How does today compare to Black Thursday Feb 10, 2000?

[BillsFanForever19]

I mean - no offense to Tre, Poyer, and Morse. Great players who were here a long time. They weren't what Bruce, Thurman, and Andre were to this franchise.

Edited March 7 by BillsFanForever19

[Doc Brown]

I can't really remember a day like this.  The closest is pry when we traded Watkins and Darby on a random Friday morning.

[BB2004]

3 hours ago, Buffalo03 said:

I still think that day was worse. That was Bruce Smith, Andre Reed and Thurman Thomas all the same day. This might be number 2 but I don't think it could ever pass that

 

I agree 100%.  That was a painful day.  Still thought we should have kept Bruce.

[JerseyBills]

I'm just seeing the news, while I agree, I'm speechless, also had no idea that happened in 1 day. Wow. I'm upset Poyer,Hyde,White won't get a ring here, can't imagine how that felt for yall. 

[Buffalo03]

52 minutes ago, BB2004 said:

 

I agree 100%.  That was a painful day.  Still thought we should have kept Bruce.

Me as well. And then watching Thurman go to Miami? It hurt

[BobbyC81]

4 hours ago, jlgarsh said:

They should have kept Bruce

Last I saw of him, at a HOF induction ceremony, he looked like he could still play.

[holla83]

5 hours ago, Buffalo03 said:

Me as well. And then watching Thurman go to Miami? It hurt

Thurman going to Miami was brutal but I understand his side of it. If I remember correctly, he found out he'd been released from ESPN before anyone from the team had let him know. He was pissed! He said that if the the team had come to him and told him they couldn't afford him, he would have retired.

4 hours ago, BobbyC81 said:

Last I saw of him, at a HOF induction ceremony, he looked like he could still play.

I saw him speak at a fundraiser in Corning in June. He still looks like he could play. So does Andre

[skibum]

In both cases, the cuts were more or less expected. The differences are: Bruce/Andre/Thurman were Bills a LOT longer than anyone cut yesterday, and they were all HOF players. Also, the 2000 cuts kicked off more of a proper rebuild - the team was not really built to carry on the success of the previous generation, and it was going to take some time to get back to being good (didn't think it would take THAT long...). This year, I feel there is still a really good team in place even after the cuts. 

[stuvian]

in 2000, i didn't have a drawer full of useless Covid masks

[st pete gogolak]

Bills eventually recovered from Black Thursday (granted it took 20 years 🥲).  Sabres still looking to recover from the day they lost Drury and Briere.

[Freddie's Dead]

Absolutely no comparison.  Three HOF'ers released on the same day, vs. some HOVG'ers.

[T master]

Well seeing as none of the players will be in the HOF that were released i'm thinking it's nothing close to releasing those that you mentioned, good players and they did the Bills solid but nothing like that day .

 

All 3 you mentioned should have if for nothing else out of respect for what they did for the Bills been allowed to retire in a Bills uni ! That was one of a few things Ralph did that was pretty dum in his days as our owner . But can't change them now so on to the future !! 

 

And thanks to all those players released for what they gave the Bills much respect to them all !! 

 

Hyde & Poyer should be among the first on the Bills WOF in the new stadium !! 

[Your Brown Eye]

It does not compare.

[amprov56]

16 hours ago, Buffalo03 said:

I still think that day was worse. That was Bruce Smith, Andre Reed and Thurman Thomas all the same day. This might be number 2 but I don't think it could ever pass that

Agree, Bruce and Andre both started in 1985, Thurmon in 1988, all three well over ten years and all HOFers. Definitely the end of a winning era.

[dgrochester55]

Yesterday hurt a bit, but those releases in 2000 signified the end of an era.  As good as Poyer, White, and Morse are, no one would see them at the hall-of-fame level as Smith, Reed, and Thomas.   Something like Allen, Diggs, and Milano might be a more apt comparison.  Even then,  It does not compare because this group has not accomplished anything near four straight Super Bowls.

A second factor to add is what happened after.  Those cuts don't sting as much if Buffalo makes the Super Bowls or even the playoffs shortly after.  There were no playoffs until 2017, which adds to the significance of those moves.

The recent releases were in decline and in positions that could easily be replaced.  I will miss them, but I am confident we can replace them based on our depth and the number of draft picks that we have.

 

 

[nedboy7]

Once they released Deonte, yes we hit that mark. 

[BillsPride12]

I get why people wanna make the comparison but two completely different situations in my opinion 

[TheFunPolice]

Sal C keeps making the rounds on sports shows making this comparison, and honestly I find it a little embarrassing to listen to.

 

Look, I love Josh Allen and the Bills, but this team hasn't accomplished jack squat. Zilch. It's a step above Denver's purge, because these guys played in some playoff games. 

 

Time passes and people forget just how incredible those 90's Bills team were, loaded with HOF players and borderline HOF guys, with a HOF coach and HOF GM (for the beginning of the run). 

 

4 straight Super Bowls vs losing in the Divisional round every year. It is not the same. 

 

Edited March 7 by TheFunPolice

[Jauronimo]

I am going to be sick the first time I see Siran Neal wearing a different team's jersey...

[Jauronimo]

Feb 2000 was officially the end of a competitive era and the signaling of a total rebuild.  Players who everyone thought would retire as Bills were unceremoniously cut. It was the hard realization that the sun had totally set on the super bowl era Bills.  What would come was anybody's guess (hint, it was bad).

 

Tuesday was another day.  Anyone of those moves considered alone would have been unsurprising.  Most of the shock was due to the manner in which the news dropped.  No windows have closed.  This may be a setback and there will likely be growing pains but the 2024-2025 Buffalo Bills will remain AFC East division favorites and super bowl contenders.