The Back of Ralph Wilson’s Football Card
by jpheff on Nov 4, 2009 11:22 AM EST
68 comments
There is an adage always used in baseball that any player over the course of a season becomes the back of his baseball card, In other words your career stats are who you are and cannot be outperformed over any reasonable period of time. I believe this adage can also be applied to football. I started thinking about this when commenting on a fan post and decided to take a more detailed look at H of F owner, Ralph Wilson. The back of his card after the jump.
What have you done for us lately? In the 21st century the Bill have won 63 and lost 89 for a win percentage of 41.45%. There have been no playoff appearances and 4 head coaches. The Bills are one of 15 NFL teams to have never won a Super Bowl.
Ralph paid $25,000 for the franchise in 1960. The latest estimate by Forbes of the value of the Bills is $637,000,000.
This FanPost was written by a registered user of Buffalo Rumblings. Its views do not necessarily reflect the views of Rumblings' editorial staff, but are just as valued as our own.
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Nice little post here
You are what your record says you are – right? so after 50 years we should know what we are – which is below average.
Kind of funny that Ralph fired basically the only guy that built a winning team year in and year out.
I am so clever that sometimes I don’t understand a single word of what I am saying
Trent Edwards - Backup QB until furthur notice. Care to prove me wrong Trent?
by J2 on Nov 4, 2009 12:03 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
Great post jpheff!
Imagine how bad their overall record would be without the Polian years!
Polian was really a fluke and for those who think that Wilson is a hands off type of guy, well firing Polian is a clear example of the contrary. Wilson like to control, proof is in the pudding!
I have nothing left to say, these Bills have sucked me dry of any hope. Loosing to a team that completes 2-17 for 23y with 1 INT, that is beyond pitiful!
by keysh67 on Nov 4, 2009 12:21 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
Thanks
This is what Wikipedia says about the firing of Bill Polian:
“On February 4, 1993, after the Bills had appeared in their 3rd straight Super Bowl, Bill Polian was fired as general manager. Polian wasn’t fired because he wasn’t doing a good job, he was fired because he didn’t get along with treasurer, Jeff Littmann, for reasons unknown to all except those close to owner Ralph Wilson, Littmann and Polian himself.”
by jpheff on Nov 4, 2009 12:24 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
Firing Polian
was the biggest blunder Wilson ever made.
There's not a wide receiver who is fast enough, that J.P. Losman can't overthrow him on a fly pattern.
by The Buffalo Kid on Nov 4, 2009 12:28 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I would re-phrase that statement into:
Despite his efforts to field a bottom dwelling team, Ralph Wilson struck it rich with a diamond in the rough called Polian. To his credit, Ralph Wilson quickly rectified the situation and fired the star GM in order to re-establish the equilibrium in the universe and send the Buffalo Bills back down to the bottom, where he could live off of pity and hand-me-downs!
I have nothing left to say, these Bills have sucked me dry of any hope. Loosing to a team that completes 2-17 for 23y with 1 INT, that is beyond pitiful!
by keysh67 on Nov 4, 2009 12:38 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
More accurate
and what I should have said.
by jpheff on Nov 4, 2009 12:45 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I don't think Ralph is tryig to lose.
I just think he cut off his nose to spite his face by getting rid of Polian,
There's not a wide receiver who is fast enough, that J.P. Losman can't overthrow him on a fly pattern.
by The Buffalo Kid on Nov 4, 2009 6:04 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Agree
Polian went from the Bills to the Panthers where he had them in the NFC Championship game in the second year of their existence. He has been NFL Executive of the year 5 times, including 3 times since leavin the Bills.
by jpheff on Nov 4, 2009 12:34 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
So according to Einstein, Bills fans are likely insane...
because the same thing happens over and over and over again, while we go on expceting different results. This was a moment of clarity in my relationship with the team.
by Tatunka on Nov 4, 2009 12:47 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
Nice post.
Certainly puts things in perspective.
by Tatunka on Nov 4, 2009 12:47 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
Large body of work
from Ralph. The facts make it hard to fashion a convincing argument that he will field anything but a sub .500 football team.
by jpheff on Nov 4, 2009 1:01 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Which is why I have said on 3 different fanposts now...
that there is no chance of Buffalo getting a star coach next year…
by Tatunka on Nov 5, 2009 9:24 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
The real unfortunate reality here
is that Mr.Wilson needs to be out of the picture for things to improve. And the only way that happens is for Mr. Wilson to pass away. It’s a very unfortunate reality of our plight
And then when he does indeed kick the bucket, we risk losing the team to another city.
The outlook is very bleak!
I have nothing left to say, these Bills have sucked me dry of any hope. Loosing to a team that completes 2-17 for 23y with 1 INT, that is beyond pitiful!
by keysh67 on Nov 4, 2009 2:19 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
Keeping the Bills in WNY
post Ralph is not a total stretch. As I have noted previously, the Erie and Niagara county population is 1.2 million. Metropolitan Toronto is over 5 million. Put a new Stadium in Niagara Falls and rename the team the “Niagara Bills.” Looking at major cities without an NFL team, excluding Los Angeles, and only San Antonio comes on the radar. LA has lost teams at least twice and is a very sketchy choice.
by jpheff on Nov 4, 2009 3:34 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I hope you are right.
I have nothing left to say, these Bills have sucked me dry of any hope. Loosing to a team that completes 2-17 for 23y with 1 INT, that is beyond pitiful!
by keysh67 on Nov 4, 2009 4:37 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Not to mention the extensive marketing efforts...
including Training Camp, over here in the ROC where our MSA is just shy of 1M people between Monroe and the 6 surrounding counties. Not a bad market when that is considered as well. Elevates us beyond many other small market teams (JAX, Cincy, Cleveland, Minneapolis, Green Bay (obviously), Nashville, San Diego)…still not even close to Balto, DC, Miami, Dallas, NYC though.
by Tatunka on Nov 5, 2009 2:51 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
And Jacksonville is in a much worse situation than we are.
Any criticism that Russ Brandon garners is offset by the fact that he’s done a brilliant job marketing the team and expanding the market.
by Der Jaeger on Nov 6, 2009 9:58 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Brandon?
Not to be argumentative, but marketing an NFL team in Buffalo is as difficult as selling Burqas in Kabul.
We Bills fans have supported this team regardless of on field results – ll the marketing geniuses have to do is hint that the team is ready to pull up stakes, and fear gets those last few tickets sold.
by Pruitt on Nov 8, 2009 9:21 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Maintaining the status quo isn’t hard. The Bills have the highest season tickets sales since they were perennial contenders in the early 90s. Why? It has somethign to do with Brandon since the on field product isn’t that great.
Playing Realistic Optimist at Buffalo Rumblings since 2008.
"Matt’s pretty valuable to y’all. Cherish him." - BG
by MattRichWarren on Nov 8, 2009 10:04 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Ask Jacksonville fans if it’s that easy. Or LA Raiders fans. Or New Orleans fans before Katrina.
If Brandon doesn’t make this team regional, it would be the target for Los Angeles… as of now, it’s likely to be Jacksonville.
And Buffalo is not exactly a large market, or doing well economically, over, say, the past ten years. So getting ticket sales where they are now is amazing.
by Der Jaeger on Nov 8, 2009 1:57 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Am I the only one who remembers games being blacked out in Buffalo just a handful of years ago? The Bills talked to Goodell hoping to get favorable december schedules to help sell out every game. The Bills just went 7-9 three years in a row. They brought back a coach that most think should have been fired and who some fans literally hate. But the season ticket sales have gone up a couple years in a row. Brandon has most definitely done an excellent job of marketing this team.
I signed up for Second Life about a year ago. Back then my life was so great that I literally wanted a second one. In my Second Life I was also a paper salesman and I was also named Dwight. Absolutely everything was the same. Except I could fly. - Dwight Schrute
by kaisertown on Nov 8, 2009 3:55 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
The Chargers game two years ago. I bought tickets when it got blacked out.
Playing Realistic Optimist at Buffalo Rumblings since 2008.
"Matt’s pretty valuable to y’all. Cherish him." - BG
by MattRichWarren on Nov 8, 2009 5:07 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Yeah, the Bills had 3 or 4 blackouts in 2006. I remember that Christmas eve Titans game was like 20,000 tickets short of a sellout on that thursday before the game when they called it a blackout.
I signed up for Second Life about a year ago. Back then my life was so great that I literally wanted a second one. In my Second Life I was also a paper salesman and I was also named Dwight. Absolutely everything was the same. Except I could fly. - Dwight Schrute
by kaisertown on Nov 8, 2009 5:21 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Or at the very least
Scaring us into thinking we might lose the team if we don’t support it.
I have nothing left to say, these Bills have sucked me dry of any hope. Loosing to a team that completes 2-17 for 23y with 1 INT, that is beyond pitiful!
by keysh67 on Nov 9, 2009 8:27 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
ship-rec'd.
good post, dad.
Wilson going to the HOF has to be because he was an important person in the history of the league, right? Because it’s very difficult to argue he has much football acumen.
Jonathan Stupar won the Heisman…while playing in the NFL!
by JPH on Nov 4, 2009 5:03 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
He was important
to pro football. He and Lamar Hunt were critical to starting the AFL and engineering the merger. Best HofF stat is 50 years.
by jpheff on Nov 4, 2009 5:28 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
True, and it’s a pretty good one. Wilson was one of the original members of the AFL and when he bailed out the Oakland Raiders, he not only saved that franchise, but might have prevented the entire league from folding. They weren’t making money at the time and Wilson put some great AFL teams together and was probably the single biggest factor that the AFL both survived and merged with the NFL.
I signed up for Second Life about a year ago. Back then my life was so great that I literally wanted a second one. In my Second Life I was also a paper salesman and I was also named Dwight. Absolutely everything was the same. Except I could fly. - Dwight Schrute
by kaisertown on Nov 4, 2009 6:10 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
He also bailed out the Patriots
~K
"As the governor of Louisiana once said, the only way Chris Kelsay can lose his job is if he got caught in bed with a dead girl or a live boy."
by Kurupt on Nov 5, 2009 1:30 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
That’s a shame.
Delightfully Ignoring The Truth since 1995.
by NeverendingOptimism on Nov 5, 2009 4:02 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Same with the Raiders...
although where would we be without the Tom Cable drama?
by Tatunka on Nov 5, 2009 8:01 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I’m not sure what you’re getting at here jpheff? We all know that Wilson and the Bills don’t have a great history of winning games.
I’m failing to see how Wilson’s career average record of 7.6 – 8.4 somehow leaves him and the Bills incapable of hiring a decent GM or decent coach or drafting the next great QB. In my opinion, the simple fact that the Bills will stay in Buffalo for as long as Ralph lives, means that he’s the guy I want owning the team.
I signed up for Second Life about a year ago. Back then my life was so great that I literally wanted a second one. In my Second Life I was also a paper salesman and I was also named Dwight. Absolutely everything was the same. Except I could fly. - Dwight Schrute
by kaisertown on Nov 4, 2009 6:14 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
First of all, JPHeff explained it clearly in his first paragraph. The odds are completely against him.
Second of all, there is no guarantee that the team would move if it were another owner. But if the crap that we’ve been witnessing this year is all that I can hope for under this current regime, then I’d prefer taking my chances on them moving. If it doesn’t get better soon, I’ll be moving elsewhere.
I have nothing left to say, these Bills have sucked me dry of any hope. Loosing to a team that completes 2-17 for 23y with 1 INT, that is beyond pitiful!
by keysh67 on Nov 4, 2009 6:26 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
The current regime is only going to be current for another few months. Jauron’s failures are Jauron’s failuers and Wilson should only get flack for hiring and retianing him. Donahoe’s failures were Donahoe’s failures, Polian and Butler’s success was their success. Ralph just hires these guys and pokes and prods in their business some. Why is it so unlikely that Ralph will hire a good GM or coach can turn things around? The problem with the baseball analogy is that Ralph doesn’t hire 600 GMs per year like baseball players get at bats. He hires one every 5-10 years. He’s making one decision with a new GM. The best hitters in baseball are less than 10% more likely to get a hit than the worst ones. Over an entire season that adds up, but when you’re only hiring one guy, it doesn’t leave him that much less likely to hire the next good GM, the next good coach or draft the next great QB than the other guys.
I signed up for Second Life about a year ago. Back then my life was so great that I literally wanted a second one. In my Second Life I was also a paper salesman and I was also named Dwight. Absolutely everything was the same. Except I could fly. - Dwight Schrute
by kaisertown on Nov 4, 2009 6:55 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Why is it so unlikely that Ralph will hire a good GM or coach can turn things around?
I don’t know but we have 50 years of Buffalo football to look back on and it doesn’t look good, history shows that he’s never been very good at choosing the right people. And at 90 years old and don’t expect him to get better at it – just worse.
You really don’t seem to think that he meddles much but his firing of Polian can only be explained by him wanting to decide things that should be under the control of the GM. If you take out the Polian years, Wilson’s record is completely abysmal.
I have nothing left to say, these Bills have sucked me dry of any hope. Loosing to a team that completes 2-17 for 23y with 1 INT, that is beyond pitiful!
by keysh67 on Nov 4, 2009 9:50 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
The Wilson/Polian rift was well documented and had nothing to do with football. Polian has a reputation for being very, very difficult to get along with. He’s gone off on reporters in the past, is a total control freak (he runs every part of the Indy organization from the draft straight on down to marketing and did the same in Buffalo). It’s not a coincidence that Polian built a team as fast as anybody in history in Carolina and it’s also not a coincidence that he left there just as quickly. Supposedly the situation between Ralph and Polian devolved to the point where they hated each other. They still refuse to talk to this day, so I think it had a little more to do than control of the football team.
Looking back over his hires since Polian, I still don’t think they are all that bad. Butler was obvious an one. But I don’t think Ralph should get any flack for hiring Donahoe. Yes, it didn’t work out, but everybody thought that he was a good hire. If Ralph goes out and finds a similiar person to Donahoe to run the team, there’s a good chance that we just hired an excellent GM who could turn this team around.
I signed up for Second Life about a year ago. Back then my life was so great that I literally wanted a second one. In my Second Life I was also a paper salesman and I was also named Dwight. Absolutely everything was the same. Except I could fly. - Dwight Schrute
by kaisertown on Nov 4, 2009 10:21 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Another example of his meddling...
from the modern Bills era, besides firing Polian, was “strongly encouraging” Wade Phillips to play Johnson over Flutie against the Titans. Sure, we almost won, and Johnson played well, but I think we would’ve won handily if Flutie were playing (no safety caused by a mental mistake b/c of lack of playing time during the season, etc.).
If my impression that Ralph had something to do with this decision is completely wrong, let me know…
by Flutie Flakes on Nov 4, 2009 11:56 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Actually, I’m starting to doubt myself now. At the time, it was reported that Wade made the decision, but I remember reading more recently that the decision actually come from higher up. But maybe the latter story was just a rumor.
Does any have more info?
by Flutie Flakes on Nov 5, 2009 12:02 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Wiley said Wilson came in and told them to play The Johnsonator.
Twitter: helping to make anti-social people anti-socially social.
by TheAfghanTwilight on Nov 5, 2009 12:06 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Marcellus Wiley talked about the Flutie benching, basically saying the locker room was really up in arms over the move and felt they had no chance to win the game.
I’d probably still take Doug Flutie over the 3 guys on the roster today.
Twitter: helping to make anti-social people anti-socially social.
by TheAfghanTwilight on Nov 5, 2009 12:06 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Tom Brady 2007*
(*anomaly)
Twitter: helping to make anti-social people anti-socially social.
by TheAfghanTwilight on Nov 4, 2009 11:57 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
Very interesting comments.
I think the key finding was that the positive outliers, early 90s, was attributed to the influence of Bill Polian. If you removed the team records when he was GM the mediocrity is much more pronounced.
We have a similar situation here in Detroit. Although I think in our case it is more about Mr. Ford’s horrible choice of GMs and coaches and his unwillingness to do anything about them once they are in. Although I think Schwartz is an aberration. An intelligent coach who has a compliant GM [Mayhew] to work with to bring Detroit back to respectability.
Only time will tell.
by NorthLeft12 on Nov 6, 2009 11:00 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
Although I think Schwartz is an aberration
Wow, you’d think fans in Detroit would be glad to have Schwartz at the helm. I can tell you that the Titans miss him dearly…
I have nothing left to say, these Bills have sucked me dry of any hope. Loosing to a team that completes 2-17 for 23y with 1 INT, that is beyond pitiful!
by keysh67 on Nov 6, 2009 1:09 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
He said he was an aberration, which means he’s a point on the scale that lies outside the normal. If the normal situation in Detroit was sucky coaches, then calling Scwhartz an aberration means he’s a good coach.
He didn’t call him an abomination.
. 2010 Bills truth in advertising: "Look out Cleveland, this year we score 6!" - bluecollarbuffalo
by thefourwinds on Nov 7, 2009 2:15 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
The definition is..
A departure from what is normal, usual or expected, typically one that is unwelcome.
Aberration is not something good. It’s a departure from normal but in a bad way. I think the word anomaly would have been a better choice.
I have nothing left to say, these Bills have sucked me dry of any hope. Loosing to a team that completes 2-17 for 23y with 1 INT, that is beyond pitiful!
by keysh67 on Nov 7, 2009 11:42 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
My dictionary just defines it as different from normal, which is how I have always used it myself.
Merriam-Webster Dictionary, published 1974.
I received this pocket dictionary for free by listening to an Encyclopaedia Britanicca slaesman’s spiel for ninety minutes. I did not buy his product and ended up with a pissed off salesman, a killer headache, the pocket dictionary, and a relieved wife.
I still have the pocket dictionary and my wife.
by NorthLeft12 on Nov 8, 2009 8:49 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
That is exactly what I meant, four winds.
I could not believe that Schwartz was asked to take the Lions head coaching job and more stunned when he accepted.
T be perfectly clear, I AM VERY HAPPY THAT JIM SCHWARTZ IS THE COACH OF THE DETROIT LIONS!
by NorthLeft12 on Nov 8, 2009 8:39 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Ok, Ok I get it.. And I agree that Schwartz was a great thing for Detroit.
I have nothing left to say, these Bills have sucked me dry of any hope. Loosing to a team that completes 2-17 for 23y with 1 INT, that is beyond pitiful!
by keysh67 on Nov 8, 2009 9:42 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
In writing the post
I decided to keep my opinions out of it and just stick to facts. As the post has run its course I feel free to voice my opinion. As you say without Polian the record in all likelihood would be substantially worse. The facts demonstrate beyond any doubt that Wilson (a Detroit guy) has terrible judgement when hiring the people that make the key football decisions. The chance that he will make a good decision for 2010 and beyond is remote at best.
by jpheff on Nov 6, 2009 6:05 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Hold it a second, lets not blame everything bad on Detroit.
And lets face it, an owner less loyal than Ralph Wilson may have already abandoned Buffalo.
by NorthLeft12 on Nov 8, 2009 8:41 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Do you mean an owner with a fanbase less loyal? Cause the fan-base in Buffalo is scary faithful and supportive and Wilson probably knows that he’d never find anything like it elsewhere.
I have nothing left to say, these Bills have sucked me dry of any hope. Loosing to a team that completes 2-17 for 23y with 1 INT, that is beyond pitiful!
by keysh67 on Nov 8, 2009 9:45 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
No. Definitely not. I mean an area with a bigger population, newer stadium...
You know, all the things that make an owners heart race.
They always think that the grass is greener somewhere else. More taxpayers to fleece, etc.
by NorthLeft12 on Nov 8, 2009 9:59 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
And yet, with a new stadium in a wealthier/higher cost of living city, he’d easily make more money in a less supportive city. Probably a lot more money.
I signed up for Second Life about a year ago. Back then my life was so great that I literally wanted a second one. In my Second Life I was also a paper salesman and I was also named Dwight. Absolutely everything was the same. Except I could fly. - Dwight Schrute
by kaisertown on Nov 8, 2009 4:00 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
What’s the point of the last sentence? They may be worth a lot more but salaries are a hell of a lot more, too.
Playing Realistic Optimist at Buffalo Rumblings since 2008.
"Matt’s pretty valuable to y’all. Cherish him." - BG
by MattRichWarren on Nov 7, 2009 10:27 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
no particular point
just thought it demonstrated the growth of the business and the enormous change in the economics of professional football.
by jpheff on Nov 7, 2009 3:20 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
That it does. Just curious if it was a dig.
Playing Realistic Optimist at Buffalo Rumblings since 2008.
"Matt’s pretty valuable to y’all. Cherish him." - BG
by MattRichWarren on Nov 7, 2009 4:09 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Clearly, Wilson has made tons of money for his investment, regardless of how much more he is spending now. That’s the point, IMO.
2010 Bills' truth in advertising: "Look out Cleveland, this year we score 6!" - bluecollarbuffalo
by thefourwinds on Nov 7, 2009 4:01 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
He has made money, no doubt, but tons of money is overthinking it. Yeah the organization is worth a lot more now than it was then but Wilson took a big financial risk joining the AFL. You can’t forget that inflation and the amount of money these owners are spending now is extremely higher than when he founded the team. Yeah it’s worth more but he’s spending a lot more, too.
Playing Realistic Optimist at Buffalo Rumblings since 2008.
"Matt’s pretty valuable to y’all. Cherish him." - BG
by MattRichWarren on Nov 7, 2009 4:10 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Rec’d.
jpheff, IMO this is the single best post I have ever read on this blog. I could die tomorrow and be content with my relationship to Bills football after having read this post.
This is very similar to a discussion we had on one of sireric’s posts a few weeks back about Jauron. It’s not that Wilson doesn’t want to win, or isn’t trying to win, it simply means 50 years of history shows he just doesn’t have the know-how, the courage, or the humility to make the consistent decisions necessary to consistently field a winning team (as Belicheck talks about in the interview someone posted on here).
This is not an impeachment of Wilson’s character, just as calling Jauron a mediocre HC is not an impeachment of Jauron’s character. It just means that they’re rarely going to field good, winning teams.
. 2010 Bills truth in advertising: "Look out Cleveland, this year we score 6!" - bluecollarbuffalo
by thefourwinds on Nov 7, 2009 2:23 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
doesn’t have the know-how, the courage, or the humility to make the consistent
I think courage is a bit of a stretch. Don’t get me wrong I agree with you guys, Wilson really sucks at assembling the winning elements and I think he meddles too much but I’ve never see a lack of courage.
I have nothing left to say, these Bills have sucked me dry of any hope. Loosing to a team that completes 2-17 for 23y with 1 INT, that is beyond pitiful!
by keysh67 on Nov 7, 2009 11:45 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I worded it unclearly, but I was trying to come up with any of the possible reasons. I wasn’t suggesting that it was all three of those reasons.
2010 Bills' truth in advertising: "Look out Cleveland, this year we score 6!" - bluecollarbuffalo
by thefourwinds on Nov 8, 2009 10:04 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Don't Hate Me But...
I have no idea what Ralph Wilson is doing in the hall of fame. It’s a place meant to honor excellence not good genes.
Do you really think the Baseketbal Hall of Fame will trip over itself to honor Donald Sterling if and when he hits 90?
Other than one glorious decade, the Bills have been an average team, with 7-9 seasons punctuated by the occasional 10 win or 4 win season.
He is a cheap man who used to hint at moving the team to get concessions on his taxes and the fieldhouse built. Nothing unique about that, but whenever I hear NFL announcers go on about “Mr. Wilson” being the next best thing to a living saint, I laugh.
And then I remember that there is a resemblance between Wilson and Monty Burns.
by Pruitt on Nov 8, 2009 9:18 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
Mr. Wilson was instrumental in the survival of the AFL and the merger with the NFL. Without Mr Wilson the NFL would not be what it is today, that’s why he definitely deserves to be in the HOF. Not because he’s a good owner and not because he can run a football team.
I have nothing left to say, these Bills have sucked me dry of any hope. Loosing to a team that completes 2-17 for 23y with 1 INT, that is beyond pitiful!
by keysh67 on Nov 8, 2009 9:47 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Wilson is not in because he’s been the Bills owner for 50 years.
http://www.buffalorumblings.com/2009/1/10/715581/does-ralph-wilson-belong-i
He is in because without him the two leagues may never merge. Without him the Raiders never would have survived and likely neither would the AFL. Without him you don’t have revenue sharing and the league is like MLB. Go read the article.
Ralph Wilson is categorically not cheap. The Bills had the highest payroll in the NFL in the early 90s. He is willing to pay for talent and has shown that. He also knows that throwing money at a problem doesn’t necessarily solve it.
Playing Realistic Optimist at Buffalo Rumblings since 2008.
"Matt’s pretty valuable to y’all. Cherish him." - BG
by MattRichWarren on Nov 8, 2009 10:10 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Even just a couple of years ago the Bills’ payroll (in real dollars, not cap dollars) was in the top 5 in the league.
And people talk about the longevity like it’s a bad thing. How many votes has Wilson been apart of about revenue sharing and the salary cap? How many league rules has Wilson supported and how many bad ideas has he helped shoot down? From the AFL to the last collective bargaining agreement, Wilson has been a loud voice who has been a part of shaping the NFL into what it is today.
One of the things that always gets talked about with players was their ability to change the game. Kelly and the no huddle, Thurman and his receiving prowess, Reed and YAC. Wins and losses is obviously a consideration, but just like those guys, Wilson has changed the NFL.
I signed up for Second Life about a year ago. Back then my life was so great that I literally wanted a second one. In my Second Life I was also a paper salesman and I was also named Dwight. Absolutely everything was the same. Except I could fly. - Dwight Schrute
by kaisertown on Nov 8, 2009 4:07 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
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