Owner's meddling ruins Bills

[The_Philster]

Wilson deserves this 5-10 season. He deserves these six consecutive seasons in which his Buffalo Bills haven't made the playoffs, a time span during which every other AFC team has made the playoffs except the Houston Texans, who played their inaugural season in 2002 and, consequently, have some excuse. The Bills don't.
If you believe in karma, that every positive or negative action triggers a just result, then this is the Bills owner's comeuppance for firing the NFL's best general manager, Bill Polian, during the Bills' Super Bowl seasons, and for later firing Polian's successor, the late John Butler, a talented GM in his own right. more



Interesting that, in commenting about the Butler firing, the writer totally neglected to mention how Butler refused to even negotiate a contract extension with Ralph...leading to plenty of speculation at the time that he had planned to leave after the season to San Diego no matter what...there were even some accusations of tampering being floated about at the time.

[Historian]

Re: Owner's meddling ruins Bills

The going rate for a playoff calibre GM was 3 mill per season.

Ralph low-balled him with a 1 mill offer.

What would you do? (Especially if you may have had an inkling that you were sick)

The article is right on.

[The_Philster]

Re: Owner's meddling ruins Bills

Thing is...he never tried to negotiate from everything I heard. Point is, he wasn't coming back no matter what...he was a lame duck GM in 2000 and it showed, IMO....Eric Flowers? Travares Tillman?..he had to have seen how poorly the cap was set up for 2001

[Historian]

Re: Owner's meddling ruins Bills

His job was to retool the team for one last run.

If we had gone 8-8 in 1999, as opposed to 11-5 you guys would have *****ed about that.

That 1999 team, IMO, was the third best team the Bills had ever fielded. 1990 and 1964 being the first two.

Trust me, I was an insider back then. You're not looking at it correctly.

[The_Philster]

Re: Owner's meddling ruins Bills

I'm talking about 2000...his final season.

[Mitchy moo]

Re: Owner's meddling ruins Bills

The going rate for a playoff calibre GM was 3 mill per season.

Ralph low-balled him with a 1 mill offer.

What would you do? (Especially if you may have had an inkling that you were sick)

The article is right on.

You find the biggest con artist, pay him virtually nothing and keep the stands full with lies and half-truths. When RW dies we'll probably be starring at the Los angeles bills. How much does it cost to live in CA again?

[Historian]

Re: Owner's meddling ruins Bills

I'm talking about 2000...his final season.

The Bills were 7-4 going into Tampa.

They lost three starters for the season...Cowart, Carpenter, and Rodgers on three consecutive plays, and won only one more time that year.

You gonna blame that on him too?

As I've said before, players are a 50/50 crap shoot, but a couple of those guys from our 2000 draft are still kicking around the league.

Everybody wants to blame Butler for Erik Flowers. Okay, fine. Just make sure you blame Polian for JD Williams...and Jerry Crafts too is all I'm saying.

[Dr. Lecter]

Re: Owner's meddling ruins Bills

Jerry Crafts was a UDRFA, so he can miss blame there.


And Polian dug his own grave. Nobody, no matter how good you are at your job, talks to an NFL owner that way.

As for Butler, NFL GM's rate was 3 million. But those GM's also had administrative duties and handled the cap. Butler wanted none of those responsibilities and only wanted to handle the football end. Why should he get the same pay for a different work description?

[Historian]

Re: Owner's meddling ruins Bills

Why should he get the same pay for a different work description?

1993-Super Bowl
1995-Playoffs
1996-Playoffs
1998-Playoffs
1999-Playoffs

That's why.

[Novacane]

Re: Owner's meddling ruins Bills

1993-Super Bowl
1995-Playoffs
1996-Playoffs
1998-Playoffs
1999-Playoffs
That's why.

Ralph created this mess. Ralph a HOF? He'll never get in and does not deserve to

[The_Philster]

Re: Owner's meddling ruins Bills

The Bills were 7-4 going into Tampa.

They lost three starters for the season...Cowart, Carpenter, and Rodgers on three consecutive plays, and won only one more time that year.

good point..still...fact remains that he didn't attempt to negotiate a deal and rebuffed Ralph's attempts to negotiate with him. Ralph made one low ball deal...Butler balked...and gave up ...when you're offering someone a contract, would YOU offer a higher or lower amount?

[Historian]

Re: Owner's meddling ruins Bills

It depends on how much you value them. In this case it depends on how much you value winning.

Everyone was spoiled with the successes of the late 80s and 90s. With success comes complacency. Not just with the players either. Fans, media, and even Ralph himself became complacent. We tend to forget how much hard work goes into a successful team. I think that's why people tend to dismiss Mr. Butler.

Now here we are, six years removed from the playoffs. The fans are hungry again....but is Ralph? I seriously have to wonder.

[G. Host]

Re: Owner's meddling ruins Bills

Jerry Crafts was a UDRFA, so he can miss blame there.

And Polian dug his own grave. Nobody, no matter how good you are at your job, talks to an NFL owner that way.

As for Butler, NFL GM's rate was 3 million. But those GM's also had administrative duties and handled the cap. Butler wanted none of those responsibilities and only wanted to handle the football end. Why should he get the same pay for a different work description?

Exactly. Ralph wanted Butler to do what Donahoe is doing now - attending meetings, cap, sales, media, etc and Butler was not interested in it. And this is the problem I have with Donahoe - I think he does some parts extremely well and others not so well - if he had less duties I think he would be a better GM but everyone wants that BIG paycheck even if you do not do the job as well.

[Dr. Lecter]

Re: Owner's meddling ruins Bills

1993-Super Bowl
1995-Playoffs
1996-Playoffs
1998-Playoffs
1999-Playoffs

That's why.

And a cap mess that set the team into a downward spiral.

Ralph could have offerred Butler almost anything. He wanted out. He knew the mess that was on its way.

[DynaPaul]

Re: Owner's meddling ruins Bills

Man, this article is really depressing. The final kick in the balls will be Polian's Colts winning the Super Bowl which they looked poised to do at this point in the season. I think a guy should be rated on results and not how easy you get along with him. Hell, do you think Jerry Jones got along with all of his coaches? No, but he's knows he has a talent in Bill Parcells and stays out of his face. Ralph should learn to let guys do their jobs and if they are doing it well they get paid for it and left alone. When people aren't doing their job, as in our current situation, they get meddled with and ultimately the boot.

As a side note, it's nice to see Brian Etkins finally write a column that doesn't talk about the Gi-AINTS.