shoretalk

We will see tonight how badly he wants it and how well he can play under the pressure of 'this is your opportunity!' I think all of us are wanting a quarterback who can manage the game and throw passes downfield more than 5-10 yards. It might be Trent but last week was truly disappointing ... I did love what I saw in Levi's game as he mopped things up (take note Howard Simon ... things to happen late in preseason games). It would be really interesting to see what he could do over a quarter or more of play. The bottom line ... for Bills fans ... somebody please be the answer at QB!! And, no more injuries this year!

Kevin Glenn has a QB rating of 102.2 ... he's just up the road in Hamilton ... I think we can maybe get him in for games on Sunday's ... and I hear the MADDEN CFL ratings are sky high for him! http://www.ticats.ca/roster/show/id/135 Right now ... I want every and any quarterback who is not on the Bills' roster and who has never looked at our playbook nor played with our wide receivers or behind our o-line. I know any one of them would take us immediately to the Super Bowl ... and we can get to the Super Bowl if we just get one of them ... Kellen Clemens would lead us to at worst a 12-4 season ... Thigpen an 11-5 year ... but Kevin Glenn ... we can win them all with him! Let's go pick them all up now ... and while we are at it ... let's see who the Raiders cut first and plug them in here ...

1. We are not alone in suffering injuries but it sure seems like the Bills are jinxed. Nelson looked like he was going to be our #4 WR and he still might be. There was no way he was going to push out Evans, Johnson, or Parrish from the top 3 slots but after that the field is wide open and Gailey appears to honestly not care where you were drafted but whether you can play. Nelson showed he can play on ST and in the offense (just hope he is not injury prone). Hardy is still in trouble with Roosevelt, Jackson, and Jones all playing better than he has been plus his injuries don't help him. We weren't going to trade Lynch anyhow but now we all the trade the BEAST advocates can understand the value of having more than one top line RB in the line-up. Wang is a rookie and it is extremely rare for a rookie to crack a starting line-up because it takes time to learn the NFL system (Bell was going through this learning curve last year, which was his first true year in the NFL) so if he made the line-up it would have been as a back-up but he was more a PS candidate. 2. I love hearing how Ellis is stepping up ... this kid is showing a willingness to learn and work hard. Although Kelsay still may be starting it looks like Ellis is doing all he can to become a starting LB in the 3-4 system the Bills are using.Mitchell is not going anywhere but his starting days may be over ... he's a guy who is going to have to apply himself and his injury last year isn't helping him. Roscoe is not on the cutting list, it sounds like Gailey has big plans for him. 3. I have more faith in the potential of Bell and even Meredith than this board does. It takes time for young tackles to develop. I will not declare that we have the worst set of tackles until I see a few games ... obviously as a fan I hope that we have at least a good set of tackles but it is possible they might be better than good. After preseason game #1 it looks like we have the same Trent Edwards but maybe coaching will help or Brohm will have the answer ... I do know what I saw of Levi made me feel good (unlike Howard Simon and the GR sports list makers I did watch the entire game last week and replayed Brown's performance). I think we have what we need at the outside LB position and wide receiver slot especially if Nelson returns quickly as our #4 guy. TE with Stupar or even Nelson we might be able to make some down field plays that go for more than 3 yards so I am more optimistic than you. 4. Ownership ... well, first, if any NFL team or teams are moving the Bills won't be the first one. I think we are pretty safe but it would be great for someone with deep pockets and a local connection to put some money out for the team. Another post talked about the rumor that some team may be selling 40% of the team this fall due to estate issues so that could be the Bills too. But, with our ticket sales and stadium situation I don't see the Bills moving any time soon if ever. And, what the heck ... there isn't even going to be a season next year. GO BILLS!!

Sadly the responses to your posting are reflective of the type of language that all too many posters continue to choose to use in a public dialogue. It usually means that their minds cannot come up with an intellectual come-back or that they are so full of themselves that they can not respect another's opinion. I noted that those running the board want us to report individuals but the question is ... what are the intended limitations for participation on this Buffalo Bills' fan discussion board? Are posters allowed to demean the character of players who have not had run-in's with the law but who are just on the dislike list of the board? Are posters allowed to personally criticize those they disagree with rather than just posting the reason for their disagreements? Most of us want to be in dialogue about the team we follow win or lose. That discussion obviously includes reviewing those who provide coverage of the team. This board has some great posters such as those whose visits to training camp have given us more insight into the team than the media does so there is a lot of good happening here. Frankly, I think most of us would quickly forget to put the + or - when starting a new post. It is more important that most of us try to be civil with each other and start reporting those who don't have that basic common decency. It will be interesting to see if those in charge take any action ...

It's so nice to hear an interview with a reporter on the Bills' beat rather than with a columnist. Keep these links coming ... too bad it wasn't conducted within the last week or two.

And, everyone else's cuts would be pro-bowlers if only Bills' management were smarter than the team making the cut and all the other teams ignoring these potential superstars! And, of course any player who comes to be disliked by this board not only should be cut but deserves to be injured in the future.

EXCUSE ME ... their job is to talk about sports and to be the alleged "experts" on the team. If Howard does not watch the complete Bills' preseason game and I would think a professional sports talk guy would watch it again just to be able to provide insight into the nuances of the play of our 2nd stringers (yea, it's boring ... yea, the game was nausiating but I watched the entire game so that I could see how the rookies played ... I was able to watch Levi's professionalism even against the scrubs ... I was able to see Bell's running abilities ...and that's what a sports talk host is supposed to do). SPORTS TALK stations are supposed to talk SPORTS not lists ... I will agree that their hosts are not requried to be fans of the local teams but they are assumed to spend more time watching and reviewing information about the local teams so that their opinion can have more veracity than the anonymous bloggers on this wall. And, when there is not anything new happening with the local teams ... then SPORTS TALK hosts talk about national or world sports ... they introduce information that listeners might not otherwise have ... the find guests to interview ... authors ... experts ... athletes ... retired athletes ... they in other words produce a show that is about SPORTS but first and foremost it is about the local professional and college teams ... Yes, right now the Bills are a bad team ... but there are more interviews with Bills coaches and experts on out of town stations than there are on the two Buffalo so-called sports stations. Although after reading some of the promo stuff on Brad at WECK it's clear that he is not claiming to be sports talk guy ... I just wish Nick was on during the late afternoons ... he is the one guy who apparently understands sports' talk programming. So, GR has NO EXCUSE ... NONE WHATSOEVER ... my only suggestion to those of you living in Buffalo is to let the sponsors know that you have had it ... won't buy their products because they are not sponsoring true sports programming. When the EMPIRE SPORTS NETWORK died ... Buffalo sports talk died. Bob Koshinski knew how to program a sports station and Howard was really good on the air there. Well back to Philadelphia Sports talk I go .. they might even talk about the Bills ... and I know they won't be giving me their favorite lists

Frankly after WEEK ONE's performances (With the full understanding that they were WEEK ONE's performances) ... Levi was the best we had and there's nothing wrong with that. If we continue to see quality quarterbacking from our draft pick ... then just perhaps we will see Levi as the #2 guy or maybe #1 even though that is not what Gailey has in mind right now. But when the cream rises to the top ... go for it! As for the ridiculous idea of accepting Raider cast-off's ... well let's just leave it with the word RIDICULOUS ... unless of course they have a great MADDEN RATING ... then trade half the team for him! MMM I wonder if the Ti-Cats have cut anyone lately ...

Well, I tuned into the GR list guys ... and then to Brad on the WECK and although I shouldn't be shocked I discovered that with about 2 hours and 10 minutes to go before kick-off neither station is talking BILLS. However, sports radio in Washington is ... http://www.triplexespnradio.com/! Go figure ... WGRF starts talking Bills at 6pm but here it is the start of the preseason and there is empty airspace up in Buffalo. It is so sad ...

I have it from a source that I cannot name that not only this is true but that before the Miami game we will be signing every player under the age of 30 who Chan has ever shook hands with because if they have been cut by another team and Chan knows them then they must be better than anyone currently on the roster who has been through OTA's and preseason with the team. I can't wait for the first wave of cuts because that will be when our roster starts to be filled. GEESH!

Clausen had a very pedestrian rookie debut in a preseason game ... nothing to salivate over! I have heard positive things about his camp so far but ... it's too early. We all know about quarterbacks who have looked like the next Peyton Manning in training camp and preseason games and have fallen flat on their faces. All that being said ... 30 other teams passed on Jimmy boy. It might have been his cockiness who knows ... but we were not alone in passing on this kid. As a BILLS' fan, I sure would love to see Trent turn around under Gailey because he was getting those kind of raves from his first training camp and from his performances in his first preseason games. If not, then perhaps Levi is the answer. Clausen is not and will never be a Buffalo Bill so let's get over that one ...

Sadly, most of the national media gets paid for work they don't do but then again listen to Buffalo 'sports' radio and you'll find guys getting paid who pay no attention to sports whatsoever. The mere fact that MAYBIN was profiled as a 'bright spot' means that his PR machine has reached the media ... would love for him to be a bright spot (not yet a fan of our #1 from last year but his attitude seems to be changed and tonight we will see if there is any evidence of it on the field). It has been clear for a long time that ESPN has its favorites and is not impartial. And, if you read a lot of the national columnists you will see the same thing. And, the national radio guys love the players who show up for them but otherwise ... they don't care. Once the season starts we will know our bright spots ...hopefully there will be quite a few of them!

Heard a guy call into Philly talk radio and say the Eagles will go undefeated (again) this year ... and claim the Bills can't win anything at all. I am booking that especially after seeing how our guys are rated on MADDEN!! Truly amazing how these experts determine the seasons before the final preseason injuries are added up. Right now ... I am excited about the possibilities of the Bills for a few reasons: 1. If we could win as many games as we did with Jauron's play to not lose philosophy that put the cap on offensive creativity and stressed having the defense on the field for extended periods of time I can only believe that Gailey's aggressive coaching style can only mean a few more wins in close situations. 2. Our defensive backfield is being set free ... we can compete with anyone's passing game and the new game in town will open us up to see more interceptions. 3. Our return game ratcheted up another notch with Spiller and a return of Roscoe because his coaches have confidence in him. 4. THE BEAST appears to be back (not a big Marshawn fan because of his off-field stuff and his 2009 performance but am willing to give guys a chance) and in combination with Jackson and Spiller ... our running game just needs a few small holes to gain ground. 5. A Head Coach who is putting his own neck on the line for the offensive game each week ... this means on 3rd and 8 we try for 9 rather than Jauron's efforts to gain 4 and punt. It means accountability. So, GO BILLS ... there is hope ... and in EAGLES country there are way too many dreamers who just can't believe that all of their players are not PRO-BOWL calibar and that anyone can defeat their BIRDS. Once in a while I'd like to see this kind of eternal optimism from Bills' fans.

I so love the image of Spiller and McKelvin back there together ... kicking teams won't be able to kick away from either one. I thought Jackson did a great job last year proving his value to the team but he didn't have the 'go all the way' possibilities that Spiller and McKelvin have. As for punts ... we have one of the best in Roscoe! Sadly last year after he made a couple of human errors Jauron closed him down rather than pushing him right back in with confidence! This is the year we will finally see some points up on the Bills' side of the scoreboard, which will allow our defense the opportunity to be even more aggressive. GO BILLS!

I so agree ... what a sad commentary to criticize someone for going to 'their team's training camp!' Some of my best memories as a boy are when my dad took time from work to take me out to see the Bills' training camp even though the team wasn't very good. I was able to see my favorite players up close and my journey as a Bills' fan began both for the good and the bad times. If you don't see a value in visiting a training camp or going to games then why are you here? The Falcons' fan page might be calling out your name or perhaps you are just one of the all too many negative voices on this board who get some sort of strange personal satisfaction from raining on others' parades. One of my friends just posted to his Facebook the joy of taking his adult son to their favorite football team's training camp ... had nothing to do with the team's win-loss record but had everything about bonding between father & son along with others who are fans of a sports team. I am too far away to get up to Rochester for training camp but if I was up in the Buffalo area I know I'd make at least one visit and look skyward to thank dad for helping me become a fan of this team.

Thanks Promo! I am glad to note that Buffalo's music stations at least are talking Bills football!!! Wonder what list is being discussed on GR today?

You are soooo right. Frankly, all of us who have gained expertese in the intricacies of professional football through our Madden games know that one mistake that can be picked up through our binoculars is cut time. And, don't let anyone try to fool you ... offensive lineman right out of college should never miss a block, never be in motion before the snap, and never go in a direction other than the specific steps outlined in the playbook, which of course all of us have access to. I do not understand those defenders of Bell, Meredith or even Levitre and Wood who say ... 'oh they are first year players we shouldn't expect them to play like Pro-Bowl veterans.' I am sorry ... cut them .... the Bills only pick up error prone players ... I'd rather fill my team with the cuts other teams make because other teams never make bad selections so even their rejects are more talented than our guys. Believe you me ... my binoculars will be right on every move each of these Modrak picks makes and if they make one mistake ... it will be time to rip them apart here on the board ... and I'll be checking the first group of cuts from other teams to see who is ready to step into our line-up ... who cares if they are old and out of shape ... they are coming from another team that is all that matters. And, I don't want players who want our team to win either ... so dump that Donte too. We need players from other teams who just keep their mouths shut and do their business on the field. We should assign members of this board to each player drafted by the Bills with the responsibility to remind us how totally awful each Buffalo Bill player is.

Not so sure about all this pro-bowl nonsense but Donte has been a leader who has a passion for the game and he has been one of the few Bills' players to speak out for the team. It seems like we have lost so many players who buy into Buffalo and Bills' tradition but Donte has from day one. All the whiners on this board who rip him apart have not been paying attention to what he was asked to do under the Tampa D. He was not in a position to make interceptions nor to really make big plays ... instead he was asked to be a trooper who had a lot of responsibilities perhaps none of which played to the strength of his abilities. The reports that are really hitting home are the out of town media's but it seems clear to me that he is ready for a big season. Our 'D' excites me with its possibilities ... Byrd the ball hawk, Donte given the opportunity to play to his talent, and the best D-Back group in the league. Up front Williams/Troupe, Stroud, Carrington, et. al. are looking strong and I like our middle LB's. The weak links are those outside LB's but with the defensive scheme we are playing and with an offensive minded coach who should have the O on the field for a lot more time this season ... the D should shine!

Does this mean he is available? Maybe we should sign him up because after all we know Kelsay's no good (interception tonight Chris, way to go!)

I think this team us ready for the next needed element ... Teaching the philosophy that once the real games start that it is each players responsibility to play every moment thinking how not to lose ... No wild plays ... Be preDICKtable and safe ... on 3rd and 9 remember a safe gain of 4 yards with a punt is better than a risky pass 15 yards down field. Protect any 3rd quarter lead by being so very careful in the last 15 ... After all football is meant to be non-aggressive and a thoughtful experience.

I agree with other posters that this board certainly gets wrapped up in creating whipping boys of players like Whitner and Kelsay who play their hearts out doing what the coaches want them to do but don't get the headlines because of lack of interceptions or sacks. Kelsay had a really good year last year playing the 'D' that our team had ... sounds like the coaches really like him for this new OLB position but Ellis may be pushing him for the starting slot. As for your list: Chris Kelsay - he stays in either a starting or key back-up role. Keith Ellison - Never deserved to be subject to the criticism of this board because he fit into our prior defensive scheme of small fast players. His talent should have him in a ST or back-up role on a team playing the 4-3 so I agree we cut him but he might end up on the Giants. Ryan Fitzpatrick - A really good #2 guy but unless he works miracles in the preseason games he will be gone. They must step up or go as well: Chris Ellis - Read the Coach Chan's comments ... Ellis is not going anywhere because he has already stepped up. James Hardy - An interesting dilemma at wide-out since it is pretty clear that Stevie Johnson is quickly nailing down the #2 slot. We have a lot of young quality receivers and Hardy needs to show something in the preseason or he will find himself at the back of the pack. John McCargo - I think he is cut with the first cuts ... Ashton Youboty - We are keeping him. Our strength is the secondary and even though he won't be in the nickle package it is pretty clear that we will keep six DB's and he'll be one of them. Kirk Chambers - Although he stepped up to fill in at many spots in the line his diversity is not going to save him. The reports I have read from this camp have him as the worst lineman in camp. But, again the game action can change opinions and he can play all 5 spots on the line. Beastmode (trade hopefully) - No way! BEAST is staying put ... the running game is going to be our bread and butter this year. Unless a team like Denver puts a solid trade offer in place Marshawn is staying and he seems to have the right attitude as a team guy for now. Must step up but obviously staying: Aaron Maybin (makes me cringe every time I watch Orakpo play) - CLEARLY NEEDS to show something .. Trent Edwards - Hoping Chan is able to get him turned around ...

Thanks!!! A great report that far exceeds anything that the mainstream media is giving us! Keep up the good work!

Living out of town and hoping to catch some BILLS' talk I have become totally frustrated with GR! Here in South Jersey there are numerous SPORTS TALK stations that do nothing but talk EAGLES football with a mix of PHILLIES and a few other sports items tossed in. Not a single Philly or South Jersey Sports Talk station would ever devote more than a minor portion of their programming to non-sports material. I would be so curious to see what the ratings are for GR ... but sadly even WECK radio with Nick Mendola in the afternoon frequently leaves the subject of sports to talk about video games or other non-sports items. I have never ever heard a single mention of the Buffalo Bisons nor their parent affiliate the NY Mets on either station. Frankly, I am interested in knowing about the Bisons and about the UB Bulls summer program ... is there anotehr Naaman Roosevelt on the squad? I miss EMPIRE SPORTS on cable because it was available on my cable system here and I was able to get Buffalo sports every single day of the year ... Perhaps a local boycott of GR's sponsors might help ... if everyone on this board would contact each of GR's sponsors and complain maybe the almighty dollar might influence a return to sports talk on a sports talk station.

I am so tired of all the whining and misperceptions about the Bills being cheap. When it comes to the Number One picks the dollar amounts are slotted in and the Bills have never underpaid any of their picks. We are once again seeing an agent who hinted early that because Spiller was the first RB drafted that he should get something better than a #9 pick would get taking control. Mr. May-Be last year did the same thing ... the Bills did not under pay him. And, if we look back historically, the Bills are in the middle of the pack getting the deal done and for many years were amongst the first team doing the deal. The good news is that we have two very good running backs working out each day ... it will be interesting to hear what Buddy has to say if the deal isn't done soon ... might be very interesting.

Just a note on casino's ... from an Atlantic City experience ... When the casino's came to town their primary goal was to eliminate every restaurant and entertainment venue anywhere close to where the gaming is happening. It took almost 30 years before a developer finally brought in shops that are starting to turn the city around. You still won't find many local restaurants ... the casino's wouldn't even buy ticket blocks to our minor league hockey and baseball teams that would have given them enough to survive so both teams failed. They do not contribute to local charities ... they discourage other start-up venues ... Atlantic City's Steel Pier keeps trying to be a family option but the casino's keep trying to get them to shut down their operations. The myth of the golden egg of casino's should not be believed ... all they leave is the yolk to clean up after because they are one industry that is not supportive of their local communities they are about greed because after all that is what they thrive on! The Buffalo waterfront is beautiful (if you don't look at the collapsing relic's of the past) with the marina and the naval park. So many lost dreams ... so many lost opportunities .. reading about the failure of the light rail brings back memories of the Theater District's potential ... the Tralf ... oh well, another day.