sven233

Bowen was helped off as you know now......not good for him, but Whitner is on the field now. The run defense looks pretty good so far.

For those of you that didn't see that pass, you would think that it was a girl throwing that ball the way it floated out there.

Bowen is baned up......didn't see what happened, but it doesn't look too serious as of now......from what we can see on TV.

With all this talk about how bad Holcomb is, a little note about the defense. After they let the Panthers walk down the field on the opening drive, they have settled down a bit. They are getting a little pass rush now, but not getting there. This is resulting in short gains for the Panthers, but enough to move the chains. Looks like we have a long way to go on defense as well.

IT WAS A TERRIBLE THROW..........he threw it right to the guy. It was not a great Defensive play at all. the ball took forever to get there and Holcomb just doesn't want to throw it over 7 yards.....PERIOD.

Note....in 3 drives under Holcomb we have yet to get to the 25 yard line, I believe.

Well, he has yet to throw a ball over 7 yards down the field.......on that play you could see it coming.......he floated a ball on a short out and Lucas walked in. It was terrible.........

Holcomb just threw the worst pass in history....... weak armed out throw.........to the flat of all places and was picked off for a TD.....

Well, The Bills just finished their second drive. Consecutive 3 and outs. Here are the notes so far......... FIRST BILLS DRIVE Nothing of note. Drive ended when Holcomb was sacked by Peppers. He had a chance to throw the ball, but ate it instead. He had to get rid of the ball there FIRST PANTHERS DRIVE Went right down the field and scored a TD. Bills CBs looked weak and they were playing WAY off the line of scrimmage. They really need to get up and challenge. They made McGee look bad on that drive. NO PASS RUSH SECOND BILLS DRIVE Another crappy drive. They had a 1st down on a 3rd and 3, but Peters was called for holding on Peppers. Roscoe did catch the ball and was wide open, but it was called back. (NOTE.....Peters was not named on the holding call, but it was him). Willis has nowhere to run so far. O-Line looks like last year so far. SECOND PANTHERS DRIVE Tried to run all over the Bills. They had some early success, but the Bills had a pretty good stand. Those are the notes so far. Bills not looking sharp at all, but I guess that has to be expected. I will be posting notes here throughout the game.

I am trying to sign up for the TBD2 league, but I keep getting error messages saying the following: There was a problem There was a temporary problem with the server. Please try again shortly. (Error #115) The password is incorrect. (Error #109) The league is not in pre-draft mode. (Error #209) This league is full. (Error #221) So, I thought the league was full. I am using the following information to try to login: TBD2 ID#: 270189 Password: OLDSENILEMEN2006 I was part of the league last year and want to be in again, but I can't get the information to work. Strange.

I missed the sineup for the league I was in last year with you.....must be filled. But, I would love to get into the NFL.COM league with you. Just send me the information!

I just found this article about the Time Warner aquicition of Adelphia and the affect it has in relation to NFL Network........consumers SHOULD see their rates go down, but you know they will probably go up instead. There are some great observations in this article and information that we haven't even thought about yet..... PS. Note the author!!!! http://www.speakupwny.com/time.shtml TIME WARNER off to a bad start . NFL Network not happy By Art Wander Jul 28, 2006, 13:40 DON’T GET ME STARTED had my eyes bulge after reading Alan Pergament’s News column that Time-Warner will probably be dropping the NFL Network, maybe as early as Tuesday. The eyes really widened in reading two articles in USA Today later in the day that the NFL Network won't take the move lying down. Let’s review that particular Channel. When Adelphia was operating the Company in the mid-90s, the Empire Sports Network was born. My understanding is that an additional fee of about $1.95 was charged each subscriber for the ESN channel that successfully carried practically all Sabres games (including hockey hotline,) the Buffalo Bisons and covered the Western New York sports scenes from colleges to high schools and interviews with prominent sports figures by a highly dedicated staff of people. It was an innovative concept that was very well received by subscribers, especially sports fans, due to its commitment to totally cover sports, allowing fans to participate. So many positive responses came from all sections of the country as a way of keeping in touch with Buffalo. No complaints about an additional fee were ever uttered. When Adelphia faced its problems, the “new” head honchos decided to “dump” the Empire Sports Network and, in an advertisement, said they would replace it with the NFL Network so that fans could get a good diet of Buffalo Bills football information. That probably preserved the subscriber fee. There has never been a disclosure as to what Adelphia paid to the NFL network but some say that it was 25 cents per subscriber. While many continue to bemoan the loss of the Empire Sports Network, they tolerated the NFL network and looked forward to the beginning of the NFL season – now underway. Many looked forward to watching NFL games on the NFL Network beginning Thanksgiving Day. Now here comes Time-Warner. The News article quotes a TW rep saying, “We’re providing notification in case it happens. We’re still negotiating.” Whatever problems exist between Time-Warner and the NFL network, they should be set aside in favor of the consumer –the subscriber. If, as the article suggests, Buffalo, Dallas and Cleveland will lose the NFL network, doesn’t it seem right and proper for TW to reduce the subscriber rate? Buffalo apparently lost out on a lot when it was decided that Time-Warner would get Buffalo and other areas while the other parts of Adelphia would go to Comcast. At least Comcast will continue to carry the NFL Network as well as the Outdoor Channel that carried Sabres games during the playoffs. Many agree that Comcast would have been a better fit in Buffalo. The battle seems to be on between the NFL Network and Time Warner. In USA Today articles, the NFL Net prepares to mount a multi-million dollar advertising campaign to have cable carry the NFL channel. It quotes an NFL Net spokesman, Seth Palansky, "We think it's asinine that Time Warner (the #2 cable provider) carries 12 shopping channels and 50 other channels you don't want but can't find room for the most popular sport in this country." He added, "We're replacing the kid glove with bare knuckles." It's not as if Time-Warner doesn't have the room. After all, the Empire Sports Network and then the NFL Network aired mostly on Channel 25 on Adelphia. What happens to that space? Another shopping network? The USA Today articles say the NFL Network is urging fans to demand the big cable operators carry the NFL Network. If that fails, the urging then suggests consumers switch to satellites that carry the Network. Letters from TW have been sent to subscribers. Let’s quote a couple items in that TW letter: “We will do everything we can to make this transition a smooth one for you.” “We want to provide you the finest array of cable services as soon as possible.” How should consumers react? After all if the NFL Network disappears, what happens to the $1.95 subscribers paid? Will TW reduce its monthly rates? Again, Adelphia replaced Empire Sports Network with the NFL Net while retaining the subscriber fee; and now the likely move to do away with the NFL Network at a time when the football season begins would have subscribers paying for something they no longer get. It’s a foregone conclusion that subscribers will again be at the mercy of cable and have no input into the decision making process. Does one think that TW will reduce the subscriber fees. Methinks not. If a rate reduction doesn’t happen, then there is another avenue to pursue. The one area feared by everyone is an act of Congress. That’s where subscribers come in. When these politicians come into town – and you are pre-disposed to be involved – perhaps it’s time to badger them to consider ala-carte services. Pay for only the channel desired and used rather than paying for many channels never watched. That’s been considered in the past but Congress has been quiet on this and maybe subscribers may want to consider this approach. Staying silent may be sending a message to cable that they can do what they want; when they want; dump channels without reducing the rates they charge, etc.., etc., etc. Certainly local and state officials should get involved as well but people like Clinton; Shumer, Reynolds, Slaughter carry the big stick and it’s time to wield it. Sports fans should vent their furor over paying for something they no longer receive on Don’t Get Me Started. © Copyright 2006 by Speakupwny.com

Well, it is officially gone........ They are telling us to go to www.NFLGETREAL.com Here is the exact statement that is on the "NFL Network" channel 25 right now: The NFL Network is no longer available on your system. Basically, they are asking you to pay a premium price for eight out of market games you got free last year. We are negotiating a better deal for you. For more information and to tell the NFL to Get Real please visit www.NFLGetReal.com This officially stinks...........

Channel 2 news at 11 just said that although Time Warner will be pulling the Network at midnight, the NFL Network isn't giving up yet. They have issued a "Temporary Injunction" that is trying to get them to hold off for a little longer. The NFL Network does not believe it is fair that Time Warner wants to force people to pay more just for their network. This probably doesn't mean much, but at least there is an effort being made of some sort. I just think we all need to call and complain as much as possible as soon as the NFL Network goes off the air tonight. I urge everyone who is still awake to call and complain as much as possible!!!!!!! Please help! LET'S SAVE OUR NETWORK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You are all very welcome. I love football and love talking about football. I am not sure how many more practices I will be able to get to though. I live about an hour and 40 minutes away and it is long drive for a 2 hour practice. If there would have been more 2-a-days, I would head to those, but it looks as though those are over. I will be reporting on preseason games and will have a season preview when the preseason closes. So, you will be hearing more from me in the future! Again, thanks for reading!

Hey there. Well, I mentioned Everett in my original post. While initially I thought he may challenge for the starting roll, it doesn't appear he will be able to overtake Royal. I would, at this point, rate him as the 2nd best TE on the team. He showed some great athletic ability today, but dropped a pass that hit him in the hands that would have gone for a big gain. But, he did make a couple pretty nice grabs today that I think solidified him as #2, at least for now. Cieslak, I thought, had a poor day overall. He dropped a few balls today in drills and just didn't seem to have 'IT' today. He has been stronger in the past and I look for him to rebound. He and Everett will challenge each other for the backup TE spot. Neufeld did nothing of note. As for Kelsay, he is in MUCH better shape than last year. He was slim and looked to be quicker. He and Schobel actually paired off on individual drills and worked together. They looked like twins! Let me tell you something.......Schobel is IN SHAPE and looks ready to go. But, as a note here, it was Denney getting a lot of 1st team reps as well. But, those are your top 3 DEs without a doubt. Posey has not worked out at DE and probably won't according to Jauron. Hope this helps!

I went back an forth about taking the camera today. But, I decided in the end that I wanted to watch the practices as closely as possible. I have found that in the past when I have the camera, I end up watching most of the practice through the lcd screen and I miss a lot of details. I thought the in depth report would be better. Maybe next time! I do appreciate the support and I am glad that you enjoyed the report. I do my best to bring the best information and opinions about the Bills to everyone as best I can. I may not be the best writer, but I do know what I am talking about (most of the time anyways.....) when it comes to the Bills. Stay tuned for my complete season preview which I will post as soon as the preseason concludes and opening week is upon us!

Hey guys, well, I just got back from camp and am here to file my report. I expected to have a lot more to say, but they worked without pads today so it is hard to judge the progress of certain positions. But anays, here we go! When I arrived and headed to the practice field slightly after 8 AM, TKO was already on the field!!! That was great to see! He was catching balls from the jugs machine. By my count, and what I overheard his assistant tell him is that he went through about 50 balls. He looked sharp cathing passes from several different angles. Also, later in the practices, he did participate in some individual drills and some 7 on 7. He didn't have a heavy workload, but he looked good from what I saw. Practice got started about 8:30 or so. To be honest with you, there were not too many things that stood out to me, but here are some highlights: QB Competition: None of the 3 really stood out from the others, but in the morning session, I would say overall, JP was the strongest (Nall was a close 2nd). JP threw 2 pretty bad balls, one which was picked off by Greer who got a fantastic jump on an out.(GREER WAS ONE STANDOUT PLAYER TODAY.......HE MADE PLAYS ALL DAY AND ENDED UP WITH 2 INTS ON THE DAY). If there was a noticible difference between the QBs today, it was definately in arm strength. JP just seems to have a lot more zip on his passes than both Holcomb and Nall (especially in a breezy afternoon practice....not that that should surprise anyone). His passes just get there on a line and in a hurry. Nall didn't have a bad arm either, but I would say he was the most inconsistant out of the bunch. Her would make 2-3 good throws and then just throw up a couple of stinkers. However, there was one other thing that really stood out, especially in the morning. In the 7 on 7 and 11 on 11 drills, you could tell that JP and Nall were just letting it go down the field trying to make the big play. But, surprise, surprise, I saw Holcomb check down to either the RBs or TEs on 3 occasions in a row at one point. Now, don't get me wrong, he did throw a couple nice balls down the field, but you can tell he just doesn't want to take that big chance. Also, all the QBs had some bad reads. Losman and Holcomb were both picked off twice, I believe, between the morning and afternoon sessions. But, I will say this.....Holcomb threw 2-3 more balls that were dropped by the defense that I think should have been picked. Nall had a couple as well that should have been picked (or at least he should not have thrown them). Also, as everyone knows by now, Nall left with a tweaked hamstring almost at the very end of practice. He did walk all the way back to the lockerroom under his own power though and it doesn't look to be serious. We'll have to see how this affects the reps come the next practice. All and all, none of the QBs really stood out, but based on potential, arm strength, and physical ability, if all things are equal between the QBs, you have to give JP the starting nod. To me, what I saw today did not do anything to change that opinion for me. JP is the best option at this point. WR: Again, nothing too much stood out to me. Nance had 2-3 very nice receptions from JP for long gains during 7 on 7 and 11 on 11 drills. Peerless looked pretty good to me as well. Just to note, it was Evans and Reed as the first pair up today in the morning and Evans and PP as the first pair in the afternoon. Reed did have a couple nice grabs (on a positive note, he did not drop 1 ball that I saw today). However, 1 receiver who I did think struggled was Andre Davis. I believe it was JP who threw him a ball on the sidelines and hit him in the hands in stride which would have gone for a huge play, but he dropped it. I saw him drop at least 2 balls today. Also, keep an eye on Roscoe Parrish (I said this last year right before he got hurt, but the guy is a playmaker and if he gets into the open field, watch out......he could score from anywhere. I will say it again.....it will be like 7-11....JP to Parrish is always open). If you want to watch something fantastic and fun, just watch Roscoe run routes. I don't know if I have ever seen a quicker player. All the other WR were average today.....Aiken had a couple nice grabs and looks like he always does at camp.....great practice player. Let's just see if it translates into a game. RB: I don't have much to say on this other than I did get the chance to speak briefly with McGahee after the first practice. he told me he was "gonna give it to them" this year and he looks primed and ready to go. It was hard to tell if he was any slimmer than last year because of the jersey he was wearing, but when I spoke to him after practice, he took the jersey off and was just in an underarmour shirt......let me tell you....the guys is RIPPED. His arms were huge and he just had a SOLID upper boddy. The guy definately looked in shape. As for his performance, he ran a couple sweeps to the outside and showed some good speed. Again, it is tough to tell what is happening completely when they are just running around in shorts and no pads. But he looked shifty in the drills and moved with ease. I just hope this is a good sign. I will be very interested to see him in live competition, even if it is just the preseason. As for the other backs, well, I think that other than the QB competition, the backup RB battle is the next most interesting on offense. A-Train looked SLIM. Looks like he is 25lbs lighter than I remember him with the Bears. Also, Shaud Williams might be the shiftiest back on the team. He had a couple pretty nice runs. I know it is early, but don't be surpried if Joe Burns is the odd man out there if they don't go with 4 RBs. He didn't get too much work that I saw. Also, as a closing note, Willis probably caught 4-5 balls out of the backfield today and there were a number of screen plays (3 maybe??). It looks as though they would like to get the RBs out in space a little bit more this year and I hope Willis catches 30 balls this year. I really think he has the ability to make things happen if he can get out in space. Overall, the backs looked good and the backup RB position will be highly contested. Gates had a solid day as well with some good runs. I would really like to see this guys get more of a chance this year. TE: Going into camp, I really thought Everett would eventually become the #1 guy, but after watch Royal today, I don't think that will happen. Royal might be a great pickup for us this year. He is a big guy that has good technique in the blocking scheme. What we all wondered going into this year is whether he could catch. While, he answered that for me today. He had probably 4-5 nice catches in traffic. He showed better hands than I thought he had and I really think he will be a weapon for us. As for the other guys, Everett did have a couple really nice grabs. However, he a a key drop right up the seem that would have gone for big yardage. You could tell he was upset with that one. But, overall, I actually think we might get some production out to the TE position this year. OL: I was really looking forward to watching this group, but I don't have a lot to report because there were no pads today. The starters were the same today as expected.......Gandy, Reyes, Fowler, CV, and Peters. Again, without pads, I couldn't really draw any conclusions, but there was one breakdown in the morning that stood out. It was aon a sweep to the left and Crowell just pusted through and popped the RB pretty good. If he didn't have to pull up and it was in a live game, he would have killed the back and it would have been about a 5-7 yard loss. Other than that, though, there really wasn't too much to observe without the pads. DEFENSE: I am going to do this as a group becuase there really wasn't anyone (except Greer that was mentioned above) that stood out to me. The defense made several strong plays during the course of the day, but there was one thing that STOOD OUT. THIS TEAM IS GOING AFTER EVERY LOOSE BALL. Whether it was an incomplete pass, or whatever, any ball that hit the ground, our D-coordinator PF was yelling at them EVERY time to get the ball and every loose ball was returned to the endzone. I LOVED THIS. This team is going to get after the ball. This defense is definately FAST and will play that way. Again, with no pads on it was hard to grade out certain guys, but the group made some nice plays in the running game and did get some pressure in 7 on 7 and 11 on 11 drills. OVERALL: Well, the team is a work in progress. I saw some really good things from some guys and saw a couple things I really didn't like. To be honest with you, with all the attention that the QB competition is getting, I think the success or failure of this team lies with the O-Line. But then again, if you have followed my philosophy before, that is no surprise. No matter who the QB is, if they get time to throw, I am confident that these guys can get the job done. If the O-Line can run block MUCH better than they did last year, that will allow McGahee to have the breakout season that I am expecting from him and help the QBs out even more. The defense looks faster and I love the fact that Crowell is starting and I LOVE how they get after the ball EVERY play. I know some may think I am crazy, but I really can't wait for the preseason to start. I can't wait to see this team in live action to see where this team may be headed. This traing camp under Jauron is organized and disciplined. There might be some reason to BILLEVE in this season afterall! Thanks for reading!

I'll be out there tomorrow to get my first look at the 2006 Bills. I hope the weather is a little better than today so that we can get a full, no excuses practice in. I really want to see how these guys look tomorrow and seeing how it is the last of the 2-a-days, I just hope the weather does not hinder their schedule or any players that might have their practice time hindered by the weather (Spikes). But, I will be out there for both practices and wil provide a full report when I get back! Hope to see some of you out there!

I just got the same email. I called the number and it said I had NFL Network in my area already. I guess that number won't be any good until Tuesday. I am really PI**ED off right now. They are showing all the preseason games and all the training camp stuff is starting! Here, I have been subject to repeat after repeat, NE lovefest after NE lovefest all summer long, and now that they are actually going to start showing something remotely good, they are taking the Network off the lineup??????? And I don't have any alternatives???? This is terrible. I would give anything to switch to DirecTV right now, but unfortunately I am in an apartment complex and on the wrong side of the building to add a dish. All that I can say is that Time Warner better get this figured out and figured out NOW!

While I hope this campain helps, I am not holding my breath. But, really.......this is a conversation we shouldn't even have to be having. Football is the biggest sport in America and just about EVERY other cable provider is offering it. And now I am finding out that the 2nd largest Cable provider in the US doesn't carry it? How dumb is that? I guess I will just have to hope for the best here and pray they don't take away my football.

I just got it in the mail yesterday. Who knows, maybe TW won't be taking over all areas, but I got the notice they are moving in here. Guess we will just have to wait and see how this all shakes out!

Yes......they said in the same letter that it will gradually change to Roadrunner Service. They did say that we shouldn't have to do anyhting with that though.......should change automatically. Just hope it is good.

I appreciate the information guys. But, it sounds as though I am going to be screwed in all of this, though. I would love to get DirecTV and even though I understand it is legal in some circumstances, all of my apartment is facing NORTH!!! There is no way I can get a view of the southern sky like DirecTV needs. So, that is out. Also, on the letter I was sent from Time Warner about the switch, it says that although most programming will remain the same, some stations may have to be moved or removed based on agreements, or lack there of, of current networks. So, to me, this means that once Time Warner takes over, there goes my LIVE FOOTBALL GAMES ON NFL NETWORK! I know the station is repetative and is not the best overall, but they will have LIVE football this year and exclusive games! I just don't want to lose that and I think it will be crap if I can't get to see them because of something I have no control or choice over. Plain crap.

Well, first off, let me say that this is not my choice. In fact, I wish I didn't have to have either of these and could get DirecTV. However, I am in an apartment complex and all I could get was Adelphia. We have had it for the last 2 years or so. However, I got a notice in the mail today that Time Warner is taking over Adelphia in Western, NY. I am sure I won't be the only one affected by the change. But, the real reason I am writing is that I have heard many people not only on his board, but others as well, complain about Time Warner and its programming. Obviously this worries me a great deal as I really don't have a choice in this matter. Out of curiosity, I checked out the Time Warner channel listing for Rochester and although I noticed that most channels are still the same, I noticed 1 BIG channel missing...........THE NFL NETWORK!!!!!!!!!!!! I hope this is not true and we will be getting this station!!! I mean, live games are going to be on this network this year and I don't want to miss them!!!!!! Can somebody please help me out here? Is NFL Network on Time Warner? If not, will it be there by football season???? I don't mean to seem like I am going crazy here, but they better not be taking away my football! Can someone please help me with this?