I’m talking about the “Fire Dick Jauron” billboard scheduled to go up next week.

Do the people raising money for this billboard really expect it will have any impact at all on Ralph Wilson? I’m sure he hears the boos at the stadium.  He sees the fans with bags over their heads. He may already see the coach’s lack of popularity on his bottom line.

But a billboard will not embarrass the Bills. It will embarrass Bills fans.

I love the fact that Bills fans are so passionate; .that they care so much about the fortunes of their team. I’ve benefited professionally from that passion.

A billboard demanding firings will wind up on all the network pregame shows:  CBS, FOX, ESPN. It will paint an image all over the country about Bills fans.

You know how they always say, “Philadelphia fans booed Santa Claus??”   That was 41-years ago.  And that’s not a compliment for Philadelphia fans.

A billboard says to the rest of the country “It’s not enough to boo..or not buy tickets..or complain about our football team. We have to publicly humiliate the head coach. We demand a public flogging, sooner rather than later.

Is that the message we want to send to America’s sports fans?? Is that the message we want to send to the next head coach of the Bills??

Buffalo sports fans are the ones who said “Thank You Sabres” when their hockey team was on the brink of elimination from the playoffs. These are the fans who cheered Scott Norwood in Niagara Square, the day after he missed a kick that would have won the Super Bowl.

Those are two of the greatest moments in Buffalo sports history–spontaneous moments generated by Buffalo’s great sports fans. A billboard on the Thruway would fall way short of that standard.

But yesterday’s terrible loss to Cleveland makes it an even tougher call.

This has not changed-firing Dick Jauron will not turn this team around and spark a magical run to a playoff spot. Their problems—offensive ineptitude..lack of depth..a quarterback in crisis..are way too serious to envision that.The best reason to change coaches at this point would be to send a signal to the fans–the loyal Bills fans, who filled the stadium again yesterday..and the hundreds of thousands of others who listened to and watched the game. They’re looking for a sign …they’re looking for an acknowledgement from Bills management that games like yesterday’s..like the Miami game a week ago..are not acceptable. They’re looking for hope.

Would changing coaches provide that hope? Temporarily, yeah. But the Bills problems are deep-seated and serious. It’s going to take a major overhaul to get the team straightened out and in contention again. It’ll take a lot more than a “feel-good” firing designed to appease the fans.

Rather than offering up the coach to mollify the fans, I’d love to see the Bills take a serious look at where they are in the football department..and where they’re headed. I’d like to see real change..not knee-jerk reaction. And I’d like to see that thorough assessment of their football team begin now..not in January.

What do you think?

Here’s the link:

http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/ohio-news/bills-in-upbeat-mood-despite-dreadful-start-336632.html

The headline reads “Bills in Upbeat Mood Despite Dreadful Start.”  The first line:  “For a team that’s supposed to be in a state of crisis…”

It got me thinking.  Who says they’re supposed to be in a state of crisis?  The media?  Talk show hosts and callers?  Bloggers?

It was interesting to talk with Bills coaches and players this week.  As far as they’re concerned,  there’s no state of “crisis.”  There is urgency.  Defensive End Chris Kelsay called Sunday’s game against Cleveland a “must win” game.  It’s not often you’ll hear a player say that about the fifth game of the season.

But we in the media sometimes overreact to an overwhelming defeat, like the one the Bills suffered last Sunday in Miami.  No question, the Bills shortcomings on the offensive line and at linebacker have been exposed.  They’ve got holes to plug, problems to solve.

But this season is not over.  In fact, there’s a long way to go.

One of the Bills coaches spoke to me today about how much season there is left to play.  Four games down, 12 to play.  That’s 3/4 of the season.  Things change, sometimes very quickly, in the NFL. 

It’s way to early to check out on this season.  I can’t fathom why anyone would root for a Bills loss at this juncture, like I hear some “fans” talk about this week.  There are 12-games left to play–that’s most of a full season. 

Think about where the Bills should be in a month–Posluszny and Whitner should be back on defense.  The young offensive line will have four more games under its’ belt.  Who knows where their opponents will be?

It’s good that the Bills approach this week’s game with a sense of urgency.  I think it’s also good  that they don’t really acknowledge that they’re a team in “crisis.”

Your thoughts and opinions are always welcome.

But at the risk of espousing an unpopular view. I’d like to address Dick Jauron’s  infamous decision to punt on 4th and one in the fourth quarter.  Jauron has been roundly criticized in the last 18 hours for not going for it from his own 28-yard line.  I’ll admit that punting the ball is a very conservative move.  But it is not a boneheaded, indefensible, unfathomable move.  

Down by 10 in the fourth quarter, the Bills were faced with fourth down and a full yard at their own 28-yard line.  Think about this–if they fail to convert (and they had failed on their preceding nine third down conversion attempts) the Saints get the ball at the Buffalo 28.  They are essentially already in makeable field goal range, with the wind at their backs.  If the Bills fail to convert on fourth and one, you are essentially conceding three points.

That’s what I believe Jauron meant when he said afterwards that “we’re not just going to give them the game.”  If the Bills fail on the fourth down attempt, the game is virtually  over. 

Jauron’s defense had just surrendered a 34-yard touchdown run to the Saints, but they had forced the New Orleans off the field 3-and-out on the prior two possessions.  The game was still in play, and Jauron’s logic is sound–don’t lose it here. 

Was it conservative?  Absolutely.  Did it work?  Nope.  But at the time (without benefit of hindsight) I believe it was the correct strategy–you don’t want your opponent to start a drive at your 28-yard line.  In order to win the game, first you must not lose it.

There’s plenty of opportunities to criticize the Bills coaching moves as a result of the Saints game.   There’s the botched clock management late in the first half, the inability to get substitutes on the field in a timely fashion, the inability to deal with the Saints pressure defensive packages, the failure to get TO and Lee Evans into the offensive mix.  You can fault the coaching staff for assembling a roster without adequate depth on the offensive line and  at other spots.

But the fourth and one call was the right one to make.  Jauron’s decision to punt  was ultra-conservative–but sound.   I’m sure many disagree.

We worried about the team’s lack of depth at LB at cutdown time.  And it only took one week for that lack of depth to become a serious issue.

Head Coach Dick Jauron and Defensive Coordinator Perry Fewell are solidly behind backup Marcus Buggs as the starter at middle linebacker–they made that clear on Wednesday.  Fewell says of Buggs–”He can run the defense.  He takes command of the huddle.  He’s a smart player.  he can come in and be a presence in the defensive front.”

I can’t disagree with that.  But I’m just not sure Buggs is the best option the Bills have to man the “mic” linebacker spot.  What about moving Keith Ellison over to middle, and playing Nic Harris at Ellison’s spot?  Fewell told us today that’s one of the options the Bills have.  What about shifting Kawika Mitchell to MLB, and playing Harris in his spot?  Again, I’d go for either one of those  options ahead of playing Buggs.

How thin do the Bills want to be at linebacker, anyway?   How much closer can they cut it?   With Posluszny on the shelf, they’re down to two rookies (Ashlee Palmer and Nic Harris) and one second year man (Jon Corto) as the backups.  It seems awfully early in the season to have the numbers so depleted at the LB spot.

Any thoughts on solving the Bills LB dilemma?  Any ideas on potential free agents who might help?

The problem is–the dust doesn’t settle.  The Bills kicked up more of it Monday, with the news that starting left tackle Langston Walker was cut.

It was another stunner, at least in terms of timing.  In that respect, it’s a lot like last Friday’s firing of  Turk Schonert. 

If you told me after last season that the Bills would replace Turk Schonert with Alex Van Pelt, and release Langston Walker, I could live with that.  But if you told me they’d make both moves just days before the season opener?   That’s a problem.

Replacing Walker with Demetrius Bell might work out for the Bills.  Bell has demonstrated flashes of talent in preseason and his combination of size and athleticism is rare at the NFL level.  But why not commit to Bell back in January or February, and get him all the reps?  Why trade away Jason Peters if you’re not sold on Walker as his replacement?

I can accept that the Bills were not happy with Walker’s preseason performance, and I can accept that salaries are a factor–they always are in professional sports.  But this is a move that needs to be made way in advance of preseason, let alone the regular season opener. 

I’m excited about putting the offense in the hands of Alex Van Pelt.  I think Van Pelt is an innovative thinker who is not afraid to take chances and has a healthy dose of self confidence about his offensive philosophy.  I also believe he has a good working relationship with Trent Edwards. 

But ideally, this move should have been made back in January or February.  Many in the Bills  organization, including the owner, expressed reservations about the Bills offensive struggles following the 2008 season.  Why not make the change then, put Van Pelt in place, and give him a fighting chance to develop a coherent offensive strategy for the team.

The upheaval at One Bills Drive in the past week can only foster a sense of uncertainty and doubt in the minds of Bills players, as they get set to start a  new season.  Their challenge, to open the season in Foxboro against a Patriots team favored by many to win the Super Bowl, has been made even greater by the recent moves.

I can’t wait to see how it plays out Monday night in New England.

But I know this–I do not base my evaluation on the Bills on their preseason performances so far.  Not the mildly impressive showing against the Bears two weeks ago.  Not the abysmal showing at Green Bay last Saturday.

The chicken littles are convinced the sky is falling on One Bills Drive, because the Bills laid an egg at Lambeau Field.  They are ready to give up on Edwards, fire the head coach now, and scrap the no-huddle offense.  Or maybe Edwards should call his own plays in the no-huddle.  Or maybe the Bills should switch to a 3-4 defense.  Or maybe…maybe…

Maybe everyone should relax.  These games do not count.  The fact that the starting offense has yet to find the end zone in its’ first four quarters of play (over three preseason games) is something to be concerned with.  But it does not mean all is lost.

I go back to what former Bills LB London Fletcher told me once about preseason games.  “They don’t count, but they matter.”  I think it’s the best assesment of NFL preseason football I’ve ever heard.

What matters is that Trent Edwards is still working through his issues, still finding the fine line between being careful with the football — avoiding turnovers, and fitting the ball into tight spots downfield.  It’s what separates great NFL quarterbacks from mediocre ones.  I’m not sure Edwards is great, but I think he’s better than mediocre.  And I’m OK with giving him a couple of more preseason games to find his comfort level.

What matters is that the Bills have not established a strong running game yet in three preseason games.  Neither the starters nor the backups have shown they can run the ball consistently.

What matters is that the newly constituted offensive line has much more work to do to become a cohesive, effective unit.  The rookie guards are undergoing a baptism by fire this preseason.  It can only make them better when the games count.

What ALSO matters, is that the Bills are working through the real business of preseason–finding the right 53-players to put on the roster.

I submit that TE Shawn Nelson, TE Jonathan Stupar, LB Nick Harris, RB Xavier Omon, CB Ellis Lankster and DE Chris Ellis have opened some eyes on the coaching staff with their play in preseason games.  I want to see more of them.  I also want to see DE Aaron Maybin and FS Jairus Byrd in the final two preseason games, to see what kind of contributions they might be able to make.

Watching an NFL roster take shape in preseason, is a lot like the old saw about watching sausage being made—you don’t want to do it–you’ll lose your taste for sausage.  Unfortunately, preseason football is all we have for a couple of more weeks.  There are times when it’s not for the faint of heart.

The Bills have a lot more work to do to be ready for September 14th.  They have three weeks left to do it.  It’s foolish to make sweeping decisions about quarterbacks, coaches, or other key players based on preseason performances so far.

National NFL reporters speculated last week that Maybin was days away from signing.  But that’s not the sense I get from top level Bills decision makers.  Privately, they say they are disappointed in the delay in bringing Maybin into camp, and they’re not happy with the slow response to their proposals from Maybin’s agent.

One source told me that Maybin’s negotiators waited almost three weeks before they responded at all to a Bills contract offer.  That response just came back last week, and obviously there’s still some work to be done.

Maybin sits behind 49ers draft pick Michael Crabtree and that’s obviously why Maybin’s negotiations have stalled.  But there are more than enough comparable first round contracts now for Maybin to know what the market is.  He’s about one week away from damaging his chances of being a contributor in his rookie year. 

It’s time for Maybin to get to practice.  Waiting and hoping for Michael Crabtree’s contract to inflate his value is a pointless exercise now.  His agent is doing him a disservice by keeping him out much longer.  And at the very least, he can keep the lines of communicaton open.

But I can’t help but wonder if football fans, sports fans, citizens will some day realize the distinction between reporting and passing along gossip.  There is a difference.  There’s also a difference between sources, and people who pass along information.

When I hear or read internet denizens talk about sources, I want to know who those sources are.  Are they people in position to know?  Are they decision makers, or those close to the principals involved in a particular story?  Or by sources, do these bloggers and talk show experts mean other internet bloggers, or other media members.  There’s a big difference.

I understand we are in a new world of information dissemination, and I welcome the new technology.  I acknowledge that those of us in the world of sports media have to adjust our practices and be prepared to report as quickly as we can to changing stories and different angles of stories.  We have to adapt, and we do every day.

But what we don’t want to do, is change the principles of good reporting.  We have to check and re-check leads, verify information, and wait until we’re sure we’re right before we report things.  That’s journalism.  If it means a blogger gets the information first once in a while, so be it.

The Michael Vick rumors of the last few days were brought to you by the same people who brought you the despicable Ralph Wilson rumors of a few months ago. 

In the end, media consumers have to figure out whom they trust.  Do you trust someone with a computer who reads everybody else with a computer and an opinion?  Can you wait a little while until bona fide trained journalists get the story right?  Do you feel burned, or at least a little silly, when you buy into unfounded rumors about Vick coming to the Bills, or Ralph Wilson’s passing?   Do you really have time to waste on such unfounded rumors and reacting to those rumors?

It’s up to you to decide where to get your information from.  If you prefer unsubstantiated internet reports and gossip reported on talk radio—knock yourself out.