They are not, however, happy with the perception that has formed about their organization in the wake of Rex Ryan's firing; one which suggests dysfunction and an atmosphere that is not conducive to fostering a good NFL head coach.
"I think that all started with some false information printed in the national media about our organization. I've got to believe it's from people who have no idea what our organization's like or how we operate within," Terry told The Buffalo News on Thursday. "I honestly believe that. I disagree with their opinions, and I can tell you one thing: We had a lot of applications and people who wanted that coaching job with the Bills. So I don't know what these guys are writing about."
Added Kim: "I think if you ask anybody in our organization, they will tell you that we are around. We communicate. We collaborate. We are engaged with what's going on. As owners, I think that gives us good insight into what's going on in our organization and what's working and what's not. We're not absentee owners."
When informing the Pegulas of criticism about their organization, the News cited the following pieces from ESPN and The Boston Globe.
Terry was by far the strongest on the matter, essentially saying that fans and media cannot pin the 17 year drought on them.
"I know how I run my life, run our business," he said. "I know how we treat people, and I know the people we have in our organization. You can't pin 17 years on the Pegulas. We've been around for X-number of years. There's no foundation, no truth to this dysfunctional talk. I consider it an insult to our organization and the Bills and the good people with the Sabres. They can't be real happy to hear that."
The full interview is worth your time. The Pegulas make their case as a strong but silent partner in the NFL operation and offer an honest assessment of general manager Doug Whaley's debacle of a press conference two weeks ago.
In terms of ownership, Bills fans don't have much to complain about so far. The Pegulas were intent on keeping the team in Buffalo and, in terms of a head coaching decision, identified quickly that Rex Ryan was not going to cut it and rectified the problem after less than two years. Some owners stick with ineffective coaches for much longer.
As we and they well know, the only way to ease a negative perception is to win. Just look at the Miami Dolphins, who have gone from the picture of dysfunction to a stable, ascending organization in the matter of one season.
