eball

Sports talk shows in which co-hosts are expected to take contrasting viewpoints have completely ruined sports talk. It's now just about who can yell the loudest and make the most extreme statements. There is very little sincerity. Some of the solo hosts are ok but most of it is trash. I recall fondly the days of ESPN's Sports Reporters. Mike Lupica was the "bad guy" and if you looked back at those shows now they were tame by comparison.

Understood to a point, but in professional team sports I think you'd be amazed by how many athletes don't really care about winning as long as they are making bank. The importance of Buffalo's culture is that players who do want to be a part of something special are now clamoring to come here, even if for slightly less moolah.

As we enter the next Golden Era of Buffalo Bills football, I keep reading comment after comment from players who come to the Bills touting the culture, professionalism, and family atmosphere of the organization from top to bottom. I can’t count the number of “players around the league know about Buffalo” statements I’ve read or heard. My question is: do players arriving at any new team say that sort of stuff, or can we finally start to believe that the Bills are unique and have become a top destination for talent? My own opinion is that any player is going to say “nice” things about his new employer, but typically they are the “this is a great organization committed to winning and I’m eager to contribute” type of fluff. It feels to me as though Buffalo is different. Guys almost always mention the fans, the community, the way the team helps them feel comfortable, etc. Call me a homer (many have, and I wear that badge proudly), but I believe we are long past the days of Buffalo being considered NFL Siberia. As long as Beane, McDermott, and Josh Allen (a key piece no doubt) are around the Bills are well positioned for long term success attracting and retaining talent. That includes coaches. Yes, money will always matter — I’m not naive — but the players simply going for the most jack are typically not going to be the guys who fit this culture anyway. We’ll get plenty of really good players who are willing to forego a bit of cash to play for an organization they truly believe will take care of them. Just a little feel-good post as we are stuck in the doldrums before camp. Cheers and Go Bills! 🦬

How awful. Wonder what the circumstances are?

Is he carving wooden figurines as his gimmick?

To be fair, it was one of the dirtiest hits I've ever seen and could have broken Tre's neck. It was out of character and I have to assume something in Gronk snapped in the moment...but it was terrible. Tre has apparently gotten over it and I won't belabor it further.

The funny thing is, none of us are shocked by anything you say. We just roll our eyes in unison.

Reason #352,214 why topics from new posters should be restricted or moderated.

Thank you. End of story. The rest of your post is irrelevant because that isn't the point I'm arguing.

Dude. Let me slow it down for you. Part A: Squib is properly executed, 4 seconds go off clock. 9 seconds left. Part B: There is time for only one play before a potential FG or hail mary) attempt. Is it THAT hard to understand?

Have you seen me post, anywhere, that I agree with how the Bills' defense played those two plays? It doesn't change the fact that Farwell's blunder cost them the game. Could they have overcome it with a better couple of plays on D? Sure. But that's not my point.

Not with Beach Chairs in the mix!

It occurs to me that most people who watched the NFL in the 60s gravitate towards Jim Brown when asked this question. I grew up in the 70s so my “real” football-watching didn’t begin until the end of OJ’s time in Buffalo (and I was still just a kid). From the 80s forward, I’d have to go with Brady as the most dominant player on offense and Lawrence Taylor on defense. Brady is the best combination of talent-mental toughness-competitiveness the league has ever seen at the QB position. His competitive nature is what I believe is under-appreciated the most. He’s far from the greatest athlete but no QB has ever maximized his ability like Brady has. You can dominate physically or dominate mentally…Brady mastered the latter. LT was just awesome to watch. I’ve never seen anything like him before or since. There are amazing athletes playing the game now, but he was one of a kind. I hope in 5-10 years we revisit this conversation and are debating the merits of Josh Allen. I think it’s possible.

If the squib is properly executed at least 4 seconds go off the clock and that defensive strategy works fine because they only get one play. But whatever. They should have won. I’m just not a believer that McD “choked” it away like some are. All evidence following the game suggests Farwell blew it. Levi Wallace also blew it. If he plays smart and doesn’t lose himself in the moment the second play in particular doesn’t happen.

Really? The ONLY one? Not one in which Heath Farwell didn’t get the squib order in to Bass? ‘Cause that’s the conclusion I come to.

That was a fun watch. Cool that a crappy 3-10-1 Bills team tied the world champs and lost the other game by only 6 pts.

And to be clear, there is NO evidence the Bills are doing that. Just one man's opinion about how HE perceives the pieces of the OL. That's it. If Josh Allen has a few less designed runs throughout the regular season to save some wear and tear on his body and keep him fresher for the playoffs, there's not a single Bills fan who would argue that strategy. Sometimes I really wonder whether you honestly believe Sean McDermott is a babbling idiot.

So, it seems that much of this thread can now be thrown in the trash?

It is unfair to both players to compare them to each other. They came from completely different football backgrounds and aside from both being "tall and big" the similarities end there. EJ Manuel caught a bad break when he was injured in the preseason his rookie year, but he has readily admitted he was not mentally tough enough to deal with the adversity he experienced. That, in my opinion, is what really separates Josh from everyone else. I'll admit I don't know much about EJ's upbringing, but Allen grew up in a tough but supportive environment and nothing was handed to him. He had to fight for every opportunity he got on the football field and was not going to let anyone or anything stop him. His rookie season was very tough at times, but he fought through it and the organization put the right people around him. Could EJ Manuel have had a different career in a different organization? Sure. But Allen is a freak. A unicorn. I do believe he would have risen to the top no matter where he wound up. He was with Jordan Palmer before he was drafted so that part of his development would not have changed, nor would his immense physical talent.

They are just too entrenched in opinions that they seem believe represent facts. Scott doesn’t really offer anything particularly insightful, in my opinion; his mantra is that McD and Beane only know defense, despite the fact they identified and developed Josh Allen and they’ve put together one of the most dynamic offenses in the NFL. He’ll cite Kelvin Benjamin as his evidence. The glass is always half empty with him. I find it amusing but I don’t dislike him. He owns it. Badol is obviously a smart, thoughtful fan who analyzes the game. I have learned things about football reading his posts, and he’s even occasionally humorous. Unfortunately, he also has much too high an opinion of himself for my taste. If he thinks something is or should be a certain way, he rarely (in my experience) is willing to even consider any contradictory thought. He says he is trying to promote discussion but all he does is demean and belittle those who present any sort of challenge to what he has proffered. Maybe he really is the great, funny, footloose and carefree guy he keeps telling us he is, but “the lady doth protest too much” comes to mind. But whatever, we’re all here because we share a passion for the Bills. It should be a fun year for us all, even if we disagree over our opinions regarding what they should or shouldn’t have done with personnel. It certainly would be nice if everyone treated each other with some measure of respect. I know it’s difficult in a nameless and faceless online forum but it’s a worthwhile goal. Go Bills!

I don’t believe it’s evident at all. Acquired draft capital to move up and select Josh Allen - the most important player on the roster Drafted running backs in three consecutive years in the 3rd round or higher Traded a 1st round pick for Diggs Drafted Knox in the 3rd round Signed Beasley, Brown, Sanders as FA WRs A lot of people want to believe the Bills have overly concentrated on defense because they associate McDermott with being a defensive-minded coach. I don’t think the facts support that assessment.

Yes, and folks on here immediately called him out on it. I didn't even watch the segment because it doesn't interest me. You think the Bills' offense sucks after Diggs and Knox and would plummet without Josh. I think they're still probably a playoff team, just not dominant. Hopefully we will never have to find out.

I think when you bring up the first BUF-NE game last season as evidence of anything offensively you’ve lost a good bit of credibility. I get it. You’re the contrarian, the worrier, the guy making sure we all know the house of cards could collapse at any moment. It’s what you do. Josh Allen may be the best QB in the game. To suggest it’s a “problem” that he elevates his teammates and sometimes single-handedly leads his team to victories is pretty funny. It’s fine, you and others can bemoan the “middling” playmakers the Bills have while most outside observers disagree. You be you.

Not sure whether the OP is aware, but we are just fans who have no impact on the field and we’re allowed to do whatever the f*** we want.

You miserable effers...the new narrative to trash the Bills is to say they're nothing without Josh. As if the Bills did NOTHING to get and develop Josh. Yeah, the Pats*** all those years would have been nothing without Brady. The Packers would have been nothing without Favre...or Rodgers. Christ. Great QBs elevate their teams. Film at 11. P.S. The Bills have a stinking good roster, great coaches, and a competent front office. Not that you care.