Bucky Gleason Leaving TBN After Requesting a Buyout - Jerry Sullivan and Now Tim Graham Out

[PromoTheRobot]

23 minutes ago, dave mcbride said:

Good stuff; thanks for posting. My big takeaway is that cutting  back on, well, everything won't make the paper better. Not surprisingly, it'll make it worse. 

 

I certainly do wonder about the Pegulas' role in all of this. Say what you will about Ralph, but he regularly granted interviews to Sullivan, who was clearly a thorn in the franchise's side. 

 

I'm not sure how to take the last part. Is the writer hinting that the Pegulas have a hand in this? Is that evidence-based or just meant to sow suspission?

[dave mcbride]

2 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

 

I'm not sure how to take the last part. Is the writer hinting that the Pegulas have a hand in this? Is that evidence-based or just meant to sow suspission?

He wonders; that's all. He doesn't say it specifically but mentions that the paper needs new clients for its printing business. Anyway it's speculation. 

[bbb]

Regarding this "cheerleader" talk - I just want to point out that there is a huge chasm between cheerleader and Bucky/Sully.  People like Gaughan, Felser, Kelley were never at either extreme.

 

And, what I think got me the most was that they could be writing a column about the Olympics and somehow get a shot in on the local teams.  They did this all the time. 

[PromoTheRobot]

15 minutes ago, dave mcbride said:

He wonders; that's all. He doesn't say it specifically but mentions that the paper needs new clients for its printing business. Anyway it's speculation. 

 

But it's also how you stir the pot.

[Peter]

47 minutes ago, dave mcbride said:

Good stuff; thanks for posting. My big takeaway is that cutting  back on, well, everything won't make the paper better. Not surprisingly, it'll make it worse. 

 

I certainly do wonder about the Pegulas' role in all of this. Say what you will about Ralph, but he regularly granted interviews to Sullivan, who was clearly a thorn in the franchise's side. 

 

Did you ever see the end of year Sabres press conference a few years ago when Darcy and Ted Black were still with the team when the buffoons from TBN embarrassed themselves?

 

Have you read the column wherein Sully insinuated that Terry's wealth was just dumb luck or when Sully suggested that Terry was a racist or Bucky's columns in which he suggested that Kim essentially was only good enough to pick out the color of the drapes?

 

When the agenda of certain people is to destroy, is it any wonder that one would choose not to do interviews with them?

 

Is it any wonder that Vic (who typically is fair) got the recent interview with Kim or that Tim Graham seems to be about the only one with enough access to actually break some sports news at the Buffalo News?

 

Hmmm.

[dubs]

I hope this is contagious and extends to WGR. Schoop needs to go. I don’t like to wish ill fortune on anyone but he’s just terrible to listen to in my opinion.  Would be nice to have a decent afternoon Buffalo sports show on the radio. 

[dave mcbride]

29 minutes ago, Peter said:

 

Did you ever see the end of year Sabres press conference a few years ago when Darcy and Ted Black were still with the team when the buffoons from TBN embarrassed themselves?

 

Have you read the column wherein Sully insinuated that Terry's wealth was just dumb luck or when Sully suggested that Terry was a racist or Bucky's columns in which he suggested that Kim essentially was only good enough to pick out the color of the drapes?

 

When the agenda of certain people is to destroy, is it any wonder that one would choose not to do interviews with them?

 

Is it any wonder that Vic (who typically is fair) got the recent interview with Kim or that Tim Graham seems to be about the only one with enough access to actually break some sports news at the Buffalo News?

 

Hmmm.

See my post a few pages previously for why I really think they're out. 

[KennyDavisEyes]

3 hours ago, john wawrow said:

 

 

No. They’re my friends, whom I look up to and respect.

They asked the sometimes necessary and difficult questions as opposed to some of the pom-pom wavers in the room.

It was Bucky who asked Whaley what he does exactly during to “not privy” news conference.

It was Jerry who led the questioning on the Peterman experiment.

Now there are fewer in the room to ask those questions and maintain a semblance of accountability.

Unless, of course, you prefer the root, root for the home team propaganda you get from Murph.

 

jw

 

Guess you’ll have to pick up their snark... err slack then, wontchya?

[Fadingpain]

43 minutes ago, Peter said:

 

Did you ever see the end of year Sabres press conference a few years ago when Darcy and Ted Black were still with the team when the buffoons from TBN embarrassed themselves?

 

Have you read the column wherein Sully insinuated that Terry's wealth was just dumb luck or when Sully suggested that Terry was a racist or Bucky's columns in which he suggested that Kim essentially was only good enough to pick out the color of the drapes?

 

When the agenda of certain people is to destroy, is it any wonder that one would choose not to do interviews with them?

 

Is it any wonder that Vic (who typically is fair) got the recent interview with Kim or that Tim Graham seems to be about the only one with enough access to actually break some sports news at the Buffalo News?

 

Hmmm.

Pegula's wealth is largely a function of luck; that's how that business tends to work.  He has also made some public comments that are borderline racist.  That was before his handlers quickly muzzled him.

 

We don't really him speak very much anymore, do we?

 

Kim has zero experience or credentials to be running two major sports franchises.  None.

 

To suggest that she would even remotely be considered a candidate for the position, were she not the owner's wife, is absurd.  

 

Do you want the paper to spoon feed you rainbows, or provide opinion/perspective?

 

 

 

 

[dubs]

3 hours ago, john wawrow said:

 

 

No. They’re my friends, whom I look up to and respect.

They asked the sometimes necessary and difficult questions as opposed to some of the pom-pom wavers in the room.

It was Bucky who asked Whaley what he does exactly during to “not privy” news conference.

It was Jerry who led the questioning on the Peterman experiment.

Now there are fewer in the room to ask those questions and maintain a semblance of accountability.

Unless, of course, you prefer the root, root for the home team propaganda you get from Murph.

 

jw

 

I appreciate you chiming I’m here JW. 

 

There are a couple things in this statement that I respectfully disagree with. First, the holding accountable part. I’m not really sure that’s the role of the reporters. We are not talking about government or corrupt medical companies here. This is a sports team and the results pretty much speak for themselves. Fans ultimately can and should hold the team accountable and it’s pretty easy to see whether or not there is anything to be held accountable for, a W-L record over a feed years. 

 

Second, reporting doesn’t have to be a binary thing. Either tough on the team and honest or easy on the team and dishonest. I don’t mind tough reporting, in fact it’s a good thing. However their columns and tv show consistently seemed to be filled with snark, condescension and a know better attitude. That’s what turned me off and I’d bet most people that were turned off by them. 

 

Anyway, just one mans opinion here. Much respect!  ✊ 

5 minutes ago, Fadingpain said:

Pegula's wealth is largely a function of luck; that's how that business tends to work.  He has also made some public comments that are borderline racist.  That was before his handlers quickly muzzled him.

 

We don't really him speak very much anymore, do we?

 

Kim has zero experience or credentials to be running two major sports franchises.  None.

 

To suggest that she would even remotely be considered a candidate for the position, were she not the owner's wife, is absurd.  

 

Do you want the paper to spoon feed you rainbows, or provide opinion/perspective?

 

 

 

 

 

Luck maybe, but also risk taking. Calculated risk taking is way undervalued and often more important that being the smartest person in the room. 

 

And they own the teams so they can do what they want. You may not like it, but that’s how it works. They don’t owe fans anything and we don’t owe them anything. You don’t like Kim being appointed to president, don’t support the team. 

[eball]

11 hours ago, GunnerBill said:

 

I would say I probably agreed with him less... maybe around half of the time... but even when I agreed I never thought he was a good read. Tim Graham I always think is a good read even when I disagree. 

 

I actually agree with this. When Graham isn’t making fun of fans on Twitter he writes reasonably well. Sullivan always took the lazy way out. 

[PromoTheRobot]

42 minutes ago, Fadingpain said:

Pegula's wealth is largely a function of luck; that's how that business tends to work.  He has also made some public comments that are borderline racist.  That was before his handlers quickly muzzled him.

 

We don't really him speak very much anymore, do we?

 

Kim has zero experience or credentials to be running two major sports franchises.  None.

 

To suggest that she would even remotely be considered a candidate for the position, were she not the owner's wife, is absurd.  

 

Do you want the paper to spoon feed you rainbows, or provide opinion/perspective?

 

 

 

 

 

You seem to have your opinions formed.

 

As for Terry's wealth, he has a degree in geology and an understanding of where to find trapped gas. So it was hardly winning the lottery.

 

But don't let me alter your opinion.

[Delete This Account]

23 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

 

You seem to have your opinions formed.

 

As for Terry's wealth, he has a degree in geology and an understanding of where to find trapped gas. So it was hardly winning the lottery.

 

But don't let me alter your opinion.

 

So, you’re saying, everyone with a geology degree is worth some $4 billion. 

Theyre finding gas and oil and gold and diamonds left and right and hand over fist.

And all we all needed to do was simply major in geology and we’d all be mega-billionaires, because that seems to be what you’re implying.

 

Gees, I’ve gotta get me back to school, then, because this sounds like a sure shot.

 

jw

Edited May 30, 2018 by john wawrow

[JohnC]

4 hours ago, K-9 said:

If you’re referring to Marrone and Rex, the term “buyout” doesn’t apply.

I'm referring to Marrone and Malarky. Marrone had a clause that gave him an exit with a set amount of money if he chose to exercise it by a certain time.  

[oldmanfan]

8 minutes ago, john wawrow said:

 

So, you’re saying, everyone with a geology degree is worth some $4 billion. 

Theyre finding gas and oil and gold and diamonds left and right and hand over fist.

And all we all needed to do was simply major in geology and we’d all be mega-billionaires, because that seems to be what you’re implying.

 

Gees, I’ve gotta get me back to school, then, because this sounds like a sure shot.

 

jw

John:  

 

i have always liked and appreciated your reporting.  And I understand you must be upset over having two guys you consider friends being released from the News.  I get that.

 

But I want you to stop and read what you just wrote.  Look at it with a critical eye.  Is anyone saying anyone with a geology degree is worth 4 billion?  The poster responded to someone saying Terry was just lucky, which is an absolutely ridiculous statement.  

 

You response is the same same kind of smarminess that I objected to with Sullivan and Gleason.  Each of them could write very well, but when it came to the Bills and Sabres out came the juvenile sarcasm, the cheap shots, the personal attacks.  And that to me is not professional journalism.

 

Is it to you?

[JohnC]

5 hours ago, Limeaid said:

 

What I find befuddling is degree that those of us, those that think they were a cancerous boil on Buffalo News and like a bad apple in a barrel it ruined the rest of news, bother you.  Can YOU just not ignore since this is your advice?

 

It reflected badly on the Buffalo News that the  columns were being published. Note it was not only in columns they were in. They were in news conferences and it is hard to just ignore them in them.  It reflected on outside view of Buffalo since these type of columns were often cited.  They helped turn Bills into a joke IMO and frankly they should have been treated as opposition press.

The Bills were not considered a serious organization because of the subpar performances on the field for a generation. The  product on the field spoke for itself. No reporting whether by sheepish hometown reporters or harsh critics could hide how the team performed. 

[The Frankish Reich]

That Jerry incognito name - abillsfanwhoknowshowtospell - was pretty funny. And he could write. He had style, although the constant press to produce “content” drives even the good ones into putting out formulaic crap. When I think about which sports or news writers to read, I find that this is now my key factor: can he write in an entertaining style? For a long time it’s why I subscribed to the Wall Street Journal and not The NY Times, despite the fact that my politics tend somewhat more toward the latter. The WSJ has Brett Stephens and Holman Jenkins and other preppy jackasses who could always come up with a clever/insightful phrase. It also had James Taranto lurking behind the scenes adding his quips. Meanwhile the NYT had those leaden/lifeless editorials and Tom Friedman cliches. They’ve now stolen Stephens and others, and they’re worth reading again. So if the BN model is cheapo content for $2.99 a month (“Lorenzo Alexander won’t eat a piece of chicken without weighing it to the gram first”) there’s really zero attraction. You can (and they do) hire any 23 year old to crank that crap out. Did I agree with Sully most of the time? No. Did he at least offer the hope of an entertaining and occasionally insightful use of my 5 minutes at breakfast? Yep. He’ll be missed if only because the alternative is so incredibly bland. Don’t kid yourselves, this is about going bare minimum cheap in a last ditch effort to save the BN. It isn’t a pretty way to die. 

[Delete This Account]

23 minutes ago, oldmanfan said:

John:  

 

i have always liked and appreciated your reporting.  And I understand you must be upset over having two guys you consider friends being released from the News.  I get that.

 

But I want you to stop and read what you just wrote.  Look at it with a critical eye.  Is anyone saying anyone with a geology degree is worth 4 billion?  The poster responded to someone saying Terry was just lucky, which is an absolutely ridiculous statement.  

 

You response is the same same kind of smarminess that I objected to with Sullivan and Gleason.  Each of them could write very well, but when it came to the Bills and Sabres out came the juvenile sarcasm, the cheap shots, the personal attacks.  And that to me is not professional journalism.

 

Is it to you?

 

So you’re suggesting there was no element of luck involved. Not one iota. Out of thousands of people who have geology degrees, Terry just happened to have the knowledge to know exactly where to drill. And on the first shot no less.

Look, I’m not discounting the hard work, skill and endless hours it took Terry to build his business.

That said, this suggestion if there being no luck involved is both naive and preposterous.

As with anything, there was an element of luck and being in the right place at the right time to this.

 

But Robot seems to claim that simply having a geology degree is all it took.

 

Puh-leeze 

 

jw

[K-9]

35 minutes ago, JohnC said:

I'm referring to Marrone and Malarky. Marrone had a clause that gave him an exit with a set amount of money if he chose to exercise it by a certain time.  

Yes, Marrone had an opt out clause and Malarkey resigned. In neither case did the Bills exercise a buy out. I’m a stickler for details, what can I say.

[Lurker]

53 minutes ago, john wawrow said:

 

So, you’re saying, everyone with a geology degree is worth some $4 billion. 

 

Nope.  Not everyone.   Just the talented risk takers....