Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/5/84; site sunybcs.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!sunybcs!acsgjjp
From: acsgjjp@sunybcs.UUCP (Jim Poltrone)
Newsgroups: net.sport.football,net.flame
Subject: Foo on Ralph Wilson! (or) How to Own a 2-14 Football Team
Message-ID: <1042@sunybcs.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 17-Jan-85 16:49:45 EST
Article-I.D.: sunybcs.1042
Posted: Thu Jan 17 16:49:45 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 18-Jan-85 00:51:31 EST
Distribution: na
Organization: State University of New York @ Buffalo,NY
Lines: 71
Xref: watmath net.sport.football:762 net.flame:7781

[How 'bout them Ills?]
With the events of the past few weeks, I feel that the reason the
Buffalo Bills will never get to the Super Bowl is the owner of the
team, Ralph Wilson.  

First of all, he doesn't live in Buffalo, where his franchise is located.  
He makes his home in (or around) Detroit, Michigan.  (Most of the other 
teams are owned by someone in the area; the Pittsburgh Steeler's Art Rooney 
comes to mind.)

Second, he doesn't (or won't) pump any of his money (believe me, he's
loaded) into the local economy.  I would love to see a dome put over
Rich Stadium (built with funds from Erie County and Rich Products, Inc.),
but to do so, seven thousand seats would have to be removed.  Ralph would
rather keep the seating at 80,000 than reduce it to 72,000 just to have
a dome.  With Birdair Structures (the ones who built the cover for the
Metrodome in Minneapolis) located in Cheektowaga -- 15 minutes away
from the stadium -- surely a dome would be feasible.  And with our
weather, like all the northern cities, a dome is almost a necessity.

Third, he's cheap with the players and coaches.  Why did Tom Cousineau
play for the Montreal Alouettes (in the CFL) and then the Cleveland Browns
when he was Buffalo's #1 draft pick in 1979?  Why did Joe Cribbs pack up
and go to Birmingham in 1983?  Why is Chuck Knox now coaching the 
Seahawks?  The bottom line:  MONEY.  Cousineau and Cribbs (after he got
greedy) felt they can play somewhere else for more money, so they left
Buffalo.  And Knox didn't like the way Wilson was doing things.  (He
was, in my opinion, too conservative of a coach -- he didn't take any
risks -- but we made the playoffs when he was coaching.)  This is the
reason I believe Jim Kelly will stay in the USFL, and Doug Flutie will
not be wearing a Bills uniform -- ever.

Lastly, he's wishy-washy.  We still don't know who he wants for the
first round pick.  And it took him two weeks (or more) to decide that
he wants to retain Kay Stephenson as coach.  RETAIN STEPHENSON???
(I'm still in shock.)  Not only is he wishy-washy, he's INEPT!!

Here's what I would do if I were in charge of the team (I'd be the owner,
too, if I had $30 million to blow):
     1)  Find a new coach.  Kay's nice, but I don't think he should 
           be the coach next year.  Perhaps he can stay on as assistant
           offensive coordinator.
     2)  Use either Joe Dufek or Matt Kofler as a starting
           quarterback.  Joe Feruguson should retire or be made a
           second- or third-string quarterback.  If we offer to
           trade him, who would want him?
     3)  Try to do something about those penalties.  Maybe chop the
           hands off of Ken Jones and Fred Smerlas.  :-)  Either that 
           or tie their hands behind their back.
     4)  Get a dome for the stadium.  The largest attendance we had this
           year (not counting the Dallas game, which was -- believe it
           or not -- a sellout) was around 50,000.  More fans would
           come if they didn't have to freeze while watching the game.
           (More fans would come if they won more games. :-) )

I wouldn't pay to see a Bills game as long as Wilson (or substitute your
favorite expletive) owns the team.  He's not concerned about improving
the team; all he cares about is that he gets his cut.  But at least he's
keeping the team in Buffalo and not moving it.

If only we can trade away owners like players.  *sigh*
--
The opinions expressed herein are my own; the opinion that the Bills stink
is the opinion of 99% of the people in the Buffalo area who used to be 
Bills fans.
-- 
"Is there liver in reality?"
Jim Poltrone  (a/k/a Poltr1, the Last of the Raster Blasters)
uucp: [decvax,watmath,rocksvax]!sunybcs!acsgjjp
ARPAnet, CSnet: acsgjjp%buffalo@CSNET-RELAY
BITNET:  ACSGJJP@SUNYABVA