Buffalo Bills

Many fans hope that replacement J.P Losman can lead the Bills to the playoffs in the 2005-2006 season. Washington has larger and whiter suburbs than it did in the 60s, so some analysts believe this will be a less important factor than in the past. In the offseason, the Bills released quarterback Drew Bledsoe, who was then signed by the Dallas Cowboys. Some analysts [2] (http://www.economist.com/opinion/displaystory.cfm?story_id=3844360) have pointed out that Washington is primarily an African-American city (59%), but that African-Americans generally support baseball less than whites. Past Washington Senators teams have blamed poor attendance partially on lack of attendance by African-Americans. Though they would lose to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the final game of the season, costing them a playoff berth, the late season surge gave the team a positive direction to approach 2005. Major League Baseball does not express such doubts, and proponents of the move argue that the failure of previous franchises has more to do with poor business decisions and financial management on the part of their owners than with any lack of popular support in the region itself. This, along with the emergence of Willis McGahee taking over the starting running back role from the injured Travis Henry, and emergence of Lee Evans to give the Bills a second deep threat, sparked the Bills to go 7-2 in their next nine games. This string of victories allowed the Bills to be in the hunt for a final AFC wildcard playoff spot. Due to the past history of Washington franchises (See Washington Senators), there are doubts about whether Washington will actually be a better market for a pro baseball team than Montréal long term.

The team finally managed to turn things around with a victory at home against the also winless Miami Dolphins. Mayor Williams signed the stadium financing package on December 30. Additionally, each loss was heartbreakingly close. Despite this, the council passed an amended plan on December 21, 2004, that proved slightly more financially favorable to the city, while remaining acceptable to MLB. The Bills started the 2004 season 0-4, with Bledsoe and his offense struggling in their run-first offense, averaging only 13 points per game. When the council voted on December 14 to require 50 percent private financing for any new stadium, MLB ceased promotional activities for the Nationals and announced that they would consider looking for a new market. And indeed, Bledsoe did continue to struggle in 2004. City Council sought to change details of the financing for a new stadium MLB sought for the Nationals (see following section on "The Ballpark Controversy").

Losman, to be used if Bledsoe continued to struggle in 2004. During December 2004, the move to Washington itself was called into question when the D.C. The Bills also drafted another quarterback, J.P. [1] (http://www.economist.com/opinion/displayStory.cfm?story_id=3930510). Gregg Williams was fired as head coach after the 2003 season and replaced with Mike Mularkey. Some controversy arises over the fact that the city is helping finance a $581 million dollar stadium without state or county support, despite the fact that a large portion of the fan base, if it materializes, will be drawn from the surrounding Maryland and Virginia suburbs. In one game, however, the Bills' fans gained a small measure of satisfaction when the defense sacked Rob Johnson multilpe times in his relief effort for Washington. An opinion poll conducted by the Washington Post found that approximately two-thirds of District residents oppose the mayor's stadium plan.

After beating eventual champions New England 31-0 in the first game, and crushing the Jaguars in their second game, the Bills stumbled through the rest of the season, finishing 6-10. Three Council members who supported Mayor Anthony Williams's plan were ousted in September's Democratic party primary. Another Patriot castoff, safety Lawyer Milloy, joined the Bills days before the 2003 season began and gave the team an immediate boost on defense. The ballpark proposal is controversial; many city residents oppose government subsidies for a multi-billion-dollar private business and would prefer the land and money to focus on schools rather than a ballpark. However, in a tough division with all other teams finishing 9-7, they were still in last place. City Council. Bledsoe revived the Bills for the 2002 season, leading them to an 8-8 record, setting 10 team passing records in the process. The team's relocation to Washington had been contingent on a financing plan for the Nationals' stadium — a plan that had been the subject of much debate on the D.C.

After the season they traded for quarterback Drew Bledsoe, deemed expendable by the Patriots after Tom Brady led them to a Super Bowl victory. Under the terms of the deal, television and radio broadcast rights to Nationals games are been handled by the Orioles franchise, who formed a new network (Mid-Atlantic Sports Network) to produce and distribute the games for both franchises on both local affiliates and cable/satellite systems. The Bills even lost a much-hyped mid-season matchup with "Bills West" (the Flutie-led Chargers). On March 31, 2005, a deal was struck between Peter Angelos and Major League Baseball in order to protect the Orioles against any financial harm the Nationals might present to the Orioles' market (Washington is approximately 35 miles south of Oriole Park at Camden Yards, where the Orioles have played their home games since 1992). Buffalo finished 3-13. Louis Browns, to move to Baltimore in 1953). Rob Johnson went down in mid-season with an injury and Alex Van Pelt took over. Obtaining the Orioles' cooperation was essential: the Baltimore and Washington regions had always been considered part of the same market, one which the Orioles' had had exclusive control over since 1972 (the original Washington Senators had waived their exclusivity rights to the region to allow the Orioles, then the St.

Titans defensive coordinator Gregg Williams took over as head coach for the 2001 season, which proved to be the worst in recent memory for the Bills. From 1972 to 2004, the Orioles were the sole MLB franchise in the Baltimore-Washington metropolis. Smith would be quickly replaced by rookie Travis Henry. The move was announced despite opposition from Baltimore Orioles owner Peter Angelos. Both Flutie and Smith were dominant in their final game as Bills, in a rout of the Seahawks. The frontrunners are a group called the Washington Baseball Club, and the speculative cost is between $200 and $300 million dollars. Antowain Smith also left as a free agent for the New England Patriots, where he was the starting running back on their two Super Bowl championship teams. The league must also decide who will be allowed to purchase the franchise.

Doug Flutie left the Bills with a .677 winning percentage in 31 starts. In addition, on November 15, 2004, a lawsuit by the former team owners against MLB and former majority owner Jeffrey Loria was struck down by arbitrators, ending legal moves to keep the Expos in Montréal. Flutie controversy, general manager John Butler departed for the San Diego Chargers - and took Flutie and Wiley with him. The move was approved by the owners of the other teams in a 29–1 vote on December 3 (Baltimore Orioles owner Peter Angelos cast the sole dissenting vote). Antowain Smith, Eric Moulds and Marcellus Wiley respectively had long since eclipsed them on the depth chart. After a dismal 8-8 season, and the team still caught up in the Johnson vs. in 2005. The final ties to the Bills' Super Bowl years were cut in 2000 when Thurman Thomas, Andre Reed and Bruce Smith were all cut. On September 29, 2004, MLB officially announced that the Expos would move to Washington D.C.

Others believe it wouldn't be an issue, had Johnson not taken sack in the endzone early on, allowing Tennessee to get 2 points, and good field position, which they used to score a touchdown. In the decision-making process, Selig added Las Vegas, Nevada to the list of potential Expos homes. The Titans ended up advancing to the Super Bowl. Some of the choices included Washington D.C., San Juan, Monterrey, Mexico, Portland, Oregon, Northern Virginia, and Norfolk, Virginia. Many Bills fans still think that the lateral was actually a forward pass, and the touchdown should not have counted. Meanwhile, the league actively looked for a relocation site. The Bills scored a field goal with 16 seconds left to give them a 16-15 lead, but the Music City Miracle, a lateral from Frank Wycheck to Kevin Dyson that led to a Tennessee touchdown on the ensuing kickoff lost the game for Buffalo. The players' union initially rejected continuing the San Juan arrangement for the 2004 season, but later relented.

Flutie's popularity continued into the 1999 season, with the Bills finishing 11-5, two games behind the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC East standings. However, Johnson was given the starting job in the first playoff game against the Tennessee Titans (the former Houston Oilers) in Nashville. Some commentators like Peter Gammons have accused MLB of having "a conflict of interest," and of deliberately scuttling the team's chances in order to strengthen the case for relocation. They faltered in their first playoff game against the Dolphins, though the game's poor officiating was one of many poorly called games which caused instant replay to be brought back in 1999. The Marlins eventually became the World Series' winner in 2003. After Johnson and the Bills stumbled to begin the season, Flutie came in and led the Bills to a playoff spot and 10-6 record. The decision to deny the franchise any chance to draw from its farm system, however, dashed the Expos' playoff chances. Despite many Bills fans wanting Flutie to get the starting job, Phillips named Johnson to the position. Up to this point attendance had been increasing.

This started one of the biggest controversies in the NFL at the time. All teams have this right around the end of August. The Bills, under new coach Wade Phillips signed two quarterbacks for the 1998 season, Rob Johnson and former Canadian Football League star Doug Flutie. The budget was some $35 million dollars. Coach Marv Levy retired after the season. However, MLB decided that it could not afford an extra $50,000 to call-up players from its minor leagues. Kelly's loss was felt in 1997, with the Bills stumbling to 6-10. Led by Vladimir Guerrero, the Expos launched a spirited battle to lead the Wild Card race over the Florida Marlins.

Thurman Thomas gave way to new running back Antowain Smith. Thanks in part to the San Juan games, the Expos were able to draw over a million fans at home in 2003 for the first time since 1998. Jim Kelly retired after the season, signalling an end to the most successful era in Bills history. Despite being a considerably smaller facility (it seats approximately 19,000) than Montréal's Olympic Stadium, Bithorn regularly outdrew the attendance in Montréal. They still made the playoffs, but as a wild card - and the first victim of the cinderella Jacksonville Jaguars. In 2003, the team played 22 of its home games at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan, Puerto Rico, despite having the highest percentage attendance increase in 2002 to go with a second place finish in the National League East. In 1996 the Bills saw their commanding lead in the AFC East race disappear to a surging New England Patriots team. As a result of this, the Expos survived. Major League Baseball named Frank Robinson manager and Omar Minaya as vice-president and general manager.

They would not get a chance to get back to the Super Bowl - the Pittsburgh Steelers beat Buffalo in the divisional playoff and ended up being the AFC's representative there. The Minnesota Twins, who were also facing contraction, initiated legal maneuvers that ultimately led to a collective bargaining agreement between MLB and its players association which prohibited "contraction" through 2006. In 1995 Buffalo, with free agent linebacker Bryce Paup anchoring the defense, again made the playoffs with a 10-6 record, and defeated Miami in the wild card round. On February 14, 2002, after a 30-0 vote, Major League Baseball formed a Delaware partnership (Expos Baseball, LP) to buy the Expos for $120,000,000 USD with the intent of eliminating the franchise. The 1993 Bills also proved to be the first of twelve different teams to lose the Super Bowl, with no NFL team doing so twice since then. On November 7, 2001, Commissioner Bud Selig announced that Major League Baseball would undergo a contraction of two teams, after a 28-2 vote by the owners (it should be noted that Montreal was one of the two dissenting votes). The outcome of Buffalo's 1994 season has proven to mark the start of what has become known as the "Super Bowl Runner-up Jinx:" Beginning with the 1993 Bills, no Super Bowl loser has since reached the conference championship game the following year in either the AFC or the NFC, and only one has advanced that far in the postseason in either of the next two seasons after losing a Super Bowl (the Steelers, who lost to Denver in the 1997 AFC Championship Game two years after having lost Super Bowl XXX to Dallas); furthermore, only one Super Bowl loser since the 1989 Denver Broncos (who lost the game the year before the first of Buffalo's four defeats) has won a Super Bowl in any season since losing one (the New England Patriots, who lost the game in 1996 but won it in 2001, 2003 and 2004) and starting with the 1998 Atlanta Falcons, five out of six Super Bowl losers have finished with losing records the season after. Attendance in the 2001 season was usually fewer than 10,000 people.

The team stumbled down the stretch and finished 7-9, fourth in the division and out of the playoffs. Jeffrey Loria, the last owner prior to the team's purchase by Major League Baseball, made some personnel moves, however the future of the franchise in Montréal never appeared strong. The Bills would not get a chance to make it five straight in 1994. Montréal was often cited as an example of a small-market team, unable to compete with teams in bigger markets such as New York, Chicago and Los Angeles, and therefore no longer a viable competitor. A Thurman Thomas fumble returned for a touchdown by James Washington put Dallas in the lead, however, and the Bills were stunned again, 30-13. However, they continued their losing trend by posting a 67-95 record in 2004 after losing superstar Vladimir Guerrero to free agency during the previous offseason. The Bills became the only team ever to play in four straight Super Bowls, and looked ready to finally win one when they led at halftime. The Expos lost most of their star players through free agency and trades since the 1994 season and have produced poor records since except for a second place finish in 1996 and a few respectable seasons in 2002 and 2003.

They won the AFC East championship with a 12-4 record, and again won playoff games against the Los Angeles Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs, setting up a rematch with the Cowboys in Super Bowl XXVIII on January 30, 1994 . With a very talented group of players, including outfielders Larry Walker, Moisés Alou and Marquis Grissom and pitchers Ken Hill, John Wetteland and a young Pedro Martínez, the Expos had the best record in major league baseball, 74-40 when the strike forced the cancelation of the remainder of the season. They looked to rectify the situation in the 1993 season, but the same result happened. 1994 proved to be heart-breaking for the Expos. By now the Bills had become laughingstocks, poster children for failure in the eyes of many. The Expos had several mediocre years in the mid 1980s under manager Buck Rodgers, but rebuilt and under manager Felipe Alou, who took the position midway through the 1992 season, finished second in the National League East in both 1992 and 1993. Lett held the ball out long enough for Tasker, who had made up a considerable distance to get to Lett, to knock it out of his hand. They defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 3-2 in the divisional series, but lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers 3-2 in the National League Championship Series. Montréal was led through these years by a core group of young players, including catcher Gary Carter, outfielders Tim Raines and Andre Dawson, third baseman Larry Parrish and pitchers Steve Rogers and Bill Gullickson.

One of the sole bright spots for the Bills was Steve Tasker's rundown and strip of Leon Lett after Lett had returned a fumble inside the Bills five and was on his way to scoring. They would post five consecutive winning seasons, including their only division championship, in the split season of 1981. Buffalo committed 9 turnovers en route to a 52-17 thrashing. In 1979 they posted their first winning record with a 95-65 record, under manager Dick Williams. Super Bowl XXVII, played against the Dallas Cowboys, turned out to be a mismatch. The Expos suffered through 10 straight losing seasons under their first manager, Gene Mauch (1969-1975) and three other managers. They then handily defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers in the divisional playoff and upset the archrival Dolphins in the AFC Championship to advance to their third straight Super Bowl. They were named for Expo 67, a world's fair that was held in Montréal. Their home stadium was to be that fair's Autostade, but that plan was rejected and they settled upon Jarry Park, in Montréal.

Undaunted, the Bills scored touchdowns on several consecutive possessions to tie the game and force overtime. Steve Christie kicked the game-winning field goal in the extra session to cap the biggest comeback in NFL history, 41-38. The Montréal Expos joined the National League in 1969, along with the San Diego Padres. Backup quarterback Frank Reich started their wild card playoff game against the Houston Oilers, and they were down 35-3 by the third quarter. Main article: Montreal Expos. The Bills lost the 1992 AFC East title to the Miami Dolphins and Jim Kelly was injured in the final game of the regular season. near the Anacostia River and with views of the Capitol building. The Redskins opened up a 24-0 halftime lead and never looked back, handing the Bills a 37-24 loss (an embarrassing moment occurred as the teams were leaving the field at the end of the first half when Bills center Adam Lingner angrily ordered a cameraman to "Get that f***in' camera out of my face;" the comment was picked up by a nearby microphone and everyone watching or listening to the game on television or radio would have had an opportunity to hear it). The new stadium will be located in Southeast D.C.

The Bills looked to avenge their heartbreaking Super Bowl loss a year earlier by playing the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl XXVI, but it was not to be. Kennedy Memorial Stadium until 2007 when a new facility will (tentatively) be completed for their use. The Bills steamrolled through the 1991 regular season as well, finishing 13-3 again and with Thurman Thomas winning the Offensive Player of the Year award. They also had an easy time with the Kansas City Chiefs in their first playoff game and beat the Denver Broncos in a defensive struggle in the AFC Championship. The Nationals will play at Robert F. Norwood's miss set the stage for future failures by the Bills in the early 1990s. Currently, the Nationals are a member of the National League's Eastern Division. It went wide to the right, and the Giants emerged victorious; however, some criticized Levy for not calling one more offensive play in an effort to make the field goal try shorter. Coincidentally, the last time a MLB team moved to a new city was in 1972, when the previous franchise to operate in the DC area, the Washington Senators, moved to Texas, becoming the Texas Rangers.

The game featured many lead changes, and with the score 20-19 in favor of New York with eight seconds left, Bills kicker Scott Norwood attempted a 47-yard field goal. Prior to this move, the team was known as the Montréal Expos. The Bills were overwhelming favorites to beat the New York Giants, but the defensive plan laid out by coach Bill Parcells and defensive coordinator Bill Belichick kept Buffalo in check (and without the ball) throughout the game. from Montréal, Québec, Canada after the completion of the 2004 MLB season. The team finished 13-3 and blew out the Miami Dolphins and Los Angeles Raiders in the playoffs on their way to Super Bowl XXV. The team relocated to Washington, D.C. In 1990 the Bills switched to a no-huddle offense and it started one of the most successful runs in NFL history. The Washington Nationals are a Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise based in Washington, D.C.

1989 was a relative disappointment, with a 9-7 record and a first-round playoff loss to the Cleveland Browns. Gulf Coast Nationals. After having an easy time with the Houston Oilers in the divisional playoff, they lost the AFC championship to the Cincinnati Bengals. Potomac Nationals
Savannah Sand Gnats
Vermont Expos. In 1988, the rookie season of running back Thurman Thomas, the Bills went 12-4 and finished atop the AFC East for the first of four consecutive seasons. Harrisburg Senators. In addition to new coach Marv Levy, a receiving game featuring Andre Reed and a defense led by first-overall draft pick Bruce Smith, the Bills started marching back to the top. New Orleans Zephyrs.

After the USFL's demise, Jim Kelly joined the Bills for the 1986 season, and immediately proved to be worth the wait. National League
. In 1984 and 1985 the Bills went 2-14. Pitching saves: John Wetteland, 43 (1993). Knox left his coaching position to take a job with the Seattle Seahawks, and new coach Kay Stephenson proved to be less than stellar. Pitching ERA: Pedro Martínez, 1.90 (1997). In the famous 1983 draft the Bills selected quarterback Jim Kelly as their replacement to an aging Joe Ferguson, but Kelly decided to play in the upstart United States Football League instead. Pitching strikeouts: Pedro Martinez, 305 (1997).

The following year — the strike-shortened season of 1982 — the Bills slipped to a 4-5 final record. Pitching wins: Ross Grimsley, 20 (1978). The team's players and fans alike adopted the informal slogan "We're Talkin' Proud" during this period. Strikeouts: Andrés Galarraga, 169 (1990). They lost in the second round to the eventual AFC champion Cincinnati Bengals. Walks: Ken Singleton, 123 (1973). The following season they lost their title to the Dolphins, but won their first NFL playoff game (over the New York Jets). Hitting streak: Vladimir Guerrero, 31 games (2000).

They beat the archrival Miami Dolphins for the first time in 11 years in their season opener, en route to winning their first AFC East title. Stolen bases: Ron LeFlore, 97 (1980). 1980 marked another breakthrough for the Bills. Total bases: Vladimir Guerrero, 379 (2000). Chuck Knox was hired as head coach and he would end up leading the Bills back to the top. Extra-Base hits: Vladimir Guerrero, 84 (1999). After the 1977 season Simpson was traded to the San Francisco 49ers (his legal troubles were still years down the road). Triples: Tim Raines, Rodney Scott and Mitch Webster, 13 (1985, 1980 and 1986).

After a mediocre 1975 season the Bills had internal troubles in 1976 as the team dropped to the bottom of the AFC East, where they stayed for the rest of the 1970s. Doubles: Mark Grudzielanek, 54 (1997). They made the NFL playoffs for the first time in 1974, but lost in the first round to the eventual champion Pittsburgh Steelers. Hits: Vladimir Guerrero, 206 (2002). 1973 was a season of change: Joe Ferguson became their new quarterback, they moved into a new stadium, Simpson recorded a 2000-yard season and was voted NFL MVP, and the team had its first winning record since 1966. Runs: Tim Raines, 133 (1983). Lou Saban, who had coached the Bills' AFL championship teams, was rehired in 1972. Runs batted in: Vladimir Guerrero, 131 (2000).

In 1971, not only did the Bills finish in sole possession of the NFL's worst overall record at 1-13, but they also scored the fewest points (184) in the league that year while allowing the most (394); no NFL team has since done all three of those things in the same season in a non-strike year. Home runs: Vladimir Guerrero, 44 (2000). The Bills became part of the NFL when the latter absorbed the AFL in a merger in 1970. Batting average: Vladimir Guerrero, 345 (2000). Simpson, who would become the face of the franchise through the 1970s. 42 Jackie Robinson (retired throughout baseball). Before the 1969 season, the Bills drafted running back O.J. 30 Tim Raines.

Tragedy struck the Bills in when Bob Kalsu, an offensive lineman, quit the team after his 1968 rookie season to serve in the Vietnam War, where he was killed in action in 1970. 10 Rusty Staub. In addition to their defensive prowess, the Bills had offensive muscle as well, in stars such as fullback Cookie Gilchrist, quarterbacks Jack Kemp and Daryle Lamonica, and receivers Elbert Dubenion and Ernie Warlick. 10 Andre Dawson. The Bills won AFL championships in both 1964 and 1965, were one of only three teams to appear in an AFL championship game for three consecutive years, and the only AFL team to play in the post-season for four straight years, 1963 through 1966.   8 Gary Carter. The only player ever inducted to the "pro football" hall of fame, without ever playing in the NFL, was a member of the 1964 Bills; guard Billy Shaw. 33 Jack Voigt (roving).

Three were eventually named to the American Football League's All-Time Team, six to the second team, and sixteen are in the American Football League Hall of Fame. 37 Dave Huppert (third base). Eight members of the 1964 squad were on that year's AFL Eastern Division All-Star Team. 12 Don Buford (first base). In 1964, the Bills defense allowed only four touchdowns rushing all season, and started a string that would extend into the 1965 season: seventeen straight games without allowing an opponent to score a rushing touchdown. 14 Eddie Rodriguez (bench). They were the first American Football League team to win 13 games in a season. 16 Bob Natal (bullpen).

The same defense registered fifty quarterback sacks, a team record that stands today, even though it was established in a 14-game season. 17 Tom McCraw (hitting). The 1964 Bills allowed their opponents only 300 rushing attempts and held them to 913 yards rushing during the regular season; a pro football record, just over 65 yards per game. Claire (pitching). The 1964 Buffalo Bills squad was one of the great teams in professional football history. 46 Randy St. With a linebacking corps of Harry Jacobs, Mike Stratton and John Tracey; and defensive line stalwarts like Tom Day, Tom Sestak, Jim Dunaway and Ron McDole. Coaches