For Those Waiting on Brandon to Leave...

[THATHURMANATOR]

People who are equating this to any results on the field are complete MORONS.

Brandon has been amazing at his job. Marketing the teams. The Bills continued to fill the seats for the last 15 years of a **** team.

He was completely out of his element when Ralph made him GM. What was he supposed to do though? Ralph asked him to do it and he did it.

I find it so comical that so many people act as if Brandon is bad at his job. He is probably one of the best at what he does in all of sports.

No one, including Brandon himself, wants him involved with personal decisions and he won't be for either team.

[OpIv37]

Are we forgetting something? Russ equals Ralph. That's why Ralph trusted Russ to run the team once his health failed him.

Bottom line first. Winning second.

[Joe Fo Sho]

Are we forgetting something? Russ equals Ralph. That's why Ralph trusted Russ to run the team once his health failed him.

Bottom line first. Winning second.

Since Pegula took over, what has Russ done that makes you think he's "Ralph?"

[THATHURMANATOR]

Since Pegula took over, what has Russ done that makes you think he's "Ralph?"

Exactly

such a stupid comparison. Pegula has proven to be the polar opposite of Ralph in that regard. Willing to do and pay whatever it takes for the teams to win.

[OpIv37]

Since Pegula took over, what has Russ done that makes you think he's "Ralph?"

I'm talking about before Pegula. Brandon ran the team for the last few years because Ralph was too sickly, and he ran it just like Ralph did.

[justasportsfan]

People who are equating this to any results on the field are complete MORONS.

Brandon has been amazing at his job. Marketing the teams. The Bills continued to fill the seats for the last 15 years of a **** team.

He was completely out of his element when Ralph made him GM. What was he supposed to do though? Ralph asked him to do it and he did it.

I find it so comical that so many people act as if Brandon is bad at his job. He is probably one of the best at what he does in all of sports.

No one, including Brandon himself, wants him involved with personal decisions and he won't be for either team.

You are right, Opiv is wrong again.

[Mace]

I really don't like Brandon. Happy himbo's that spout trendy catchphrases aggravate me, saw too many in my day. That said, he managed to sell the Bills without fools embracing a tank brought on by incompetence pretended as planning. Keep him being a happy himbo on the business side wearing the appropriate cap and gladhanding and all is well. At least you'll buy your crap, eat it, know it's crap, hate him, and feel better in the morning knowing you'll tolerate a goof with a decent marketing mind as opposed to being fooled into believing you're tolerating a solid guy without a clue who convinced you to believe he was smarter than he was by actually getting you to root against a team you love and buy their stuff anyway, and thinking you were all the better for it.

[OpIv37]

People who are equating this to any results on the field are complete MORONS.

Brandon has been amazing at his job. Marketing the teams. The Bills continued to fill the seats for the last 15 years of a **** team.

He was completely out of his element when Ralph made him GM. What was he supposed to do though? Ralph asked him to do it and he did it.

I find it so comical that so many people act as if Brandon is bad at his job. He is probably one of the best at what he does in all of sports.

No one, including Brandon himself, wants him involved with personal decisions and he won't be for either team.

What was he supposed to do? Grow a pair and say "I can run the business side but I'm not qualified to run the football side. Why don't we interview these people?"

But Ralph and Russ value the bottom dollar more than winning, and Russ is the quintessential corporate yes-man.

Gotta love the homerism on this board. The team struggles: "clean house! Fire everyone! How is Brandon still employed?!?!?" Pegula puts Brandon in charge of the Bills and the Sabres: "well he's great at marketing and the struggles weren't really his fault."

I'll give you that he's good at marketing. He has all the usual automatons drinking his kool aid. Again.

[Joe Fo Sho]

I'm talking about before Pegula. Brandon ran the team for the last few years because Ralph was too sickly, and he ran it just like Ralph did.

You mean he ran it according to the guidelines Ralph put in place.

[DraftBoy]

I'm talking about before Pegula. Brandon ran the team for the last few years because Ralph was too sickly, and he ran it just like Ralph did.

What specifically was he supposed to do differently? It wasn't like Ralph handed the guy a checkbook and said spend whatever you want to make the team better. A lot of the hate directed at Brandon is done without any actual idea of what he was or wasn't allowed to do during his time as GM.

[Mace]

What specifically was he supposed to do differently? It wasn't like Ralph handed the guy a checkbook and said spend whatever you want to make the team better. A lot of the hate directed at Brandon is done without any actual idea of what he was or wasn't allowed to do during his time as GM.

Everything I ever read said he was a figurehead guy. Only reason he aggravated me in that capacity even was his facetime gladhanding in the preseason then disappearing when trouble started. "Gee whiz guys this is so cool, whoop, have to go hide."

I don't think he ever really did anything football related but show up for the cameras to wear the hat though, or at the least never saw any source claim he did besides irritated fans on message boards.

[OpIv37]

What specifically was he supposed to do differently? It wasn't like Ralph handed the guy a checkbook and said spend whatever you want to make the team better. A lot of the hate directed at Brandon is done without any actual idea of what he was or wasn't allowed to do during his time as GM.

Ok.

So, we don't know. He may have been responsible for a lot of it, he may have been responsible for very little of it. But as a fan, are you willing to take that chance? I'm not.

[BuffaloRedleg]

Brandon has been pretty much just as bad as every other talent evaluator we've had since the early 90s. One of those people was Marv Levy if you don't remember (I'd argue he was worse).

Jesus Christ chill out people I don't love it but it isn't the end of the world you babies.

[OpIv37]

Brandon has been pretty much just as bad as every other talent evaluator we've had since the early 90s. One of those people was Marv Levy if you don't remember (I'd argue he was worse).

Jesus Christ chill out people I don't love it but it isn't the end of the world you babies.

Status quo is the end of the world because facts are facts and we all know what has happened on the field. Brandon is the embodiment of status quo.

[DraftBoy]

Ok.

So, we don't know. He may have been responsible for a lot of it, he may have been responsible for very little of it. But as a fan, are you willing to take that chance? I'm not.

Yes, because the stuff we do know he was responsible for he was very successful with.

Hell look at what many consider to be his biggest issue, the sale of one Bills game a year to Toronto. Fans emotionally point to the fact that the games did crap in attendance and the environment sucked. I look at from the angle that the Bills made a **** ton of money and basically disproved the theory that there was a ready and willing fan base in Toronto for this team.

My only legitimate gripe with Brandon is that I think his coaching hires have been poor. In those situations he needed to defer the responsibility out because he's too marketing/business focused. Marrone was hired because he's a local guy who had good success and brought a feel good local angle. Rex was hired because he was the biggest name out there. Neither are legitimate reasons to hire either coach imo. That is an issue.

[Joe Fo Sho]

Yes, because the stuff we do know he was responsible for he was very successful with.

Hell look at what many consider to be his biggest issue, the sale of one Bills game a year to Toronto. Fans emotionally point to the fact that the games did crap in attendance and the environment sucked. I look at from the angle that the Bills made a **** ton of money and basically disproved the theory that there was a ready and willing fan base in Toronto for this team.

That's a good point. What we do know is that Russ was in charge of marketing and that he did a great job at that. Nobody really knows the extent of what he was allowed to do when it came to coaching/personnel hires. I think we're all agreed that it's best he's not in charge of that anymore.

If the Bills were able to stay in Buffalo even partly because of the decisions Russ made and the programs that he put in place (Toronto Series), then he deserves at least an ounce of credit.

My only legitimate gripe with Brandon is that I think his coaching hires have been poor. In those situations he needed to defer the responsibility out because he's too marketing/business focused. Marrone was hired because he's a local guy who had good success and brought a feel good local angle. Rex was hired because he was the biggest name out there. Neither are legitimate reasons to hire either coach imo. That is an issue.

There were more reasons to hire Rex than just because he was the biggest name out there. There are also a bunch of reasons not to hire Rex, but I get your point. If these first set of hires that have happened since the change of ownership fail, then I'm putting that on Pegula not Russ.

[justasportsfan]

It's already been determined that Russ won't be making any football/hockey decisions which means he will be marketing the team where OP admitted he is very good at yet he says he's not willing to take a chance? What is he whining about?

[better days]

That's a good point. What we do know is that Russ was in charge of marketing and that he did a great job at that. Nobody really knows the extent of what he was allowed to do when it came to coaching/personnel hires. I think we're all agreed that it's best he's not in charge of that anymore.

If the Bills were able to stay in Buffalo even partly because of the decisions Russ made and the programs that he put in place (Toronto Series), then he deserves at least an ounce of credit.



There were more reasons to hire Rex than just because he was the biggest name out there. There are also a bunch of reasons not to hire Rex, but I get your point. If these first set of hires that have happened since the change of ownership fail, then I'm putting that on Pegula not Russ.

I'm sure Russ was WOWED by Rex just as the Pegula's were, but make no mistake about it, the decision to hire Rex was made by the Pegula's for better or worse.

Here is hopping for the better. better days ahead.

[OpIv37]

It's already been determined that Russ won't be making any football/hockey decisions which means he will be marketing the team where OP admitted he is very good at yet he says he's not willing to take a chance? What is he whining about?

Someone with blood on their hands for this team's poor performance is being rewarded and given the chance to interfere with the city's only other major sports franchise.

And the Sabres already have good marketing. They don't need him.

[THATHURMANATOR]

Ok.

So, we don't know. He may have been responsible for a lot of it, he may have been responsible for very little of it. But as a fan, are you willing to take that chance? I'm not.

Take what chance?

He is clearly involved in 0% of the on field product for either team and will continue to be.

Please explain what you are talking about.