KingRex

Its still a question of evenly dividing billions or having your own share of millions. My understanding of the current deal is that virtually all the team's revenues are put into one fiscal pot which is then dvided evenly with the salary cap being the main driver in honest accounting. The NFL went through a progression that began with the George Halas days of teams/owners being essentially independent entities who co-operated as a league. The advent of the AFL and the battle with and destruction of the USFL (ironically the fiscal mismanagement of Donald Trump is a big part of its failure) brought changes creating more collaboration led by Pete Rozelle (who pushed through anti-capitalist styles like rewarding team failure by giving losers higher draft picks). The big deal was when the owners kicked the NFLPAs but in the mid-80s when team owners destroyed the AFL-CIO union model. Smart NYC lawyers teamed up with a talented tenth of jocks like Gene Upshaw to convince the players to threaten to decertify the NFLPA as a bargaining unit. Rather than actually compete with each other in a free market, the owners instead cut a deal with the NFLPA which really made the players partners with the owners over the phrase "designated funds" It was in this deal that owners shifted to investing in items like premium seats which were not designated funds as part of the salary cap (Ralph for example chopped Rich Stadium capacity from 80K to 75K but in doing so added heated premium seats which were not designated. However, in the mandated renegotiation as the millennium turned, Upshaw simply announced that the new salary cap was going to be from the total NFL gross receipts and the players share was gonna be a % that started with a 6 (it ended up being 60.5%). The NFLPA are not only partners but as we saw in the recent dispute where NFL owners tried to impose a national anthem procedure on the players. the players simply said no and it is now being negotiated. Ticket sales are important but rally is chump change compared to the TV money. An irony is that like historic stadiums, the owners are important but actually secondary in the economy of the modern NFL.

The game is all about the money and the primary money in the modern game is not from the millions in ticket revenue but the billions in TV network revenue. Historic stadiums are certainly part of a good TV show, but for example, the new SF Giants TV production on the waterfront in SF with folks chasing homeruns in boats in McCovey Cove is better TV than historic but out of town Candlestick Park. For the Bills, my GUESS is a smaller downtown stadium near Canalside in the developing Pegulastan area near their hockey complex (particularly if the NFL is willing to subsize the upfront building costs and NYS and local elected officials are willing to give the Pegula's a new Canalside Stadium. It would be a far better use of NYS funds for it to simply write checks giving guaranteed income to the poor and middle class in terms of ROI, but the powers that be are usually more willing to let the masses eat cake by buying rich folks like the Pagula's a new stadium for their gladiators

The rule in the NFL is that money rules. Ticket sale $ are way secondary to $ the NFL makes from selling their product to the TV networks that the value of ticket income is simply not the driver of decision-making it once was. The primary importance of fan base is as props to putting together a great TV production that brings in billions from the TV networks rather than the "mere" millions from the ticket base. Capacity for new stadiums are actually getting smaller as the TV show is a better product with a ticket base of 60,000 ravenous fans and the scarcity of a waiting list rather than the 80,000+ fans that could be jjammed into the old Rich Stadium IF the team was winning. It simply ain't Ralph Wilson or George Halas's league anymore, its Pete Rozelle, Paul Tagliabue and arguably Gene Upshaw's NFL

I think there are a couple of things folks might benefit from adding to their thinking in order to better answer some basic questions. 1. The actual decision here is not based on NEED it is based on WANT. The Pegulas and the NFL are so far beyond needing to satisfy their needs, the key is what do the Pegulas and folks who are important to them WANT. Who knows for sure among us mere fans, but my GUESS is that a primary want on their part is likely to want to further develop their own little Pegulastan near their hockey complex near Canalside. Even better for them, though $ is not a killer issue for them and their fracking wealth, they would be fools to turn down other people's $. Among the folks important to them are their peers in the NFL hierarchy who appear to WANT new stuff and growing their entity so bad they are willing to at least absorb a lot of the substantial upfront costs in building a stadium through favorable loans or eve subsidize their fellow owners to build new stadia. Even better local politicians may be willing to use tools like WNY Sports Authority to use public money in the form of a sports authority to build a shiny new stadium which in essence would be managed by and owned by the Bills. Studies indicate there are far better investments in terms of ROI than a new stadium, but elected officials will find it hard not to simply give public $ to the Pegula's for this shiny thing. Logical arguments about ROI or the current experiences like tailgating fun are way secondary to the owners WANTs 2. $ are the ultimate driver for the NFL, but the actual fan attendance experience is the source of a nice $ but is way, lots , and tons smaller than the real source of $ in the modern NFL which is the TV networks. Fans are important, but really only as part of the TV production which attracts eyeballs which brings the NFL billions of $ rather than the "mere" millions that ticket sales, beer sales and hot dogs fans produce on game day. Given the choice between an Orchard Park stadium that seats 75,000 and a new canalside complex that seats 50,000 the NFL easily makes more money from the concentrated ravenous fan base and waiting list of the created scarcity of a downtown stadium the Pegulas and the NFL hierarchy.. It simply ain't Ralph Wilson's NFL anymore it is Pete Rozelle's Paul Tagliabue's and a bunch of NY lawyers (and to some extent Gene Upshaw's N FL. The change is in part why Ralph was one of two owners who voted against the Tagliabue deal.

I am interested in seeing Peterman as well because of several factors from his starting debacle last year. 1. I thought one of the worst things in how McD and the braintrust managed Peterman's start last year was that they announced the switch far earlier in the week than they were mandated to do under league rules. By doing it the way they did they gave the opposing DC and SDplayers opportunity to gameplan and practice taking advantage of the rookie Peterman. 2. I also worry that Peterman and the O's performance in the game not only lower his self-confidence but his teammates confidence in him. It seems clear to me that a lot of the media is only too pleased to anoint our next great hope as a definite starter before the player is ready and also to throw a failed player under the bus before its too early to do so.

First off, looking at the personnel, my answer is that outside of Shady, none of them scare me so I play them straight-up (unless I have a clear weak player on my squad and force them to prove they can beat me. If they do repeatedly or clearly then I might adjust. Actually, even McCoy in no ways scares me like he did last year. First off, last year's OL included a Pro Bowl quality vet center and though Incognito was one of the world's biggest jerks, this Pro Bowl quality G had tons of experience and pull like the best of 'em. I am watching closely as the new OC is an unknown wildcard, but even though the Bills have some interesting pieces to work with like vets Bodine or Ducasse or talented youngsters like Dawkins there not only is a clear talent downgrade on OL. Even better for me as a DC, though its gonna take a few games before I have a sense of the Bills tendencies, its gonna take them a half season or so for the Bills to really learn their O and for the players to develop chemistry with each other. Even better for an opposing DC is that though Tyrod had clear limitations as a deep ball passer and is not a risk taker for the most part, he was a definite asset the Bills running game who is now gone. An opposing DC had things he could try to exploit in Tyrod's game, but there really is nothing I've seen in McC's or, Peterman's game that scares me at all. Rag on Tyrod all you want but it is a foolish DC that does not adjust his D to account for TTs running ability and really extraordinary escapability as a QB. Shady is such a great runner any DC has to give thought to putting 8 or 9 defenders in the box. However, the mere prescense of Tyrod's abilities tempts me to instead of using all my LBs to attack, I might assign one as a spy to shadow TT and I am drilling all my defenders to hit Shady hard when he has the ball, but they need to be sure its a running play because a pass play is never over as long as TT has the ball. Given, the lack of a consistent threat mandating a dt at WR, the depleted OL, and the lack of a need to be afraid of any of our QBs I am happy to put 8 guys in the box and limit Shady as much as I can.

Them gosh darn Russian hackers. Messing with American elections is one thing, but tey cross another line when they mess with The Stadium Wall!

We do in fact have NFL quality receivers. Its just that their level of quality appears to be a bunch of guys who in most NFL squads would be non-starter 4th options at WR except for Benjamin. Benjamin got off to a very good start as a rookie (over a thousand yards receiving as a rook is quite impressive. One need only look at his substantial size, very good speed, and initial production to label him a legit #1. The problem though is an injury history in his career after his impressive rookie start that he has yet to play anything like a full season since his rookie start. The loss of uber speedy and geat receiver in college and high draft pick Jones for a period at least being the entire preseason, likely a lot more (4 games, 8 games who knows and unlikely but possible his odd off field behavior, these Bills will need to find 1. A legit #2 who forces opponents to worry about more than Benjamin, 3. Find a tough talented slot guy actually capable of starting 60% of O plays on most NFL teams, 3. Have a legit starter in waiting as your #4 guy for empty backfield plays and to step in at one of three positions which actually call for different skillsets (our starter needs to consistently cause a problem for opponents best CB and we hope can force the opponent to DT him, making his teammates better performers, our #2 needs some overwhelming great skill like Jones's speed which alters opposing Ds. 3. A tough guy not afraid to play from that battlefield none as the slot. The question is whether any our NFL quality but late draft pick quality choices at best can rise above the likely # 4 or #5 options to become a legit #2 or #3. Lightening in a bottle is hard to do once and planning to do it twice (3 times if Benjamin ends up on IR) seems pretty impossible.

I spoke with a fellow who talked to a fellow (so though this interests me because it explains some Bills player moves I do not understand but this clearly comes from a rumor chain). At any rate the guy I spoke to is very sport intelligent and level headed. He says the initial info comes from a guy connected to the Bills medical staff who does not seem to have any financial ties to any particular player or anything more than a technical relationship with the Bills (and thus is not a member of any Beane clan, Brandon group or some internal faction. At any rate, this fellow was privy to some of the Bills management thinking because apparently the issue of concussions and its implications for long term Bills financial commitments ended up being a huge unknown wildcard in the Bill's draft and contract decisions this year. This fellow came in as an expert on concussion occurrence and reoccurrence. He ended up talking a lot with the Bills braintrust, sitting in on a bunch of important meetings like a fly on the wall. He was brought in as a medical expert but since he had no direct player care duties did not feel bound to medical rules of silence about specific players and as a temporary consultant did not feel bound to team secrecy. At any rate he says: 1. The Bills had mixed feelings about Tyrod's abilities feeling he had big plusses as a vet NFL starter (a pretty rare positive in the NFL which folks who want to declare him simply a bad player who should be cut just demonstrate how little they really understand the game. The proof that he has real value is that the Bills got the first pick in the 3rd for him. However, as true as it is like it or not he is one of a handful of men who QB''ed an NFL team to the playoffs, he simply was not productive in this playoff game and despite his rare experience and some singular talents (great runner and throws few INTs), he also has some serious flaws in his game that are challenging for an HC and OC to overcome. McD originally believed these problems were too big and was interested in other options. The Peterman experiment took place in part due to these doubts that Tyrod couldn't be coached up at this vet age. However, a combination of NP's complete failure and the realization our OC was in over his head and a big part of our O's problems (and possibly Tyrod's timidity as he appeared for good reason not to believe in our passing game or playcalling). At any rate TT eventually earned McD's faith because he handled his demotion in a professional manner and in the end he QB'ed his team to the playoffs. In the end, its the NFL and winning means a lot (he won in the regular season but not in the playoffs, but for this bteam he won! So why did TT go bye-bye? Wins speak loudly because generally wins mean money and in the NFL $ speak loudest of all. The Tyrod decision came down in the end to a statistical measure of his concussion risk. In the end, the measure of the number of concussions (major and minor) he has had and the fact that as a running QB who even when he passes depends upon his escapability rather than a quick release to avoid sacks makes TT too big of a risk for a long term commitment at QB and in particular for a huge guaranteed contract. TT was well worth a 3rd to a team which wanted him as a 1 year commitment and help coach's train their true future QB on when TT made a good decision not to throw and even more important when a gun shy TT should have thrown. The Bills looked vat the concussion risk, Pegula's money and the ROI to be gained by trading TT and bye-bye- 2. The 2 Joshes- The Bills apparently had the same football talent assessment as much of the rest of the NFL that actually had Josh Rosen as the most talented of the top 4 QBs in the draft (some had Darnold as the most likely to produce quickly). Then why did Rosen get picked 4th of these QBs and the 10th overall? Apparently the chemistry of the interviews overall and 2 big non play issues weighed heavily on the Bills. Concussions and $. Rosen apparently graded out statistically as a significant concussion risk (it probably won't happen but he has a significantly higher risk than the other 3 QBs. Even worse, the odd Rosen $ problem is that his family has a lot (he is an heir to a fortune based on the Purell product apparently). Apparently the haughtiness, self-confidence, and even arrogance he demonstrated in public comments and in interviews led the Bills to a conclusion (or at least a fear if they committed a bunch of time and Pegula $ to a 1st round pick) that if/when Rosen faces a future with a potential of brain damage at retirement he will simply walk away with his first rounder accolades, whatever $ from his contract he can keep and future family money. I can see why he dropped so far despite his immediate high upside. At any rate this is the latest wild rumor I hear but it makes sense to me.

Many thanks and this vsite which is saved in my favorites will be missed. It will be replaced on my list but it will be quite difficult to substitute for it!

Actually, in his criminal trial OJ was NOT found innocent. The jury found him NOT GUILTY. This NOT a declaration of innocence by a unanimous verdict of 12 of his fellow citizens but instead a unanimous finding of 12 of his fellow citizens that the state did not reach the substantial burden of proving his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. However, a jury of fellow citizens found him responsible for and financially liable for the death of two people based on a preponderance of the evidence.. These verdicts can both be true due to the different charges and the differing standards of guilt. Was he convicted

My sense as a consumer very interested in sports and the Bills in particular is that the Buffalo News has upgraded their coverage of the Bills simply letting Sully go. The ultimate judgment about the results is who takes over the column inches and radio and TV coverage that Sully used. However, as a starting point I hope that in terms of his work on WGR and his Sunday morning TV gig is that I hope these other outlets follow the Buffalo News also improve their Bills coverage by devoting their news holes to someone who 1. Demonstrated sound understanding of the operation and history of the sport, 2. developed good reporting contacts with the Bills, 3. Wrote with a focus on the product rather than a focus on themselves. Sully generally struck me as 1. Rarely demonstrated knowledge and strong understanding of the game. He seemed to simply spout his judgments on whether a player was a good or worthwhile athlete or even sillier a good or worthwhile person based on his assessment of whether that athlete was a good or bad person. 2. He seemed mostly interested in burning bridges with Bills contacts by publicly demeaning athletes. Finding fault with an athlete's particular performance in a game (particularly if it is stat based and includes suggestions on how to improve) is great to see. However, Sully had too much of a habit of simply declaring a player a bum with no suggestion of the potential for improvement. 3. He tended to write about him judging the Bills rather than write about the Bills. His screeds like his own failings at enjoying golf were an interesting concept which ended up being unreadable written maturbation. The Buffalo Snooze has improved their Bills coverage simply by getting rid of him.

From my several decades of observing what works and what doesn't it is crystal clear to me that OL performance is way more about is much more about the whole of the unit rather than a mere sum of the talents of the individual parts. Meaning, that one can take a group of player who clearly demonstrated poor or average at best performance previously (an example would be the 2000 NY Giants who I think had a great OL coach named Mouse Davis and was anchored by former Bills Glenn Parker - routinely berated and run out of town here and Dusty Ziegler- good player but left here when the Bills could not guarantee him a starting job at C- but Davis coached this group to an SB berth with the OL playing a key role protecting limited talent Kerry Collins at QB and road grading holes for the Tiki Barber led run game). An excellent OL coach working in a solid but far from great OL scheme can even make the SB. On the other hand, the 2008 Bills invested heavily in the OL (we took cap hits of over 5 million a piece on FAs like Derrick Dockery and Langston Walker and about 3 million on Melvin Fowler and also had the developing into a Pro Bowler Jason Peters on the OL. Despite these individuals showing great real world market demand as individuals, this OL unit simply did not perform and ended up with a losing record because even if you look good on paper, the game is played on grass or turf and not paper. How good is this OL? We'll see whether there is good chemistry 6 games or so into the season until then I give em an F.!

Allen may well win the start but if he does it is far more likely he is the best QB on the team due to AJ or NP either getting hurt or sucking. My expectation of Allen is that he needs at least a year to learn the game and 8-8 is a reasonable expectation.

I feel sorry for Incognito who seems ti be suffering from some serious mental health problem. I thought he was just a jerk, but I hope he can be healed. I think that is all which can reasonably said about his future. However, though I look at him with humanity I think his case raises some public issues about the entertainment game of football on society. We all have some right to privacy on health issues and so does Incog but to the extent that steroids or some other PED, "routine" football injury drug treatment or some other routine impact of this "entertainment caused something like CTE. big isses are raised whether the "game" as we know it is worth the damage to individuals and society.

The current OL picture is Dawkins- LT Ducasse- LG Groy- C Miller- RG Mills- RT back-ups Groy/Teller- G Bodine- C Newhouse/McDermott- T I like Dawkins and am hopeful about Groy, but think it is reasonable to judge the other 3 starter as needing to seriously step up theit games to merely be adequate and our backups need to step up their performance to be merely adequate back-ups who can be expected to step into a game to give a starter a momentary rest and really should not be expected to be adequate starters if forced to be relied on. I see our OL as two players who are not on the roster right now as being short of adequacy and even worse our coaching braintrust has no record of success that anyone credibly can argue they should be expected to coach up youngsters or past inadequate performers

The owners are losing because they are an increasingly unnecessary part of the game. The owners were a basic source of capital, but as the true source of capital began to dominate the game, power changed. As the players forced there way to a majority of the gross receopts the owners cemented their role as a minority partner in this enterprise. Its natural they are losing.

My guess is there are very few meek who will inherit the earth amongst Bills players and to the extent there is McD and the "process" will train it out of them.

I've narrowed it down to one of two options. Option 1- 2000-2010 Option 2: 2010- current Either one was a oretty poor performance for Bills fans.

nm

The thing which made RJ not even a reasonable player was the simple fact he defined the label "Injury-prone". The objective standard I use to define a player as deserving this moniker is when he misses 2 starts per season for consecutive seasons for injuries which differ from each other. In his time here RJ suffered a series of injuries which were downright bizarre at times (he fell on the edge of the football during one sack painfully separating muscle from his sternum, he was unable to play also due to muscle pulls, concussions and other maladies. If anyone is to blame for our QB problems it was Ralph for: 1. Promising Flutie he would win/lose his QB shot on the field then signing RJ to a guaranteed contract. 2. Giving RJ the guaranteed deal instead of requiring him to at least prove he was a reliable athlete by playing and producing for 3 or 4 games. Having some cajones would have cost RW a couple of million if he waited to sign him but it would have saved the team. 3. When Flutie hit all of his bonuses which not only raised our cap hit for his first season, they rolled into his base salary forcing the Bills to sign him longterm, killing our cap as we overpaid 2 QNs. 4. He made an illegal handshake deal with Jimbo to reward the FA in his "next" contract only to see Jim concussed out of the NFL and then rush TC into a starting role before was ready. 5, Desperately trade for BJ Hobert 6,7, 8, 9, etc. As far as Flutie vs. RJ, NEITHER was a franchise QB, but the FACTS are A. RJ was an injury prone athlete who got hurt too much to be a competent starter B. Like it or not Flutie was good enough to hit every contract incentive here. These are facts which cannot be disputed intelligently.

This would be great for the Bills if this were true! Such a run on QBs in the top 5 picks would make available a ton of stud players at bother positions where the Bills have holes. It is pretty doubtful that even in this deep QB draft that any of these QBs is going to be an immediate franchise player. Does anyone want to seriously claim that not only is it CERTAIN that any of these QBs will definitely be a franchise [layer but will be one immediately A strategy that recognizes that yes we need a franchise QB, but the timing is better to build a TEAM this year and follow the model Pptts employed when they drafted Big Ben of build your TEAM first and then get your Franchise QB! If the Bills trade up and give up 2 1sts (plus)to draft an alleged franchise QB we not only lose a lot in '18 but perhaps for a long time.

The assessment of 3 made by billspro that 3 of the top QBs from this draft will become franchise QBs is reasonable based on his statistical analysis, but it does not speak to key points which is critical to Bills making choices in this years draft. Specifically: If we take it as true 3 of these drafted QBs become franchise players: 1. how many of these 3 only finally achieve franchise status after wearing out their welcome with the team which drafted them and improve to the franchise level after being traded or cut? Even if the braintrust makes a correct assessment of franchise talent, this great player may well need to learn the game fully by making and learning from rookie mistakes? My guess is that even if the Bills scouts make a quality assessment and choice of QBs, this great QB has to drag behind him the anchor of a Bills team which badly needs 2 Lbs, a WR, an OL starting talent (or 2 if Incognito continues to blow up) and a solid youth injection into our aging roster. If we have to trade 2+ 1sts to get a top QB, I thibk that is a bad deal for us. 2. Given the horrible way we "trained" Peierman, my confidence in McD as a team builder and game manager is high EXCEPT his Bills team simply suck at O play design and game calling. I like our chances much better if instead of the greater risk of a rookie becoming the franchise guy we need that instead we get our salary cap together as we plan for 2019 and then bid fir next year's version of FAs llike Peyton Manning or Cousins.

Honorary A-A? He sounds like he graduated from the President Trump school of saying something in the morning and the opposite in the evening. A-As have enough issues in society without getting blamed for Incognito too.

This a QB driven league so I agree with those who advocate we need a Franchise QB to win the SB. However, looking at reality, this is why I argue we need to step lightly and be sure we not only get the right guy but surround him with the right team to let this franchise QB lead the team to an SB win. I see the argument that we wait on getting our F-QB as these. 1 Darnold- Great prospect, but needs another year of college football before he deserves the declaration of savior. Too many turnovers in terms of not only INTs but fumbles. If someone advocates trading the massive amount of resources to move up to #2 to get him make the case. I have not seen it here yet. 2. Rosen- Maybe the next Peyton Manning, but testimony from even his college HC indicates Rosen might be Ryan Leaf as much as Peyton Manning. What case do folks want to make this millennial for sure again't gonna fail. 3. Allen- Big mobile guy who hit some big passes at lower tier competition for Wyoming. The big vertical ball game was unfortunately accompanied with some inaccuracy at shorter and intermediate routes that indicate as good as he is on big throws he isn't the full package. 4. Mayfield- If you accept the Heisman hype the Bills will need to trade up to get him. However, if you rank him based on his play he should be there at @12 and not require the likely fatal move of trading away picks to move up. Actually on the face of it Mayfield, Rudolph, et al are really second round talents who need a year of seasoning before they are ready to be the leaders and contributors we expect a francise QB to be. Overall, the smart fooball move is to follow the build the TEAM FIRST and then draft someone like Big Ben to be the essential; franchise QB you need. Drafting the franchise guy this year MAY happen but looks like a 1 in 4 shot at best from the available talent and even if we're smart enough to pick the right QB, my guess is he mostly spends 2018 running for his life behind an OL that does not used the squandered picks used to move up to replace our holes at C and G not to mention holes at 2 LB spots and WR. Trade down is the smart football move.