Mudflap1
12-05-2005, 06:57 PM
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Aaron Austin (Spencerport, NY): I have always been a supporter for you Mr. Dumbahoe and believe in your system as an administrator. The players you have brought to Buffalo are all people of class and value. However, with this lack of consistency in our players and coaches, does this make you second guess the players and coaches you have chosen to be part of this great organization?
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Tom Dumbahoe: We appreciate your support and your comments. As far as second-guessing my picks, I have made top-caliber choices since taking over five years ago and rescuing this franchise from salary cap hell. If the 2nd generation of unseasoned hand puppets of a coaching staff that I've brought in here can't mold these players into a winner, it's not my fault.
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Darrin Smith (Westbury, NY): Mr. Dumbahoe that was yet another tough loss that really hurts being an avid fan. Now finishing the 5th year of your regime, the team has regressed almost to that of your first year when the team went 3-13. However that team was in flux because of cap issues. As GM, what is your explanation for why this team is in such disarray? Thanks
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Tom Dumbahoe: The team plays hard and prepares hard and we have had some difficult breaks that have gone against us this year. The biggest thing that we have been unable to do is to find a way to win close games. If we won more games, I think everyone would have a different opinion. It's not my fault the product on the field consists of a bunch of underachieving choke artists with bad attitudes.
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Luke Carelus (Miami, FL): Good morning Tom. Can you give me your honest opinion and tell me what you think we did to lose that game? It seems like when Coach and his staff have something on the line to play for they freeze. What can be done to correct that problem? Because I saw a little clip on ESPN showing the Bills coaching staff studying film like 18-20 hours a day.
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Tom Dumbahoe: Good morning Luke. We are 100 percent behind our coaching staff and the job that they do. My honest opinion is that the reason we lost that game yesterday was because we didn't score more points than Miami, pure and simple. If we can score more points than the opposition, I think we'll be winning some games.
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Mark Nizinkiewicz (Cheektowaga, NY): Obviously the past five years have not turned out to be very successful. Would hiring an established head coach with a proven record, rather than two coaches getting on the job training brought more success?
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Tom Dumbahoe: Contrary to what you say, we think that we have made progress in recent years. We have handled a difficult salary cap situation and we have built up a roster that was lacking in talent. Furthermore, I'm not going to subject myself to bringing in a coach that might know a thing or two more about the game of football than me, or the brain-dead media and fans of Buffalo. I said it once and I'll say it again, I'm embarrassed to be associated with this community.
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Morten Hansen (Aalborg, Denmark): Hi Tom. Since the season now is over even before it was supposed to begin I was wondering if you will start to evaluate personnel before the season is over. I mean the coaching staff is ready for such an evaluation and the needed changes can be made already. Thanks for answering questions from us fans and good luck with the task ahead of turning this sinking ship around.
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Tom Dumbahoe: With one quarter of the season to go, we certainly do not feel that the season is over. In fact, there are four games to go. My position is that we play 16 games in a season.
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Chuck Kellerman (Buffalo, NY): The Bills are the only team in the NFL who don't have one of their own drafted linemen starting. How do you explain your inability to draft starting NFL caliber linemen?
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Tom Dumbahoe: When healthy, we do consider Mike Williams to be a starter on this football team. We also consider him to be the most underachieving, overrated, lazy piece of garbage on this football team. When I yelled at him this preseason and called him a big pu**y, I meant it. You obviously have seen how he has responded.
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Scott Shreve (Frostburg, MD): Mr. Dumbahoe I am a big supporter of you and think that for the most part you have done a great job. My question is how you can justify brining Coach Mularkey back next season after the collapse this week and how unprepared the team has looked during the season. The coaching, in my opinion, is the biggest reason for our failures thus far.
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Tom Dumbahoe: Your comments and support are appreciated. Unlike the media, we do not try to play the blame game here at One Bills Drive or come up with a scape-goat for our problems. However, this is all Coach Mularkey's fault. I have done my job, and he has not done his. Overall, I'd say the biggest reason that we suck this year is because the fans have too high of expectations. Everyone knows this was not a playoff-ready team. I don't know where anybody got that impression. In fact, that's one of the reason that Ralph Wilson gave me a two year contract extension. I was bluntly honest with him about the state of the team, and if I'm good enough for Ralph, then I guess I'm good enough.
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Jeff Wagner (Vestal, NY): Thank you for taking my question. You referred to yourself as "being on thin ice" about a month ago. What are your feelings concerning your job security a month after making those statements and seeing the continued poor performance of the Buffalo Bills?
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Tom Dumbahoe: My status is probably not any different than it was a month ago. We sucked then, and we suck now. I can assure you of one thing, heads will roll if there is no improvement, I'll make sure that happens personally to anyone that I can field the blame to.
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Jason Allen (Fairport, NY): Mr. Dumbahoe, after five years we still don't have a line that can block consistently or play with much heart. Do you believe you've done enough to put this team in the best position to be successful?
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Tom Dumbahoe: There is no question that our line has been inconsistent this year. However, I have done everything in my power to bring in top-notch prospects that would make our line a force. In fact, I would go as far as to say that building the offensive line has been my top offseason priority since coming here. I believe my sixth season here, it will start to show that dividends are really paying off. Worst case scenario, we can always sell more merchandise and continue to bull**** the community into believing this team is a playoff-caliber team. I think I can pull that off for at least another year, maybe two.
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Joel Ereg (Rochester Hills, MI): Tom, back in the 2-14 days of the mid-80s I could understand the team losing because it was a bad team. I mean Bruce Mathison was our starting QB. But this team has talent, has veterans, and talent wise is a lot better than a four win club. Nothing is worse than a team that underachieves. Why is this team underachieving?
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Tom Dumbahoe: Our players and coaches would agree with you that we feel that there is better talent on this team than our record indicates. The talent level on this team supports my position that I have done my job. Everyone else hasn't. When I wake Ralph up from his nap, I will discuss with him about what else can be done over the last four games to improve this team. Stay tuned.
Jon
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Aaron Austin (Spencerport, NY): I have always been a supporter for you Mr. Dumbahoe and believe in your system as an administrator. The players you have brought to Buffalo are all people of class and value. However, with this lack of consistency in our players and coaches, does this make you second guess the players and coaches you have chosen to be part of this great organization?
</TD></TR><TR><TD class=altRow2 align=right colSpan=3>
Tom Dumbahoe: We appreciate your support and your comments. As far as second-guessing my picks, I have made top-caliber choices since taking over five years ago and rescuing this franchise from salary cap hell. If the 2nd generation of unseasoned hand puppets of a coaching staff that I've brought in here can't mold these players into a winner, it's not my fault.
</TD></TR><TR><TD class=altRow1 align=right colSpan=3>
Darrin Smith (Westbury, NY): Mr. Dumbahoe that was yet another tough loss that really hurts being an avid fan. Now finishing the 5th year of your regime, the team has regressed almost to that of your first year when the team went 3-13. However that team was in flux because of cap issues. As GM, what is your explanation for why this team is in such disarray? Thanks
</TD></TR><TR><TD class=altRow2 align=right colSpan=3>
Tom Dumbahoe: The team plays hard and prepares hard and we have had some difficult breaks that have gone against us this year. The biggest thing that we have been unable to do is to find a way to win close games. If we won more games, I think everyone would have a different opinion. It's not my fault the product on the field consists of a bunch of underachieving choke artists with bad attitudes.
</TD></TR><TR><TD class=altRow1 align=right colSpan=3>
Luke Carelus (Miami, FL): Good morning Tom. Can you give me your honest opinion and tell me what you think we did to lose that game? It seems like when Coach and his staff have something on the line to play for they freeze. What can be done to correct that problem? Because I saw a little clip on ESPN showing the Bills coaching staff studying film like 18-20 hours a day.
</TD></TR><TR><TD class=altRow2 align=right colSpan=3>
Tom Dumbahoe: Good morning Luke. We are 100 percent behind our coaching staff and the job that they do. My honest opinion is that the reason we lost that game yesterday was because we didn't score more points than Miami, pure and simple. If we can score more points than the opposition, I think we'll be winning some games.
</TD></TR><TR><TD class=altRow1 align=right colSpan=3>
Mark Nizinkiewicz (Cheektowaga, NY): Obviously the past five years have not turned out to be very successful. Would hiring an established head coach with a proven record, rather than two coaches getting on the job training brought more success?
</TD></TR><TR><TD class=altRow2 align=right colSpan=3>
Tom Dumbahoe: Contrary to what you say, we think that we have made progress in recent years. We have handled a difficult salary cap situation and we have built up a roster that was lacking in talent. Furthermore, I'm not going to subject myself to bringing in a coach that might know a thing or two more about the game of football than me, or the brain-dead media and fans of Buffalo. I said it once and I'll say it again, I'm embarrassed to be associated with this community.
</TD></TR><TR><TD class=altRow1 align=right colSpan=3>
Morten Hansen (Aalborg, Denmark): Hi Tom. Since the season now is over even before it was supposed to begin I was wondering if you will start to evaluate personnel before the season is over. I mean the coaching staff is ready for such an evaluation and the needed changes can be made already. Thanks for answering questions from us fans and good luck with the task ahead of turning this sinking ship around.
</TD></TR><TR><TD class=altRow2 align=right colSpan=3>
Tom Dumbahoe: With one quarter of the season to go, we certainly do not feel that the season is over. In fact, there are four games to go. My position is that we play 16 games in a season.
</TD></TR><TR><TD class=altRow1 align=right colSpan=3>
Chuck Kellerman (Buffalo, NY): The Bills are the only team in the NFL who don't have one of their own drafted linemen starting. How do you explain your inability to draft starting NFL caliber linemen?
</TD></TR><TR><TD class=altRow2 align=right colSpan=3>
Tom Dumbahoe: When healthy, we do consider Mike Williams to be a starter on this football team. We also consider him to be the most underachieving, overrated, lazy piece of garbage on this football team. When I yelled at him this preseason and called him a big pu**y, I meant it. You obviously have seen how he has responded.
</TD></TR><TR><TD class=altRow1 align=right colSpan=3>
Scott Shreve (Frostburg, MD): Mr. Dumbahoe I am a big supporter of you and think that for the most part you have done a great job. My question is how you can justify brining Coach Mularkey back next season after the collapse this week and how unprepared the team has looked during the season. The coaching, in my opinion, is the biggest reason for our failures thus far.
</TD></TR><TR><TD class=altRow2 align=right colSpan=3>
Tom Dumbahoe: Your comments and support are appreciated. Unlike the media, we do not try to play the blame game here at One Bills Drive or come up with a scape-goat for our problems. However, this is all Coach Mularkey's fault. I have done my job, and he has not done his. Overall, I'd say the biggest reason that we suck this year is because the fans have too high of expectations. Everyone knows this was not a playoff-ready team. I don't know where anybody got that impression. In fact, that's one of the reason that Ralph Wilson gave me a two year contract extension. I was bluntly honest with him about the state of the team, and if I'm good enough for Ralph, then I guess I'm good enough.
</TD></TR><TR><TD class=altRow1 align=right colSpan=3>
Jeff Wagner (Vestal, NY): Thank you for taking my question. You referred to yourself as "being on thin ice" about a month ago. What are your feelings concerning your job security a month after making those statements and seeing the continued poor performance of the Buffalo Bills?
</TD></TR><TR><TD class=altRow2 align=right colSpan=3>
Tom Dumbahoe: My status is probably not any different than it was a month ago. We sucked then, and we suck now. I can assure you of one thing, heads will roll if there is no improvement, I'll make sure that happens personally to anyone that I can field the blame to.
</TD></TR><TR><TD class=altRow1 align=right colSpan=3>
Jason Allen (Fairport, NY): Mr. Dumbahoe, after five years we still don't have a line that can block consistently or play with much heart. Do you believe you've done enough to put this team in the best position to be successful?
</TD></TR><TR><TD class=altRow2 align=right colSpan=3>
Tom Dumbahoe: There is no question that our line has been inconsistent this year. However, I have done everything in my power to bring in top-notch prospects that would make our line a force. In fact, I would go as far as to say that building the offensive line has been my top offseason priority since coming here. I believe my sixth season here, it will start to show that dividends are really paying off. Worst case scenario, we can always sell more merchandise and continue to bull**** the community into believing this team is a playoff-caliber team. I think I can pull that off for at least another year, maybe two.
</TD></TR><TR><TD class=altRow1 align=right colSpan=3>
Joel Ereg (Rochester Hills, MI): Tom, back in the 2-14 days of the mid-80s I could understand the team losing because it was a bad team. I mean Bruce Mathison was our starting QB. But this team has talent, has veterans, and talent wise is a lot better than a four win club. Nothing is worse than a team that underachieves. Why is this team underachieving?
</TD></TR><TR><TD class=altRow2 align=right colSpan=3>
Tom Dumbahoe: Our players and coaches would agree with you that we feel that there is better talent on this team than our record indicates. The talent level on this team supports my position that I have done my job. Everyone else hasn't. When I wake Ralph up from his nap, I will discuss with him about what else can be done over the last four games to improve this team. Stay tuned.
Jon
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