Bills hire talent consultant from ESPN

[Wally The Barber]

The Buffalo Bills are taking steps to improve their public perception this offseason after a rough go to end the 2016 season as met by harsh criticism from local media. The first step was to hire a new Vice President of Communications, Derek Boyko, in February. Now a month later, the Bills have retained the services of a talent consultant to work with members of the organization.
Gerry Matalon, a former talent coach for ESPN, is meeting with Bills leadership this week at the NFL owners meetings, reports Mike Rodak. While he will start with head coach Sean McDermott, he will also work with general manager Doug Whaley and other figures in Buffalo’s organization according to the report.
The Bills had a pair of disastrous press conferences in the wake of the firing of Rex Ryan. First, Anthony Lynn stumbled over timelines and the reasons behind the Tyrod Taylor benching in late December. Then Doug Whaley came out and gave a press conference so bad, people openly called for his firing over his behavior. Local mainstream media outlets blasted the Bills for their image and their lack of transparency to the point of beating a dead horse. Owners Kim and Terry Pegula had to give two interviews just to calm the waters.
This isn’t a new exercise, though. Matalon has worked with NFL players, coaches, and general managers in refining their public presentation in addition to potential broadcasters. It’s a wise move from an organization that has lagged behind in its approach with the media. In fact, it’s probably fair to ask what took so long.





http://www.buffalorumblings.com/2017/3/28/15085996/buffalo-bills-hire-talent-consultant-doug-whaley-sean-mcdermott-derek-boyko

[Thurmal]

Re: Bills hire talent consultant from ESPN

You know, as poorly as they came off during those pressers, as a fan I got over it in about 15 minutes, as I'm sure everyone else did.

When it comes to the front office, spend your time on improving the talent evaluators rather than the PR department. You know what are bad optics? Seventeen years w/o playoffs.

[justasportsfan]

Re: Bills hire talent consultant from ESPN

What are they attempting to do ? Make us look like graceful losers?

Everyone hates BB but no one cares as long as they're winning.

[Wally The Barber]

Re: Bills hire talent consultant from ESPN

You know, as poorly as they came off during those pressers, as a fan I got over it in about 15 minutes, as I'm sure everyone else did.

When it comes to the front office, spend your time on improving the talent evaluators rather than the PR department. You know what are bad optics? Seventeen years w/o playoffs.

To me this means Whaley is Done. He won't have complete control over the draft. This is nothing more then a transition move till the next GM arrives

[OpIv37]

Re: Bills hire talent consultant from ESPN

You know, as poorly as they came off during those pressers, as a fan I got over it in about 15 minutes, as I'm sure everyone else did.

When it comes to the front office, spend your time on improving the talent evaluators rather than the PR department. You know what are bad optics? Seventeen years w/o playoffs.

The pressers themselves? Meh- like you said, we are over it.

What I'm not over is the complete and utter organizational dysfunction the pressers revealed. Fix public perception all you want- it isn't going to matter as long as the core of the organization is still rotten.

[Thurmal]

Re: Bills hire talent consultant from ESPN

The pressers themselves? Meh- like you said, we are over it.

What I'm not over is the complete and utter organizational dysfunction the pressers revealed. Fix public perception all you want- it isn't going to matter as long as the core of the organization is still rotten.

That's exactly my point. The FO needs obviously needs an overhaul, and firing Scott Bertchtold (who is probably the only guy up there who has been a team employee during a playoff season) should've been way, way down the to-do list.

[TigerJ]

Re: Bills hire talent consultant from ESPN

To me this means Whaley is Done. He won't have complete control over the draft. This is nothing more then a transition move till the next GM arrives

This move has everything to do with how the coaching staff and the player personnel staff present themselves in public situations, particularly news conferences, and nothing to do with the evaluation of talent of prospective players the Bills might draft or sign. It should have zero effect on the draft.

[Generalissimus Gibby]

Re: Bills hire talent consultant from ESPN

A consultant eh? I just hope it's the Bobs from Office Space.

Bobs: Mr. Brandon, what is it exactly that you do?

Later on in a perfect world, well let's see we can get rid of that Overdorf character, that Whaley guy is nothing but trouble, and Brandon well he's uh not gonna work here any more that's for sure.

[Wally The Barber]

Re: Bills hire talent consultant from ESPN

This move has everything to do with how the coaching staff and the player personnel staff present themselves in public situations, particularly news conferences, and nothing to do with the evaluation of talent of prospective players the Bills might draft or sign. It should have zero effect on the draft.

Not buying that one.....nope

He is a talent consultant

[Wally The Barber]

Re: Bills hire talent consultant from ESPN

Not buying that one.....nope

Whaley is a weasel and might be gone well before the draft

Why do you Think Doug Marrone left town?

[Mouldsie]

Re: Bills hire talent consultant from ESPN

Pegula smells of a business person who disguised himself as a fan.

[OpIv37]

Re: Bills hire talent consultant from ESPN

Pegula smells of a business person who disguised himself as a fan.

Pegula always struck me as kind of a casual fan. He seems like the type that watches the games if his friends and family want to and goes all in if we actually make the playoffs, but he's not the type that follows every off-season move and frets if he misses the game. It's probably a bit different now that he owns the team and is the boss but he never struck me as being a die-hard fan.

[YardRat]

Re: Bills hire talent consultant from ESPN

Winning improves public perception. Period.

[Zero]

Re: Bills hire talent consultant from ESPN

The first step toward correcting your image problem is acknowledging you have an image problem. Although a crappy image is symptomatic of the REAL problem (organizational dysfunctionality and team underperformance) and this being a very Bills-like approach to problem solving: by always adhering to the philosophy of putting the cart before the horse, I still hold out hope that these efforts to rehabilitate the public perception of the franchise will inevitably lead Pegula down the path off truth.

At the very least I'm encouraged that Pegs is aware of how his team is viewed and is being proactive in trying to change that- unlike several other owners of teams who seemingly have their heads buried in the sand.

[YardRat]

Re: Bills hire talent consultant from ESPN

We haven't made the playoffs this century and just polished off a two-year stint with a inept carnival barker at the helm, it doesn't take a genius to figure out how your organization is perceived by others.