dcjoev

This is just a hunch, but I think Ralph Wilson Jr. has finally come to his senses (or has been advised that it's in his best interests to sell the team before he and it expires). Bear with me, but it's quite possible that a sale and a future stadium plan have been in place for some time now, and the Bills are just waiting until the end of the season to pull the trigger on the "major announcement." One comment on this forum caught my eye today. It was in response to a post that claimed that a rumor is circulating about the sale of the team to Jim Kelly and Thurman Thomas. In it, Tombstone56 wrote: "Dare to Dream... Jim Kelly hangs with Howard Milstein (also known as NFR)." This interested me because I recently noticed something online about the Bills and Milstein, who is a wealthy Manhattan real estate mogul. NFR refers to a private company known as Niagara Falls Redevelopment, which Milstein owns. Milstein also has close ties to New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo, who tapped him to head the N.Y. State Thruway Authority. But most important is the fact that Milstein owns "more than 140 acres of prime land that is adjacent to Niagara Falls and a state park." Kelly and Milstein are connected because the Executive VP of NFR is Jim's former agent, Roger Trevino (aka the deal maker that brought high-wire act Nik Wallenda to Niagara Falls in June). According to the Niagara Falls Reporter newspaper, Trevino said "several serious proposals have been made to the city about development opportunities for the property over the last several months." Of course, Kelly has hinted that he has spoke to and would be willing to jump on board with various ownership groups, who have partners with more than enough means to buy the Bills. But Jimbo and the Thurminator don't have anywhere near the cash to pony up for majority ownership. I think a more distinct possibility is a sale by Wilson to a group made of numerous investors, with one of them owning at least 30% of the franchise. Kelly and Thomas would receive a small stake in the team, in return for being its ambassadors from here on out. For years, Wilson has stated that he would not sell the team during his lifetime. But perhaps he's had a change of heart, with the possibility of the inheritance tax going up from 33% to 50% on Tuesday. Instead of leaving it for his heirs to sell, Wilson could agree in principle to a deal, if his daughter retains a role in, or is granted part-ownership of the team. With Kelly's loyalty and the influence he and Thomas have in Buffalo as fellow Hall of Famers, Jim could be in line for an Executive VP of Football Operations position, which John Elway was granted in Denver. In any case, he and Thomas would be the "old" faces of a "new" Bills franchise, which would be a tremendous plan, from a marketing and PR standpoint. I recently came across an interview with Kelly and an intriguing column by Tony Farina of the Niagara Falls Reporter. Again, it's all speculative, but can you imagine the Bills moving a few miles down the road in seven years? It's entirely possible because Buffalo's new lease agreement has a clause in it that allows the Bills to opt out of playing at Ralph Wilson Stadium in seven years, for a mere $28 million). With all of the hard work Bills CEO Russ Brandon has put into the team's regionalization efforts (in Toronto and Rochester), a sale to a Niagara Falls, New York-based group is a no-brainer. And with Governor Cuomo's blessings and the 10-year lease deal attained on December 21 (to renovate the Ralph), the team will have plenty of time to build an "international" dome on the U.S. side of the Falls. I personally think the idea of a stadium-based convention center and sports museum in downtown Niagara is brilliant. If it comes true, it would be good for New York, Toronto, Buffalo, the Bills and the NFL. It would most definitely attract tourists year-round from all over the world. And it would secure the Bills' future (and perhaps a Super Bowl) in Western New York, once and for all!

There's been a lot of head-scratching about T.J. Graham and why the Bills traded up 2 spots to get him. But I highly doubt it was because they wanted to keep another team from getting him. I have a feeling Buffalo completed the trade with the Redskins early, believing Reuben Randle might drop to pick #69 (he went to the Giants at 63). I was screaming at my flat-screen for the Bills to move up earlier to get Randle and they came up 6 spots short! At that point, I bet the trade was in the books and I'm guessing they scrambled to find a receiver on their board with blazing speed... Miami's Tommy Streeter is 6-5 and lightening fast, but he has trouble getting off the line and is raw on his routes. A few other "big targets" are much slower than Graham, who ran a 4.41 in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine. Mohamed Sanu ran a 4.67, Juron Criner a 4.68, and Nick Toon a 4.54. The two guys that compare to Graham are Arkansas WR Joe Adams (who tore it up at the Senior Bowl) and T.Y. Hilton, who the Colts picked at #92. But Graham's taller and heavier than both of them at just under 6 feet and 188 lbs (Hilton is 5'9 1/2", 183 and Adams is 5-10, 180). Graham may appear to be a Roscoe Parrish replacement, but he's more like a young Lee Evans. He'll add the vertical threat that Lee gave Buffalo and should be as electrifying as Roscoe in the open field. After watching some of his highlights, I was pleasantly surprised at how dynamic he is with the ball in his hands. Chan Gailey said the kid can "flat out fly" and I can imagine him stretching the field as a decoy for Stevie Johnson and David Nelson. If Marcus Easley can truly be their #2, the Bills will be set at the WR position. But don't be surprised if they take a stab at one more wideout, who possesses the height they covet. My dark horse is Ryan Tannehill's favorite target at Texas Tech. Jeff Fuller is a monster at 6-4, 215 and would give Nix and the Bills a receiver who "is open, even when he's covered." Fuller shattered the Aggies' all-time record for touchdown catches with 34, was a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award, and his father is an Aggie grad who played in the NFL for the 49ers. Fuller never heard his name called over the weekend, so he'll be available as an undrafted free agent. Buffalo should act fast to take a flier on Fuller, because he won't be "free" for long... Get'r done, Buddy!!!

Dear SDS: I was very disappointed to receive your response about my post from last weekend and would like to clear up a few things that I think have been misunderstood and misconstrued. First and foremost, I've been a devoted follower of Two Bills Drive and The Stadium Wall for most of the past decade. And although you claim that I am not an "established member", I registered for that status a couple of years ago. I currently live in Washington, DC, but I'm far from a bandwagoner or fair-weathered fan. In fact, I'm a native Rochesterian and have lived and breathed the Bills since the early 1970's. As a loyal fan, I've stuck with the organization through good times and bad. I follow them online, I visit their summer training camp, I pay for the team's merchandise, and I attend games as often as I can. Please understand that I'm not going to question the rules of your Forum and I will refrain from posting any further links to my columns. But I don't appreciate your attempt to make me look like a fool in front of fellow members, especially when those same members were enjoying a spirited exchange of opinions, on a topic that merited discussion. If you asked me privately to explain some of the things that you threw me under the bus for, you'd find that you jumped the gun on many of them. I'd like to point out that I have never had the intention of coming on this board to shamelessly self-promote my content. In my original post, I made it abundantly clear that I don't "fish for clicks" and I'm offended by the accusation. Why don't I fish for clicks? Well, as I've already said, "I can care less about them" and I am more than willing to elaborate on it. First of all, I served as a professional journalist for seven years. I was a credentialed media member for three NFL franchises and can tell you that I was treated with a lot more respect then I've received here. Now-a-days, I CONTRIBUTE to BR because I enjoy writing and responding to feedback through social media (nothing more and nothing less). I'm not competing against anyone and I'm not interested in doing so for a living. Second of all, I don't get paid a single cent by BR to write articles about teams that I'm passionate about. And when I do publish information or my opinion on the Bills, I take time out my day and away from my family to put my heart and soul into it. Like any respectable writer, I also take responsibility for my mistakes. In this very case, I learned that a source I used for the piece was inaccurate. But in no way does it mean that I failed to conduct the appropriate research. I courtesy every one of my sources, but sometimes they turn out to be wrong. It's unfortunate, but it happens to journalists from time to time. My intention was to simply provide readers with the history behind a new Bills fan group, while describing the meaning of its "movement" and the momentum and excitement that it has generated for the team and its fans. I obviously had no idea that it would be a "crime" to do so, but it sure feels like I'm being punished for one. Finally, I'd like to once again defend the company I write for. Readers and non-readers of BR are free to express their opinions and you most certainly have. But I don't see why there was a need to come up with an elaborate hastag to diss my work and the work of my colleagues. All anyone has to do is Google BR, to find out that they're being taken very seriously in the media world. I'll illustrate it for you: On February 12, BR announced the launch of new YouTube Channels for digital video content. I'm not promoting it. I'm just stating the facts. BR recently raised $22 million in venture capital, which puts the grand total for BR at $40.5 million. The company behind the latest investment is well-respected and has invested in established companies like the Huffington Post and Demand Media. BR's CEO previously held executive leadership roles at Fox Sports and Yahoo Sports. BR features a state-of-the-art, open-source publishing platform that allows amateur and professional writers to be as creative as they want to be. It also includes a social media feedback system that we are urged to respond to. Readers often make comments and we take the time to answer them. As for slide shows, I've explained my feelings about them and I agree with many posters who find them to be annoying. But I create slide shows when I choose to publish more elaborate content (i.e videos, headers, etc). If readers don't like them, they're under no obligation to sift through the slides. And contrary to what some believe, BR HAS become "legit" in four short years and continues to take a serious amount of readers away from large, nationally syndicated sports sites. In no way, does BR claim to be better, but the numbers don't lie and highly regarded media outlets are sharing them with the public. So, I'm sorry to disagree with you. BR is far from a bunch of "kids in their underwear", banging away on their laptops in Mommy and Daddy's basement. It's true that the company doesn't discriminate, but it also doesn't accept every column that's sent in. I personally had to submit five articles that were screened by editors, before I gained publishing status. And like any business that's growing, BR is now looking for the best and brightest of writers to contribute. Some of them will even be paid, but ONLY AFTER taking free writing courses through BR and submitting a strong portfolio. BR may always have its share of critics, but to me, it's a wonderful place to boast about my favorite team, just like thousands of fans do every day on The Stadium Wall. If my passion for the Bills isn't welcome here, I'll accept it, but I will sure as hell be surprised. A Buffalo fan shunned by his own? That's shocking to me and flies in the face of everything the Bills stand for. I have no external interests, other than witnessing a return to glory for my favorite NFL team. And I don't have to be a member of any movement or any group to do that. ________________________

You're welcome, my friend. I wrote a reply earlier in this thread about why I used the slide show format for this article. I really try hard not to use them often, because they drive me nuts too. Fortunately, I had a lot of info to cover, so each slide is longer than your typical sentence or two that seem commonplace in slideshows these days. I'd also like you to know that I used a re-edit Sunday evening to add a response from this thread. The feedback from The Stadium Wall crew has been tremendous and they deserve some props. I also provide a link in the story to Pittsburgh's "Steel City Mafia" which was started by a group of Steeler fans from Tennessee a few years back.

I'm liking the feedback I've got from you guys so far and really appreciate it. I have to admit that I held off on writing a story on BillsMafia because I thought it wouldn't last. I live in DC, but grew up in Rochester through the 70's and 80's, when the Italian Mafia was alive and well. I remember watching the violence play out on the news as a kid and asking my Mom & Dad if it was real. I later found out how real it was, when I researched it in college and learned the intracacies of the infamous A & B Teams that existed in NY State. It's true all right and you should google it sometime. So, I'd have to say that the Mafia moniker is a bit surprising to me (from a Twitter standpoint), because I wonder how many of those who came up with it, really know how close it actually was and/or still is to them. Upstate New York was notorious for mobsters back in the day, but many of them got pinched and didn't get out of jail til they were in their late 70's and 80's. But "The Families" still exist and perhaps the BillsMafia thinks that a "tie-in" to the name is warranted, because of their proximity (the past few decades) to organized crime.

What's up, NoSaint. To answer your question, I never do the 2-3 sentence slide shows. I think those writers truly are trying to get clicks, because anybody can write a meaningless short story. I actually believe that I'm a better researcher than writer and I sometimes write too much, because I dont like to leave out anything that I've found on a topic. Of course, I have a lot more room to express myself now than I did on television. When I was anchoring & reporting, scripts had to be "quick n dirty", without the fluff. It could be agonizing as a writer, but In TV, you really have to let video, sounds on tape & interviews tell the story. Internet, newspaper & TV are definitely different animals!

Thanks BillNutinHouston. I appreciate it. In all actuality, I'm not fond of slide shows either and never have been as a reader or a writer. They're just as hard to create, then they are to sift through. But in a case like this one, it allows me to add more features to a piece, like the "Buffalo's Back" video. Slide show publishing also offers more room for headers, which I utilized on each slide (for quotes from the Godfather & Goodfellas movies).

Fellow posters... With your blessings, I'd like to get your thoughts on a column I wrote about "BillsMafia." I covered the Bills for a TV station a few years ago and now write as a hobby, so please don't think I'm fishing for hits, cuz I can care less about them. I actually had an exchange with some of you last month and told you I wouldn't bombard you with my articles about the Bills. But I trust your judgement about the direction the team is going in and really want to find out how you feel about the BillsMafia movement. I think it is continuing to gain steam and players are buying in and having a ball with it. Of course, it may be a passing fad, but it definitely helped in the recruiting and/or welcoming of free agents the last two years (Barnett, B. Smith, Mario & Mark A.). I also like the fact that all of its proceeds go towards good causes, like Hunter's Hope and cancer research. I write for BR and understand that many of you avoid it like the plague. So, please don't feel obligated to read what I've written. I just want to start a friendly dialogue about BillsMafia, if you read my content or not. "#BillsMafia is more than just a hashtag. It's a movement and a way of life." Read how it's suddenly changing perceptions of the NFL team and the city of Buffalo.

I feel you, No Saint, and I'll be happy to contribute more to this site. But why would forum members care about what links appear on its site? If there was a strict policy against this action, administrators would not offer posters the ability to link. Unfortunately, if they did that, they'd lose members, and not just aspiring or working journalists. ALL news sites now offer links to other articles online. Bleacher Report will not publish our columns, unless we link to the appropriate articles we gathered information from. In the past, a writer simply had to courtesy the source of the information and the outlet that reported it. I personally get anxious when I click on a stranger's link and normally will not, unless I'm on a trusted site. More times than not, I click on links here, because The Stadium Wall's closely monitored and has been around for a while. But it would suck if posters weren't welcome to use links, because with the time to read them, links often prove to be useful and interesting. It's sure easier then searching for Bills news on my own. I agree that not all writers and bloggers are credible and again, you have every right to ignore them. I also agree that writers and bloggers should not take advantage of forums like this to try to advertise their work. But if it becomes blatant, I'm sure they won't be a member of this site for long. Again, if you don't want to click on a link to a particular site, it's your prerogative. But ultimately, it may be difficult to figure out who is providing a link to a story of interest and who's trolling for hits. On this site, I'd stick out like a sore thumb, if I tried to do the latter, and you have my word that that won't be the case. I'll even ask you guys, BEFORE I post a link, and only if my story relates to a particular topic on the board.

I'll pass on the $7 drink, cuz that sounds like DC prices, instead of Buffalo prices! But thanks, SDS, for the FREE offer to read and post. Now what do I need to do to become an Administrator? And does it pay?

.... And one more thing. This afternoon, I found a clear example of leaving a story up too long. At 11:07 am, ESPN.com posted a column entitled "Bills Fail to Sign Mario Williams." I personally rushed to read it, because I though Buffalo had officially dropped the ball on signing him. Instead, what I read was OLD news about yesterday's dinner meeting and NEW news that Kyle Williams was "confident" that Buffalo still had a chance. Just like many of you have said about Bleacher Report, ESPN pulled a fast one and I bit. I wonder how many hits that deceiving little title garnered. I'm sure several thousand easy and it pissed me off, just like many of you claim BR does. But as I came to the end of the article, a strange thing happened on my smart phone. Out of the blue, it reset itself, and the title suddenly changed on the SAME EXACT STORY. I scanned it again and wouldn't you know, it had clear alterations and additions in it, including the news that Mario had not left Buffalo yet on Wednesday morning. Read it for yourself and notice how the title now says "Mario Williams tour to continue?" Perhaps an editor caught how completely false and out of touch the title was. John Clayton apparently doesn't even know the answer to the question about Mario's tour. And if they're so sharp in Bristol CT, where's the information that ProFootballTalk reported about Mario's physical this morning and the fact that his fiancee was being flown into town? I guess those "legitimate" writers that most of you harp about will get a slap on the wrist. Maybe ESPN should lay off a couple of them, so it can purchase stronger espresso in the media giant's dining hall. Or maybe, just maybe, they don't really give a crap about the Bills at ESPN, like we do, and decided to get back to editing the story when they had the time. BTW... I beat them all to the punch last night, when I published a column on Bleacher Report entitled "Buffalo Bills Free Agency: Bills Miss on Robert Meachem, Hope for Mario Williams". It included confirmation (per NFL Network) that Mario was planning to meet with the Tennessee Titans and I responded to a reader this morning that "my gut was telling me it may be a formality" or a possibility that Williams simply wished to keep his word with the Titans. I also offered my concern that Mario may be waiting on Peyton Manning's visit, which is taking place as I type this. Coincidentally, both players share the same agent, but Mario's decision rests on Peyton's result. If Manning signs with Tennessee, the Bills may finally have a slam dunk with Mario. But if Manning doesn't sign, Buffalo's chances will decrease, because the Titans will go back to their original plan to court Mario. There's no way Tennessee can afford both of them, and according to NFL Network's Michael Lombardi, the reason why Mario's playing second fiddle right now is because Titans' owner Bud Adams reportedly forced his staff to change gears, by telling the media that he was more interested in Manning than Mario. Like Ralph Wilson Jr, Adam's not getting any younger (he's almost 90) and wants to win now. He's just more willing to gamble on a Hall of Fame QB that's coming of 4 surgeries, instead of the league's top pass rusher. In any case, Mario's news is old news now, and maybe he never intended on leaving Orchard Park, but my column was MORE accurate and STILL current this morning, than ESPN.com's turned out to be, several hours AFTER mine was published! Now, GO BILLS! Cuz I care... And let's hope Buddy finally gets 'er done!

Really, WTLF? As I said, I've been reading this site for the last several years and became a member of it a couple of years back. I was also born and raised in Rochester, followed the Bills on radio in the 70's and 80's (when almost every home game was blacked out) and I attended the Bills 52-17 Pasadena beat down by Dallas in Super Bowl XXVII! Let's see... I became a TV sports reporter in 2000, got the Bills beat, and interviewed the team after the Music City Miracle debacle. I then covered them for 3 more years, including 9/11, when we all thought the world was coming to an end. Now, I write about them online FOR FREE (and not only for Bleacher Report). Mmmmm.... Is there anything else that would make me worthy of linking an article or two to this site? I can't imagine that you'd be any more credible, if you wrote 5,000 posts in the past 5 years. But I'll make a deal... You give me your blessings and I'll send you one of the autographed footballs Drew Bledsoe signed for my Wedding Day, a week after he got hitched and a week before I did.

DCJoeV here... Wow, folks. I'm impressed with all of the responses to what I wrote and I'll admit that I agree with most of what you all said. The first responder obviously has some credible experience in internet marketing and I learned a thing or two from what he wrote. I do understand that there are ways to accumulate hits online and, in fact, website administrators teach writers how to get more of them, by utilizing key words in a story title and in a column's first couple of paragraphs. While it's true that Search Engine Optimization is being done with Bleacher Report, people are being paid to do that work, and if they're succeeding, good for them. I can't imagine it's any different at a site like ESPN.com. They're the kings of over-saturation! How many Networks do they have now? It's absolutely ridiculous and I for one, stay far away from their website... Not because I write for BR, but because they want me to pay for "insider" access. Why would I want to do that, when I've found as many mistakes in their work as I do on BR. I'll agree that BR is not perfect. Never said it was and never said it will be, especially when your concept includes aspiring journalists who learn from mistakes and improve their craft, the more that they write. Like you, I was skeptical of BR when I started writing for them in 2009, but back then, it served as a hobby for me and I only wrote an article here and there. But recently, things have changed for the better. I don't know if it took investors to do it, but the entire site has been re-built. It's not just an open source note pad anymore. Instead, it consists of sections that teach writers how to write correctly, how to improve and how to build a portfolio that will help them knock down a few doors in an industry that's known for shutting them in your face. I, for one, have learned how to use social media to network with people in my industry. Not by taking some course at an Apple Store. But by postings on BR from credible sources, who list how to do it. Another responder guessed that we get paid by BR for the number of hits we receive. That's not true for everyone. I can't speak for Featured Columnists who have worked hard to get to that level and deserve to be paid. But as a NFL Correspondent, I get paid nothing for my columns, no matter how many hits they get. I do intend on applying for paid status, but I'd rather wait until I've built a credible portfolio first, to prove that I'm "legit". Funny I say that, when I spent seven years getting paid as a sportscaster, but I don't want anything handed to me. I want to earn it and if I don't apply, so be it. I'll still contribute stories, because I enjoy writing about the NFL and may eventually use them to get paid elsewhere. The last few responders had a beef with a column that projected a Stevie Johnson trade to the Redskins, AFTER he signed with the Bills. I don't know who wrote the column, but I don't find it strange to see an old column still sitting on a website, especially if it's within hours of breaking news. I found a host of them the other day on SI.com and FoxSports.com. I would certainly rip a site that has an old story placed on their lead page, but if the SJ story was on the Skins page an hour or so after Stevie signed, I wouldn't blow a gasket. If it were near the bottom of the page a few hours later, I would know it was old news and would consider it as such. I'd may even look to see WHEN it was written, if it mattered to me that much. I'm not defending BR's editors, because if I was managing them, I'd punish 'em for keeping columns up too long, that have no reason to still be up. But, it seems to occur elsewhere as well, and I don't go off the handle about it, because every site is guilty of it! I agree with those of you who despise BR's slide shows. I actually wrote one last week about Buffalo's chances for Vincent Jackson and purposely wrote a novel on each slide. I didn't do it to piss my readers off, but I had a lot of information to present and didn't think I should water it down to a single paragraph for each slide. I did notice that it garnered more attention than my single page columns, but in the future, I'll primarily stay away from slide shows. I personally can't stand them either and unless I'm incredibly interested, I avoid them like the plague. They are simply to time-consuming and I think that's why they're typically short on information. If internet writers users them to accumulate reads, that's their prerogative, but I'll pass most of the time. And finally, I've got to tip my hat to Zulu Cthulhu on your concession for reading the "20 Hottest Female Fans in Southeastern Pennsylvania". That article would grab my attention too, no matter where they came from! Thanks again for all of your comments and please know that I appreciate every one of them, good and bad. I've always respected this site for its honesty, candor and occasional outbursts, and will follow it till the day I no longer exist on the planet. GO BILLS! Our day will come... Hopefully sooner than later! And I'll promise not to bombard you guys with BR links to all my columns... Just the good ones! If you do wish to check out my work, feel free to critique the hell out of it, when you do. And please leave your feedback on whatever topics you read, even if you want to communicate with me here instead. To find my BR profile and links to my previous columns, search for Joe Versage on the site's main page.

Will do. Thanks for your honesty, BuffaloBillsSD, and keep checking in. I'll be writing primarily for the Redskins, but Dan Van Wie is the one to follow for Bills news on BR. He's a native of Eden, NY.

Okay... I've seen it over and over on this thread. Nobody reads Bleacher Report, nobody trusts Bleacher Report and when people post something from Bleacher Report, most everybody on this forum blasts it as B.S. I'm not here to start arguments, because I've read The Stadium Wall for the better part of 10 years and believe that Bills fans that post and reply here, are for the most part, intelligent and engaging. But as a guy who's been paid as a sports journalist and covered the Bills, Redskins and Ravens as a credentialed beat reporter, I feel obligated to speak my mind here. First of all, breaking into sports journalism is incredibly difficult. Always has been and always will be. But it's even harder now... When I started out in the business 15 years ago, all I could do was beg for an internship, in hopes of making a resume tape to send out on VHS. I would send out the tape for a year or so, and if I didn't get a job offer, I'd find another internship and make another tape. Now-a-days, there are similarities, but getting that "big break" is even more difficult. There seems to be a lot less of "what-have-you-done-for-me-lately?", and much more of "what did you accomplish yesterday and today? With electronic and mobile media, you've got to be CURRENT as a journalist. You have to be proactive with story ideas, aggressive with breaking news and write creatively, quickly and concisely. You also have to be engaged in social media and be ready to prove it. Sports executives in PR, Marketing, TV, Radio and Newspapers don't want to see what you've accomplished in the past. They want to see what you're doing NOW and how you're interacting with your audience! And that's what's so impressive about Bleacher Report. It offers a place to learn, improve and get noticed. Writers who seek employment with other media outlets can instantly show results of their work and the feedback that it earned. And that's huge for those trying to break into a field that normally chews you up and spits you out. In its infancy (2008), BR offered a platform for fans to speak their minds. But as time has passed, it has become a much more competitive place, where fans have to be serious about their writing. If facts aren't correct, columns get rejected. And in case you're wondering, opinion and speculation are WELCOME on Bleacher Report, not because the website is a joke, but because users of online media flock to opinion and speculation. They love to read about it and they love to react to it. I personally busted my ass to break into sports journalism and like many writers on Bleacher Report, I appreciated the places that allowed me to do it. I eventually interviewed Hall of Famers, World Champions and Olympic Gold Medalists, but I never cared about the small towns I lived in, or the pennies I made. I was a journalist, it was in my blood, and I loved every minute of it. Still do. So, before you start trashing a website that offers a unique platform for both, veteran AND aspiring journalists, get your facts straight and stop ripping it, because everybody else does. Better yet, register for the site and write a Bills story of your own. I guarantee you that you'll find it pretty damn difficult to gather information, find sources, link to those sources and build a story from start to finish. And if you complete the task, your story will be analyzed by senior editors. If your grammar and style don't cut it, you WON'T get published. And if you make it past the editors, you can be certain that your story will be correct, from a FACTUAL and grammatical standpoint. If you screwed up somewhere, they'll send you a note and tell you to fix it, in order to get published. Here's what most of you don't know about Bleacher Report... 1. BR has a board of directors, a team of editors, lead journalists, senior writers, IT engineers, and sales & marketing divisions. 2. Many of the writers GET PAID and are just as professional as the ones at Yahoo Sports, Fox Sports, and ESPN.com. Many writers and editors receive credentials by BR to cover teams and events. This year's Super Bowl? 100 representatives of BR attended. 3. BR is a NATIONAL MEDIA PARTNER of many of the sports sites that you consider legit. CBSSports.com? Media Partner. USA Today? Media Partner. Comcast SportsNet? Media Partner. Coincidentally, some of the columns you read on these sites are written by BR writers, because BR shares its most popular stories with media partners, who re-publish them on THEIR sites. 4. You may not care to read BR, but the site gets approximately 25 million hits per month, which literally trounces ESPN.com. If you don't believe me, here's a link that proves it. 5. BR doesn't accept anybody and everybody. And if you wish to be paid, you have to build a large portfolio of articles that are reviewed by senior staff. A lot of applications for paid spots get rejected, but writers are encouraged to reapply. 6. BR is not run out of somebody's house, basement or back patio. In fact, it has an executive office in San Francisco and another one in New York City. And please be patient, because before you know it, you might change your mind about the legitimacy of Bleacher Report. Last August, BR received $22 MILLION of income from investors, who believe the site has a bright future in the sports reporting business. Have you ever read ProFootballTalk.com? It was a start-up as well, back in 2001. But now, its creator (Mike Florio) chats with Bob Costas on the set of NBC's Sunday Night Football. How did that happen, you ask? Well, because he and his "news and rumor" website got bought out by NBC and he now works for them! As for the $22 million BR got in August... It's being spent wisely, as BR continues to expand into new verticals. Next time you're on YouTube, look closely, because Bleacher Report just signed a new deal to provide sports video content FOR YouTube. Thanks for letting me share and please feel free to respond. I'm sure my post won't change a lot of minds, but I hope some of you will reconsider BR's authenticity, because it isn't what it used to be and it sure as hell isn't what most of the posters here think it is. And if you still don't care to read or trust the site, it's okay, because 25 million other people do, each and every month.

The latest news out of Cleveland is telling and really could shake things up. At a press conference Thursday, Cleveland's GM said that Peyton is a definite "NO" and Flynn is a "MAYBE". Flynn may even visit the Browns, as soon as free agency begins (at 4 pm Tuesday). I found this in a column on CBSSports.com. Another article described why the Bills might be lying about not having an interest in RGIII.

Could VJax be on his way to shuffling off to Buffalo? Merriman has tweeted a couple of times now. Found it here!

Nix is bluffing and other teams are taking the bait!

Call me crazy, but I believe the Bills are not telling the whole truth about their intentions. Check out this link. It says the Bills may still be "one of the mystery teams" in talks with St. Louis, despite reports to the contrary. C'mon Buddy... Pull the trigger on RG3!!!

Has anyone had a chance to view each one of Maybin's sacks? I always gave him credit for trying as hard as he could when he played as a Bill (mostly in preseason games)... But just like in Buffalo, he still tends to get tossed around like a rag doll by offensive tackles. Most of the sacks that I've seen him make as a Jet have come on broken plays, when the quarterback has held the ball too long. Maybin rarely uses any sort of swim move when he attempts to get by a mammoth OT. He's simply a tweener, who's entirely too light to play defensive end and too uncoordinated to play outside linebacker (and cover tight ends). What I've always witnessed is a guy who sprints 100 miles an hour to try to get around the end and often ends up looking like road kill 10 yards behind the line of scrimmage. 6 sacks look good on paper for anyone in the NFL, but Maybin's have predominantly come after he's peeled himself off the turf and ran at full speed to "surprise" an out of pocket signal caller from behind. Then he celebrates and taunts like he's the second coming of Lawrence Taylor! Believe me, the Bills made the right call on Maybin, because the team wasn't talented enough to afford him any more time to prove himself. And when he was on the field, he showed that he had no real chance at sacking quarterbacks, unless he got lucky, like he has for the Jets. Mark my words... Maybin will have a short career in the NFL, simply because he can't carry additional weight on his slight frame and he doesn't have God-given talent to compensate for it. Some sack artists have defied the odds (like Dwight Freeney of the Colts), because they combine a speed rush with strong moves or a low center of gravity to get to the quarterback. At his height and weight, Maybin will never have what it takes be an every down force. And as one poster has already stated, he'll be nothing more than a situational pass rusher, which is something most teams can ill afford to have on their 53-man roster.

Fair game.... I'll do my research, if you do yours.... Still waiting for your sources, by the way. Maybe if you post them, you'll come across as legit. Again, my post was MY opinion and NOT fact! I never said it was, but interestingly enough, my original opinion has been snipped out, although this post still exists. Maybe I'm on to something.... and perhaps on Thursday, my friend, you'll have pie in your face and your foot in your mouth!

OMG.... I couldn't (obviously) have said it better myself! Edward's Arm.... You are the man! Everything you wrote is what my point was in the first place and I apologize to posters who may have mistook my opinion for something else. When I began this post, I should have explained what my opinion was and shied away from making Luck the end-all be all. Edward's Arm hit the nail on the head when he said that I don't think the Bills should take a QB at 3. They absolutely shouldn't, in my opinion, because Gabbert and Newton would probably be second rounders in next year's draft. I've said all along that Newton is light years away from being NFL-ready. I've read recently that he was asked to call a typical play that he called in the huddle at Auburn and he couldn't because he rarely did. The Tigers had a number of simple play calls that came from the sidelines. The coaching staff actually held up cards with numbers on them and Cam would line everybody up, look for his main target & if he wasn't open, he'd tuck the ball in and run. I'd say if you're a "one-option only" QB and not used to calling plays in a huddle, you're not just one (and maybe not even two years away) from having any chance of success in the NFL! As for Gabbert, I like his athleticsm (his speed is almost equal to Newton's), his intelligence (he scored a 42 on the Wonderlic) and his work ethic. Gabbert is far more NFL-ready because he has worked diligently with a quarterbacks coach who used to have that title for the Kansas City Chiefs and has tutored Matthew Stafford, Matt Ryan and Josh Freeman. But as Edward's Arm points out, I think that a guy with the upside and potential of Gabbert is the perfect ingredient for a trade-down scenario. My point all along is to trade with ANY team in the first round that's below #3, accumulate extra picks and draft DEFENSE, DEFENSE, DEFENSE (and, of course, a legitimate offensive lineman or tight end). I agree with the one poster's point that giving up a #1 pick in 2012 is a stretch for most teams. But this year's draft is not like other drafts. With the uncertainty of the labor situation and the distinct possibility of a rookie cap (if and when the players and owners finally agree), this is as good a time as any for franchise quarterback-needy teams to pull out all the stops. I simply believe that the Bills could take advantage of all of this at #3, ADD QUANTITY and STILL GET QUALITY a few picks further down in the first round (if they don't get Miller, they'd be fine with guys like Fairley or Quinn). I also think that they could be the beneficiary of the perfect storm, with so many teams competing to get the signal callers with the most potential. Again, if the Bills agree to trade down & out of 3, the team trading with them is betting that the QB they take will be their guy for the next decade. I'm sure whichever team that is would be willing (and I believe will have little choice but to) give up their first round pick in 2012. As for Luck, I apologize if most readers here thought he was my only choice for the Bills future "Face of the Franchise". I actually think that at least 3 quarterbacks next year are much better picks for the Bills than Newton, Gabbert, Mallet, Locker, Ponder, Kaepernick or Dalton. Have u ever heard of a guy named Matt Barkley from USC? He wouldn't be a big fall off from Luck in any way and would fit into the "Franchise" role just fine, thank you!

Boy.... tough crowd! I used Cincy as an example because if Cam's gone and Gabbert's their guy, they had better think long and hard about moving up one spot or a team below the Bengals is gonna leapfrog them to wheel and deal with the Bills. If Buffalo does decide to trade the pick and move down, there's absolutely, positively gonna be one team that's gets Gabbert at 3 and if it's not the Bengals, it'll be one of the teams I listed. You can bet your bottom dollar on that! Also... if you're so certain that a team has never moved up one spot in the first round, I'd like to know who your source was for that, because Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots have made a living out of this type of thinking for years. It doesn't take a "journalist" to come up with ideas such as this, just a GM with the guts and foresight to pull the trigger before another team does. Trust me, there's been plenty of teams that have been outsmarted by geniuses like Belichick and most of them pick in the top 10, year in and year out, as a result of it!

And your point? FYI... Bleacher Report currently ranks as the 3rd largest sports destination on the web and is a national media partner of Cbssportsline.com & USA Today. If you think that you can get published on a site like Bleacher, be my guest and write an article of your own. I'd be happy to read it!

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