Buffalo Sabres owner Terry Pegula, who also owns the NFL's Bills, has an infatuation with front-office executives who are willing to eagerly keep him in the loop.
That single character trait is why Pegula kept Kevyn Adams as Sabres general manager for nearly six years despite wholly unsuccessful on-ice results. Adams proved himself as a loyal minion despite being utterly unqualified for the position.
It wasn't until the media pressure on Pegula, a billionaire natural gas tycoon, began to reach a fever pitch that he finally relented and replaced Adams with Jarmo Kekalainen.
Now it appears a similar story is playing out with the Bills, who've been unable to reach a Super Bowl despite having the best quarterback in the world at the peak of his physical powers in reigning NFL MVP Josh Allen.
Bills' Brandon Beane borrowed a play from the Kevyn Adams playbook with the Sabres
Pegula decided Monday to fire longtime head coach Sean McDermott, an understandable outcome based on Buffalo's repeated defensive failures in the playoffs, a problem once again on display in the team's season-ending 33-30 overtime loss to the Denver Broncos on Saturday.
Yet, while McDermott was shown the door, general manager Brandon Beane shockingly received a promotion, adding President of Football Operations to his title alongside general manager.
That sparked outrage among Bills fans, who've turned against Beane over the past two years as he's failed to build a championship-worthy roster around Allen.
Beane hasn't been able to land any high-end targets for his superstar QB, and the misses continue to mount in the likes of Curtis Samuel, Joshua Palmer and Keon Coleman. He also appears incapable of bringing in impactful edge-rushers as Von Miller and Joey Bosa both flamed out.
So, why was Beane retained while McDermott lost his job? It sounds like the Bills GM learned a thing or two from Adams, his former Sabres counterpart. Buffalo insider Tim Graham of The Athletic described it best.
"Beane has Pegula's ear, and when it comes to power in a Pegula sports enterprise, that's what matters most," Graham wrote.
Ain't that the truth, and Vic Carucci of WGRZ relayed a story that may pinpoint the moment Beane was able to fully consolidate power.
"I'm told that during a meeting held five weeks ago between McDermott, Beane and Pegula, the coach pointed out what the roster lacked to win a Super Bowl," Carucci wrote. "I don't know the specifics McDermott mentioned, but I'm told neither Beane nor Pegula was pleased with McDermott's assessment."
That's why building a strong rapport with Pegula is essential to job security. The Bills' roster is not good enough, plain and simple. It severely lacks game-changers outside of Allen, running back James Cook and cornerback Christian Benford, though even the defensive back wasn't as effective this season.
Nevertheless, Beane was able to convince Pegula that his roster-building failures weren't the problem, but rather Buffalo wasn't able to reach Super Bowl expectations because of coaching.
Terry Pegula's hands-on approach with the Buffalo Bills and Sabres continues to create problems
Let's be clear: The fan outrage would have been considerably less if Beane and McDermott were dismissed together. They arrived from the Carolina Panthers a few months apart in 2017 and it'd make sense if ownership wanted to clean house to find a fresh organizational perspective.
Not only did Beane avoid that fate, but he gained even more power within the franchise. It's a baffling decision clearly based on his strong relationship with Pegula, not roster construction.
Fans may wonder how the Bills owner can't see that Beane, perhaps even more so than McDermott, deserved a harsher fate after the team's latest postseason loss. Another story from Graham helped shed some light on that.
"Beane and Pete Guelli watch the games with Pegula. Beane talks to Pegula about the team as the game transpires," Graham wrote. "We saw a glimpse of Pegula watching film with Beane during Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Buffalo Bills, when the owner asks Beane who No. 44 is and whether he'd changed positions. Beane calmly answered both questions: second-year linebacker 'Buffalo Joe' Andreessen, and no."
Andreessen is one of the Bills' most recognizable players. The linebacker was born in the Buffalo suburb of Depew, played at nearby Lancaster High School and finished his college career at the University at Buffalo. He's a key special-teams contributor.
Buffalo Joe was one of the biggest stories around the Bills when he made the final roster in 2024, yet Pegula still didn't know who he was in his second season with the organization.
Perhaps some super casual Bills supporters wouldn't know Andreessen but you'd expect a team owner who desperately wants to remain engaged and involved in football discussions would have a deep understanding of the entire 53-man roster. Clearly not.
Pegula rarely speaks to the media and he hasn't answered questions in years, so Buffalo sports fans may never find out exactly why McDermott was dismissed and Beane was promoted.
That said, it's a smart bet Beane followed the path charted by Adams to understand how to overcome professional failures by keeping Pegula on speed dial.
The saving grace for the Bills is Allen's presence will likely keep them from reaching the depths of hell experienced by the Sabres during their active NHL-record 14-year playoff drought, which began the same year Pegula purchased the team.
What a crazy coincidence.