OldTimer1960 Posted December 30, 2014 Posted December 30, 2014 No offense to Whalley, but he couldn't hold a candle to Polian's track record. Polian built three different teams into winners. His Bills and Colts team went to SuperBowls. He took the expansion Carolina Panthers to an NFC Championship (they went to the Superbowl after he left). The man knows how to build a winner. Whalley has done some good things, and some really questionable things. I'd be very happy to have Polian running the show and Whalley learning from the master or sending more dirty emails around the league. Polian's track record is outstanding, BUT he did inherit a Hall Of Fame QB in Jim Kelly in Buffalo and "won" the right to have Peyton Manning as his QB for his full term in Indy. I think the most impressive job that he did was in Carolina where he got very new team to the NFC Championship early on with an OK QB in Kerry Collins.
Maddog69 Posted December 30, 2014 Posted December 30, 2014 Having Pegula right two of the biggest wrongs of the Ralph Wilson ownership (the Toronto series and the firing of Polian) would be epic. I don't get how anybody would not see this as a great positive for the franchise. You know that Polian will not be afraid to tell Terry and Kim exactly what he believes needs to be done to make the Bills a championship team again. I can't think of a better way to start the Pegula ownership than to bring back Bill Polian. I realize he a abrasive and has a short shelf life before tensions rise, but he's in his 70's, bring him back for a few years and let him straighten things out and ride off into the sunset.
CodeMonkey Posted December 30, 2014 Posted December 30, 2014 That wasn't the next day, and it got the Sabres a great GM and a perfect coach for the transition. I don't know any Sabres fans who aren't thrilled with the direction of the team and its GM (although some think they may be winning too much). That's why I said "seemingly" It was a very short time though, as soon as he realized he had no real control he quit. Ryan Miller was the last straw I think. Winning too much? 14-20-3
Gugny Posted December 30, 2014 Posted December 30, 2014 song remains the same is not a zeppelin album. It is a great movie and great tune though. It is the soundtrack album to the movie. And it is one of my favorite zep tunes.
Kelly the Dog Posted December 30, 2014 Posted December 30, 2014 (edited) That's why I said "seemingly" It was a very short time though, as soon as he realized he had no real control he quit. Ryan Miller was the last straw I think. Winning too much? 14-20-3 Yeah, a large portion of Sabre fans want them to finish in last place this year and this year only. They are cursing every win. Miller had zero to do with it. LaFontaine never had real control after his first two hires. As soon as he hired a GM and coach there was nothing left for him to do. That was part of the problem with the job that Terry just made up out of thin air. But the problem, ultimately, was a personality issue between LaFontaine and Pegula (or as I heard it, Pegula's guys). Edited December 30, 2014 by Kelly the Dog
Fadingpain Posted December 30, 2014 Posted December 30, 2014 That's why I said "seemingly" It was a very short time though, as soon as he realized he had no real control he quit. Ryan Miller was the last straw I think. Winning too much? 14-20-3 Yes, in a season where we are trying to finish dead last in the league to assure one of McEichel, that is WAY too much winning. Still a long way to go though, and we will get worse at the trade deadline.
scribo Posted December 30, 2014 Posted December 30, 2014 Bears fans are praying for Bill Polian to come rescue them.
Fadingpain Posted December 30, 2014 Posted December 30, 2014 Yeah, a large portion of Sabre fans want them to finish in last place this year and this year only. They are cursing every win. He never had real control. As soon as he hired a GM and coach there was nothing left for him to do. That was part of the problem with the job that Terry just made up out of thin air. But the problem, ultimately, was a personality issue between LaFontaine and Pegula (or as I heard it, Pegula's guys). Talk about going off topic! But what I think likely happened was that Patty was fielding phone calls personally regarding the availability of Ryan Miller and Patty was saying "he is not available" and hanging up. This was when (presumably) the organization as a whole had already decided that Miller would be moved. This action on the part of Patty was akin to some rogue agent--a loose cannon--not following orders, and Patty was promptly fired. That was sold as him quitting, which almost certainly didn't happen. Doesn't really matter. Patty took his sweet time and did the organization a huge favor by engaging in a long, deliberate GM search, and he got us a good one.
scribo Posted December 30, 2014 Posted December 30, 2014 (edited) @JasonLaCanfora - 2h ago Continue to hear very strong possibility Bill Polian takes some sort of football czar role w/Bills. His son Chris would not be going w/him Edited December 30, 2014 by scribo
Kelly the Dog Posted December 30, 2014 Posted December 30, 2014 Talk about going off topic! But what I think likely happened was that Patty was fielding phone calls personally regarding the availability of Ryan Miller and Patty was saying "he is not available" and hanging up. This was when (presumably) the organization as a whole had already decided that Miller would be moved. This action on the part of Patty was akin to some rogue agent--a loose cannon--not following orders, and Patty was promptly fired. That was sold as him quitting, which almost certainly didn't happen. Doesn't really matter. Patty took his sweet time and did the organization a huge favor by engaging in a long, deliberate GM search, and he got us a good one. I agree with the last part. Patty ultimately did the Sabres a huge favor getting Murray and Nolan. I don't agree with the first part, except to say that Patty was doing stuff behind Pegula and Murray's back when he shoudnt have.
snamsnoops Posted December 30, 2014 Posted December 30, 2014 Does anybody else think that Polian might be being brought in as the "outside consultant"? That would not necessarily mean that Whaley is gone.....which frankly I dont want to happen Bingo
YoloinOhio Posted December 30, 2014 Posted December 30, 2014 (edited) I think Polian will insist on making the run game and beefing up the OL to an effective unit a priority. He always had a workhorse back. I expect him to advise drafting one relatively high and letting Spiller go. Edited December 30, 2014 by YoloinOhio
runner Posted December 30, 2014 Posted December 30, 2014 I agree, Yolo. I would love Polian to come in as a consultant to evaluate coaching staff and draft/trade/free agent strategy. He would be a great mentor to Whaley, who I feel is a potentially great general manager. The Bills would be foolish to let him go.
Fredo G. Posted December 30, 2014 Posted December 30, 2014 and soon Tuesday is gone with the wind. I always liked Tuesday Weld
CodeMonkey Posted December 30, 2014 Posted December 30, 2014 Yeah, a large portion of Sabre fans want them to finish in last place this year and this year only. They are cursing every win. Yes, in a season where we are trying to finish dead last in the league to assure one of McEichel, that is WAY too much winning. Still a long way to go though, and we will get worse at the trade deadline. Ahhhh more of that huh. The Sabres seem to be pretty talented already regarding youth in the system, what they lack is current talent. One more year of stocking the pond with youth while suffering with the current team, then what 3 more years before the youth starts paying dividends? I'm not getting any younger
Kelly the Dog Posted December 30, 2014 Posted December 30, 2014 The problem is that Polian is probably not going to come for a little while, and then the evaluation would take quite some time, and then most of the best choices for any kind of change in OC or GM or HC or anything he wants to change will be gone, and we will have to wait until next year to get the top prospects. And by then most everything will look way better or way worse for the guys he's evaluating.
YoloinOhio Posted December 30, 2014 Posted December 30, 2014 The problem is that Polian is probably not going to come for a little while, and then the evaluation would take quite some time, and then most of the best choices for any kind of change in OC or GM or HC or anything he wants to change will be gone, and we will have to wait until next year to get the top prospects. And by then most everything will look way better or way worse for the guys he's evaluating. for some reason I don't think he will be coming in to potentially make decisions on a big change like HC or GM. He would be more acting in a consulting role to them, if you will. The OC could be fired before that if Marrone and Whaley want a change. There will be guys who won't want to interview until after the SB if they are in it (QB coaches, etc) I am under the impression Whaley and Marrone are safe. I could be wrong.
Fadingpain Posted December 30, 2014 Posted December 30, 2014 Ahhhh more of that huh. The Sabres seem to be pretty talented already regarding youth in the system, what they lack is current talent. One more year of stocking the pond with youth while suffering with the current team, then what 3 more years before the youth starts paying dividends? I'm not getting any younger I hear you about not getting younger. But in a season in which we are going nowhere, why not finish dead last and get a generational talent who might become the next Sidney Crosby. How much time to we spend here talking about the great QBs, and how ours have sucked for 15 years? You make your life a lot easier for yourself if your team has the best guy on the field. Or ice. And that is a gift which will keep on giving for over a decade in the case of McEichel. We have suffered way too long already (with the Sabres) not to go all the way and finish dead last this year.
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