lifestyle October 13, 2009 12:00 PM

FireDickNow.com!

Dan Fisher 16

We're not the only disgruntled Bills fans in Western New York. You'd be hard-pressed to find someone who IS satisfied, unless they have that memory disease from Momento and are fortunate enough to be stuck in 1993.

Even before dropping some very "ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?!" games to teams like Miami and Cleveland, games we thought would be W's, someone took it upon themselves to create FireDickNow.com, a forum for Bills fans to sign a petition to end head coach Dick Jauron's tenure here. Don't forget to check out the "Dick Dead Pool." Estimate when you think Jauron will get the heave-ho. Get it right and you win a free t-shirt!

The site first came to our attention in this post when Buffalo Rising commenter Russ B left a very pointed message in the comments section. "Join the movement," it read, with a link to the site. Today, over 1,500 people have signed the petition, all of whom have left comments pleading with Bills management to "do the right thing."

At this point, the questions are: is the season even salvageable, and what would his firing accomplish? At 1-4 and with the Jets, Dolphins, and Patriots having at least one divisional win, (something the Bills under Jauron have not managed to do since 2007), it's pretty clear the playoffs are out of the question. It's also clear he won't even meet his quota of 7 wins and 9 losses every year. So what would firing him matter? For starters, it would show that someone in the Bills office is as sick of losing as the fans who are willing to buy tickets, jerseys, and $8 beers every Sunday.

We're stuck. If we refuse to buy tickets, will it result in changes, or will it result in the moving of the team to another city? Here's a fresh idea: On November 1st, the Bills next home game against the Houston Texans, some fans are planning to stay out of the stadium til after the 1st quarter, as a way of protesting and extending the tailgating in the bargain (basically the only reason to head to games at this point). Can you imagine a silent protest like that? The always full Ralph, devoid of fans in a plea to better the team to which we're so committed?

Sign the petition. "Join the movement."

(top image)

View image

Comments

16 Comments Leave a comment

oldwaiter

October 13, 2009 12:14 PM

I went to FireDick.com and it was some kind of website about gonorrheah.

[ Reply ]

Score: 0 ( 0 votes )

Dan Fisher

October 13, 2009 12:22 PM

People have had similar problems trying to access the Dick's Sporting Goods website.

[ Reply ]

replied to oldwaiter

Score: 0 ( 0 votes )

dgoshilla

October 13, 2009 12:49 PM

Firing the coach is an easy knee jerk reaction. What really needs to happen is a 10 year strategy for the Bills. How are we going to rebuild the franchise, improve the city, generate more revenue and win football games. This is a business. This is entertainment and yes this is LIFE! Unless you have a truly dedicated owner interested in building a franchise into a strong corporation that represents the people you'll never have success. Firing the coach won't do a thing. We have no identity, no vision, no goal and no horizon to reach for.

[ Reply ]

Score: 0 ( 0 votes )

galaxyjay

October 13, 2009 1:09 PM

I completely disagree. A coach is a complete mold of his team. Jauron practices easy so their players play easy. Jauron keeps practices light so their players get hurt easily during games. A coach, say Mike Shanahan, makes things difficult and their players come out hitting hard during games.

A coach also makes player decisions during drafts and honestly Russ Brandon isn't a football mind. A coach could create that "vision" as you call it.

[ Reply ]

replied to dgoshilla

Score: 0 ( 0 votes )

natedogg26

October 13, 2009 1:35 PM

i agree with galaxjay and dgoshilla - firing an ineffective coach that can't take the team in the direction it needs to go does make a difference - if you can get a good coach to replace him - but it doesn't help if the ownership continues to hire second rate bargain coaches because they are cheap - the bills have had a string of 'new' coaches in the past ten years - and we're seeing the same problems - i think this problem runs deeper than the coach and gets into management and ownership - although the bills might happen to luck out and get a great coach at a good price - this could lead to change and the capable quarterbacks we have had could actually develop into more than a self-doubting mess (another pattern that seems to be developing..) but i guess only time will tell on this one

[ Reply ]

replied to galaxyjay

Score: 0 ( 0 votes )

georged

October 13, 2009 7:05 PM

10 year plan? Are you serious? Buddy, the Bills will be gone from WNY long before 10 years from now. Unless Ralph lives for 10 more years, and somehow the new collective bargaining agreement still has a low salary cap, the bills are history. The times of a small market getting a chance of winning the Super Bowl are running out. Wilson did nothing the last decade to get a winner here, and soon the bills will be history and playing in Toronto or LA.

[ Reply ]

replied to dgoshilla

Score: 0 ( 0 votes )

Armchair MBA

October 13, 2009 9:23 PM

I know you are doing your cynical, edgy thing but I think the NFL leaving is going to be a positive for WNY. Im worried NYS will enact a new tax to pay for a new mega stadium in the bil range. With a new football palace there is no way the NFL goes (see Cleveland). Id rather do without than pay through the nose to keep them.

[ Reply ]

replied to georged

Score: 0 ( 0 votes )

Chenango

October 13, 2009 1:25 PM

Yell as loud as you want, Ralph won't hear you.
The Bills have always been poorly managed, but aren't even hiding it anymore. Ralph Wilson is a cheap mofo. After 3 seasons of 7-9, including last year when the Bills went 2-8 down the home stretch, he gave Jauron a 3 year, $9 million contract extension.
Do you honestly think, just 4 games into 48, he's going to eat that money?

[ Reply ]

Score: 0 ( 0 votes )

JAramini

October 13, 2009 2:15 PM

I think most Bills fans realize that firing Dick Jauron isn't going to instantly fix a very broken organization. I would see it as a gesture of good will on the part of Ralph Wilson that this isn't good enough and we're not going to sit back and have to accept this below-mediocrity.

I have heard talk of boycotts, and I think the idea of a first-quarter boycott is a very good one. People aren't going to be willing to trash already-purchased tickets altogether, but a sit-out might work.

Also, as part of the Fire Dick bandwagon, I really like this project that just came to my attention today. Someone is trying to get a billboard on the 190 devoted to the cause of canning Jauron: http://firedickjauron.wordpress.com

[ Reply ]

Score: 0 ( 0 votes )

DMZ

October 13, 2009 2:20 PM

Firing him now wont make a difference, however If they go 1-6 then they need to give Richard the boot to at the very least show the fans that Ralph has some marbles left. They already won one game, so they don't have to worry about going Detroit. They then should trade TO and get a few later picks. Even if it's a 6th rounder this draft and another one the next year it's better then nothing. Let Brandon keep his marketing job and get a true football guy in here as GM. That GM should get rid of a lot of player personal left over from previous GM's. These are the same people who make predictions on players that end up being busts. After all that get a new coach, and take a QB in the first round. Sounds all too easy.

[ Reply ]

Score: 0 ( 0 votes )

suburban_hillbilly

October 13, 2009 2:26 PM

dgoshilla-10 year plan????? You don't need 10 years to turn around a franchise. The great General Managers of our time only need one or two years. Bill Parcells took the Miami Dophins from 1-15 to AFC East Champs in one offseason! Also, why do the Bills need to include "rebuilding the city" in this 10 year plan? The Bills are a football team not a city/county government. Firing Dick Jauron is not a "knee jerk reaction" Knee jerk would have been firing after his first 7-9 season. Firing him after the second 7-9 season would have been understandable. Firing him after the third one should have been a no-f#$%king brainer. Firing him now would be long overdue!

I agree with the rest of your comments about ownership. The penalties and lack of production on Sunday are a direct reflection of poor coaching. Jauron needs to go now. Russ Brandon and Tom Modrak need to follow him out the door in January.

[ Reply ]

Score: 0 ( 0 votes )

dgoshilla

October 13, 2009 7:46 PM

I'm amazed to see all the backlash against planning on a website dedicated to that very thing. Without a plan everything fails. A 10 year plan from management will dismiss all the uncertainty surrounding the franchise. There is simply no way to create a successful franchise without planning. Every good company, individual and relationship is better for it and the Bills are no different.

[ Reply ]

replied to suburban_hillbilly

Score: 0 ( 0 votes )

FireDickNow1

October 13, 2009 3:30 PM

HEY RALPH,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7zfnbdyAW8

Love, the DICK! brand.

[ Reply ]

Score: 0 ( 0 votes )

truestar

October 13, 2009 5:25 PM

Mr. Wilson calls the shots, not Dick....T.O. was a gimmick used to blow smoke past his unwillingness to really invest in another contender....he sold tickets which is what the bottom line is....the game of football is played on the line of scrimmage....to have a cohesive line here will take at least a few years....and only if he develops the talent and follows through with a contract that keeps the player here....which is something he has not been willing to do in recent history

[ Reply ]

Score: 0 ( 0 votes )

Joe

October 13, 2009 11:40 PM

Wilson cried a few years back about wanting more tax breaks from Erie co. and the State, which we the people pay for, or he was going to move the team, well he got the tax breaks but how come he never spent any money on the team? One player here and one controversial player there does not bring a superbowl team here. Yankees win, Sabres win, Yankees win, Sabres win, Bills loose again, guess they dont get the message. And yet we still sell out the stadium, at least we show loyalty

[ Reply ]

Score: 0 ( 0 votes )

suburban_hillbilly

October 14, 2009 9:48 AM

I agree with you that we need a better plan. However 10 years is much too long of a term of the plan. In pro sports, good management can achieve winning within a 3 year plan...not ten. Great management needs only a 12 month plan.

[ Reply ]

Score: 0 ( 0 votes )