Time to stop pretending, Buffalo's still a hard sell

[BLeonard]

http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/columns/bucky-gleason/article703145.ece

The small market and the snow make things tougher when trying to convince good players to come here, but that's valid only to a point. Look at Green Bay, where it's not exactly sunny and 80 every day. The Packers last year won the Super Bowl and this year had the NFL's best record in the regular season.

The Bills didn't have recruiting issues while marching to four straight Super Bowls. Back then, players embraced the small-town feel and the weather advantage over other teams. Their glory years are long gone. Most players you see today were too young to remember Wide Right. The parents of some were barely past their first kiss.

Buffalo has missed the playoffs 12 straight years. The Bills are known as a shoddy operation that doesn't spend to contend.

Instead, they pretend.

The Bills' problems are too many to address in the draft, leaving them with limited choices. The only real options are overpaying good players to stay here and grossly overpaying free agents to come here. Keep in mind, this is with the idea the Bills are more interested in improving the product rather than the profit margin.

The sad truth is the Bills really don't have much leverage watching so many players walk out the door over money. Say what you will about Lee Evans or Nate Clements or Jason Peters or a long list of others who preceded Nix's return. So long as Ralph Wilson owns the team, the Bills will have a reputation for refusing to pay for top players.

-Bill

[BertSquirtgum]

Re: Time to stop pretending, Buffalo's still a hard sell

Money talks. That's all that matters.

[Night Train]

Re: Time to stop pretending, Buffalo's still a hard sell

Where you expecting to be " WOW'd " by Nix yesterday ?

He and any football person comes here and is immediately is told to tie one arm behind their back by the 3 headed monster of Ralph/Littman/Overdorf.

We've all known this for years and Bucky is Capt. Obvious.

Here's my hope.

1.We continue to build a good core.
2.Ralph is soon no longer the owner by death or sale.
3. We start winning to spite everyone.

[Wally The Barber]

Re: Time to stop pretending, Buffalo's still a hard sell

Winning football could really help Buffalo image. A domed stadium would be great too!

[Raptor]

Re: Time to stop pretending, Buffalo's still a hard sell

Dead on

and this is why I laugh when people talk about hometown discounts and offering FA's incentive based contracts. Those are options the Bills don't have. We are going to overpay for any FA if we ever do decide to be active in FA'cy

[EricStratton]

Re: Time to stop pretending, Buffalo's still a hard sell

Teams that lose are tough sells until a big name kid gets drafted and excels or a team gets lucky with a trade or FA.

For what seemed like 1000 years no one wanted to play in New Orleans, then they got lucky with Brees. Green Bay before Farve was terrible, New England before Parcells and Brady were a joke, SF after Steve Young was a mess etc etc etc.

Hitting a bunch of singles and one home run changes everything and changes the perception of a franchise.

[TheGhostofJimKelly]

Re: Time to stop pretending, Buffalo's still a hard sell

Who was pretending?

[Don't Panic]

Re: Time to stop pretending, Buffalo's still a hard sell

Here's my hope.

1.We continue to build a good core.
2.Ralph is soon no longer the owner by death or sale.
3. We start winning to spite everyone.

Amen.

[justasportsfan]

Re: Time to stop pretending, Buffalo's still a hard sell

Merriman should be making phone calls soon.

[HAMMER]

Re: Time to stop pretending, Buffalo's still a hard sell

Who was pretending?

A lot of this board get their panties in a wad whenever this issue arises, they think Buffalo is paradise.

[imbondz]

Re: Time to stop pretending, Buffalo's still a hard sell

The only difference between the Buffalo market and the Green Bay market is that Green Bay fields a consistently excellent product. If the Bills sustained the 90's success, this would never be a topic.

[Mski]

Re: Time to stop pretending, Buffalo's still a hard sell

i think guys like merriman and barnet go a long way to help resolve this issue. both said it was a tough sell to get them here, but once they were here, they loved it, the problem is getting them to get here

[Ickybaluky]

Re: Time to stop pretending, Buffalo's still a hard sell

The only difference between the Buffalo market and the Green Bay market is that Green Bay fields a consistently excellent product. If the Bills sustained the 90's success, this would never be a topic.

I can think of two big differences in the last 20 years:

1) Favre

2) Rodgers

[Night Train]

Re: Time to stop pretending, Buffalo's still a hard sell

I can think of two big differences in the last 20 years:

1) Favre

2) Rodgers

And a publicly owned team where one owner and his accountant don't dominate everything.

[imbondz]

Re: Time to stop pretending, Buffalo's still a hard sell

I can think of two big differences in the last 20 years:

1) Favre

2) Rodgers

that's what i'm saying. Green Bay's teams good. Buffalo's teams bad. Has nothing to do with the size of market.