DRutka
01-18-2010, 02:30 AM
This is so painful, but I really think it is true. This is the beginning of the end for the Bills in BUFFALO.
Fans: We are so hungry and grateful for a team in Buffalo that we have settled for mediocrity for years. Whatever the front office has told us, we have ate up and believed them no matter what it was. Even now, some people are ready to accept mediocrity and talk ourselves into believing that Frazier is a good hire because that is all we have left. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending how you think), I really feel that the fans won’t buy whatever PR spin they try to feed us this time around. We will see our season ticket base drop 20 to 25% and most of the home games will not sell out next year. If this happens, we will start to hear the rumblings of how the great fans of WNY are not supporting the team, and be threatened yet again with the possibility of this team moving if we do not support them. It happened 12 years ago, before Flutie got here, it will happen again.
Coaching: What can I say. We let our head coach go 9 weeks ago so we could get a jump start on our coaching search. Not only have we been turned down by the “A” list coaches, we have been turned down by the “B” and “C” list coaches as well. Some people say “don’t worry; our next coach is still coaching”. To this I call BS. If that was the case, we would have let Dick Jauron finish out this season. Now, not only can we not attract a decent head coach, but how will we attract any quality assistants? We HAD the edge, now, most of the real good assistants are gone and we will be left with the scraps or retreads. There is no way a new coach can succeed with that.
Front Office: It is a joke. All they care about is making the most money possible so they can keep their jobs. They do not care if we win or lose, just by making all of the money they do, they convince Ralph they are doing a good job. I truly believe that Russ Brandon talked Ralph into the promotion to CEO he received. He was able to do this because he knows Ralph, and knows how to take advantage of him in his elder years. Any anger Ralph had about the results on the field was diminished when Russ opened up the books and showed him all of the profits. The Buddy Nix hire was another cost saving move, just to further Russ Brandon’s personal agenda. Russ Brandon is a leech that will milk the Bills for every dime he can before Ralph passes.
Owner: Thank you and God bless Ralph Wilson, a loyal Hall of Fame owner who has done everything in his power to keep a team in Buffalo. Unfortunately, he is just plain too old and stubborn to adapt to how the league has changed around him. His inability to place someone in charge that understands today’s NFL (for whatever reason and yes, I do know he has been burned in the past) has cost this franchise dearly. We cannot attract personnel that can rebuild this team to greatness once again and it will not change until he passes because he, or his family respecting his wishes, will not sell the team.
Lease: Our lease is up in 2012. Unless we actually pay this franchise mega-millions per year to stay here, I really do not believe they will. The county and state are both broke. The taxpayers have had it with the high taxes in this area and won’t pay more just to keep the team in Buffalo. We just cannot afford to build this team a new stadium, or subsidize this team beyond what we already do. Because of this, I can’t see the lease being extended beyond more than a year to year deal that will allow any new owner, once Ralph passes, to pack up and leave any time they want.
With all that said, I will HOPE for the best. I will enjoy this team while they are still here. I will go to as many games as possible, buy my t-shirts, hats, jackets, and other merchandise. I will relish it while it lasts because I don’t think it will last forever. Sure, once in a while I will *****, but realistically, real fans ***** once in a while. Hopefully some savior with a billion dollars will ride in and save this franchise before it is too late.
What I won’t do is worry or stress. It is mostly beyond our control what will happen in the future. It is not going to do any good stressing out, giving ourselves heart attacks over A GAME. Anyone who does just does not have a grasp at what truly is important in life.
Fans: We are so hungry and grateful for a team in Buffalo that we have settled for mediocrity for years. Whatever the front office has told us, we have ate up and believed them no matter what it was. Even now, some people are ready to accept mediocrity and talk ourselves into believing that Frazier is a good hire because that is all we have left. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending how you think), I really feel that the fans won’t buy whatever PR spin they try to feed us this time around. We will see our season ticket base drop 20 to 25% and most of the home games will not sell out next year. If this happens, we will start to hear the rumblings of how the great fans of WNY are not supporting the team, and be threatened yet again with the possibility of this team moving if we do not support them. It happened 12 years ago, before Flutie got here, it will happen again.
Coaching: What can I say. We let our head coach go 9 weeks ago so we could get a jump start on our coaching search. Not only have we been turned down by the “A” list coaches, we have been turned down by the “B” and “C” list coaches as well. Some people say “don’t worry; our next coach is still coaching”. To this I call BS. If that was the case, we would have let Dick Jauron finish out this season. Now, not only can we not attract a decent head coach, but how will we attract any quality assistants? We HAD the edge, now, most of the real good assistants are gone and we will be left with the scraps or retreads. There is no way a new coach can succeed with that.
Front Office: It is a joke. All they care about is making the most money possible so they can keep their jobs. They do not care if we win or lose, just by making all of the money they do, they convince Ralph they are doing a good job. I truly believe that Russ Brandon talked Ralph into the promotion to CEO he received. He was able to do this because he knows Ralph, and knows how to take advantage of him in his elder years. Any anger Ralph had about the results on the field was diminished when Russ opened up the books and showed him all of the profits. The Buddy Nix hire was another cost saving move, just to further Russ Brandon’s personal agenda. Russ Brandon is a leech that will milk the Bills for every dime he can before Ralph passes.
Owner: Thank you and God bless Ralph Wilson, a loyal Hall of Fame owner who has done everything in his power to keep a team in Buffalo. Unfortunately, he is just plain too old and stubborn to adapt to how the league has changed around him. His inability to place someone in charge that understands today’s NFL (for whatever reason and yes, I do know he has been burned in the past) has cost this franchise dearly. We cannot attract personnel that can rebuild this team to greatness once again and it will not change until he passes because he, or his family respecting his wishes, will not sell the team.
Lease: Our lease is up in 2012. Unless we actually pay this franchise mega-millions per year to stay here, I really do not believe they will. The county and state are both broke. The taxpayers have had it with the high taxes in this area and won’t pay more just to keep the team in Buffalo. We just cannot afford to build this team a new stadium, or subsidize this team beyond what we already do. Because of this, I can’t see the lease being extended beyond more than a year to year deal that will allow any new owner, once Ralph passes, to pack up and leave any time they want.
With all that said, I will HOPE for the best. I will enjoy this team while they are still here. I will go to as many games as possible, buy my t-shirts, hats, jackets, and other merchandise. I will relish it while it lasts because I don’t think it will last forever. Sure, once in a while I will *****, but realistically, real fans ***** once in a while. Hopefully some savior with a billion dollars will ride in and save this franchise before it is too late.
What I won’t do is worry or stress. It is mostly beyond our control what will happen in the future. It is not going to do any good stressing out, giving ourselves heart attacks over A GAME. Anyone who does just does not have a grasp at what truly is important in life.