Buftex

I guess I don't use iTunes enough: Longest: "Blood and Guts"- Middle Brother(6:00) Shortest: "I'll Fly Away"- Ron Wood & Ronnie Laine (0:31)

You are a riot mrags!

That does not fit the prevailing attitude on OBD...EJ is a bust, it has been determined.... Two things that are in stark contrast to any other evaluation I have read of Manuel. In fact, both of those things have been sited, repeatedly as strengths. I do fear, however, now that the masses have spoken, and are getting increasingly louder, Manuel may buckle. I have already sensed a defensiveness in his dealing with the media (local meadia anyways) that wasn't there a year ago. He can't live up to the unrealistic expectations that many have for him...and we are an increasingly impatient (and miserable) lot, to try to please. Not saying much, I know, but I think he has flashed more potential than any QB we have had since Bledsoes first season...but we are nailing him to the tree already...

I would argue that EJ had 2 excellent games, 2 awful games (or "clunkers" as you call them), and 6 mediocre games. Go back to Russell Wilsons' rookie season...he had about 4 or 5 clunkers that year... or, just keep banging on EJ cuz it is easier...

Yes, the constant losing is what does it. People can't separate the current team, from the 14 that came before it. If anyone went back and re-watched Manuel's rookie season, I really don't think they would be as discouraged as we seem to be as a collective, about him. He wasn't perfect, and maybe he wasn't even great...but he did enough thing well, in my opinion, to indicate that he could still get better....but some can only focus on his worst moments, as if they represent his entire season, and are the only indicators that matter in predicting his success for the future. By my count, in his 10 starts, he had two excellent games, two awful games, and 6 games that were a mixed bag of good and bad. Pretty typical, given the circumstances. Its as if the rookie success of Luck, RGIII are now considered the norm for rookie QB's..anything less is failure. Those guys are still the exception, rather than the rule....

As one of the handful of EJ supporters (or at least one who thinks his suckiness is being vastly overstated), I couldn't help but being struck by the "post game" video interview with EJ on BB.com, I can't help but start to feeling a little sorry for the kid. I think the scrutiny is starting to get to him, just a tad. He is starting to get a bit of a defensive tone with answering his questions... I am not blaming the media guys, it is their job...and to many, unless they are being negative, they aren't doing their job...but I wish they would just let these kids breath a little. I generally don't hate all the GR guys as much as most here, but listening to Howard and Jeremy the last week or so, I have decided I am better off without them...the conversation, when talking about the Bills, has seemed to center entirely on quantifying their expectations going into the season. I am have as much healthy (I think) cynicism as anyone about the Bills, but jesus...these guys are just brutal...

It's well worth the money, unless you are just somebody who has zero interest in pre-season games....I love being able to see the Bills games, live, with a good, clear feed. Like you, I wasted more than a couple Friday evenings trying to watch pre-season Bills games on-line...choppy picture, normally losing the signal a few times...$20 is a small price to pay.

Exactly...tap into that World Cup slacker vibe! People ditch work, go out to the pub during work hours, watch on their computers at work... all for a super dull event!

I think you are talking to a wall on this one...

In all fairness to Bon Jovi, as Kelly said, he may have had no choice to associate his potential ownership with Canadian groups...with their clogs, mullets, murjani jeans, puka shells and hockey sweaters, they are the only ones who would seem oblivious to how repulsive Bon Jovi and is music are... not many self respecting US billionaires would want anything to do with him... but Trump doesn't need money!

That is a fair point...the numbers citied in the peice (I don't think anyone bothered to watch it) are International Centre on Prison Studies. Either way though, whether the China stats are correct (they reportedly have 1.6 million in jail vs. our 2.2), that is a pretty huge figure for the US. If the China stats are true (who knows) they have 1.35 billion people, while the US has 315 million (in 2013). 2.2 out of 315 million may not seem like that much...but if you are black or Latino the percentage is much higher for you...

But isn't a big part of "what comes with it" caused by the illeagality of the drugs? If drugs weren't illeagal, you don't think many of the crimes that accompany the drug culture would dissipate? I am not even necessarily a "legalize it" guy...I think there are legitimate concerns...as with alchohol. Some would be able to enjoy them in a responsible way, and others would not. But when you think of all the crimes that are committed to keep the illeagal drug trade going, are you sure the trade-off wouldn't be worth it?

I saw that a few months ago on PBS...great piece of work. Amazing how enduring the music that came out of that little shack is.

Yeah, that was kind of puzzling. I am assuming they meant, 269 3rd down plays for the Bills defense, and Dareus only made the tackle/stop on 7 of them...talk about a silly, meaningless stat...it is like holding one receiver responsible for every passing play run by the offense, passes intended for him or not. I really have no issue with Dareus performance on the field...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VX-k86KESRU

Funny, I used to find that tall, big chick on there kind of attractive in a strange way...but then, one day, for no reason, she made some lame, off the cuff remark about how the Bills should be the Toronto Bills... she has been hideous to me ever since... apparently she apologized, sort of half-heartedly, shortly after, after getting some rather unflattering twitter feedback from Bills fans...

I know people hate Sapp (and I have become less and less a fan the longer he is on NFLN, mailing it in), we all know he is a big dude..as is Dareus. That said, I don't recall ever hearing of Sapp having conditioning problems during his playing days...being big, fat, doesn't necessarily mean you can't pass a conditionig test. That said, I saw Sapps' comments live...it is clear to me, nobody on the NFLN really pays any attention to the Bills (and other teams fans feel the same way I am sure), because their opinions and "information" are rarely built on anything real, just the "same old Bills" metality...this is a convenient "go to" resposne, so they have to do as little work as possible. Sapp, and one of the other flunkies (I think NFLN has, by far the worst assorment of "personalites"/analysts ever assembled to cover a sport...i think it is a terrible product, considering its' great potential) made the point that Dareus was "just in mini-camp" 3 weeks ago, how could he be out of shape already...I guess they missed the fact that he was not in mini-camp, and was excused, after his run-in with the fuzz over his driving skills....

My mother suffered through it for years, as did her mother...it is a really painful thing to watch somebody go through. It takes its' toll on everyone...

Yes, that is accurate. He has been feeling the effects of dementia for a few years now.

"We have more prisoners at the moment, than China.. the only other thing we have more of than China is, of course, debt to China.."

Yeah, that is just more of the same kind of thinking. Do you really think there was any "mid-round" prospect in the 2014 draft that would be markedly better than Thad Lewis with a couple seasons in the NFL, a full season in Buffalo, one training camp in Buffalo (people tend to forget Lewis didn't have the benefit of a Bills training camp in 2013), and 6 starts under his belt? Who did you have in mind? Whatever your answer, are you sure that QB would give you a better shot at winning than Lewis would? Also, the "with no 1st round pick in 2015" just in case EJ fails thing, is kind of faulty too... if it is clear that EJ is not the QB of the Bills future after the 2014 season (personally, I think he would have to regress a ton this season for the Bills to come to that conclusion..he gets 3 seasons, unless he is horribly injured), the Bills can still take that "mid-round" QB next season, that you think will be a cure all this season...you see what I am saying? Franchise QB's are hard to come by....for most teams... more will fail than succeed. If the Bills fall into the trap of simply chasing a QB in the draft every time, they won't get anywhere...remember, JP Losman? First round pick, replaced by that "mid-round QB" drafted 3 years later, Trent Edwards? I suspect, barring some crazy moves by a new owner, if EJ fails, the next Bills long-term starting QB will be the best free-agent QB available in the 2016 off-season.

EJ was a good choice then, and he is a good choice now. Bills fans just over react to everything...

49...it's the new 60!

Yeah.. I "like" Stevie on Facebook... a week or two ago he posted a picture of himself, in his Bills gear, from training camp a year or two ago, with some quoted wisdom (can't remember what it said), something about dealing with change...

If Mike Williams doesn't pan out, Goodwin battles injuries all year (again), I think some will miss Steve Johnson more than they realize. I was not so crushed by his being traded, but I think it is a bit of a gamble that Whaley took...on paper, it looks like we are pretty set at WR....but Stevie, and now Mike Williams, are really the only guys who have ever had any kind of proven, sustained success...if Sammy, Woods, and Mike Wiliams all produce like we hope, fine...we won't miss Stevie..but if one of them doesn't come through as we plan, we could be weak at the position..again...I must say, as big a fan of Whaley as I am, trading Stevie, when he traded him, is not one of my favorite moves...for a team going "all in" on their young QB (Whaley's words, not mine) how do you justify trading your most productive receiver? More than likely, I think, Marrone had a big part in Stevie being an ex-Bill. For me, Marrone, more than EJ, is the biggest question mark with this team. All in all, I don't think he did an exceptional job last season, and I am hoping that these issues with Stevie, and now, it seems Dareus, to a degree, are not a trend. I was a little puzzled by Marrone giving Dareus free-time, away from the team, during the mandatory mini-camps. I will admit, perhaps there was a good reason for this that I am not aware of, but as much as I like Dareus, it is becoming apparent that he is not always motivated. If I were Marrone, I would have kept him in my view as much as the CBA would allow...