The Buffalo Bills firing Sean McDermott hit like a meteor landing in the middle of a blizzard in Western New York on Monday morning. Many saw this coming. I did not. That’s not to suggest it wasn’t an appropriate response after years of never quite getting to the Super Bowl, but the toll on families always weighs in the back of my mind.
Yes, it’s a business. And yes, sometimes it’s time to move on. But the number of people whose lives are deeply and directly affected by a change in an NFL team’s head coach also deserves our attention when these things happen. Some of us became comfortable with the stability at One Bills Drive and enjoyed having a head coach who is a tremendous leader of men and role model for professional behavior.
So if I’m a bit misty for being booted out of my comfort zone, forgive me. But I’ll always think about these things because the NFL is the NOT FOR LONG league, and just the thought of going back to the possibility of new coaches every other year if they don’t get this right makes me downright grumpy.
I don’t have a clue about what the best course of action is for the Buffalo Bills moving forward. But there are a few things we can think about as the next steps begin to take shape.
Be kind to each other
No matter how foolish some fan opinions may be… it might prove helpful to try and be more tolerant of others on social media right now. This is a rough time of year for a lot of people who live in harsh weather winter climates and there’s already enough doom and gloom going around. If we think we’re the best fan base around, let’s show it by how we treat one another.
Stick to the facts
As fans we really don’t know about the inner workings at One Bills Drive anyway, so it’s a foolhardy exercise to assign blame to one person about what went wrong. However, we can move forward with the understanding that the pressure is now on Brandon Beane to get this next hire right.
Beane has a monumental task ahead of him. Hope he wasn’t planning to take time off anytime soon. Not only does he have to get the next hire right, he has to nail the upcoming draft. We are about to find out just how much influence McDermott had over roster construction in the past.
Implications regarding Beane’s promotion
A couple of things come to mind about the decision to not only retain but to promote Brandon Beane to President of Football Operations, General Manager of the Buffalo Bills. I find it interesting given the parallel decision by Terry Pegula to relinquish power and decision making for the Buffalo Sabres after hiring Jarmo Kekalainen as a general manager.
Perhaps this was a family decision by the Pegulas for Terry to step aside from the day to day operations of both franchises. After all the Pegulas have been through in recent years, it should come as no surprise. Good for them if this was the case. We shall see if the right people have been given the power to run both organizations.
Supporting Sean McDermott wherever he lands
I’ll leave the hoo-hoos to render judgment about firing Sean McDermott. Whether or not firing was the right decision, I will forever be grateful to Sean McDermott for bringing respectability back to the Buffalo Bills franchise. Wherever McDermott lands, he will make the most of this opportunity for personal and professional growth.
As this is now the second painful firing McDermott experienced in his career, I expect he will meet this challenge with great vigor. We were blessed to share this part of his journey. Much love to Coach McDermott and his family moving forward.
Editor’s babble: Well, so much for a quiet start to the off season. As we move forward, I will continue to post my blabber and we look forward for Dean Kindig to help us sort out this all-important upcoming draft. You can find me on X @RobynMundyWYO.
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