shoretalk

The NFL is pricing middle income fans out of the game ... even in this awful economic mess ticket prices keep going up and players demand higher salaries and more and more.

Sadly ... the civility of competition has disappeared everywhere from our professional sports arena's to our little league fields. It little league parents can curse and chase after those who officiate football, hockey, baseball games is it any wonder that it's open season on anyone who disagrees with us (Oh, wait ... didn't we just witness the same level of hatred in our national political election? Let's hate those who are different.). I sadly remember an experience in Philadelphia shortly after moving to New Jersey that will forever prevent me from being a fan to any level of the Eagles. It was a NY (or as we in NJ prefer a New Jersey) Giant game. My wife's employer bought a block of nose-bleed tickets. As we were watching a woman in a Giant jersey and hat was climbing the stairs with food in her hands and three Eagles fans got up and pushed her backwards ... luckily she fell onto other people who were seated but she could have just as easily fallen down the stairs and potentially been seriously hurt or killed. I went to the usher to suggest action and the response was ... 'no one should come here wearing the opposition's colors.' In fact, people are warned not to go to Eagles' games wearing anything other than Eagles clothing. So, the next time someone is cursing a blue streak at the opposing team at THE RALPH or at an official they are only one small step removed from becoming violent and the stadium staff should be alerted because unlike Philadelphia the problem fan will be told to SHUT UP or get out.

Good post ... I thought that is what I saw but I didn't have time to replay the game ... Makes you wonder why this defense isn't on top of the ball ... lost opportunities and Whitner (even though he had a decent game) never seems able to catch the ball.

None of our LB's, CB's or safeties are looking for the ball this year. There were numerous examples in today's victory where if they had only opened their eyes ... nice interception Dwan! Also on the touchdown in question ... did you notice how Whitner arrived from out of the pictue to hit Johnson after he was in the end zone. Was Donte supposed to be covering Johnson on that play ... was Donte even watching the play develop so he could hit Johnson before he scored rather than after?

How blind we are ... Chan is staying. He has turned the offense around and if we get some linebackers and DE's then perhaps the defense isn't too far behind. Not sure how far his loyalty to Edwards goes but right now I would think that there will be personnel turnover but the coaches stay in place.

Put Marangi in!!! http://www.nfl.com/players/garymarangi/profile?id=MAR007099

Incredibly wrong story except that Mathison apparently was so worried about his shorts that he left his jock strap behind when he played QB for us. Just another reason to throw SI in the trash heap along with ESPN!

I too am so sick of 'free agency!' In both my current and former occupations (both very specific to the work that I did and do) if I wanted to do the type of work I was good at in these industries then I was subject to being placed where these industries had jobs for me. So, my first employer after college took the kid from Buffalo and said if I want to work in this industry then I have to move to New Jersey even though they had offices in Buffalo, Niagara Falls, and Rochester. I could not choose where I wanted to work if I wanted to have that type of job. In my current job, which is based in New Jersey, if I want to work in this specific industry, at the level I am at, then I am subject to being placed where they want me ... I have no choice in this matter. These undereducated players should not be able to choose where they play. If they want to play football at the NFL level then let the NFL rules determine where they play. If they want to play football elsewhere go to the CFL or Arena Football. The connections with individual teams die when players can just move out when a contract is done. So frustrating ... but I do feel good about Merriman to Buffalo and am not disappointed that we haven't heard from him yet. If he can play then let's get a contract signed.

TO was nothing but a good thing for the Bills ... he was the perfect teammate and tried to share his knowledge of the game with the young receivers including Stevie and Hardy. It's so great to see him putting up good numbers this year .... That being said, it was time to get the young guys into the game by saying goodbye to Reed and TO. Look what we have with Nelson and Stevie plus the resurrected careers of Parrish (I am eating crow on Roscoe all year ... I was so wrong about him) and Evans.

Maybin doesn't play because he can't ... Kelsay is out of position but he at least makes an effort, which is something so lacking in Maybin's character that he cannot even make the special teams (saw Shawn Nelson out on special teams this week even though he was hurt only a couple of weeks ago that alone says a lot about Maybin's lack of ability).

I am really not sure what world you are living in because from his peers in the NFL, from the media-types (not that they are experts), and to the casual observer of the game Williams is a starter on any team and deserving of the pro-bowl mentions. If he had linebackers behind him who could play then his achievements would be even more substantial but play after play he is double teamed and still manages to make as many plays as the other larger nose tackles in the league. We have our one solid building block of the defense ... and his name is Kyle Williams a player whose motor never stops but who is currently the lone wolf but those rushing yards you mention rarely come over his position.

And this board had so many Ellison haters as well as Schobel doubters. One still has to wonder about the lack of defensive motivation. Oh well GO BILLS!!

But at least Jason received the monies he said that were needed to feed his family when the Bills' offer left them in the soup kitchen line. As someone who lives in South Jersey amidst rabid Eagles' fans, the Eagles' fan base was mixed on the Peters' signing from the beginning. What bothered them was his lack of a work ethic and frequent stupid 'rookie-like' penalties but what they loved seeing was Peters pancaking a defender on run plays when you could almost always find him downfield. However on pass protection that screamed that he also seemed to be downfield all too often especially for a guy being paid what Lurie paid him. Lots of questions about his interest in playing with any kind of little hurt and Reid even made comments about certain players not being willing to get back on the field that everyone assumed were about Peters last year. 2010 the number of Peters' fans has almost vanished ... When the big bucks are paid or owners give in to players and their agents all too often the result is a player living 'high off the hog' and less results on the field. The Bills received value for Peters ... he is not ours but we should not weep over losing him because if we had paid the big bucks and he played like this the board would be asking why we didn't trade him somewhere. Here's hoping that our new line continues to improve with experience and that our offense shows the progress it has shown the last couple weeks. No more BEAST mode ... no more HARDY waiting to play ... no more EDWARDS tentatively guessing that the sideline is better than a pass downfield. FITZ, JACKSON (CJ in the wings), EVANS, JOHNSON, PARRISH, NELSON and maybe even the other NELSON ... an offense that is moving the ball behind a line whose membership can't even remember Jason Peters.

As they say "It's a Business" and MayBEEEE has had his chance to do something on Special Teams during the preseason or early season. He has had a chance to do something at both OLB and DE and failed to do so. His ego has been out of control ever since he decided to drop out of college before graduation (maybe he knew that his one year at Penn State was the only year of fire he had in his belly and it was clear that some team was going to take him in the first round) but continued during his hold out and then was showcased when he did his little dances after getting his hand on opposing players when the games were meaningless. Now, his family and friends can start to wonder MAYBEEEE he shouldn't be in the NFL and they might find him a home in some flag football league.

Promo ... you have access to that information? A new line of postings is forthcoming ... I am all amazed by the inside information you are able to secure!

Haha ... you are asking what's wrong with people on this board??? Oh my ... now that could be a very interesting discussion! I wrote this in another post but if this offense gives us a few more decent games and allows this OL to play together we may have the makings of a good line for years to come. BELL, LEVITRE, HANGARTNER, WOOD, and HOWARD. Four of them are very young and it is even possible to imagine Wood moving over to center and Urbik sliding into the RG slot. Suddenly, out of nowhere, we might have an offense ... give Gailey the credit!

All a scouting staff can do is make recommendations ... Modrak was not the general manager nor the coach at any time since he was hired by the Bills. Every single rumored report that came out of OBD even before the 2009 season was over implied that Modrak had Cushing rated as his pick for the team. However the defense that Coach Dick had us playing was not necessarily a good fit for Cushing and Coach Dick clearly wanted Mr. MayBE. You are soooo wrong to say that MayBEEEE would have otherwise been a 4th round pick because if you go back and pull up the draft-nik's predictions of the first round MayBEEEE was a first round pick in almost all forecasters opinions. No one had him falling to the 4th round, the reason MayBEEE came out was that he knew he was going to be picked by someone in the first round. We will never know about Cutler v. Losman either. Frankly, I have faith in Nix to sort out what's right and wrong with our scouting system but just like with the team this is going to take time. He has the GM power and if Modrak is the problem (I think most of us agree that he has to have had a major influence for all these drafts even if he didn't want MayBEEE or Losman.) then I think Nix will push him through the thin ice. However if our picks went counter to Modrak's recommendations and if his recommendations have panned out for other teams then we may seem around for a longer period of time. None of us knows what goes on behind the curtain up on OBD so for anyone to claim they know what Modrak said or what influence he had is purely a guessing game.. All I know is that I am liking this year's picks so far and am not complaining about Wood or Levitre.

The fact that MayBE cannot even have an impact on Special Teams to me is proof that this has nothing to do with coaching ... it's all about Aaron's not being ready for prime time! Most draft picks that are not instant starters make the team by showing they have the drive to make a splash on special teams. This is true whether a player is a wide receiver, corner back or defensive lineman. If MayBE had the football smarts and drive to be an NFL player he'd be begging the coaches to put him in at Special Teams and then he'd take advantage of that to showcase what he could do. Moats is a prime example of a rookie using his drive on Special Teams to move right up into the starting line-up (he still has a lot to learn but at least he is learning on the field and may end up being a decent LB for the Bills). As for Edwards coaching ... haven't seen blitz packages; have seen players in positions they have never played before; and have seen the same huge holes for opposition running backs to stroll through. Plus we have seen the same "star" players, eg Poz and Whitner, always chasing down players rather than making the big hits to stop them in their tracks. I really wonder what's up in the secondary where the coach didn't change and neither did the personnel.

I will step up and agree with you!! The O-line may have found the answers at tackle with Bell and Howard. Young, not perfect but gamers who seem to correct their past mistakes. I want to see a couple more complete offensive games before I totally say yes we have an O Line but the Green Giant is done waving at opposing defensive players leisurely going by him to our QB and that alone is a plus! You have to like our 4 top wide outs. Evans is showing why he is a #1 receiver (all it takes is getting the ball to him downfield or at least trying to); Stevie Johnson is another one of those young guys who has made mistakes but is getting better all the time and fits in nicely at #2 although David Nelson is going to keep the pressure up; Roscoe in the slot has proved me wrong over and over this season ... his one leaping catch versus Baltimore alone had me eating crow; and David Nelson ... I love this kid and his potential. The TE position ... who knows. Shawn Nelson is so raw but from his college days has so much potential but I will say that this is a wash in need of improvement. Corey McIntyre ... give me 53 of him! He never stops ... just one of his hits on special teams is harder than all of the hits Mr. Aaron Maybe has had in his entire pro career plus he blocks with fervor and can catch the ball and run with it. He is such an asset to the Bills! Freddie Jackson ... still can't believe we demeaned him by having Marshawn start this year. Freddie is our MVP!! But having CJ in tandem gives us a powerful running attack. And, then there's Fitz ... again, I am eating crow but I am so enjoying how he plays the game and I will accept the interceptions just because he is willing to try. He is a nard nosed thinking QB and just maybe our answer to the next 5 years plus (at the very least he can be the starter until some future rookie stud takes over). And, then there's our offensive defense. I think linebackers are the key ... our NT's have no support so I don't want to lay the blame with Williams and Troup because without a single decent linebacker and weakness on the ends (who knows maybe Dwan will have more games like Sunday) they aren't going to do anything. So, right now I want some defensive stud as my first pick ... I can remember this stud we picked up in the mid-80's .... BRUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCE

The 'NO FUN LEAGUE' continues to show what a closet institution it is. When I think back about Pete Rozelle and how he created fun through football with the result that professional football became our national game (I still will be tuned into the Series but don't follow each week's baseball games like I do the NFL.) I cringe that these current power brokers can't even accept the players enjoying their work and then they hide their mistakes behind their iron curtain!

You would think he'd be a monster on special teams ... no big guy blocking him ... just use those athletic skills and speed to get to the ball. Frankly, his position would be in a flag football league because he doesn't appear to want to hit nor be hit. I give Gailey credit for making an example of him this week ... all his family and bud's in the stands waiting to see him do nothing and he really did nothing! Let's get the guys on the field who want to play and just cut those who don't and never look back at them again!

I agree ... no moral victory but for the first time this season this was a game worth watching the offense a second time ... And, as a former Whitner supporter, Dante is not putting it out on the field when he needs to. Since he started playing how many interceptions have slipped through his fingers ... Sunday's was a golden opportunity then there was Heap's touchdown #2 when Donte had his back to the play and after the touchdown tried to hit him. This D is a sad blend of players but finally the offense is showing something ... maybe just maybe we have our complete O Line ... we have the running backs ... Evans, Nelson, Johnson, and Parrish at wide outs ... maybe Nelson at TE ... and you have to love McIntyre the bulldog at FB. Now if they can string another O game like this one next week I just might start believing.

Maybe he can play safety .... the ones we have sure can't. At Safety Mr. Maybe won't have to deal with offensive linemen ...

I too have been a Whitner apologist but this season and especially the second touchdown to Heap ... turn around guy!!! And, the near interception was once again in his hands and could have been a game ender. Byrd has the sophomore jinx but these guys are so out of place that it makes me sick!

So ... let me see ... does this mean that the Buffalo Bills are not the only team in the league that has difficulty determining who should be and who should not be a #1 pick? This speaks volumes of a need to have a rookie salary scale so that these neophytes who look so good on college gridirons versus opponents of questionalble skill levels do not immediately get paid more than seasoned veterans with experience.