Raiders interested in Russ Brandon

[jester43]

You know, I seem to remember that when this team didn't suck balls year after year, it pretty much marketed itself.

[Kelly the Dog]

Nice too see he has his supporters. here are some facts. They are not made up, and easily found in a google search. As a marketing guy I would hire him. As a football mind and ability to identify football people he is very low on the franchise building chain. His results are indisputable.

 

Since Russ Brandon was promoted in 2006 he has presided over the longest current playoff drought in the NFL. he was onboard way earlier before that promotion. Did his work have a hand in Buffalo remaining a NFL city? YES!

 

Here is the teams numbers under his watch. A 382 winning percentage. The team has given up 531 more points than scored. Theres more but stats aren't the discussion point here.

yea Ralph re hired Marv, and others. Does anyone think Brandon's opinion was not asked for? Does anyone think Marvs GM stint did not have promotional, nostalgic, and in part was used to move "inventory". yes it did just like the TO signing. And the selling of a home game. Nothing about winning, everything about the bottom line.

 

I really have no issue with Brandon as long as he concentrates on selling seats. I believe with zero evedince and it is just my opinion the Pegulas may be thnking the same thing. For him I wish he takes another position and probably will because of his diminished role with new ownership.As I am sure his parachute is golden.

Do you know, honestly, one person who has ever told you to your face, that was in a position to know, that Russ made football decisions in the last few years? One? There is zero reason to believe he has. None. Nada. There isn't even anyone here to my knowledge, of all the posters here, that makes that claim. That someone told him that is in a position to know, that Russ is making these decisions. Yet there are endless posters it seems, that do claim to know someone, including myself, that shows just the opposite. Everyone here that claims to have a source, whether it's true or not, whether you choose to believe them or not, says he doesn't make any, any, any football decisions. Those odds seem a bit odd.

[Best Player Available]

I'm not really trying to give him credit for the football side of things as he had little if anything to do with making any football related decisions even when he was the GM. But the reverse is I'm not blaming him either. Don't know if he sucks as a football mind because again he's made little if any choices. Was he still leading the football side, did he sign off on things sure.

 

so what would I give him credit for from a football side of things. Well for the last half dozen or so years the team still did well enough to sell out the majority of their games, generated some brief excitement over time and these things helped generate a $1.4bil sale price and keep the team in Buffalo. Are these more business related things, sure, but if every year the team had been 2-14, and had 20,000 people in the stands like in the late 70's I doubt the team would have sold for anything close to what it did and maybe as we speak the moving vans would be packing up for the move to LA by now

 

My overall point is given the limited amount of money he had to work with and all the uncertainty around RW, he did a pretty amazing job over the years, and he has made little football related decisions. Were most of the people he hired to make the football moves bad hires, sure, but again with the money he had to work with what would you expect. For ten years or so he's bee nable to make chicken soup out of chicken s**t which is pretty amazing IMO

 

This is the first season RB is not limited by RW's purse strings, though we really have no idea where TP stands on this either, we're all just assuming he's going to agree to spend more money.

OK I get it. he is a puppet and a yes man. You make good points! And yes in the end just what Ralph demanded . Since, a executive and football mind not afraid to speak his mind like Parcells wouldn't have lasted A month with the bIlls. in the end with Russ we get what we paid for. A yes man. With a education in marketing. And a crap football team for the entire 21 st century.

 

 

Do you know, honestly, one person who has ever told you to your face, that was in a position to know, that Russ made football decisions in the last few years? One? There is zero reason to believe he has. None. Nada. There isn't even anyone here to my knowledge, of all the posters here, that makes that claim. That someone told him that is in a position to know, that Russ is making these decisions. Yet there are endless posters it seems, that do claim to know someone, including myself, that shows just the opposite. Everyone here that claims to have a source, whether it's true or not, whether you choose to believe them or not, says he doesn't make any, any, any football decisions. Those odds seem a bit odd.

Here is just one, on the last HC search three people were there as the main interviewers. Brandon was one of them. if he made zero decisions why would he be there? Who do you thnk held the checkbook? is that not a football decision?

[zonabb]

You know, I seem to remember that when this team didn't suck balls year after year, it pretty much marketed itself.

 

Winning is the bast marketing model, without question. In the absence of that, Brandon, saddled with marketing a turd, somehow managed to polish it. His business and marketing value to this team is under appreciated and undervalued here. Sad really. Having worked in consulting for years, I appreciate the job markets do, or as some of us referred to them as "**** merchants." It was their job to oversell our skills and they often do with little fanfare. Brandon has done very well and deserves a post on the business side. And anyone who thinks the guy doesn't know football is failing to recognize that he's lived it day in and day our for years and he know more than everyone on this board, which is filled with self-professed experts. The assumption that he knows zero because he has a business background is infantile.

[Kelly the Dog]

Here is just one, on the last HC search three people were there as the main interviewers. Brandon was one of them. if he made zero decisions why would he be there? Who do you thnk held the checkbook? is that not a football decision?

Jim Overdorf was there, too. That is a guy that makes some football decisions, although few. Brandon's the President. He is there. He asks questions. His GMs make the decisions. That is not a football decision, no, unless the GM didn't want Marrone and Brandon overruled him and no one anywhere has made anything resembling an allegation like that. Or about even one other decision.

Edited December 31, 2014 by Kelly the Dog

[K-9]

Nice too see he has his supporters. here are some facts. They are not made up, and easily found in a google search. As a marketing guy I would hire him. As a football mind and ability to identify football people he is very low on the franchise building chain. His results are indisputable.

 

Since Russ Brandon was promoted in 2006 he has presided over the longest current playoff drought in the NFL. he was onboard way earlier before that promotion. Did his work have a hand in Buffalo remaining a NFL city? YES!

 

Here is the teams numbers under his watch. A 382 winning percentage. The team has given up 531 more points than scored. Theres more but stats aren't the discussion point here.

yea Ralph re hired Marv, and others. Does anyone think Brandon's opinion was not asked for? Does anyone think Marvs GM stint did not have promotional, nostalgic, and in part was used to move "inventory". yes it did just like the TO signing. And the selling of a home game. Nothing about winning, everything about the bottom line.

 

I really have no issue with Brandon as long as he concentrates on selling seats. I believe with zero evedince and it is just my opinion the Pegulas may be thnking the same thing. For him I wish he takes another position and probably will because of his diminished role with new ownership.As I am sure his parachute is golden.

 

Marv Levy was appointed GM in 2006, while Brandon's promotion that year put him in charge of all non-football related operations. Again, it was Butler, Donahoe, and Levy in charge of the reigns for the majority of the playoff drought.

 

I certainly don't disagree with anyone who questions his role from 2008 onward. That's fair.

 

And you're right, I think the Pegulas might be able to leverage his expertise on the business side of things. From the new revenue streams he created to the relationships he's forged within the league and in the business community, there's a lot reasons to they'd be inclined to keep him. It's up to him though, he can write his own ticket.

 

GO BILLS!!!

[May Day 10]

Tim Graham tweeted a week or 2 ago that brandon still had a lot of influence in the football dept

[Best Player Available]

 

Jim Overdorf was there, too. That is a guy that makes some football decisions, although few. Brandon's the President. He is there. He asks questions. His GMs make the decisions. That is not a football decision, no, unless the GM didn't want Marrone and Brandon overruled him and no one anywhere has made anything resembling an allegation like that. Or about even one other decision.

I respect your posts, I disagree with what you are saying. as president of anything a football team or a widget maker. The buck stops at the president. he takes the fall, he gets the big paycheck. Are you really saying Brandons role was to hop on the corporate jet and sit there? because in my experience if a president just delegates to others without his very powerful input. bad things can happen. In reality Brandon was there in Ralph's absence. if you remember a lot here (not me) thought the Marrone syracuse hire was a Brandon crony hire. designed to stretch his regionalization tasks. Nix IMO at that point was borderline incompetent, Whaley was along for the ride. Is it really up to those people to make such a crucial hire? i just do not think so. overdorf writes the paper contracts, I have no doubt Brandon knew what he could spend from Ralph. Overdorf executes it. Thats why Kelly left the room after most likely every bills rep fell out of there seats with not only his salary demand but his power demands. Enter Marrone tied with three others as the lowest paid HC in the NFL.

[YoloinOhio]

@viccarucci: @JasonLaCanfora FYI: Brandon-to-Raiders rumor is news to Brandon. #notgonnahappen

[jester43]

I respect your posts, I disagree with what you are saying. as president of anything a football team or a widget maker. The buck stops at the president. he takes the fall, he gets the big paycheck. Are you really saying Brandons role was to hop on the corporate jet and sit there? because in my experience if a president just delegates to others without his very powerful input. bad things can happen. In reality Brandon was there in Ralph's absence. if you remember a lot here (not me) thought the Marrone syracuse hire was a Brandon crony hire. designed to stretch his regionalization tasks. Nix IMO at that point was borderline incompetent, Whaley was along for the ride. Is it really up to those people to make such a crucial hire? i just do not think so. overdorf writes the paper contracts, I have no doubt Brandon knew what he could spend from Ralph. Overdorf executes it. Thats why Kelly left the room after most likely every bills rep fell out of there seats with not only his salary demand but his power demands. Enter Marrone tied with three others as the lowest paid HC in the NFL.

It takes a real koolaid drinker not to be able to connect the dots on Brandon. I will never understand the reluctance of some fans to see what is right in front of their noses.

[YoloinOhio]

Btw does anyone think LaCanfora has the phones bugged at OBD or something? A mole? He's the one that wrote the St. Doug article too and the one about the blowup with Whaley.

[jester43]

Tim Graham tweeted a week or 2 ago that brandon still had a lot of influence in the football dept

no way...he was only manning the phones on draft day because Whaley didn't have 3 hands.

[BillnutinHouston]

Why anybody would want to get rid of Brandon is beyond me.

Well, this site is not exactly overrun with people who possess business savvy.

[jester43]

Winning is the bast marketing model, without question. In the absence of that, Brandon, saddled with marketing a turd, somehow managed to polish it. His business and marketing value to this team is under appreciated and undervalued here. Sad really. Having worked in consulting for years, I appreciate the job markets do, or as some of us referred to them as "**** merchants." It was their job to oversell our skills and they often do with little fanfare. Brandon has done very well and deserves a post on the business side. And anyone who thinks the guy doesn't know football is failing to recognize that he's lived it day in and day our for years and he know more than everyone on this board, which is filled with self-professed experts. The assumption that he knows zero because he has a business background is infantile.

let's say you're right. does any of that make him irreplaceable?

[BillnutinHouston]

Enter Marrone tied with three others as the lowest paid HC in the NFL.

May I ask, what is your source for this "information"?

[Best Player Available]

May I ask, what is your source for this "information"?

try googling it, it was published earlyier this year in forbes or somewhere. BTW as always thanks for being a condescending "jerk"

[billsfan89]

Why would Russ move from the Bills who finally have a stable ownership group and have pretty much let him run the organization to a messy situation in Oakland where they can't give him more power.

[Kirby Jackson]

let's say you're right. does any of that make him irreplaceable?

No one is saying that he is irreplaceable just that he is very, very good at what he does. The Pegula's know this. If you have someone that is very good at a job why would you want to replace him if you didn't have to? Nobody wants their numbers to go down. In addition, his value will be further magnified as the new stadium starts to take shape.

[Mr. WEO]

Brandon had nothing to do with the sale price of the Bills. It was the perfect pairing of a sort of local guy with billions in cash who didn't care what he payed for the only team availble. In fact the Bills sold over value despite Russ Brandon.

 

Davis could put his team on the market today and match the Bills sale price easily.

[Kelly the Dog]

In fact the Bills sold over value despite Russ Brandon.

 

That's nonsense. Part of the reason his job is safe is because the Pegulas were involved with him and loved working with him during the entire sale process.