You gotta love the flutie magic

[C.Biscuit97]

Broken play & you run for your life, just as all of us did in peewee when the play broke down. It was a 3 yard run and the OLB lost containment....oh boy, magical!

Should we look up every guy who ever scored a winning TD for the Bills and start a thread for him too?

 

 

Except when Flutie did it, he won a Heisman, was one of the greatest players in the CFL ever, and was a NFL pro bowler. All at size smaller than the majority of posters on this board.

 

But other than that, it was exactly like when you played pee wee football.

[2020 Our Year For Sure]

I honestly didn't know there were Bills fans who didn't like Doug Flutie until I joined this board. It just doesn't make any sense to me.

[extrahammer]

I've never been impressed with trolls running around on a football field. Flutie never made it big in the NFL because he wasn't good enough. The guy has a cult following that I'll never understand.

 

He was a Pro Bowler. He led the Bills to the playoffs both years he started. That's more than any other quarterback besides Jim Kelly can say for the Bills.

 

Ralphie got all jittered when RJ ran up the score on an Indy team that was playing for nothing and demanded RJ be the starter next week in the Wildcards since he had more money ($1 million) invested in RJ.

 

That was one of the first signs we should have realized Ralphie has a tendency to jump the gun. Most recent case with Jauron's extension after the 4-0 start.

 

Was Flutie the best quarterback in the league? Hell no. Was he the best available quarterback with the Bills? Hellz yeah.

[Coach55]

To further your point Gordio here are the facts:

 

Flutie signed with the Bills as a free agent and shortly afterwards the team traded for Rob Johnson. The Bills started the 1998 Season 0-3 with Rob Johnson at quarterback. After a week 6 injury to Johnson the Bills installed Flutie as the starter. He led them to an 8-3 finish and the playoffs. Technically he should have been 9-3 as he won in week 6 in a game which Johnson started but didn't throw a pass.

 

Some people blame Flutie for losing that road playoff game in Miami even though he threw for 360 yards and had them knocking at the door at the end. He was sacked by Trace Armstrong and fumbled the ball. However before that play there were several horrible officiating calls which screwed the Bills. That was one of the most exciting and heart-wrenching Bills games in memory.

 

In 1999, despite being less statistically effective at quarterback than the season before, Flutie led the team to a 9-6 record and a second consecutive playoff berth. To protect him from injury, Flutie did not start the week 17 game against Indy. Johnson started and won the regular season finale. For reasons known only to the organization, the Bills decided to start Rob Johnson against the Tennessee Titans. It may be unprecedented in major pro sports that a team has so completely disrespected and emasculated a player who has done so much for them. Of course we lost the game due to the "Music City Miracle." We have not made the playoffs since.

 

The following season, 2000, Flutie was relegated to backup but started 5 games due to injuries to Rob Johnson. Flutie's record in those games was 4-1. Geez what a dropoff in effectiveness (sarcasm)!

 

From 1998 till 2000, Flutie's record as Bills starter was 22-11. It should actually be 23-11.

 

From 1998 till 2000, Johnson's record as Bills starter (with essentially the same team around him) was actually 7-10. His record should actually be 6-10.

 

Oh yeah, and in 1998 when the Bills were not selling enough preferred seating to trigger a lease extension, Flutie saved the Bills with his stretch run and tickets started selling like hotcakes, extending the lease and saving the Bills near term future in Buffalo. In other words, he saved the franchise.

 

His detractors typically point to two things:

 

1) He was a "midget." Give me a midget who wins games. These are the same people calling Trent Edwards a "noodle-armed quarterback." Fine you guys can have Rob Johnson and Kyle Boller (guys who are 6'4" and can throw 60 yards from there knees). Personally I'll take a guy who does whatever it takes to win, even if it's winning ugly. Guys like Flutie, Jeff Garcia, and Fran Tarkenton are the types of players (excellent QBs) who a huge portion of football fans will never embrace because they're hung up on what they think an NFL quarterback is supposed to look like.

 

2) He was divisive and not a good teammate. Look, the guy was disrespected and doubted his entire pro career. He was exiled to Canada because of the prejudice against small quarterbacks. He was kicked in the mouth by the Bills when he was benched for the Tennessee playoff game. He was treated like crap after he saved the franchise. I think I'd be a little bit bitter too. And what of Rob Johnson's role in dividing the team? Was he a good teammate? Was he conciliatory and did he support Flutie when doing so would have been best for the team? No. He sulked and withdrew like the coward that he is.

 

Flutie was maligned by the media who were put off by his ego and the chip on his shoulder. When his popularity waned, he was not helped by his icy relationship with the media. This trickled down to reportage and then to public opinion.

 

Doug Flutie is perhaps the least-appreciated athlete in Buffalo sports history. On no subject are more Bills fans more wrong than on their negative view of Flutie's time here.

Amen.

[extrahammer]

I remember a TV shot of that game when Thurman ran onto the field flipping the bird. Very intense game.

[QB Bills]

To further your point Gordio here are the facts:

 

Flutie signed with the Bills as a free agent and shortly afterwards the team traded for Rob Johnson. The Bills started the 1998 Season 0-3 with Rob Johnson at quarterback. After a week 6 injury to Johnson the Bills installed Flutie as the starter. He led them to an 8-3 finish and the playoffs. Technically he should have been 9-3 as he won in week 6 in a game which Johnson started but didn't throw a pass.

 

Some people blame Flutie for losing that road playoff game in Miami even though he threw for 360 yards and had them knocking at the door at the end. He was sacked by Trace Armstrong and fumbled the ball. However before that play there were several horrible officiating calls which screwed the Bills. That was one of the most exciting and heart-wrenching Bills games in memory.

 

In 1999, despite being less statistically effective at quarterback than the season before, Flutie led the team to a 9-6 record and a second consecutive playoff berth. To protect him from injury, Flutie did not start the week 17 game against Indy. Johnson started and won the regular season finale. For reasons known only to the organization, the Bills decided to start Rob Johnson against the Tennessee Titans. It may be unprecedented in major pro sports that a team has so completely disrespected and emasculated a player who has done so much for them. Of course we lost the game due to the "Music City Miracle." We have not made the playoffs since.

 

The following season, 2000, Flutie was relegated to backup but started 5 games due to injuries to Rob Johnson. Flutie's record in those games was 4-1. Geez what a dropoff in effectiveness (sarcasm)!

 

From 1998 till 2000, Flutie's record as Bills starter was 22-11. It should actually be 23-11.

 

From 1998 till 2000, Johnson's record as Bills starter (with essentially the same team around him) was actually 7-10. His record should actually be 6-10.

 

Oh yeah, and in 1998 when the Bills were not selling enough preferred seating to trigger a lease extension, Flutie saved the Bills with his stretch run and tickets started selling like hotcakes, extending the lease and saving the Bills near term future in Buffalo. In other words, he saved the franchise.

 

His detractors typically point to two things:

 

1) He was a "midget." Give me a midget who wins games. These are the same people calling Trent Edwards a "noodle-armed quarterback." Fine you guys can have Rob Johnson and Kyle Boller (guys who are 6'4" and can throw 60 yards from there knees). Personally I'll take a guy who does whatever it takes to win, even if it's winning ugly. Guys like Flutie, Jeff Garcia, and Fran Tarkenton are the types of players (excellent QBs) who a huge portion of football fans will never embrace because they're hung up on what they think an NFL quarterback is supposed to look like.

 

2) He was divisive and not a good teammate. Look, the guy was disrespected and doubted his entire pro career. He was exiled to Canada because of the prejudice against small quarterbacks. He was kicked in the mouth by the Bills when he was benched for the Tennessee playoff game. He was treated like crap after he saved the franchise. I think I'd be a little bit bitter too. And what of Rob Johnson's role in dividing the team? Was he a good teammate? Was he conciliatory and did he support Flutie when doing so would have been best for the team? No. He sulked and withdrew like the coward that he is.

 

Flutie was maligned by the media who were put off by his ego and the chip on his shoulder. When his popularity waned, he was not helped by his icy relationship with the media. This trickled down to reportage and then to public opinion.

 

Doug Flutie is perhaps the least-appreciated athlete in Buffalo sports history. On no subject are more Bills fans more wrong than on their negative view of Flutie's time here.

What a great post.

 

I used to think I was missing something on why Bills fans hated Flutie. The problem is, people who don't like him have football tunnel-vision. To them, it's not about whether you win but how you win. Flutie was an unconventional QB who seemed like he was winging it, but nothing could be further from the truth. His record/stats in his two years here prove that.

 

Also, anyone who thinks he was 5'10 is kidding themselves. He used to practice at my school when he was on the Argos. He's no more than 5'8 tops. Probably shorter than that.

[The Senator]

To further your point Gordio here are the facts:

 

Flutie signed with the Bills as a free agent and shortly afterwards the team traded for Rob Johnson. The Bills started the 1998 Season 0-3 with Rob Johnson at quarterback. After a week 6 injury to Johnson the Bills installed Flutie as the starter. He led them to an 8-3 finish and the playoffs. Technically he should have been 9-3 as he won in week 6 in a game which Johnson started but didn't throw a pass.

 

Some people blame Flutie for losing that road playoff game in Miami even though he threw for 360 yards and had them knocking at the door at the end. He was sacked by Trace Armstrong and fumbled the ball. However before that play there were several horrible officiating calls which screwed the Bills. That was one of the most exciting and heart-wrenching Bills games in memory.

 

In 1999, despite being less statistically effective at quarterback than the season before, Flutie led the team to a 9-6 record and a second consecutive playoff berth. To protect him from injury, Flutie did not start the week 17 game against Indy. Johnson started and won the regular season finale. For reasons known only to the organization, the Bills decided to start Rob Johnson against the Tennessee Titans. It may be unprecedented in major pro sports that a team has so completely disrespected and emasculated a player who has done so much for them. Of course we lost the game due to the "Music City Miracle." We have not made the playoffs since.

 

The following season, 2000, Flutie was relegated to backup but started 5 games due to injuries to Rob Johnson. Flutie's record in those games was 4-1. Geez what a dropoff in effectiveness (sarcasm)!

 

From 1998 till 2000, Flutie's record as Bills starter was 22-11. It should actually be 23-11.

 

From 1998 till 2000, Johnson's record as Bills starter (with essentially the same team around him) was actually 7-10. His record should actually be 6-10.

 

Oh yeah, and in 1998 when the Bills were not selling enough preferred seating to trigger a lease extension, Flutie saved the Bills with his stretch run and tickets started selling like hotcakes, extending the lease and saving the Bills near term future in Buffalo. In other words, he saved the franchise.

 

His detractors typically point to two things:

 

1) He was a "midget." Give me a midget who wins games. These are the same people calling Trent Edwards a "noodle-armed quarterback." Fine you guys can have Rob Johnson and Kyle Boller (guys who are 6'4" and can throw 60 yards from there knees). Personally I'll take a guy who does whatever it takes to win, even if it's winning ugly. Guys like Flutie, Jeff Garcia, and Fran Tarkenton are the types of players (excellent QBs) who a huge portion of football fans will never embrace because they're hung up on what they think an NFL quarterback is supposed to look like.

 

2) He was divisive and not a good teammate. Look, the guy was disrespected and doubted his entire pro career. He was exiled to Canada because of the prejudice against small quarterbacks. He was kicked in the mouth by the Bills when he was benched for the Tennessee playoff game. He was treated like crap after he saved the franchise. I think I'd be a little bit bitter too. And what of Rob Johnson's role in dividing the team? Was he a good teammate? Was he conciliatory and did he support Flutie when doing so would have been best for the team? No. He sulked and withdrew like the coward that he is.

 

Flutie was maligned by the media who were put off by his ego and the chip on his shoulder. When his popularity waned, he was not helped by his icy relationship with the media. This trickled down to reportage and then to public opinion.

 

Doug Flutie is perhaps the least-appreciated athlete in Buffalo sports history. On no subject are more Bills fans more wrong than on their negative view of Flutie's time here.

Have to agree with 99.9% of this - all save for

 

"He was exiled to Canada because of the prejudice against small quarterbacks."

 

JMO - but he was exiled to Canada because he crossed the picket line in '87. He was traded from the Bears to the Cheatriettes* in '87 with the [Cheatriettes*-imposed] condition that he would cross the picket line that strike season, which he did, and charges that he was a 'scab' dogged him for years thereafter.

 

Again, JMO. Personally, I liked the lousy scab. Thought he was way better than that fruitcake Rob Johnson.

[Steely Dan]

How could you look at those stats & say his 2nd season in Buffalo was better then his first? You realize he only started 10 games in his first year & 15 in his 2nd year right?

 

As far as Flutie goes, I never understood the hatred by Bills fans for the guy, the same Bills fans that will go to their grave supporting guys like Rob Johnson & JP Losman. He really was the last winning QB the bills ever had. You could say he had a great team around him but keep this in mind. The three years he was here I believe he had a 23-12 record with the bills. Rob Johnson with that same team had I believe a 6-8 record with the bills. I am not going to lie to you, back in the day I was an RJ guy, but over the years I have seen the errors of my ways & it is one of the reasons I was so quick to turn on Losman. i seen his act before & knew he was never going to get it. Plus, Flutie had his hand in saving the franchise when he gave the team that spark after getting of to an 0-3 start by spurring interest(particularly Canadian interest) in buying the club seats.

 

I am not saying that the Flute was a hall of famer, but there have been alot worse qbs that have come thru here since kelly retired & it seems like there is still alot of hatred among fans for the only winning qb we had here since Kelly retired.

 

My disgust with Flutie has more to do with his fans than him and he was a self serving little prick. His fans treated him like Mother Theresa. He could do no wrong. They kissed the ground he walked on. They were so maniacal in their defense of him that they became annoying jokes. You can only take so much godlike worship before becoming annoyed.

 

 

There's hatred among fans because he was a self serving prick. He reaped the accolades when we won and pointed the finger at others when we lost. He was a media whore who pouted like a little baby when he got benched and started a coup in the locker room in an effort to get his job back. Thruout his career Doug Flutie cared about one thing and that is himself. He was a shameless self promoter. F^ck him in his a$$.

 

Agreed.

 

 

I looked it up because I had the same thought. We sign Flutie in January, and traded for Johnson in February.

 

That was a slap in the face to him and I think it's a poor thing to do by Buffalo after signing him but get over it.

 

Are you kidding me? Flutie is the number 1 reason why our team still resides in Buffalo! The stadium lease was up at the time, and it looked like it wasn't going to be renewed. Fortunately for all of us, Flutie, Moulds and Price were providing some of the most exciting games in franchise history and led to such overwhelming support, the deal got done! Unfortunately for us, that "one game wonder" RJ, had a brilliant (albeit meaningless) game against the colts which led Ralph to order him the starter against the Titans. Coincidentally (or not) we haven't had a playoff game since!

 

Oh for chrissake. Flutie didn't save the franchise. They would still be in Buffalo even if he wasn't ever a Bill. Just more deification of a mortal man.

 

 

The way the 11 little Fluties played on defense was especially magical.

 

That's not a joke. Without Flutie the whole team, including the defense, would have folded up and cried in the fetal position. /sarc

 

 

You're right. Jim Kelly never called out a teammate or almost divided up a locker room. Oh wait, he did. But Flutie should have handled being benched for a playoff game for RJ after he helped led the team to the playoffs for a 2nd straight year with more class.

 

And who cares what Flutie did in other places? Steve Young sucked in TB. All I know is Flutie won and took us to the playoffs for 2 straight year. He should have never been benched for that toolbox. And because we effed Flutie, karma effed us in the rear. And it's been doing it ever since and I blame the morons who actually liked RJ because he was bigger and had a stronger arm. you're the reason we haven't been to the playoffs in 10 years.

 

I also love the morons who bring up Flutie losing the playoff game against miami. You mean the game were Flutie threw for 360 yards against one the best defenses in the NFL? It wasn't Eric moulds fault for fumbling after a 50 yard bomb on the 1st drive. Or it wasn't Reed's fault for getting maybe the dumbest unsportslike penalty in history and forcing the ball from the 1 back to the 15? Or it wasn't Fina's fault for getting absolutely smoked by Armstrong? It was all Flutie's fault.

 

I'm never posting on this again. But to the tards who wanted Rob Johnson, look in the mirror, and understand you're the reason for this curse. The curse of Flutie. But the Bills' history is so full of pro bowl and playoff QBs, we can jsut throw one away when we have one. Idiots.

 

Kelly called out one player once and never tried to divide the lockerroom. Flutie should have taken a lesson from Frank Reich.

 

Yes, it was very stupid of an organization who had a young guy they believed in start ahead of a guy who would be gone soon.

 

 

And it's dolts like you that argue up and down for guys like Rob Johnson and JP Losman when people that have a brain can look beyond physical measurables and realize THEY CAN'T PLAY FOOTBALL. Doug Flutie was a great CANADIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE player.

 

Fixed!

 

 

I cannot believe we are still having a Flutie/RJ debate. New season is a about to start. Cue the Edwards/Fitzpatrick debates

 

 

Edwards/Chroise you muttonhead!

 

 

That "dwarf" is the reason you are a Buffalo Bills fan instead of a Los Angeles Bills fan, show a little respect for the man who saved this franchise.

 

Aye yi yi. He's also the reason Why Buffalo wings were invented, the reason puppies and babies were kept safe during his reign and he singlehandedly made the city hold hands and sing kumbaya.

[thebandit27]

That "dwarf" is the reason you are a Buffalo Bills fan instead of a Los Angeles Bills fan, show a little respect for the man who saved this franchise.

 

Alright, I've seen enough of this garbage.

 

He didn't "save the franchise". The fact that the team went 10-6 and made the playoffs (while boasting a top 5 defense) resulted in higher sales of tickets/suites, and THAT is what kept them here. Was the The Greatest Athlete in the History of the Universe (Flutie) part of it? Yes. Was he THE reason? No. Ticket and Suite sales.

 

As this ludicrous debate should show you, there are/were plenty of Bills fans that bought tickets and didn't like Flutie, so enough with banging the "he saved the franchise" drum.

 

Also, let's not go overboard with how much better than Montana/Brady/Manning/Unitas he was. Last time I checked, he was so good that he was relegated to playing in the CFL for a decade.

[thebandit27]

Criticize all you want about him but no QB for the Bills has done as well in the win loss column since Kelly.

 

There also hasn't been a QB since Flutie that had the benefit of playing with a top 5 defense for two seasons in a row.

[Gavin in Va Beach]

From 1998 till 2000, Flutie's record as Bills starter was 22-11. It should actually be 23-11.

 

Should actually be 24-11. Very first game of his first season was against the Chargers and RJ was stinking up the joint. 3rd qtr I believe Johnson has to leave with a knee bruise or something. Flutie came in and led the Bills back and Christie could have won the game with either a chippie or a very makable FG at the end. Christie unfortunately shanked it.

[Gavin in Va Beach]

There also hasn't been a QB since Flutie that had the benefit of playing with a top 5 defense for two seasons in a row.

 

RJ also had the benefit of playing with that top 5 defense. His results varied.

[Mr. WEO]

Very simply, he brought excitement back to a diseased franchise.

 

 

We haven't had that same excitement since. In fact, we have spent the past 9 seasons watching our QBs and hoping not to cringe. Look at the crap we've suffered through since, with RJ and JP--two guys who are out of the league.

 

It was never going to last long, but it was a good time. Why would anyone complain about good times? I'm sure none of these guys were bitching about Flutie back then.

[The Senator]

Very simply, he brought excitement back to a diseased franchise.

 

 

We haven't had that same excitement since. In fact, we have spent the past 9 seasons watching our QBs and hoping not to cringe. Look at the crap we've suffered through since, with RJ and JP--two guys who are out of the league.

 

It was never going to last long, but it was a good time. Why would anyone complain about good times? I'm sure none of these guys were bitching about Flutie back then.

Spoken like a true NE* fan!

 

(You do know he was from Natick - not Provincetown - yes?)

[Steely Dan]

Very simply, he brought excitement back to a diseased franchise.

 

 

We haven't had that same excitement since. In fact, we have spent the past 9 seasons watching our QBs and hoping not to cringe. Look at the crap we've suffered through since, with RJ and JP--two guys who are out of the league.

 

It was never going to last long, but it was a good time. Why would anyone complain about good times? I'm sure none of these guys were bitching about Flutie back then.

 

You can say that but you'd be wrong.

[Ramius]

Wow. you don't really believe this do you. Again, Steve Young sucked in TB so that wipes out what he did in SF? Flutie was a winner here. He had a td-int ratio of 39 to 27 and had over 700 rushing yards in 2 seasons. Eric Moulds had the best season of his career with Flutie.

 

Again, I like winning QBs. Flutie was a winning QB in Buffalo. But since you apparently a fan of RJ and Losman, I guess you don't value that as much.

 

No, my point about SD was that flutie wouldn't have taken us anywhere in '01. His play in SD verifies he was done and his good days were behind him. Flutie was good in '98. In '99, teams got the book on him, and he wasn't nearly as effective. He was decent at best in '99, and the defense carried the offense. For the titans playoff game, flutie got screwed and should have started. After 2000, the Bills made the right choice staying with RJ. If our team was very close to going for a title, you keep the dwarf. But we weren't. We were in cap hell and going nowhere in 2001, so it made sense ot keep RJ. Not to mention flutie had become a complete prick and divided the locker room.

 

What i find funny is that someone like yourself, who is bent on "winning" is such a supporter of a proven, career loser in dick jauron.

[tennesseeboy]

Yeah, you gotta love the way he magically divided the locker room and got the greatest receiver in Bills history benched because he didn't have the arm strength to hit him on a simple out pattern. His greatest magic trick of all is when he finally disappeared. F^ck him.

You must mean that long touchdown pass to Eric Moulds that Moulds dropped in the playoff game against Miami?

[thebandit27]

RJ also had the benefit of playing with that top 5 defense. His results varied.

 

I'm sorry, I didn't realize I couldn't make a point about Flutie without discussing Johnson.

 

I thought my point was very clear, Flutie wasn't all that great, he played just well enough to win 10 games on the strength of a top 5 defense.

 

If your point is that Rob Johnson didn't, I think most of us already knew that.

[el Tigre]

Great post.

To further your point Gordio here are the facts:

 

Flutie signed with the Bills as a free agent and shortly afterwards the team traded for Rob Johnson. The Bills started the 1998 Season 0-3 with Rob Johnson at quarterback. After a week 6 injury to Johnson the Bills installed Flutie as the starter. He led them to an 8-3 finish and the playoffs. Technically he should have been 9-3 as he won in week 6 in a game which Johnson started but didn't throw a pass.

 

Some people blame Flutie for losing that road playoff game in Miami even though he threw for 360 yards and had them knocking at the door at the end. He was sacked by Trace Armstrong and fumbled the ball. However before that play there were several horrible officiating calls which screwed the Bills. That was one of the most exciting and heart-wrenching Bills games in memory.

 

In 1999, despite being less statistically effective at quarterback than the season before, Flutie led the team to a 9-6 record and a second consecutive playoff berth. To protect him from injury, Flutie did not start the week 17 game against Indy. Johnson started and won the regular season finale. For reasons known only to the organization, the Bills decided to start Rob Johnson against the Tennessee Titans. It may be unprecedented in major pro sports that a team has so completely disrespected and emasculated a player who has done so much for them. Of course we lost the game due to the "Music City Miracle." We have not made the playoffs since.

 

The following season, 2000, Flutie was relegated to backup but started 5 games due to injuries to Rob Johnson. Flutie's record in those games was 4-1. Geez what a dropoff in effectiveness (sarcasm)!

 

From 1998 till 2000, Flutie's record as Bills starter was 22-11. It should actually be 23-11.

 

From 1998 till 2000, Johnson's record as Bills starter (with essentially the same team around him) was actually 7-10. His record should actually be 6-10.

 

Oh yeah, and in 1998 when the Bills were not selling enough preferred seating to trigger a lease extension, Flutie saved the Bills with his stretch run and tickets started selling like hotcakes, extending the lease and saving the Bills near term future in Buffalo. In other words, he saved the franchise.

 

His detractors typically point to two things:

 

1) He was a "midget." Give me a midget who wins games. These are the same people calling Trent Edwards a "noodle-armed quarterback." Fine you guys can have Rob Johnson and Kyle Boller (guys who are 6'4" and can throw 60 yards from there knees). Personally I'll take a guy who does whatever it takes to win, even if it's winning ugly. Guys like Flutie, Jeff Garcia, and Fran Tarkenton are the types of players (excellent QBs) who a huge portion of football fans will never embrace because they're hung up on what they think an NFL quarterback is supposed to look like.

 

2) He was divisive and not a good teammate. Look, the guy was disrespected and doubted his entire pro career. He was exiled to Canada because of the prejudice against small quarterbacks. He was kicked in the mouth by the Bills when he was benched for the Tennessee playoff game. He was treated like crap after he saved the franchise. I think I'd be a little bit bitter too. And what of Rob Johnson's role in dividing the team? Was he a good teammate? Was he conciliatory and did he support Flutie when doing so would have been best for the team? No. He sulked and withdrew like the coward that he is.

 

Flutie was maligned by the media who were put off by his ego and the chip on his shoulder. When his popularity waned, he was not helped by his icy relationship with the media. This trickled down to reportage and then to public opinion.

 

Doug Flutie is perhaps the least-appreciated athlete in Buffalo sports history. On no subject are more Bills fans more wrong than on their negative view of Flutie's time here.

[San Jose Bills Fan]

Alright, I've seen enough of this garbage.

 

He didn't "save the franchise". The fact that the team went 10-6 and made the playoffs (while boasting a top 5 defense) resulted in higher sales of tickets/suites, and THAT is what kept them here. Was the The Greatest Athlete in the History of the Universe (Flutie) part of it? Yes. Was he THE reason? No. Ticket and Suite sales.

 

As this ludicrous debate should show you, there are/were plenty of Bills fans that bought tickets and didn't like Flutie, so enough with banging the "he saved the franchise" drum.

 

Also, let's not go overboard with how much better than Montana/Brady/Manning/Unitas he was. Last time I checked, he was so good that he was relegated to playing in the CFL for a decade.

Bandit, I was at the 1998 week 3 game against the Rams which dropped us in an 0-3 hole. I worked in the Bflo sports media at the time. It was doom and gloom. The sky was falling. Tickets were not selling despite Erkie Kailbourne's efforts in the "Business backs the Bills" campaign. Without the winning streak and the Flutie-Mania, we would not have sold those suites and club seating IMO. Certainly the campaign was not going forward until he led the Bills to that string of victories and businesses started buying the preferred seating. In my mind and in the mind of many other respected observers, Flutie did save the franchise. Furthermore, if there was even the possibility that this was true, then you should be very grateful to the man who at the very least, helped to save the franchise that you love.

 

Secondly I don't see anyone comparing him to Montana/Brady/Manning/Unitas. I compared him to Fran Tarkenton and Jeff Garcia, two excellent QBs who always seem to find a way to win. No one is saying Flutie is a Hall of Famer. But it would be silly to argue that he hasn't been the best quarterback in Buffalo in the last ten years.

 

I've always respected you as a poster but IMO you are very wrong here.

 

No, my point about SD was that flutie wouldn't have taken us anywhere in '01. His play in SD verifies he was done and his good days were behind him. Flutie was good in '98. In '99, teams got the book on him, and he wasn't nearly as effective. He was decent at best in '99, and the defense carried the offense. For the titans playoff game, flutie got screwed and should have started. After 2000, the Bills made the right choice staying with RJ. If our team was very close to going for a title, you keep the dwarf. But we weren't. We were in cap hell and going nowhere in 2001, so it made sense ot keep RJ. Not to mention flutie had become a complete prick and divided the locker room.

 

What i find funny is that someone like yourself, who is bent on "winning" is such a supporter of a proven, career loser in dick jauron.

Ramius, the facts are that Flutie's record in 1998 was 9-4 and in 1999 it was 9-6. Yes his effectiveness decreased both in winning percentage and in passing efficiency rating. But with that same top defense, Johnson was 2-2 in 1998 (he got credit for a Flutie win after getting injured very early in week 6) and 1-1 in 1999. In my book Flutie earned the right to start in 2000 and in fact he went 4-1 as Bills starter in 2000 when Johnson was injured. If he had been the starter in 2000, I believe we would have made the playoffs for the third year in a row. Johnson went 4-7 in 2000 so we didn't make the playoffs.

 

To your point, perhaps it seemed like the right decision to go with Johnson in 2001. I personally wouldn't have at the time. I wasn't in that locker room much but I know Rob Johnson did his part to divide the team too and back to my earlier point, wouldn't you be really pissed off too if you were treated as Flutie was?