The Wal-Mart of the NFL

All due respect to Mr. Ralph Wilson and the Buffalo Bills organization:

The team that hasn't been to the playoffs since people believed in the virgin Britney Spears, has decided after eight straight unproductive seasons to eliminate the position of general manager by simply issuing new name tags.

St. John Fisher graduate Russ Brandon is now the chief operating officer, while director of pro personnel, John Guy and director of college scouting, Tom Modrak, have been "promoted" as vice presidents of their respective positions.

Brandon has an impeccable record in marketing a futile franchise, but this move has more to do with the man who hath anointeth him.

Of course Wilson trusts Brandon. He's sold mediocre football to western New York, Rochester, and southern Ontario despite the fact their last playoff campaign started in Fredonia. Brandon will play watchdog over the football operations crew, making sure it does its due diligence in bringing a playoff team back to Orchard Park. If anyone can keep everyone on the same whiteboard, it's Brandon.

However, putting a non-football guy in charge allows Wilson more influence in free agency, the draft, and saving money like Mr. Burns.

The owner said in a statement that the franchise's "greatest opportunity for success" has come when the Bills have promoted from within. Sure, if success means switching to Geico.

The GM who built four-straight AFC championship winners, Bill Polian, came from the USFL, as well as their Hall-of-Fame head coach Levy and their Hall-of-Fame signal caller, Jim Kelly.

Then there was that time back in the 1980's when moths were spotted hovering over Rich Stadium when Chuck Knox was named head coach and the Bills were "talkin' proud."

You can blame the Ghost of Tom Donahoe for Mr. Wilson's paranoia and nobody would blame him. However, the ghost of Jacob Marley has never seemed to intimidate the club president like Donahoe has.

The rival Dolphins have hired Bill Parcells while other teams consider names like Pete Carroll, Marty Schottenheimer and Bill Cowher. Unlike Donahoe, however, they're all names, not guys trying to make one.

Then again, you can't argue with success, huh?

Maybe Mr. Wilson is right. Maybe he's speaking of his own past failures, pointing to past "opportunities" for present-day success as the basis for his decision. Over the weekend, three former Buffalo Bills employees led playoff teams. One (Bill Polian) won a Super Bowl. Another (Wade Phillips) reached his third playoff season in his last four years as a full-time head coach. The third (AJ Smith) built a team that upset the Super Bowl champs and will play for a trip to Glendale, Ariz. in five days. It's no secret that all three were either fired or passed over by Mr. Wilson.

Unfortunately, the money he's saved cannot buy back terrible decisions made in 1993 and 2001 that continue to plague this once proud franchise.

Head coach, Dick Jauron, did a heckuva job this past season finishing 7-9, despite losing a small army to injured reserve while finishing near the bottom of the league in total offense and defense.

But the fact is, Jauron no longer gets a pass once he gets his players back healthy for training camp. He needs to hire an offensive coordinator (and now, an offensive line coach) with some pizazz who can mold Trent Edwards into a top-notch NFL quarterback in a quarterback league.

With all the money the Bills saved in not replacing Levy, they could've brought-in a big-name offensive coordinator like Mike Martz or Cam Cameron.

Right. Cue Supertramp.

The fact is Jauron shouldn't go to the boardroom alone next January if things don't change. The whole organization should be canned if there's another season like 2007 and Mr. Wilson should sell to a western New York ownership group who's creative enough to revitalize a fanbase like their neighbors, the Sabres.

Another year has passed, another GM is gone, and after eight years, no sober season ticket holder should be satisfied if next season's team mimics its eight predecessors. In fact it's been so long, nobody should be happy with just a playoff appearance either. Yes, it's that bad. The Bills are no longer in position where just making the playoffs can quench fans' thirst. Anything short of a second round playoff game next year should be deemed a failure, and if you disagree, ask yourself if you consider the Washington Redskins or the Tennessee Titans a winner.

Speaking of the Titans, ask yourself if a DECADE is enough time to recover from Home Run Throwback, Flutie-Johnson, the cap purge of the "Three Amigos," Ronnie Jones, and John Butler's refusal to renegotiate with the Bills because he saw a better future in San Diego, ultimately leading to his firing.

And keep in mind, the Bills were a playoff team while Chargers were considered like the "old" Bengals, only three years removed from drafting Ryan Leaf.

It's been so long, people have forgotten how the Bills became a perennial bottomfeeders, long before Donahoe came and left.

Then again, maybe Mr. Wilson is right. Maybe he should stay within the organization and promote good football people like he should have once upon a time. If history is truly the best teacher, then history can point to last weekend to show us what might have been. However, the guy history is blaming for much of Buffalo's troubles still owns the team and still has the final say on all personnel decisions.

And, with all due respect, history hasn't lied yet.