Marv Levy- Til Death due us part?

[patmoran2006]

I love Marv Levy to death, I really do. But at what point in age do you think people start to lose their edge? I mean, is it really plausible to assume he can still out-think, out manuever and take on the hustle and bustle that's required to be a great GM when his peers are usually 30 even 40 years his junior?

Again, no disprespect to Marv, but he is 81 years old. Most 81 year old people I know cant even wipe their own ass.

I don't see how he lasts (as GM) more than another 2 or so years. Is he going to die as GM of the BIlls?

[gr8slayer]

Who cares. The man can stay here after he dies if he wants as long as we keep getting better.

[patmoran2006]

I care..
Because if something happens to him, and not to be cynical but once you hit 81 that can happen at anytime, and much more likely than someone decades your junior---------- then we have to start over AGAIN from the GM spot down.

[gr8slayer]

I care..
Because if something happens to him, and not to be cynical but once you hit 81 that can happen at anytime, and much more likely than someone decades your junior---------- then we have to start over AGAIN from the GM spot down.
It can happen at any age. What's the difference if he is replaced tommorow or three years down the road as long as he is getting it done while he's here.

[casdhf]

If you listen to him, he's still very sharp. He speaks better than 90% of the GMs out there. Just because he doesn;t put alot of time into the cap, doesn't mean he is clueless or losing it.

[patmoran2006]

I hope not, cause he's one of my hero's and the last thing I want him to become is old and senile to the point that he's on the podium and forgets where he is and craps himself

[Captain Obvious]

Is it possible Tom Modrak does most of the "dirty" work..and Marv is just a figurehead guiding the ship?

[patmoran2006]

If that is indeed the case, and it very well may be.. Then why not just have Modrak be the GM and let marv do some official team charity work or something..

If the ideal was "selling" the fans on the winning tradition with LEvy in charge; someone forgot to tell the fans during the later half of the season when home games were blacked out four consecutive times; in the midst of a wildcard "run"

[Mitchy moo]

Keep the geritol flowing and they will keep going.

[Typ0]

Levy is very smart and sharp as a tack. He's not going to spend time on things that are a waste of his time.

[Mr. Cynical]

I love Marv Levy to death, I really do. But at what point in age do you think people start to lose their edge? I mean, is it really plausible to assume he can still out-think, out manuever and take on the hustle and bustle that's required to be a great GM when his peers are usually 30 even 40 years his junior?

Again, no disprespect to Marv, but he is 81 years old. Most 81 year old people I know cant even wipe their own ass.

I don't see how he lasts (as GM) more than another 2 or so years. Is he going to die as GM of the BIlls?

I said this the minute he was hired. He has 3 years to win it, and then will retire due to the rigors of the job. This was a bad choice IMO because this team was not in position to win in 3 years, so as you've said we'll have to get another GM in 2 years, which means another HC, which means new OC/DC, which means new systems, which means another 3 years of s***.

We have to win in 2 or it will be at least 5 before we have another chance IMO.

[YardRat]

Gee...I must have missed the part where John Butler fired Levy after taking over the GM responsibilities from Polian. My bad.

Why do some think when/if Marv retires wholesale changes will automatically follow?

[EricStratton]

How much older then Marv was Butler when he passed. Hell, just today Dennis Johnson died at a much older age then Marv is now. I wonder how the man makes it every day.


In the high stress world these guys live in their number may be up at any minute, no matter how old they are. marv hasn't shown signs of slowing yet so until he does what's the point of this thread.

[Jan Reimers]

Marv has that one great trait that many of us older people have: He knows his limitations. Which means he also knows his strengths. He can focus on trying to build us into a first class team again, without becoming embroiled in a million little details which are not his job.

He is not a headline grabbing, control freak like TD, or a micro manager, or a guy who always has to be right, or an ambitious backstabber seeking his next promotion. He is comfortable with who he is.

I believe he sees his job as working with the front office and the coaching staff to bring in the very best talent he can, within the organization's budget. He trusts Modrak and the other player personnel people, our capologist (I forget his name - hopefully Marv doesn't) and others within the organization to help accomplish his goals.

I think Marv's wisdom and experience are invaluable, and make him the right man to bring this team back to respectability.

[jamze132]

I love Marv Levy to death, I really do. But at what point in age do you think people start to lose their edge? I mean, is it really plausible to assume he can still out-think, out manuever and take on the hustle and bustle that's required to be a great GM when his peers are usually 30 even 40 years his junior?

Again, no disprespect to Marv, but he is 81 years old. Most 81 year old people I know cant even wipe their own ass.

I don't see how he lasts (as GM) more than another 2 or so years. Is he going to die as GM of the BIlls?
Explain to me why he has to really out-think and out-maneuver anyone?

GM makes offer, player makes counter-offer, GM makes counter-offer, player says yes or no.

[Jan Reimers]

Explain to me why he has to really out-think and out-maneuver anyone?

GM makes offer, player makes counter-offer, GM makes counter-offer, player says yes or no.
Plus, I think Marv is a really good talent evaluater. Does anyone think Marv didn't have a lot of input into Polian's decisions when they were here together? Marv hired Polian originally when Marv was coaching Montreal in the CFL - THAT was a fairly smart move.

[Saratoga Slim]

Marv has that one great trait that many of us older people have: He knows his limitations. Which means he also knows his strengths. He can focus on trying to build us into a first class team again, without becoming embroiled in a million little details which are not his job.

He is not a headline grabbing, control freak like TD, or a micro manager, or a guy who always has to be right, or an ambitious backstabber seeking his next promotion. He is comfortable with who he is.

I believe he sees his job as working with the front office and the coaching staff to bring in the very best talent he can, within the organization's budget. He trusts Modrak and the other player personnel people, our capologist (I forget his name - hopefully Marv doesn't) and others within the organization to help accomplish his goals.

I think Marv's wisdom and experience are invaluable, and make him the right man to bring this team back to respectability.

Good Post Jan. I think you're right about Marv trusting the people working for him to perform their specialties in a manner that allows him to take a bigger picture approach.

[Albany,n.y.]

Again, no disprespect to Marv, but he is 81 years old. Most 81 year old people I know cant even wipe their own ass.

I don't see how he lasts (as GM) more than another 2 or so years. Is he going to die as GM of the BIlls?
I doubt that you know too many people 81 years old or older. As someone with parents both in their mid 80s, I deal with people older than Marv who have their mental faculties in tact & just move a little slower. They're not in Marv's league-he can give a good race to his 30 something stepdaughter-but few of his generation are. Now add the fact that both Marv & Ralph have access to doctors and other medical staff that most octogenarians can only dream of, the death watches on both have reached the point of absurdity. Most of you people under 40 haven't got a clue what it's like to deal with people 80 & over. In a battle of wits, I'd bet bet John Wooden, who is in his 90's, would kick your asses.

[John Doe]

I said this the minute he was hired. He has 3 years to win it, and then will retire due to the rigors of the job.

The GM position is not rigorous.

You are peddling a myth.

[BillsFever21]

I love Marv Levy to death, I really do. But at what point in age do you think people start to lose their edge? I mean, is it really plausible to assume he can still out-think, out manuever and take on the hustle and bustle that's required to be a great GM when his peers are usually 30 even 40 years his junior?

Again, no disprespect to Marv, but he is 81 years old. Most 81 year old people I know cant even wipe their own ass.

I don't see how he lasts (as GM) more than another 2 or so years. Is he going to die as GM of the BIlls?

By watching his press conference last week it looks like he's almost at the point where he needs his ass wiped too.

Almost every question asked to him he didn't have the answer for. He kept saying you need to ask somebody else in the organization and that's not really his area of expertise.

Well if none of that is his area of expertise when all the other GM's in the league are involved in stuff like that then what the hell is he here for? Just as a figurehead?

He already royaly screwed up the Clements deal last season. He got taken for in the Eric Moulds trade. He signed nothing but mid-level castoffs and none of them worked out. His talent evaluation certainly wasn't very good with that. Oh wait, that wasn't his main responsibility either according to his press conference.

This team is heading down the wrong road. Wilson already basically said he is too cheap to compete with the rest of the owners in the NFL. We have an 81yr old GM who by his press conference last week leaves us wondering what the hell he is really responsible for in his job.

Now we're gonna lose 4 starters this season and probably replace them with more 2.5 million dollar castoffs from somewhere else. We're gonna take a step back again next year. We will never consistenly spend the money to keep a team together.

Some of you are too excited about a lousy 7-9 record. That shows that some are happy with only mediocrity and that's one of the reasons why Ralph is so cheap.

There isn't much of a difference between 5 wins and 7 wins. Many bad teams can win 2 more games in a certain season if the ball bounces their way a few more times in a certain season.

Don't forget that Mularkey had us at 9-7 in his first season and we didn't go on the rise after that. Our 2 win improvement came only from better QB play. The rest of our team around that wasn't much better. We played musical QB's the season before and then last year had a steady QB play which was much improved. That and a little better luck got us 2 more wins.

Unless Losman turns into Brady or Manning we will never be much better then we are now with our current strategy in Buffalo. I can see us taking either another step back next season or showing no improvement at all.