Mike Bovenzi, 25, Syracuse, NY. Graduate of Solvay HS, 2002. Mike is going back this fall to finish his associates degree at Onondaga Community College and hoping to transfer and begin pursuing journalism. A cool, laid back guy who doesn't have it all, but has most of it.
When Ralph Wilson opened his coffin to tell the world he was relieving Dick Jauron of his head coaching duties, Bills nation rejoiced. Jauron, outside of one 13-3 season with the Bears, has been the epitome of mediocre or worse his entire career. The hire was met with opposition and Jauron did little to erase any of the doubts. His ultra conservative nature, and play not to lose mentality, rubbed Bills fans the wrong way each and every season. Jauron is your cheap friend at the poker table. He isn't tryng to win, he's just trying to lose slower than everybody else. He'd rather wait for you to make a mistake than risk taking a chance himself. I lost count of how many games we lost despite big, early leads. Jauron would just stand on the sideline watching the lead slowly dwindle as our offense got more and more conservative. For a good amount of time I was convinced he was hooked on quaaludes. The news he would be gone was music to my ears. Jauron's quote to the Associated Press sums up the entire era when asked about the firing after a 3-6 start; " I really don't have anything to say".
Introducing Head Coach Chan Gailey
With Jauron gone and a lame duck coach in Perry Fewell taking over on an interim basis, the coaching search began. Despite the names of proven coaches like Mike Shanahan and Bill Cowher and upcoming guys like Leslie Frazier, we ended up with a man named Chan Gailey. All I knew about Gailey was that he coached the Cowboys. While the Cowboys were alright, he was eventually fired. I also thought about his time at Georgia Tech, realizing again, they were okay, but he was again fired. They improved leaps and bounds after he left.
I can't say that I'm excited for the Gailey era, to be honest, with 90 year old Ralph Wilson and 70 year old Buddy Nix pulling the strings. I'm not sure even Shanny or Cowher would be able to right this ship. I'll give Nix credit, he's a known talent evaluator and he at least understands that this thing isn't a speed boat. It's an oil tanker. There isn't going to be some quick turnaround. Nix knows that talk is cheap and he knows that fans don't want to hear about labor pains. The fans just want to see the baby.
A Quiet Off Season
The Bills were as loud in free agency as Silent Bob used to be before he became Kevin Smith. There was a Cornell Green signing and we recently picked up our annual former draft bust that we can still convince fans has talent in WR Chad Jackson. Nobody in the world shines crap and calls it gold like Ralph Wilson and the Buffalo Bills.
Will the future really be any different? Outside of Buddy Nix making us laugh and making fun of the Raiders is there light at the end of this tunnel? Is Chan the guy to get us there? Will Ralph Wilson ever die? Time will tell. All us Bills fans can do is just hope somebody slipped some sugar in Ralph and Buddy's coffee and we can finally give our loyal fan base another reason to shout. Come on Buddy, show us that baby.
You can follow Mike Bovenzi on twitter @The_Bunk.
Thanks to pythonspam for the photo of Chan Gailey.
I thought the Pats were struggling this off season with have a few too many holes to fill on the field. I honestly feel bad for Bills fans after reading what’s really going on, off the field in Buffalo.
Buddy Nix must think quite highly of himself as a GM because he’s apparently planning to fix all of our problems with rookies. We’d better nail the draft, or it’s going to be ugly in 2010.
With New England continuing their dominance in the division, the Jets building the team of the future in the AFC East and the Dolphins jumping on board the Parcells train, the Bills aren’t going to do any winning unless they jump divisions or even jump conferences.
Certainly have their work cut out for them, if they truly feel like they can build via the draft then like I said they’d better nail it. Need help at QB, OT, DT, WR, LB.
So basically they need help at football.
It’s Buffalo. Street free agents are signed Tuesday, and start Sunday. Other teams backups are signed to be our starters. If I told you I had any clue what Buddy and Ralph were up to I’d be lying.
Well, you guys went from a terrible coach to a mediocre coach, so that is an improvement. Still likely won’t make the playoffs and that’s probably for the best. Gaily is one of those coaches that might get you to 9-7 and squeak into the playoffs but it’d just be false hope that he can win it all, because he can’t.
…and will Marshawn Lynch be in their backfield or elsewhere? Not sure Fred Jackson is a 25-30 touch a game kind of back.
I agree that Lynch is going to end up somewhere else. There were some talks of New England, but I don’t see it happening.
Marshawn is trade bait for draft week/day. The bills need either a top 45 pick for him or package him with the 9th to a team with 2 first rounders. Fred Jackson can play he def can be a 25 touch players he did great when thugshawn was suspended last year and suffered when he had to split.
Lynch said himself he wouldn’t mind a trade, Gailey mentioned that he’d like a scat back for his offense. I wouldn’t be surprised if we trade him for a couple picks.
I don’t think you can get a couple picks for him. I think you’d be lucky to get a third rounder.
Either way now – Brandon Marshall is a Dolphin, so the Pats and Bills can battle it out…for third place!
I don’t even think we’ll get a 3rd rounder. Maybe a 4, if somebody really likes him. I almost think we’re better off keeping him than dealing him for nada. If Fred Jackson gets hurt we’d be screwed at another spot.