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