Did not know this...Miami Dolphins were given the option of joining the AFC South during realignment

[Big Turk]

1 minute ago, Billz4ever said:

Mediocrity is the same or worse than being bad in my book.  You're either a playoff team or you're everyone else.  Being mediocre is worse than being bad because you're not a playoff team and you're not going to get great draft picks either, which I think was part of your point there at the end.

 

Yeah...I mean look at Indy...they lose Peyton Manning, have a bunch of other injuries the next year and get the #1 pick and take Andrew Luck.  He retired early, but he was definitely a franchise QB...they replaced Manning with one single terrible year.

[dwight in philly]

1 hour ago, WhoTom said:

If I remember correctly, Mr. Wilson declined a move to the AFCN, also citing the desire to maintain rivalries.

 

Heard the same thing.. Ralph wanted the Bills as is.. (was)

Edited October 3, 2022 by dwight in philly

[Billz4ever]

1 minute ago, Big Turk said:

 

Yeah...I mean look at Indy...they lose Peyton Manning, have a bunch of other injuries the next year and get the #1 pick and take Andrew Luck.  He retired early, but he was definitely a franchise QB...they replaced Manning with one single terrible year.

Losing sucks, but in hindsight, I would've taken a couple basement finishes if it meant truly getting to rebuild this team and not suffer in the depths of mediocrity for years and being given false hope year after year that some old, tired, retread coaches, couple free agents and some uninspiring draft choices were going to be what was going to pull us out of our deep funk.

[Big Turk]

6 minutes ago, Billz4ever said:

Losing sucks, but in hindsight, I would've taken a couple basement finishes if it meant truly getting to rebuild this team and not suffer in the depths of mediocrity for years and being given false hope year after year that some old, tired, retread coaches, couple free agents and some uninspiring draft choices were going to be what was going to pull us out of our deep funk.

 

Maybe it was all meant to happen that way so we could get Josh Allen.  It seems worth it now.

[Billz4ever]

Just now, Big Turk said:

 

Maybe it was all meant to happen that way so we could get Josh Allen.  It seems worth it now.

Yeah, even though we haven't won anything yet, Josh Allen is a special player and we are lucky to have him.

[CA OC Bills Fan]

1 hour ago, WhoTom said:

If I remember correctly, Mr. Wilson declined a move to the AFCN, also citing the desire to maintain rivalries.

 

Absolutely correct. Wilson didn’t want to lose the Miami rivalry which was still big at the time. I remember I completely agreed and was thankful for his stance but now believe that was silly. Would much rather be in a rust belt division with Pittsburgh Cleveland Cincinnati.

[BADOLBILZ]

 

I think Buffalo and Miami both wanting to stay in the East is more about wanting to be part of a division with the NYC market in it.

 

Imagine how irrelevant the Bills would have become finishing 3rd or 4th every year in the AFC North for 2 decades.

 

And Miami has more in common with the NYC market than they do their true southern brethren.     

[Man with No Name]

Should still flip with Baltimore. We would form much stronger rivalries with Pitt and Cleveland almost immediately. 

 

I do understand the relevancy of the market though. 

[ArtVandalay]

4 hours ago, BuffBillsForLife said:

In a different timeline, we play in the rustbelt division with Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and Detroit.

I once realigned the NFL by mascot with a buddy of mine. If my memory serves me correct we were in the Wild West division with Cowboys, Redskins, Chiefs.

 

I'm going to have to dig this up. 

[chongli]

3 hours ago, frostbitmic said:

Atlanta used to be in the NFC West

 

Yep, and the MLB Braves too (in the NL West). And the Arizona Cardinals used to in the NFC East.

5 hours ago, Bongo said:

I always thought it made sense for Baltimore to go AFC East (then all 4 would be on the East coast) and we go to AFC North. Seems to make more sense.

 

Baltimore used to be in the East with us.

5 hours ago, Big Turk said:

During realignment in 2002 when Houston became the 32nd NFL team, Wayne Huizenga, then Dolphins owner, was given the option to join the AFC South to make it more geographically sensible, but he chose instead to maintain the old AFL Rivalries...

 

So Indianapolis got moved instead. It was bad enough to have Tom Brady in the division all those years...could you imagine if Miami left and we had to deal with Peyton Manning too??

 

https://phinphanatic.com/2019/08/08/miami-dolphins-looked-like-moved-afc-south/

 

Indy used to be in the East with us and New England.

[Big Turk]

24 minutes ago, chongli said:

 

Yep, and the MLB Braves too (in the NL West). And the Arizona Cardinals used to in the NFC East.

 

Baltimore used to be in the East with us.

 

Indy used to be in the East with us and New England.

 

Yeah I know...they were bottom feeders along with NE during the Kelly years. Jon Hand used to always seemingly hurt Kelly tho so the Colts kinda sucked.

[Reks Ryan]

From a financial standpoint Huizenga didn’t want to lose all the guaranteed ticket sales every year from NE, NY, & Bills fans visiting S. Florida.

 

Personally, I’m glad we kept the traditional rivals 

[ArtVandalay]

I get they wanted to keep rivalries together but really what should have happened is that Miami should have gone to the South,  Indy to the North, and Baltimore to the East.