BillsfaninFl

Now, if by some miracle, we get Da'Quan Bowers in the second round, we will have the makings of a solid defensive line.

I agree. They may have actually got one right.

I had season tickets while I lived in Buffalo. I bought their merchandise for myself and my kids. I tailgated before and after games. I have followed them all these years knowing that the evidence is overwhelming that the owner was more interested in making as many bucks as possible without any regard for the fans who added to his wealth. Finally, the last few years, I have begun to realize that the way the organization is mismanaged means that the odds are extremely slim that this team will ever win a Super Bowl. There have been a small number of seasons where good, knowledgeable football people were hired (before they were known to be great) and they brought in enough really good players to have a strong team for a few years. But the organization showed that it was not committed to keep solid staff members or star players, so most of the Bills seasons have been studies in mediocrity. I keep hoping that one of those accidental eras occurs, where enough of the right people end up in Buffalo and a competitive Bills team is again representing it's fans. Therefore, I am sacrificing this calf, sheep and goat on the alter of fire, begging the football gods for something to cheer about. Actually, I'm barbequing during the days leading up to the draft, so that even if I'm frustrated by the choices the organization makes, my buddies and I can eat and drink like it's a celebration. Anyway, the football gods have had it in for us ever since O.J. cut left and right, then got away with it.

I know Modrak would never admit how bad a job he has done, so we have to forgive him for trying to spread around the blame. But since he, Wilson and the execs have been continuosly present for several years where not a single elite player has been drafted in any round, it's hard to buy into well we have picked up some who are good. You can pick a few who are good by throwing darts at a list of names on a wall. But while we may have acquired a few players who would be starters on some other teams, that is not a performance that is acceptable.

JaKool, I'll be polite. What you are saying could never happen because the GM and Coaches would be looking for a new job if they did that. But if we treat it as a realistic option, it would still be unwise because good players we have would be eager to leave, free agents would be even less interested in playing for the Bills than they are now, and Andrew Luck would refuse to go to Buffalo (like the younger Manning did with San Diego). Heck, there are a number of disgruntled fans who would think of it as "the last straw" and abandon the Bills. Even the slim chance that the Bills stay in Buffalo would be negatively impacted, because local money guys would be less enthusiastic about "saving" the team from departure if they were that screwed up.

I guess last year was also a perfect time to draft a quarterback, because the Bills did just that. Then again, next year will also be a perfect time to draft a quarterback if Luck is available. But why draft one? We can just pick up one off of someone's practice squad. (They did that, too.) BTW, Vinny Testaverde is not on anyone's roster this year. You know, based on the last decade, it seems like the Bills pick the people they do to avoid being predictable. So even if they pick a QB, it will not be someone who the "experts" rate as a potential star. It will be another "reach." But at least they will continue to be unpredictable.

We might as well be talking about New England offering to trade their entire team for ours. This is a fantasy dream, not something that might happen.

Guys, this is not a new development. If you read the owners' submittal, you would have seen weeks ago that a number of examples were given where union representatives were admitting that the union is doing this as a strategy, and that they are not really decertifying. This is why the owners called it "not dealing in good faith." They also stated that the union did this years ago, as evidence that this is an illegal tactic that they are doing again. Of course, the owners are also using "bad faith" tactics, but they are not stupid enough to admit it. So why didn't the union leadership not make it clear to their representatives that comments like these will undermine their attempt to strengthen their bargaining position? Or... if they did, why would multiple player reps indicate that the union is not really decertifying? Perhaps the reps are responding to a growing number of digruntled players who think their union leadership is taking too radical an approach. As a fan, I only care about the game of football being played as it has been, next season and beyond. I do not care about either group of greedy people involved in this. They all have a hell of a lot more money than I do. If the players win these lawsuits, football will not remain the same, and if the league's antitrust status is removed, the game will be a watered down version of what it is now. If the owners get their way, the game will continue relatively unchanged. Therefore, I hope the owners win.

Easy to see your bias. For your info, an allegation is something that may or may not have happened. The decertify, file lawsuits, recertify happened already. Therefore, it is a fact. And players are openly making comments that they will be a union again after trying this lawsuit strategy. That is also a fact. I never said the owners were innocent of bad faith moves. I'm just pointing out that this judge will not decide the future of the NFL, and that I doubt that she will even be able to get a ruling on the injunction to stick because of jurisdictional issues. It's an opinion based on fact, not emotion or allegiance.

Make that the last decade +

Nothing in the article that we don't already know. But based on the Bills drafting record of the last decade, teams can rely on them not picking the highest rated available guy at a position. So the half dozen teams picking after the Bills don't really have to worry about the Bills taking the player they want. Almost every year the Bills' first pick (and some others) are categorized as a "reach" by some experts. We can bash the experts all we want, but the result has been that our reaches have not turned out to be stars, while most of the experts' choices have been better players. So if the Bills are trying to be clever about it, does anyone care?

Being a successful lawyer does not mean she will get to decide the fate of the NFL. In fact, there is strong evidence that she doesn't have authority to rule on an injunction. The arrogant comments of the union representatives are going to hurt them in this case. It's obvious they are going to pull the same bad faith move they did the last time: decertify, file lawsuits, then recertify. This is not something you can get away with more than once. They are on shakey ground.

My thoughts: 1. The article may be well thought out, but it is a spin job, making it sound like the players should get more, when the owners opted out of the current CBA because they think the players are getting too much. This isn't a proposed solution, it's wishful thinking. 2. What's going to happen when the television networks start to see a decline in their viewer share percentage during NFL games? They will offer less for the TV rights and the golden egg will start to get smaller. Then the greed game between the two sides will get even uglier. 3. I laugh when I read comments about one side or another losing their support by the fans. Both sides know that most fans don't care about them. We are the financial peasants paying for the financial royalty's lifestyle. We care about the game (our addiction to football). While I'll be unhappy if I don't get to watch football this Fall, and/or unhappy if the league has to start all over again with lesser talent levels, I know that in a few years there will be new stars playing and the games will again be as entertaining as it is today. So if we have to suffer for awhile, at least we know it is temporary. I sometimes wonder if the suffering from being a Bills fan is temporary. 4. Lastly, to those who think that owners disclosing their profits will solve the problem, this couldn't be farther from the truth. Then the arguement would be players trying to tell owners that they make enough money. Good luck with that. And if you want to really get in touch with reality, consider that the percentage of profit becomes the salary cap. Not every team (see Buffalo Bills) will spend up to the cap. Not every player will automatically make more money (like those in their declining years or who can no longer make a team).

Yes he can. His top pick last year was for a player at our deepest position. So he has proven he is that dumb. Then he had to dump a good player for a net gain of zero. I can't believe Chan lovers think it's a good thing for him to trash his players to the media. That's how coaches lose the respect of their players.

Dear Owners: You brought this on yourselves by bidding crazy numbers for top talent, offering to give the players a percentage of the profits, and generally making bad business decisions because you knew that you could rape the fans for all the extra money. However, any cash cow has a limit and the fans are telling you that enough is enough. Dear Players: Thinking of insane profits, go back and look at how much player contracts have grown over the years. There is absolutely no rationale that makes it okay. Inflation, the cost of living, etc. do not justify what you guys make in a year. I'm all for you on issues like post-career health insurance and better safety measures (helmets, etc.), but not for more money... or even the money you make now. Dear Fans: There is nothing we can do about these issues that will have any significant influence. But eventually, the league will lose its cult-like status as fans just can't afford to support it as much. The profits will decline (even without a recession) and owners and players will have to have more reasonable expectations. I would hate to not be able to watch my favorite players next season, but no matter what happens, there will be football after that and new young stars will emerge and we'll enjoy it. So chill out about this, because it's not the end of football as we know it.

Either way, it will have no affect on the Bills. Buddy Nix's bedroom light just went out.

Some good points being made in this post. My two cents: 1. Trading two preseason games for two regular season games is unpopular with the players because the starters would be playing a lot more snaps. In preseason games, these veterans play sparingly, so it is not an apples to apples comparison. 2. Coaches probably don't like the idea because they must make quicker decisions about who to keep and dump, as well as what plays the team can execute well. 3. Making the regular season longer doesn't really put a significant number of bucks in the owners' pockets unless there are more games played. So they will not agree to the idea. I believe owners feel they can push this concept through under the guise of responding to fan pressure to eliminate some preseason games (at full price) when there is little entertainment value in these contests. It's not going to work. 4. Sadly, I am weak, and would love to watch two more games played by each team. However, I can not support the move in good conscience because it would mean more injuries and increased numbers of players on Injured Reserved. (Heavens, we wouldn't want to have some other team break the hallowed records the Bills have set for guys on I.R. in a season.) 5. The macro picture would include shortened careers by our favorite (the best) players. It would spread the talent thinner throughout the league (like it did when they switched from 14 to 16 regular season games) and mean more boring non-meaningful games.

Don't believe those guys. They are wrong about who the Bills will draft every year. However, if the Bills had picked who the majority of "experts" recommended during the last decade, I believe we would have been watching a more competitive team during those years. Based on successes and busts, it is easy to make a case for the Bills being one of the worst drafting teams for many years. Therefore, the "experts" are almost always wrong about the Bills' draft choices because their guesses assume that the team will draft wisely.

You are close to the heart of the matter. Years ago, players got six figure salaries and earned them by sacrificing their bodies for a few years (and in many cases suffering for the rest of their lives). A few owners got so greedy that they started crazy bidding wars for star players. The owners deserve what they got by letting things get out of hand. Yes, the players are super spoiled and think they are entitled to way more than they deserve. But they are going to get theirs, too. The fans are the only ones who pay the tab for both groups, but have no say in the matter. But eventually, more and more fans are going to say "enough." "I love the game but will not overpay for it any more." All good things come to an end and when the NFL goes into decline it will be because of mutual owner and player greed.

Did some of you really think Wilson did well in the interview? I think he put his foot in his mouth as he usually does. What good is it to plead "no confidence" in your quarterback after he had his best season? And trying to lower fan expectations by saying making the playoffs may be two or three years away isn't going to bring in a new crowd of season ticket holders (especially when even that estimate had the disclaimer that it will only happen IF they get a quarterback. Ralph is his own worst enemy in the PR game.

Congrats! This is the best post of the day.

Not to worry. The Bills never tip their hand before the draft. In fact, they are so good at masking what they are going to do, that they then go ahead and make illogical picks to further throw off the opponents' ability to figure out the OBD staff. Actually, based on the Bills' recent drafting history, there are probably few (if any) members of the opposition who care what conclusions Buffalo front office personnel and coaches arrive at. It falls in the category of Football Follies with its ineptness.

I don't care who wins. I'll be rooting for whomever the winner plays against in the next game.

Are you forgetting Mike Williams at number 4?

I can't think about a #2 HC, because It is so painful reading this lovefest for Belicheat. The pain increases when I have to admit he is #1. Is Lombardi still coaching?