As frustrating as it may be sometimes, part of being a Buffalo Bills fan for the last seventeen years is reminiscing on the “glory days” of the franchise. The Super Bowl Bills of the late 1980s-early 1990s will forever hold a special place in the hearts of Bills fans everywhere, especially as the current iteration of the squad undergoes what appears to be yet another rebuild in the 21st century.
So, when two of the most important members of the Super Bowl teams sound off on the current team, fans tend to listen. When they both have the same praise for the same man, it raises eyebrows, and perhaps more dangerously, hope.
Darryl Talley, two-time Pro Bowler and heart and soul of the Bills defense, compared head coach Sean McDermott to Marv Levy, the man who coached the Bills to four consecutive AFC titles paired with four consecutive Super Bowl defeats.
Darryl Talley at Jim Kelly's Golf Tournament: "McDermott reminds me so much of Marv. Very astute...I can tell he's going to be good for us." pic.twitter.com/TsvaAiZJvx
— Buffalo Bills (@buffalobills) June 5, 2017
Earlier in the day, Hall of Fame running back Thurman Thomas mentioned the same thing, saying that McDermott’s love for wrestling reminded him of Levy’s love for things outside of football (Levy, a noted academic, holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English literature, as well as a Master’s Degree in English history).
McDermott is more likely to enter a body-slam competition than Levy, whose talents would best be suited for a poetry-slam. The parallels between the two aren’t obvious on the surface, but when comparing their personalities and their philosophies, it doesn’t seem too far-fetched.
In an interview with John Murphy back in March, former Bills General Manager Bill Polian compared McDermott to Levy, as well, noting that both men are “cerebral” and “low-key,” while moving on to tout McDermott’s ability to “speak about things that are important and dismiss things that are not important.”
On a day when so many franchise greats came together for Jim Kelly’s annual golf tournament, hearing comparisons to the ghosts of the past doesn’t seem out of the ordinary. If those comparisons could come to fruition, Bills fans may finally have some new teams about which they can reminisce.