Buftex

I have been to about 6 games in Houston, since the Texans arrived. I must say, I must be missing out on something. Other than going to see the Bills play, with a designated "Bills party" in a parking lot of a nearby hotel, I have never gotten any sense of it being a great tailgate experience. It is a gorgeous stadium...but to me, there just isn't any vibe outside at all...I must be missing something...#4? If they are basing it just on food, maybe...but vibe? No way... Of course, I would rank New Orleans right up there...the whole city is a frigging' tale-gate party...

:cry: :wallbash: :thumbdown:

Yeah. I know, the show probalby isn't near the ratings grabber that they anticipated...but I still think it is excellent. I think it started out a bit slow, so it didn't retain a solid audience. I remember watching season one, a second time, in about a week and a half, and it seemed much more cohesive that way. I think seasons 2, 3 and 4 were really great.

I would go Eli...seriously.

When I got him to sign a card, it was during the 4th qtr of a game in New Orleans, the Bills were blowing the Saints out...last game of the season, going to the playoffs..the "stars" pretty much sat most of the 4th quarter. It was Christmas weekend..the team was pretty happy, celebrating with the Buffalo faithful who had moved behind the Bills bench...Bruce was awesome. It was 1998, so before everyone had a camera on their phone. I took a picture of him and my buddy shaking hands (got my own picture taken earlier in the "smoking lounge" with Leon "Dr Sack" Seals who was at the game with his son, cheering on the Bills)...the only guy who was kind of a dick that day was Flutie. He was pissed about being benched for RJ that day, and sulked the whole game, sitting on his helmet, as far away from the team bench as (I would imagine) rules wold allow. A bunch of kids had Flutie Flakes boxes with them...Bruce actually took one from some little kid, walked it down to Flutie, had him sign it, and then gave it back to the kid. Perhaps, given that it was the holiday season, or maybe that they were on the road, Bruce was pretty happy that day, and was great with the fans. Thurman too.

Might be. He is the one guy, just to complete the "Super Bowl" years collection, that I had to pay money on EBAY for. It cost me about $4 as I recall.

Yeah...I kind of listed them in my order of preference...just nice to hear somebody else confirm your line of thinking...my only fear is that Bortles flashes brilliance early on, like we see from time to time.

I understand what you are saying. I am not certain, however, why Boardwalk is ending right now though. It almost feels like HBO wanted to pull the plug, and then just threw the producers a bone and gave them 8 hours to tie everything up. Like, I just wonder if, at the end of season four, they knew it was going to end. Just doesn't feel that way. I still enjoy it, but, for instance, the whole saga of Chalky, which had so brilliantly built up, seems to have just fizzled, as they jump 7 years into the future. I mean, it makes sense that they would have it end with the the alchohol ban lifted, but the slower, deliberate pace of the show just kind of makes this last season seem kind of forced. Like a different kind of story telling...I also find the flashback scenes a little incongrous to the style of the show. It's almost like they had to add this "young Nucky" story-line, just to speed up a heavy point that they had been building up to...namely, how Nucky became the way he was. Mind you, I am still enjoying the show....it is so well made, it is hard not to enjoy it. Just makes me sad to see what I think of as a great show, getting the short shrift in the end.

So, my normal defenese (Arizona) is on the bye this weekend, I have to pick one up for the week. Which would you pick? These are, in my eyes, the best of the 15 options I have: San Diego vs Jacksonville Miami at Oakland Pittsburgh vs Tampa Bay Detroit at NY Jets Atlanta @Minnesota

I would probably drop him...

I have been collecting Bills autograhs for about 30 years. Many by mail, quite a few in person. My experience is, most guys are pretty cool about it, if you are polite, and let them sign something when it is convenient for them, as opposed to when they are on their way in or out of somewhere, or eating, or with their family, etc etc. I managed to get an autographed card from every Buffalo Bills player who had a card produced from about 1988- 2005...the only one who ever outright snubbed me, on multiple occaisions, was Mark Kelso... I have heard over and over again, over the years, that Bruce Smith was not very nice to fans, but my experience couldn't have been any opposite of that. And this was during his playing days...they are only human....

Pats did not look good against Oakland yesterday, at all... they only won because Oakland is that bad.

Your point is taken on Cousins (though I still like him, and was one of the few QB's over the years I really wanted the Bills to pick), but RGIII's rookie of the year honors seem like a long time ago... starting to think, unless that kid is in the right situation, he isn't going to be the stud QB he looked like, as a rookie. He talks about protecting himself more, but he still plays far too recklessly with his body, IMO, to believe that he will ever be able to stay healthy enough to be a guy a team can count on, week in and week out. I do believe, they will try to unload him after this season...heard "insider" buzz, even before RGIII went down, the new coaching staff really liked Cousins better to run their offense.

This was my advice after the loss yesterday, to fellow Bills fans.... "act like you've been here before!"

Wade, Duff's or Anchor Bar?

Just put on "Let It Be" (the Replacements), turn it up loud... nothing "run of the mill" about that band in their prime...if ther were, the mill would be a much better place to hang out.

That is the key. EJ lost confidence in the line's ability early on in the game...we all know, even far more polished and accomplished QB's than EJ Manuel can be taken out of their game, when a defense shows it can get pressure up the middle. They got to him early, up the middle, so, consequently, even when he had time, he played like he had to get rid of the ball asap.

Intriguing...I had never thought of this...

You might be thinking of Pete Metzelaars. He lasted one season as the Bills TE coach, and left, kind of slamming the organization a bit, as I recall. Reich never interviewed for a job with the Bills over the years, as far as I remember.

I am little disappointed that there are only 8 episodes left...seems to me like the show was really hitting its' stride, and now they are just "cutting to the chase". Will just have to savor these final episodes.

You really think it would take Bills fans...Bills fans?... a "couple of years" to draw this conclusion? Ortons' weaknesses would come to light much more quickly than that. Ortons' game has its' limitations, if it didn't he wouldn't be a perenial back-up everywhere he goes. Right now, his experience (in the NFL, not in the Bills offense) would give him a huge advantage over EJ...but at some point he would reach his ceiling too. In the name of doing what is best for the teams' future, you stick with Manuel for as long as you can...he is going to have good and bad games..and maybe a gem or two along the way. EJ still has the potential to get better... Orton may be a better starter rigth now, but he has reached his maximum... the fact that he didn't have a training camp, and is much newer to the offensive system might hurt him... I understand the temptation to want to switch...believe me, when EJ zinged one downfiled, about 10 feet over Robert Woods head (or anybody's head) I wondered to myself if the Bills would have been in that game with Orton throwing those passes...

I am in full support of EJ. I prefer to think of myself as an "EJ optimist", rather than an "EJ apologist". I am not sorry about it...

A sore loser, and an !@#$.

The NFL's indifference toward the issue, until their bottom line was threatened, is a pretty big story.