The "Bickering Bills"

[Mike in Syracuse]

Some of us have been around long enough to remember the "bickering Bills". All this talk about T.O. ruining team chemistry seems to overlook the history of this organization. During the greatest run in team history we had three of the arguably biggest egos ever to set foot in RWS. We seem to have forgotten about Bruce's off season antics, the holdouts etc..

 

Levy was a master of managing egos, lets see what Jauron can do.

[BuffaloBill]

Some of us have been around long enough to remember the "bickering Bills". All this talk about T.O. ruining team chemistry seems to overlook the history of this organization. During the greatest run in team history we had three of the arguably biggest egos ever to set foot in RWS. We seem to have forgotten about Bruce's off season antics, the holdouts etc..

 

Levy was a master of managing egos, lets see what Jauron can do.

 

 

Interesting comment. Though I wonder how much of the "bickering Bills" was media hype and how much is reality. If Jauron does not turn the team into a winner quickly he is gone.

[Lofton80]

Good news is those teams won a lot of games. I thought about Bruce Smith myself when TO signed, he was a huge ego

yet loved in Buffalo. The main difference between Bruce and TO is TO will need someone distributing him the ball whereas

Bruce could just rush upfield.

[SKOOBY]

Good news is those teams won a lot of games. I thought about Bruce Smith myself when TO signed, he was a huge ego

yet loved in Buffalo. The main difference between Bruce and TO is TO will need someone distributing him the ball whereas

Bruce could just rush upfield.

 

Bruce liked to rush down the highway drunk as well.

[jwws9999]

Bruce liked to rush down the highway drunk as well.

 

 

for some reason, people seem to think chemistry is more important than talent. I think Juaron is finally waking up to that idiotic idea. most of the great teams in the past had some real questionable character, but they sure could play football

[KD in CA]

Good point Mike. I'll take egos that can produce on the field over milquetoasts who are 'good guys' any day.

[K-9]

In 1989, when the term "Bickering Bills" was coined, the team had been in a transition from the holdovers from the Knox era (Devlin, Smerlas, et al) to the younger players for a couple years. When Kelly came in he didn't take crap from anybody and wasn't afraid to get in the faces of some players. Guys like Smerlas and Devlin among others, resented the hell out of it, too.

 

The Bills also left some popular players unprotected as part of the Plan B FA concession that resulted from the 1987 strike.

 

Smith wanted more money (he could have signed with Denver who signed him to an offer), Burkett wanted more, Riddick tested positive, and that was all before the regular season started.

 

The coup de gras was when Kelly got hit (on a TD pass no less) against Indy and suffered a dislocated shoulder. He publicly blamed Ballard and then TT suggested maybe Kelly was the weakest link on the team. That locker room was a mess.

 

But, as the saying goes, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger and 1989 may bave been a blessing in disguise because that team got real tight after that.

 

GO BILLS!!!

[BillsVet]

The coup de gras was when Kelly got hit (on a TD pass no less) against Indy and suffered a dislocated shoulder. He publicly blamed Ballard and then TT suggested maybe Kelly was the weakest link on the team. That locker room was a mess.

 

But, as the saying goes, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger and 1989 may bave been a blessing in disguise because that team got real tight after that.

 

GO BILLS!!!

 

I remember watching Kelly going off the field with that dislocated shoulder in Indy. Things continued erupting that year, and it was really quite the circus, particularly after that game. But the following year Buffalo began the SB run without plenty of characters from those late eighties teams.

 

TO will behave himself this season because that one year deal is motivation enough. Jauron hopefully learned some lessons from Levy on how to manage personalities. The difference here is that Jauron doesn't have a Polian type in the front office. Brandon needs to fill that role.

[Beerball]

Some of us have been around long enough to remember the "bickering Bills". All this talk about T.O. ruining team chemistry seems to overlook the history of this organization. During the greatest run in team history we had three of the arguably biggest egos ever to set foot in RWS. We seem to have forgotten about Bruce's off season antics, the holdouts etc..

 

Levy was a master of managing egos, lets see what Jauron can do.

A desperate team made a desperation move.

 

Speaking of history when was the last time the Bills went 10 years without sniffing the playoffs?

[RJ (not THAT RJ)]

A desperate team made a desperation move.

 

Speaking of history when was the last time the Bills went 10 years without sniffing the playoffs?

 

 

They never have, though they went 13 seasons (1967-1979, inclusive) while only making the playoffs once (in 1974) while losing 10 or more games 8 times (67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 76, 77, 78) and finishing at .500 or better only three times (1973-1975). The other two years (1972 and 1979), they lost 9 games. Not once in those 13 years did the team win more than nine games in a season (they reached that level twice, in 1973 and 1974), and in ten of those years they won five or fewer.

 

Those were the leanest of the lean years, when the team often was not just mediocre, but downright putrescent, which should help put the current streak in some perspective.

 

Those also were the years in which I grew up as a Bills fan (born in 1967). They left a deep impression... rather like growing up in the Depression, which is why I tend to hoard and savor positive things and dwell as little as possible on the negative.

[My Friends Call Me Tebucky]

Definitely true, but those "Bickering Bills" were also supremely talented. You can't compare Kelly, Thurman, and Reed in his prime to Edwards, Lynch, and a still effective but past his prime guy in Owens.

 

The Bills could very well go 7-9 again, and it wouldn't be a reflection necessarily on Jauron's ability to manage egos as much as it would be a statement that A) the Bills still aren't that talented, and B) Jauron hasn't proven to be a good coach, big egos on his team or not.

[Dan]

They never have, though they went 13 seasons (1967-1979, inclusive) while only making the playoffs once (in 1974) while losing 10 or more games 8 times (67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 76, 77, 78) and finishing at .500 or better only three times (1973-1975). The other two years (1972 and 1979), they lost 9 games. Not once in those 13 years did the team win more than nine games in a season (they reached that level twice, in 1973 and 1974), and in ten of those years they won five or fewer.

 

Those were the leanest of the lean years, when the team often was not just mediocre, but downright putrescent, which should help put the current streak in some perspective.

 

Those also were the years in which I grew up as a Bills fan (born in 1967). They left a deep impression... rather like growing up in the Depression, which is why I tend to hoard and savor positive things and dwell as little as possible on the negative.

I think we could contend that our current streak of futility is coming in a close second. Since 2000, we've only won 9 games once (2004). We're also approaching our 0 fer streak against Miami, having beaten the Pats* only once in the last 7 or 8 years. Granted we've not had as many 9 or 10 loss seasons, but we're still pretty bad for the past 9 seasons.

[RJ (not THAT RJ)]

I think we could contend that our current streak of futility is coming in a close second. Since 2000, we've only won 9 games once (2004). We're also approaching our 0 fer streak against Miami, having beaten the Pats* only once in the last 7 or 8 years. Granted we've not had as many 9 or 10 loss seasons, but we're still pretty bad for the past 9 seasons.

 

 

Oh, I will certainly give it a close second. These last few years have been extremely trying. Nevertheless, as frustrating as the last nine years have been, remember that the Bills managed to hit .500 in 2000 and 2002, and 7-9, which is the source of so much anger around here these days, was considered a major step forward in Bills country in 1979....

 

I am not trying to say "you whipper-snappers don't know from pain," but I do think that historical perspective can keep people from running around saying that what is happening now is somehow completely unprecedented, or has to be the worst thing ever just because it is happening to us now.

 

Think about it: a Bills team with a young and healthy OJ Simpson went 1-13 in 1971.... and another managed to go 2-12 in a season where OJ ran for 1503 yards (1976). Yes, I know other factors intervened, but from that perspective, a couple of years where one could talk playoffs into December is some kind of progress, no?

 

That does not stop me from hoping for better days, or from criticizing bad decisions, but it keeps me from wallowing in negativity. I encourage my Bills brothers and sisters to keep that in mind.

[Dan]

Oh, I will certainly give it a close second. These last few years have been extremely trying. Nevertheless, as frustrating as the last nine years have been, remember that the Bills managed to hit .500 in 2000 and 2002, and 7-9, which is the source of so much anger around here these days, was considered a major step forward in Bills country in 1979....

 

I am not trying to say "you whipper-snappers don't know from pain," but I do think that historical perspective can keep people from running around saying that what is happening now is somehow completely unprecedented, or has to be the worst thing ever just because it is happening to us now.

 

Think about it: a Bills team with a young and healthy OJ Simpson went 1-13 in 1971.... and another managed to go 2-12 in a season where OJ ran for 1503 yards (1976). Yes, I know other factors intervened, but from that perspective, a couple of years where one could talk playoffs into December is some kind of progress, no?

 

That does not stop me from hoping for better days, or from criticizing bad decisions, but it keeps me from wallowing in negativity. I encourage my Bills brothers and sisters to keep that in mind.

I think you're completely right. Those were some bad years. Fortunately, I'm of the age that I don't quite remember them. I was just young enough to still be able to wipe them from my memory.

 

Of course, its difficult to compare eras, but with FA and the "parity" of today's NFL it's almost more difficult to see a team stay perpetually bad. In an age where the Fins can go from 1-15 to division winners in one year, the Cardinals can be in the Super Bowl, and 2 rookie QBs can make the playoffs; you have to wonder how can anyone be as bad as Detroit and Buffalo have been.

 

You do bring up an interesting point though about OJ, as great as he was what did the Bills do with all that talent? Truly amazing being a Bills fan ain't it.

[bills_fan]

Oh, I can only wish this team was the Bickering Bills....the team that won 12 games the year before and went to the AFC title game and then went onto 4 straight super bowls. Alas, I would take a 1 and done playoff appearance this year and not losing 2xs vs. NE.

[RJ (not THAT RJ)]

I think you're completely right. Those were some bad years. Fortunately, I'm of the age that I don't quite remember them. I was just young enough to still be able to wipe them from my memory.

 

Of course, its difficult to compare eras, but with FA and the "parity" of today's NFL it's almost more difficult to see a team stay perpetually bad. In an age where the Fins can go from 1-15 to division winners in one year, the Cardinals can be in the Super Bowl, and 2 rookie QBs can make the playoffs; you have to wonder how can anyone be as bad as Detroit and Buffalo have been.

 

You do bring up an interesting point though about OJ, as great as he was what did the Bills do with all that talent? Truly amazing being a Bills fan ain't it.

 

 

Yes it is... for better or worse.

[DrFishfinder]

Some of us have been around long enough to remember the "bickering Bills". All this talk about T.O. ruining team chemistry seems to overlook the history of this organization. During the greatest run in team history we had three of the arguably biggest egos ever to set foot in RWS. We seem to have forgotten about Bruce's off season antics, the holdouts etc..

 

Levy was a master of managing egos, lets see what Jauron can do.

Jauron can't manage the time clock, let alone an ego of Owensian proportions.

 

If they return to the Bickering Bills and make the playoffs, I'll be estatic. I was at the old Rockpile downtown....I remember.....