GM Doug Whaley's end of season press conference

[timtebow15]

 

Here's the thing. Now that you know this - how does knowing this change anything? Does it make the Bills better? Does it make them less dysfunctional? (beyond your perception)

 

This whole "controversy" in its entirety is the media pretending it's retarded, twisting their head and going "huh??" and refusing to connect the dots. The dysfunction lies in the media's refusal or ability to perceive things.

 

Doug Whaley - "That decision was made by Terry Pegula, and I was not privy to that conversation."

 

Media - "WTF does that mean?!? We can't possibly believe this! What are you hiding? Where is your power? How can this org be so dysfunctional?!?!"

 

Terry Pegula - "Rex asked to speak privately, and that was when I told him it wasn't working out. Whaley and I had conversations about the team, and I took that information and made a decision without final input from Whaley"

 

Media - "Ohhhhhhhhhh, there's still dysfunction by you cutting Whaley out of the decision even though at the beginning of the Rex hire we explicitly and repeatedly asked the reporting structure, and knew verifiably that Rex reported directly to Pegula, and Whaley reported directly to Pegula, Whaley and Rex did not report to each other"

Just another example of poor decision-making is all. Are you really going to argue that the Bills front office has been functional the past decade - or that they just aren't as dysfunctional as people are saying. You are probably right...they aren't Cleveland Browns dysfunctional but I don't see playoffs in our future any time soon. I would LOVE to be surprised.

Edited January 3, 2017 by timtebow15

[What a Tuel]

A few things:

 

1.) If anyone thinks the Buffalo media is "tough on" or out to get the Bills, watch the Jed York Press Conference in SF from earlier

2.) Step away from the ledge as a fan of this team and take a deep breathe and relax, what did Whaley do to calm any emotions or lay forth any plan on how to get this team into the playoffs, he did say we are not that far away?

3.) When was the last time you saw any press conference with a GM who stated I speak for the owners and then says he knows nothing?

4.) Did this seem like a well-oiled press conference at all? It really seemed very amateurish

 

I know everyone rags on the national media because they don't know the team or anything about us - why would they want to, this was such a **** show. I really do not see how anyone could defend this...

 

1.) They aren't tough on the Bills, they are pedantic, prone to temper tantrums, and setting their sights on clickbait headlines rather than journalism.

2.) Whaley came out from the start and said 7-9 isn't good enough and going forward he was in charge of looking for the new HC to make us better.

 

Question back to you: What could he possibly say to you right now, that you will come around and say, that sounds great. I am excited.

 

3.) He stated that he wasn't privy to the decision to fire Rex. Pegula clarified this in his interview.

 

Question back to you: Why is this such a sticking point with you? Rex who probably makes a bunch more money than Whaley, reports to Pegula directly. Pegula (a fairly smart guy) watched throughout the season and determined that this was not going in the direction that it should. Not on his own mind you, but with talking with the people in his organization throughout the year.

 

4.) It seemed amateurish in that the media was being ridiculous, and refused to connect the dots on their own. They acted befuddled that Rex reports to Pegula even though they specifically and repeatedly asked that when Rex was first hired. They don't care, they still think Rex should report to Whaley. Seriously. Get over it.

Edited January 3, 2017 by What a Tuel

[Peter]

A few things:

 

1.) If anyone thinks the Buffalo media is "tough on" or out to get the Bills, watch the Jed York Press Conference in SF from earlier

2.) Step away from the ledge as a fan of this team and take a deep breathe and relax, what did Whaley do to calm any emotions or lay forth any plan on how to get this team into the playoffs, he did say we are not that far away?

3.) When was the last time you saw any press conference with a GM who stated I speak for the owners and then says he knows nothing?

4.) Did this seem like a well-oiled press conference at all? It really seemed very amateurish

 

I know everyone rags on the national media because they don't know the team or anything about us - why would they want to, this was such a **** show. I really do not see how anyone could defend this...

 

Someone else already tweeted a sergeant Schultz reference. I wish I could take credit for this.

[timtebow15]

 

This is his 4th year as GM and the question is whether he's improved the talent on the roster. IMO he has. If the standard is getting every decision correct, then no GM in the NFL would last very long.

He doesn't have to get every decision correct but it would be nice to see some improvement. It looks like we will find out. My feeling is we will get worse instead of better due to the cap issue, roster status, handling of recent drafts and ability to attract a good coaching staff. I hope I am wrong. At least we lost a meaningless game that improved our draft position 5 spots a round. Hopefully that helps a little.

[Reed83HOF]

 

Someone else already tweeted a sergeant Schultz reference. I wish I could take credit for this.

 

I'm not even trying to be a dick; I just cannot fathom how anyone could have watched that and felt good about any of it. It was that bad. So bad in fact that jw texted Terry after the presser to get him to speak on record regarding this. If anything jw helped the Pegs save some face from whatever that was supposed to be. It is really well beyond the "do you like Whaley" and "want him to stay or want him to go". Even the PR team that helped prepare him for this, failed. It was brutal, uninspiring and might even be worse than the 27 candidates who turned the browns down before Pettine accepted.

[ndirish1978]

 

I'm not even trying to be a dick; I just cannot fathom how anyone could have watched that and felt good about any of it. It was that bad. So bad in fact that jw texted Terry after the presser to get him to speak on record regarding this. If anything jw helped the Pegs save some face from whatever that was supposed to be. It is really well beyond the "do you like Whaley" and "want him to stay or want him to go". Even the PR team that helped prepare him for this, failed. It was brutal, uninspiring and might even be worse than the 27 candidates who turned the browns down before Pettine accepted.

 

I agree it was a terrible press conference. I can only surmise that this team could care less about media perception. I can't really think of another reason why Whaley is so dismissive of the local media. He basically just came out and danced around, dodged every question and then said "you guys make up whatever stories you're going to make up anyway, I'm confident real football people know me and know what I'm about and won't care what you write." I guess we'll see if he's right.

[Peter]

 

I'm not even trying to be a dick; I just cannot fathom how anyone could have watched that and felt good about any of it. It was that bad. So bad in fact that jw texted Terry after the presser to get him to speak on record regarding this. If anything jw helped the Pegs save some face from whatever that was supposed to be. It is really well beyond the "do you like Whaley" and "want him to stay or want him to go". Even the PR team that helped prepare him for this, failed. It was brutal, uninspiring and might even be worse than the 27 candidates who turned the browns down before Pettine accepted.

 

Sadly, it was that bad and Doug had extra time to prepare for it because he did not want to speak to the media last week.

 

To repeat for those that do not realize it. I have little respect for most of the guys at TBN and others in the Buffalo media. I have made this clear in many posts in the past.

 

My natural inclination is to root for the guys being interviewed in these confrontations. I remember the cluster f*&k year end press conference with Darcy and Ted Black v. the snarky guys at TBN. That was an embarrassment for the local media, and I was shouting at my computer in favor of Ted Black and Darcy while listening to it.

 

Today was different. As much as I do not like many in the Buffalo media, it was impossible for me to feel sorry for Doug Whaley even though that is my natural inclination.

[Hapless Bills Fan]

 

I'm not even trying to be a dick; I just cannot fathom how anyone could have watched that and felt good about any of it. It was that bad. So bad in fact that jw texted Terry after the presser to get him to speak on record regarding this. If anything jw helped the Pegs save some face from whatever that was supposed to be. It is really well beyond the "do you like Whaley" and "want him to stay or want him to go". Even the PR team that helped prepare him for this, failed. It was brutal, uninspiring and might even be worse than the 27 candidates who turned the browns down before Pettine accepted.

 

Question: how do you know Wawrow tweeted Terry Pegula?

(and what's the source on the 27 candidates who turned down the Browns?)

[GG]

 

Question: how do you know Wawrow tweeted Terry Pegula?

(and what's the source on the 27 candidates who turned down the Browns?)

 

Because jw said he tweeted Pegula and Pegula called him back.

[Hapless Bills Fan]

 

Because jw said he tweeted Pegula and Pegula called him back.

 

Fair 'nuff, Thanks.

 

if that's all it took to get an interview with Pegs I wonder that it took almost a week to try it.

[folz]

Yes, Whaley is a bit unlikable in press conferences because he answers like a politician. But what did the media want him to say? Yes, my bosses (the Pegulas and Russ Brandon) made some horrible decisions that I didn't agree with but they overruled me. Or I didn't want Rex all along...told you so Terry and Russ. Come on. And if the owner of a company wants someone fired, he doesn't have to ask anyone else. He's the owner.

 

The positive thing to come out of all of this is Russ Brandon will not be involved anymore in the coaching search or the football operations. You want an answer for why this team has missed the playoffs for the last decade at least? It's because we haven't had a real GM, a football guy with full authority to do his job.

 

2006-2007: Marv (former coach) and Russ Brandon (marketing guy that started in baseball, not football) basically become co-GMs. Marv was obviously hired for public relations reasons and because Ralph trusted him (since Donahoe had alienated the fans, media, staff, and Ralph himself). But neither of these guys (despite Marv having been a great coach) were qualified for the position.

 

2008-2009: Marv steps down and Russ Brandon (with no coaching, playing, or scouting experience) becomes the GM and gains Ralph's trust and ear.

 

2010-2013: It is obvious that the franchise needs a football guy in the FO. They promote Nix (again trust issue stemming back to Donahoe) and bring in Whaley, an up-and-comer who is still probably too green to take over a franchise yet on his own. Russ becomes CEO. Nix is there to bring back stability, improve the roster, and groom Whaley to take over. He didn't turn the team around, but did do those 3 things (to an extent). In January of 2013, with Russ having been promoted from CEO to President (above the GM position) and Nix still as the GM, Doug Marrone is hired. This was obviously a Russ choice with the Syracuse ties, etc. And also, during Nix's tenure, Russ was the man who had Ralph's ear and probably spoke for him in the building, especially as Ralph's health continued to get worse. Then in March of 2013, just after the draft, Nix resigns and Whaley is promoted to the position with Marrone, a guy he may have agreed to, but was not his hand-picked option as his coach.

 

2014: ​Ralph dies in March. Brandon takes on de facto owner role. In November, Pegulas buy the team. And in December Marrone quits. Since the Pegulas want to observe the operation before blowing it all up, they lean heavily on Russ Brandon to get up to speed on the team and how the NFL works. Russ has been GM, CEO, President, and de facto owner, plus he was instrumental in the sale of the team to Terry. Whaley has been in his position for only 18 months and of course would want to ingratiate himself to the Pegulas to keep his job. But they are probably listening more to Russ on how things should go.

 

 

2015: Rex is hired. From all accounts, he went in and wowed Russ and the Pegulas. Terry and Kim liked him a lot and Russ was probably seeing a marketing boon (more national coverage, great press conferences, hope for the fanbase). Again, Whaley may have agreed with the decision, but Rex was not necessarily his choice. Even at the time it seemed like a Pegula/Russ choice from the reporting of it. So, again, he has to work with a coach he didn't hand pick. Rex was so eager to prove the Jets were wrong for firing him that he took the job. But if you looked at him in his last year in New York, the guy was burnt out and defeated. I know when you get burnt out at work, how long it takes to get back on track. Maybe Rex needed some time off rather than jumping into the deep waters again. Plus, because of the problems Rex had with his GM(s) in New York, he gets the Pegulas to agree that he will report to them rather than to the GM. Contrary to how most organizations function. So, Whaley is still somewhat treated as a Jr. GM, not fully in control...first under Nix, then Brandon, then with the communication structure with Rex and the Pegulas.

 

2016: ​Season does not go well, no improvement. Rex had a lot of influence over draft and player selection and adding to/changing the coaching staff with no results. The defense is bad (supposedly Rex's specialty). No doubt, especially as the hot seat warmed in the media regarding Rex, Terry and Doug had discussed what is wrong with the team including in the coaching department. But it seems as if they were going to let it play out, do their end of season evaluations, and then most likely fire Rex. Rex saw the writing on the wall, so he asked Terry straight out and in that moment Terry made the final decision then and there (an owner's perogative).

 

Doesn't seem that hard to figure out or believe or understand the decision making process (even if there were some bad decisions that turned out poorly).

 

But, from 2006 to 2016, Russ Brandon was basically GM for four years, CEO for 3 years (over Nix as GM), President and de facto owner for 2 years (over Whaley), and then President and closest advisor to the new owners for two years. His hand was heavy in both of the last two coaching choices (and possibly the last 4 coaching searches going back to Jauron). This guy, who didn't come up through any football ranks, has basically been running this team for the last decade. He may be a great executive, marketer, business man, but he should never have been involved in the football decisions (outside of possibly contracts).

 

The fact that the Pegulas were not afraid to admit Rex didn't work out and to fire him and to now remove Russ from all football decisions and actually hand the keys of the car to Whaley are all positive signs to me that they are trying to correct the problems of the last couple of years. Whaley was under Nix and Brandon for 3 years, GM for 10 months and hadn't even overseen a draft solo when Ralph passed, had to deal with new owners (and again Russ) who maybe weren't ready to let him make all the decisions yet, and he didn't get to hand-pick the coaches he worked with, etc. Let the man do his job and sink or swim on his own merit, where we don't have to guess if it was his decision or Buddy's, or Brandon's, or Ralph's, or the Pegula's.

 

And the fact that the media can't piece the puzzle together for themselves shows how inept they are. They focus (and get angry) about issues that just don't matter that much, like did Doug talk to Terry about wanting to get rid of Rex or why did Terry make that decision without the GM's approval. Who cares. Rex was going to get fired, we all knew it, Rex knew it and there is no way that Doug and Terry were not in agreement over that whether they talked about it or not.

 

Of course Whaley hasn't been perfect and I do believe that for at least the last three years, he has been pretty much in charge of the 53...but you can't say that the roster isn't much more talented than when he arrived. Give him a chance to do his job properly and to make his own decisions (with the Pegulas blessing of course). We might be pleasantly surprised.

[K-9]

De-facto owner.

 

Now that is fresh.

[papazoid]

As Whaley evaded most of the questions and gave himself plausible deniability for anything that would reflect poorly on his performance, I almost felt sorry for him … almost.

 

You know how uncomfortable you feel at a children’s pageant when a cast member struggles with a song or lines? That was Whaley as he was challenged over half-truths or downright disingenuousness.

 

http://www.oleantimesherald.com/sports/whaley-didn-t-help-explain-bills-decision/article_2f25f046-d174-11e6-8a94-6b6c602da9c7.html

[D. L. Hot-Flamethrower]

......Because "media perception" is everything......just like in the past election....LOL...People never learn.........Such a distorted view of their importance....and of reality.....everyone should think like we do and there'd be so many fewer problems....LOL

Edited January 3, 2017 by horned dogs

[May Day 10]

Russ Brandon should have been out there as President of the team and to help out Whaley.

 

 

 

Ted Black had the backbone to face a similar barrage along-side Darcy Regier.

 

 

 

Was he "too busy"?

[papazoid]

Russ Brandon should have been out there as President of the team and to help out Whaley.

 

 

 

Ted Black had the backbone to face a similar barrage along-side Darcy Regier.

ABSOLUTELY !!.....I think that they were trying establish that Whaley is "the man" going forward with the coaching search....but it looked awkward with just 1 person and whaley isn't a good public speaker.....they really needed Brandon's polish and corporate speak to support the GM , especially knowing he would come under heavy fire.

[BuffalooByrd]

Yes, Whaley is a bit unlikable in press conferences because he answers like a politician. But what did the media want him to say? Yes, my bosses (the Pegulas and Russ Brandon) made some horrible decisions that I didn't agree with but they overruled me. Or I didn't want Rex all along...told you so Terry and Russ. Come on. And if the owner of a company wants someone fired, he doesn't have to ask anyone else. He's the owner.

 

The positive thing to come out of all of this is Russ Brandon will not be involved anymore in the coaching search or the football operations. You want an answer for why this team has missed the playoffs for the last decade at least? It's because we haven't had a real GM, a football guy with full authority to do his job.

 

2006-2007: Marv (former coach) and Russ Brandon (marketing guy that started in baseball, not football) basically become co-GMs. Marv was obviously hired for public relations reasons and because Ralph trusted him (since Donahoe had alienated the fans, media, staff, and Ralph himself). But neither of these guys (despite Marv having been a great coach) were qualified for the position.

 

2008-2009: Marv steps down and Russ Brandon (with no coaching, playing, or scouting experience) becomes the GM and gains Ralph's trust and ear.

 

2010-2013: It is obvious that the franchise needs a football guy in the FO. They promote Nix (again trust issue stemming back to Donahoe) and bring in Whaley, an up-and-comer who is still probably too green to take over a franchise yet on his own. Russ becomes CEO. Nix is there to bring back stability, improve the roster, and groom Whaley to take over. He didn't turn the team around, but did do those 3 things (to an extent). In January of 2013, with Russ having been promoted from CEO to President (above the GM position) and Nix still as the GM, Doug Marrone is hired. This was obviously a Russ choice with the Syracuse ties, etc. And also, during Nix's tenure, Russ was the man who had Ralph's ear and probably spoke for him in the building, especially as Ralph's health continued to get worse. Then in March of 2013, just after the draft, Nix resigns and Whaley is promoted to the position with Marrone, a guy he may have agreed to, but was not his hand-picked option as his coach.

 

2014: ​Ralph dies in March. Brandon takes on de facto owner role. In November, Pegulas buy the team. And in December Marrone quits. Since the Pegulas want to observe the operation before blowing it all up, they lean heavily on Russ Brandon to get up to speed on the team and how the NFL works. Russ has been GM, CEO, President, and de facto owner, plus he was instrumental in the sale of the team to Terry. Whaley has been in his position for only 18 months and of course would want to ingratiate himself to the Pegulas to keep his job. But they are probably listening more to Russ on how things should go.

 

 

2015: Rex is hired. From all accounts, he went in and wowed Russ and the Pegulas. Terry and Kim liked him a lot and Russ was probably seeing a marketing boon (more national coverage, great press conferences, hope for the fanbase). Again, Whaley may have agreed with the decision, but Rex was not necessarily his choice. Even at the time it seemed like a Pegula/Russ choice from the reporting of it. So, again, he has to work with a coach he didn't hand pick. Rex was so eager to prove the Jets were wrong for firing him that he took the job. But if you looked at him in his last year in New York, the guy was burnt out and defeated. I know when you get burnt out at work, how long it takes to get back on track. Maybe Rex needed some time off rather than jumping into the deep waters again. Plus, because of the problems Rex had with his GM(s) in New York, he gets the Pegulas to agree that he will report to them rather than to the GM. Contrary to how most organizations function. So, Whaley is still somewhat treated as a Jr. GM, not fully in control...first under Nix, then Brandon, then with the communication structure with Rex and the Pegulas.

 

2016: ​Season does not go well, no improvement. Rex had a lot of influence over draft and player selection and adding to/changing the coaching staff with no results. The defense is bad (supposedly Rex's specialty). No doubt, especially as the hot seat warmed in the media regarding Rex, Terry and Doug had discussed what is wrong with the team including in the coaching department. But it seems as if they were going to let it play out, do their end of season evaluations, and then most likely fire Rex. Rex saw the writing on the wall, so he asked Terry straight out and in that moment Terry made the final decision then and there (an owner's perogative).

 

Doesn't seem that hard to figure out or believe or understand the decision making process (even if there were some bad decisions that turned out poorly).

 

But, from 2006 to 2016, Russ Brandon was basically GM for four years, CEO for 3 years (over Nix as GM), President and de facto owner for 2 years (over Whaley), and then President and closest advisor to the new owners for two years. His hand was heavy in both of the last two coaching choices (and possibly the last 4 coaching searches going back to Jauron). This guy, who didn't come up through any football ranks, has basically been running this team for the last decade. He may be a great executive, marketer, business man, but he should never have been involved in the football decisions (outside of possibly contracts).

 

The fact that the Pegulas were not afraid to admit Rex didn't work out and to fire him and to now remove Russ from all football decisions and actually hand the keys of the car to Whaley are all positive signs to me that they are trying to correct the problems of the last couple of years. Whaley was under Nix and Brandon for 3 years, GM for 10 months and hadn't even overseen a draft solo when Ralph passed, had to deal with new owners (and again Russ) who maybe weren't ready to let him make all the decisions yet, and he didn't get to hand-pick the coaches he worked with, etc. Let the man do his job and sink or swim on his own merit, where we don't have to guess if it was his decision or Buddy's, or Brandon's, or Ralph's, or the Pegula's.

 

And the fact that the media can't piece the puzzle together for themselves shows how inept they are. They focus (and get angry) about issues that just don't matter that much, like did Doug talk to Terry about wanting to get rid of Rex or why did Terry make that decision without the GM's approval. Who cares. Rex was going to get fired, we all knew it, Rex knew it and there is no way that Doug and Terry were not in agreement over that whether they talked about it or not.

 

Of course Whaley hasn't been perfect and I do believe that for at least the last three years, he has been pretty much in charge of the 53...but you can't say that the roster isn't much more talented than when he arrived. Give him a chance to do his job properly and to make his own decisions (with the Pegulas blessing of course). We might be pleasantly surprised.

Could not have articulated this any better. The clock is ticking for Whaley.

[eball]

Yes, Whaley is a bit unlikable in press conferences because he answers like a politician. But what did the media want him to say? Yes, my bosses (the Pegulas and Russ Brandon) made some horrible decisions that I didn't agree with but they overruled me. Or I didn't want Rex all along...told you so Terry and Russ. Come on. And if the owner of a company wants someone fired, he doesn't have to ask anyone else. He's the owner.

 

The positive thing to come out of all of this is Russ Brandon will not be involved anymore in the coaching search or the football operations. You want an answer for why this team has missed the playoffs for the last decade at least? It's because we haven't had a real GM, a football guy with full authority to do his job.

 

2006-2007: Marv (former coach) and Russ Brandon (marketing guy that started in baseball, not football) basically become co-GMs. Marv was obviously hired for public relations reasons and because Ralph trusted him (since Donahoe had alienated the fans, media, staff, and Ralph himself). But neither of these guys (despite Marv having been a great coach) were qualified for the position.

 

2008-2009: Marv steps down and Russ Brandon (with no coaching, playing, or scouting experience) becomes the GM and gains Ralph's trust and ear.

 

2010-2013: It is obvious that the franchise needs a football guy in the FO. They promote Nix (again trust issue stemming back to Donahoe) and bring in Whaley, an up-and-comer who is still probably too green to take over a franchise yet on his own. Russ becomes CEO. Nix is there to bring back stability, improve the roster, and groom Whaley to take over. He didn't turn the team around, but did do those 3 things (to an extent). In January of 2013, with Russ having been promoted from CEO to President (above the GM position) and Nix still as the GM, Doug Marrone is hired. This was obviously a Russ choice with the Syracuse ties, etc. And also, during Nix's tenure, Russ was the man who had Ralph's ear and probably spoke for him in the building, especially as Ralph's health continued to get worse. Then in March of 2013, just after the draft, Nix resigns and Whaley is promoted to the position with Marrone, a guy he may have agreed to, but was not his hand-picked option as his coach.

 

2014: ​Ralph dies in March. Brandon takes on de facto owner role. In November, Pegulas buy the team. And in December Marrone quits. Since the Pegulas want to observe the operation before blowing it all up, they lean heavily on Russ Brandon to get up to speed on the team and how the NFL works. Russ has been GM, CEO, President, and de facto owner, plus he was instrumental in the sale of the team to Terry. Whaley has been in his position for only 18 months and of course would want to ingratiate himself to the Pegulas to keep his job. But they are probably listening more to Russ on how things should go.

 

 

2015: Rex is hired. From all accounts, he went in and wowed Russ and the Pegulas. Terry and Kim liked him a lot and Russ was probably seeing a marketing boon (more national coverage, great press conferences, hope for the fanbase). Again, Whaley may have agreed with the decision, but Rex was not necessarily his choice. Even at the time it seemed like a Pegula/Russ choice from the reporting of it. So, again, he has to work with a coach he didn't hand pick. Rex was so eager to prove the Jets were wrong for firing him that he took the job. But if you looked at him in his last year in New York, the guy was burnt out and defeated. I know when you get burnt out at work, how long it takes to get back on track. Maybe Rex needed some time off rather than jumping into the deep waters again. Plus, because of the problems Rex had with his GM(s) in New York, he gets the Pegulas to agree that he will report to them rather than to the GM. Contrary to how most organizations function. So, Whaley is still somewhat treated as a Jr. GM, not fully in control...first under Nix, then Brandon, then with the communication structure with Rex and the Pegulas.

 

2016: ​Season does not go well, no improvement. Rex had a lot of influence over draft and player selection and adding to/changing the coaching staff with no results. The defense is bad (supposedly Rex's specialty). No doubt, especially as the hot seat warmed in the media regarding Rex, Terry and Doug had discussed what is wrong with the team including in the coaching department. But it seems as if they were going to let it play out, do their end of season evaluations, and then most likely fire Rex. Rex saw the writing on the wall, so he asked Terry straight out and in that moment Terry made the final decision then and there (an owner's perogative).

 

Doesn't seem that hard to figure out or believe or understand the decision making process (even if there were some bad decisions that turned out poorly).

 

But, from 2006 to 2016, Russ Brandon was basically GM for four years, CEO for 3 years (over Nix as GM), President and de facto owner for 2 years (over Whaley), and then President and closest advisor to the new owners for two years. His hand was heavy in both of the last two coaching choices (and possibly the last 4 coaching searches going back to Jauron). This guy, who didn't come up through any football ranks, has basically been running this team for the last decade. He may be a great executive, marketer, business man, but he should never have been involved in the football decisions (outside of possibly contracts).

 

The fact that the Pegulas were not afraid to admit Rex didn't work out and to fire him and to now remove Russ from all football decisions and actually hand the keys of the car to Whaley are all positive signs to me that they are trying to correct the problems of the last couple of years. Whaley was under Nix and Brandon for 3 years, GM for 10 months and hadn't even overseen a draft solo when Ralph passed, had to deal with new owners (and again Russ) who maybe weren't ready to let him make all the decisions yet, and he didn't get to hand-pick the coaches he worked with, etc. Let the man do his job and sink or swim on his own merit, where we don't have to guess if it was his decision or Buddy's, or Brandon's, or Ralph's, or the Pegula's.

 

And the fact that the media can't piece the puzzle together for themselves shows how inept they are. They focus (and get angry) about issues that just don't matter that much, like did Doug talk to Terry about wanting to get rid of Rex or why did Terry make that decision without the GM's approval. Who cares. Rex was going to get fired, we all knew it, Rex knew it and there is no way that Doug and Terry were not in agreement over that whether they talked about it or not.

 

Of course Whaley hasn't been perfect and I do believe that for at least the last three years, he has been pretty much in charge of the 53...but you can't say that the roster isn't much more talented than when he arrived. Give him a chance to do his job properly and to make his own decisions (with the Pegulas blessing of course). We might be pleasantly surprised.

 

Well done. I almost spent 30 minutes this morning writing essentially the same thing before I saw your post. It is understandable that the Pegulas trusted Brandon more than anyone else once they bought the team, and it shows growth as owners that they are now apparently willing to give a football man -- Whaley -- the keys to the car. It is only FAIR that Whaley finally gets a chance to choose a coach that fulfills his vision of what the team should be. It's on him, now.

[Fan in Chicago]

Reading through some of the posts here, it is evident that I am going to be in a minority here. But saw the entire 38 minute conference and think that given the current state of the Bills, this PC could not have gone any better. A few points:

- He said the Bills are aware of the leaks and will be investigating and shutting it down. Lets not kid ourselves – every organization and entity has a lot of junk being discussed at board and management meetings. The regular employees and shareholders do not and are not privy to those discussions. If there were leaks from such meetings, an outside observer may very well think that company is in disarray and there is discord among board members. That is the reason these meetings are behind closed doors. Ergo, much of the current perception about the Bills stems from random leaks that have happened. The press thiks it is a huge deal but IMHO it really isnt. Especially now that the accountabilities have been clearly laid out.

- Consider that they have just started the coaching hire. Whaley said the structure of the team going forward is unimportant to him and he just cares about winning. What he was implying is that if there is a high profile coach who wants more control of personnel and decisions, Whaley will relinquish some of his personnel power to land that guy. He cannot say anything more about the coaching search as he should not. There was a direct question about Bruce Arians saying that one of his coordinators (I missed the name) has been contacted by the Bills and Whaley confirmed it.

- Pegulas decided to fire Rex. They did not consult with Whaley. What more is there to be said about this ? It was nauseating that the press kept askign the same question again and again in an effort to bait him. He was professional, calm, did not take the bait and repeated his same answer. There was no other one to be given

- I was shocked about how few questions there were about the coaching search. I would not expect the name candidate names but I would have expected the press to ask what the key criteria are likely to be, is there preference for previous HCs etc. Precious few questions about the go-forward plan.

 

The entire line was questioning was to further this going narrative that the Bills are in disarray. Whaley calmly blunted all of that. The press, people on twitter and many of the posters are getting worked up because they didn’t get anything juicy to talk about. To me, this really is laughable how so many people are getting upset about not getting their toys.

[fridge]

Yes, Whaley is a bit unlikable in press conferences because he answers like a politician. But what did the media want him to say? Yes, my bosses (the Pegulas and Russ Brandon) made some horrible decisions that I didn't agree with but they overruled me. Or I didn't want Rex all along...told you so Terry and Russ. Come on. And if the owner of a company wants someone fired, he doesn't have to ask anyone else. He's the owner.

 

The positive thing to come out of all of this is Russ Brandon will not be involved anymore in the coaching search or the football operations. You want an answer for why this team has missed the playoffs for the last decade at least? It's because we haven't had a real GM, a football guy with full authority to do his job.

 

2006-2007: Marv (former coach) and Russ Brandon (marketing guy that started in baseball, not football) basically become co-GMs. Marv was obviously hired for public relations reasons and because Ralph trusted him (since Donahoe had alienated the fans, media, staff, and Ralph himself). But neither of these guys (despite Marv having been a great coach) were qualified for the position.

 

2008-2009: Marv steps down and Russ Brandon (with no coaching, playing, or scouting experience) becomes the GM and gains Ralph's trust and ear.

 

2010-2013: It is obvious that the franchise needs a football guy in the FO. They promote Nix (again trust issue stemming back to Donahoe) and bring in Whaley, an up-and-comer who is still probably too green to take over a franchise yet on his own. Russ becomes CEO. Nix is there to bring back stability, improve the roster, and groom Whaley to take over. He didn't turn the team around, but did do those 3 things (to an extent). In January of 2013, with Russ having been promoted from CEO to President (above the GM position) and Nix still as the GM, Doug Marrone is hired. This was obviously a Russ choice with the Syracuse ties, etc. And also, during Nix's tenure, Russ was the man who had Ralph's ear and probably spoke for him in the building, especially as Ralph's health continued to get worse. Then in March of 2013, just after the draft, Nix resigns and Whaley is promoted to the position with Marrone, a guy he may have agreed to, but was not his hand-picked option as his coach.

 

2014: ​Ralph dies in March. Brandon takes on de facto owner role. In November, Pegulas buy the team. And in December Marrone quits. Since the Pegulas want to observe the operation before blowing it all up, they lean heavily on Russ Brandon to get up to speed on the team and how the NFL works. Russ has been GM, CEO, President, and de facto owner, plus he was instrumental in the sale of the team to Terry. Whaley has been in his position for only 18 months and of course would want to ingratiate himself to the Pegulas to keep his job. But they are probably listening more to Russ on how things should go.

 

 

2015: Rex is hired. From all accounts, he went in and wowed Russ and the Pegulas. Terry and Kim liked him a lot and Russ was probably seeing a marketing boon (more national coverage, great press conferences, hope for the fanbase). Again, Whaley may have agreed with the decision, but Rex was not necessarily his choice. Even at the time it seemed like a Pegula/Russ choice from the reporting of it. So, again, he has to work with a coach he didn't hand pick. Rex was so eager to prove the Jets were wrong for firing him that he took the job. But if you looked at him in his last year in New York, the guy was burnt out and defeated. I know when you get burnt out at work, how long it takes to get back on track. Maybe Rex needed some time off rather than jumping into the deep waters again. Plus, because of the problems Rex had with his GM(s) in New York, he gets the Pegulas to agree that he will report to them rather than to the GM. Contrary to how most organizations function. So, Whaley is still somewhat treated as a Jr. GM, not fully in control...first under Nix, then Brandon, then with the communication structure with Rex and the Pegulas.

 

2016: ​Season does not go well, no improvement. Rex had a lot of influence over draft and player selection and adding to/changing the coaching staff with no results. The defense is bad (supposedly Rex's specialty). No doubt, especially as the hot seat warmed in the media regarding Rex, Terry and Doug had discussed what is wrong with the team including in the coaching department. But it seems as if they were going to let it play out, do their end of season evaluations, and then most likely fire Rex. Rex saw the writing on the wall, so he asked Terry straight out and in that moment Terry made the final decision then and there (an owner's perogative).

 

Doesn't seem that hard to figure out or believe or understand the decision making process (even if there were some bad decisions that turned out poorly).

 

But, from 2006 to 2016, Russ Brandon was basically GM for four years, CEO for 3 years (over Nix as GM), President and de facto owner for 2 years (over Whaley), and then President and closest advisor to the new owners for two years. His hand was heavy in both of the last two coaching choices (and possibly the last 4 coaching searches going back to Jauron). This guy, who didn't come up through any football ranks, has basically been running this team for the last decade. He may be a great executive, marketer, business man, but he should never have been involved in the football decisions (outside of possibly contracts).

 

The fact that the Pegulas were not afraid to admit Rex didn't work out and to fire him and to now remove Russ from all football decisions and actually hand the keys of the car to Whaley are all positive signs to me that they are trying to correct the problems of the last couple of years. Whaley was under Nix and Brandon for 3 years, GM for 10 months and hadn't even overseen a draft solo when Ralph passed, had to deal with new owners (and again Russ) who maybe weren't ready to let him make all the decisions yet, and he didn't get to hand-pick the coaches he worked with, etc. Let the man do his job and sink or swim on his own merit, where we don't have to guess if it was his decision or Buddy's, or Brandon's, or Ralph's, or the Pegula's.

 

And the fact that the media can't piece the puzzle together for themselves shows how inept they are. They focus (and get angry) about issues that just don't matter that much, like did Doug talk to Terry about wanting to get rid of Rex or why did Terry make that decision without the GM's approval. Who cares. Rex was going to get fired, we all knew it, Rex knew it and there is no way that Doug and Terry were not in agreement over that whether they talked about it or not.

 

Of course Whaley hasn't been perfect and I do believe that for at least the last three years, he has been pretty much in charge of the 53...but you can't say that the roster isn't much more talented than when he arrived. Give him a chance to do his job properly and to make his own decisions (with the Pegulas blessing of course). We might be pleasantly surprised.

Well said. This is a wonderful recounting.