All_Pro_Bills

The hurry up made no sense. First you do it right, then you do it faster. Doing it wrong faster leads to more punts and a tired defense in the 4th quarter. Play calling - 3rd and 1 is not a passing down the majority of the time. Didn't see much variation in game plan from opponent to opponent regardless of who they were playing against with the exception that Tuel and Lewis threw more downfield than EJ. If its not a play calling difference but rather a QB difference we have a major problem with our starter's confidence. That said, I'm expecting to see some 'designed' plays specifically for Watkins and Spiller this year. I don't want to see the same offensive plays with Spiller or Jackson in the game. Tailor the calls to the situation and the personnel. I want to see calls that get Watkins into space. I'd like to see more use of EJ's mobility, rolling out and throwing on the move, because it seems he's more accurate and comfortable moving out of the pocket and throwing on the run.

This does seem to be on Marrone because barring injuries, the coaching staff should be settled by this point on the 5 starters for the offensive line. This is creating more confusion, inconsistency, and a lack of communication resulting in a lot of blown assignments. On some plays I saw 6 guys blocking 3 while the 4th rusher came unblocked. Right now Glenn is back, Henderson has played well enough to challenge Pears, Wood is settled in at center, Ubrik has been as good as anyone else at right guard and they signed Chris Williams for decent free agent money. If he doesn't start then I question the signing and the thought process. Richardson and Kojo aren't ready. And EJ's body language just doesn't send the signals of a guy that is comfortable and confident playing the QB position for whatever reason. Maybe its on him, maybe its the on-line, maybe its the play calling? Or some combination of them? One of my nephews who isn't a Bills fan told me that he gets the impression from watching that the Bills offense seems fairly predictable (he got no argument from me on that) and that EJ seems to just run the play called by the OC and doesn't audible out when making his pre-snap reads. At a minimum it gave me something more to think about. I'm getting a little off-topic but I guess that begs the question how much freedom is the coaching staff giving the QB to audible out of the play calls? I realize this is still only pre-season but has Hackett designed an offense around the talent or is he trying to fit the talent to the design? The second alternative is rarely a path to success. I know the OC is often viewed as a convenient scapegoat but is our biggest problem really that our OC in over his head and the HQ is oblivious or ignoring this problem?

Typically, expectations among Bills fans are sky high as we get ready for the season opener in less than 2 weeks. Usually lots of excuses for poor pre-season performance with things like vanilla offense, not game-planning, hiding stuff, new receivers, new coaches, new system, etc. This year not so much. Maybe that's a good contrary indicator? Sometimes when you see capitulation, people giving up and throwing in the towel, it's a sign we've reached rock bottom and are on the way up. Maybe we get a pleasant surprise for once? If any fanbase deserves a break its us Bills fans. I'm keeping Sunday Ticket. If I tried to cancel it my wife would get all over me about it and tell me I'm not much of a fan if I'm giving up before the season even starts. She watches the games too and at times is more devoted than I am to the Bills. I still haven't decided if having you wife like football and wanting to watch games on Sunday from 1 PM through to the night game is a good thing or not. Guess it's better than the guys that get married and find out their new wife hates watching sports and just 'faked' it when they were dating!

Hindsight is 20/20 and the 49ers knew exactly what they were getting with SJ. A guy that could potentially fill the 3rd receiver spot and could be called upon to start without much drop off if the 1 or 2 got hurt. If the cap number for a non-starter was troubling then don't make the deal plain and simple. But SF management saw SJ as someone that could be a productive part of their team which has a focus on winning and getting back to the big game this year, not putting cap hits and budget issues first. The Bills traded a player that had been productive with some mileage left but the team had also grown weary of his antics and what came off at time a 'me first' attitude. The fact they parlayed the received pick into acquiring players that should help the team now is a real plus.

Teams are required to report injuries based on the NFL rules and coaches are under no obligation to expand on the status or condition of specific players that might be hurt. And there are regulations and legal issues surrounding medical privacy. Questions about when he might come back, I can see those as legitimate but if your doctor is not allowed to share or discuss your personal medical condition with others why does anyone think fans have some 'right' to know intimate details about a players condtion? As for the coaches press conference? I didn't see it and I stopped watching these types of things some years ago. Press conferences, CBS or Fox pre-game shows, ESPN, NFL network shows. Don't watch any of them. Over time I concluded they were a waste of my time. For now I am only interested in what happens on the field on Sundays and what the coach has to say in a pre-season press conference isn't too important.

That's how it looks right now. I don't see much separation between the play of the 3 QB's so far. Sure its preseason but its preseason for every team so the excuse of playing vanilla or not wanting to show anything applies to every team including the defenses the Bills offense is facing. If the opposition is showing nothing exotic and your 2nd year QB still cannot figure 'it' out then you might have a problem. I'm not that down on the Watkins trade up and it all depends on where the Bills finish in judging the costs. A top 10 pick and you got to think the Bills gave up too much, a pick in the 20's, not so much. If the O-line comes together and the defense doesn't lose a step this team might go 8-8 even with medicore QB play. A good QB and we could be looking at 11 wins. I think Marone is safe for one more season barring a major disaster like 4-12.

I'm shocked at the Chicago media's prediction because when I looked at the schedule I saw the Bears game as a win for the Bills! Their O-line isn't good and their defense was ranked 30th last year in yards allowed so its nothing to get excited about. The Bills will probaby rush for something like 200 yards on opening day while the defense pummels Cutler to an early season beat down. I figured 3-1 vs. the NFC North with the probable loss to the Packers where GB is the only team of the 4 to finish the season over .500..

Right on from the players perspective. He can afford to wait. And there's a lot of risk for any team trading for Mallet. They would have to give up some picks and make a decision to commit to a new deal without a lot of information here. And what information would they use to make an evaluation of whether or not to commit big money and term? The guy hasn't played a regular season NFL game. Bringing in a QB you envision as your starter but has no experience at this point in training camp? Not seeing that as a winning formula. Gotta believe the smart money passes here and if interested waits until the free agency period starts next year to express interest without giving up any draft choices. Pats are going to come up empty unless they find some desperate GM to deal with here. Mallet is better off riding the bench another season and getting some freedom in picking next gig..

What's the problem with Hogan? By all accounts he's one of the first guys onto the practice field and one of the last to leave. The guy is putting in the time and effort to perform at and reach his full potential. Maybe that ceiling isn't as high as Woods or the other WR's but If his attitude and effort pushes the other WR's to do the same that can only be a good thing. It will make everybody better and the team better. I think the message during this camp from Marrone is that nobody is getting handed anything and what you get, like playing time, is earned by effort and performance.

I think patience is needed here for an evaluation of the book of work on EJ for the entire pre-season but we're a long way from being able to 'check off' the QB position from the things to worry about list. Nothing i saw last night gave me the warm and fuzzy feeling that EJ has the 'it' the good/great quarterbacks have.

Because he loves Skittles!

I think the A&M trademark should be invalidated on the grounds it is discriminitory and offensive similar to the Redskins trademark issue. This is clearly a case of gender discriminition A more PC version for the current social environment would be "the 12th person". Really, I am just joking here because to I think A&M is making a mountain out of nothing. The BIlls fan site does not seek to exploit the term for profit or personal gain. Only to rally fans around a specific cause. The use of the term and the site will likely be transitory. So what financial damage can that cause some college football program down in Texas?

From all the news 'leaks' it sounds like TP's bid was the highest and topped out around $1.25B. I'm not at all familiar with the process such as whether or not more bidders can submit proposals or if this transitions into a competitive bidding contest between specific choosen finalists. But I expect Pegula will emerge victorious here. Which constitutes a victory for Bills fans everywhere. It provides stability for the franchise and the league while raising the bar on the valuation front for all franchises, something the owners are certainly going to be happy with seeing. And its an 'all cash' offer, no mess, no fuss with investment banks and finances or 3rd parties being involved or complicated ownership arrangements. Just TP walking into the commissioners office with a suitcase full of $100's, laying it on the table, and opening it up, and and the trust saying 'deal'.

Not sure Buffalo will ever reach its previous level of prosperity but I applaud people like TP that have the willingness, the funding, and perhaps the vision to make things happen. Restoring the city center with things like Harbor Center seems like a worthy goal. With this I support the downtown stadium idea which could lead to all kinds of activity springing up around it. Buffalo continues to get a bad rap but I think its generally from people who have never been there. The weather issues are overrated. Sure it snows but the city rarely has any downtime as a result. This can't be said about many east coast cities but its generally true of the cities around the Great Lakes, another resource that can't be underestimated. Fresh water something many cities, for example the US southwest, are experienceing shortages (or maybe no shortage of water but too many people stressing the environment being the problem). Add hydroelectric power to the list of pluses and close proximity to the Canadian market. The big hang up probably being the high tax environment.

My understand is that the NFL did not consider Canadian territory to be part of the Bills market and only considers the U.S. territory when determining markets. That is why Buffalo is a small market team. If Toronto was considered to be part of the Bills market that would make the Bills one of the largest market teams in the league since the population of Toronto and Southern Ontario exceeds most NFL cities and its surrounding population centers. Does the league consider Vancouver to be part of the Seattle market? The distance between the two NFL cities and their Canadian counterparts is about the same. Windsor and western Ontario part of Detriot? But then again, I don't know this for sure, just sayin'.

From a quick read of the process and criteria it sounds like Pegula's mutli-billion dollar liquidity and single bidder status would put him near the top when ranking against the league's owners criteria. And if his bid is in the ballpark or the highest, and all cash, that would score points on the bid and payment and provide a straight path for the trust. No loans, no credit risk. Of the 'known' potential bidders to date my guess is Terry sounds like the right fit for the NFL owners along with an all cash payment to the Wilson trust.

I'm sort of where you are now. Used to attend at least one game a year from out of town. I love the tailgating experience, mingling with other fans both friends and strangers, along with the 'live' game experience. But I absolutely do not want to deal with the plastered idiots, shouting profanities, staggering around, and making a general nuasance of themselves.

I am by no means a soccer fan although I'll watch a little of something like the World Cup. One thing I do like about Soccer over US Football is the flow of the game with very few stoppages. NFL games have way too many stoppages generally for commerical time. Team 'A' scores a TD and kicks the extra point, Then 3 minutes of commericals. Team 'A'' kicks off and the ball sails out of the end zone. Change of possession to Team 'B'. 1st and 10. Now 3 more minutes of commericals. Worst case a 3 and out followed by a punt followed by 3 more minutes of commericals. So in about 12 minutes of clock time you see 3 minutes of action and 9 minutes of commericals. If somebody calls a time out we go to commerical. Only in OT are there no commerical breaks. Sometimes for a 1 PM Bills game I'll set the game to record, go outside and do some work in the yard for about 1 1/2 hours, clean up, not peek at any scores or game updates, and then watch the game from the start on tape delay. By about half way through the 4th quarter I'm usually up to real-time.

There you have it. People that don't have money don't have it for a couple reasons. Either they have no ability to make it or they don't know how to keep it. The guys that blow it all don't understand the simple concept of cash flow.

What should we consider facts? Is it hard numbers or other types of evidence? To be sure social norms have changed over time. Just look at the way people dress. If you look at pictures of people from the 1920's and 1930's ditch diggers back then were better dressed and groomed than the average mope you see roaming around the local mall transfixed by their smartphone. Looking at them and the blank stare on their faces as they await the next urgent message about the latest you tube video makes you understand why zombie flicks and shows are so popular now. Life imitates art I guess. At the game its not just the fights and the drunks but the level of profanity. Who wants to bring their kids to the game when every other word coming out of the mouths around you is 'F' this and 'F' that. And I get tired of hearing it too because after a while it just sounds stupid. So for sure, the average level of competency with the English language has come down dramatically over 20 or so years. Having a couple beers along with tailgating is great but I never understand why anyone wants to get so plastered that they cannot even walk or remember anything about the game. Getting drunk is not the problem but rather being nuasance to the people around you is the issue. If they would just pass out during the 1st quarter it would be a better game experience.

I think you're right about this. The two situations are similar in some respects but quite different in others. With the Sabres you had a long-term team of Darcy and Lindy in place for what seemed like a lifetime. And while both handled their jobs with complete professionalism they failed to deliver a championship. Compare their tenure and success rate to that of other hockey franchises like the Penguins or Devils that are not shy about making GM and HC changes and you can conclude ownership stayed with the duo far too long. And this might have been compounded by the series of ownership changes with the Sabres. The fact that Pegula was not only a new owner but a life-long Sabres fan appears to have clouded his judgment or at least delayed the decision to make the change. I suspect you won't see that kind of emotionalism with the Bills if he acquires the team. This is year 2 of Whaley/Marrone on the job so their book of work is not complete. I think they're headed in the right direction. I couldn't say this about Reiger/Ruff where I felt the Sabres were just treading water while preparing for the annual push for 9th place in the conference. The football duo will need to sell any new owner on their 'vision' for building a winner. And having a successful, winning, playoff appearance season in 2014 will go a long way in convincing ownership to stay the course for now. He's going to have to get on board with the current front office team or move in another direction if he doesn't buy into their approach. Either way, priority #1 is assured. The team stays in Buffalo with a TP as potential new owner.

I was excited about the Spikes signing because it filled a glaring need with regards to the run defense at MLB. And the guy brings a certain 'edge' that has been lacking around these parts for a whiile. I get the feeling the defense is going to develop a 'we don't get no respect so we'll show them every Sunday' attitude and that fits into Schwartz's wheelhouse pretty well per the feedback I've gotten from some Lions fans I know at work. As for SJ, he was an interesting personality, an honest guy that gave straight answers and told you what he was thinking. He was a good and productive receiver during his time with the Bills. But not faultless, with too many drops, some questionable judgment with TD demonstration penalties, and at times he displayed a lack of accountability when refusing to 'man up' to mistakes on the field. I wasn't quite sold on the idea of trading him but I understand the coaching staff wanting to move on with the new generation here. My other thought was the dynamic between Steve and Harbaugh should produce some interesting interactions and perhaps some entertaining sideline moments during the season.

The $400 million payment is an early termination fee for breaking the lease agreement prior to the year 7 $28 million 'buy out' window with the lease being transferable to any new owner for the said term of the lease agreement which is 10 years. If so, court action would be required if the team broke the agreement and refused to pay the termination fee while attempting to relocate the team. The county/state would file legal charges against the team in court to sue for the $400 million and request an injuction to block the team from playing any games until the litigation is resolved. If anyone thinks judges and the courts hear and rule on cases as defined solely by the law then you haven't spent much time in court dealing with litigation. A lot of procedural BS comes into play too. The team could file a request for a change of venue citing the county/state courts would not provide an impartial environment and that might or might not be accepted. If it is not accepted then you pretty much have pissed off the county and states courts that will now hear your case. If they lose they could certainly file an appeal but legal filings, briefs, and injuctions filed in the courts by the county and state could tie up the litigation for years. You think the NFL wants to see a scenario play out such as this one and also take on powerful poltical interests to support the sale of a team to a foreign concern that has more or less no political clout in Albany or Washington DC at the expense of a large and loyal fan base of American voters to move the team to Canada? To win the case, the team would need to prove the terms of the lease are in violaton of some county/state/federal law. The specific legal strategy of the owner seeking to terminate the lease agreement and avoid paying the termination fee is unclear. Even if they decide to pay the $400 million the county and state can still file charges and injuctions against the re-location move and sue the league if necessary and to lobby Congress to revoke the leagues anti-trust exemption. This would be the nuclear option to the league and its worst nightmare. My expectation is the team is sold for 'fair value' by the trust to a group interested in keeping the team in WNY with the condition a new facility will be constructed on or before year 7 of the current lease agreement. The league and owners will want to avoid any unnecessary political battles to move the team up north for what might be a few million each per year per team. And with a large and loyal ticket buying fan base along with plans for a new stadium many owners will find it impossible to vote for re-location. Enough to block the move.

Clearly Dareus has no comprehension that there are consequences for his actions. Whether or not he needs professional psychiatric care is unclear. I understand Sullivan's views but I don't think cutting the guy is going to solve the problem. It might solve the Bills disipline problem with Dareus but it will create a hole at the DT spot and it won't solve Marcell's behavioral issues. Somebody will pick him up and the problem will move to a new venue. What I'm looking for is more than HQ Marrone to stick out his neck and say he wants to help the guy. He's a head coach not a guidenace councilor. This situation cries out for veteran leadership. Maybe this is happening behind the scenes? Somebody like Fred Jackson, or the Williams boys on the D-line need to sit down with Marcell and tell he that he is F##$ ing up here and to knock off the crap here and start acting like a professional. Not some dumb kid playing college football going to keg parties the Saturday night after the game. I was thinking about the old Bills teams of the 90's and visualizing a guy like Talley getting in his face telling him to man up and tow the line here.

But isn't there an additional element at play here? That being the league and the requirement for any sale to be approved by the owners? Similar to a condo association's membership needing to approve of the sale of a members unit to another person. In the case of the team the 'prinicpals' might include the 31 other franchise owners because although they receive no direct compensation they have a vested financial interest in the transaction. But like you I am not a lawyer so I am not clear on the specifics of estate sales governed by NY and federal law. The other thing is consideration for re-location. I assume this would be a separate vote. So one vote by league owners to approve/disapprove of the sale of the team and a 2nd vote by owners to approve/disapprove of a re-location plan. Unless I am missing something a buyer intent on keeping the team in Buffalo would need to secure approval once while a party seeking to move the team would need approval twice. Unless the terms of the sale are defined otherwise since it would make sense to anyone wanting to move the team to secure re-location approval before paying for the team and finding out the owners won't let you move it.