AP State of the Bills

[jester43]

If you had to trade Lee Evans to a team, and you were the Bills, would you trade a player of his caliber to The Jets or The Patriots for a #3 or to the Ravens for a #4. To me, it would be a no brainer, and I would trade him to the Ravens for the lesser pick, thinking overall, it would be in the best interest of the team.

 

 

 

who the !@#$ cares when we're not going to be competitive with either of those teams anyway!?!? IF YOU'RE DUMPING LEE EVANS, YOU'RE NOT TRYING TO COMPETE. PERIOD.

 

only a complete moron would, as the gm of a bottom-feeding team, refuse a 3rd and take a 4th for lee evans. UNLESS you were more concerned about next year's payroll.

 

my god this board is like the twilight zone the way some people defend the actions of these idiots.

Edited August 24, 2011 by jester43

[ganesh]

Reading that was like a punch in the gut. We wonder why Buffalo doesn't attract more free agent talent? Look at the attitudes of the guys on the team currently. I don't blame leaders like Jackson and Florence for complaining - i feel bad for them and the other guys. This s**t trickles down from the very top, and is just one big middle finger to us.

 

Florence has been with the Bills for two seasons...So he should have been aware of as to who was making the decisions and yet chose to re-sign back with the Bills. If it was so bad, why did he re-sign here.

 

The Bills are frustrated that nothing went right in their 2nd preaseason game. The Bills couldn't pass or stop the opponent from scoring. Adding fuel to the fire has been the decisions by Gailey to move Levitre around, play SPiller as the starter without informing Jackson and so on. There is just frustration all over there. I hope Gailey doesn't lose this team.

[NaPolian8693]

This is just simply how things will be until the team eventually gets new ownership.

 

Overdorf/Modrak/Littman are Ralph's yes-men, and will be calling the shots from behind the curtain until there is a new owner.

 

I would like Ralph to fire them and and start being a good owner, but he won't.

 

I would like Ralph to sell the team, but he won't.

 

So, we just have to wait until he finally passes away before there is any real hope for this franchise. Nothing will change until then.

 

I'm not saying I wish harm upon someone, but I do hope that they see new ownership sooner than later.

[ICanSleepWhenI'mDead]

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.

This thread could use a ray of sunshine (depending on your point of view), so consider this:

 

1. Can we can safely assume that jw is well aware of the consequences, communication-wise, of what he wrote?

 

2. Do we have any reason to think that jw has any plans to retire from his chosen profession, or to move to some other part of the country?

 

3. So why would jw choose to write this piece NOW?

 

Hint - - AFAIK (could be wrong), Ralph hasn't been seen in public since the draft. There is a law commonly referred to as HIPAA, which protects the privacy of patient medical information. Hospitals have fired employees for disclosing information about the medical condition of patients who want to keep their medical information private, or even for just looking up such medical information when not required to perform their job duties. Examples:

 

http://www.news4jax.com/news/17859733/detail.html

 

http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2011/05/06/allina-fires-32-employees-for-snooping-at-patient-records/

 

So ask yourself again, why did jw write this piece now?

 

I think the Tripoli chapter of the Bills Backers were the first to figure it out!

 

[KollegeStudnet]

3-5 for a 30+ slightly above average running back?

I wish you were the GM of another team

 

Evans is a 30+ wide receiver...slightly above average

[CosmicBills]

This thread could use a ray of sunshine (depending on your point of view), so consider this:

 

1. Can we can safely assume that jw is well aware of the consequences, communication-wise, of what he wrote?

 

2. Do we have any reason to think that jw has any plans to retire from his chosen profession, or to move to some other part of the country?

 

3. So why would jw choose to write this piece NOW?

 

Hint - - AFAIK (could be wrong), Ralph hasn't been seen in public since the draft. There is a law commonly referred to as HIPAA, which protects the privacy of patient medical information. Hospitals have fired employees for disclosing information about the medical condition of patients who want to keep their medical information private, or even for just looking up such medical information when not required to perform their job duties. Examples:

 

http://www.news4jax.com/news/17859733/detail.html

 

http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2011/05/06/allina-fires-32-employees-for-snooping-at-patient-records/

 

So ask yourself again, why did jw write this piece now?

 

I think the Tripoli chapter of the Bills Backers were the first to figure it out!

 

youtube.com/watch?v=IAU48xDdCjA

So ... you're implying that someone is pulling a Weekend At Bernie's here and JW is somehow smoothing the way for an announcement that Ralph is no longer the owner of the Bills?

[ICanSleepWhenI'mDead]

So ... you're implying that someone is pulling a Weekend At Bernie's here and JW is somehow smoothing the way for an announcement that Ralph is no longer the owner of the Bills?

Not exactly. But I think there is a reasonable chance that Ralph's health is poorer than any of us know. It's purely speculation on my part, but if the majority of posters here wonder about Ralph's health, wouldn't you expect someone who makes his living, at least in part, by writing about the Bills, to be curious about the same topic?

 

Again, admittedly this is 100% speculation on my part trying to read the tea leaves, but maybe you don't need to worry about burning a bridge if you know that, fairly soon, you won't be trying to cross that particular river any more.

[Chandler#81]

couldn't resist.

-- didn't realize my flair was ever-disappearing. i don't write in invisible ink.

-- had you read the piece, the offense made modest gains, not Evans.

-- there was no suggestion the Bills would give Lee a new contract, was there? why include that when the Bills are on record in stating they sign players to contracts they believe to be realistic and those which they are confident a player can complete?

 

jw

 

 

Ha! John, it was a compliment to your professional style -which is ever-disappearing in sports journalism..

 

The crux of your story centered around a player the Bills recently traded away that some feel means 'we're doomed' -thus, an attempt to bring back the reality that he was a lame duck regarding his contract w/ the Bills, so get what you can while you can. It actually had everything to do with the article -you just covered it with smoke and mirrors.

[Buffalo Barbarian]

I just got done reading that article. It's clear to me now that with Overdorf's involvement and Nix's exclusion in the Evans deal, the Bills are in total cost cutting and savings mode. They will most likely do this until they have to meet a cap floor in 2013. In the meantime I fear things are going to get extremely fugly, especially in the locker room. I think we're seeing signs of that already.

 

If Nix and Gailey have any self-respect they'll offer up their resignations. Why would they want to work in their current capacities when their hands are obviously so tied?

 

GO BILLS!!!

Wow! how do they expect us to support the team when Money guys are running the show and tying the hands of Nix and Chan. Now I will sound like Scrappy; its time for new ownership.

 

Honestly If I was Ralph I would spend every thing I could to get a superbowl winner in here before I died. Its only Money Ralph you can't take it with you, stop being a scrooge.

Terry Pegula for Owner!

[Coach Tuesday]

Honestly, someone should start a class action lawsuit against Wilson, the Bills, and the NFL for consumer fraud. I'm dead serious. These are deceptive trade practices - impliedly (and explicitly) representing that the Bills have been and will be built to compete, yet doing everything possible behind the scenes to thwart that. Would fans have bought season tickets over the last decade if they new that the so-called "rebuilding" efforts were in fact a sham, and that the team was in truth being positioned for a sale and possible relocation? Would they have bought merchandise if they knew that their favorite players would be let go for peanuts when it was time to pay them? Would fans blindly support the League if they knew that it would steer star-caliber players away from Buffalo due to the unstable ownership and coaching situation? I think not.

 

Frankly, we've been sold a bill of goods, based upon outright lies. It's fraud. It's not incompetence, it's fraud. There is no other word for it. Businesses have been sued for far less than this. Someone should hold these fraudsters accountable in court.

Edited August 24, 2011 by Coach Tuesday

[nucci]

If what Kelly and the balanced Dog says is true we will always be a save money team just to max profits.

 

We will never field a super Bowl team before Ralph passes if we continue to act this way.

 

I ask the question.... if Overdoff pulls the cash strings is Buddy a puppet GM??

 

The more I learn about the inner circle of the Bills the more I become concerned.

As many have said, none of this is new news. Been going on for many, many years.

[Keukasmallies]

Since the Buffalo Bills is primarily a business, why would any owner run it in any other way? They make tons of money, aren't required to produce a quality product, receive substantial subsidies from the NFL as well as local and state governments, and basically ignore the people who continue to flock to buy their product.

 

Oh, by the way, if we don't buy enough of their product; they take it off the shelf until we once again buy at least the minimum amount (blackout).

Edited August 24, 2011 by Keukasmallies

[Coach Tuesday]

Since the Buffalo Bills is primarily a business, why would any owner run it in any other way? They make tons of money, aren't required to produce a quality product, receive substantial subsidies from the NFL as well as local and state governments, and basically ignore the people who continue to flock to buy their product.

 

Oh, by the way, if we don't buy enough of their product; they take it off the shelf until we once again buy at least the minimum amount (blackout).

 

Because it's against the law to market your product based on false statements. Ralph has said that he is committed to winning. The Bills' promotional materials promise a team that is designed to be competitive. If they're lying, it's illegal.

[eball]

 

I would like to see some true investigative journalism here...interviews with Overdorf, Littman, and of course, Ralph. Keep pushing and digging until they have to respond. No let up.

 

Eff these guys if they're purposely restricting the ability of the GM to make this football team better.

[birdog1960]

Honestly, someone should start a class action lawsuit against Wilson, the Bills, and the NFL for consumer fraud. I'm dead serious. These are deceptive trade practices - impliedly (and explicitly) representing that the Bills have been and will be built to compete, yet doing everything possible behind the scenes to thwart that. Would fans have bought season tickets over the last decade if they new that the so-called "rebuilding" efforts were in fact a sham, and that the team was in truth being positioned for a sale and possible relocation? Would they have bought merchandise if they knew that their favorite players would be let go for peanuts when it was time to pay them? Would fans blindly support the League if they knew that it would steer star-caliber players away from Buffalo due to the unstable ownership and coaching situation? I think not.

 

Frankly, we've been sold a bill of goods, based upon outright lies. It's fraud. It's not incompetence, it's fraud. There is no other word for it. Businesses have been sued for far less than this. Someone should hold these fraudsters accountable in court.

i know there are some lawyers on the board...how bout it? best alternative i can think of to tar and feathering and running wilson out on a rail. as greedy as he is, losing a lawsuit would hurt him more. 50 years of fan and community support and he allows it to end like this. yes, many of us have known this is business as usual at obd but the austerity hasn't been this bad in more than 20 years. wilson apparently has lost his last remaining shreds of pride and decency.

[Nostradamus]

This is just simply how things will be until the team eventually gets new ownership.

 

Overdorf/Modrak/Littman are Ralph's yes-men, and will be calling the shots from behind the curtain until there is a new owner.

 

I would like Ralph to fire them and and start being a good owner, but he won't.

 

I would like Ralph to sell the team, but he won't.

 

So, we just have to wait until he finally passes away before there is any real hope for this franchise. Nothing will change until then.

 

I'm not saying I wish harm upon someone, but I do hope that they see new ownership sooner than later.

 

This might not be the politically correct thing to say, but Ralph has had 93 years on this earth. Give him another 3, and he may well suck the blood out of this franchise which means so much to so many people. You do the math.

[birdog1960]

This thread could use a ray of sunshine (depending on your point of view), so consider this:

 

1. Can we can safely assume that jw is well aware of the consequences, communication-wise, of what he wrote?

 

2. Do we have any reason to think that jw has any plans to retire from his chosen profession, or to move to some other part of the country?

 

3. So why would jw choose to write this piece NOW?

 

you left one big option out: how bout because he thought that it was the right thing to do. a few people are still motivated by this.

[CodeMonkey]

Evans is a 30+ wide receiver...slightly above average

Running backs have considerably more mileage on them then wide receivers from taking more pounding.

Plus I could be wrong but my belief it is easier to pick up a servicable running back than it is a wide receiver.

For a apples to apples comparison you need to pick a running back, not a WR.

 

This thread could use a ray of sunshine (depending on your point of view), so consider this:

Kinda morbid for a "ray of sunshine" post, no?

 

Honestly If I was Ralph I would spend every thing I could to get a superbowl winner in here before I died. Its only Money Ralph you can't take it with you, stop being a scrooge.

No you wouldn't. You would look out for your wife and family making sure they were well taken care of after you passed just like Mr. Wilson is doing. At least I would hope so.

Edited August 24, 2011 by CodeMonkey

[JohnC]

While I agree with what you're suggesting on the surface, it is also true that Overdorf has made roster moves unilaterally without the knowledge of the GM and coaching staff. He reports to only one person and one might speculate that he has conducted roster trimmings behind the scenes like part of his retirement hinges on the sale price of the franchise.

 

What's amusing is that the "faithful" act as if the finance people making football decisions is something new. It's been the standard course of action for half a century. Polian and Littman used to have epic battles over personnel and contracts. Ralph ultimately determined that that working realtionship (partnership) could not co-exist. Polian never considered it a partnership between himself and Littman. Ralph ultimately demonstrated to wild Bill Polian who had more authority. Ultimately, Ralph had Polian escorted out of the facilities. No one is going to tell the ornery owner how he is going to run his business.

[Dorkington]

0-16

 

First pick of the draft, which we'll trade away so we don't have to pay for the pick.