my skepticism

[jester43]

thanks for bringing this up jw. i will never understand why some fans rush to defend the bills from media scrutiny(from you or sully or whoever else) when the fact is...as stated above..they have forced us to suck the high hard one for a very long time now. and the "negative" point of view almost always turns out to be the most accurate.

 

i liked the marrone hire,and i was convinced it was a good pick ...until he started bringing every tom dick and harry from his staff to one bills drive. I know coaches have guys they "know," but don't tell me you're going to go to the ends of the earth for a world class staff and then just bring in 8 guys from Syracuse.

 

That smells like Brandon, whose image seems to have been rehabilitated a bit by all this....but this is the same snake oil salesman who seems to have a lot of fans convinced the Bills can't possibly survive here unless they sell off home games.

 

and now ryan Nassib is talking suspiciously like he's already here...it's starting to make me wonder. what Marrone is up to. Does anyone think we're going to solve our problems by cherry picking Syracuse? I mean this isn't LSU an hour from Buffalo!

 

And the front office concerns are unchanged. For a team that picks as high as we do every year, the results have been underwhelming...presumable that's not going to change.

 

i don't know...i am more optimistic than i've been in awhile but the bar on that is very low...

 

and John, not to change the topic, but really....how could you guys all sit in that presser and NO ONE asks Brandon how the Toronto series factored into the various candidates' view of this job?? That alone should make Chip Kelly want to look elsewhere. I would have LOVED to see him look at you guys and say none of these guys mind playing a game in Toronto...because we all know that would have been a lie...

[Kelly the Dog]

Now you're twisting Brandon's words, because that's not what was said. Lurker is right, every higherarchial organization has internal dissent but they have a unified public face, usually through an official spokesman.

I don't think I was twisting his words at all. Of course there is a unified public face. I admitted I thought it was smart and what should be done. It was a couple weeks ago but did you listen to that interview? I remember thinking distinctly at the time that it didn't sound right. It sounded like they didn't agree (he of course didn't say anything like that it was just the impression I got)

 

During the interview it seemed to me he said there was a lot of debate and discussion and there were all kinds of differing opinions on the candidates. They liked them all (of course, this is Brandon who is like Jon Gruden when discussing pros and cons). But then they come out and say "Everyone agrees completely all along this was our guy as soon as we talked to him." And I think you and I both know, and think, that is not what happened at all.

 

I understand it. I agree that is what they should do. I don't think he should have said it the way he did, the time he did, in that discussion. It's possible that I read too much into it. I don't think so though.

[CodeMonkey]

I see the current situation as no different than it was 3 years ago.

Hardcore koolaid drinkers loving the Gailey hire and were thinking superbowl.

Hardcore haters cursing OBD for committing such a heinous hire.

And the rest scratching their heads a little and hoping for the best.

 

I was scratching my head then and now, not so much over the Marrone hiring as much as the majority of the rest of the hires and the timing of them, and am still hoping for the best.

 

We will see.

Edited January 19, 2013 by CodeMonkey

[Lurker]

Then, to the public, they come out and say "Marrone was our unanimous consensus choice all along", which is nonsense.

 

Those kind of hypotheticals are just whistling in the wind. I doubt even Chip Kelly would have been a unanimous choice among all the elements of the front office, given the big question marks around his lack of NFL experience.

 

There were no slam dunk choices this year among the retreads. And among the up-and-comers, Marrone's resume/potential is among the best (or near the top) of the other HCs hired so far, IMO.

 

This would all have been moot if some of the assistants he's hired hadn't caused the chattering class (me included on the Driesbach hire) to second guess and scratch the scabs of past coaching failures at OBD.

[Fan in San Diego]

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.

 

This telegraphs the move to draft Nassib. I'm fine with that, I think they will light up the scoreboard. We just need some WR's who can catch the ball.

[yungmack]

Here's how Nix has had a major impact in turning around the Bills: when he first took over, he couldn''t get any of the top candidates to even do an interview for HC. According to several reports, this time around, they were calling him. And every candidate they were interested in met with them. That suggests to me that the Bills have risen from laughing stock to at least being perceived as a franchise on the verge of success. This is no small thing.

[first_and_ten]

Brandon's a marketer John, and that's exactly what this was, a carefully crafted marketing set-up. You hit the nail on the head here.

 

When the best thing that can be said about the changes are that they're "in a different direction," well, then clearly it has marketing at its core. Hiring high school coaches would have been in a different direction too, that wouldn't make it a sound move.

 

Should we have expected different from a marketing person? (semi-rhetorical)

 

I would say that it has largely worked, wouldn't you? All that the organization needed was for fans to cut them some more slack instead of standing up and telling them to go pound sand in a proverbial manner of speaking. I think that the reaction that they've gotten was about as favorable as it could have been short of hiring Lovie Smith, someone that took a similar team and averaged 9-7 with it, wouldn't you.

 

So, without having given up more control than Brandon & Co. would have liked, they've gotten the best reaction that they could have, fans are apparently ready to empty their wallets again next season if for no other reason than "it's different."

 

So from that perspective, I'd say mission accomplished by the marketers.

 

You really believe that this hire was nothing more than a marketing ploy? From my view, I see Marrone as a hard working coach, who has paid his dues and turned an absolutely horrible situation in Syracuse into a very respectable program. He has NFL experience. He has a solid repuation and has actually played the game too. Who would have been a better hire? Lovie Smith, who was fired because his offenses in Chicago have absolutley stunk? Maybe they just hired the guy who was most impressive. Maybe they hired the guy who was not a retread, who was not fired, who seems ready to take the next step in a promising career. How extensive a search should the Bills have made? When they found the right man, should they have said, 'we'll get back to you" so that they couldn't be accused as not being extensive enough in their search? Take the chance that some other team would scoop him up? it woud be stupid to find the guy who you think is right, to then wastes time on a fruitless search just for the sake of appearances.Time will tell if this was a good hire or not. I for one am giving them the benefit of doubt based on Marrome's resume.

[Delete This Account]

i would also question some of the "glowing" reports that have come out regarding this hire. Marrone has already called one of those reports false in claiming he made a video presentation to each of the teams he interviewed. i would consider the source(s) of those reports and see whether they might have certain similar ties in regards to representation, and whether it raises any questions in regards to a conflict of interest.

 

jw

[first_and_ten]

i would also question some of the "glowing" reports that have come out regarding this hire. Marrone has already called one of those reports false in claiming he made a video presentation to each of the teams he interviewed. i would consider the source(s) of those reports and see whether they might have certain similar ties in regards to representation, and whether it raises any questions in regards to a conflict of interest.

 

jw

 

Then the conspiracy must run pretty wide since many different football people really liked this hire. I don't think the Bills would spend so much time trying to convince everyone that they made a good hire. They would let the proof be in the pudding as one might say. If Marrone is a good hire or not, it will become readily apparent soon enough. I could see some of the media trying to undermine the hire because the Bills are not being as forthcoming as they might like.So, yes, there may be a conflict of interest. But the conflict might be with various media people.

[CodeMonkey]

Then the conspiracy must run pretty wide since many different football people really liked this hire.

As with the Gailey hire.

[first_and_ten]

As with the Gailey hire.

 

What does apples have to do with oranges?

[MRW]

As with the Gailey hire.

I don't remember the same degree of positive response to Gailey's hiring among NFL reporters/observers/former players. In particular I don't recall reading anything that came close to the things that players who were coached by Marrone have said.

[Dr. Trooth]

A few extra comments.

 

Define exhaustive and thorough! If, in your hc coach search, you're on the road, in interviews & meetings 18 hrs. a day over 5 days, what do you call that?

 

There were 8 coaching vacancies. Of the 8 HCs kicked to the curb, only 1 got an HC gig in the NFL.

 

Obviousy, Lovie & whiz weren't #1 on any NFL team's list. There were at least 3 teams that passed on McCoy and at least 2 that passed on Kelly. We don't know who passed on Marrone because it went down pretty quick. But Mort reports Marrone was #1 on at least 2 other teams, one being the Chargers. Trestman was only # 1 on the Bears list after 3 weeks and the Bears apparently didn't want McCoy. Trestman, at 60 yrs. old, was the oldest of the new HC hires and is parallelled by some with Levy simply because of his age and CFL HC gig.... which is bs because in addition to the CFL, Levy had an HC gig with the Chicago Fire and KC Chiefs. My perception of Trestman is that he is the offensive equivalent of Dick Jauron. We'll all see where that goes.

 

Now, let's assume Marrone was hired by one of those two other teams that Mort reported. Would Marrone's selection of assistants be any different? And, would be there be any suggestion it was a move to be part of a regionalization strategy? But, because Syracuse is 3 hrs. east, where Marrone & a bunch of assistants coached, there are automatic conclusions drawn regarding regionalization. Like the Bills didn't already have a solid fan base in the Auburn, Syracuse, Utica, Albany corridor.

Edited January 19, 2013 by Dr. Trooth

[first_and_ten]

A few extra comments.

 

Define exhaustive and thorough! If, in your hc coach search, you're on the road, in interviews & meetings 18 hrs. a day over 5 days, what do you call that?

 

There were 8 coaching vacancies. Of the 8 HCs kicked to the curb, only 1 got an HC gig in the NFL.

 

Obviousy, Lovie & whiz weren't #1 on any NFL team's list. There were at least 3 teams that passed on McCoy and at least 2 that passed on Kelly. We don't know who passed on Marrone because it went down pretty quick. But Mort reports Marrone was #1 on at least 2 other teams, one being the Chargers. Trestman was only # 1 on the Bears list after 3 weeks and the Bears apparently didn't want McCoy. Trestman, at 60 yrs. old, was the oldest of the new HC hires and is parallelled by some with Levy simply because of his age and CFL HC gig.... which is bs because in addition to the CFL, Levy had an HC gig with the Chicago Fire and KC Chiefs. My perception of Trestman is that he is the offensive equivalent of Dick Jauron. We'll all see where that goes.

 

Now, let's assume Marrone was hired by one of those two other teams that Mort reported. Would Marrone's selection of assistants be any different? And, would be there be any suggestion it was a move to be part of a regionalization strategy? But, because Syracuse is 3 hrs. east, where Marrone & a bunch of assistants coached, there are automatic conclusions drawn regarding regionalization. Like the Bills didn't already have a solid fan base in the Auburn, Syracuse, Utica, Albany corridor.

[Malazan]

I'm pretty angry that I wasn't granted an interview when I sent a request to the Bills.

[San-O]

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.

 

Half the staff is coming from Syracuse, so the staff they field next year is going to be largely college coaches. From same team No too exhuastive.

 

The Special Teams guy from Detroit, which I don;t think his credentials are terribly good, was a former teammate. Not very exhaustive.

 

Seems to me he basically picked up the phone or walked down the hall for the most part.

 

I do like the Jets D hire: that makes a lot of sense to me.

[Mr. WEO]

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.

 

Traveling to Syracuse all the way from Buffalo can be very exhausting!

 

I agree that the selections have been heavily marketed--and it works! Witness how the citizens of TBD have jumped on board for a hire few would have considered, at all, 6 months or a year ago. The choice for OC is especially tough to sell--but guys are buying it. It's like 2010 all over again.

 

I guess it's tough to judge the selection of HC. The choices this year were awful, so maybe it was wise to pick up a local guy (and hype up his "major turnaround" at SU, where he "reintroduced a winning culture"--every other year, anyway...) who is otherwise a complete black box (other than serving as Payton's Modkins for a few years). This way, no one can point to an NFL record of success or failure.

 

It may actually be a master stroke by Russ (this was his pick all the way), who's major forte is marketing (and, by necessity, bullsh**t). Would any other team have picked Marrone? We will never know, but Brandon is content to let the thinking that several other teams had him as number one on their list hang there in the air.

 

Bottom line? Whaddayagonnado? Bad year to be looking for a HC. This is what was out there.

[Best Player Available]

i would also question some of the "glowing" reports that have come out regarding this hire. Marrone has already called one of those reports false in claiming he made a video presentation to each of the teams he interviewed. i would consider the source(s) of those reports and see whether they might have certain similar ties in regards to representation, and whether it raises any questions in regards to a conflict of interest.

 

jw

I'm almost certain but don't have the link. But, Marrone announced (ESPN?)he was available for a move to the NFL before the Bills search even began. A video "presentation" would almost prove that.

If true, then it's obvious other teams that were looking to hire a head coach would want to interview him, just because he's out there.

So for some thinking the Bills made a huge steal by signing him, and by default "be ahead of the curve" kind of means just that he was their target, they interviewed him with full intentions from the start of offering him the gig.

Chip Kelly said before the Fiesta bowl that if teems were interested he would listen.

To me anyways Marrone was making it very clear he wanted a head coaching position in the NFL.

Edited January 19, 2013 by Best Player Available

[Captain Hindsight]

thanks for bringing this up jw. i will never understand why some fans rush to defend the bills from media scrutiny(from you or sully or whoever else) when the fact is...as stated above..they have forced us to suck the high hard one for a very long time now. and the "negative" point of view almost always turns out to be the most accurate.

 

i liked the marrone hire,and i was convinced it was a good pick ...until he started bringing every tom dick and harry from his staff to one bills drive. I know coaches have guys they "know," but don't tell me you're going to go to the ends of the earth for a world class staff and then just bring in 8 guys from Syracuse.

 

That smells like Brandon, whose image seems to have been rehabilitated a bit by all this....but this is the same snake oil salesman who seems to have a lot of fans convinced the Bills can't possibly survive here unless they sell off home games.

 

and now ryan Nassib is talking suspiciously like he's already here...it's starting to make me wonder. what Marrone is up to. Does anyone think we're going to solve our problems by cherry picking Syracuse? I mean this isn't LSU an hour from Buffalo!

 

And the front office concerns are unchanged. For a team that picks as high as we do every year, the results have been underwhelming...presumable that's not going to change.

 

i don't know...i am more optimistic than i've been in awhile but the bar on that is very low...

 

and John, not to change the topic, but really....how could you guys all sit in that presser and NO ONE asks Brandon how the Toronto series factored into the various candidates' view of this job?? That alone should make Chip Kelly want to look elsewhere. I would have LOVED to see him look at you guys and say none of these guys mind playing a game in Toronto...because we all know that would have been a lie...

Why the hell woudl that make any difference in the world? Seriously one of 32 jobs in the NFL and they have to play one home game in Toronto? Thats gonna make them look elsewhere?

 

I hate losing a game to Toronto as much as the next guy but NFL coaches should expect to win everywhere, not just at OBD

[Lofton80]

I am fine with the choice of Marrone. The Bills interviewed a number of candidates who appeared to be interested in the job. Contrast this to the last search when no one wanted the job and we ended up with Gailey. I would rather Marrone focus on interviewing a coaching staff and getting familiar with his new team than an in depth Q & A session.

 

As for who picked Maybin, not sure how this signals anything relative to Marrone's selection.