timstep
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Posts posted by timstep
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If you want to know why I can say that he's a great person, read the Rick Reilly article.
Awesome. So, what I gather from Reilly article, is that acts of charity and kindness are so incredibly rare, Tim Tebow's is the only one worth highlighting.
Or is it the fact that he's an "awe shucks" uber-Christian that plays well in middle America?
Again, it's not so much what they choose to highlight, but what they choose to omit.
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I've never said he's a great QB. Just a great person. (And, great at the game of football, but just not blessed with an NFL arm - Oh wait, I said blessed like a normal person would - insert your own secular term - I can't think of one right now). And, the run sure was fun!
I didn't see a lot of other people saying he was a great NFL QB, either.
This is the thing that bothers me. He's a great person - why? Do you know the number of NFL players, let alone professional athletes, that have for decades set up foundations, charity events and camps for underprivileged kids, etc. etc. etc.?
The only thing that seems to make Tim Tebow a "good person" is that he uses the words Jesus Christ, Lord or Savior in every sentence, talks in standard sports cliches and hasn't had sex. I mean, the guy was a National Championship winning QB and won the Heisman, then got drafted in the first round. Wow, really taking a chance and rooting on the underdog aren't we? Tom Brady was drafted in the 6th round and was nothing but an afterthought, and all the guy has done is play better than an QB in the last decade while ranking among the best of all time. But no, Tebow's the underdog, Brady's the devil.
And forget that, what about Alex Smith? The guy was dead and buried by not only the media and fans, but coaches. Did Jim Harbaugh sprinkle fairy dust on him and magically transform him into a respectable QB that can go toe-to-toe with Drew Brees? Well, I don't know, because ESPN, the NFL Network and every other news outlet was too busy talking about a guy who can't complete 50% of his passes
And what about the fact that TJ Yates made it just as far as Tebow, and yet how many TJ Yates stories were there?
This is media generated story, and the NFL is pushing it 100% because it's the anti-Michael Vick story, which the league had to suffer through for years.
Maybe John Elway can spend the offseason with the guy and teach him how to throw to his right, which he currently cannot do, and maybe he'll turn into a respectable QB, but referring him as anything more than a below-average QB, who in the games he started had more sacks and turnovers than any other QB in that same time frame, muddles the story and demeans all of the charitable work done by NFL players that is conveniently ignored.
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In Free Agency:
-a wide receiver to pair with Stevie. DJones and Nelson are fine back-ups, not starters. Vincent Jackson would be nice, especially considering the SD/Nix connection, but my guess is he's too expensive. Garcon would be nice, but guys like Jerome Simpson, Early Ducet and Eddie Royal are interesting as well.
-a veteran linebacker but with gas in tank. Whether it's 4-3 or 3-4, the Bills LB's outside of Barnett were underwhelming to poor, and Morrison is probably gone. Some guys to consider: D'Qwell Jackson, Leroy Hill, David Harris (be nice to steal one from a division rival) and Philip Wheeler.
-OL depth. This team unit actually played well, but the injuries mounted.
-TE depth. After Chandler, the cupboard is bare, and Chandler isn't Tony Gonzalez. John Carlson is available, he'd be a good fit.
In the Draft:
Rounds 1 & 2 should be Defense/Defense - another young DLinemen to pair with Dareus or a stud outside linebacker. Courtney Upshaw? Devon Still? Luke Kuelchy? Who knows considering we don't know what D Wanny will be running.
The rest of the draft - Front seven and OL depth, corner depth. No wasted picks on 3rd string QBs or RBs that sit on the practice squad for a year and then get cut.
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I'm usually so emotionally spent and frustrated by the Bills season, I just ignore the first weekend of games in order to flush the negativity out of my system.
The only thing I "hate" is seeing all the ex-Bills deemed unworthy of playing in Buffalo for whatever reason that have continued on as contributors, even starters, with other teams, while we're stuck trying to make a go of it with second-stringers.
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Not saying one way or another if Johnson is worth the money, but the T.O. comparison is useless. Different ages, different number of years in the league, etc. A true comparison would be guys drafted in the same draft, or guys the same age, or guys with the same number of games started/played. Then you're talking true statistical comparisons.
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Sullivan's right, but mostly because the Bills SHOULDN'T go after a QB. Look, even if Fitzpatrick isn't a "franchise" QB, so what? Was Trent Dilfer? Was Brad Johnson? If you build a quality offense and a stout defense, you can make an average QB look much better.
The Bills should be looking defense first, especially the front seven, and at offensive linemen. They don't all have to be starters, but the lack of quality depth is what's killing this team. There's no one behind Kyle Williams, the linebackers other than Barnett are either "promising" or just plain awful, and the O-line has fallen off considerably.
The wideouts, running backs, tight ends and secondary will be fine if the guys up front on both sides of the ball are doing a better job.
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Injuries are a BS excuse. The 1990 NY Giants lost their starting QB at the end of the season, how'd that turn out for them?
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AJ Smith might be the most overrated GM in professional sports. Sure, he finds "pro-bowl talent," but rarely, if ever, has his teams met or reached expectations, developed any sort of chemistry, established an identity or made a significant impact in the post-season?
He actually might be perfect for the Bills because he's shown the same questionable decision making tendencies.
Remember back in 2007 when Michael Turner was signed to a 1-year restricted free agent deal? The Chargers should have done one of two things - resign the guy to be the successor to LaDanian Tomlinson, or trade the guy for draft picks. So what'd they do? Let Turner play out the year, leaving him to sign a free agent deal with Atlanta in the offseason in 2008.
Let's keep in mind that between 2001 & 2007, Tomlinson had rushed over 300 times every year, and he got hurt in the 2008 playoffs. The following year, with Turner gone, Tomlinson missed games, had the lowest yards per carry average and total yards of of his career. If you watched Tomlinson that year, you knew the guy was not the same runner.
So what does Smith do? In 2010 Tomlinson becomes a free-agent, and they have to draft Ryan Matthews to fill the hole, who has been an incredibly average for a first round pick.
If Smith had held on to Turner and kept Tomlinson, they could have used the 2010 pick on a Jason Pierre-Paul or Sean Witherspoon. Or they could have dealt Tomlinson when he still had value. This isn't hindsight being 20/20, there were plenty of smart football folks questioning his decision making at the time, and this is just one example, and ignoring the fact he fired a coach after a 12-4 season.
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If the internet had been around in 1989 I imagine the same people defending SJ would have defended Ronnie Harmon.
Clutch players, regardless of what happened before (i.e. the defense giving up a score), make plays when it counts.
TWICE in his short career SJ has proven he cannot make clutch plays when it counts.
I realize there is an emotional component to supporting SJ, because he's loud and brash and makes watching Bills football fun after a decade of mostly horrific teams, but hitching your wagons to a guy who shrinks in winning time will not reverse those trends.
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NAME 10 WR under 26 .....better than him when he is healthy...ready...set... go!
I love a challenge. Ahead of SJ I would take:
1. Mike Wallace, PIT (25)
2. AJ Green, CIN (23)
3. Hakeem Nicks, NYG (23)
4. DeSean Jackson, PHI (24)
5. Pierre Garcon, IND (25)
They all have more receiving yards than SJ in 2011.
6. Johnny Knox, CHI (25) tied with SJ in rec yds.
7. Jeremy Maclin, PHI (23) 10 less yds. than SJ
8. Percy Harvin, MIN (23)
9. Denarius Moore, OAK (22)
10. Julio Jones, ATL (22)
Maybe I'm biased because I haven't seen them drop two game-winning passes.
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Last month back I posted some MP3s of Bills songs from the late '80s on my website. Well, a trip home to my parents in Buffalo a few weeks back produced some more late '80s Bills treasures, though this time of the home made variety.
I dug up four collages of Buffalo News headlines and pictures I made as a kid, took pictures of them and posted them to my website. I also found a collage of players pictures and cards.
Although I may be a cantankerous pessimist when it comes to the Bills (sometimes), I'm fairly secure in my long-standing credentials as a cantankerous pessimist.
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Blackouts are inherently unfair because not all stadiums are the same size, nor do they draw from the same population base. I've been saying for years it would be a percentage combining the two stats and creating a league-wide average.
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I don't post much as I'm mostly a reader, but wanted to let everyone know I recently posted some Bills songs on my website that you can download in MP3 format.
I found these on an unmarked cassette, which I converted on my computer. The sound quality is average, I'm guessing they're from somewhere in the '88-90 years. I'm sure somone else has these, but I don't know if they ever came out on cd for easy digitizing.
There is at least one song I'm missing, Leon "Dr. Sack" Seals put out a cassingle (cassette single) rap. I used to have it, but five or six housing moves since the early 90s and I seem to have lost it. If anyone has that I'd love to post it as well.
Here's the link to my website with the MP3s, enjoy: Bills Songs
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Lies, damn lies, and statistics. Someone said that, it's appropo. It's way too early to get a decent statistical sampling. Three games? And after a strike-shortened off season? Nobody is gonna know anything about any of these teams until half the season is over.
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Don't we have to earn respect?
We haven't done anything respect worthy in years.
Exactly. Respect is earned, not given.
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One theory is that the moving and shaking is to prep for what will end up being four super conferences of about 60 teams, and this is where it gets interesting:
These 60 teams will leave the NCAA.
Sound ridiculous?
They can easily leave and form their own organization, call it the College Football Alliance, with it's own governing body. Trust me, these teams see that they are the money makers, and sharing revenue among fewer schools while instituting a playoff system would increase that even more. They know the frenzy caused by the basketball tournament, and want to tap into that.
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Don't know if you got to see the Hard Knocks episodes with the Bengals, but you get an interesting glimpse at the Bengals as an organization and the coaching philosophy of Marvin Lewis.
For one thing, the Bengals are incredibly cheap. For a period of time in the early '00s, they had one scout - former OSU coach John Cooper. They look to cut corners in every way possible, and that includes signing troubled but talent players to cheap contracts.
Part of that is the team, but part is Lewis, who believes that individual can be turned around. They guy truly believed Chris Henry could mature and become a productive player and citizen, and during his final season, he actually was. It may sound pie-in-the-sky or whatever, but the dude believes in giving second, third and fourth chances.
I'm not a Bengals fan (obviously), but I do like Marvin Lewis as a person because he's willing to use football as a means to course correct players who have been on the wrong track. If he gets production out of them, all the better. I'd say it's paid off considering during his tenure, they've made the post season twice, only had two losing seasons in seven years and during that same time the Bills have had five (Williams, Mularky, Jauron, Fewell, Gailey) head coaches and no playoff appearances.
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I remember this draft vividly as just before the Dolphins pick, I turned to my friend who I've been watching the draft for years and said, "They're taking Ginn." And when they did, we both laughed for quite a long time. We live in Columbus, watched just about every game the kid played, and new he was nothing but a glorified punt returner.
OSU players have been getting over rated for years (Bobby Carpenter anyone?), and it's not surprising that and Ohio University player was drafted before an Ohio State player this year.
Of course, they have produced a few decent corner backs.
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Personally, I think it's moronic to "grade" a draft. You can't do that for at least 3-5 years of these guys being in the league. For example, when the Raiders cut JaMarcus Russell this week, can you call their draft from 2007 a bust? They also got Zach Miller, Johnny Lee Higgins and bunch of other guys who have contributed. But their big pick didn't land.
If Spiller ends up being KiJana Carter, but Carrington turns into Justin Tuck, are we going to complain? Just saying, no point in getting bent out of shape about something that hasn't happened yet.
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And why do you think that isn't likely? Seems to me that since Nix came back to the Bills (with last years draft, and overhauling the scouting department) the team is already better off. There was no magic in what Polian did: find the best players (in spite of what the draft pundits say), get the right coaches in place and you win. The problem since Butler left was that the Bills did a poor job of scouting/drafting/coaching. I think those days are over.
Look, the odds of making, let alone winning, the Super Bowl again are long. I mean, how many teams have never made it. There are franchises that haven't even made the playoffs.
Since Polian and Levy, the golden age of this team, there has been regime change after regime change, and they all say the same thing at the beginning - they have a plan, they're going to stick their plan, and their plan will suceed. Great. Except we wouldn't be on coach #X and GM #Y if they actually had.
Before my expectations, hopes and dreams rise, I need to see this team on the field. I need a year of Chan Gailey's offense, of the new 3-4, to wrap my head around it all.
I don't think I'm worn down and bitter, I'm just not getting my hopes up before we even get to the rookie camp.
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I've been a Bills fan since my first live game at Rich Stadium, Nov. 20th 1983 against the Raiders (a loss, of course). I was nine, a brawl broke out a few rows away from where we seated and I, nine years old, got flattened by a couple of drunken fans in a tussle.
I suffered through the horrible 2-14 seasons of '84 and '85. I lived the roller coaster of the amazing 1988 team, the OT field goal against the Jets to get into the playoffs, the Bickering Bills of '89, the 4-year Super Bowl run, which went from equal parts anxiety and excitement to just complete anxiety.
I stayed on board during dwindling late nineties, the Motor City Miracle, Rob vs. Flutie, Drew vs. JP. I sat in my friends living room here in Columbus, Ohio and watched McGahee destroy his knee in the National Championship, and then watched in horror as the Bills drafted him four months later with Travis Henry on the roster.
Phillips, Williams, Mularky, Jauron, I've been on board for all it. I've watched the draft, got Sirius so I could listen to the games that aren't shown here, and then suffered the repeated Monday Night Football meltdowns year after year when they were on.
A pessimist is someone who stresses the negative. I'm not a pessimist. I see the upside in CJ Spiller, like I did in McKelvin, Lynch, Witner, McCargo, or the signings of Owens, Tripplet, etc. But I am pragmatic, a realist. I accept the fact that there are things going on that are working against the franchise - location, size of fanbase, ownership situation, budget restrictions, etc.
Could they strike lightning again like 90-93 - who knows. Is it likely? No. Will I still listen to every game. Yep. But don't expect me to believe, or Bill-ieve. I'm way to old for that, got to many last minute heartaches, can't miss busts and unmet expectations to get excited in May.
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When was the last time someone cried when leaving the Bills?
Tears of joy, maybe.
Seriously, Delhomme was a gamer. He wasn't the most talented guy, but he gutted it out when the team relied on him after his arm was blown. And Delhomme, in his prime, was better than any QB the Bills put on the field since Kelly, so talking crap about him is kinda pathetic.
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As a 4-3 end, he's been useless. IF, and it's a big if, he can play OLB in a 3-4, he's going to have to do more than just rush the passer, he's going to have to drop into coverage, and there is no evidence to suggest he can do that. Basically, he's turned into Matt Jones - a high draft pick who is a project.
Question is, if Maybin flames out and never does anything, is he the biggest bust in the history of the franchise based on how high the pick was (11th)?
Some might bring up Mike Williams (4th overall in '02), but Williams did actually start for a number of season. Worse than Tony Hunter (12th in '83) or Perry Tuttle (19th in '82)? Erik Flowers was a total bust, but he went late (26th in '00).
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Tim Tebow Super Bowl Ad May Be Based On Falsehood: LINK
Gay dating site's Super Bowl ad rejected by CBS: LINK
#1. If Tim Tebow "the athlete" decides to become Tim Tebow "the political activist," he opens himself up to the variety of critiques, criticisms and scrutiny that anyone who purposely and knowingly takes part in that arena receives.
#2. As mentioned above, CBS has had no problem turning down politically motivated/advocacy ads in the past. Looks like they're doing it again. And looks like their subjectivity only applies to one side of the political spectrum.
TEBOW!!! is a Jet! (finally)
in The Stadium Wall Archives
Posted
If ESPN has 44 minutes per hour to produce stories on Sportscenter, and x amount is NBA, and x amount is NFL, and x amount is College Basketball, leaving only x amount to cover the NFL playoffs, and you dedicate time every day to cover one player, not only at the expense of other players, but entire teams. I watch sports center every day, the Houston Texans made the playoffs for their first time in franchise history - where were the stories? They did it with a 5th round draft pick who was #3 on the depth chart to start the season - where were the stories.
There is nothing inherent in Tim Tebow's college or pro career that makes him any more relevant as an athlete than TJ Yates, and in fact Yates is the far more compelling story if all you care about is sports. Since when do we treat a Heisman winning, National Championship winning, 1st round drafted quarterback like he's the little engine that could?
Throw in the NFL Network, FOX and CBS Sports, and it's just repetition, in the same way that manufactured pop stars who can't really sing saturate the market thanks to massive promotion. The NFL loves having a clean-cut, white, Christian poster boy to put out front, and the NFL didn't become the most profitable sports league in the US because it's inept at manipulating the media for it's own benefit.
And I'll say again, there are players doing x10 as much charitable work, and there are players with x10 the professional accomplishments, and they all seem irrelevant thanks to a very purposeful, coordinated media effort.