NFL Franchise Notes

Donahoe’s Tenure With Bills Comes To A Close

Bills President & GM Tom Donahoe was fired yesterday, and Owner Ralph Wilson will return to the role of President, according to David Staba of the N.Y. TIMES. Wilson relinquished the title to Donahoe upon his hiring in January ’01, which marked the first time in team history someone other than Wilson served in that role (N.Y. TIMES, 1/5). Wilson announced coach Mike Mularkey and Assistant GM Tom Modrak would retain their positions. It was thought Modrak would become GM, “but he made it clear he prefers being the assistant.” In Rochester, Sal Maiorana reports former Bills coach and Pro Football HOFer Marv Levy is expected to be introduced today as GM and Dir of Football Operations, though Wilson would not confirm that. At 80, Levy would be the oldest GM in NFL history (ROCHESTER DEMOCRAT & CHRONICLE, 1/5). ESPN’s John Clayton: “There’s going to be more changes in the (Bills) front office with the addition of Marv Levy. His title may be GM (or) Senior Advisor. ... It looks like he is going to be the main advisor now that Ralph Wilson is taking a more active role” (“NFL Live,” ESPN, 1/4).

NOT EASY BEING GREEN: On Long Island, Shaun Powell notes Jets coach Herm Edwards could become the fourth coach in six years to leave the team. Powell: “Organizations are only as strong as the owner and his ability to hire the right person to run the team, and the [GM] and his ability to find the right people to fill a team. And right now, we got suspicions about the team of [Owner] Woody Johnson and [GM] Terry Bradway.” Powell adds, “Now that he can’t build a Manhattan stadium, Woody needs to concentrate on doing his part to build a team” (NEWSDAY, 1/5). In N.Y., Dave Anderson writes, “Johnson needs to learn that a stadium, no matter how many season tickets are sold, is never as important as the team’s success and never as important as the stature of the head coach” (N.Y. TIMES, 1/5). Meanwhile, the N.Y. POST’s Page Six reports Jets fan Gary Sparago has written a 34-page treatise titled, “The Case Against Herman Edwards and Terry Bradway: An (Unsolicited) Analysis Prepared for Robert Wood Johnson IV.” The essay, which includes charts and graphs, is circulating on the Internet (N.Y. POST, 1/5).

DEAL ME IN: HBO’s Peter King noted before coaches and front-office staffers like Redskins defensive coordinator Gregg Williams and Eagles GM Tom Heckert can “strike it rich elsewhere (owners are) paying them sick money to stay where they are.” King: “In my opinion it’s a smart deal. If you’re grossing $300[M] like the Washington Redskins are, what’s less than 1% of that to pay Gregg Williams?” (“Inside the NFL,” HBO, 1/4).

FUNNY BUSINESS: NBC’s Jay Leno, on the movement among NFL coaches: “The unemployment rate was up almost 10% this week, and that’s just among NFL coaches. People haven’t seen this many pink slips since Elton John’s wedding night” (“The Tonight Show,” NBC, 1/4).