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Ten Years Since Ralph The Good, The Bad, The Weird...?


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Good:  The Beane/McDermott hires have paid off, the team has been successful, and a new stadium is on the way.   Lots of boxes checked.  

 

Bad:  The Pegulas owe the public some clarity on the present and future ownership of the team, as the CEO of the team has all but disappeared, especially in light of the taxpayer investment into the stadium.

 

Weird:  The attempt to trademark Bills Mafia by the team during the height of Covid was weird, and has always felt petty to me.

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On 6/12/2024 at 11:39 AM, corta765 said:

I got to thinking that we are closing out the tenth year since Ralph passed and the Bills were bought by the Pegulas. Many many changes have happened so figured it would be fun to chronicle and look back as a group.

 

The Good

  • The team ending the drought. It hung like a dark cloud forever and then in the most unlikely of seasons as the team was clearly in transition lightning struck and it ended in the best of fashion. The 2017 season will hold a special place to me as a fan after going through the drought and attending so many games in that period. 
  • Josh Allen being draft AND developed AND then turning into a demi god of a QB that even Chief fans fear. The fact the Bills actually did their homework and drafted a QB was cool. The fact they helped to properly develop him was honestly surprising. The fact this QB then worked to become the player he is now is truly stunning and something I will never take for granted.
  • Division titles, playoff wins, and the team turning into a perennial contender. I get it the SB win and ring is needed, but it has been awesome the last bunch of years in this time and plenty of memorable games and moments
  • The 2020 season. For those of us who were little dudes/dudettes or not born during the 90s run the idea of playing to make a SB and the energy excitement leading up to it was something we never got. 2020 was a dream season despite not being able to see it in person and after they beat BAL it was pretty surreal to know they actually were that close. Sucks they didn't close but for a lot of us it was that first feeling of "oh wow this is awesome and completely different".
  • Pegula's ownership and commitment to the team. Overall they have invested heavily in the team and facilities which constantly get rave reviews from players. The brand of the team is as strong as it ever has been which just feels other worldly. Ralph was fine and a good owner but the team was long in the tooth when the Pegula's took over just in terms of brand and being a 21st century team. They also have stayed the heck away from the team in terms of football decision for a while now other then writing checks which is all that is needed
  • The evolution of Bills Mafia to something nationally that has a real vibe and connection across the board. Winning helps of course, but it does feel like the fanbase has evolved and widen which is awesome.
  • New Stadium. Whether it ended up being a reno or a new stadium something was needed for the long term and it is nice this is done.
  • LeSean McCoy. Major shout out to him as he was just a great player to watch in his time here and was a huge reason for the drought going away.
  • McBeane. All they've done is stabilize the team and turn them into a consistent winner.
  • Helping to accelerate the Patriots decline. This was quite fun to see happen and put them down.
  • Kyle Williams getting to go to playoffs.
  • Beating Dallas on Thanksgiving

 

The Bad

  • The Rex Ryan era. Buffalo wasted two years of good talent and time with Rex who looked as though the game had passed him pretty quickly. Worse was the fact the team constantly had drama leaking out that seemed never ending.
  • 13 Seconds. I have generally avoided mentioning this much as I believe Josh and the boys will get a ring before the decade closes, but they wasted a golden opportunity with the offense at its peak because of coaching. 
  • Damar Hamlin nearly dying on the field. Happy it turned out ok, but this was just awful and it also felt like the season ended that night.
  • Aaron Williams career having to end due to injury. Yes Landry cheap shot'd him, but the game against NE in 2015 week 2 resulted in him being carted off the field in ambulance. Just as he was turning into a truly good safety his career ended short. That sucked.
  • Eric Woods career ending in it's prime. I hate we never got to see Wood with Josh as it would've been so fun. The two players I will hammer forever as wall of fame guys during the drought are Wood and K Williams.
  • The incoming PSL's which are going to alter the stadium seating and fanbase in a sizable way. The stadium will be loud still, the fans will come, but you are going to lose communities of fans who have sat together forever because of this as they move to cheaper seats or worse can't go at all. It is a crappy price the fans have to pay to keep the team as it finishes evolving to todays NFL.
  • Weather forcing home games to be moved either time or location wise.
  • The limited amount of fans who got to see the team in 2020. The team finally evolves into its best form in 30 years and maybe 10,000 people total were live in Buffalo to see them. I understand COVID and why, but still was tough.
  • Soul crushing losses to NFC teams for four years in a row. 2020 Cards Hail Mary, 2021 TB OT loss, 2022 Vikings OT loss, 2023 Eagles OT loss. Ironically after these losses the Bills went on runs the remainder of the year, but for four years in a row now the Bills have played in game of the year type games and lost.
  • Turf on Thanksgiving. Successfully took Tre White and Von who were both each playing at a high level out for the year.
  • Tre White going from future hall of famer to being cut. This one forever sucks as he had become a true all pro and his career was forever altered with the knee injuries.
  • The Raiders loss in 2014 that took the Bills out of the playoffs. This was a fun team with that defense and it fell apart at the worst time possible. Only silver lining was Marrone left then (although I think even with the playoffs he would've tried to leverage leaving anyway).

 

The Weird

  • Vontae Davis retiring at half time. Incredibly weird weird thing while somewhat funny.
  • LeSean McCoy's female only party which ended up leaking online and yeaaa god knows what was happening there
  • The start of Bills fans throwing adult toys at Tom Brady every home game from 2016 on. Again hilarious but weird
  • Bills fans gaining national recognition somewhere around 2014-15ish for just doing outlandishly insane things which includes breaking tables, setting themselves on fire, qui pro quo adult acts for jerseys, and many other things. We have a brand and part of it is apparently we are certifiably insane as a group
  • Sean McD's apparent 9/11 pump up speech on team work
  • Doug Marrone apparently meeting Tim Graham in an airport hanger to discuss his criticism of the football team and the fact he actually branded himself Saint Doug
  • Everything related to the Rex Ryan era
  • The color rush game where the NFL allowed the Bills to wear Red and the Jets green successfully making the game unviewable for those with seeing issues. Simple solution was available for this not to happen
  • Weird weird weather during the 2021 season. For some reason virtually every home game that year had incredibly strong weather ranging from a monsoon vs the Texans, hurricane winds vs NE, snow multiple times and then to finish the year the frozen playoff game vs NE. 
  • Allowing a TD against the Jets in the 2016 finale as they decided on the kick return to just not touch the ball or call a fair catch.
  • Nathan Peterman ever being a starting QB and every snap of his existence.
  • Dan Carpenter getting laser'd in the eyes on field goals in 2014 in Detroit
  • Kyle Orton's outfits
  • Why the Bills were not credited for a TD against the Texans in the 2019 playoff game on the kickoff in the 2nd half. Never has been explained fully and it has felt the refs gave Houston a favor there.
  • Both London Bills games
  • All of the Bills away games in general against Jacksonville. Just weird weird losses ranging from heart breaking London 2016, boring playoff game with zero offense 9-3 2018, whatever the heck the 2021 loss in Jags was, and last years London loss that successfully took out half the Bills defense for the year.

 

The Best

 

I disagree about McCoy.   We didn't see much greatness from him,  just the 2016 season.   Those days were mostly gone.  

 

But the 2015 and 2016 offenses he was on lead the NFL in big plays offensively with over 100 both years in addition to leading the NFL in rushing.   That was awesome to see.  They were the best offense's we'd seen since the early part of the SB run.   Everybody running the ball was gashing defense's.  It was the system.

 

In 2017 with Roman/Lynn gone.........he was a below average league per carry RB.   That team that broke the drought was the worst team to reach the playoffs from the AFC in 30 years.    It was a fluke.  Several drought teams were better.  But it was a start.   They regressed badly in 2018.......but it was something that Allen didn't have hanging over his head early in his career.

 

The Weird

 

Watching "Bills fans" appear out of the woodwork late in the lead-up to the Bills qualifying for the playoffs.    Ultimately, the more the merrier so that's why it's not a "The Bad".........but there was an enormous amount of posers who had basically tuned out for a decade or more(if they ever really had followed them team) who used the opportunity to feign an out-of-body experience on social media when the team backed into the playoffs.    Those f#ckers wouldn't even take free tickets for a December game during the drought and now were flopping around like they'd reached the promised land. :lol:

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6 hours ago, Ned Flanders said:

Ralph is cheap

A great man, from a different generation who did wonderful things for Buff and the Bills. He didn't come from money, he earned it. He risked it.

I spent many amazing days in Buffalo and Orchard Park thanks to Ralph.

Was he perfect? No!

But without him Buffalo would be Boise.

 

Will you pay for the seat license Ralph never charged.

 

 

Edited by Niagara Bill
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