the ownership decides that the ultimate goal is the sale of the business (team) because they know they will not be competitive in the future. This may be because new competition has far more resources, or it may just be that the current ownership (of the Bills) has determined that they are not willing to invest the big bucks it will take to have a champion. So for a period of months or years, the business starts tightening its belt by cutting expenses (therefore improving profitability). When the business goes up for sale, interested buyers see a financial profile that looks very healthy, making it look like they can offer more money for the organization.

 

As fans, we have to hope that a buyer wants more than a lucrative investment. We need new ownership that wants his new toy to be a champion and is willing to spend the additional bucks to make it happen. We also need the purchaser to keep the team where it is. The situation is not hopeless, but we need a "white knight."

 

This is the first post in this topic that makes sense and proves that a very small percentage of us here are able to see the forest through the trees. All of the moves that this organization is making are in the interest of minimizing payroll so that the franchise is more attractive and malleable to the new ownership Whether that is Toronto or L.A. remains to be seen. One thing for sure is that I don't see any ground-breaking for a new stadium occurring in WNY. I also believe that upper management is well aware of the impending sale and relocation of this franchise. If that is the case, the sale of these "new uniforms" should be considered an act of fraud as they are squeezing every last dime out of this duped fan base.

[joey greco]

OK. There's nothing to see here. Nothing at all. Sure, the atricle is written with an ever-disappearing professional flair, but there's no real news here. Evans "modest gains" raised him all the way up to 25th in the League. If that means gains, how bad was he prior? We all know this. One-trick pony and not a Channix guy. Anybody here really think the Bills would give him a new contract at the end of his current one? Anybody?? Otherwise, just unsubstantiated rumors of trade bait for one round earlier. Then, for the glory of the doom-sayers, Jackson's 'wonderment' of where all the players have gone since his rookie year.. Kicked to the curb, Freddie. If you tell me you're not surrounded by better players today than you were then, I'd seriously consider starting someone else.. While trying to hide behind "..'the Free Agent loss of Paul Posluszny.." the author alludes to new, better talent. It's what we've demanded, right? Poz may have been a fan fav for some, but seeing Barnett in that role is day & night -to say nothing of LIGHTS OUT!

 

Yes, we're weary of the gates of hell we've been subjected to this century. But this is just the start of Year 2 in the current rebuild and even the most ardent Doomsayers here have to acknowledge we have more NFL talent than in recent years.

 

Spin? Whatever. Nothing to see here..

 

Well, they could have possibly resigned Poz, who's not great, and signed Barnett. They certainly have the money to burn, and they do need 2 starting ILB's and quality depth. You don't get better by constantly creating new holes to fill, you need to build on what you do have, and improve whenever you have the opportunity.

[bladiebla]

Here is my question. Let's say these fraudsters save $7 mil in salary over 2 years by trading Evans. When you factor in the lost ticket sales and merchandise, plus the extra they'll have to pay Stevie as the undisputed no. 1, isn't it basically a wash? They're not even good at being cheap...

 

You are forgetting to add the money that will go to high draft wrs that will be spend on finding a legit replacement as well as the player that'll undoubtly be cut that was drafted with the 4 th pick we got for Lee ... Stupid, shortsighted and plain dumb dont even start to cover the extend of this !@#$up.

[San Jose Bills Fan]

Another reason to doubt Nix. I doubt Ralph would ever do it again after the Donahoe disaster, but our tpo football guy has to have complete control over all personnel decisions. If Buddy isn't up to the job, it's time for him to retire again.

You mean resign as a point of principle? What makes you think that anyone the Bills hire would be given complete control? The point of this thread is not a criticism of Nix… it's a criticism of Wilson. This is the NFL. Wilson/The Bills will always be able to find someone to work for them, under their conditions.

 

OK, even if the team is trying to pinch Ralph's pennies, in what bizarro world would a 4th be a preferable return to that?

 

The news / banter just keeps getting curiouser and curiouser.

This particular allegation reminds me of the strange claim that the Bills wanted the Eagles' later 4th round pick for Jason Peters and not their higher one. I actually do not believe either trade claim (Evans or Peters) due simply to the fact that the dollar difference is miniscule at this point. I believe much else about this story though.

 

The only source for that rumor is the Bills in-house propagandist. Evans has no reason not to admit to it now, but hasn't. His pre-trade comments should more likely be read as a signal of his class and professionalism. I'm sure he's not unhappy to be gone, but there is 0 evidence that he formally requested a trade. P.T. Barnum would have loved you guys.

Maybe I'm misunderstanding you, Joey but Evans would have nothing to gain by admitting he asked for a trade. He also has something to lose which is the fondness that many Bills fans still have for him. If it came out that he wanted out, Evans would be cast in a different light than he is now. So why would he comment on a trade request?

 

I think it's now irrefutable that our "HOF" owner is indeed cheap. The good news is, he's as old as Methuselah, so he'll either die or be forced due to infirmity to sell soon. Then either the team gets a real owner and wins for us, or it moves. Either way, it's a WIN, IMO. Tiiiiiiiiiime, it's on my side. Yes it is!

 

 

youtube.com/watch?v=rIE2GAqnFGw

I've always been highly critical of Wilson.

 

As I've stated numerous times, he's inept and he (not always but habitually) IS also cheap. It's just that newer fans don't remember him letting Chuck Knox go and dismantling the excellent team that Knox assembled or his treatment of Tom Cousineau. The fact that Cousineau was a mediocre player is immaterial. The Bills drafted him number one overall and treated him with disrespect that was quite frankly, surreal. Then there was Ralph's treatment of the late John Butler.

 

But we knew of Ralph's character before all of this. As I and others have lamented many times, Ralph has revealed himself in his treatment of Lou Saban and Cookie Gilchrist. I've always thought of Wilson as small-minded, petty, and vindictive. Name calling certainly doesn't elevate my status but this has to be said yet again. Ralph has been controlling, meddling, incompetent, and at times, cheap.

 

The happiest day will be when the new owner gives Overdouche and Littman the same treatment Larry Quinn got from Pegs. The "thanks, but your services are no longer needed. Pack your things and security will escort you out" line.

Agreed.

 

Here is my question. Let's say these fraudsters save $7 mil in salary over 2 years by trading Evans. When you factor in the lost ticket sales and merchandise, plus the extra they'll have to pay Stevie as the undisputed no. 1, isn't it basically a wash? They're not even good at being cheap...

Agreed. Consider the morale on the team right now… Evans traded… Freddie dissed… Levitre being jerked around. Overdorf/Littman seem to know how much a dollar is but they seem to have no idea of what it is worth.

 

No disrespect to any posters here, but it is news when this type of information is coming from the AP and not a message board. Even what are just inferences from JW are things not often written. A few years ago there was a story on buffalorumblings.com that had some severe words from John Rauch (http://www.buffaloru...lson-john-rauch) but that kind of information isn't particularly common.

Thanks for posting. I'd not seen that one before but it is not surprising either.

 

Just as you say in referring to JWs article about the Evans trade, I would agree that we can all surmise about Ralph's character via Ralph's dealings but seeing the journalistic documentation of events is much more significant than our own speculations.

 

Put differently, is is one thing simply to having "worst fears."

 

It is another thing altogether to have those worst fears shown to be true.

 

 

[Lurker]

Yikes. It sounds like Nix basically said "I didn't trade him -- Overdorf did." Ugly stuff.

Boy, I'm a fan of Buddy but that's just not right. Sigh...

 

Ralph made decisions like this well before Donohoe, too.

Yeah, that's the one constant we can always count on at One Bills Drive, unfortunately...

[Lurker]

No disrespect to any posters here, but it is news when this type of information is coming from the AP and not a message board. Even what are just inferences from JW are things not often written. A few years ago there was a story on buffalorumblings.com that had some severe words from John Rauch (http://www.buffalorumblings.com/2011/7/20/2275370/buffalo-bills-ralph-wilson-john-rauch) but that kind of information isn't particularly common.

I actually didn't find anything that shocking in Rauch Jr's comments as it was always pretty clear in that era (and maybe all 50 years) that the Bills were a 'hobby' (or toy, as the article says) for Ralph, much like they were for most members of the 'Foolish Club.' He's always treated them in a fantasy football context, rather than a professional business-like manner like the Pat's under Kraft or the Rooney family business of the Steelers.

 

Sad to say, but his legacy will be as an NFL dilettante, despite the HOF jacket...

[DC Tom]

The happiest day will be when the new owner gives Overdouche and Littman the same treatment Larry Quinn got from Pegs. The "thanks, but your services are no longer needed. Pack your things and security will escort you out" line.

 

I hope it's more like "Overdorf and Littman have been released as a cost-cutting measure..."