APThursday’s news that Bill Polian talked to the Bills about a return but ultimately decided not to do it proves one very important thing. Owners Terry and Kim Pegula were working behind the back of current president Russ Brandon.
On Sunday, PFT linked Polian to Buffalo: “Some in league circles firmly believe that, as soon as Monday, former Bills G.M. Bill Polian could be returning to the team. It’s unclear what his role and duties would be.”
After Sunday’s win over the Patriots, CEO Russ Brandon opted for condescension over concern.
“It’s like the National Enquirer,” Brandon said of the rumored Polian return, via WGR550.com. “No, you guys know how we go through it. We’re gonna go through a process and see where that takes us. Obviously, that’s gonna take some time and I don’t know where all this speculation comes from. It’s agent-on-agent crime basically, listening to all the nonsense that’s out there. It’s hard in our business not to get caught up in the noise but its just that: it’s noise.”
Later asked whether there’s a chance ownership is talking to Polian, Brandon was pragmatic.
“He’s the owner, he can do whatever he wants obviously,” Brandon said. “We talk all the time with both Terry and Kim, but it’s his prerogative as owner to handle anything the way he sees fit.”
Pegula apparently handled the Polian courtship without seeing fit to tell Brandon. As reported by Chris Mortensen of ESPN (which means as told to Mortensen by Polian of ESPN), “Pegula had reached out to Polian in an advisory capacity and eventually gauged his interest to head the team’s front office. That led to further discussions but Polian decided he was content with his current quality of personal and professional life. Pegula was understanding of Polian’s position.” Ultimately, the talks got close enough to consummation to prompt Jason La Canfora to report that Polian’s return wasn’t just a possibility but a done deal.
So Pegula and Polian clearly were talking. A lot. Which is bad news for Brandon; if he were going to have a role with the team going forward, he surely would have been at least consulted about the potential hire of Polian — a reputedly hot-tempered executive who as Jay Glazer of FOX once reported grabbed a Jets employee by the lapels and threw him into a wall.
Brandon now may be feeling like he was thrown into a wall, and then kicked in the groin. Maybe he should’ve have negotiated a $4 million opt-out clause, too.
All this proves is that if you believe everything everybody says to the media you’re a fool
Brandon is a dunce. What kind of fool gives a guy a provision that if he wants to leave, the team will pay him $4 million to walk out? Brandon is the dumbest team executive in the history of sports.
Though not surprising, just goes to show the egos involved even at the highest level of a multimillion dollar, mostly profitable venture that still causes all sorts of finger pointing, bad blood, etc that will ripple through the organization. Same goes with the Harbaugh situation.
No matter if its a small buisness or the NFL, goes to show the politics and bootlicking and bias that goes on which impacts everything below them.
If you want to get more detailed, if these sorts of popularity contests are happening at the highest levels, its not surprising at all when you get the same levels of bias, favourtism and politics when it comes to lower down level coaches/assistants/team personell, never mind the 100+ players coming into camp, that have to get widdled down to a 53 man roster.
The Bills have been awful for a very long time. Brandon would seem to be one of many in the organization who apparently are not very good at their job…..
Time to get rid of Brandon and rest of crew and get real staff with football knowledge?!
Russ seems like a nice guy but has done nothing his entire time with the organization.
What a tire fire
Weasel owner…Good luck finding good people to work for you now.
It’s the Bills so they will probably extend the teams bad luck charm from the last 15 years.
And Marrone is a quitter for grabbing $4M and getting away from this mess.
Russ the marketer will be gone. Just a Ralph yes man with no cahones and knowledge. No business doing what he is doing in the NFL.
I am guessing this GM will bail as soon as possible if he is not fired. The Bills will have a hard time getting top talent there based on the way they have treated the talent already there
What a mess of a franchise!
Brandon’s days are definitely numbered. As they should be, due to the fact that his 16 years with the team coincide with the 15 year playoff drought. His departure as well as Jim Overdof are long overdue.
No more ballon’ on a budget!
Do all of you who were calling Marrone a loser for opting out, now see why he was opting out? The new owners are set to clean house.
Russ Brandon has been involved in some shape or form for this 15 year draught and continues to have a job. It’s amazing. “He’s a great marketer!!” The NFL markets itself. Wife beaters, murderers, crooked owners… people still tune in. Pegula, you don’t need him, Dougie or even Whaley for that matter. Clean house, right the ship and bring some respectability to this franchise and ridiculously loyal fan base. I don’t need a 70 year old Polian or Frank Reich to fix this problem, no offense to either. Regurgitating former heroes of the glory years isn’t a recipe that works. Ask Pat LaFontaine. Go get Briles, test the waters in Philly with Chip Kelly or reach out to Malzahn. Throw some money around and go get a forward thinking guy. I can’t watch this dumpster fire much longer.
Brandon is good at marketing and perhaps very good at running the business side of an NFL team, however his track record when it comes to hiring coaches and footfall knowledgeable people leaves a lot to be desired
it is good news for us Bills fans for Brandon to be kept out of the loop when it comes to hiring competent football executives
i am encouraged by pegulas direction to date, to move forward without their opinion being polluted by the people who are responsible for this team being out of the playoffs for the past 15 yrs
One thing Russ Brandon did do for the Bills was build a multi-million dollar, state of the art training camp facility. At his alma mater, St. John Fisher College.
But that helped “regionalize” the team according to Russ.
The only true “mess of a franchise” in that division is the East Rutherford Jets. At least the Bills are trending in the right direction.
Looks like the Bills will be hoisting the Lombardi Trophy right after the Sabres win the Stanley Cup.
Russ Brandon always comes across like he is the smartest guy in the room. So, it’s tough to feel much empathy for the guy who turns out to be so smart that the owner tried to cut a major deal without even bothering to ask his opinion.
Brandon is nothing but Wilson’s “yes man”–enough said—he needs to be shown the door as soon as a suitable replacement can be found–its too bad Polian is not available–lets hope Pegula can find someone who has a history of winning instead of the “bean counters” that were a trademark of the useless Wilson regime
Jon Bon Jovi wouldn’t have meddled like Pegula is…
How is this any different than when Ross/Ireland actively pursued Harbaugh without firing Sparano? It is a bad move no doubt, but Miami was criticized incessantly and the Pegula’s seem to be getting a pass.
Sorry Russ Brandon. Just like you said before, Terry Pegula is just doing business so he can “move inventory.” I bet you feel like crap. Kind of like the same way you made us fans feel like just an inventory number.
“Jon Bon Jovi wouldn’t have meddled like Pegula is…”
Puke! Jon Bon Jovi isn’t good enough to play halftime, let alone own a team. Thank god that never happened!
Makes sense why Marrone got the hell out of there!
Maybe he should call Ron Wolf or Charlie Casserly, who both built solid teams, give them full control of the team and pay them like six or seven million a year. They can decide who stays or goes.
The Pegulas are pretty much hands off owners. They hire someone and let them do what is needed, like Tim Murray.
Maybe call Bob Kraft in New England or a couple of other owners who he trusts and pick their brains.
This is a surprise to nobody.it was rumored months ago that Brandon would be moved to the business side
Brandon is the business guy. This is literally hysterical in everyone to Buffalo reading this. He sells tickets
The Bills are going to waste a lot of talent on that roster. No QB, infighting. What a mess of an organization.
Brandon will be the Bills version of Ted Black
I hope and pray that this is a sign that finally it is going to be realized, that Russ Brandon has no business in any football operation. He gets too much credit for selling tickets, and making “par for the course” football decisions. The bottom line is Buffalo is a football crazy town and any competent executive could do what he has done. Now the Pegulas have to pay $4 million to coach employed by another team. This should be the final straw, just add it to the list of bad decisions, bad hires, bad drafting and 15 years of losing. The facts are simple, this team has had different coaches, different GM’s, different quarterbacks, but the one common denominator of the past 15 years is Russ. He doesn’t belong in professional football.
Brandon probably deserves to be let go, but Pegula could have handled this more professionally.
#BILLSCIRCUS
Brandon is terrible at his job.
If Marrone knew this, then it explains why he quit. Far from being a quitter, he could see his position being untenable if front office changes were in the wings.
Just because Polian says it, doesn’t make it true. He ALWAYS plays on words.
I never thought it was true.
You losers wish you had Bon Jovi now.
Pergula is a backstabber who will never get anybody worth anything to your awful franchise and slum of a town.
It doesn’t confirm anything except that the sports press will print anything regardless of its basis in fact. Polian has played the public for fools with this self created “interest” and his media buddies went right along with it.
Nobody circles the wagon like a circus
How’s that owner workin for you now?
Signed, J. BonJovi
If I were Terry I’d over haul everyone from the old Ms. Moneypenny front office secretary to the mice stealing crumbs in the employee cafeteria.
I thought the new owner was a class guy. Obviously not! If you have to go behind Brandon’s back then get rid of him as you obviously value his opinion. Don’t be a snake and keep him if you can’t find someone better.
Fans deserve better than from any organization as do the employees.
The true Factory of Sadness
Bills fans are angry and vindictive. Between the weather and the Bills who can blame them?
Sorry JoeToronto. No Bon Jovi means you are still a Raiders fan.
Mad bro?
Note to the great unwashed – not only did the Raiders beat the Bills this year but they also have a much brighter future with a franchise QB.
Mad bros?
For those who think they have a horrible radio station covering their NFL team you have to hear the lineup one WGR55!
scoreatwill says: (Jan 1, 2015 6:55 PM)
“I thought the new owner was a class guy. Obviously not! If you have to go behind Brandon’s back then get rid of him as you obviously value his opinion. Don’t be a snake and keep him if you can’t find someone better.”
An owner does not go to his subordinates and tell them the owners are going to do something that is higher up the corporate food chain. It does not work that way.
Spot On !!! Reminds me of the idiot who owns the Dolphins trying to lure Harbaugh from Stanford when he had his head coach under contract yet.
I can see a house cleaning on the horizon. Who wants that H.C. job when the GM is on shakey ground.
Marrone’s move makes a lot more sense. Looks like the NFL gets more shady/stupid owners. SMH
Wgr550 is a joke of local crying and crystal ball NFL goofballs reaching for the brass ring of commentary.. dough Marrone still sucks and Russ Brandon is an opportunist.. No tears hear. Bye bye
Why would the owner of a business confer with an employee about THEIR business’ decisions or in what direction to go? It’s their freaking business and they can do what they want. The Pegulas have their own vision as would anyone who just purchased a new business. Some of you people on here are a disgrace.
Typically when a business owner is going to replace an employee he does not inform the said employee he is searching for his replacement until the replacement is in place or a deal has been reached. I think Russ thought his days were numbered. Now he knows for sure….
Everyone goes by what the media reports without really knowing what goes on behind closed doors.
I’m not saying this is what happened but don’t you think that it’s possible Pegula wanted to clean house and told Marrone his plan? Maybe he sat down with Marrone and said, look I’m going to clean house so if you want to save face and say you quit instead of got fired, take the 4 mill and opt out. If you don’t I have to fire you. It will look better on your resume for another HC job if you don’t have put “I got fired in there.”
Florio,
You forgot to mention that last week, Marrone went behind Whaleys back to report directly to Pegula.
I’m sure Terry was impressed with his coach..
Maybe Terry just wants all of the “Ralph Stink” fumigated from One Bills Drive..
Say whatever you want about incompetence and insert your snarky LOL’s whenever a Cowboys thread shows up but at least admit one thing…
You won’t get all the backstabbing, bogus assurances, and/or otherwise drama when the guy making the decisions also signs the checks.
You can act like it’s a detriment…until it’s not. Here is your LOL!!!!
Why would the owner of a business confer with an employee about THEIR business’ decisions or in what direction to go? It’s their freaking business and they can do what they want. The Pegulas have their own vision as would anyone who just purchased a new business. Some of you people on here are a disgrace.
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If you have little faith in an employee, you fire them 1st. Then you have cleaned the slate and are open to all candidates. In this case they DID go behind his back to discuss an offer to Bill Polian. And now it backfired and there they sit with egg on face. How do you expect to get a top tier H.C. candidate when the GM is on the hotseat ?
That’s why !!!!!! You’re right, it is their business and they are doing this ALL WRONG.
And the players were pissed about the coach leaving. Now maybe they can see the writting on the wall and not blame the coach for getting out while its still a clean break. This will become a mess.
No sympathy if he was in the building when they drafted E.J. Manuel
It most likely wasn’t Pegula talking to Polian, but one of his many cronies. Pegula has many around who do his dirty work so he can distance himself and not get soiled. Just ask Pat LaFontaine. Polian (and everyone else in sports) knows Pegula’s reputation, which is probably why he was asking for so much money – and probably for more control than Pegula’s people were willing to give. Buffalo will have to pay twice as much as most other teams to get a big name coach. No one wants to go there unless it’s some coordinator looking for his 1st shot at a coaching position. The Bills have had a lot of those, and Pegula’s regime doesn’t look like anything will change.
nflrule says:
For those who think they have a horrible radio station covering their NFL team you have to hear the lineup on WGR55!
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I remember a few years back when the Bills won two or three games in a row (before their annual mid-season implosion) the homers at WGR were going on and on how the “Road to the Super Bowl” was going through Buffalo.
I just laughed and laughed.
Get Mike Martz for coach please
You people do know that Brandon is the business/marketing guy right? He is the CEO because the Wilson family needed someone to run the team until it was sold. He is not a football guy. I expect he will either leave or revert to his business role. They have an owner now who is looking at bringing in respectable football people. I see nothing wrong with that.
joetoronto says,” You losers wish you had Bon Jovi now.
Pergula is a backstabber who will never get anybody worth anything to your awful franchise and slum of a town.
…………………………………………………………………………….
Then why bother posting on Buffalo articles? Could it be that the CFL is minor leagues……A bit of football envy is it? Get a life!!
Again, Polian is saying Polian was considered. Or he is insinuating. It’s NEVER exactly what Polian says. He leaves room for insinuations.
Old dog, still no new tricks.
Jason Laconfora is a hack of reporter. He made up that this was a done deal. Monday, Polian said he was staying, and that is just what he did. This is a story about absolutely nothing.
Maronne, a former offensive lineman, had the worst run blocking line in the league. He handled Stevie Johnson poorly, he handled Williams and Wood poorly, and in two years he took a running back that averaged 6 yards a carry under Gailey and completely destroyed him. Goodby Marrone, and I hope you sign with the Jets. You will love their media; they are much kinder than the Buffalo media:)
The organization already announced that Brandon had been removed from the football side of the organization shortly after Pegula assumed control. To find out that he was entirely ignorant of the Polian negotiations is not a surprise because his job basically entails selling hot dogs, merchandise, and tickets now.
Brandon handles a completely different side of the team than a football guy like Polian would. If Polian was brought in (in a move scarily similar to Pegula’s attempt to bring in Pat LaFontaine to run the Sabres), the reporting structure would change. Brandon is a marketing genius and has sold the Western New York region on a consistently terrible team for the past 15 years.
They’d be dumb to fire him, and, to be succinct, if Polian were brought in, it shouldn’t impact Brandon.
Great comment ‘agent on agent crime’. We tend to forget that agents often work below the radar and are not below sending totally bogus ‘insider quotes’ to hungry media.
One point, where some ‘past or former’ coaches don’t need agents to do their bidding because they have butt buddies ‘in’ the media who take their marching order direct from the source. Of course, I’m thinking of ‘Mastermind’ Mike Shanahan (aka-Red Lobster, aka-backstabbing SOB) and Adam Schefter. ‘Fast Quote Adam’ got his start in Denver carrying water for then Broncos coach Mastermind against the Broncos owner in their power struggle. Instead of being outed as the evil SOB he really was, Fast Adam worked the story to make it look like Big Mike had been the innocent victim, and that his really bad record and rotten draft history was actually the owners fault. Somehow, that storyline carried the day and Shanahan managed to get hired by the owner-version of himself, Dan Snyder, with the Skins.
Yet, somehow, some teams today are ‘seriously’ considering Mastermind for their head coach vacancies. The Bears being cited by many as anxious to sign him and that he is their ‘leading’ candidate. Any Bears fan will tell you that hiring Mastermind is something the team owners would do ‘because it sounds like a good idea. Shanahan is actually from Illinois and a former player, coach and alum of Eastern Illinois University at Charleston. Rumors have been passing among the working media in Chicago that Fast Adam has been working overtime to get Mastermind’s name in the media, especially on ESPN and connected to the Bears opening as if he was the ‘clear favorite’. Good work Adam, you’re one top BS thrower.
So, if Marrone really was a backstabbing SOB and power mad ultimate insider and was a reason for his leaving, then hiring Mastermind Shanahan will not only give the Bills more of the same, but a guy who is also paranoid like Nixon, doesn’t relate well to his players (and other coaches unless they’re his son), distrusts everyone and will soon be trying to take out the new and easy targets for an old con man like him go right ahead. When your now promising team turns into the 2014 Skins in 2016 don’t say you weren’t warned. And, the Bills owners, if they hire him, better get a top notch security team on staff, one that is good at finding bugs, hidden cameras and who can keep tabs on your employees (the ones Shanahan will eventually start paying off to get ‘innocent’ information on their private lives and other ‘innocent’ items that make great potential blackmail fodder.).