One day, Mike Preston might live long enough to see his man hanged.
One day, Brian Billick might actually GET fired, making Preston the king of the "I told you so" club.
Or maybe not.
Maybe three years from now, Billick will just "walk away" from the Ravens to a life of boating on the Chesapeake, living on the Eastern Shore, attending Baltimore civic events and giving speeches to raise money for Living Classrooms, his charity of choice.
But none of these decisions will be on Mike Preston’s timeline.
And Mike Preston’s thoughts and timeline have NOTHING to do with what Steve Bisciotti is thinking or going to do.
And I would suspect that Mike Preston would be the LAST person on earth Steve Bisciotti would speak to regarding Brian Billick’s job security.
8
Preston has been trying — unsucessfully in every attempt — for the better part of a decade to portray Billick as the village idiot and Mr. Unpopular, Mr. Arrogant and "Compu-coach" to the Baltimore Ravens’ fandom through his acts of "journalism" in The Sun.
And for many folks, he has become their angry, spiritual leader.
The Sun says Billick is an inept, incompetent jerk, so it MUST be true!
Fact: Mike Preston has been trying repeatedly to get Billick fired since 1999.
And every time the team experiences a bump in the road, Preston "reports" that it’s time once again to fire Billick. (Funny how when the team was 13-3 last year, Preston wasn’t writing about Billick’s sudden competence and genius.)
Today, Preston once again attempts to turn fiction into fact to serve his agenda to make Billick look foolish, and ultimately, to affect purple policy.
Not gonna happen…
8It’s really simple. What you and I and Preston THINK about Billick doesn’t matter.
It only matters what Bisciotti thinks.
Preston "reports" today that no one in the organization could "confirm" that Billick has spoken to Bisciotti. (I happen to KNOW they speak several times per week and always have! They just don’t provide transcripts to the local media.)
Preston also attempts to give credibility to the notion that Bisciotti is sneaking around attempting to hire Bill Cowher (more internet legend/rumor gone awry).
Here’s the truth: NO ONE inthe Ravens organization has EVER lied to me. That’s a LOT of information, games, sources, draft picks, trades, injuries, etc. I have NEVER been lied to by a front office person in Owings Mills in 12 years!
So, therefore, when you read my blog, you are getting facts. Not because I’m so great, but because people in the Ravens organization don’t lie to me, as a pretty general rule.
Mike Preston has no real sources in Owings Mills. Even the people who hate Billick, somehow know not to trust Preston. The only ones who do speak to Preston are the ones who have an axe to grind with Billick.
8And honestly, he’s the boss. Pick any business and any boss and I’ll show you employees who have something "less than flattering" to say about the boss.
Here’s my favorite line from today’s garbage/yellow journalism: "The sweat is pouring down his brow. He often appears confident, but Billick is high maintenance and needs his ego stroked by those around him in the Castle."
Over the past 12 years, it’s been very clear who Mike Preston is.
He’s a guy — much like that wiry, green fellow who will invade Who-ville over the next few weeks on our TVs — who needs some more love in his life and a hug.
I met Mike Preston on a field at Hereford High School in 1985. He was miserable then, and seems to remain that way.
And he can keep attempting to get Billick fired — and to stoke the other miserable souls in the "I hate Brian Billick Club" — and one day Billick might just get fired.
But it’s not going to be this year, and that clearly breaks Preston’s heart.
8He also should go back to journalism school and realize the difference between a fact and an opinion, and how to present each in the proper perspective.
He also might want to start doing his job, and actually POST at a press conference now and again and ask a few questions.
I’d love to just once see Preston show up, stand up and speak the REAL truth: "I don’t like you Brian and I never have, and I’m wondering if Steve Bisciotti is EVER going to fire your incompetent, arrogant ass so I can finally be right and die a happy man?"
Just because you hate Brian Billick — or don’t like his style, his clock management or his hairstyle — doesn’t mean he’s getting fired.
His many faults are all out there: the team is 4-9 and has lost seven consecutive games. Sure, it’s a struggle right now. It’s always a struggle when your quarterbacks and cornerbacks stink and many of your key players are injured or aging.
I’d say it’s almost impossible to win in these circumstances, and the Ravens just might lose in Miami this weekend, which would be the unkindest blow of all.
But Bisciotti hasn’t been the kind of guy to throw a clearly competent person out of the organization over one game.
8I don’t think he’s going to fire Billick because the team stinks in Miami.
Billick’s record since he came to Baltimore:
1999 – 8-8
2000 — 12-4 (4-0 in postseason + Super Bowl win)
2001 — 10-6
2002 — 7-9
2003 — 10-6 (division title, 0-1)
2004 — 9-7
2005 — 6-10
2006 — 13-3 (division title, 0-1)
2007 — 4-9
