Quit bashing Ralph!

[jpdex12]

I haven't seen a thread started yet today about some BS scam Ralph is planning to purge the Bills from NFL existance so...

Actually I am almost finished with Marv's book (which is real good) and it got me thinking more about how Ralph is one of the last of a dying breed in what we call the NFL. Buffalo, like many of the ORIGINAL old school teams, has been around for a long time and some of those teams who have deep roots in the cities from which they originated many years ago have had their share of ups and downs. Men (owners) such as Lamar Hunt (RIP) and Ralph Wilson have ridden the highs and lows season after season both on the field, with their fans and financially yet many years later their teams are still playing in their cities.
What leaves me scratching my head is that fans especially some of ours don't hesitate to come up with crap theories about how Ralph is planning to dump the team soon, getting rid of players that supposedly draw fans each Sunday, and countless other rediculous stories of how we are drawing near the end and how Ralph doesn't care about the team anymore.
As hard as Ralph worked to keep this team in Buffalo and bring us the highs and lows that we have experienced and now call memories, as much time, effort and money that he has spent on this team...he is just going to let it go down the ****er? I think that any fan who has been follwowing this team for a number of years can attest that this is crap! Maybe it just takes a little common sense. Go hide in your holes you fairweather fans! We will rise again!

Just had to get that off my back!

F 'em all! Go Bills!

[patmoran2006]

Re: Quit bashing Ralph!

Flip a coin and take a pick..

Either we are:
A) Just trying to field a team that makes economical sense and if we happen to have a winning season; then bonus.

or

B) Ralph has become a horrible decision maker since Butler and Phillips were canned; and our front office has been/is far inferior to almost every other front office in the NFL. If Donahoe, Williams, Mularkey or even Levy fail at th end of the day; utlimately it is on your owner.

Every team in the league goes through a down period, it happens to the best of them. But when you don't make the post-season for seven years running, it's not an accident. And in a 32 team league, we're only of only three. THREE that can make that infamous claim. And it takes the BRIGHTEST of forecasters to think this is going to be a playoff team this season. The AFC is by far the stronger conference and we're in a tough division; not to mention our team is young, raw, inexperienced compared to others and still trying to build on younger, skilled but unproven players.

I dont think Ralph is intentionally trying to sabatoge this team so he can move it; that's ludricious. But his constant *****ing about economics, even though he's partially right, coupled with a increasing tradition of no football come January-- has us viewed around the league by fans as a joke.

Personally, I feel the right answer is "A". Wilson will spend some money, but he won't go that extra mile anymore (financially) to try and get this team over the hump.. Just have a couple of pricey players, combined with a TON Of youth, and hope for the best; that's all they can do and at this point; wants to do.

[jpdex12]

Re: Quit bashing Ralph!

It's a lot harder than it sounds. Parody, FA and increasing salary caps have really taken it's toll on consitant winning. New England is an exception. They have really good Kool-aid up there and have gotten their players to drink it!

It's a constant battle to fill your front office with good people when they are constantly leaving for jobs that they feel increases their status within the administrative ranks fo the NFL. Come on, you see how many coaches ride the carousel each year. It's ridiculous.

On the other hand, you can spend $$ until you are blue in the face like Dan Snyder and that doesn't work either. It takes good chemistry and that is hard to find nowadays. As fans we have learned to want results and want them yesterday. Yes we have not been to the playoffs in too long of a period of time but how can you when you finally put a team on the field and the players lose focus and blow a for sure win to get them into the playoffs? I'm talking about Bledsoe and the Bill's team in 2004 that should have beaten 3rd stringers from Pittsburgh and gotten a wild card game. Yeah, that was Ralph's fault too wasn't it?

It's all about timing and chemistry. We are building the chemistry with this team and the time is coming. Another buzz word you have been hearing is CHARACTER. That helps the chemistry and timing. So relax! Especially you PM.

It will happen soon! We have a dedicated owner and he'll try to prove it until it kills him! You probably weren't around to appreciate his efforts with Marv in the early 1990's otherwise you wouldn't be so quick to write him and the team off!

[jpdex12]

Re: Quit bashing Ralph!

BTW, what publications do you write for? You must get some interesting responses to your articles with regard to your off the cuff statements.

[jamze132]

Re: Quit bashing Ralph!

We are still trying to overcome the debacle which was Tom Donahoe. Everyone makes mistakes and Ralph made one when he hired Tom. Although Tom did great things behind the scenes, his on field product was horrible and that is what really counts, sorry to say.

[Mr. Pink]

Re: Quit bashing Ralph!

By the way JPdex...Lamar Hunt did move his team and didn't stay in the same city through thick and thin or the highs and lows as you put it. So bad example on that one.

The KC Chiefs were originally the Dallas Texans.

[Bert102176]

Re: Quit bashing Ralph!

ok I'm not Bashing RW on this but what happens to the team when he passes away he is in his 90's isn't he, if he passes and the team leaves then the NFL can kma the Bills are Buffalo and Buffalo is the Bills, if he puts in his will that the team is to be owned like the packers are do they have to make good on the will or can they be jerks?

[Devin]

Re: Quit bashing Ralph!

IMO Ralph has always done fine. He spent cash in the Kelly era, he spent cash in the late 90's and hes spent cash this decade.

While our front office decision making might not have been the best at times we have always gone out and gotten players to the best of our ability anyway.

Besides unless im mistaken didnt he just go out and drop like 75 mil?

Just another case of a few over-zealous superfans shooting thier mouths off.

[jpdex12]

Re: Quit bashing Ralph!

By the way JPdex...Lamar Hunt did move his team and didn't stay in the same city through thick and thin or the highs and lows as you put it. So bad example on that one.

The KC Chiefs were originally the Dallas Texans.

Not really a bad example, I knew Hunt moved around a bit but his feet weren't set in concrete in one city before uprooting and moving...

http://www.kcchiefs.com/front_office/lamar_hunt/

The early days of the AFL were problem-filled and often tenuous, but Hunt saw his Dallas Texans franchise achieve on-field success. In ‘62, the Texans won the AFL Championship with a double-overtime victory over the Houston Oilers, the first of three titles won by the Texans/Chiefs during the league’s 10-year existence.
After three years in Dallas, Hunt moved his team to Kansas City in ‘63, where the organization was renamed the Chiefs. Hunt truly helped put Kansas City on the “big-league” map, thanks to a star-studded football team that was the winningest in the 10-year history of the American Football League.
Hunt’s team repeated as AFL champions in both ‘66 and ‘69. By winning the ‘66 AFL title, the Chiefs earned the right to play in the first Super Bowl against the NFL Champion Green Bay Packers. Three years later, the Chiefs claimed Kansas City’s first major sports championship by defeating the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl IV.

Yes Hunt did move, btu it was early and the AFL-NFL merger helped shake things up, not because he wanted to for the heck of it. KC needed a team and he did it. They already had teams in Texas. We only have one team in Buffalo. Lamar had his team in KC for over 30 years.

I can see how you would take this SERIOUSLY as a Browns fan and undoubtedly an Art Modell hater for moving the Brownies!