Green Bay wins another - what's Buffalo's excuse?

[Cleve]

I've heard the "small market" excuse bandied about as a contributing factor in Buffalo's Super Bowl appearance/win drought. But little Green Bay got in for the 5th time, and won another. I think their market is even smaller than Buffalo.

So the Packers are 4 out of 5 or 0.800 for Superbowl appearances. Buffalo is 0-4, or a great big 0.000, despite having a "Hall of Fame" owner Ralph Wilson Jr.

Green Bay commands great respect nationally, whereas the Bills are pretty much viewed as a joke more than 300 miles outside of WNY.

What's our excuse now?

[Ebenezer]

Is this even up for discussion if the Bills went 3 for 4? Isn't the more pressing question why the Bills can't become elite more often than every 20 years?? Of course how many years between SB trips was it for GB between SBII and Farve's first trip?

[Beebe's Kid]

What's our excuse now?

Why does there have to be an excuse? I don't think there is one...and if there was I certainly wouldn't owe you one?

What have you done to help?

[OpIv37]

I don't know the excuse but I do know the reason: incompetent ownership

[ddaryl]

with a salary cap and revenue sharing in place small markets have a shot. I don't blame the Bills losing ways on being a small market.

Take away revenue sharing and the salary cap and small markets teams will suffer some.

There is one reason and only one reason for our woeful franchise and that is Ralph Wilson

[trapezeus]

it's drafting. it's just ****ty ****ty drafting.

the SB run and a few years after was made largely possible by getting good players. the salary cap was another thing for butler, but they got good players in. then they stopped doing that. and they've been trying to wedge free agents who need to be in their prime for a good team as part of the development. Nothing ever develops as a result.

[YardRat]

If you could point to one thing, it would be easy to fix.

[Mad Max]

Small Market means NOTHING in the NFL.

Tampa Bay
Indianapolis
Pittsburgh
St. Louis
New Orleans

Other than Green Bay several other teams come immediately to mind as recent small market Super Bowl winners.

It takes a mix of good Ownership, good Management, and good Luck to build a winner.

We've had mostly bad portions of each ingredient of that magic elixir.

[justasportsfan]

What's our excuse now?

Ralph Wilson.

We can close this thread now. :D

[Cleve]

it's drafting. it's just ****ty ****ty drafting.

Our HOF owner Ralph Wilson Jr would disagree. Just last week I believe that Wilson said Tom Modrak has done a bang up job, and has every confidence in him.

BTW, did anyone else wonder why Wilson was making these pronouncements and not Buddy Nix? I thought Buddy Nix was the head football guy?

[Zero]

it's drafting. it's just ****ty ****ty drafting.

the SB run and a few years after was made largely possible by getting good players. the salary cap was another thing for butler, but they got good players in. then they stopped doing that. and they've been trying to wedge free agents who need to be in their prime for a good team as part of the development. Nothing ever develops as a result.


So true. Landing 2-3 pro-bowlers in a ten year span is not asking for much, yet we have been unable to accomplish this. For many teams this would be considered underachieving, for this organization its considered an unreasonable expectation.

This team needs to start adding talent and the FA's will follow. That is how the 90's Bills were created. Thurmal, Bruce, Kelly, Reed were all home grown players. The free agents were used to fill in the gaps... The sizeof your market or how much revenue you generate is not as big a factor as you might think. Just go ask Dan Snyder, then go ask the Steelers FO...

[TacklingDummy]

Lack of stopping the run.
Lack of pass rush.
Lack of franchise QB.
Lack of talent.

[Lone Stranger]

Ralph Wilson.

We can close this thread now. :D

You're right on!!!!!!

[Joe Fo Sho]

What's our excuse now?

We ****ing blooooooooooooooooooow.

[justasportsfan]

if ralphy didnt fire polian, we'd have at least one sb ring

[Billz_fan]

I like the stat they told on the NFL network I think it was earlier this week.

When discussing the size of Green Bay WI they said that the entire population of Green Bay would fit in the Cowboys new stadium :laughter:

That my friends is a small place for an NFL team. So I agree it has nothing to do with market size and everything to do the front office stinking the place up for the last 2 decades. How any of them have survived I have no idea. Ralph should have fired himself. He has reached the status of "doddering old fart"

[Billz_fan]

Our HOF owner Ralph Wilson Jr would disagree. Just last week I believe that Wilson said Tom Modrak has done a bang up job, and has every confidence in him.

BTW, did anyone else wonder why Wilson was making these pronouncements and not Buddy Nix? I thought Buddy Nix was the head football guy?


Ralph has no idea who is on the team :laughter: Picture this if you will, Ralph sitting in a high back wooden chair. He has a bib around his neck and someone is spoon feeding him. The conversation could be like this......

Nurse: Time for dinner Mr Wilson
Ralph: huh ?
Nurse: It's time for your dinner.
Ralph: I want to watch the football game, I own the team you know. I had to get rid of those guys who were stealing my money.
Nurse: Football season is over Mr Wilson
Ralph: huh ?
Nurse: The season is over, you won the Super Bowl again this year Mr. Wilson. Here is your food.
Ralph: Oh good, tomorrow I will take the staff to Dennys for a celebration.


Next day repeat above :laughter:

[Johnny Bugmenot]

Let the fans own the team like they do in Green Bay.

But we can't do that. The Billionaires' Club needs its membership.

[G Wolly]

When you have a team to build over 75+ years, with one of the most well-known and successful coaches in football/sports, and many hall of famers, you get a pretty good reputation as a team with success.

[jamze132]

GB drafts players like Aaron Rodgers and Clay Mathews. Buffalo drafts players like JP Losman and Aaron Maybin.

[ChristopherWalken]

Being a small market team has nothing to do with it.

Below is a list of teams that have less Super Bowl appearances than the Bills (0-4):

Rams (1-3)
Cheifs (1-2)
Bears (1-2)
Bengals (0-2)
Eagles (0-2)
Jets (1-1)
Ravens (1-1)
Bucs (1-1)
Saints (1-1)
Chargers (0-1)
Falcons (0-1)
Titans (0-1)
Panthers (0-1)
Seahawks (0-1)
Cardinals (0-1)
Lions (0-0)
Browns (0-0)
Jaguars (0-0)
Texans (0-0)

[k-oneputt]

It's very simple really.

You can't win big without a very good qb. If you don't have one that should be your first priority.
Second is the O & D lines.

Which just happens to be the three weakest areas on the team.

[Billz_fan]

It's very simple really.

You can't win big without a very good qb. If you don't have one that should be your first priority.
Second is the O & D lines.

Which just happens to be the three weakest areas on the team.


These teams really did not have what I would call a Franchise QB. Im not disagreeing with you just saying that teams can get to the SB without one with some decent frequency. A great defense and an average QB can take you a long way. Just saying :D

The Ravens with Trent Dilfer win the SB, then they release him in the off season. A big prospect out of college that never did anything before or after his SB year. Heck he didn't do much during his SB year LOL.

The Giants get to the SB and lose to the Ravens with Kerry Collins at QB They still got there though. Kerry has never been to far above average for the bulk of his career. His career W/L record as a starter is 79-91, ouch.

The Giants Beat the Bills with Hostetler at QB after Sims goes down. The best team lost that day. Hoss had a decent career record of 51-32 but managed a full season of 16 games 1 time in 12 seasons in the league. Mostly because he was a backup for most of his career.

The Redskins win the SB with Mark Rypien at QB who did nothing prior to his SB year and nothing after his SB year.

Tampa Bay wins the SB with Brad Johnson who for the major portion of his career was average at best and in 15 years in the league played a 16 game season 3 times.

The Raiders make it to the SB with Rich Gannon who won the MVP but for the first 12 years of his career did nothing to speak of and most seasons played in less than 9 games a year as he was hurt, backup or whatever.

Vince Feragamo led the Rams to the SB after a stellar 9-7 season. His best season was actually in 1980 like 2 years before his SB year with 30 TD's, He was shipped to us in Buffalo and I actually sat in the Ralph and watched this bum stink the place up :laughter:

Doug Williams takes the Redskins to the SB and wins with a career record 7 games above .500

Joe Kapp takes the Vikings to the SB and loses but goes 12-1 that season. Joe only played 4 seasons in the NFL and was 3-5, 8-6 and 1-9 in his other 3 seasons.

[k-oneputt]

Today's NFL, not 10 to 30 years ago.

[Nighthawk]

Simple answer - Ralph Wilson. He's just not committed to winning championships and it shows.

[Luisito23]

Poor drafting.

[Billz_fan]

Today's NFL, not 10 to 30 years ago.


4 of the 9 are in the 2000's

[k-oneputt]

4 of the 9 are in the 2000's

Brad Johnson won in 2003, Trent Dilfer in 2001. two average qb's with the best defense in the league.

The last eight SB winning qb's, Rodgers, Brees, Roeth, E.Manning,P. Manning, Brady.

The top-5 qb's in the league.

I think you get the point.

[Billz_fan]

Yep your absolutely right.

[Bert102176]

Ralph Wilson isn't concerned with winning anymore he only want's to make money now, why do you think we never spend money to bring in good free agents

[Extremebillsfan247]

I've heard the "small market" excuse bandied about as a contributing factor in Buffalo's Super Bowl appearance/win drought. But little Green Bay got in for the 5th time, and won another. I think their market is even smaller than Buffalo.

So the Packers are 4 out of 5 or 0.800 for Superbowl appearances. Buffalo is 0-4, or a great big 0.000, despite having a "Hall of Fame" owner Ralph Wilson Jr.

Green Bay commands great respect nationally, whereas the Bills are pretty much viewed as a joke more than 300 miles outside of WNY.

What's our excuse now?
You in a sense just answered your own question. Reputation, and location have a lot to do with it. The first things anyone thinks about when hearing the name Buffalo is bitter cold, losing mentality, and third rate. It's kind of hard to erase when the teams long history gives every bit of evidence to such extremely harsh reputations out side the city itself. Since the NFL/AFL merger, this team has been all but horrible as a franchise except for that small Super Bowl run which as you pointed out, they lost all 4. Winning the big one changes hearts and minds. Until then, nothing will change. JMO

[!Papacrunk!]

Ted Thompson---GB needs to give that guy one helluva raise. He may not play a down, coach a player, but I put the onus of their success squarely on his shoulders.