Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Scrape Scrape

Okay, someone is going to have to explain this to me.

Chan Gailey? Really?

I understand that Buffalo isn't exactly the sexiest landing spot for a potential head coach. It sits up there somewhere north of Canada and after all of its industry fled about 20 years ago its raison d'ĂȘtre is as a support system for honeymoon suites overlooking Niagara Falls.

But still. Chan Gailey?

The last we heard from Gailey he was busy getting fired by Todd Haley in preseason (or demoted or whatever). And even if that was a personality clash or something, it isn't like he had a sterling resume leading up to 2009. His career high point, I guess, was following Jimmy Johnson in Dallas with a couple of reasonable seasons as that team faded into obscurity. He coached Georgia Tech for a six year stretch in which the Jackets won exactly 7 games in five of them (they won nine in '06).

20 years ago he was a World League head coach.

But how ... How do you conduct a two month coaching search and then decide that Chan Gailey is the man for the job? I'm sure the Bills got turned down by guys like Cowher, and I'm sure that Buddy Nix simply determined a couple of others just wouldn't be good fits. Fine.

But Gailey? There are probably a dozen guys that could trip off of any of our tongues who would be better and who would probably jump at the spot. Mariucci, Billick ... how about Ted Nolan? Brian Schottenheimer? His Dad?

This is the worst retread coaching hire since ... well, probably since Dick Jauron.

9 comments:

  1. This one floors me because it was virtually considered a given that Leslie Frazier would end up in Buffalo once the Vikings finished their season.

    I can't explain it either--a mediocre has-been or an assistant who has been growing through the ranks of multiple successful teams and is ready to take the next step.

    Well, Buffalo deserves whatever the end up with for the next few years, I guess.

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  2. >>> Well, Buffalo deserves whatever the end up with for the next few years, I guess. <<<

    Unfortunately no they don't. Ralph Wilson deserves what he gets. But the team, that has no say in this? The fans, who from all that I've met - and I've met quite a few - are great fans?

    This hire really sucks. When I first heard it, I thought we were getting an early April Fools or something.

    - C -

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  3. Brian Schott removed himself from consideration. I think he said something about family. The other thoughts that went thru my mind were that he thought Frazier was a done deal, or that he was counseled that the Bills operation was a joke.

    So. The Rooney Rule obviously is alive and well.

    Who's Ted Nolan?

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  4. Mike Nolan

    I don't know that the Bills operation is a joke and I certainly don't think Ralph Wilson "deserves what he gets". Wilson is something of a hero. Forget about his pioneering days with the AFL, he is most likely the poorest NFL owner and sits in possibly the worst market. Ralph Wilson Stadium is 36 years old, ancient by NFL standards. I am certain that his sensibilities scream "move, dammit!" and that he is ignoring them, trying to reward the loyalty of the city of Buffalo.

    It is hard to imagine the Bills staying in the Buffalo long after Wilson passes. But "deserves what he gets"? Only if what he gets is something really good. Ralph Wilson does not deserve anything bad at all.

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  5. http://espn.go.com/blog/afceast/post/_/id/9487/marty-schottenheimer-wanted-bills-gig

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  6. 2 On Your Side also spoke with former Ravens Coach Brian Billick, who acknowledged he too was interested in the team's coaching vacancy, among other jobs. Billick confirmed that the team was not interested in him.

    "I just wanted to make sure I was clear that he (Nix) had not called," Billick said. "Why he had not called a coach with a Super Bowl ring, 10 wins a year for nine years, having orchestrated the highest-scoring offense and defense in the history of the league, is a question worth asking. But I never spoke with Mr. Nix."
    http://www.wgrz.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=73757&catid=37

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  7. Schott took himself out, Frazier may not have wanted to intvw yet, Mike Nolan already signed with Miami.

    I'm not sure why you'd take Chan over Marty. Chan did win the division in Dallas, but that was a while ago. [I'd take Marty hands down.]

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  8. Or why they wouldn't talk with Billick, particularly given Billick was interested in the job. Billick's not a perfect coach or anything. But Chan a more desireable hire than Billick is some sort of sick joke.

    Patrick, I get the point about Wilson and I guess I agree with that. Though this move just stinks, and he certainly could have done something different about it. Maybe we'll all look back on this and think how stupid we were when Chan delivers them a SB ring. But more likely we'll be comparing this hire to Zorn two years from now. It's hard for me to say Wilson doesn't deserve what he gets for taking Chan over many of the other very viable candidates.

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  9. The thing about Marty explains why Brian S withdrew.

    I'd like to see Marty back in the league. It strikes me as sad and disgusting, how teams/owners treat his candidacy.

    Especially these bad teams. How would you like to make the playoffs EVERY FRICKIN YEAR? That should sound pretty good to Oakland, Detroit, San Francisco, Saint Louis, and yes Buffalo. But Marty's not good enough to merit a phone call.

    ReplyDelete

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