is this the Bar-Bill?
is this the Bar-Bill?
Writing In All Proper Case Takes Extra Time, Is Confusing To Read, And Is Completely Pointless.
Moulds could be suspended by Mularkey
By JOHN WAWROW, AP Sports Writer
December 7, 2005
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) -- Buffalo Bills receiver Eric Moulds could be suspended by coach Mike Mularkey for undisclosed reasons.
Mularkey told Moulds of his plan to suspend him during a meeting Monday, a person who has been directly informed of the discussion told The Associated Press on Wednesday.
The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the team had not yet announced plans to suspend Moulds. The person said Moulds, a three-time Pro Bowl selection, was shocked and confused following the meeting with Mularkey.
The Buffalo News, citing an unidentified NFL source, on Wednesday disclosed Mularkey's intention. The final decision, however, will be up to team owner Ralph Wilson, the newspaper reported.
Bills spokesman Scott Berchtold said he expected Mularkey to address Moulds' status during his weekly news conference later Wednesday.
Moulds and agent Harold Harrison could not be reached for comment. In his 10th season with Buffalo, Moulds is the team's senior player and second to Andre Reed in most of the Bills' career receiving categories.
The Bills (4-8), on the verge of missing the playoffs for the sixth straight season, play the New England Patriots on Sunday.
The dispute comes after Moulds carefully expressed his frustrations and questioned the team's play-calling after he was benched for most of the final three quarters of Buffalo's 24-23 loss at Miami on Sunday.
http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slu...v=ap&type=lgns
COMMENTARY
Mularkey's done enough to get fired
By LARRY FELSER
12/11/2005
At this point last season, the Bills were in the middle of a six-game winning streak that would propel them to a 9-7 season after an 0-4 start. They had just come from Miami where they overcame a 10-point Dolphins lead to win by 10.
People were convinced that Mike Mularkey, the new coach, really knew what he was doing and that the team's big enchilada, Tom Donahoe, had finally gotten it right after his Gregg Williams debacle.
The Bills had veteran leadership, some promising kids, and Mularkey hired good coaches like Sam Wyche, Bobby April, Jim McNally and Don Blackmon to create the idea the team had a sunny future.
In the last 14 days Mularkey has done enough to get himself fired despite having three years left on his contract. The latest was the Eric Moulds fiasco, which in all likelihood cost him the respect of his team. Whether or not Mularkey actually spoke the word "suspension" to Moulds in their frosty meeting Monday, it's obvious the coach wants to shove the 10-year veteran out the door with a mere month remaining on his career in Buffalo.
Mularkey's beef with the player is that Moulds publicly second-guessed the coach's play-calling in the loss to Miami and complained that he was being ignored in the game plan. Is there anyone left along the Niagara Frontier who isn't second-guessing Mularkey's play calling? An NFL receiver complaining about not getting the ball? Stop the presses! During the Bills' Super Bowl period, Jim Kelly once threw four touchdown passes to Don Beebe against the Steelers. Andre Reed didn't speak to Kelly for a month.
Compared to Terrell Owens, Keyshawn Johnson, Randy Moss, Chad Johnson and others too gaseous to mention, Moulds is a Trappist monk. Salary cap realities will put him in another uniform next season. He deserves to leave with his dignity intact.
Mularkey has displayed a leaden hand when dealing with his players. Sam Adams, recovering from an injury, wanted to play against Carolina two weeks ago. Instead Mularkey gave him the news he would be inactive just a few minutes before the kickoff. Adams' work ethic may need polishing, but he was a Pro Bowl player for the Bills a year ago and his teammates know how he would have helped in a close loss to Carolina. Frankly, I don't think Mularkey is in position to put the squeeze on anyone. Will someone explain why he removed the play-calling from Tom Clements, his offensive coordinator, early in the season? Since Mularkey took over the task we've been treated to Daimon Shelton, the blocking fullback who hadn't carried the football in five seasons, getting the ball on an unsuccessful fourth-down gamble from the Raiders' 1-yard line in the turnaround play of that loss; Mularkey's continuing obsession with gadget plays that backfire; and finally the coup de grace opportunity in Miami that turned into a football suicide.
With a 20-point lead with just over a quarter to play and Buffalo enjoying a first down on the Dolphins' 3-yard line, there was only one thing for a coach in touch with his reasoning powers to do: tell his young, inexperienced and excitable quarterback, "We're running Willis McGahee three times between the tackles. If we don't score a touchdown we kick a gimme field goal for a 23-point lead and there is no way the Dolphins can beat us in the time remaining. Besides, J.P., if you even appear to be getting ready to throw a pass, I'll come out on the field and throttle you."
Carnage followed. The Moulds suspension has made Mularkey nuclear waste in his own locker room. McGahee, his young meal ticket, described the situation as "chaos." Troy Vincent, as strong a leader as the Bills possess, pointedly remarked how difficult it would be to replace a player like Moulds.
Who knows what's going through J.P. Losman's head? After the interception of his pass which turned around the game, the young quarterback went into mourning on his bench during the rest of the game. There was no sign of Mularkey showing up to talk him out of his funk, which is a bigger part of a coach's job than calling plays. Losman's future, after all, is also Mularkey's future.
Since that time what Mularkey has been doing is stonewalling the media.
"This is an in-house matter," he says. He doesn't even know what kind of business he's in. If he worked for Procter and Gamble it would be "an in-house matter." He's in the entertainment business, which operates in a fish bowl. His peers are Britney Spears, Siegfried and Roy, the Goo Goo Dolls, Eminem and Cirque du Soleil. These days the enterprise with which he is involved is not very entertaining.
http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial...11/1073431.asp
Larry Felser, former News columnist,
appears in Sunday's editions.
COMMENTARY
A tale of two teams: Sabres have upside, Bills do not
Where the Sabres have learned humility, the football team under Donahoe has become suspicious, distant and condescending
12/11/2005
By JERRY SULLIVAN
This past Thursday, I was settling in at a party when a huge roar went up in the room. It took me about two seconds to realize the Sabres had just scored in overtime to beat the Mighty Ducks. There is no mistaking the shared, spontaneous joy of Buffalo sports fans when one of their beloved teams does well.
After a week of bumbling incompetence at One Bills Drive, it was nice to be reminded that one of our major sports teams is doing things right. Over the past month, the Sabres have been a revelation, winning 10 of 12 while demonstrating a laudable work ethic and team morale.
Attendance hasn't caught up yet, but there is a rising sense of optimism about the Sabres, a feeling that wondrous things could be in store. Meanwhile, the Bills have become an object of intense public loathing, an organization that has alienated and disgusted its far-flung, faithful fan base.
The suspension of Eric Moulds was an utter embarrassment for the team and its owner, Ralph Wilson, who was forced to arbitrate a dispute between his coach and star receiver. Wilson seemed apologetic about having to support Mike Mularkey and suspend Moulds, whom he called his "friend."
Tom Donahoe, the president and general manager, was conspicuously absent during the Moulds affair. That is not a good sign for the embattled GM. Donahoe's cronies in the national media are already pushing him for his next job. I'm sure there's some gullible NFL owner out there who can be convinced he'd be lucky to get a man of Donahoe's surpassing talents.
Most Bills fans are angry. They're embarrassed to root for a team that has become a hapless reflection of their hometown. Thanks to the wonders of e-mail, I've heard from hundreds of disillusioned fans, many of them transplants who cling to the Bills as an emotional link to their Buffalo heritage.
The other day, a friend told me it must be tough to write harsh things about the Bills' players and management. Actually, it's easy at a time like this. The organization's flaws are numerous and clear. I'm merely giving voice to the frustrations of others.
It's the fans I feel sorry for. They deserve better. They miss having a team that's capable of competing for the championship. It was a delight to cover the Bills during the Super Bowl years, to chronicle the achievements of a great team for a loving community. The same thing goes for the Sabres during their Stanley Cup run in 1999.
Above all, those teams were fun. That's the worst thing about these Bills. There's no fun. They've sapped out most of the joy. It has been fun this year on the few occasions when J.P. Losman played well, which makes it even more infuriating that they pulled the plug on him for a month.
For much of the Donahoe era, the Bills have been a bummer to follow. There's been something essentially hollow and dysfunctional about them. Donahoe has created a siege mentality in the organization. He's run the show with an unwarranted air of arrogance and superiority.
The Sabres are a breath of fresh air by comparison. I've had my disagreements with Larry Quinn and Darcy Regier over the years. I felt it was a mistake for Tom Golisano to re-empower Quinn and to keep Regier in the general manager's job. They still have much to prove.
But they've figured some things out. The Sabres have been humbled by difficult times, by an ownership scandal and an NHL lockout. Like their league, they learned the hard way not to take their fans for granted - to treat them like discerning customers.
The Sabres are finally giving fans a team worth supporting, one that plays with determination and accountability. You get the sense that management had a clear vision for the product it wanted to put on the ice when the NHL began anew. Regier deserves credit for that. He used to whine all the time about the league's economics. It came off as an excuse for his own lack of initiative. But he promised the Sabres would thrive in the new NHL, if the league enforced the rules, and it looks like he was right.
The Sabres have no real stars, just a bunch of resourceful players who reflect this town's blue-collar ethos - while managing to entertain. Thursday's game was dull for two periods, but the third period and overtime were breathtaking, a fan's delight.
For the holidays, the Sabres have released a CD of Rick Jeanneret's greatest calls. It's a terrific idea, an inspired nod to the team's rich hockey heritage.
The Bills seem to be trampling on their own tradition. Where the Sabres have learned humility, the football team under Donahoe has become suspicious, distant and condescending. They are threatening to fumble away their most precious asset - the soul of the community that has supported them.
Wilson must know this. He must realize how this season is playing with his fans. I suspect he'll be get some harsh reminders at today's game with the Patriots, in the stadium that bears his name. There will be plenty of angry customers, many of whom are expected to bring signs that reflect their discontent.
It would not surprise me to see a sign or two that simply read, "Give us back our team."
BuffaloNews
e-mail: jsullivan@buffnews.com
STREAKING SABRES
Strong goaltending and diverse scoring ignite hot streak
By TIM GRAHAM
News Sports Reporter
12/22/2005
Satisfaction isn't the right word.
That would connote a sense of finality for a job well done, a premature mission accomplished, as it were.
Instead, whenever defenseman Jay McKee stops to consider just how much the Buffalo Sabres have achieved so far this season, he feels a reaffirmation for what they're working toward.
"I think everyone on the team feels awful proud of what we've accomplished so far," McKee said. "It's all hard work that's paying off. It feels very rewarding."
An NHL season can seem like a relentless string of games, a constant preparation for the next city, the next opponent. As the 2005-06 campaign blurs past - the midway point is days away - Sabres fans might want to pause and try to fully comprehend all this team has done during a most astonishing run of success.
"When we look at the standings and see our record at 23 wins and 10 losses," said McKee, "my reaction is, "Wow, did that ever come fast.' "
The Sabres are on a borderline-obnoxious roll heading into tonight's game against the Florida Panthers in the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, Fla. The Sabres have won seven in a row, and a victory tonight would give them 10 straight on the road to tie their NHL record from 1983-84.
Their remarkable 15-1-1 run encompasses exactly half of their games played so far. It dates back a month and a week, and has banked them more than a third of the 90 points teams shoot for to make the playoffs.
The Sabres have skyrocketed in the standings. They became the second team in the league to reach 23 wins and entered Wednesday night only two points behind the Ottawa Senators and Detroit Red Wings for the most points in the league.
"We expected to be a good team, but nobody expects something like this," Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said. "We're almost at the point where we don't even want to talk about it."
Perhaps most impressive is how the Sabres have found ways to win so many nail-biters. On Monday night, after a shootout with the Philadelphia Flyers, the Sabres broke the league record by winning their sixth consecutive one-goal game. Two of them were in sudden death, one in a shootout.
"There have been games that in the past we would have lost," Ruff said. "This team's good enough now where that doesn't happen anymore."
Buffalo is an astounding 13 games over .500 but has outscored the opposition by only seven goals.
Much of that anomaly can be attributed to two factors: a lull in which Buffalo lost six out of seven, and Northeast Division nemesis Ottawa. Take away Buffalo's three losses to Ottawa - by a combined margin of 21-5 - and the Sabres have outscored opponents by 23 goals.
Prior to Philadelphia, the Sabres had averaged four goals a game in their previous six.
"We're really confident that the things we have done right are the reasons for our good success," said goalie Martin Biron, who has won a club-record 13 straight starts. "We also know a lot of good bounces and lucky bounces have gone our way to make that streak continue, but everybody in the locker room is confident they can contribute to this run. It's not relying on any one group of guys."
Over their past 15 victories, 10 Sabres have scored the winning goal.
More incredible yet, co-captain Daniel Briere has played in only six of those wins, while integral winger J.P. Dumont played in two. McKee claimed the Sabres have remained grounded despite their success. He has been amazed at the blue-collar atmosphere that permeates the Sabres' dressing room after a victory.
"We've had games we've won and come back to the room and guys aren't hooting and hollering," McKee said. "In Philadelphia we were (pumped) because it was an emotional win, but guys are going from that to right back to business.
"Guys are pretty humble about what we've done. Everything just seems to get put behind us after each win. We just look forward to the next one."
STREAKING SABRES
Strong goaltending and diverse scoring ignite hot streak
By TIM GRAHAM
News Sports Reporter
12/22/2005
Satisfaction isn't the right word.
That would connote a sense of finality for a job well done, a premature mission accomplished, as it were.
Instead, whenever defenseman Jay McKee stops to consider just how much the Buffalo Sabres have achieved so far this season, he feels a reaffirmation for what they're working toward.
"I think everyone on the team feels awful proud of what we've accomplished so far," McKee said. "It's all hard work that's paying off. It feels very rewarding."
An NHL season can seem like a relentless string of games, a constant preparation for the next city, the next opponent. As the 2005-06 campaign blurs past - the midway point is days away - Sabres fans might want to pause and try to fully comprehend all this team has done during a most astonishing run of success.
"When we look at the standings and see our record at 23 wins and 10 losses," said McKee, "my reaction is, "Wow, did that ever come fast.' "
The Sabres are on a borderline-obnoxious roll heading into tonight's game against the Florida Panthers in the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, Fla. The Sabres have won seven in a row, and a victory tonight would give them 10 straight on the road to tie their NHL record from 1983-84.
Their remarkable 15-1-1 run encompasses exactly half of their games played so far. It dates back a month and a week, and has banked them more than a third of the 90 points teams shoot for to make the playoffs.
The Sabres have skyrocketed in the standings. They became the second team in the league to reach 23 wins and entered Wednesday night only two points behind the Ottawa Senators and Detroit Red Wings for the most points in the league.
"We expected to be a good team, but nobody expects something like this," Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said. "We're almost at the point where we don't even want to talk about it."
Perhaps most impressive is how the Sabres have found ways to win so many nail-biters. On Monday night, after a shootout with the Philadelphia Flyers, the Sabres broke the league record by winning their sixth consecutive one-goal game. Two of them were in sudden death, one in a shootout.
"There have been games that in the past we would have lost," Ruff said. "This team's good enough now where that doesn't happen anymore."
Buffalo is an astounding 13 games over .500 but has outscored the opposition by only seven goals.
Much of that anomaly can be attributed to two factors: a lull in which Buffalo lost six out of seven, and Northeast Division nemesis Ottawa. Take away Buffalo's three losses to Ottawa - by a combined margin of 21-5 - and the Sabres have outscored opponents by 23 goals.
Prior to Philadelphia, the Sabres had averaged four goals a game in their previous six.
"We're really confident that the things we have done right are the reasons for our good success," said goalie Martin Biron, who has won a club-record 13 straight starts. "We also know a lot of good bounces and lucky bounces have gone our way to make that streak continue, but everybody in the locker room is confident they can contribute to this run. It's not relying on any one group of guys."
Over their past 15 victories, 10 Sabres have scored the winning goal.
More incredible yet, co-captain Daniel Briere has played in only six of those wins, while integral winger J.P. Dumont played in two. McKee claimed the Sabres have remained grounded despite their success. He has been amazed at the blue-collar atmosphere that permeates the Sabres' dressing room after a victory.
"We've had games we've won and come back to the room and guys aren't hooting and hollering," McKee said. "In Philadelphia we were (pumped) because it was an emotional win, but guys are going from that to right back to business.
"Guys are pretty humble about what we've done. Everything just seems to get put behind us after each win. We just look forward to the next one."
e-mail: tgraham@buffnews.com
http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial...22/1054467.asp
Buffalo's streak is quite the accomplishment, especially considering Buffalo has a core of hardworking, but otherwise not possessing all-star quality personnel.
But I just can't get too excited over any streak, given the retarded scheduling system Bettman has implemented. Buffalo did have to play some tough teams in that stretch and so I am not discounting their efforts.
Until the schedule includes more games outside the conference, I am only looking at head to head results, rather than trying to discern who is playing the best from streaks.
Truly, it is unfortunate. It is nice to compare results from regular season from year to year to see how teams measure up both to other teams that year and in previous years.
First Bettman changed the names of the divisions from those who shaped and founded this great league to the geographical (yawn) context. Now he is diminishing the accomplishments of current teams due to his attempt to validate his BRUTAL choices in expansion.
Owners should have cut their losses with this guy, even though league is finally doing better after (finally) implementing the player's suggestions from the last 10 years.
Couldn't "open up" game without a salary cap, mind you...$$$$$$$
They were talking about this on the radio last night...
The split opinions are that BUFFALO could take it all based on their hardwork, great goaltending, and depth of goaltending (as of now, barring any trades) The goalies are sort of their "superstar players." I think a couple SABRES are on the brink of superstardom also...
DANIEL BRIERE is both a playmaker and scorer, a little on the smallish side in the "old NHL," his speed and skill are flourishing now, so talent isn't the problem, in fact, I think it's a great strength that BUFFALO's scoring is so dispersed throughout the line up, they come at you in waves. You can't pin down any one player. Briere's problem is that he's had an abdominal injury that has hamstrung him severely. And the SABRES keep on winning without him, but are clearly better with DANNY in the lineup. I think he'd be in the tops of the scoring if he was completely healthy and not game-to-game decision each night...He's also immensely popular in town since he's a nice, charismatic Francophone Canadian boy (shades of Gil PERRAULT) and a great family man...
But...
Tha argumant against them: as far as going all the way, that's a different story. This team reminds me of another BUFFALO team that was burning up the stats and standings about 15-years ago. I think the 89'-90' SABRES were one of the best regular season teams, until the playoffs, where they were knocked out in the first round by a wily, veteran MONTREAL Canadian team because they were all very young. That's the problem with this team, they have little playoff experience, but we'll see...
The SABRES need to plow through OTTAWA first (who've outscored thjem 16-4 so far and own them 3-0), but they have defeated some Western conference teams, they handled DALLAS at home recently, the real question is: Can they do it in a seven game series?"
Having nicker00 as a fan is a kiss of Death!
Your prescript run out ASSVIBE?Originally posted by DrMaddVibe
Having nicker00 as a fan is a kiss of Death!
Looks like I'm dead!!!!
Next time, send some of that shit this way....Originally posted by DrMaddVibe
Looks like I'm dead!!!!
!!!!!!!
Originally posted by DrMaddVibe
Looks like I'm braindead!!!!
Rumors a'flyin'....
RALPH WILSON is holding meetings with the BILLS' staff in his home HQ of Detroit, MI...
A.) ESPN reports that Tom DONAHOE was not invited, and that BILLS' Team President, and ex-Philadelphia EAGLES' GM Tom MODRAK was acting in his place...
B.) It has been stated that WILSON likes head coach Mike MULARKY and doesn't want to have to pay most or all of his remaining three years on a five year cuntract...
But, the meeting has become contentious over which of the the assistant coaches was to be let go and was to stay...And that Mularky may be on the block as well...
Oh yeah, MARV LEVY may return to a front office position...
Last edited by Nickdfresh; 01-03-2006 at 06:28 PM.
Damn, Sabres are doing so well, no chance they are trading ANY goalie this year.
I think King Richard can still play.
One of the Best Stanley Cups in the last 20 years with Rangers
The fantasy rumor is BIRON to VANCOUVER for JOVO-COP....Originally posted by DavidFlamma
Damn, Sabres are doing so well, no chance they are trading ANY goalie this year.
I think King Richard can still play.
One of the Best Stanley Cups in the last 20 years with Rangers
How's that one suit ya' DF?
Wilson takes command, keeps Mularkey as coach
By MARK GAUGHAN
News Sports Reporter
1/5/2006
Ralph C. Wilson Jr. took matters into his own hands Wednesday.
The Buffalo Bills' 87-year-old owner named himself president of his football team. He reshuffled his front office. And he took his case straight to the fans.
"I want to apologize to the fans of Buffalo, who are great fans," Wilson said. "We haven't done a very good job for them. . . . I haven't given them a very good product, and I apologize for that."
For the record, the fallout from the Bills' 5-11 season is this:
President and General Manager Tom Donahoe officially was fired.
Head coach Mike Mularkey found out he will return for a third season, albeit with changes to his coaching staff that are still to come.
Assistant General Manager Tom Modrak will have more power over picking players.
And Hall of Fame coach Marv Levy will be back as general manager, giving the Bills an octogenarian tandem atop the organization.
The hiring of Levy, 80, wasn't official Wednesday. But Levy's return is a done deal and is expected to be announced this week, league sources told The News.
Most of the moves were announced in a news conference that was vintage Wilson.
Wilson put himself front and center in a 25-minute address, shooting straight from the hip, as is his style.
"I just don't feel we've made enough progress in the last five years," Wilson said. "I take responsibility for this organization, and if there are any bullets to be fired, I want you to fire them at me."
There was no script, no sanitized corporate statement, as one might expect from the head of a company that's worth roughly $500 million.
It was hardly slick, but it was sincere. Wilson was part apologetic grandfather and part determined executive, with some rambling stand-up comedy thrown in.
"I started out the season and the doctor told me, "Wilson, you don't look so good.' I said, "What do you mean, Doc?' He said, "You look depressed.' I said, "What do you suggest?' He suggested that I take 20 milligrams of Prozac every day. And I'm up to 100 milligrams of Prozac now."
It wasn't clear how much truth there was to the story, but Wilson loves a good joke.
One thing is certain: The Bills' owner finds the state of his football team not the least bit funny.
Wilson has lived and died with the ups and downs of his franchise since he founded the club 46 years ago. In 2001 he stepped back and put full faith in Donahoe, the first man besides himself to hold the president's title.
As any Bills fan can attest, it went badly. So now Wilson has concluded he must take a more active role, and he needs someone he trusts completely to be at his side. Enter Levy, the man who led the Bills to four straight Super Bowls and who has been out of the game since 1997.
"I am going to be the president, and I'm going to be much more active than I have been in the last five years," Wilson promised.
Bills fans can only hope the new Bills' reshuffled team - Wilson, Levy, Modrak, Mularkey - can put an end to what has been six straight years of non-playoff football.
"I think for the fans' sake we've got to try - I'm not saying we're going to improve - but we've got to try to improve this franchise and give the fans of Buffalo and Western New York a better product."
e-mail: mgaughan@buffnews.com
WOOO-HOOOOOOO!!! We're gonna' have an 80-year old Marv LEVY as our GM! *sigh*
http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial...05/1028910.asp
'Fresh start' leaves stale aftertaste
1/5/2006
By JERRY SULLIVAN
Around midafternoon Wednesday, Ralph Wilson walked into a packed media room at One Bills Drive and confirmed that Tom Donahoe was out as president and general manager. Wilson said he was making the change because the Bills needed "a fresh start."
Three hours later, the owner returned with Mike Mularkey and Tom Modrak at his side. More good news. Mularkey, smiling ear to ear, was still the Bills' head coach. Modrak was still assistant general manager, with an expanded role. Meanwhile, reports were swirling that Marv Levy, the Bills' erstwhile general manager, had landed in town.
This is what qualifies as a fresh start in Wilson's world. Order the head coach to fire a couple of assistant coaches and tell us what a great job he's done. Re-empower the veteran personnel guy who spent five years helping Donahoe run the team into the ground. And bring in an 80-year-old coaching legend to oversee the operation.
Wilson did the right thing getting rid of Donahoe. He admitted it was a mistake to give him control over football and administration. But a fresh start? It's a step backward for the football team. Making Levy the GM is a desperate attempt to borrow from the Bills' glorious past and curry favor with a disgruntled fan base.
Does Wilson really think fans are that gullible, that they'll rally behind a dysfunctional team because he sticks an artifact in his front office? This doesn't make a bad team better. It makes the Bills the joke of the league.
It's clear Wilson felt distanced from the football operation. He gave Donahoe unprecedented power, then felt he was out of the loop. He wanted a GM he could trust, a pipeline. So he turned to Levy, who was savvy enough to keep Wilson involved during his years as coach.
But that's a weak reason to hire a GM. Wilson needed a fresh set of outside eyes, a current personnel man who could tell him where his franchise had failed. He did it with Donahoe and got burned, but that doesn't justify handing the job to someone who has been out of the league for eight years. I don't buy the notion that Levy is significantly wired-in to today's league.
Of course, what self-respecting NFL personnel man would walk into the GM job, knowing he had to accept Mularkey as his coach? Asked if his new GM would have to keep Mularkey, Wilson answered with a flat "Yes." That was a clear sign that Levy was his guy, and all that remained was to iron out a deal.
Levy is desperate to get back in the NFL; he'll come cheap, just like Mularkey. A few weeks back, Levy said he wasn't interested in serving as a consultant, looking over people's shoulders. But as Bills GM, he'll be doing just that - looking over the shoulders of Mularkey and Modrak.
Modrak remains the key personnel guy, in charge of scouting and the draft. He's respected around the league. But then, so was Donahoe. Levy isn't coming here to serve as some organizational hood ornament. Modrak's fingerprints are all over this roster. Levy will be his boss, and he'll want a say in personnel. Levy has said for years that he wants to coach again. He's a coach. It's who he is. But Wilson denied that his new GM would be a threat to the head coach.
Fine. But if we're supposed to take Levy seriously as a GM, we have to take him seriously as Mularkey's boss. Levy might not take Mularkey's job, but he can take it away. Levy will have power. I'm sorry, that doesn't strike me as progress.
The Bills are adrift. Wilson believes Levy will steer the ship back on course. What he's really doing with these moves is losing more time. Legitimate GM candidates will go unexplored. A vast field of available head coaches will go untapped.
Wilson has gotten the benefit of the doubt on a lot of moves in recent years, but he can't blame Levy if this one blows up in his face. From here on, blame goes right where it belongs. With the owner.
e-mail: jsullivan@buffnews.com
Can't see trading ANY of our top 5 D for any reason.Originally posted by Nickdfresh
The fantasy rumor is BIRON to VANCOUVER for JOVO-COP....
How's that one suit ya' DF?
Only way is trade we have been hearing about all year...Jovo and Cloutier for Luongo and Bowmeister
Still, can't see that either.
No way Buffalo trades either goalie now.
People are wanting our last pick Luc Bourdon, who is currently leading Cdn. juniors to Gold. Untouchable.
Trades will happen closer to deadline
Bad apples can spoil Bills' bunch
1/12/2006
By JERRY SULLIVAN
Column as I see 'em:
Ralph Wilson and Marv Levy are standing behind their coach, Mike Mularkey. They allowed Mularkey to gut his coaching staff, making it appear as if the assistants were the real problem. They are determined to make him a better coach and more effective communicator.
But if the Golden Boys want to show a real commitment to the coach, they ought to go after some players, too. They should get rid of the two prominent veterans who challenged Mularkey's authority in a big way this past season. They should show Eric Moulds and Sam Adams the door - and save the organization about $9 million on the cap while they're at it.
Moulds is on the books for $10.8 million next year, $7.1 million in salary. His skills are in decline. His average per catch has dropped seven straight years. He embarrassed Mularkey by taking himself out of the Miami game and involving Wilson in his suspension. Moulds' criticisms of the play-calling were warranted, but if Mularkey is the guy, Moulds has to go.
The same goes for Adams, who left the stadium after learning he had been deactivated for the Carolina game. Adams is due to make $3.9 million next season, $3.5 million in salary. He has challenged the coaches ever since coming to Buffalo.
After the Bickering Bills season of 1989, Bill Polian ran off some disruptive personalities to improve team chemistry. It was a turning point in the development of a Super Bowl team. Levy the general manager should do the same for his coach. Bruce Sutter made the Baseball Hall of Fame in his 13th year of eligibility. He was the only player chosen. Did Sutter make it because he was worthy, or because it was a weak field and the writers figured they had to vote for someone? That's no reason to put a player in the Hall. Either you're deserving or not.
...
My vote for the NFL's Most Valuable Player would have been Carolina's Steve Smith. Smith had 103 catches for 1,563 yards and 12 TDs on one of the league's most challenged offenses. The Panthers averaged just 3.4 yards a rush. Their next-leading receiver (DeShaun Foster) had 34 catches. Smith outgained the next-leading guy on his team by more than 1,000 yards! Ricky Proehl had 441 receiving yards.
It's hard to believe a wideout could have such an impact with such a weak supporting cast. No way Carolina is a playoff team without Smith.
---
Now that Minnesota has fired Mike Tice, Mularkey might be the lowest-paid head coach in the NFL. Tice was the bottom man at $1 million a season. Mularkey got a shade more than that in the second year of his five-year deal. As they say, you get what you pay for.
http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial...12/1035622.asp
e-mail: jsullivan@buffnews.com
Coach Mularkey submits resignation to Bills
By JOHN WAWROW, AP Sports Writer
January 12, 2006
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) -- Mike Mularkey submitted his resignation to the Buffalo Bills on Thursday, a person familiar with discussions between the coach and the team told The Associated Press.
The Bills will formally announce the coach's resignation during a press conference scheduled for Friday morning. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the official announcement had not been made.
ESPN.com, citing unidentified sources, first reported that Mularkey had reached a settlement with the team to cover the final three years of his contract. ESPN.com also reported that Mularkey's decision to leave the team was because of undisclosed family reasons.
The former Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator, who completed his second season with Buffalo, is married and has two boys.
Reached by The Associated Press, Mularkey declined to comment on the report, except to say: "Right now is not the best time to talk."
He added that he was aware of the press conference being scheduled and preferred that the news come then.
Bills spokesman Scott Berchtold declined comment.
Mularkey's departure is a major surprise after team owner Ralph Wilson announced last week that Mularkey would be retained. Wilson went out of his way to back Mularkey, holding a second press conference on Jan. 4, hours after he announced the firing of team president and general manager Tom Donahoe.
A day later, Wilson replaced Donahoe by luring Hall of Fame coach Marv Levy out of retirement to take over as GM. Thursday was Levy's first full day on the job.
Mularkey, however, was forced to dismiss five assistants, including offensive coordinator Tom Clements. He also faced the possibility of losing defensive coordinator Jerry Gray, who is a candidate for several open head coaching jobs.
Mularkey was 14-18 in two seasons with Buffalo.
He was partly faulted for Buffalo's 5-11 finish this season, as the team missed the playoffs for a sixth straight year to match its longest drought since the NFL merger.
The Bills failed to build off their 2004 season when they rallied from a 1-5 start to finish 9-7. They missed the playoffs with a season-ending collapse, losing 29-24 to Pittsburgh, a team that fielded mostly reserves after having already secured a postseason berth.
The Bills are now forced to find a new coach, their third in five years and fourth since Levy retired after the 1997 season.
The possible candidates include Gray, who completed his fifth season with Buffalo, recently fired New Orleans coach Jim Haslett, Detroit's interim coach Dick Jauron and Chicago defensive coordinator Ron Rivera.
Gray, who's interviewed with Houston, would be considered a strong candidate should the Bills determine they want to maintain some continuity by hiring someone familiar with the team. Although the Bills defense struggled this season, finishing 29th in the NFL, the unit was slowed by injuries.
Gray told The AP he is unaware of Mularkey's resignation but would want to have a fair chance at being considered for the job.
"I've been here five years and I know the guys so I don't have to re-evaluate anything, we would just have to take off and run from there," Gray said. "You don't want to take steps backward, you want to take steps forward, and that's what Mr. Wilson has been doing."
Gray added he's been contacted by Lions president Matt Millen, but an interview has not yet been scheduled.
Haslett is a former linebacker who played for the Bills from 1979-85.
Jauron and Rivera, meanwhile, are familiar to Levy, who maintains a home in Chicago and has worked broadcasting Bears games. Jauron joined the Lions in 2004 after he was dismissed as the Bears head coach.
The Bills will have to catch up quickly because six other teams are also looking for coaches.
http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news;_yl...v=ap&type=lgns
Stunning move actually. He had three-years left (at $1M a season?). I think he would have waited, and made them they fired him, like current San DIEGO def. coor. Wade PHILIPS did...
The next head coach for Buffalo...
Marv Levy...120 years old...
I remember listening to him on ESPN radio last year talking about how he wanted to coach one more time...
and he won't rule himself out...
fucker's 80...
I could see him rollin' for a year...
"Van Halen was one of the most hallelujah, tailgate, backyard, BBQ, arrive four hours early to the gig just for the parking lot bands. And still to this day is. It's an attitude. I think it's a spirit more than anything else is."
Bills moving forward after Mularkey quits as coach
Jan. 13, 2006
CBS SportsLine.com wire reports
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Coach Mike Mularkey's abrupt resignation came as a shock to the Buffalo Bills. An even bigger surprise might be who refused to rule himself out as a candidate for the job -- Marv Levy.
A week after taking over as the Bills general manager, and despite owner Ralph Wilson insisting Levy wouldn't be considered to replace Mularkey, the 80-year-old Hall of Fame coach declined to say he wasn't interested.
"I really, sort of, don't even want to comment," Levy said Friday at a news conference. "I can't answer it because I want to talk the whole situation over. But we're going to address it swiftly."
Levy added that he didn't plan on being the coach when he accepted the GM job, but said the situation has changed with Mularkey's unexpected departure.
His comments, however, contradicted what Wilson stated minutes earlier after announcing Mularkey's resignation. Asked whether Levy, who was standing off to the side, would be a candidate, Wilson said: "Absolutely not."
Wilson had a chance to restate his position after listening to Levy, but declined to do so.
Marv Levy, who led the Bills to four straight Super Bowls, is the team's new general manager. (AP)
What might seem curious to those hearing Levy contradict his boss is becoming par for the course for an operation that can't get its story straight since Wilson fired president/general manager Tom Donahoe last week.
Upon luring Levy out of retirement, Wilson and Levy couldn't agree on a title before eventually settling on general manager/football operations.
Now comes Mularkey's resignation, which came eight days after Wilson said Mularkey would return.
Something changed, Wilson said, when Mularkey first approached him Wednesday to inform the owner of his intention to resign.
The two met again Thursday when Wilson accepted Mularkey's resignation.
"Of course I was completely surprised by his statement. He seemed very firm about it," Wilson said. "It's an abrupt setback. But we're going to move forward."
Wilson said Mularkey expressed concern about Bills fans who criticized him last year.
Bills moving forward after Mularkey quits as coach
And despite Wilson's assurances, Mularkey's future beyond next season remained in doubt. Mularkey dismissed five assistants last week and his uncertain status made it difficult for the coach to hire experienced replacements.
Mularkey was 14-18 in two seasons and had three years left on his contract. The move leaves the Bills searching for their third coach in five years.
Not known is why Mularkey didn't raise his concerns after he met with Wilson twice last week.
"I did not reach this decision lightly," Mularkey said in a statement released by the Bills. "But after much thought, I have concluded that for my own personal reasons and in the best interests of my family, on balance, outweigh any future benefits that may accrue to me by continuing in this position."
Mularkey did not return a message left by the Associated Press.
Wilson and Levy declined to list any potential candidates or provide details as to the type of coach they're seeking.
Among the early front-runners -- besides, perhaps, Levy -- are Bills defensive coordinator Jerry Gray, who completed his fifth season with Buffalo; recently fired New Orleans coach Jim Haslett; Dick Jauron, Detroit's interim coach; and Chicago defensive coordinator Ron Rivera.
Haslett has ties to the Bills, a former linebacker who played for the team from 1979-85.
Reached by telephone Friday, Haslett said he's interested but has not yet been contacted.
"Obviously, I have great interest in the job, there's lot of good things about it," Haslett said. "I know the organization, I know Mr. Wilson. And it's a great place to live."
Mularkey's resignation, while unusual, is not unprecedented. Bobby Ross abruptly walked out as the Detroit Lions' coach midway through the 2000 season. Former Bills coach Lou Saban twice quit on the team in the 1960s and early 1970s.
A former NFL tight end, Mularkey was a first-time head coach who joined Buffalo after serving as the Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator. In his first season, the Bills rebounded from a 1-5 start to finish 9-7.
Ralph Wilson Stadium will be renamed Geriatric Park next year.
Maybe the Bills will sign Jerry Rice...
He's too busy on Dancing With the Stars.
He's out of his mind, and a lot of people are pretty pissed here, myself included.Originally posted by POJO_Risin
The next head coach for Buffalo...
Marv Levy...120 years old...
I remember listening to him on ESPN radio last year talking about how he wanted to coach one more time...
and he won't rule himself out...
fucker's 80...
I could see him rollin' for a year...
I swear to god, and I'm not making this up, I had a dream this morning that LEVY was on the sidelines of a BILLS game.
The dude's 80! He was basically forced to resign the first time around because the team was losing it's best "no-huddle" guys. So he's the answer??
But I really don't think they'll let him coach, in fact, I think WILSON brought him back as community relations and to deflect criticism that he's a big cheapskate (which is one of the reasons BILL POLIAN left) and has been all along. I think, but can't be sure yet, that TOM MODRAK is the real power behind the BILLS Front-office. But LEVY is sort of a 'grand old man' of a human shield... A nostalgic trip down (selective) memory lane. People forget that LEVY was overrated in many ways, and fucked up at least two Superbowls we could have won. He largely let the players and assistants run the team. Well, he had some great players, and lackluster assistants...
Maybe Terry BRADSHAW is the answer at quarterback?Originally posted by POJO_Risin
Maybe the Bills will sign Jerry Rice...
Fuck, maybe they'll dig up RED GRANGE...
Bradshaw's too busy asking Deion Sanders which three people in history he'd like to have over for dinner (Redd Foxx, Bill Cosby and Richard Pryor), and whether he prefers extra crispy or original KFC.Originally posted by Nickdfresh
Maybe Terry BRADSHAW is the answer at quarterback?
Fuck, maybe they'll dig up RED GRANGE...![]()
Is Bradshaw at this stage of the game...
really that much worse than Losman and Holcomb?
"Wilson said Mularkey expressed concern about Bills fans who criticized him last year."
Well boo-hoo MIKE. Maybe if you didn't have some special fucking trick play every game that you could call at the most inappropriate possible moment, and actually handed the ball off to get an actual running game going? And gee, if you didn't play rotating QB because your damn veterans think they can make the Superbowl with KELLY HOLCOMB, potentially endangering any chance that J.P. LOSMAN might actually develop into a starting-NFL QB?
"This really takes the sails out of your wind." --Mike Mularkey...
Last edited by Nickdfresh; 01-13-2006 at 05:49 PM.
LMAOOriginally posted by POJO_Risin
Is Bradshaw at this stage of the game...
really that much worse than Losman and Holcomb?Probably not much worse. There's a sliver of hope with LOSMAN, but I'm losing patience. Maybe if DONAHOE actually tried to get a real O-line together that didn't feature Mike WILLIAMS, fast becoming the largest bust in franchise history, I'd be a little more optimistic...
I agree...any coach that bitches about the fucking fans...
needs to be nursemaiding babies in the faggot wing of the hospital...
and when are teams going to realize that the anchor of any good team...is the offensive line...and consistency...
look at every good team...
ever...
I don't know what to think of Losman...he shows flashes of moxie...
we'll see for sure next year...
reminds me a bit of Plummer...
That's what I think. But he forces it too much and "locks-on" to one or two receivers, but God knows this staff was not giving him much help.
I mean, when the head coach takes away the play-calling duties from the O-coordinator (Tom Clements), and fucks it up even worse, what can you say?
He needs a good year at least before any epitaph is written.
In Mularkey's defense, the fans here can be tough, and it's a small town with big football. Not unlike Green Bay or something. But he came across (much like the guy before him, Greg WILLIAMS) to be a bit thick when at the podium, and he did lose the team. I think the article I read in the Buffalo News stated that he was afraid also that he was being set up on a third-year probation, and that he wouldn't get good assistants and free-agents as a result...
Last edited by Nickdfresh; 01-13-2006 at 06:45 PM.
You know Nick...your description of Mularkey in front of the Mic is a lot like how Browns fans described Belichick his first go around...
not comparing Mularkey to Belichick by any stretch....lmfao...
That being said...they need a good young mind in there...that actually has coaching experience...
There's some truth to that, but some of Mularkey's problems here stem from his ties to DONAHOE, and the "Pittsburgh" crony label and the fact that GREG WILLIAMS was a complete, pompous flop...Originally posted by POJO_Risin
You know Nick...your description of Mularkey in front of the Mic is a lot like how Browns fans described Belichick his first go around...
not comparing Mularkey to Belichick by any stretch....lmfao...
That being said...they need a good young mind in there...that actually has coaching experience...
And he committed a sin that was unforgivable here. BUFFALO once had a coach named HANK BULLOUGH that routinely mangled all language while on the podium, and is known to be the dumbest guy ever to coach an NFL team. Mularkey's quote I posted above, which was replayed here on local sports-talk radio nearly everyday, didn't help his case much.
Oh...I'm not siding with Mularkey by any stretch...
I'm just saying...you can't judge a book by it's cover...
Mularkey is an excellent offensive coach...who will find another job in a couple of years...
my bet...is that Whisenhunt gets a job somewhere...and Mularkey lands back in Pittsburgh...
like I said...Levy would do good in finding a young guy with previous head coaching experience...
I'd actually be banging on Mariucci's door...although I doubt very much he'll coach in another administrative clusterfuck like in Detroit....
That's the rap here, we need a coach that's been around. But part of the problem goes back to RALPH WILSON, he's always tried to do it in the cheap...
The guy tried suing WADE PHILIPS, to try to get his get his money back, after he fired him because he had a year or two left on his contract...
BILL POLIAN also had a lot of problems with WILSON money wise (low-balling player contract offers, and not paying him what he was worth)...
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