shoretalk

I have never quite figured out the chorus of hateful voices that rise up against Kelsay either. Yes, the BUFFALO BILLS signed him to a significant contract that does not take any money out of our personal wallets nor did it push the Bills over the cap. But is a player's salary a reason to hate him? Ok, at the start of last season with a shift in position and a chance in defense, he looked lost in pass coverage but take a look at Jacksonville's new MLB because he couldn't cover anyone at any time in his pro career and he has always been a linebacker. Kelsay is that classic type of player who works hard and is respected by his teammates. Teams need players like Kelsay. I have never spent time focusing in on Kelsay because in my mind he never was the problem. Thanks for your observations ... not sure if I could sit back and watch last year's games again but you did and the info. might help some critics quiet down a bit. GO BILLS!!! Let's give this team a chance to come together under Buddy and Chan; just like rookies, new coaching regimes rarely succeed in the first year or two but you want to watch the direction they are heading and I feel good about my Bills!

His work has always been well written. Will add him to my church's prayer list and lift him up in prayer.

Thanks!!

Call the Ravens ... James is out with an injury right now, we might be able to work a deal to get him! Hardy has hamstring injury: Raves WR James Hardy is dealing with a hamstring injury, reports MASNsports.com on Saturday. Hardy is waiting on team trainers to tell him he can return to the field. Hardy said it is tough to miss valuable practice time. Hardy has been running with the second team in practice. (Updated 08/06/2011)

shhh it's a message from a friend of a friend who knows a friend who saw a friend who once was at the Houston airport listening to Houston sports radio ... has to be true ...

I guess I am tired of the BASH MARV CLUB! He should never have been made a General Manager. To be a successful General Manager you need to manage scouts, have the ability to evaluate pro and college players in relationship to team needs, to negotiate contracts and understand the business aspects of the game, and to be able to put your own team together. Marv was pulled out of the public relations' hat by the Bills management to appease all of us because we loved him as the Bills Hall of Fame Coach. He was a great coach who managed the bickering Bills to greatness however he had no history scouting so he couldn't put his own scouts together and instead relied on the group that was here. He was 10 years older than Buddy Nix when we got the job and I am sure he didn't travel the nation checking talent himself instead relying on the information brought to him. He was in essence a figurehead but I don't want to see his reputation ruined because he was put in a job he had no background nor support staff to succeed in. The blame for those draft falls on Modrak and others who are no longer part of the team as well as on Ralph and Russ but I think the two R's have learned their lesson. Buddy and Whaley give us two of the better talent evaluating minds in the NFL. I am sure Whaley is being groomed to succeed Buddy so finally we have people who know what they are doing in charge.

THANKS

You know ... I have a friend who gets top secret texts from the Pentagon and the CIA ... it's all hush hush but you can swear by anything he shares ...

THANKS SO SO MUCH!!!! I spent the day on the road in the Philadelphia area and their sports talk stations broadcast all day from the Eagles training camp. Their hosts get insight into what's going on with the Eagles and listeners benefit from interviews with players, coaches, front office types, and print media journalists. If only GR had a program director who cared enough ...

There are a couple of key problems with Schlep and Bull (And, I got to witness them all on a recent trip to Buffalo); I can't criticize the rest of the line-up because I haven't heard it and it's great that there is a daily show about camp as noted elsewhere in this link. But, a SPORTS TALK station should be talking SPORTS in the afternoon drive time; that means lining up interviews and providing information for people on the way home from work. Not necessarily being caller driven but being filled with sports information that you can't get anywhere else (As much as I didn't like 'THE COACH,' he always had interviews and information plus his unique opinion.). #1 - They have no idea what they are talking about. They do not follow sports nor do they apparently do any research before their show. Just listen to BULL as he tries to bluff his way around question (heck, with the internet he could find answers at the touch of a button but instead he likes his BULL). The day I listened they had a live interview with Ryan Miller so I thought maybe this being the HOCKEY STATION that a serious interview would be conducted but BULL was surprised when Miller told him something that had been in the papers for the week before. They apparently do not follow sports when they go on vacation. #2 - They are caught in a time warp of the 1980s ... just listen to the lists; the Kenny Rogers-ZZ Top thing mentioned earlier (And,I am a baby boomer but I don't live in the past.). #3 - The list thing ... are they trying to be Letterman? If they aren't going to talk sports then they need to find some guests on their other topics. I was on radio for 25 years hosting a talk show that hit on lots of topics and I can tell you there are so many authors/experts available who want air time that you can bring a mix of your own knowledge with experts to provide listeners with a quality show (Out of town sports writers love to talk; I had them on my show all the time even though it wasn't a 'sports' talk' format.) Sadly, they are the only game in town unless you go Sirius/XM, which is what I did ....

Miller is signed, sealed and delivered to Seattle. Five years ... $34million ... He would have looked good in a Bills uniform but today the Bills' TE mystery may unfold as we find out what Mr. Chandler is bringing anything to the table. I am guessing that Gailey and Nix like Chandler's size, speed, and catching abilities for this offense but we will see. If Nelson didn't have those migraines he might have developed into a quality TE but I don't think he'll chase those away ever.

We aren't quite there yet but the line is solid ... our LT does not get penalized like a certain LT in Philadelphia does ... you are right stats can be manipulated any way we'd like but Bell kept getting better all season long and never embarassed the team. Levitre and Wood are studs. I like Urbik at RG but Hangartner would be as good as half the teams in the league's right guards are. At RT Gailey seems to like Pear and draft analysts like Hairston plus we tried to get Clabo so it's not like we want to downgrade our RT position. If I remember correctly, Fred Jackson had a decent year running the ball once he began to start games (Yes, Gailey started Lynch and also started Green but neither is still on the team so to me it shows that Gailey won't hold onto a player for $$ or sentiments). Fitz was not dumped on every single pass play nor was there talk about the line putting his health at risk. We averaged almost 20 points a game once Fitz became the starting QB and I don't think is doable if the OL is unable to block. And last year our line included three young players at the start of their careers with two of them coming back from substantial injuries that limited their practice time both in season and in the preseason. The RT stop was a turnstile with the Bills not getting our potential 2011 started until the season was almost over. Again, our problem last year and the reason we lost most of our games was the lack of a run defense. Teams ran over us ... they had total ball control keeping the ball out of our offense's hands and yet we still averaged almost 20 points a game. What did Buddy work hard on fixing this offseason? The run defense ... he has brought in studs! Did we get an ALL PRO line? Nope but if they all stay healthy I think we have a good group of starting OL who will help open up the run and pass game. Our offense is going to be wild this year ... and yes, defenders will be blocked and at times Fitz will be sacked.

enough said!

Perhaps ... just perhaps... the coaching staff saw his potential as a leader on the field and are putting him in a position to make D calls while also not making him as vulnerable on pass coverage. Wanns knows what he is doing so I will wait this one out but I also agree that Batten and Coleman looked better last preseason and we also have Merriman. Will be an interesting preseason and when the cuts come this summer there will be some surprises I am sure.

He came to the Bills with a bad reputation and proved the talk wrong. He was a quality act who aged, had a body that wore down, and found himself in a defensive line-up that didn't match his abilities. Sadly, he was one of our biggest gaps last season as other teams just blew past him ... looks like his career is over and once again just proves how off-the-wall national media analysts are.

I am right there with you ... living in South Jersey where every Eagles' fan even in their losing seasons has always felt in the preseason like this was going to be THE BIG YEAR ... now, yes they do boo Santa Claus but they are eternal optimists with their Eagles! After reading posts here all this time I really think that a significant percentage are not really fans but are instead the same people who love to shout down anyone who disagrees with them. All too many eternal pessimists .. We haven't played a single preseason game ... Buddy and Chan have only been with us for one season and they didn't create the mess. So, Spiller wasn't the league's MVP last year ... not every star has a great rookie year (Not saying he will be a star but if you look around at players in the league there are many stars who took 2,3,4 years to mature into the players they finally became.). To me being a fan is being hopeful at the start of a season for things to come together for the best ... and believe me I catch it from my Eagles' friends when the Bills don't succeed and I am sure you do too but I remain a Bills' fan and even in the worst seasons have always had hope they might win each week. I was happy with the new attitude the Bills showed last year under Gailey and it seems that players are again feeling good about the Bills' organization. So, I can't wait to see the team in the practice games and am counting the days to the home opener when I'll be making the drive up to THE RALPH to cheer on my Bills ... hopefully to their second win of the new season!

Should have made the move to get him ...

A quick and simple NO! Last year's missing run defense negatively impacted the entire defensive backfield but as this preseason moves forward I feel good about who will be starting versus Kansas City. Although I haven't been to camp (too far of a drive from South Jersey), Aaron Williams is going to make an impact (He has been energized about the NFL since the draft and is claiming bragging rights with his fellow Longhorns!) and could very well start opposite Florence. Florence is coming off a solid year and will provide balance to Williams' youthful aggressiveness. And, that gives us McKelvin and McGee as the primary depth with Reggie Corner whom the coaching staff seems to love and Justin Rogers who I think is going to impress as a rookie for additional strengh. Buddy is building an aggressive defense and Assante is a classic whiner who breaks apart clubhouses. As a non-Eagle fan in 'Iggles territory' it is fun to watch him whine in the papers because it creates some issues for Coach Andy.

Assante Samuel is already giving signs that all is not well in Eagle-land. Yes, the Eagles have surprised many this off season especially in how they put the blinders on Phoenix to make one of the 'steal trades' of this century. And, yes, they have surprised most of us with all of their FA picks. But, Winston Justice is as big of a question mark at RT as Erik Pears is for us and that is Michael Vick's blindside. They also have some major questions at linebacker and safety. They have placed their kicking game in the hands of a rookie who has never kicked off before. Plus Jeremy Macklin has had some mysterious health issues going on since he had mono this Spring and has just reported to camp. Not to mention a very unhappy DeSean Jackson who does not want to play for only $500,000 this year. That being said, the Eagles are the elite team in the NFC East and one of those teams on our schedule that will require the 'on any given day any team can beat another' to occur for the Bills to beat them as both teams line-up here in preseason.

Thanks ... and to think the last two jersey's I bought cost me three times the price and didn't look that good on the day I bought them.

We should have drafted him when we had the chance ... make up for past mistakes Buddy ... bring him in and put him at guard ... Levitre needs to sit back another season ... we need to find every lineman being cut this year because if they have years of experience it is better than putting in a young player because what have young players shown ... NOTHING ... in fact, cut all the rookies and second year players ... drafts are for fools ... Free Agency is what makes you the king of the castle ... sign em up and cut those wasted rookies ...

This board really makes you shake your head at times ... they want us to spend for spending sake, which Ralph has done in the past wasting 'his' money on bad picks ... but he also didn't overspend for players that other teams were willing to break their banks on and I didn't see the 49ers go to the Superbowl because of Nate Clements even though he was paid more than any other defensive player. Should the Bills have kept him? Yes, I think they need a tight end but I am also feeling good about how Buddy and Chan analyze this team. Unlike many, such as a certain Buff News columnist, I do not want another old washed up former decent lineman when we haven't given Pears a chance at RT. Bell kept improving all last year. So, Ralph is cheap ... but then so are the seats at THE RALPH! We can take our families to a Bills' game without a second mortgage but if we were heading over to see the Jets/Giants/Eagles/Patriots we'd be paying a lot more. So, I'll take cheap Ralph with a team of Buddy and Chan ... and I do remember that Ralph paid Bruce, Kelly, Andre, and crew enough to keep them happy here.

Offense is always a slow starter especially offensive line at any level. It takes some time for the O-Line to get in synch with each other and the play book but this is really good news that Merriman is active and showing no signs of a bad knee.

If Madden rates him high then the Bills should have him ... who cares if his injured knees keep him from making a Dolphin team that has a weak offensive line ... who cares if no other team wants to pick him up ... Madden rules and we need higher rated Madden players on the Bills!

I can't believe the GR talk show guys are now here ... what are we going to have a list of who has been robbed on America's Got Talent? Call into GR and they'll talk about it rather than about the BILLS.