Pegula Interview with the Buffalo News Highlights

(Link) Buffalo Bills co-owner Terry Pegula will introduce new coach Sean McDermott on Friday afternoon and then step aside. Pegula will take no questions. Neither will his wife, Bills co-owner Kim Pegula. That's how they prefer it. McDermott from now on will talk for the Bills. But a day before McDermott's arrival, Terry and Kim Pegula spoke with me for 90 minutes on a videoconference from their home in Boca Raton, Fla. They agreed to address widespread reports of dysfunction and lingering questions about the dreadful finish to the 2016 season, Buffalo's 17th straight without the playoffs. In a vexing season-ending news conference last week, General Manager Doug Whaley claimed to speak for ownership but said he "wasn't privy" to why the Pegulas fired head coach Rex Ryan, insisted he had no opinion of Ryan's dismissal and said he didn't know what Managing Partner and President Russ Brandon's duties were. Terry Pegula was surprised to hear how negatively the Bills have been portrayed and called any dysfunction talk "an insult." Thursday's wide-ranging interview with the Pegulas also touched on Ryan's request to be fired if he wasn't going to be retained, Brandon's role, their opinion on adding a football czar, the team's chain of command and questions about a new Bills stadium. Pegula also shared that Whaley examined more coaching candidates than the four finalists they interviewed: McDermott, former interim head coach Anthony Lynn, Arizona Cardinals offensive coordinator Harold Goodwin and Seattle Seahawks defensive coordinator Kris Richard. ...

Tim Graham sat down with the Pegulas and had an awesome interview asking a lot of the questions that have been flying around the twitter universe. Here are some of the most interesting points I saw that the Pegula's made. Honestly I think that Terry comes off great in the interview. He's honest but at the same time has that aura of power in his answers. He doesn't need to answer your questions, but he does as he see's fit. Like a boss. You can view the entire article in the link above.

Here is what I thought was most interesting, Tim's questions in italics:

You don't grant these types of interviews too often. Why today? 

Terry Pegula: I guess there's been a perception we're inaccessible. But I've been consistent from Day One when I bought the Sabres and then with the Bills, by owning these teams it's about the players and coaches. We didn't buy teams to be visible in the media. We bought teams to keep them in the area and to flourish with them. I let the coaches and the players be out front and be the story.

Anyone who has a problem with the way that Terry wants to run his own fucking team is probably the same people who piled on with their "dumpster fire" and "lack of leadership" comments 10 seconds after Tim posted the story. Without reading it they have their own (dumb) opinions and you can't change what they think. Then again these are the people the Pegula's could probably care less about. Some fan's from Buffalo just love to be miserable and you're not going to change that.

Nationally, the Bills' brand has taken a beating the past couple weeks. An ESPN analyst advised coaching candidates to get as far away from the Bills as possible. Others called the team a "dumpster fire" and "dysfunctional" ... 

TP: Who advised candidates to run away? ESPN? 

An ESPN analyst declared Anthony Lynn should run from the Bills' opening. The Boston Globe called your ownership a "clown show." How does that sit with you?

TP: The Boston Globe said that? Huh.

KP: Obviously, we don't like stuff like that being said about us personally or about our community. We're proud of Buffalo. That's where we want to be. Certainly, the national media saying things like that and using those types of words is not how we want to be perceived.

TP: First off, I think that all started with some false information printed in the national media about our organization. I've got to believe it's from people who have no idea what our organization's like or how we operate within. I honestly believe that. I disagree with their opinions, and I can tell you one thing: We had a lot of applications and people who wanted that coaching job with the Bills. So I don't know what these guys are writing about.

I'd like to imagine that Terry's big swingin' dick comes thudding down onto the table here.

Through everything that's happened the past few weeks, what's your message to the fans? 

TP: I tell them that we as owners go through the same emotions they do. Both of our organizations are working extremely hard to put a better product on the ice and on the field. We're working hard.
KP: It's not easy.
TP: It's not easy to win.

Let me say this loud and clear: Any fan out there who think's that they care more about winning than the OWNER OF THE TEAM is a God damn idiot.

What separated Sean McDermott from the other candidates? 

TP: An absolute attention to detail. He's been basically, believe or not, since high school he has wanted to be a head coach in the National Football League. You can see from his wrestling background, being a two-time national prep champ, determination, work ethic and just an absolute will that was very impressive that he's carried through his life. Andy Reid actually took him under his wing and helped him on his way -- I talked to Andy and Sean told us this story -- by building a coach. He built Sean and started the foundation that created a coach. I thought that was an impressive story.

This is good to hear after coming off of the Rex experiment. Sidenote: I like to picture Sean McDermott with Cauliflower ear.

You've disputed our report from a year ago that there was an ultimatum for Rex Ryan and Doug Whaley to make the playoffs in 2016. So what factors -- other than coming two wins away from the postseason -- impacted your decision to fire the Ryans? 

TP: That's a decision I would rather keep private, but that report last year before the season was absolutely false. That's not my style. I would never do that.
KP: We've said that a thousand times, but nobody wants to believe us.
TP: And I was the one who supposedly said it. Absolutely not true.

I'd have to imagine that some of these "false" stories get made as a mixture of educated guessing and fan attitude. There is an extremely short leash when it comes to Head Coaches and losing in Buffalo. As there fucking should be. There is no excuse for this shit year after year after year.

How has that changed from when you were a season-ticket holder and now the owner? 

KP: We just can't drive home after the game and go about our lives. This doesn't end with game day for us. We're constantly working the business side and thinking about the next game.
TP: The way I describe being an owner is at least I can go in the locker room before and after the game, but I have the same emotions as I did when I had season tickets. I want to win.

I'm ready to run through a wall for TP. I know I'm supporting almost eveyrthing he's saying but it's true. What else could you want in an owner? Especially in Buffalo. If it weren't for the Pegula's who knows if we would even have two professional teams here to complain about. I think they're going to lead us to a Championship (let's start with the fucking playoffs) and I'll go down with the ship saying that.