HankBulloughMellencamp
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Posts posted by HankBulloughMellencamp
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I will take the guy with 3 1,000 yard seasons (cheap if he is cut) over the scrub that has 20 catches between college and the NFL. I cannot believe that people actually are debating this!! I am currently banging my head on my desk.
Just so I can point out what I hope is obvious to most Bills fans:
· there is a fair chance Stevie gets cut from the 49ers
· there is a 0% chance the Bills will bring Stevie in if this happens.
He was consciously removed from the team to open things up for Watkins, Williams, Woods and Goodwin, all of whom are better for us moving forward. And I can’t imagine Marrone would feel he was someone we’d need to bring back around for leadership purposes or special teams play. And with all due respect, it’s not like you’d want them to insert him into the game at crunchtime or anything, would you?
He lost me at the end of the year (and surely some of his teammates) with his complete lack of accountability for his fumble vs. Atlanta in Toronto. Chandler made the exact same mistake, but owned it like a man… like you should after a tough loss.
I don’t wish #13 any ill will, I liked the guy. His time here is simply over.
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Yup, the Bills were totally 100% at fault for the Peters thing.
Also, what does an issue from 5 years ago have to do with the current Bills? Whaley was in Pittsburgh forwarding porn 5 years ago.
Hilariously great point. Anything pre-Nix can not be tagged on the current regime whatsoever. And so what if Cyrus is struggling? He may not be ready for game action yet, but will likely develop into their swing tackle at worst in the next year or so.
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From a player’s perspective they probably are more like games. Think about it.
A player is going up against another team’s player who he is not used to playing against. He knows that the guys on the other team are trying to impress their coaches. That means there is a higher risk of injury and higher propensity for dirty play. Plus, you are out there trying not to embarrass yourself or lose your starting position. So you have to play with even more effort than you might give in practice.
I think these sorts of things are good for the team as a whole, especially young players - but bad for veteran players. That is why I think FJ is a little miffed. He probably feels like he is going to beat the hell out of his body a couple more times than is probably necessary in a preseason environment. Other veterans probably feel the same way if you ask them.
Great post, pretty much nails it in my mind. I know some guys were miffed about the Sat/Sun practices after a preseason road win. I was at the Saturday practice, and it was quite a light approaching-walk-through affair in terms of intensity.
But I have to get this off my chest … and let me first state that Fred is one of my favorite Bills ever. I don’t really remember him making many, if any, bonehead mistakes or negative plays. The few fumbles he has coughed up were on plays where he was literally concussed, to my best recollection.
Surely I am not the only one who raised an eyebrow at his almost Stevie-like comments that actually came from the polar opposite of #13 (in terms of a team spokesman & lead-by-example type). So I am only trying to understand what was implied by Fred’s comments, as they seemed perhaps a bit out of character for #22. We all know him as the team leader, an underrated guy from day one, heart and soul of the team, division III, etc.
I heard a rumor a few months back that Fred has had some difficulties dealing with the concussions he has suffered in his career, and that it was all being kept hushed by the Bills FO and team press. It swirled about in the pre-draft timeframe, and then Whaley went out and made the trade for Bryce Brown during the draft after supposedly considering Carlos Hyde in the 2nd. So at the time, the grapevine talk supported what I had heard.
After Fred’s comments this week, maybe he really is in a type of self-preservation mode. It seems as if he is mainly thinking of how the practices will translate into potentially additional head blows for him as guys try to make their respective teams.
I can’t imagine it is easy to ignore the possibility of more collisions that may have already begun to turn your brain/cognitive skills to mush when you have several youngsters crawling all over you once you are home.
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Just my two cents (probably worth less than that) is that Marrone et al. are working very hard at trying to change the culture of "losing" with the Buffalo BILLS and frankly, I haven't seen this type of passion from a BILLS HC regarding Pre-Season, maybe ever? So, considering that doing something and being something *different* than what we fans are used to, is exactly what it will probably take to overturn this presumptive, lethargic acceptance of losing - I'm all in...that's not to say the pressers aren't difficult to watch, b/c they have been the last few days, but IF - and it's a huge a*s IF - this kind of zeal and relentless pursuit of excellence includes not accepting a loss in the Pre-Season as a prerequisite to turn the tide and begin a culture of WINNING, then I will support Marrone's endeavor, even if I don't have empirical evidence to demonstrate it's working....yet. Because, for all the milquetoast - panty-waste - limp-wristed b.s. I've seen over the last 14 years, at least this man has the simmering passion to get this team off it's back and fighting like any team caught in the one of the worst playoff droughts in the history of the game should!! Let Marrone's displeasure boil over, on to the team and player leadership, and let's light a fire under their collective bums and hope this woeful display of mediocrity can be squashed to pieces this year!!
I really like your thoughts in this post, and I loved the presser. This is the kind of coach I have been waiting for … someone who will step up and change the “acceptance of mediocrity” culture we seem to have witnessed getting perfected around here for 14 years.
Of course Marrone knows he has to win more than 6 games, starting right now, to stick around for next season. And of course he knows he has a roster chock full of talent everywhere except quarterback, which has three sizeable question marks, none larger than EJ.
But this was also his somewhat Belichick-esque (and perhaps a bit patronizing) way of setting the tempo with the media for the coming season. I don’t think we need to have a pity party for the poor media, who caught some guff from the mean football coach who has a much taller order in front of him than just writing conventional wisdom about the last game/practice.
Terrible reporting is what I've heard from the press conferences. He's answering their questions very succinctly. They constantly ask these thin questions that literally require no answer at all. It's laughable to him. You can see it. He's toying with them. I happen to like it. Listen next time. The media merely wants affirmation of their opinions. He's not buying what we all do HERE everyday. Speculate.
exactly.
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I hope our choice of HC didn't inspire any hard feelings, in reference to your namesake.
If memory serves me, the carousel at QB during that time much resembled the last many years here. it certainly didn't help Bullough.
As for your list, it reflects your razor sharp Bills history acumen.
If there was a way my pathetic team could play your pathetic team in Madden, I would buy it.
But then I'd have to buy a game system.
And a TV.
Yep, agree on the QBs, Vince Ferragamo, Joe Dufek, Matt Kofler, Bruce Mathison, etc were all bums.
Willie Totten was a decent scab, along with Todd Schlopy at K.
They beat the LT-led Giants, 6-3 I think. Wow, LT needed cash flow that badly, huh?
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Showing my age, but here is a quick list of names that were either All-Preseason and/or just never fulfilled that promising future we hoped they’d have:
WR = Bucky Brooks
QB = Brian McClure
RB = Jacques Robinson, Rene Ingoglia
G = Mark Traynowicz
C = Leonard Burton
T = Robert Hicks
TE = Lonnie Johnson
MLB = Dan Brandenberg
OLB = Monty Brown
DE = Chidi Ahanotu
DT = Reggie Rogers
S = John Hagy
CB = Filmel Johnson
KR = Errol Tucker
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Brian Moorman. Not really a huge surprise, but he clearly outperformed Moorman at the camp practice I saw. Dombrowski kicks absolute bombs with great hang time and has a very quick get-off. If he spends more and more time as the placekick holder, that will be a telltale sign Moorman is done.
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Great Lakes Conway's Irish Ale
Woodman, I am right on your wavelength. And out of great respect for your affinity for redheads and/or high school girls, I will have to give this one a try.
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Great thread, many great mentions, so I’ll offer my 2 cents:
Pilsners/Lagers: Just say OV – and usually for a great price. Blue and Blue Light are as solid as they come.
IPAs: Lots of great options like Ithaca Flower Power IPA and Dogfish Head 60-90-120 etc, but for my money, Victory’s HopDevil never disappoints and will have you well on your way after two.
Brown Ales: I love Rusty Chain from Flying Bison, but ultimately there is nothing that gets me going like a few Newcastle Brown Ales – truly the one and only.
Porters/Stouts: Guinness Extra Stout, obviously. Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald is quite splendid, and being a Gordon Lightfoot fan is just icing on the cake for me.
Summer Beers: Sierra Nevada Summerfest is highly enjoyable, and I recommend giving Leinenkugel’s Sunset Wheat a try.
“In it for the long haul”: Hard to argue with the superior drinkability of Bud Light, but if your money is right, Heineken is time tested & has always been good to me the next day. I always hear people complain about it’s skunkiness, but I can’t say I have ever run into a problem with it.
Oh, and I like everything I have tried from Southern Tier Brewing.
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Lebron going back to Cleveland might be the best thing that could have happened to young Johnny Manziel.
If Johnny Stinkfinger approaches his pro career with a similar focus & work ethic that Lebron has, the Browns will be quite a factor in the coming years.
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Joe B and his top 20 rankings of Bills officially became a joke when he listed Robey at 14 well ahead of McKelvin. Is he serious? The position McKelvin played last year is far more difficult than a nickel/slot corner, and as an outside corner McKelvin was often tasked with covering the other teams #1 receiver. And in Pettine's defense, McKelvin was put on an island and did very well. Regardless an outside corner is far more valuable, and far better paid than a slot guy. An NFL team NEVER drafts a cb in round one with the intent of putting him in the slot. The more demanding position by far is outside, ie Revis, Sherman etc. we did not draft Gilmore to play the slot.
So Joe B. defended his ranking on WGR yesterday by stating in part that Robey made more plays, including sacks. Hey Joe, the slot guy should have more sacks - he is asked to blitz more often because he is always lined up so much closer to the QB. Comparing the position of slot corner to outside is comparing apples to oranges - one position is so much more demanding - that's why all the great NFL CB s play outside.
Joe B was "shocked" when Robey was originally placed on second string during recent OTAs. Well Joe, this was done after a real NFL expert, Jim Schwartz, spent the winter reviewing film. And probably saw how weak Robey was in run support, a critical function for a slot guy.
I like Robey as a player, and it looks like he has played himself back on to starting unit. But there's a reason McKelvin was a #1 pick, who was just resigned to a multi year, multi million dollar contract. The undrafted Robey, as much as I like him, is in no way shape or form superior to McKelvin. That laughing you are hearing from one bills drive is NFL coaches reading that WGR s "expert" would rank Robey higher than McKelvin.
I could not agree more with this. Robey was a great find, and made some spectacular plays, but a legit NFL corner is a legit NFL corner, and McKelvin has become that. The contract he signed before last year (that seemingly 90% of this board was upset with) now seems like a relative pittance for what he offers. Most teams overpay for experienced corners, and as Buddy liked to say, you can never have enough of ‘em.
I'm not that impressed with Joe B. He always sounds so tentative, like he doesn't believe what he's saying. He reminds me of a guy in over his head at a job interview trying to BS his way through it.
I don’t hate Joe B … he works very hard at his job, and surely loves what he does. If anything, I am envious of him.
But when he is a guest on WGR, he constantly talks in generalities, and hedges his bet on almost everything. He pretends to know the nuances of line play, and he doesn’t. I am not saying I know more, but I am in total agreement with PTR ... it’s as if he is trying to BS his way through tough interview questioning.
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Hilarious – thanks for sharing. Loved seeing Fred “posterize” Marrone & seeing/hearing all the players go crazy in response.
That whole ‘someone sneaks up and holds up a basketball backboard behind an unsuspecting victim and someone else comes in strong to the rack for the dunk’ thing is a creation that could only have been created and/or popularized at a Ralph Wilson Stadium tailgate. It is so funny to see the victim struggle to try to understand what is going on – some even have the keen basketball awareness to try to get out of the way of impending posterization.
I only wish I had originally seen this phenomenon in person while tailgating myself.
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I'm actually a huge Stern fan and have been for the last 2+ decades.
Me too, man. For my money, his current Sirius show is as good now as anything he has ever done. Sure I miss the days of Jackie, Artie and even the WOR days like a lot of people, but his guests are his muse, and those that come on the show all seem to have a ton of fun with Howard and the gang as he pushes the envelope during the interviews.
Howard has such an entertaining way of interacting with people, and his questions cut right to the heart of the matter. This is probably not unlike what his psychologist surely does with him in his oft-referred-to psychotherapy sessions that he is such a proponent of.
Howard’s recent interviews with Paul McCartney, Lady Gaga, Donovan, Chelsea Handler, and others all made for spectacularly entertaining listening. And his storytellers-like thing he did Billy Joel was quite cool. He is truly the King of all media.
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Relax, guys, he is probably just trying to pay down Kim and the girls’ 0% credit cards before the higher rates kick in.
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Back in 2012, the way Reilly strong-arms Stuart Scott into saying Reilly was “first on twitter” with the report on Roethlisberger’s injury was quite awkward and the true mark of a douchebag. Watch Steve Young’s reaction – it is priceless.
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It's an instantaneous source of news and information. You have to follow the right accounts, and from what I have seen, most people follow far too few accounts. My best advice is to follow your interests, and get your follows up over 500 minimum. If an account is generating nonsense into your feed, just unfollow them.
Twitter also has a high comedic value, especially during awards shows and live sporting events. Quick example: during last night’s NBA finals game, someone tweeted something to the effect of “I bet Popovich eats room temperature canned soup for dinner every night.”
I absolutely <3 twitter.
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Vote has been cast – good luck!
And as someone who barely survived the Dawg pound (wearing Bills garb) for the shootout in the Cleveland wild card game, I have the utmost respect for & confidence in someone who watched Christie’s clutch kick and then had to suffer through Wycheck’s forward lateral in person. It must have been brutal exiting that stadium.
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It seems like the ex-players really love the trade/pick of Watkins. I watched the ESPN version of the draft that I had on DVR as I had watched it live on NFLN, and Ray Lewis was yelling "Home. Run." and said he thought he was the best player in the draft.
I mostly stuck with the NFLN feed during the draft. But since you mentioned Ray Ray, after I reviewed the DVR for the ESPN 1st round coverage, I have to say I was mildly surprised to see Lewis stationed on the set with Mel, Gruden, and Boomer.
There is no doubt #52 is one of the all-time greats at his (or any) position. But when ESPN hired him, I probably had some of the same preconceived notions of his TV prospects as many of you – undeserving, murder accomplice, etc.
I came away very impressed with what Lewis had to offer to the broadcast & what his thoughts were on each player. He thoroughly explained his convictions – ok sorry, poor choice of words there – on top guys like Watkins and Mack. All in all, he was far more informative and insightful than Gruden, who basically only offered a “Gee, I think they should take Johnny Football” as each selection came due.
And back to the topic of this thread, if you are at all optimistic about the direction of the Bills unde the Dougs, the interview with Chris Simms is a must-listen. I am now a fan of his broadcast work, and will hunt him down on twitter.
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Carry on the proud legacy of Brad Smith
.C'mon Russ, this is merchandising 101...
No one in Buffalo owns a Brad Smith jersey, so no worries about "name patch only" sales.
These will all be fresh purchases, man!
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So we haven't heard what any of the rookies will wear so far. We can have some pretty good guesses, but here's what we know:
Sammy Watkins, WR
Previously wore: 7 in high school, 7 when he first got to Clemson before switching to 2
Eligible numbers currently available: 13, 16, 83 (although 83 requires special permission)
Eligible numbers attached to players that may be negotiated away: 14 (Roberson), 15 (Hogan), 17 (Kaufmann), 18 (Elliott), 80 (Caussin), 82 (Moeaki), 86 (Barden), 87 (Summers).
Number information we know so far: Watkins has said he wants to wear a number in the teens.
My guess: 16. I could see him go after number 17, but 16 is already available.
Cyrus Kouandjio, OT
Previously wore: 65 and 70 in high school, 71 at Alabama
Eligible numbers currently available: 61, 66, 67, 68, 69, 71 (66 has reduced circulation)
My guess: 71. Easy transition.
Preston Brown, LB
Previously wore: 18 in high school and 2 at Louisville
Eligible numbers currently available: 52, 54, 93
My guess: 52. It's an easy transition into the 50s using his college number.
Ross Cockrell, CB
Previously wore: 6 in both high school and at Duke
Eligible numbers currently available: 29, 31, 35, 41, 43, 45, 46, 47, 49
My guess: 29 or 31 are the only "attractive" numbers there, so he may choose whichever Bryce Brown doesn't. 46 has the 6 he wore at previous levels.
Cyril Richardson, OG
Previously wore: 68 at Baylor
Eligible numbers currently available: 61, 66, 67, 68, 69, 71 (66 has reduced circulation)
My guess: 68. Stick with the college number.
Randell Johnson, LB
Previously wore: 15 at Florida Atlantic
Eligible numbers currently available: 52, 54, 93
My guess: 54. It's the only other eligible 50s number, and 93 doesn't really make sense for him.
Seantrel Henderson, OT
Previously wore: 77 in both high school and at Miami
Eligible numbers currently available: 61, 66, 67, 68, 69, 71 (66 has reduced circulation)
My guess: 67. It's the only number left with a seven in it if Kouandjio takes 71.
BONUS:
Bryce Brown, RB
Previously wore: 5, 11 and 24 in high school, 11 at Tennessee, 4 and 8 at Kansas State,
Eligible numbers currently available: 29, 31, 35, 41, 43, 45, 46, 47, 49
My guess: 31. He seems to like the number 11 as he has worn it multiple times, so that might make the 1 there appealing. Could also just go with 43 which is the reverse of his 34 in Philly.
Won't bother with undrafted players just yet since they'll likely get some ineligible numbers as the allowed digits will run out.
Great thread. I had already checked the Bills website a few times before seeing this, so thanks for the legwork.
And I agree with most of your guesses & logic; Preston Brown will be looking solid in 52. I am especially hoping you are right and Watkins goes with 16. 2 to the 4th power is 16, and it’s a beautiful looking even number. Brandon better get on the stick, they could already be selling hundreds of these.
Also, 16 was my old # back in the day. Dwight Gooden, Joe Montana, it even looked good on Jay Riemersma when he was at Michigan. My sons will be sporting Watkins gear either way, but especially if 16 is the choice.
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OMG...First of all, Byrd and Stevie are not our 2 best players.
Second of all, we did NOT let them walk. We made a SUBSTANTIAL offer and a FAIR offer to Byrd...he chose to go to NO. We TRADED STEVIE for what will likely be a 3rd round pick, more than he's worth.
Third, this team is being AGGRESSIVE in building a winner. I LOVE all the moves they have made.
I think we have a potential GM of they year in Whaley and its the BEST DIRECTION this team has been headed in 15 years and the MOST talented overall team in 15 years.
I can't even believe the amount of Bills fan whining going on right now...is mind boggling and absurd.
great post
They got more for Stevie than I thought they'd be able to at this point.
With the possible exception of going all-in on EJ, I can't think of a move Whaley has made that didn't make sense to me. I wish Stevie well, but am glad we did not waste one minicamp rep on him at the expense of Watkins, Williams, Woods or Goodwin.
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Stevie is gone whether you like him or love him. It is hard not to be a fan of Stevie. We will not get anything in return. TJ is gone too.
This.
My hard truth assumption, for what it’s worth: Stevie Johnson will not be on this team by the time camp opens, even if it means he gets cut.
Watkins, Woods, Williams and Goodwin need all the reps they can get in an effort to develop a rapport with EJ in the offense. The reps are just too valuable to expend on SJ13. He has been a good solider and great story as a 7th rounder who is now well paid. But let’s be honest: he is basically a possession receiver, he is injury prone, he is not exactly Mr. “Clutch”, and he has potential locker-room-cancer written all over him.
SJ13 may have a modicum of trade value, but not much. Every team knows the Bills can’t really justify keeping him, and will likely have to just take the cap hit. Their cards are now on the table.
And looking back, with all due respect to his mother’s passing, it seemed kind of strange how he was away from the team for so long and ended up missing 2 games over her funeral. Most guys are fighting to get back on the field because that’s what their parents would have wanted.
Anyway, you just don’t bring in Mike Williams and draft Sammy Watkins if Stevie is still part of your future at the position. These moves also do not bode well for TJ Graham, but I’d say he will probably be here to compete for a job in camp.
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For Johnny Football, Johnny B. Goode by Chuck Berry would be better IMHO.
Mack the Knife by Frank Sinatra would be awesome for Khalil.
Probably mostly be rap and Hipster pop though.
Both good choices ...
Khalil Mack was barely out of diapers when Mark Morrison’s jam was hot in the mid 90’s, but I would argue that his tight cut has a little Fresh Prince of Bel Air thing going on. Thereby making my pick more appropriate than some Bobby Darin!
And I’d sure love to hear Chuck Berry ripping it up with your tune much more than some high-pitched Men at Work … but for the sake of the broadcast, the boys from down under would be funny to hear at that moment.
And you are right, the selections will mostly be hip hop tunes that I will be quite unfamiliar with.
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Regardless of who he is, the player who forces all the suites to listen to a metal song will have earned me as a lifelong fan \,,/
In honor of Clowney's hit on the Michigan RB, how awesome would it be to hear Judas Priest "some heads are gonna roll"
Whose this years Colin Brown & Justin Rodger
in The Stadium Wall Archives
Posted
I've been to camp twice, it is hardly happy talk. He's been right in the middle on the wrap-ups for a lot of run plays I saw. The guy is build like a tank, and reminds me of Marvcus Patton quite a bit.
Plus, although his mother may not have also played football, he did produce as a top tackler/leader of a defense in college.