mjd1001

Are Sabres season ticket holders forced to buy the NHL preseason games? Just wondering...I never hear the same conversation about hockey preseason games.

I don't mind his attitude, but i don't want him just because I don't think he is all that good anymore. In week 1 he might be better than some of our younger guys..but the young guys on this team will be getting better as time goes on...Dez is on his way down.

I agree If you are worried about him getting hit, then run a 'run-heavy' offense. The benefit for him will be to be in game action and make his pre-snap reads. Sure, they may be against 'vanilla' defenses, but it will still be against a team that he doesn't see in practice.

I agree. I'd be OK with 2, but I would really prefer zero. Player evaluation and getting the new players into the system in regular season games just becomes another point of coaching/strategy.

Once again, I am amazed by how open minded people are on this forum....I like what I have, and if you want something different, too bad. Geez

Some fan? Yeah....that would be a person who is a fan of the 'event', not just the game. People can be a fan of the game or a team just as much from home as they can from the stadium, or be just as much of a fan watching in from more comfortable seats in a nicer venue as they do surrounded by concrete. It drives me crazy that people say to be a 'real' fan of the team you need to watch it in person at one of the oldest stadiums in the league. Wanting a nice experience doesn't have to make someone less of a fan.

I'm OK with him not starting with the first team yet. The coaches see a LOT more of what he is absorbing and not absorbing, see a LOT more of the throws he makes and doesn't make. If the coaches think he should get a start with the first time, then let him PRACTICE with the first team before playing. If they think he should stick with the 2's and 3's, I'm ok with that also.

I'll answer that question. A bunch of 40-60 year old guys and families that don't go to games anymore but used to..who make a good salary in the area. I'm not saying multi-millionaires, but I know a handful of people (including a couple relataives) that make over $100k that used to go to games but haven't gone in years. Give them a new stadium..a Dome...some trendy bar/restaurants to hang around in....and LESS of a perception (whether real or not) of out-of-control drunken-ness...and I guarantee you those will the people who will be willing to pay double, triple or more for tickets, replacing some of the current base of buyers. Personally, I will not buy season tickets again, but I would pay $200 or more for tickets a couple times a year to give me a new and different experience than what the current stadium gives.

As others have said, they don't NEED a new stadium. But why would it be important they get one? New revenue of course, and for P.R. for the league. People say how would it generate new revenue, the Buffalo market is tapped out? Well, it could a few ways: -Whenever a new stadium opens, there are some fans from other cities that will make a trip to see the new stadium. The effect can last a few years. -You WILL get more money for tickets and concessions. I haven't been to a game in years and years. Give me tix, I won't go because I'm happy at home. But give me a shiny new stadium with cool places to eat and gather..I'm likely to go to a few games per year for at least a few years...even paying $100+ per ticket (maybe more) -You have people like my brother-in-law who makes a really good salary living here in Buffalo..he had a few season tickets up until about 5 or 6 years ago. Give him a new stadium, he'll shell out $200 per game easily and get season tickets if you give him something he thinks is worth it. That may not make him a 'true fan', but the reality is there are a lot of people with disposable income that don't go to games now but will pay higher prices if you gave them a better, more comfortable (domed) gameday experience.

I agree. The afternoon 3pm show has gotten bad for me. It drives me crazy when I turn it on at 3pm..give it 5 to 10 minutes and they STILL haven't brought up sports...but instead are talking about the kind of morning they had in their personal lives. I'll take the young guys...even if they are a bit rough around the edges and new...just because they mostly talk sports (even if its nba, nhl, nhl, wrestling...anything, not other junk that goes on in their own day-to-day lives.

I agree. If you want a 'fully guaranteed contract', negotiate for it. You might get a lot less money, but you can get it. It just means instead of a 5 year, $50 million dollar deal with 15 guaranteed...you might get a 5 year $30 million guaranteed deal. It is really up to the players, the agents, and the team how they want to structure a contract. Want more guaranteed money? Take a smaller overall deal. It seems to me the players pushing hard for guaranteed contracts are the ones who want the big deal AND the guarantee.

I know this topic gives us a lot to discuss, but I honestly like it when there is little or no drama surrounding this team. Its nice for me to read about the draft, then have not much going on until the preseason at least.

I want to find out if it is true..like I'm sure just about everyone else does. If it is true, I agree with you. If it can't be proved in court, but the Bills have enough info to believe part of it is true...I also say get rid of him. However, if any 'proof' shows the store is made up, I don't want the Bills taking any action against him to 'make a point'.

which is WHY I used the word 'see'...as in 'see in the present' or 'see in the future'.....not seen as in 'we haven't seen anything yet'

I have some doubts about this D also...mostly centered on the pass rush. I do not see it as consistent...or even league average. They have to show they can put some pressure on the passer.

The Ravens aren't a bad team, but for some reason if I listed teams in terms of who I wanted the Bills to open with, they would be at the bottom. I just have nothing for them. They aren't exciting to watch..I don't care about any of their players really....i just have this image that when the Bills play them, it will be a boring, 13-9 game with 10+ punts. Wish they would have opened with just about anyone else on the schedule.

Ok, I agree with your premise that nothing is wrong with it right now. I had season tickets for 10+ years a while ago and don't anymore. So, I'm good with the stadium where it is...the sport is pretty much the same watching on my TV in the living room. The fact that the Bills have some of the (if not THE) lowest ticket prices in the NFL works for those who go to the games, and I'm glad they can enjoy that. Why do I not go to the games anymore? A variety of reasons..but the biggest one being...whether by myself or with friends over, I enjoy watching the game on the big screen with whatever food and beverages I want...over the stadium gameday experience I used to have. You can make the tickets $10....I even have had some offered to me for free, and I just won't go. I get 99% of what I want/need out of my Gameday experience at home. With all that said...when/if there IS a new stadium....if it comfortable..wider seats and aisles...more restaurants and bar/clubs in it....nicer/cleaner gathering areas...little or no wait to use the restrooms...and just something nicer and different to look at...then I'll go and I'll pay $100-$200 for a ticket for that. Why? Now I'm getting something different that I haven't done or seen before that will get me off my couch and out to a game.

I'm OK with higher ticket prices for a new stadium....not with PSL's though.

I really don't care if he does. What are the odds he will be as good as Brady? Even if he turns out to be 'really good' (which is no guarantee), the Pats will be a lot worse with anyone besides Brady.

At least the Leafs still lost....

I know the NFL pushed the draft back to later in the year to 'keep the eyes' on the NFL longer..to try to get everyone talking about the NFL just about year round.... But it has had the opposite impact on me. I check in on this forum often to scan the posts for headlines...but there has just been too much talk about the sames things over and over leading up to the draft. I have tuned out of ESPN totally, and turned off WGR more than I usually have this time of the year. I can't wait until Thursday night and Friday.

No, not even close. Even if he IS the best RB in the game, the number of games he will win you over the 10th best back in the league...I can't see it being that much.

I did not think it was worth it. Why? I really didn't enjoy watching this team, with the offense as bad as it was against most decent competition. I felt i was under no Illusions of them going anywhere in the playoffs. I would have much rather they had a higher draft pick and missed the playoffs. Did I root for them to lose? No, I didn't WANT them to lose when I watched them (at least not in the way many wanted the Sabres to lose a few years back), but I do not think it was 'worth it'.

I don't know whether the Bills should trade up or not unless we knew the 'grades' they had on who they would be trading up for. If the Bills think the difference between their #1 guy and their #5 guy isn't that much....and that they can 'coach up' any of them to get them where they need, then don't trade up. Buf if they think their #1 guy has 80% chance of being what they need, while their #5 guy has about a 20% chance...then I'm all for giving away multiple picks to move up. But once again, no one really knows how the Bills staff has the QB's rated except for them.

What are the odds of the first QB taken in a draft being better than the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, or 5th? It depends on a lot, how 'deep' is the draft...is there a big difference in an given year between the best QB and the 5th best...and other things. But if you look back at every NFL draft from the year 2000 until last year, what are the odds that each QB taken in a given slot turn into a good QB or a Star? 1st QB taken in the draft: 5 Stars, 9 good starters, 4 busts or journeyman 2nd QB taken: 3 starts, 2 good starters, 13 busts or journeyman 3rd QB taken: 2 stars, 3 good starters, 13 busts or journeyman 4th QB taken: 1 Star, 0 good starters, 17 busts or journeyman 5th QB taken: .5 star, 3.5 good starter, 14 busts or journeyman Some might argue with my exact classification, but I was considering a 'star' as a QB that has the ability to carry a team and make multiple pro bowls. Maybe not a hall of famer, but a franchise guy. Of the recent guys, I classified someone like Deshaun Watson as a star. A 'good starter' would be someone like Andy Dalton. Now, in the above list, all of the QB's taken (especially the 3rd, 4th, or 5th ones) were not First rounders...so I decided to go back and just look at all the 1st round QBs taken after pick #5 and see how they did... 1st round QBs taken in the top 5: 6 Stars (28.5%), 9 good starters (43%), 6 busts or journeyman (28.5%). It was hard classifying the QBs taken in the last 2-3 drafts, some could go in either the star or 'good starter" category. 1st round QBs taken after pick #5: 3 Stars(11.5%), 6 good starters(23%), 17 Busts or journeyman(65.5%) Every Draft is different. It is very hard to compare one draft to the other for that reason...but one thing is for sure...is that drafts often do NOT turn out how we think they will before the draft occurs, so I thought looking at the numbers might give some perspective. (BTW, my numbers may be off by 1 or 2, as I did most of the counting in my head..but they are close)