Pete Posted November 21, 2005 Posted November 21, 2005 We were a much better team in 2001 then the Bengals. Then the Bengals best player signed with the Bills. Now look at the Bengals, now look at the Bills. We fugged up and should of signed Marvin Lewis
Fezmid Posted November 21, 2005 Posted November 21, 2005 We were a much better team in 2001 then the Bengals. Then the Bengals best player signed with the Bills. Now look at the Bengals, now look at the Bills. We fugged up and should of signed Marvin Lewis 509226[/snapback] That's all well and good, except (reports say) he didn't want to come here.
Pete Posted November 21, 2005 Author Posted November 21, 2005 That's all well and good, except (reports say) he didn't want to come here. 509241[/snapback] I recall quite differently. I thought Marvin Lewis was pissed off that we didnt offer him a contract then put a spin on it
RVJ Posted November 21, 2005 Posted November 21, 2005 But we still have TD drafting his type of players. So Marvin might of been fired by now.
Fezmid Posted November 21, 2005 Posted November 21, 2005 I recall quite differently. I thought Marvin Lewis was pissed off that we didnt offer him a contract then put a spin on it 509245[/snapback] Marvin, and/or his wife, didn't like the school district in Buffalo. CW
Sisyphean Bills Posted November 21, 2005 Posted November 21, 2005 I can't read minds but I suspect that Marvin Lewis wanted a lot more control than he was going to get working for Tom Donahoe. Donahoe made noises about preparation and good interviews at the time. Lewis, rumor has it, didn't want the Buffalo job cause he didn't like the Buffalo area.
Sound_n_Fury Posted November 21, 2005 Posted November 21, 2005 Did Lewis draft Carson Palmer? Palmer would make a big difference if he were the Bills QB.
Sound_n_Fury Posted November 21, 2005 Posted November 21, 2005 I recall quite differently. I thought Marvin Lewis was pissed off that we didnt offer him a contract then put a spin on it 509245[/snapback] Better get out the Nexis "wayback machine" and look at the press coverage of that whole process, then. TD was the only team to wait out the playoffs to even interview Lewis. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- REJECTIONS OF LEWIS REIGNITE NFL MINORITY HIRING; CONTROVERSY ALLEN WILSON; News Sports Reporter February 4, 2001 When the Buffalo Bills hired Tennessee Titans defensive coordinator Gregg Williams to be head coach instead of Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Marvin Lewis, it reignited the issue of minority hiring practices in the National Football League. Much of the criticism isn't necessarily directed at the Bills. After all, Bills President and General Manager Tom Donahoe did interview Lewis and former Bills defensive coordinator Ted Cottrell, who now works for the Jets. The problem is no one else spoke to Lewis, even though he topped the list of hot assistant coaches after masterminding a Ravens defense considered to be one of the best in NFL history. Detroit (Marty Mornhinweg), Washington (Marty Schottenheimer), Cleveland (Butch Davis), Kansas City (Dick Vermeil), the Jets (Herman Edwards) and the expansion Houston franchise (Dom Capers) made their choices before talking to Lewis. Edwards, formerly Tampa Bay's assistant head coach and defensive backs coach, was the only African-American. Arizona (Dave McGinnis) and Cincinnati (Dick LeBeau) both retained interim coaches with losing records. Edwards, Tampa Bay's Tony Dungy and Minnesota's Dennis Green are the only African-American coaches. There have been just six in the NFL's 80-year history. Lewis said he's not disappointed he didn't get the Bills' job, but he felt uncomfortable accepting any offer without a chance to see the area. His interview with Buffalo took place in Baltimore. Lewis told the Baltimore Sun there was pressure to take the Bills job if offered because of his race. But he didn't want it for that reason. "It had to be the right situation for me and my family," he said. "I think our people will appreciate the fact that you don't have to take every job because it is extended out there. I'm not looking at this as a negative. We just won the Super Bowl. My family is ecstatic we're staying here." "I'm happy Marvin is coming back," Ravens free safety Rod Woodson said Saturday from Hawaii. "But we all know he deserves to be a head coach in this league. It's a shame some teams didn't see it that way." Dungy suggested to Sports Illustrated Thursday the lack of head coaching opportunities for Lewis might have been racially motivated. "You would have thought more than one team out of nine (counting Arizona and Cincinnati) would say that here's a guy that should be at least talked to," Dungy said. "And you can only beg the question in your own mind: If he were white, would it have been one out of nine? I don't think so. I think it would have been more than one out of nine." Dungy's disappointment comes from having been passed over so many times in his first 15 years as an NFL assistant. Since his hire in 1996, only two African-Americans (Edwards with the Jets and Ray Rhodes in Green Bay) have filled the league's last 42 openings. Seeing retreads like Bill Belichick and Dave Wannstedt get second chances after failing elsewhere only adds to the frustration. "Here is a guy (Lewis) who constructed what may be the best defense ever, but only one out of seven or eight teams talked to him," Dungy said. "Everything happens for a reason, and Marvin will end up in a better place. But that doesn't let the league off the hook. There is something wrong with the process. It's flawed." The "flaw" is the NFL's anti-tampering policy that prohibits franchises with openings from speaking to assistants until their seasons are over. A couple of deals made during Super Bowl week in the early '90s precipitated the rule. Former Bills offensive coordinator Ted Marchibroda agreed to be Indianapolis' coach before Super Bowl XXVI. Wannstedt, the Dallas defensive coordinator, signed with Chicago before the Cowboys' victory over the Bills in Super Bowl XXVII. In January, 1995, the Carolina Panthers were the first offenders as the NFL fined them $ 150,000 and stripped them of second- and sixth-round draft picks for talking to Pittsburgh defensive coordinator Dom Capers before the Steelers' season was done. The rule certainly hurt Lewis and New York Giants defensive coordinator John Fox, who is white. The Bills were the only team that bothered to wait for both men. "The coaches that were in the Super Bowl were at a little bit of a disadvantage because of the pressure of the game and just being exhausted from the week," said Donahoe, who said he chose Williams in part because he was so prepared for his interview. "There's no question that the NFL should look at the whole situation with talking to coaches in the playoffs. There has to be a better way to do it. "In most businesses, you get rewarded for doing a good job. But in the National football League when it comes to hiring a head coach, if you're successful enough to get to the Super Bowl, you're at a disadvantage. A lot of teams won't wait for you. Most teams didn't." Dungy agrees the anti-tampering rule is unfair, but also feels teams aren't patient enough. "People get concerned about the pool drying up," he said. "They think they need to work fast, but what happens is some deserving candidates get left behind."
stuckincincy Posted November 21, 2005 Posted November 21, 2005 We were a much better team in 2001 then the Bengals. Then the Bengals best player signed with the Bills. Now look at the Bengals, now look at the Bills. We fugged up and should of signed Marvin Lewis 509226[/snapback] Probably no difference, Pete. I belive Lewis wanted to remain in division for reasons I posted elsewhere. Owner/GM Brown was constantly the subject of riducle, especially after he successfully conned the idiots in Hamilton County to give them a free stadium (and the former county commissioner who was the big proponent now has a hefty 6-figure job with the club as a "consultant"). After the public heat (no such thing happening to RW), Mikey backed off any team personnel or drafting decisions (although daughter-in-law Katie Backburn, other relations pervade the organization). The B'gals did a several things...one - long term contracts. Five years typical. Two - gutted the house. Only 11 players remain from the 2003 starting squad. There were some self-styled types with good talent, but were axed. Three, Lewis stocked the club with players he had direct experience during his tenure with BAL and WAS. Not stars, but good men who would play to the best of their abilities. Four - got a decent staff together - not perfect...I shake my head over some calls, but in the main, on offense, they don't abandon the run. On defense - same as BUF - a little too much blitzing. IND taught them a lesson, there. Five - moved down in the draft twice and picked up choices - the injured FS Madieu Williams, lb Landon Johnson, etc. Six - kept faith in Rudi Jonhson. He's an inside guy and there are no better run yards to be gotten than pounding the opposition's middle. Seven - keeps their fb, Jeremi Johnson, in the game. Nice hands, very good pass and run blocker. Eight - the coach makes the draft picks these days - a few years ago, HC Bruce Coslet - darn good coach IMO - insisted on taking up NO's offer of 8 picks. but Mikey insisted on Akili Smith (who was red meat and got thrown to the lions. Smith was a qb bust, but I won't knock him...bad situation - he was tough player). And good luck helped, too. Palmer worked out, and G Erik Steinback and K Graham fell into their lap. Michigan's rb Chris Perry, a trade-down pick, was billed as a plugger with decent hands. After his injured 1st season, he came back this year and turned out to be a decent back, and a much better pass-catcher than expected. He really helps out the OL as a sure-handed safety valve type and has kept Palmer low in sacks. Steinback is a phenomenal lineman, btw.
sweet baboo Posted November 21, 2005 Posted November 21, 2005 Marvin, and/or his wife, didn't like the school district in Buffalo.CW 509250[/snapback] that doesn't make any sense...none of the coaches would live in the city or send their kids to buffalo city schools...they'd end up living in the southtowns or if they wanted, in East Amhert and send their kids to school on Paradise Lane
BillnutinHouston Posted November 21, 2005 Posted November 21, 2005 Marvin, and/or his wife, didn't like the school district in Buffalo.CW 509250[/snapback] Who does? And how many coaches and players actually live in the City? Sounds like a cover story to me.
Buckeye Eric Posted November 21, 2005 Posted November 21, 2005 We were a much better team in 2001 then the Bengals. Then the Bengals best player signed with the Bills. Now look at the Bengals, now look at the Bills. We fugged up and should of signed Marvin Lewis 509226[/snapback] He has yet to make the playoffs. Let's then see if he can and then repeat his success next year before we start that 20-20 hindsight talk. Besides, their team has been bad for so many years that they are stacked with high draft choices and a least a few should have panned out by now
ndmanley Posted November 21, 2005 Posted November 21, 2005 We were a much better team in 2001 then the Bengals. Then the Bengals best player signed with the Bills. Now look at the Bengals, now look at the Bills. We fugged up and should of signed Marvin Lewis 509226[/snapback] Or we could have hired John Fox. TD got forced out in Pittsburgh. He didn’t want that to happen again. He wanted someone he could control and for that we got GW. I haven’t seen anyone that bewildered since Hank Bullough. Now, we have MM who could be the next Kay Stephenson. Maybe the next one will be Chuck Knox. BTW, if you watched the Steelers/Ravens game they had an interesting stat. From 2001 to 2003, the Steelers rushing offense ranked in the middle (I think 19th). The last two years they are 2nd or 3rd. They have definitely made a commitment to the run and have been successful. Hmmm! I wonder what has changed?
stuckincincy Posted November 21, 2005 Posted November 21, 2005 Besides, their team has been bad for so many years that they are stacked with high draft choices and a least a few should have panned out by now 509351[/snapback] So, we must look for a 3 to 5 year period from today for the Bills to make the playoffs...
SDS Posted November 21, 2005 Posted November 21, 2005 Or we could have hired John Fox. TD got forced out in Pittsburgh. He didn’t want that to happen again. He wanted someone he could control and for that we got GW. I haven’t seen anyone that bewildered since Hank Bullough. Now, we have MM who could be the next Kay Stephenson. Maybe the next one will be Chuck Knox. BTW, if you watched the Steelers/Ravens game they had an interesting stat. From 2001 to 2003, the Steelers rushing offense ranked in the middle (I think 19th). The last two years they are 2nd or 3rd. They have definitely made a commitment to the run and have been successful. Hmmm! I wonder what has changed? 509409[/snapback] Good grief... TD leaves Pitt in January of 2000 and you are making comparisons to their team in 2004-2005?
Sound_n_Fury Posted November 21, 2005 Posted November 21, 2005 From 2001 to 2003, the Steelers rushing offense ranked in the middle (I think 19th). The last two years they are 2nd or 3rd. They have definitely made a commitment to the run and have been successful. Hmmm! I wonder what has changed? 509409[/snapback] So TD called the plays there, too! Little did we know
ndmanley Posted November 21, 2005 Posted November 21, 2005 So TD called the plays there, too! Little did we know 509418[/snapback] I was not referring to TD. Please read again. Who was the Steelers' OC during those years?
Buftex Posted November 22, 2005 Posted November 22, 2005 Or we could have hired John Fox. TD got forced out in Pittsburgh. He didn’t want that to happen again. He wanted someone he could control and for that we got GW. I haven’t seen anyone that bewildered since Hank Bullough. Now, we have MM who could be the next Kay Stephenson. Maybe the next one will be Chuck Knox. 509409[/snapback] Wow! I would love to have the "next Chuck Knox". He is my alltime favorite Bills coach...
Sound_n_Fury Posted November 22, 2005 Posted November 22, 2005 I was not referring to TD. Please read again. Who was the Steelers' OC during those years? 509428[/snapback] Sorry, I misunderstood with all the brickbats flying around! You may be correct!
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