Tim Graham hits it out of the park. Brandon and Whaley must go.

[WagonCircler]

Graham is dead-on here. He makes his case like a prosecutor's closing argument. The blame for the recent run of suck goes far deeper than just Rex and his fat brother.

http://buffalonews.com/2016/12/11/blame-runs-deep-bills-failings-fall-feet-rex-ryans/

Right on schedule, weeks before Christmas, the Buffalo Bills' season is over.

Now it's time for the finger pointing and politicking at One Bills Drive.

Western New York's most tiresome winter pastime is upon us, and this episode could be more blustery than normal.

Reports fluttered Sunday like the snowflakes around New Era Field, where the Pittsburgh Steelers left cleat marks on the organization's forehead


Doug Whaley making a power play ... Rex Ryan fired as early as Monday ... Anthony Lynn perhaps the interim ... time to bench Tyrod Taylor ... a desire for Cardale Jones to get a chance ...

The timing for a cosmetic coaching change would be perfect, with the slovenly Cleveland Browns and New York Jets two of the three remaining opponents. The other game is here against the suddenly starting-quarterbackless Miami Dolphins.

The Bills probably will look pretty good the rest of the way, further validating a forceful statement and resetting the PR-o-meter from "Complete Dejection" to "Can't Wait Until Next Year."

For that reason, the Bills might as well move on from quarterback Tyrod Taylor, too, and get a head start on the Cardale Jones era.

See, fans? We feel your misery! We did something about it! And, look, the results have been immediate! Here come the double rainbows and leaping gnomes!

Don't buy that story line. You're not that gullible. Bills fans have lived and learned and grown and groaned over the 17 years since their team last made the playoffs.

Time for Terry and Kim Pegula to fumigate the entire football department.

Detoxify, disinfect and decolonize it. Then hose down the empty offices with Febreze.

I'd sooner advocate for full continuity than for addressing the problem halfway.

Ryan isn't the only one to blame, and he goes back merely two years.

They're all culpable.

Russ Brandon, the team's managing partner and president, has been with the Bills 20 years and has been involved in football decisions the past nine years. Since he became general manager in 2008, although his official bio in the Bills' media guide suspiciously omits any reference to him being GM, the Bills' record is 58-83.

Whaley is in his fourth year as GM but became an influential voice in 2010, when he was hired as Buddy Nix's successor. Buffalo is 45-63 since Whaley left the Steelers to join the front office.

Much more...

[Mr. Pink]

Brandon won't go anywhere, he's sold this crap product for 16 years now and the fans gobble this junk up. He's probably the only one in the organization that actually does his job properly as long as he stays out of the football side.

Whaley should go. I don't trust him to draft replacements for this crap show.

[WagonCircler]

Brandon won't go anywhere, he's sold this crap product for 16 years now and the fans gobble this junk up. He's probably the only one in the organization that actually does his job properly as long as he stays out of the football side.

Whaley should go. I don't trust him to draft replacements for this crap show.

Did you even read the article? Graham makes the case that Brandon doesn't stay out of the football side.

I don't think either one will be fired, but they both should be.

[Mr. Pink]

Did you even read the article? Graham makes the case that Brandon doesn't stay out of the football side.

I don't think either one will be fired, but they both should be.

I did read it. I don't think Brandon is as involved in the football side as much as people want to scapegoat him for. If he is indeed involved in the football side then he should be removed from it entirely so he can focus on what he does very well. Sell this garbage product year in and year out.

Unfortunately, I don't think Whaley will be fired either. They'll just end up promoting Lynn to HC, a few coaches will be changed and that'll be the end of it.

[Novacane]

Pegula should of cleaned house 2 years ago. Time to atone for that mistake.

[TacklingDummy]

Pegula should of cleaned house 2 years ago. Time to atone for that mistake.

Agreed. Run it like the sabres.

[Mr. Pink]

Pegula should of cleaned house 2 years ago. Time to atone for that mistake.

Pegula sucks in two sports hiring GMs and Coaches.

That takes talent!

[Mace]

It was a very direct article. I don't see anything to argue with. Graham unloaded on target.

[bleve]

Brandon won't go anywhere, he's sold this crap product for 16 years now and the fans gobble this junk up. He's probably the only one in the organization that actually does his job properly as long as he stays out of the football side.

Whaley should go. I don't trust him to draft replacements for this crap show.
Russ has not "sold" anything. Buffalo is football. The surrounding area lives for it's Bills, and Russ has nothing to do with it. Put a competent team on the field, and the customers will show up. In Buffalo - put anything on the field and the customers will show up - assuming there is a meaningful direction to success. As long as Russ Brandon has a title that has anything to do with any decision - the Bills will be as they have been throughout his tenure - mediocre.

[OpIv37]

It was a very direct article. I don't see anything to argue with. Graham unloaded on target.
The problem is that numerous posters on this board, myself included, wanted a scorched earth policy when Pegula took over. No one with one drop of blood on their hands for the Millenium of Fail should have been retained.

But Pegula made the EXACT same mistakes he did with the Sabres. He believed the snake oil salesmen that the team was just a few tweaks from competing. Then the team mires in mediocrity for 2-3 years before he realizes that we have to break it down and start over.

[Mr. Pink]

Russ has not "sold" anything. Buffalo is football. The surrounding area lives for it's Bills, and Russ has nothing to do with it. Put a competent team on the field, and the customers will show up. In Buffalo - put anything on the field and the customers will show up - assuming there is a meaningful direction to success. As long as Russ Brandon has a title that has anything to do with any decision - the Bills will be as they have been throughout his tenure - mediocre.

Cleveland is football, and their stadium was half empty today.

So the argument that a city is football so the fans are dumbasses, doesn't fly.

[Mace]

The problem is that numerous posters on this board, myself included, wanted a scorched earth policy when Pegula took over. No one with one drop of blood on their hands for the Millenium of Fail should have been retained.

But Pegula made the EXACT same mistakes he did with the Sabres. He believed the snake oil salesmen that the team was just a few tweaks from competing. Then the team mires in mediocrity for 2-3 years before he realizes that we have to break it down and start over.

Well don't get mad at me, I did too and have been complaining Pegula runs on a hockey 5 year timetable right along if you ever read a football word I said. I've argued against Taylor, Brandon, Whaley, hockey-years, Pegula's direction. I've tried manufacturing optimism with every stupid decision they made, deferred my negativity in favor of "we'll see" so I wasn't all over people who love the team as much as I do with different opinions, overcompensated because I just love the team and the stupid sport, so I can sit around here and talk to people with an interest in one of my passions.

But I've been putting up with this stupid bull**** team through 46 years of my freaking life since I was a kid and try to justify it.

I wanted a goddam scorched earth policy too way the hell more than most people because I want to see 10 ****ing wins at least once more before I ****ing die whether or not it even gets them into the goddam playoffs.

I was one of those ****ing scorched earth people and I don't need anyone ****ing pointing it out to me looking at another ****ing rebuild that should take 2 years but will suck 5 more ****ing years out of my patience when I don't even know if I have them left.

[Mr. Pink]

The hockey team needs a scorched Earth policy too.

I don't think Pegula has it in him to do it. He comes off as a guy who cares too much and is way too nice to step up and take charge.

[Turf]

But Pegula made the EXACT same mistakes he did with the Sabres. He believed the snake oil salesmen that the team was just a few tweaks from competing. Then the team mires in mediocrity for 2-3 years before he realizes that we have to break it down and start over.

Yep, exactly. And what did he just do, extend Whaley. And what did he just do several years ago before game one of the Sabres season, extended Darcy. And what did he do, fire Darcy. And what's he about to do, fire Rex and his brother.

The problem with Pegula in my distant analysis is that he makes friends with his people and enjoys daily interactions with his toy. He's the Mr Rogers of Jerry Jones if you will. And he likes that because it's his money, but he can't separate the professional from the result, even though he may be in part to blame.
I know Murray can back him off yet still wonder what happened with Lafontaine, probably something in this vein. I mean who wants be friends with Murray. Might be why Murray travels himself so much to get away from him.

[cookie G]

Brandon won't go anywhere, he's sold this crap product for 16 years now and the fans gobble this junk up. He's probably the only one in the organization that actually does his job properly as long as he stays out of the football side.

Whaley should go. I don't trust him to draft replacements for this crap show.

That's kinda like the guy who marries a whore and says, "my wife is great, as long as she doesn't sleep around on me."

[BertSquirtgum]

Not going to happen. No point in even discussing it.

[Historian]

Oh I think changes are coming, Bert.

The question is...will they be the right changes?

I've been on the fire Brandon bandwagon since he sold regular season games to Toronto. (yet another one of his abject failures)

I cannot believe there are still people around here that support that *******.

[The Jokeman]

I did read it. I don't think Brandon is as involved in the football side as much as people want to scapegoat him for. If he is indeed involved in the football side then he should be removed from it entirely so he can focus on what he does very well. Sell this garbage product year in and year out.

Unfortunately, I don't think Whaley will be fired either. They'll just end up promoting Lynn to HC, a few coaches will be changed and that'll be the end of it.

I agree I think Brandon is a marketing guy and nothing more. Yet because we see him so much fans think he plays a bigger part of football decisions than he does. Toss in the Pegula's promoted him to work with the Sabres too I think it means he'll see a lesser role with the Bills. I think Whaley stays but in terms of the next HC. It's anyone's guess right now, sure Lynn will be the front runner but I wouldn't be shocked if there's a massive coaching restructure and we bring someone from outside the organization in.

[SpikedLemonade]

Start by hiring a NFL experience high level guru/CEO/GOD to clean house.

Wolf would be good.

[cookie G]

Start by hiring a NFL experience high level guru/CEO/GOD to clean house.

Wolf would be good.

Without a doubt, and the sooner the better. Especially if they are dumping Whaley.

I'd want whoever they hire, Wolf, Polian or whoever, to do a pretty thorough investigation of the organization and full access to interview players, coaches and other present staff.

No more half assed "We were given a list of GM candidates and we didn't know anyone on the list, so we hired Buddy" situations.

The decision to hire the professionals needs to be made by professionals. Real football professionals, not 25 cent generals like the old guard. Get the best minds in the business involved.

And the time is now. The new GM is going to need time to evaluate the franchise and begin the coach search process.

No more Red Wine Texts, no more Syracuse buddies.

[Zero]

Graham is dead-on here. He makes his case like a prosecutor's closing argument. The blame for the recent run of suck goes far deeper than just Rex and his fat brother.

http://buffalonews.com/2016/12/11/blame-runs-deep-bills-failings-fall-feet-rex-ryans/

Right on schedule, weeks before Christmas, the Buffalo Bills' season is over.

Now it's time for the finger pointing and politicking at One Bills Drive.

Western New York's most tiresome winter pastime is upon us, and this episode could be more blustery than normal.

Reports fluttered Sunday like the snowflakes around New Era Field, where the Pittsburgh Steelers left cleat marks on the organization's forehead


Doug Whaley making a power play ... Rex Ryan fired as early as Monday ... Anthony Lynn perhaps the interim ... time to bench Tyrod Taylor ... a desire for Cardale Jones to get a chance ...

The timing for a cosmetic coaching change would be perfect, with the slovenly Cleveland Browns and New York Jets two of the three remaining opponents. The other game is here against the suddenly starting-quarterbackless Miami Dolphins.

The Bills probably will look pretty good the rest of the way, further validating a forceful statement and resetting the PR-o-meter from "Complete Dejection" to "Can't Wait Until Next Year."

For that reason, the Bills might as well move on from quarterback Tyrod Taylor, too, and get a head start on the Cardale Jones era.

See, fans? We feel your misery! We did something about it! And, look, the results have been immediate! Here come the double rainbows and leaping gnomes!

Don't buy that story line. You're not that gullible. Bills fans have lived and learned and grown and groaned over the 17 years since their team last made the playoffs.

Time for Terry and Kim Pegula to fumigate the entire football department.

Detoxify, disinfect and decolonize it. Then hose down the empty offices with Febreze.

I'd sooner advocate for full continuity than for addressing the problem halfway.

Ryan isn't the only one to blame, and he goes back merely two years.

They're all culpable.

Russ Brandon, the team's managing partner and president, has been with the Bills 20 years and has been involved in football decisions the past nine years. Since he became general manager in 2008, although his official bio in the Bills' media guide suspiciously omits any reference to him being GM, the Bills' record is 58-83.

Whaley is in his fourth year as GM but became an influential voice in 2010, when he was hired as Buddy Nix's successor. Buffalo is 45-63 since Whaley left the Steelers to join the front office.

Much more...

"I say we takeoff and nuke the entire site from orbit- its the only way to be sure."

[Mr. Pink]

Oh I think changes are coming, Bert.

The question is...will they be the right changes?

I've been on the fire Brandon bandwagon since he sold regular season games to Toronto. (yet another one of his abject failures)

I cannot believe there are still people around here that support that *******.

While the Toronto series wasn't a good move for fans, it was a good move for money.

Brandon's role is to make the team money and he does a great job of it.

Why people want to scapegoat him for 17 years of suck, when in actuality he has little to no input on any of it baffles me.

[WagonCircler]

While the Toronto series wasn't a good move for fans, it was a good move for money.

Brandon's role is to make the team money and he does a great job of it.

Why people want to scapegoat him for 17 years of suck, when in actuality he has little to no input on any of it baffles me.

How does one NOT make money in the NFL? It's basically idiot proof. Television contracts alone guarantee a profit. And the Toronto series? All Russ did was answer the phone and say yes. It wasn't some ingenious idea that he had. The idea came from the Rodgers people.

"Oh, but Russ is a marketing genius! He sells Bills football regionally!" Really? Doe it take a marketing wizard to come up with that plan?

Russ Brandon is a man with zero background in managing anything but baseball ticket sales prior to coming to the Bills. He weaseled his way up Ralph's ass, and literally into the position of GENERAL MANAGER, before becoming CEO. For what, exactly? For ingratiating himself to a senile man who was dying.

After last year, Terry Pegula objected to the characterization that his organization was 0 for the last 16 years in playoff appearances. He said he only owned the team for two years, so he was 0-2. Well, Russ Brandon can make no such claim. He's been here for 20.

People who think what Brandon does is special must be living on another planet. Making money for an NFL team is easy. You can hire any competent business person to do that. Making money and winning is hard. Russ Brandon is the common denominator in the 17 year stretch of suck.

And Doug Whaley has shown zero indication that he'll ever be ahead of the curve on acquiring players and or negotiating contracts. He's also clearly a coach killer. He spends resources foolishly, and he's a piss poor evaluator of Quarterbacks.

[LarryBoy]

"I say we takeoff and nuke the entire site from orbit- its the only way to be sure." :blowup:

great movie....more entertaining then Bills football...

[stuckincincy]

:blowup:

great movie....more entertaining then Bills football...

Get the movie "Idiocracy" from your library. Trust me here....

[Mr. Pink]

If anyone wants to send a statement to the team, stop buying tickets, stop buying merchandise, don't put more money into Pegula's pockets. He then will think that Brandon has lost touch with his fanbase and job and will fire him. As well as pretty much everyone else in the front office if the team continues to be complete trash on the field.

There's no threat anymore of the team leaving if you don't show up, so the answer is simple at this point. Vote with your feet and wallet.

[SpikedLemonade]

"I say we takeoff and nuke the entire site from orbit- its the only way to be sure."

Great idea.

Can you please do it before this upcoming miserable Browns game so we need not suffer through it?

[Mace]

Well don't get mad at me, I did too and have been complaining Pegula runs on a hockey 5 year timetable right along if you ever read a football word I said. I've argued against Taylor, Brandon, Whaley, hockey-years, Pegula's direction. I've tried manufacturing optimism with every stupid decision they made, deferred my negativity in favor of "we'll see" so I wasn't all over people who love the team as much as I do with different opinions, overcompensated because I just love the team and the stupid sport, so I can sit around here and talk to people with an interest in one of my passions.

But I've been putting up with this stupid bull**** team through 46 years of my freaking life since I was a kid and try to justify it.

I wanted a goddam scorched earth policy too way the hell more than most people because I want to see 10 ****ing wins at least once more before I ****ing die whether or not it even gets them into the goddam playoffs.

I was one of those ****ing scorched earth people and I don't need anyone ****ing pointing it out to me looking at another ****ing rebuild that should take 2 years but will suck 5 more ****ing years out of my patience when I don't even know if I have them left.

Anyway OP, I agree with you. Didn't realize I had that much aggravation in me, which poured out in that post. Sorry it was in your direction.

Dawned on me after I read it, might be coming to the end of my rope with them.

[Buffalogic]

If anyone wants to send a statement to the team, stop buying tickets, stop buying merchandise, don't put more money into Pegula's pockets. He then will think that Brandon has lost touch with his fanbase and job and will fire him. As well as pretty much everyone else in the front office if the team continues to be complete trash on the field.

There's no threat anymore of the team leaving if you don't show up, so the answer is simple at this point. Vote with your feet and wallet.I adopted this strategy three years ago. The problem is my friends and family just keep gifting this crap to me.

[WagonCircler]

If anyone wants to send a statement to the team, stop buying tickets, stop buying merchandise, don't put more money into Pegula's pockets. He then will think that Brandon has lost touch with his fanbase and job and will fire him. As well as pretty much everyone else in the front office if the team continues to be complete trash on the field.

There's no threat anymore of the team leaving if you don't show up, so the answer is simple at this point. Vote with your feet and wallet.

The problem is, so many people don't go to the games for the football, they go for the party. And Bills games are unmatched when it comes to parties.

The Bills have become the Cubs. My only fear is that their curse will last even longer than 108 years.

[trapezeus]

part of the problem is that some people can say that Brandon didn't make x decision. and other says that he did. on successful teams there isn't this constant debate of who does what. whaley wasn't picking ej, it was nix. no one knows how rex got here. this isn't done on champions. Brandon clearly has his hands involved because he is at every signing when it happens and smiling with that whitened toothy smile. and when the s*** hits the fan, he's no where to be found. he'll send the letter to the season ticket holders after and say that he's committed. but the league knows he's a meddler. that's why no one who is any good wants to be here. the apologists can keep claiming his excellence, but the 17yr proof is that no one wants this gig with him here. and even if we are wrong, what could we possibly have go wrong without him. miss the playoffs another year? ooooooooo

[Victor7]

Yet more and more evidence that Brandon continues to meddle in football related stuff and some people refuse to see it. I can't for the life of me understand why some people are this blind/stupid. He may not be involved as much as Whaey (clearly) but he's very much involved. He was in on the coaching search, he's in on the calls with Whaley and the coaches, he's the one that takes care of deals with Overdorf. But noooooo. He's a "scapegoat". Sometimes I think we deserve this **** team. Some fans are mind boggling stupid

Anyway. Great read. TimG hits the nail in the head by blaming the ever inadequate Whaley and the absolute imbecile that is Brandon.

He's good at his job I swear !! He sells Bills football to Buffalonians. LOL ..... Easiest sell in the world.


Clean house Terry. Rid this team of each and every remnant of that god forsaken Ralph era. Start with Brandon for ****s sake.

[WagonCircler]

Yet more and more evidence that Brandon continues to meddle in football related stuff and some people refuse to see it. I can't for the life of me understand why some people are this blind/stupid. He may not be involved as much as Whaey (clearly) but he's very much involved. He was in on the coaching search, he's in on the calls with Whaley and the coaches, he's the one that takes care of deals with Overdorf. But noooooo. He's a "scapegoat". Sometimes I think we deserve this **** team. Some fans are mind boggling stupid

Anyway. Great read. TimG hits the nail in the head by blaming the ever inadequate Whaley and the absolute imbecile that is Brandon.

He's good at his job I swear !! He sells Bills football to Buffalonians. LOL ..... Easiest sell in the world.


Clean house Terry. Rid this team of each and every remnant of that god forsaken Ralph era. Start with Brandon for ****s sake.

Hey Vic. What the hell is going on with that other Bills message board. The other day I went to take a peek at it and it crashed my computer. Not just my browser, the whole thing. It directs you to a dangerous unstable site and the BAM!

Sad.

[trapezeus]

victor7, what makes him so dangerous is that he's the guy who is building his house from sratch, but goes to the contractor with last second revisions and suggestions. and then he claims he isn't an architect, he doesn't know why the house is unstable.