Why exactly did Polian ever leave..

[patmoran2006]

Why exactly did Polian get fired by Wilson a decade ago?
I ask this question seriously, as I don't remember. .The only thing I THINK I remember is Polian had a problem with Wilson's daughter. The older posters on the board might know the answer to this better.

Was it a firing or a mutual decision? This was during my pothead years.

I can't begin to imagine how good this franchise would still be if he never left. He's such a good GM that I did NOT like Daymeion Hughes one bit in this draft, was GLAD when Buffalo passsed on him at #92, and then moments later Polian drafted him and the first thing I said to myself was "Mother F'er, this guy's gonna be a solid starter in the cover two isnt he"

[Carlton Bailey]

Fallout with Wilson's daughter, I'm almost sure of it.

[streetkings01]

I thought he called Ralph's daughter the "B" word!

[SquishDaFish]

I truly dont remember. I thought it was because he didnt get along with someone. And I had the same thoughts when the Colts selected him too lol.

[TheGhostofJimKelly]

I thought he had a major fight or disagreement with Jeff Littmann and before it could tear apart the organization Polian was let go.

[YardRat]

As TGJK just stated, the disagreement was between Polian and Ralph's bean-counters, from what I remember.

[TigerJ]

My recollection is the fight was between Polian and Wilson's daughter.

[YardRat]

For what it's worth...



On February 4, 1993, after the Bills had appeared in their 3rd straight Super Bowl, Bill Polian was fired as general manager. Polian wasn't fired because he wasn't doing a good job, he was fired because he didn't get along with treasurer, Jeff Littmann, for reasons unknown to all except those close to owner Ralph Wilson, Littmann and Polian himself.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Polian

[Dr. Lecter]

I had always heard he called Bogdan a "****** *****".

[Goobylal]

It was because of Littman, Ralph's daughter, and the fact that he kept giving large contracts to mediocre players like Kelso, and the Bills kept losing SB's. He would have been gone after the 4th SB, if not the 2004 season, in any case.

[TheGhostofJimKelly]

Polian's kid is the assistant football coach at old Notre Dame. I remember him as a kid, he was a dick.

[Mudflap1]

I heard he:

1. Didn't like eating at Denny's;

2. Didn't like Bingo night;

3. Didn't like "Matlock" or "The Price is Right";

4. Didn't regularly attend crochet classes;

5. Wasn't particularly fond of oatmeal;

Other than that, not sure...

Jon

[Coach Sal]

Marv discusses this in his book (pages 380/381)......

Bill and Ralph had a disagreement prior to the 1992 season. Marv admits he doesn't know exactly what the disagreement was about, but that Polian had a quick-temper and became very animated when venting his emotoins. And when he did, it was almost always because he was defending someone in the organization from criticism.

Marv said it wasn't the first time Bill was passionate with Ralph in expressing his feelings.

So, Ralph decided to replace Polian, but after telling him, they both decided it would be better for the organization to wait until after the season. It would remain hush-hush throughout the season as to not be a distraction for the team -- and Polian would still perform his normal GM duties until the season was over.

Marv said he specifically met with Ralph as soon as the season was over in order to try and save Polian's job.

He told Ralph of all the great qualities Polian possessed and why he was so vital to the success of the Bills.

Quoting directly from the book now: "Marv, I agree with everything you have had to say about Bill," he said, "but the two of us just do not get along. I am sorry if it disappoints you, but I am going forward with my decision to replace him."
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[Mudflap1]

Thanks Ralph. And the rest is history over the past 15 years.

Jon

[B-DON]

I thought it had to be a little more than a fight with the treasurer. Who would fire a guy like polian to keep a treasurer?

[Mr. Miyagi]

Marv discusses this in his book (pages 380/381)......

Bill and Ralph had a disagreement prior to the 1992 season. Marv admits he doesn't know exactly what the disagreement was about, but that Polian had a quick-temper and became very animated when venting his emotoins. And when he did, it was almost always because he was defending someone in the organization from criticism.

Marv said it wasn't the first time Bill was passionate with Ralph in expressing his feelings.

So, Ralph decided to replace Polian, but after telling him, they both decided it would be better for the organization to wait until after the season. It would remain hush-hush throughout the season as to not be a distraction for the team -- and Polian would still perform his normal GM duties until the season was over.

Marv said he specifically met with Ralph as soon as the season was over in order to try and save Polian's job.

He told Ralph of all the great qualities Polian possessed and why he was so vital to the success of the Bills.

Quoting directly from the book now: "Marv, I agree with everything you have had to say about Bill," he said, "but the two of us just do not get along. I am sorry if it disappoints you, but I am going forward with my decision to replace him."
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Plus he called Ralph's daughter a nappy headed ho.

[chubluv]

He called Ralphs daughter a *****. The treasurer story was a cover up for the public.

[Mudflap1]

Plus he called Ralph's daughter a nappy headed ho.

I got it hand it to ya, that's a pretty good one!

Jon

[tat2dmike77]

Well i heard that he gave Ralphs daughter crabs

[TheGhostofJimKelly]

And we all wonder how Marv got the job he did. Ralph seems like the kind of guy that doesn't get along with many people. Marv happens to be one of those guys.

[rocketman]

Pat,

This is taken from Buffalo Bills At-a-Glance. Several posters already are correct that it was ultimately caused by Jeff Littman:

February 4, 1993: In a shocking development, general manager Bill Polian was fired. Polian held a press conference and announced his own dismissal, saying that he and Ralph Wilson had met before the 1992 season and Wilson told him he would not continue as GM after the '92 season.

February 6, 1993: Ralph Wison admitted that his "personal and professional differences" with Bill Polian the last three years led to Polian's firing. Wilson said that the main reason was that Polian could not get along with Jeff Littmann, treasurer of Wilson's Detroit-based company. "They didn't get along very well," Wilson said. "There was some friction there and I just thought it was time to make a change and restructure our front office in Buffalo. The change has nothing to do with football, losing the third stright Super Bowl or anything like that."

Just as an aside, for those of you who think that Ralph Wilson is cheap:

February 11, 1993: According to the NFL Players' Association survey, the Bill had the sixth-highest payroll in the NFL at an average of $564,335 per player.

Rocketman