8-8 Forever? Posted November 6, 2012 Posted November 6, 2012 A poster put this concept out a few days ago. "Bills Culture". My take on it: The Bills, given that WNY is a good place for wife and family, I mean really a good place, attract a certain kind of player.. the "family guy",soft, low blood pressure types with low motors (Fitz, MW, others). With exceptions of course, but in general just not the super competitive, type A players who live and breathe competitive sports. And repels the singularly focused players and coaches for whom WNY is "boring" (McGahee, Lynch, others). You look at Cleveland, KC, Jax, StL , all the same type of all american cities whose NFL teams haven't been competitive in a long time. The word gets out, WNY and the Bills are a good place to settle down a little, bring your wife and kids and have a good time in the neighborhood. The players are "tailgating" just like we are. Hear for the "experience". I've heard players say they want to score to see the fans celebrate. They think they are part of a party and they want to play a song people will dance to. This is not good. The players empathize with the fans. They are one of us. This is good? I am out of my mind?
mead107 Posted November 6, 2012 Posted November 6, 2012 They make a lot more money to play this game. All we do is fork out money.
Mr. WEO Posted November 6, 2012 Posted November 6, 2012 They think they are part of a party and they want to play a song people will dance to. This is not good. The players empathize with the fans. They are one of us. This is good? I am out of my mind? huh?
mjt328 Posted November 6, 2012 Posted November 6, 2012 These are the things that motivate players to sign with a particular team: 1. Money 2. Chance to Win a Championship That is about it. As much as people like to believe otherwise, free agents don't reject Buffalo because of the weather, the club scene or because the hotels suck. They don't pick Buffalo because it has a family-friendly atmosphere. I've lived all over the country - Philadelphia, Houston, St. Louis - and I visit my family in Buffalo very frequently. Every city has positive and negative points. I just don't think those things are deciding points for players. Tyson Clabo didn't want to come here in 2011 because he wanted to be on a contender. Period. His priority was winning. Mario Williams came here because we offered him a massive contract. Period. His priority was money.
MDH Posted November 6, 2012 Posted November 6, 2012 I'm not from Buffalo but I always thought it was a city of tough, hard working blue collar people who could bear the tough winters without so much as a shrug. Now you're telling me it's for softies? I'd say just about every city in the US can be "good for families" so I'm not sure what exactly you're saying differentiates Buffalo from other cities in this regard. Are you saying that cities that have a nightlife can't also be good for families? The team sucks but the reasoning some posters have for this is just bazaar.
Jim in Anchorage Posted November 6, 2012 Posted November 6, 2012 And where do the super competitive players go? To the glitz and glamor Jets? Oakland? Philadelphia? Miami? Give me a team.
BrooklynBills Posted November 6, 2012 Posted November 6, 2012 A good coach/front office/quarterback can change the culture of a team and pretty quickly. See Bill Walsh in San Francisco, Bill Polian/Tony Dungy in Indianapolis(with help from Manning) and Buffalo, John Butler/Martyball in San Diego, Bill Parcells in New England and with the Jets, Jimmy Johnson in Dallas, Mike Holmgren in Green Bay and Seattle, Tom Coughlin in Jacksonville. More modern examples are Andy Reid in Philadelphia, Tony Dungy in Tampa Bay, Jeff Fisher in Houston/Tennessee, Marvin Lewis in Cincinnati, Sean Payton/Drew Brees in New Orleans, Jim Harbaugh in San Fran. You cannot really say that any of the above situations were worse than the current situation with the Bills and you can argue that some were worse, like the Pats and Jets when Parcells took over, the Bengals when they hired Marvin Lewis, the Chargers, the Bucs. Those franchises were absolute jokes at the time. BUT GOOD FOOTBALL PEOPLE CAN TURN YOUR FRANCHISE AROUND PRETTY QUICKLY. You need a strong football personality somewhere in your heirarchy, preferably at HC.
8-8 Forever? Posted November 6, 2012 Author Posted November 6, 2012 Ok good thanks. This confirms that I am in fact out of my mind. Damn... that's what I thought too... The Bills do that to you after 40 years. Making up crap to explain the unexplainable. thanks all.
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