my skepticism

[Delete This Account]

i hope Doug Marrone succeeds, and yet i'm left to wonder if this search was as "exhaustive" as Russ Brandon vowed it would be. He said there would be "no stone left unturned." and yet, there appears to have been some stones that weren't even touched.

what concerns me further is that there's been a clear desire on the part of the Buffalo Bills to "market" this coach and his staff to the public with team-generated, spoon-fed questions and quotes. there appears to be a want and desire to "market" this choice, without the glare of actual objective questioning.

 

this could surely well be interpreted as a complaint in regards to how the Buffalo Bills intend to control their message and how it's presented to the public. I certainly hope that after 13 years of covering a non-playoff team that they have it right. To me, I have several questions, including whether Mr. Brandon succeeded in his term as the Bills' GM, a time in which the team drafted Leodis McKelvin and Aaron Maybin in the first round.

 

jw.

Edited January 19, 2013 by john wawrow

[reddogblitz]

You and me both brother.

 

This hire seems like a huge gamble for a team that hasn't sniffed the playoffs in 13 years. Seems an experienced NFL coach (Lovie) with a real experienced NFL staff to go with it would have had a much higher probability of success. Get us back to respectability anyway.

 

I hope Doug succeeds, but the choice baffles me.

 

The Hackett choice for OC AND QB Coach is baffling as well.

 

I'm off the bandwagon until I see reason (wins) to get on.

 

Go BILLS !!

[Malazan]

Are you reporting that Russ Brandon, the director of non-football operations at the time, had final say on drafting those players and not the General Manager or Coach? That would be par for the course for this organization, I guess.

[GG]

Sounds like a criticism of the press not asking the probing questions of this administration.

[Buffalo Barbarian]

i hope Doug Marrone succeeds, and yet i'm left to wonder if this search was as "exhaustive" as Russ Brandon vowed it would be. He said there would be "no stone left unturned." and yet, there appears to have been some stones that weren't even touched.

what concerns me further is that there's been a clear desire on the part of the Buffalo Bills to "market" this coach and his staff to the public with team-generated, spoon-fed questions and quotes. there appears to be a want and desire to "market" this choice, without the glare of actual objective questioning.

 

this could surely well be interpreted as a complaint in regards to how the Buffalo Bills intend to control their message and how it's presented to the public. I certainly hope that after 13 years of covering a non-playoff team that they have it right. To me, I have several questions, including whether Mr. Brandon succeeded in his term as the Bills' GM, a time in which the team drafted Leodis McKelvin and Aaron Maybin in the first round.

 

jw.

 

They also drafted Poz, Lynch, Wood Levitre and Byrd. Lets see how the baby turns out before we throw him out with the bathwater.

 

They also said that if they find their guy they would hire him before all the stones were turned. Marrone and Pettine are going to design this team with the personal in mind and they have had success where they have been before and at this point that is all we can ask for as fans.

[GG]

Are you reporting that Russ Brandon, the director of non-football operations at the time, had final say on drafting those players and not the General Manager or Coach? That would be par for the course for this organization, I guess.

Brandon was in charge of football operations those two years.

 

 

[RealityCheck]

i hope Doug Marrone succeeds, and yet i'm left to wonder if this search was as "exhaustive" as Russ Brandon vowed it would be. He said there would be "no stone left unturned." and yet, there appears to have been some stones that weren't even touched.

what concerns me further is that there's been a clear desire on the part of the Buffalo Bills to "market" this coach and his staff to the public with team-generated, spoon-fed questions and quotes. there appears to be a want and desire to "market" this choice, without the glare of actual objective questioning.

 

this could surely well be interpreted as a complaint in regards to how the Buffalo Bills intend to control their message and how it's presented to the public. I certainly hope that after 13 years of covering a non-playoff team that they have it right. To me, I have several questions, including whether Mr. Brandon succeeded in his term as the Bills' GM, a time in which the team drafted Leodis McKelvin and Aaron Maybin in the first round.

 

jw.

Seriously? The only question that matters is will the Bills make the playoffs this coming season? 13 years of no playoffs is the answer to every question until they start winning early and often. As for the bolded part, you complain that they are "marketing" their moves right now, and yet you want to ask a question that you already know the answer to to get a quote from the guy in control of the marketing. I think you want Chris Brown's job.

[eball]

Good topics for discussion, jw. For what it's worth, I think Brandon has indicated on numerous occasions he is not the "football guy" and even when he was the de facto GM, those personnel decisions weren't coming solely from him (i.e., he relied upon Marv and Dick). At his initial press conference as Prez/CEO he clearly stated he would not be drafting players. The guy seems to know where his strengths lie.

 

With respect to how the Bills conducted the HC search and what messages are being broadcast, it is clear to me they got either their first or second choice (if they wanted Kelly). Really, are any of the coaches hired since clearly better candidates? It is also evident if the Bills had not acted on Marrone when they did, he'd be the head coach in San Diego, Philly, or Cleveland right now. I look at Marrone and other than having some sort of brilliant W-L record as a head man, he has all of the qualifications a team should hope for. NFL experience as a player, position coach, and coordinator. Worked for successful people. Glowing reviews at each stop. Disciplinarian. Innovative. Part of numerous situations in which culture change took place from loser to winner. Energetic. I mean, truthfully, what's not to like?

 

I'm sorry he didn't give the media answers to every question they want answered, but it seems to me the last couple of Buffalo coaches have been far too candid. I'd prefer to see an organization that holds things closer to the chest, even if it means we as fans don't have as much access as we'd like.

 

It is clear from reading comments from you, Jerry Sullivan, Tim Graham, Sal Maiorana et al that the local media don't like the current veil of secrecy at One Bills Drive. Makes your jobs more difficult because you're only getting the company line. Well, while I understand the frustration, I applaud the Bills' approach.

 

There's more reason for optimism out of that organization than at any time since, perhaps, Donahoe traded for Bledsoe? Even you should see that.

Edited January 19, 2013 by eball

[Nanker]

Well, they did interview Kelly, Horton, Whiz, and Lovie.

I don't think they rushed to judgement. That said, Marrone was most definitely a convenient choice.

 

Norv wasn't going to get a HC gig. Neither was Crennel or Shurmur.

Reid made a beeline to KC and stuck in their dartboard like a javelin thrown across the room.

Mularkey wasn't out of a job yet, and we would no sooner hire him than rehire Chan.

 

So, unless you're talking about bringing former HCs out of retirement, Gruden, The Chin, Schott, Reeves, Parcells, JJ, Kottite what are you thinking?

 

Marrone and Kelly were the top two Kallege HC candidates. The other vacancies in the NFL were filled by coordinators. We've done that before. It's never worked out, and I didn't see many of them that were slam-dunk locks to be NFL HC material.

 

At least The Bills went against tradition this time and hired a HC directly from the NCAA, albeit a convenient one from the perspective of the regional fan base. Time will tell.

[billsrcursed]

I'm curious about these "stones left unturned" as well... who, exactly?

 

Also, the Bills weren't the only team to say "no thanks" to Lovie.

 

And if you think it's going to be tough covering the most recent Bills staff, thank your lucky stars you're not covering the Pats. I,for one, welcome the new approach.

 

Either way, I appreciate your coverge and participation here, so my post is with great respect. Thanks, John!

[Gray Beard]

I liked Marrone at Syracuse and I was a little upset that he left. Apparently if the Bills didn't hire him, there were other teams interested so he may have ended up leaving Syracuse anyway. If it is true that other teams were interested, then I think the Bills deserve a little more respect for the choice.

 

I am optimistic about the fact that Marrone is a young guy with energy. I hope to see him getting into players' and refs' faces every so often on the sidelines. That would be a HUGE departure from the last few Bills coaches, and I think it would send a powerful message that things are changing.

 

I like the idea of hiring guys off the Jets coaching staff for the defense, I expect that to make a difference right away.

 

I agree that the Hackett choice for OC AND QB Coach is baffling. When they announced this decision, I was disappointed. I am nervous that the Bills will go from last year's complex offense and simple defense to next year's simple offense and complex defense. I also believe there will be a new QB to go with the new OC, so they will both be learning together.

 

If they draft Nassib at #8 I think this board will explode with all the anger and disgust. I won't mind, it just means that the Bills are putting all their eggs in one basket, and it will be interesting to see how the season develops. They will all sink or swim together.

[Gerry]

What about Reich or AVP for QB coach? Two ex-Bills with playing experience, smarts and coaching experience who bring much more to the table than Hackett.

[MattM]

Hope I'm wrong, but it's a bit hard to get excited for a guy who turned a bad college program into a mediocre one.....

[billsrcursed]

Hope I'm wrong, but it's a bit hard to get excited for a guy who turned a bad college program into a mediocre one.....

 

It wasn't a bad college program, it was laughably pathetic. And he brought them back to a level of respectability, not just mediocrity. What he did their has such a tendancy to be undervalued...my Tonawanda Warriors could have smashed that team prior to Marrone's arrival.

[Niagara Bill]

Certainly the drafting of Nassib along with Marrone would be a huge worry. I am not getting on this bandwagon for a long time. I broke both legs jumping off with Donahoe, Greggo, Marv, Dick, Gailly et al and I cannot risk another fracture

[mrags]

Well, they did interview Kelly, Horton, Whiz, and Lovie.

I don't think they rushed to judgement. That said, Marrone was most definitely a convenient choice.

 

Norv wasn't going to get a HC gig. Neither was Crennel or Shurmur.

Reid made a beeline to KC and stuck in their dartboard like a javelin thrown across the room.

Mularkey wasn't out of a job yet, and we would no sooner hire him than rehire Chan.

 

So, unless you're talking about bringing former HCs out of retirement, Gruden, The Chin, Schott, Reeves, Parcells, JJ, Kottite what are you thinking?

 

Marrone and Kelly were the top two Kallege HC candidates. The other vacancies in the NFL were filled by coordinators. We've done that before. It's never worked out, and I didn't see many of them that were slam-dunk locks to be NFL HC material.

 

At least The Bills went against tradition this time and hired a HC directly from the NCAA, albeit a convenient one from the perspective of the regional fan base. Time will tell.

very well said. Couldn't add anything else myself.

[Ramius]

i hope Doug Marrone succeeds, and yet i'm left to wonder if this search was as "exhaustive" as Russ Brandon vowed it would be. He said there would be "no stone left unturned." and yet, there appears to have been some stones that weren't even touched.

what concerns me further is that there's been a clear desire on the part of the Buffalo Bills to "market" this coach and his staff to the public with team-generated, spoon-fed questions and quotes. there appears to be a want and desire to "market" this choice, without the glare of actual objective questioning.

 

this could surely well be interpreted as a complaint in regards to how the Buffalo Bills intend to control their message and how it's presented to the public. I certainly hope that after 13 years of covering a non-playoff team that they have it right. To me, I have several questions, including whether Mr. Brandon succeeded in his term as the Bills' GM, a time in which the team drafted Leodis McKelvin and Aaron Maybin in the first round.

 

jw.

 

So what should they have done to make the search "more exhaustive" Interview 10 candidates instead of 5?

 

Also, if Brandon gets credit for the failures of Maybin, does he also get credit for Byrd, Wood, and Levitre? The 2009 draft has been one of the best drafts in a long time for Buffalo?

[Coach Tuesday]

What I find a bit frustrating about your post JW is the fact that you go out of your way to allude to several things you've learned about, but decline to elaborate. You clearly have some specifics in mind about the way in which the Bills conducted their coach search, Brandon's role, the team's controlling of the message, the draft and scouting process under Brandon, etc., yet you refuse to elaborate. And at the same time you suggest that the team is not playing fair with the media. Well, from this fan's perspective, I'm just as frustrated by the local media as I am with the team. I can't remember the last time a local sports reporter provided a meaningful scoop about the goings-on at OBD. There seems to be a reluctance to report certain things out of fear that the team will expel the reporter from the inner circle. The result is a closed system where no helpful or insightful information comes out, and the fans are the ones who suffer.

 

My request is that if you have specific information, please report it. Vague suggestions and allusions are simply infuriating.

Edited January 19, 2013 by Coach Tuesday

[vincec]

I can see how the press might be a little put off by the way the Bills are interacting with them. I thought the press conference announcing the hire was anything but open and the marketing of the new staff has definitely been carefully choreographed. I don't think it will be long before reporters are pining for Chan Gailey and Dick Jauron with their frank assessments of how they are failing.

Edited January 19, 2013 by vincec

[mrags]

I can see how the press might be a little put off by the way the Bills are interacting with them. I thought the press conference announcing the hire was anything but open and the marketing of the new staff has definitely been carefully choreographed. I don't think it will be long before reporters are pining for Chan Gailey and Dick Jauron with their frank assessments of how they are failing.

chan already said great things about the city and organization. Juron would probably never say bad things about anyone. And I doubt the media would even attempt it. They Didnt with Phillips, Mularkey or Williams.