Dibs Posted January 17, 2015 Posted January 17, 2015 Well, the problems start to arise when two parties start vying for Pegula's ear. This probably won't happen in the early honeymoon phase, but with careers on the line and type-A personalities, it's safe to say it will at some point (you want to succeed or fail on your own terms - not someone else's mistake). Also -- and this may sound like school playground politics -- if one party is perceived as "schmoozing the boss," it gives the impression of a power grab and could foster resentment between the two. That was my take on it too Dibs, until I read the above quote. Maybe Whaley just doesn't understand everyone's exact roles? Why would he think it would ever go to Russ?? Most teams outline a specific hierarchy such as Owner -> GM -> Coach to define a clear chain of command. I don't think our triumvirate will work for the reasons I mentioned above. Then again, if we go 12-4. none of this will matter. However if we slip back to 6-10, it's a recipe for a front office meltdown. In the Rex press conference, Brandon clearly defined the 3 roles.....so that quote from Whaley indeed seems very odd.
birdog1960 Posted January 17, 2015 Posted January 17, 2015 I take it you haven't worked in a large organization a lot? in successful large organization the internal debate is won by the strongest and wisest. that hasn't been the case for the bills as far as winning is concerned. it may well change.
Dibs Posted January 17, 2015 Posted January 17, 2015 I hope it doesn't work in a way where people are off building their fiefdoms. When Whaley built a roster and Marrone, for whatever reason, was unable (or unwilling) to use the parts he packaged up for him on offense, we got an anemic product. That's no way to Build a Bully. If you use Parcells' analogy, it is important that Whaley shops for the right ingredients for his chef. If Rex sets the menu to serve steaks, then Whaley can't go off, see a sale price on chicken, call the CPA to see how much money the restaurant will save with chicken, and show up with a flock of frozen chicken. Everyone has to face the same goal post. If Rex wants steak, I expect Whaley to put each steak off the butcher's table through his fancy little microscope and know exactly which one will work for Rex and make the customers smile their butts off. Yeah, I'd hope that their fiefdoms are already built and each can be comfortable in their areas of control without having to fight. The Marrone/Whaley offensive talent issue is intriguing though. It appears that Whaley obtained players specific to a plan(big OLmen, some speedy WRs and some possession WRs, mobile QB, RB depth). One has to assume that Marrone minimally was on board with those types of players, if not specifically asked for them. At some point it appears that Marrone became unhappy with many of the players he was given(one could speculate a lot on that concept).....which lead to obvious disunity. Rex and Whaley have both stated themselves to be on the same page so I don't see any particular reason to be concerned. The only possibility would be that it was Whaley's fault with Marrone and he ignored his wants/needs from the get go......and could do the same with Rex. Unlikely, considering what we know, but still possible. Only time will tell.
Marv's Neighbor Posted January 17, 2015 Posted January 17, 2015 Russ Brandon is very transparent, and strikes me as an disingenuous individual with no passion for anything remotely resembling the truth. He's a walking TV commercial. BUT WAIT....Call now and Russ will double your order!
217014170 Posted January 17, 2015 Posted January 17, 2015 (edited) I think the dysfunction was sourced from three main areas: 1. Marrone was likely promised more control during the hiring process. When his "lifelong friend" Russ Brandon seemed to partner with Doug Whaley, Marrone felt frustrated and possibly betrayed. Marrone could have handled it better. 2. The veteran players Marrone was handed were likely sourced through the Pro Personnel Director - Jim Monos. When Whaley asks who the best QB available is, he walks into Monos's Top Secret hole and asks him. Whaley trusts Monos, Whaley gets the guy, Marrone knows who made the recommendation and gets PO'd - just cuz. The relationship between Marrone and Monos was not good. Monos has Whaley as a shield...Marrone felt that he did not have anyone. Marrone could have handled it better. 3. Russ had Mr. Wilson's proxy vote so the power was never divided in thirds. The rest of the organization knew Russ had the power so guess what happens - they publicly agree with Russ out of survival. Marrone definitely felt like he was on an island and for a reported control freak he forgot what he was there to do...shut up and coach. It would have been interesting if Marrone did not opt out and Polian was hired as the Godfather of One Bills Drive. Marrone would probably have been rewarded for his patience because Polian would have surrounded himself with his people and either marginalized the existing decision makers or outright removed them. Polian clearly endorsed Marrone as a quality Head Coach so of the three his job would have been the most secure. I like that Polian gets to walk away knowing that, in the end, the Bills really wanted him. It was like he was signed to a one day contract and retired a Bill. I wish him all the best. There's a simple rule I try to instill inside my company - "We don't have to like each other but we WILL respect each other." It really seems like there was a respect vacuum at One Bills Drive primarily sourcing from the Head Coach - Marrone. Hiring Rex Ryan as your Head Coach - a guy who demands respect and accountability - solves that problem in the best way possible. Ultimately, the Bills organization has the upper hand and they will continue to say how much they liked Marrone and were "shocked" at his opting out. Talk about external unity... The reset button has been pushed and dysfunction is no longer going to be tolerated. Everyone will be evaluated fairly going forward. Everyone knows who the ultimate decision maker is - the owner(s). I really don't think it could have been handled any better. Kudos to the owners. Editorial Note - What if, as part of the job, the new owners wanted Polian to "address" the coaching situation as his first priority. Rather than accept the job and look like a hypocrite (remember, he thought Marrone was worthy of coach of the year consideration), Polian respectfully declines - in spite of rumors that he was already assembling his staff. Think about it. Plan B - leak the $4,000,000 opt out clause and report that Marrone is bad mouthing the organization to Polian and THAT is why he did not take the job. Think about it. Edited January 17, 2015 by 217014170
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