DrDawkinstein Posted December 20, 2006 Posted December 20, 2006 I just see a stubbornness, and not a patience, in Mularkey. I see the opposite in Jauron, and it probably starts from the top-down with an organization that is refusing to promise anything besides hard work and progress, and again, building something. Mularkey and Donahoe just wanted the quick fix, always. If you want to blame that on fans, I think that's a mistake. Any GM making his decisions to simply try and impress fans is a fool and it will backfire. And if you want to blame it on Ralph, well, 1) he pays the bills and 2) I'd love to see some evidence. 872937[/snapback] this is all that needs to be said. especially that first sentence.
IDBillzFan Posted December 20, 2006 Posted December 20, 2006 Mularkey should be banned from ever being a HC again for the sole reason that he fired Rusty Jones.
Kelly the Dog Posted December 20, 2006 Posted December 20, 2006 To me, Mularkey's downfall was an inability to deal with all the disparate attitudes and psyches of the misfit group of players that the Bills had. Between the veterans and the young veterans and the really young guys, he flat lost the team. And that is one of the most important qualities a coach can have, equally important to hiring a staff, game-planning, and in-game decisions. He didn't excel in any of those areas last year, and the most amazing part of that was his only success, the second half of his first year, was completely and utterly tied to his stay the course philosophy. He said it, his players said it and his bosses said it. And they turned the season around because he kept on stressing to them that they had to believe in the system. So what did he do last year? He abandoned the one thing he did great in 2004. He changed course from game two (pulling Losman) on.
DrDawkinstein Posted December 20, 2006 Posted December 20, 2006 agreed, letting rusty go was one of the worst moves in our franchise's history. the effects of which, were seen immediately in injuries and players suckin wind in the 4th quarter nice move mike
East Brady Posted December 20, 2006 Posted December 20, 2006 Mularkey should be banned from ever being a HC again for the sole reason that he fired Rusty Jones. 873152[/snapback] One of the biggest screw ups in Buffalo sports history, and that is a fact. I'd bet Rusty was already on a plane headed to chi-town before Ralph even heard the news that he and Donahoe had fired the man.
Pine Barrens Mafia Posted December 20, 2006 Posted December 20, 2006 THAT would get simon to root for the fish, methinks. 872225[/snapback]
leh-nerd skin-erd Posted December 20, 2006 Posted December 20, 2006 To me, Mularkey's downfall was an inability to deal with all the disparate attitudes and psyches of the misfit group of players that the Bills had. Between the veterans and the young veterans and the really young guys, he flat lost the team. And that is one of the most important qualities a coach can have, equally important to hiring a staff, game-planning, and in-game decisions. He didn't excel in any of those areas last year, and the most amazing part of that was his only success, the second half of his first year, was completely and utterly tied to his stay the course philosophy. He said it, his players said it and his bosses said it. And they turned the season around because he kept on stressing to them that they had to believe in the system. So what did he do last year? He abandoned the one thing he did great in 2004. He changed course from game two (pulling Losman) on. 873156[/snapback] leadership is indeed the key. it's one thing for the fans (correctly or not) to be clamoring for a change, it's another to be unable (situationally or otherwise) to position yourself as a leader of the team. when you look at the roster's of many teams, you're dealing with a pretty interesting cross-section of America, and you have to have special skills to be in charge. you look at TO goofing off, f'ing around, alienating many teammates and yet he ends up on a team and has to be managed--or he manages you. you look at the tank williams story, that has to be managed (and both those guys being slapped on the wrist for respective infractions is ridiculous). you got the bengals and a 48% felony to average joe ratio. it has to be managed. it's not even so much what you do, because there are all sorts of different styles, but it has to be managed. and, where it gets ugly is when: the fans think you don't know what you're doing. you say one thing and do another. your second-in-commands are fighting. players are openly defying your direction. the owner has his nose in things. and--most of all--you're losing. i'd say a good coach in the nfl can handle the adversity attached to some of the above issues and work his way through it. but when you have all those issues in one season, coupled with a once-proud franchise that hadn't sniffed respectability in almost a decade, more often than not you become the sacrificial lamb. in retrospect, one of the biggest faults i find with MM is that he failed to see the big picture, beyond the end of his desk. case in point- in his last weeks, specualtion was rampant that he'd be gone, or that some of his staff would be gone, etc. so, they bring him in, offer him a deal straight out of "goodfellas": you whack your friends, we keep you alive a bit longer. at that point, i figure a guy responsible for a multi-million dollar organization should have been prepared enough to have an answer ranging from "f u" to "ok i'll stay and try it" and everything in between. in the end--he exhibited a lack of leadership when he needed it most. hindsight--yes, but indicative of what his problem was as hc. imo, there have a been a few success stories for coaches the second time around, and maybe he can learn and grow from it. the knock on dj in chicago was his unfailing loyalty to the oc schoop, who was not getting things done. different oc, different result--but let's remember one season does not a great hc make. hopefully, dj is the right answer and we get better next year and beyond. at least i'm enjoying the ride again.
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