Shanahan didn’t want to be left out in the cold with the Buffalo job

The new coach of the Washington Redskins talked to the Bills late last year, about coaching in Buffalo. But Mike Shanahan told reporters at the NFL Scouting Combine he was scared off, by the weather.

“There was strong consideration. I think it’s an excellent organization, very well run. I enjoyed my conversation with them. But at the end of the day, it was not something that , uh, I want to put it in the right words–If I went to Buffalo to live there, from a family perspective, I think I would be the only one that would go. My wife and kids weren’t going with me. That’s strictly the weather, strictly to do with the weather, that’s it. But now in Washington, we had 40-inches in a few days, so….” (Wivb.com)

Mind of Joe
Oh, please. The weather was a factor? Last time I checked, Denver and Washington aren’t exactly Miami and Tampa Bay when it comes to their climate. If weather was a big factor, then why did he even bother talking to the Bills in the first place?

What? Did Shanahan never hear about the amount of snow that the city gets before Russ Brandon decided to fly into Denver to meet him? Did Mike watch the movie 2012 and think that Buffalo was the area everyone had to get to so they can survive the eradication of mankind? I guess after spending two days worth of interviewing with Brandon, Shanahan must have turned on the Today Show and seen Al Roker describing the definition of lake effect snow.

Please. Everyone knows that Shanahan decided to speak to the Bills in order to up the ante for his contract demands. Lets not buy into the weather as the factor. Hell, all you have to do is look at the first few words of his statement to know he’s a liar. Buffalo has an excellent organization? Um, yeah…

Look, I’d be naive to think that the city of Buffalo had nothing to do with Shanahan coming here. I mean even the biggest homer has to admit that DC sounds a tad bit more appealing than WNY. However, the biggest reason he didn’t come to Buffalo had to do with Dan Snyder being a piggy bank when it comes to bringing in players. You think he wanted to work for Ralph Wilson and his “cash to the cap” philosophy? I think not.

As for the weather comment, look, if you want to diss the weather in Buffalo when you’re from Arizona or Miami, that’s fine. But don’t diss it when you’re coaching in cold weathered cities. You know how many times I’ve walked down the streets in NYC and froze my a$$ off? Too many for my taste.

(Editor’s Note: It should be noted that in WGR’s story of Shanahan’s comments; it mentioned that he had a smile across his face while talking about the weather in Buffalo. So he could have been kidding. However, it was never stated that he was smiling in the WIVB story posted by John Murphy. Hmmm…. interesting that the Bills play-by-play guy wouldn’t mention that)