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Yes. 100% They don't offer any more insight than a news anchor on Channel 7. Not a thought or idea comes out of their mouth that isn't scripted, checked, rechecked, and signed off by the producer. They are given talking points and while they might say them in their own words to give the audience an impression of "their own opinion", it doesn't take much to see through it. Do you disagree? I know I'm being a buzzkill, but come on, enough is enough. This is a suffering fanbase who would give anything for a playoff berth, and here is the NFL trying to manipulate you into thinking this year is the year, for the 16th time, so you can buy a Tyrod Taylor jersey and watch all of their Draftkings and Ford commercials. This fanbase needs to stop buying tickets until this team is a playoff team again. They've held the Sword of Damocles over our heads for 15 years, threatening to move the team if fans stop attending, but turns out all this time there was a billionaire owner waiting in the wings. In a business, when a product sucks, you stop buying it. Period. From the business's point of view, if your product sucks and customers keep buying at the same rate, why spend money to improve it? Why fix what's not broken? And from the Bills and NFL's point of view, the Bills are not broken. When fans stop attending, I assure you that not only will the team not move anywhere, but all of a sudden the Bills will go on a miraculous run to the playoffs. This sport isn't as fair as they're selling it as.

I trust that the genuine readers here will be able to see past the smears and read post #30 with an open mind.

Is it a conspiracy? You're the one who brought it up. Since both of you are resorting to ad hominem attacks and trying to discredit my opinion via disingenuous debate tactics, rather than debating my points, I know that I'm rubbing up on something you don't want me to talk about. So here's my little thesis. All ESPN and NFL Network "NFL talk" is scripted by a team of ESPN producers and NFL company men. They choose narratives during the off-season that they want to push and work as a team to promote these narratives. This works in a couple ways. For one, it keeps fans talking about the NFL in the off-season and thinking about buying NFL merchandise and watching TV commercials. Second, it gets fans of losing teams excited for next season. They use former NFL players and coaches to read their scripts to give the empty words a sense of authority. These former players rarely give their true opinion since it is not required, and many times frowned upon. Since the NFL is a league that values control very highly, they would not like it if ex-players would talk off-script. They might say something damaging to the league's bottom line. It is much safer to tell them what to say in order to maximize profits. Bills fans are coming of a tremendously disappointing season where we underperformed. It would makes sense that NFL/ESPN producers would want to give Bills fans enthusiasm going into the next season to ensure season ticket and merchandise sales. Is that a conspiracy? Or is that everyday business on a corporate level.

Guess you're happier in fantasy land.

Well I guess it's a convenient distraction from the upcoming election.

Given what I know about television and sports journalism, I'd say Willie McGinest is not giving his real opinion in this segment. If you feel that what you are hearing are genuine thoughts and opinions, I'm afraid to break some news to you.

Excuse me. NFL Network. Big difference. Clearly that means my original point is invalid now.

He's nobody. Reading the script in front of him written by who knows who, who knows who knows what. I can't believe people still watch ESPN, much less actually discuss this nothingness.

Was thinking the same thing.

I'm down for a drink. I live in the Miami area now. PM me if you're ever around.

Don't know the details about Jenkins besides that it was a murder. And you're talking gang values? It's twisted but those guys are usually very loyal to their code. I would never condone killing unless your life, your family's, or your close friend's life was in danger. Kingsmen have their own rules. McCoy doesn't have a criminal record, does he? He'll probably get probation with a 2 or 4 game suspension. The true victims will be the fans who are going to have to watch ESPN in the off-season and listen to the "outrage".

Was this directed at me? Again I understand. But frankly, I value standing up for my friends over something as petty as football or what the fans think. I find the NFL punishment system to be so corrupt and fake, I really don't care what Goodell does. They might even secretly like the media attention. And of course there's a "price". Everything has a price. Sometimes the price doesn't matter.

I understand. I don't want to make it seem like I'm a brawler or anything. Most confrontations end with stare downs anyway. But I was raised by a father who fought bare knuckle to survive in the Soviet Union. I don't look down on it the way many in the USA do. I believe that sometimes guys just need to fight and if they do, just let it happen. Fights should end with a great story to tell, not police charges. Many times you befriend the guys you just fought. I know I have in the past. And these guys that we're sitting here judging from our computers were raised in some pretty tough places. And even if they didn't grow up in tough places, they were still raised poor or had relatives they looked up to that were pretty bad role models. Sure, they have millions, but are you really surprised they are still attracted to where they came from? I don't know. I just think this is all much ado about nothing. I find the fact that the guys they beat up happened to be cops is funny. But now the media and lawyers get involved and it's a big mess.

Haha, that's the offseason for you.

To each his own. In my experience, in those kind of group fights, you're either in the front line and punch first or get punched first, or you're in the back and the fight breaks out in front of you. Then there is sort of a fight or flight response where you either jump in and defend your friends (if they're your friends) or you hang around the back and act like you're breaking it up. It sounds like McCoy stepped up. So I respect that. If he did the lame, wait for the other guys to get beat up and then step up to throw a punch, I don't respect that. I've seen that done and nobody likes it. But if those guys fighting were McCoy's best friends, I don't care how old you are, you can't let your friends get beat up. Figure out who was right or wrong afterwards. Those are my values. All this "victims" and "assailants" and armchair "cut him" stuff is fantasy land and not reality when you're in the middle of a brawl. Especially if you're drunk.

I respect values. But have you ever been involved in a fight like that? Things happen fast. You either back up your boys or you cower in the back.

WE MUST WAIT FOR THE FACTS TO COME OUT BEFORE MAKING JUDGMENTS! If they beat up McCoy, would he be a victim?

I'm just glad McCoy threw a punch. I don't want a wimp on my team.

Cops who were coming off a long day of writing citations and generally acting like they're the sh*t, loosen up in the VIP lounge and end up getting club stomped by Shady McCoy in front of Meek Mill and the rest of the Philly "scene". I love it. I'm sure they'll do a great job of explaining it was "4 on 1" to all the inner city kids that are going to be talking back to them from now on. The point is, have you ever talked to a group of guys who just got their ass whooped a few hours earlier? It's butthurt city, and it's never their fault. I would NEVER trust the testimony of those cops unless it was backed up by lots of third-party observers. They're humans before cops.

They're "invincible" cops. It's embarrassing for them. My point is that their testimony cannot be trusted any more than any other witness.

Written by the dudes who got their ass beat. The entire thing should come with a "bruised ego" asterisk.

Thing is, if those cops were undercover, they wouldn't risk blowing their cover on a club brawl. It's not a sissy job. Unless they were just scouting for one night. I'd like to know if those cops were just there by themselves, or if they were hanging out with any "interesting" people.

It's a freaking club fight. They happen every night in every city in the country and around the world. Bare knuckle too with no knives or guns. How many people on this board have been in brawls like that in their lives? McCoy is a guy. This is what guys do sometimes. Let it go. F*ck the NFL and their image.

Then they're idiots.

Ugh. People like you.