Whaley started the internet on fire today

[TacklingDummy]

Quote Originally Posted by Doug Whaley
Clearly I used a poor choice of words in my comment yesterday morning,” Whaley said in the statement. “As a former player who has the utmost respect and love for the game, the point that I was trying to make is that football is a physical game and injuries are a part of it. Playing football no doubt is very physically, mentally, and emotionally challenging, and that is all part of what make the game so compelling to play and watch. The game has more protection for players now than ever, thanks largely to the safety advancements and numerous rule changes made by our league and promoted to all levels of football. I believe our game continues to have a bright future and I hope that this statement provides clarity as to the intent of my earlier comment..

Sounds like someone realized he may be looking for a new job real soon and that he shouldn't be pissing off 31 other owners.

[Arm of Harm]

Frankly I don't care how much Whaley stumbles, mumbles, and misspeaks. He's doing a great job at free agency, drafting, and all the other things under his charge. That's all that really matters as far as I'm concerned.

The most important position in football is QB. Quite frankly, I don't trust Whaley to evaluate talent at the QB position. We tend to overlook how badly he's done there, because Rex Ryan bailed him out by encouraging the Bills to go after Tyrod Taylor. Had it not been for Ryan's influence, the Bills' starting QB for 2015 would have been determined by the competition between E.J. Manuel and Matt Cassel. Absolutely nothing about Whaley's methodology or track record remotely suggests he's qualified to evaluate QB talent.

This isn't to suggest that QB is the only position he's bungled. You look at overpaying for mediocre free agents, over-drafting guys like Kujo, etc., and you can see non-QB-related room for improvement. But he's also had some successes in non-QB areas. At non-QB areas Whaley is hit or miss; at the QB position he's strictly miss.

Look at the franchise QBs that the teams in the AFC East have had:
Dolphins: 2 (Griese, Marino)
Patriots: 1.5 (Tom Brady, and the first half of Bledsoe's career).
Bills: 1 (Kelly)
Jets: 1 (Namath)

Collectively, those 5.5 franchise QBs account for all the AFC East's Super Bowl wins, and all but one of its Super Bowl appearances. A team whose GM can't choose good QB talent is very unlikely to win the Super Bowl.

[TacklingDummy]

Not sure Namath should be on that list.

[YardRat]

The most important position in football is QB. Quite frankly, I don't trust Whaley to evaluate talent at the QB position. We tend to overlook how badly he's done there, because Rex Ryan bailed him out by encouraging the Bills to go after Tyrod Taylor. Had it not been for Ryan's influence, the Bills' starting QB for 2015 would have been determined by the competition between E.J. Manuel and Matt Cassel. Absolutely nothing about Whaley's methodology or track record remotely suggests he's qualified to evaluate QB talent.

This isn't to suggest that QB is the only position he's bungled. You look at overpaying for mediocre free agents, over-drafting guys like Kujo, etc., and you can see non-QB-related room for improvement. But he's also had some successes in non-QB areas. At non-QB areas Whaley is hit or miss; at the QB position he's strictly miss.

Look at the franchise QBs that the teams in the AFC East have had:
Dolphins: 2 (Griese, Marino)
Patriots: 1.5 (Tom Brady, and the first half of Bledsoe's career).
Bills: 1 (Kelly)
Jets: 1 (Namath)

Collectively, those 5.5 franchise QBs account for all the AFC East's Super Bowl wins, and all but one of its Super Bowl appearances. A team whose GM can't choose good QB talent is very unlikely to win the Super Bowl.

I'm assuming you're only looking back as far as the Super Bowl's existence, but the dearth of franchise QB's in one division over a 50 year period should be an example of how difficult it is to get a 'franchise' guy (and it's not limited to the AFC East, the West has two teams --KC and Denver--that have never drafted a franchise QB). Personally, I think the list is even smaller, Griese isn't anywhere near a 'franchise' guy, IMO.

[BillsImpossible]

"In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act."

George Orwell

Doug Whaley basically lied about Shaq Lawson needing surgery, and the national media could care less.

Doug Whaley was honest about an orange being orange, and the national media goes nuts.

I think this all boils down to one thing: A very slow and boring news cycle in the NFL.

People that cover the NFL for a living are desperate to sink their teeth in to anything.

People are sick of Bradygate. The media has already milked that cow dry so it's on to a new cow.

Just another day in the NFL barnyard full of media hype and bull ****.

Moo.

[OpIv37]

Fixed it

I guess in your world, the GM has no say over the coach....

[feldspar]

If I'm being ridiculous, why does he feel the need to apologia and clarify his statement?

Because people like you are being ridiculous...that's why he needs to clarify his point. I saw him clarify his point, which was an obvious point in the first place. I didn't see him apologize anywhere, nor see the need for him to. Where the **** did he "apologize?"

I'll ask you again...DID YOU EVEN LISTEN TO THE INTERVIEW WHERE HE SAID THIS? I did. Did you?

[OpIv37]

Because people like you are being ridiculous...that's why he needs to clarify his point. I didn't see him apologize anywhere, nor see the need for him to. Where the **** did he "apologize?"

I'll ask you again...DID YOU EVEN LISTEN TO THE INTERVIEW WHERE HE SAID THIS? I did. Did you?

Yup.

He still said people shouldn't participate in the activity that makes him millions.

[feldspar]

Yup.

He still said people shouldn't participate in the activity that makes him millions.

Ha, ha.

Now that's just laughable. Completely ignorant take. Congratulations. You've just bested yourself.

Are you just willfully ignorant, or what?

[OpIv37]

Ha, ha.

Now that's just laughable. Completely ignorant take. Congratulations. You've just bested yourself.

Are you just willfully ignorant, or what?

I went by exactly what he said. You are going by some nonsense "benefit of the doubt" interpretation. But somehow I'm the ignorant one? Please.

[Arm of Harm]

I'm assuming you're only looking back as far as the Super Bowl's existence, but the dearth of franchise QB's in one division over a 50 year period should be an example of how difficult it is to get a 'franchise' guy (and it's not limited to the AFC East, the West has two teams --KC and Denver--that have never drafted a franchise QB). Personally, I think the list is even smaller, Griese isn't anywhere near a 'franchise' guy, IMO.

I acknowledge and agree with your point about the difficulty of finding a franchise QB. No argument from me on that one.

However, that does not negate the importance of the GM's ability to evaluate QB talent, or let Whaley off the hook for his inability to do so. A QB's job is very simple: 1) throw the ball 2) to the correctly chosen target. The first item means you want an accurate QB, the second means you want a guy with fast information processing speed. Those are the two most important traits in a QB, and the two things Whaley should value most.

When Whaley raved about how great a player E.J. Manuel was, he talked about Manuel's commanding presence in a room, his physical tools, his work ethic. All that is great stuff to have. But none of that stuff matters if a QB is lacking in the two things I mentioned. (As Manuel is, and as that fourth round bust we just drafted is.) If you're going to take a chance on a college QB, take a chance on a guy who did well in those two areas in college play. Not every guy like that will amount to much in the NFL, but at least you've given yourself a chance of something good.

It's extremely difficult, but not quite impossible, to win a Super Bowl without a franchise QB. The Bills will not draft a franchise QB as long as Whaley is GM. Is Whaley good enough at talent evaluation at other positions to build a team capable of winning a Super Bowl without outstanding QB play? No, he isn't. I'm not saying the man is without successes at the non-QB positions. But neither is he head and shoulders above a typical GM at non-QB positions, either. And he'd need to be head and shoulders above the others at non-QB positions if he's going to win a Super Bowl without a franchise QB.

[X-Era]

I guess in your world, the GM has no say over the coach....

Pegula's.

Some say, sure. Final decision and ownership of that decision? No.

[OpIv37]

Pegula's.

Some say, sure. Final decision and ownership of that decision? No.

Sure but the owner isn't going to go against the wishes of the GM. If Whaley was against hiring Ryan, it instantly creates two strained relationships at the top of the organization. Whaley would feel that Pegula doesn't value his input and wouldn't want to work with the coach he didn't want in the first place.

If Whaley didn't want Ryan here, he wouldn't be here. But in your mind, you need to believe that Whaley is a good GM, because that's the only way we can win without another 3 year rebuild. So, you blame Ryan for the losses and blame Pegula for Ryan being here to get Whaley off the hook.

[Joe Fo Sho]

Sure but the owner isn't going to go against the wishes of the GM. If Whaley was against hiring Ryan, it instantly creates two strained relationships at the top of the organization. Whaley would feel that Pegula doesn't value his input and wouldn't want to work with the coach he didn't want in the first place.

If Whaley didn't want Ryan here, he wouldn't be here. But in your mind, you need to believe that Whaley is a good GM, because that's the only way we can win without another 3 year rebuild. So, you blame Ryan for the losses and blame Pegula for Ryan being here to get Whaley off the hook.

Not necessarily, especially if the coach/GM aren't cry babies like the two they had over in San Fran a couple years ago.

Just because a GM isn't totally against the hiring of a certain coach doesn't mean that the GM didn't have other coaches higher on his wish list than one that was hired. It's not like Whaley told the Pegula's I want X coach and I hate all of the other candidates. Maybe he said, hey I like Rex but I'd rather have this guy, that guy, or promote Schwartz.

Either way, we don't know how integral Whaley was in the hiring of Rex. I've seen people blame Russ for hiring Rex, too. Which one was it? The only one that's to blame for sure are the Pegula's, because it all starts at the top.

[OpIv37]

Not necessarily, especially if the coach/GM aren't cry babies like the two they had over in San Fran a couple years ago.

Just because a GM isn't totally against the hiring of a certain coach doesn't mean that the GM didn't have other coaches higher on his wish list than one that was hired. It's not like Whaley told the Pegula's I want X coach and I hate all of the other candidates. Maybe he said, hey I like Rex but I'd rather have this guy, that guy, or promote Schwartz.

Either way, we don't know how integral Whaley was in the hiring of Rex. I've seen people blame Russ for hiring Rex, too. Which one was it? The only one that's to blame for sure are the Pegula's, because it all starts at the top.

Not the point I was trying to make.

If Whaley had said "I absolutely do not want Rex here," there is no way in hell Rex would be here for the reasons I already stated. Therefore, Whaley is at least partially to blame for Ryan being here. Maybe he did favor someone else, but he could have nixed it and he didn't.

[X-Era]

Sure but the owner isn't going to go against the wishes of the GM. If Whaley was against hiring Ryan, it instantly creates two strained relationships at the top of the organization. Whaley would feel that Pegula doesn't value his input and wouldn't want to work with the coach he didn't want in the first place.

If Whaley didn't want Ryan here, he wouldn't be here. But in your mind, you need to believe that Whaley is a good GM, because that's the only way we can win without another 3 year rebuild. So, you blame Ryan for the losses and blame Pegula for Ryan being here to get Whaley off the hook.

Yeah... see this one is a situation where some want to use the Ryan hiring against Whaley because they aren't Whaley fans. I get it. But to me, Pegula was clear and distinct when he addressed the situation on the HC search. He then has the HC reporting directly to him and not the GM.

This has been gone over ad naseum. No one was privy to the communications between Pegula and Whaley during the search. We simply don't know how much of an influence Whaley had on the hiring.

http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/bi...earch-20150102

BB.com details the process. Terry and Kim led the interviews but the hiring was consensus.

http://www.buffalobills.com/news/art...9-4aba573bf0fd

So, this was not a situation where the GM held the interviews and then flew to Detroit to recommend/tell the owner what the choice is. This was the other way around. Led by the owner with GM input.

Whaley liked Ryan but I can't place the ownership for the hiring on Whaley. I place it mostly on the owners and partly on Whaley.

Final decision and ownership over the choice? No.

[OpIv37]

Whaley could have said "I absolutely do not want Rex here" and Rex would not be here. The final decision was Pegula's, but Whaley could have nixed it and he didn't.

He still has some of the blood on his hands even if the final decision wasn't his.

[Buffalogic]

Who cares? A clipped quote in May. Means nothing. It was silly, but harmless.

[Joe Fo Sho]

Whaley could have said "I absolutely do not want Rex here" and Rex would not be here.

Either that or Whaley wouldn't be here. Maybe he didn't want to give an ultimatum to his brand new boss.

He still has some of the blood on his hands even if the final decision wasn't his.

I guess so, although nobody knows how much. I don't think either argument really matters as I'm convinced the two are tied together at this point anyway. If one fails, they will be let go together.

[Dozerdog]

This is just so nonsensical- the fact it's even a news story just goes to show you how lazy reporters are and how watered down news & sports reporting has become.

When there were a lot less news reporters and outlets- people actually had decent stories and/or commentary. Now it's assclowns with a blog competing with idiot ESPN beat writers on who's the first to comment on a tweet, an off the cuff comment, or some other irrelevant item.

It's not just Bills reporting, or Sports- but everything. Jesus- Trump or Elizabeth Warren tweet something and everyone treats it like the Kennedy assassination.