OK - Now I'm a Jim Kelly Believer !

[Josh14069]

I'm NOT a kid making up a bunch of BS to get attention. I was a huge, huge doubter about Jim Kelly's involvement with the future of the Bills. I'm not a huge fan of Jim's ability to be an effective Manager of anything.

This past week, through friends and my daughter, I had the opportunity to go out with 2 mid-level Bills Executives (marketing & administrative) for Halloween parties at Orchard Park bistro's. It's quite obvious they don't normally talk Bills business with anyone outside the organization. Both live on the same street as my daughter and are friends of hers through their same age children.

After a "few" beers they told me a few things and their general concerns about their future with the Bills. You can believe me or not. I have no reason to make this up. I don't need attention on this Board.

-Jim Kelly absolutely will have some involvement with the Bills future when Mr. Wilson passes. The word is that this will be in Mr. Wilson's will. Mr. Wilson has more or less treated Jim as the son he never had. It does not mean Jim will be given the job as President but he will have some control of who takes over the team ownership. When Jim started talking about putting together an ownership/financial partnership group very publicly he was told to tone in down by Mr. Wilson. It was supposed to be private and this talk would also drive down the value of the franchise. Jim is active with the Bills now but with no official title. Many people within the Bills aren't quite comfortable with his personality.

-Right now the Bills are like a ship without a rudder. Non-football people are basically making day-to-day decisions based on finances. Mr. Wilson is not involved. All feel sorry for Buddy Nix because he basically has no support above or anyone to report to and has a strict budget. If you want to buy something you have to cut something.

-Finally, when the Bills tried the return of the no-huddle offense a few years ago with Trent Edwards it came from Mr. Wilson and Jim Kelly. It was an order and not a suggestion. They said Jim and Andre Reed were involved to help implement it. Personally I don't remember much about that but it couldn't have been too successful!

I have to believe with Jim's involvement the Bills WILL stay in Buffalo. I'm a believer now!

That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

[Billieve12]

I don't feel bad for Nix. Who cares if he has to cut someone to sign someone? Think abou it: what starter makes a poor salary? If he wanted to cut Fitz, for example, he'd have no trouble replacing him for $10 million or less. Thigpen, $4million, still easy.

Who would he try to cut that he couldn't replace, salary-wise? There's nothing to pity here.

[shaunta53]

The part that said its in his will caught my attention, it will be interesting to see how it plays out with inheritance taxes and all that crap...

[brianmoorman4jesus]

I dont want to hear any excuses for Nix. If you are the only "Football guy" in the building, then its even more unexcusable that Chan and Wanny are still here.

[Grundy208]

With no reason to not believe you, great post and thanks for sharing. I have to believe that their is a plan lined out that Mr. Wilson has bought off on. It is just waiting to be implemented.

Way to get them liquored up and interrogate them! How close were you to Water Boarding? Haha

Serious, good post though.

[josh4est]

I know that Thurman Thomas, Andre Reed, and Jim Kelly are currently on the Buffalo Bills organization's payroll. I mean...I don't know this for a fact but when Moorman was cut there was a lot of questions. A lot of people were talking and Thurman and I believe Reed were on twitter defending the Bills Front Office with passion. When people asked Thurman what happened he was told he could not say anything about it and somebody responded back with "what are they going to do? they can't control you!" and he responded back with "yes they do. i work for the Bills organization and cannot speak about inside information." Reed had a similar thing going on when they resigned Stevie in the offseason.

[TheWien]

Where are the real investigative journalists when you need them?

[Grundy208]

Where are the real investigative journalists when you need them?

They're prudes and won't drink. If I'm being interviewed, I want to be ****-faced. On the interviewers dollar. It will be better for everybody. They get a great interview and I get an excuse.

[The Wendigo]

I'm NOT a kid making up a bunch of BS to get attention. I was a huge, huge doubter about Jim Kelly's involvement with the future of the Bills. I'm not a huge fan of Jim's ability to be an effective Manager of anything.

This past week, through friends and my daughter, I had the opportunity to go out with 2 mid-level Bills Executives (marketing & administrative) for Halloween parties at Orchard Park bistro's. It's quite obvious they don't normally talk Bills business with anyone outside the organization. Both live on the same street as my daughter and are friends of hers through their same age children.

After a "few" beers they told me a few things and their general concerns about their future with the Bills. You can believe me or not. I have no reason to make this up. I don't need attention on this Board.

-Jim Kelly absolutely will have some involvement with the Bills future when Mr. Wilson passes. The word is that this will be in Mr. Wilson's will. Mr. Wilson has more or less treated Jim as the son he never had. It does not mean Jim will be given the job as President but he will have some control of who takes over the team ownership. When Jim started talking about putting together an ownership/financial partnership group very publicly he was told to tone in down by Mr. Wilson. It was supposed to be private and this talk would also drive down the value of the franchise. Jim is active with the Bills now but with no official title. Many people within the Bills aren't quite comfortable with his personality.

-Right now the Bills are like a ship without a rudder. Non-football people are basically making day-to-day decisions based on finances. Mr. Wilson is not involved. All feel sorry for Buddy Nix because he basically has no support above or anyone to report to and has a strict budget. If you want to buy something you have to cut something.

-Finally, when the Bills tried the return of the no-huddle offense a few years ago with Trent Edwards it came from Mr. Wilson and Jim Kelly. It was an order and not a suggestion. They said Jim and Andre Reed were involved to help implement it. Personally I don't remember much about that but it couldn't have been too successful!

I have to believe with Jim's involvement the Bills WILL stay in Buffalo. I'm a believer now!

That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

Thanks for the post. It's good to have more support for the idea that the Bills are staying put, but otherwise I'm very nervous about this whole thing.

First, the bold. This is what many have suspected is going on at OBD for some time now, but Buddy denies it every chance he gets. More evidence that Mr. Nix isn't the straight shooter he's made out to be. Littmann's financial handcuffs are the thing that drove Polian away in the first place and now we find out that nothing has changed. And some people think Polian wants back in...

Second, that Ralph would order coaches to do something dumb isn't new, but it's disturbing that it went on so recently and that Kelly was behind it. It was painfully obvious to everyone that Edwards wasn't cut out to run a no-huddle attack and that's probably why Turk Schonert ended up being the fall guy for that whole misadventure. He knew it was doomed, but had his orders from the top. Owner interference is a great way to sabotage a franchise and Kelly should have known better.

That brings me to my third concern. I was really hoping that when the new owner came in we would have tabula rasa - that the good ol' boys club of bean counters, sycophants, and otherwise unqualified underlings would all be sent packing. Unfortunately, Jim is an extremely loyal guy and his ties to the entitled horde of know-nothings and yes-men will probably ensure their employment for the next three or four decades. That could mean that even with a new owner, the status quo will continue and it will be business as usual at OBD, i.e. make money first, win second or maybe not at all.

[Josh14069]

With no reason to not believe you, great post and thanks for sharing. I have to believe that their is a plan lined out that Mr. Wilson has bought off on. It is just waiting to be implemented.

Way to get them liquored up and interrogate them! How close were you to Water Boarding? Haha

Serious, good post though.

They just had a "few" drafts with the gang. Really nothing major. I just was stating my opinion about things and told them how I had followed the Bills from the 1st traing camp at the Knox Polo fields as a kid. They just opened up a bit. Their jobs are in jeopardy if things change drastically. They moved to Buffalo over the past few years - hired through RB!

[BigBillsFan]

awesome!!! i have always felt like there is some sort of handshake deal in place between Ole' Jimbo and Ralphy!!

this is great news and I totally believe it....no this is not sarcasm

[BeastOfTheEast]

Nix is working on a tight budget?

Then how do you explain Mario Williams?

[Monsta65]

this is a nice post OP, I believe you I just hope that we get a franchise going SOON

[WalphRilson]

doubt #12? a few beers always supplies courage

[Grundy208]

Just read your post to the tune of I'm a Believer. But not the Monkees. The Shrek Smashmouth version. And just so you know, it didn't flow very well. Care to try again?

[BUFF BANDIT]

somebody needs to intervene now and fire this whole regime before the bagheads start patrolling one bills drive once again !

[BMac75]

Nix is working on a tight budget?

Then how do you explain Mario Williams?

That's what I was thinking. It seems like the thread that pulls this whole story apart.

[gunsgoodtime]

Thanks for the post. I have done a lot of thinking about this topic, and honestly...I have to believe that if Ralph has kept this team in Buffalo for this long, its obviously because it means something to him to do that or he could have made more money by selling the team, so thinking with that logic, I truly have to believe that he in deed does have a plan in place when he is gone to keep this team in Buffalo. JMO

[Thurman#1]

I dont want to hear any excuses for Nix. If you are the only "Football guy" in the building, then its even more unexcusable that Chan and Wanny are still here.

Chan looks like he's doing a good job with what he has, and Wanny needs more time to prove himself or be proved useless.

[Thurman#1]

Thanks for the post. It's good to have more support for the idea that the Bills are staying put, but otherwise I'm very nervous about this whole thing.

First, the bold. This is what many have suspected is going on at OBD for some time now, but Buddy denies it every chance he gets. More evidence that Mr. Nix isn't the straight shooter he's made out to be. Littmann's financial handcuffs are the thing that drove Polian away in the first place and now we find out that nothing has changed. And some people think Polian wants back in...

Second, that Ralph would order coaches to do something dumb isn't new, but it's disturbing that it went on so recently and that Kelly was behind it. It was painfully obvious to everyone that Edwards wasn't cut out to run a no-huddle attack and that's probably why Turk Schonert ended up being the fall guy for that whole misadventure. He knew it was doomed, but had his orders from the top. Owner interference is a great way to sabotage a franchise and Kelly should have known better.

That brings me to my third concern. I was really hoping that when the new owner came in we would have tabula rasa - that the good ol' boys club of bean counters, sycophants, and otherwise unqualified underlings would all be sent packing. Unfortunately, Jim is an extremely loyal guy and his ties to the entitled horde of know-nothings and yes-men will probably ensure their employment for the next three or four decades. That could mean that even with a new owner, the status quo will continue and it will be business as usual at OBD, i.e. make money first, win second or maybe not at all.

When you spend a billion dollars on something, you want to make money off it. I mean, you could just park it somewhere at 4% and double it every 18 years, so you're not going to accept it if your money isn't making money.

If these bean-counters are gone, there'll be new ones. It's what capable business owners do. Every NFL team has them.