Pro Football HOFer and former Bills GM Bill Polian said that he is “not interested in any kind of formal role” with the club, according to John Murphy of BUFFALOBILLS.com. Polian, appearing yesterday on WGR-AM, said, “Anything I could do to help in any way, I would. But any kind of formal role is absolutely precluded. Nor am I seeking that. I’m very happy with what I’m doing with ESPN.” When asked specifically if he would take a job as a so-called “Football Czar” with the Bills, as had been speculated, Polian replied, “I’m not seeking that, no. A huge part of it is my ESPN commitment, but the other part is family concerns. I think that’s a real concern in terms of what I do going forward.” Polian added that his work with ESPN “prevents him from serving as a consultant or ‘Football Czar’ for any NFL team.” Polian: “That is not me and I’m not seeking that kind of a role anywhere.” Polian noted that the comments he made on his Sirius XM NFL Radio show and in an interview with the Buffalo News ”lacked the context he was trying to convey.” He did say that he has “had dialogue with Bills Owner Terry Pegula about football matters, discussions that go back almost a year.” He said that he talks to Pegula “out of a feeling of affection for the Bills and Buffalo” (BUFFALOBILLS.com, 12/29).
HOW QUICKLY THE TABLES TURN: In Buffalo, Bucky Gleason writes Terry and Kim Pegula had fans “fawning over them after they purchased the Bills and hired a big-name head coach.” A year later, Buffalo fans’ “worst fears have come true,” as the Pegulas, with the Bills and Sabres, now “own two franchises going nowhere.” Gleason: “The cold truth: As it stands now, the Pegulas are in over their heads. It sounds harsh, but my intention isn’t to tear down ownership while ignoring the Pegulas’ greater body of work. They single-handedly changed the landscape downtown.” But he continued, “When it comes to owning professional sports franchises, they don’t know what they’re doing. … And now they need help.” The Bills “need someone who doesn’t need the money and, therefore, has no financial stake in the organization.” Gleason: “Sad but true, for the Bills, it could get worse before it get better” (BUFFALO NEWS, 12/30).
