Somebody within the Buffalo Bills organization may just be an avid reader of The Spectrum.
Prior to winter break, I pleaded to Ralph Wilson and company at One Bills Drive to find a man that could take the reins of the franchise and build a winning team. It was a small request from a lifelong fan that has endured the team's misery for the past decade.
All I wanted for Christmas was an adequate general manager who could reshape the face of the organization. I must have been a good boy, because that is exactly what Santa gave me.
On New Year's Eve, the Bills announced that Buddy Nix was promoted to the team's general manager position after spending last season as Buffalo's national scout.
For those of you who were worried about the team hiring the wrong man for the job, you can now breathe a sigh of relief.
Nix is exactly what the organization needed. He's not a marketing connoisseur that will bring in personnel to give the Bills their two minutes in the national spotlight. Those days are over with. Simply put, Nix is a football guy.
If I hadn't known any better, I would've thought the Alabama native came straight off the set of Friday Night Lights. Defined by his thick southern accent, the 70-year-old has the experience and vast football knowledge needed to rebuild the Bills from the ground up.
Known for his renowned ability to evaluate and scout upcoming talent, Nix has built a reputation as one of the elite scouts in the NFL. He was a regional scout under John Butler with the Bills from 1993-2000 before becoming San Diego's director of player personnel and assistant general manager in 2001.
Nix was the hidden gem behind the Chargers' turnaround. Prior to Nix's hiring, San Diego had not had a winning season in five years. After discovering future-Pro Bowl players such as LaDainian Tomlinson, Michael Turner, Philip Rivers, Antonio Cromartie and Shawn Merriman, the Chargers won four of the last five AFC West titles with Nix in office.
Am I banking on Nix solving all of Buffalo's issues this offseason? Of course not. It's going to take some time for the new regime to turn the franchise around. But knowing what Nix accomplished in San Diego, let's just say I'm praying that history can repeat itself.
The new general manager's first task is to find the Bills' next head coach. The position of sideline commander remains vacant and the speculation as to who will be taking over has been running wild.
Is anybody as sick of the rumors as I am?
If one more name joins the cluster of coaching candidates, I might as well apply for the position myself. People need to stop believing everything they hear and grasp the facts.
We know that Mike Shanahan interviewed for the job, but ended up with Washington. Interim coach Perry Fewell interviewed for the full-time position but is likely to take the defensive coordinator position in Chicago. Minnesota defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier also interviewed, but no decision on him can be made until the Vikings' season concludes.
And yes, Buffalo has spoken briefly with Bill Cowher. But don't get your hopes up.
Let's not forget about the so-called 'dark horses' that have been mentioned, including Brian Billick, Jason Garrett, Jim Harbough and Marty and Brian Schottenheimer – just to name a few.
