Logic

Have been thinking about Brian today and reading about his life. Many don't know, he suffered from lifelong auditory hallucinations. He was eventually diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder and bipolar disorder. He suffered abuse at the hands of his father and later at the hands of his therapist, survived years of drug addiction and mental illness, and on-and-off estrangement from his former bandmates. Through all of it, he remained a singular genius. One need only read what OTHER musical geniuses (McCartney, Lennon, Dylan, Elton John, Stevie Wonder, Lou Reed, Roger Waters, Pete Townshend, Paul Simon, and on and on) have to say about him on his website to realize how truly brilliant he was. Pet Sounds was not only ahead of ITS time, it's probably also ahead of OUR time. It is surely one of the greatest -- if not THE greatest -- pop albums ever recorded. I'll always listen to songs like "In My Room" and "I Guess I just Wasn't Made for These Times" with great appreciation and wonderment and fondness in my heart for Brian. What an ear, what a mind, what a talent.

The biggest win of this movie happening is Rick Moranis un-retiring for it. Absolute comedy gem. For anyone unfamiliar with his work prior to the 80s/90s family movie era....the dude is a legend. I'll watch it for him alone.

Two things: 1.) Dov Kleiman is one of the worst accounts on Twitter (this question of his proves it. $500? GTFO) and I will continue to advocate for everyone blocking him immediately and indefinitely. 2.) If the proposition is that they will NEVER win a Super Bowl in my lifetime if I take the money, then there is no amount you could offer that would get me to accept the deal. Call me foolish if you want, but my Bills fandom is such a fundamentally large part of my life and bring me so much joy that I just can't imagine taking that deal. My life is good. I'm healthy, I have a roof over my head and food in my fridge, a family and friends that love me, I get to travel here and there. So you're asking me to give up one of the things I love most in life for, what, a bigger house and more vacations? The ability to not have to go to work? Nah. I'm good. Gimme the Lombardi.

I'd be embarrassed if I was a Bengals fan. But the truth is this: Even though there's a salary cap that's the same for all 32 teams, the playing ground is not TRULY level for all teams. Teams with cash-rich owners have an inherent advantage over teams without them. Teams like the Bills have an advantage over teams like the Bengals, who admittedly don't make things better for themselves by pulling bush league stunts like this with players. I expect the NFL to find a way to address this sooner rather than later. The creative circumvention of the salary cap using void years, conversions to signing bonuses, etc, has caused the league to take notice, and I think changes will be on the way in the years to come.

One of the most brilliant (and troubled) songwriters and musicians of all time. There are probably not words adequate to the task of describing the depths of Wilson's musical genius, so I won't try. Gargantuan loss. May he merge into the peace of the great hereafter.

All our players are dying!

I bet he'll wind up on the practice squad as our "break glass in case of emergency", trusted veteran linebacker depth guy. Like AJ Klein, but a bit further removed from RV life.

Not at the price he's reportedly asking for, no. I've stated a few times on this forum the reasons I don't think he's worth a big second contract, and have not wavered from my general stance toward giving running backs second contracts unless they're truly elite, which I don't believe James Cook to be.

That's fair. I get what you're saying. I think pricing himself as the second highest paid running back in the league (as has been reported) and putting his house on the market seems....a bit much. On the other hand, staying away from all organized activities until the season starts seems reasonable to me. Why practice (and thus part yourself at risk of injury) if the team isn't willing to offer you the contract you think you deserve? It's a situation with a lot of nuance, and the sports talk world generally doesn't do nuance well. At the end of the day, I maintain that I support Cook's overall goal here, but I'm still not sure certain aspects of his methods of trying to achieve that goal are in his best interest. To be fair...I'm not an agent. I'm not a player. I'm just a goofball sitting on his couch playing armchair contract quarterback. I don't begrudge you saying I'm wrong on this one, and I very well might be.

I have no problem with any player chasing a payday. I ESPECIALLY have no problem with any running back chasing a payday, knowing the short shelf life of the position. That said, I don't think Cook has gone about this in the most strategically advantageous way. The Bills are an organization who has shown that if you operate in good faith, show up, continue to work hard and play well, they WILL pay you. On the other hand, they've also shown that if you make you make a public spectacle out of things, become a distraction, stop showing up, and become a potential detriment to team chemistry and culture, they will NOT pay you. I think the "push for your payday" advice that Cook received is fine. I think the WAY that he has been advised to go about pushing for said payday is ill-advised. The only way it makes sense to me is if he actively wants out of Buffalo. All of that said, I expect him to show up for the season, play well, and then get paid. Hopefully by some other team, but it won't shock me if its the Bills.

As Coach mentioned, the Bills had trade talks involving Alexander earlier this offseason, before the draft. Now that we have Hairston, White, Jackson, Strong, etc, there is no longer room for Alexander. Had this happened in March or April, I could see a world where the Bills had traded for or signed him and spent their first round pick elsewhere. Alas, that's not what happened. Will be interesting to see who Alexander ends up signing with.

Archie Bunker, is that you? I would ask you to read the post of @Sierra Foothills, who said it beautifully. Wealth inequality in America. The NFL pricing blue collar fans out of watching their product. He said it better than I could. Your post, I suppose, is the opposite viewpoint. The capitalism worshipping, greed excusing, "anybody who doesn't wanna bow to the power of the free market is just an immoral and un-patriotic hippie and can go sit outside when the games are on" side. To each their own. As for the "self made billionaires" stuff, 16 of the league's owners inherited their wealth or their teams, so the "business savvy" stuff is pretty rich with regard to NFL ownership. If you want to talk about some of the realities of end-stage free market capitalism in America, I'd be happy to do so in DMs so as not to further derail this thread. I'll only say that if you can't understand why some people are presently feeling a bit of "evil rich" and "capitalism bad" mentality, as you call it...you may want to poke your head out the window and look around from time to time.

I must have imagined him scooping a Lamar fumble and running it back half the length of the field in a playoff game the Bills won by two.

The expansion and change in rules for practice squads in recent years should change how fans look at NFL rosters and players. Essentially, even though NFL teams have 53 players on their roster, they have an additional 16 spots on the practice squad. Ten for rookies and second year players and six unrestricted spots. So whereas a guy like Wande Owens may not realistically have a great chance at a roster spot, he likely DOES have a good chance at a practice squad spot. Same guys for guys like Tyrell Shavers and Laviska Shenault. Sure, they may not be on your main roster, but they're practicing with the team, they have the playbook, they know the scheme, and they're ready on a moment's notice if you want to call them up. In terms of readiness to contribute, there's a world of difference between calling up a practice squad safety or receiver that's been with your team all season and signing a free agent off the streets. This thinking applies to both youngsters (like Wande Owens) and vets that may not make it through final cuts (a Leviska Shenault or a Dane Jackson). I believe that NFL teams have evolved their thinking with regard to rosters and practice squads, and I think fans should follow suit. As for Owens specifically: As I understand it, he's supremely athletically gifted. As with anyone looking to play safety in Sean McDermott's defense, his chance at success with the Bills will come down to his football IQ and mental processing. And that's where a year or two on the practice squad can do wonders for players like him.

I don't think that quote is real. HOWEVER...if Von DID feel this way, I would happily have him back. He had six sacks last year. It's probably time for the youth to step up. But if Javon Soloman and Landon Jackson don't have stellar camps and look like legitimate contributors, I'd be fine with a low cost Von Miller contract.

I can understand why theft of any kind might be a hard line in the sand for some, and no amount of moral equivocation can change that. I have doubts that some of you really and truly never steal a thing -- never read a paywalled article, never downloaded music from Napster, never eat a couple grapes in the produce section -- but okay, fine. Maybe so. Maybe you really and truly never steal a single thing in your life. Very respectable. But perhaps YOU can understand how some of us feel that the NFL, who generated $23 BILLION in revenue in 2024, and who still gets plenty of our money for things like merchandise, jerseys, video games, and tickets...will be just fine even if some of its patrons stream games illegally. The NFL is one of the greediest and most soulless profit machines in America. I truly don't bat an eye when I "steal" from an organization like that. I don't lose a bit of sleep. The original post, by the way? The one detailing how much it would cost for the average NFL fan to watch every NFL game? That explains exactly WHY I don't feel bad. The NFL CERTAINLY doesn't feel bad asking blue collared American workers to pay $1,500 a year to watch their product.

You covered pretty much all of them. But as someone else said: I generally won't re-watch any loss. I see no reason to do so. If I was ever going to do so, the 13 seconds game would probably be the logical choice, because it was SUCH a great game for Allen and Gabe and the Bills in general. But even then, I can't do it. It just infuriates me too much. Those legendary "Billsy" losses, especially the ones that cost us a potential trip to the Super Bowl, are simply too gut wrenching. I can't do it.

I was a big Kyle Pitts believer and bought into the hype when he declared for the draft. I followed his career closely because I spent a high dynasty draft pick on him and was there personally invested in his success (at least insofar as gambling real American dollars on my imaginary football team was concerned). After his promising rookie season where he looked like The Next Big Thing, it's been all downhill. At first I bought into the "injuries" narrative. Then I bought into the "Arthur Smith" narrative. Then, last year, he finally had what looked like a clear runway, and yet he STILL had coaches taking him off the field for 50% or more of offensive snaps and talking about how he needed to stay fast and consistent and, basically, not take plays off or lope around. Some, I suppose, will continue to absolve him of blame, saying that it's Kirk Cousins' fault. Me? I'm not making any more excuses. It's clear to me what the problem is with Pitts: He just doesn't seem to have that dawg in him. Coaches this offseason are STILL talking about him learning what they expect from him, playing as fast as he knows how to, blah blah blah. Not good. Add to that yet another injury -- this time to his foot, of all things -- and I'm fully out. I sold off all my dynasty Kyle Pitts shares and have officially given up on him ever living up to his vast potential. He's somewhere between Eric Ebron and Noah Fant, but with the motivation and effort levels of Joe Barry Carroll.

I remember the shock I felt when Brandon Beane came in and immediately dealt Darby and Watkins. It immediately signaled two things to me: One, he and McDermott were trying to build a culture, and only wanted players that fit that culture. And two, they were gonna be drafting a quarterback in 2018 come hell or high water, and this was the first move made with an eye toward positioning them for a potential move up the board. Always thought the way Beane pulled off those moves nearly simultaneously was cool, as was the fact that he got replacement players at each position that he traded away, simultaneously planning for the future but signaling to the locker room and fans that they weren't throwing in the towel on the present. Other than that, as far as Darby himself, all I can say is: Good, solid, athletic man corner. Never a world beater, but usually a plus player when he was healthy. Carved out a nice, long, respectable NFL career. Here's wishing him a happy retirement.

The commissioner of the NFL is essentially just the public face, mouthpiece, and scapegoat for the NFL team owners. He says what they want him to say, does what they want him to do, and acts as a human shield and lightning rod for criticism levied toward the league. In that role, he's been a good and successful commissioner. I imagine he'll continue to be around for a long time to come. The problem is, when things are going as well for the NFL as they have been the past decade, and when you're making as much money and enjoy as much prestige as Goodell does, why would either side feel particularly compelled to make any major changes? Eventually, if the owners really do want a succession plan, they'll force the matter. Until then, it's all just noise.

Great post. I agree with all of it. Bishop is a natural SS. He's a Poyer, not a Hyde. Unfortunately, Rapp is ALSO a Poyer type. Rapp is a good player, but as you say, he's a bit reckless and may not have the upside and long term fixture/leadership potential that Bishop has. Important to note that Rapp only has a dead cap number of $666,000 in 2026. In an ideal world, Bishop would be the long term SS, starting in 2026. That means they need a long term free safety. I, too, like what I've heard/read about Forrest, and I hope he makes some noise and forces the coaches' hand.

Yeah my takeaway from the Joe B article with regard to Bishop is that the coaching staff was "impressed enough with how he progressed at practice throughout the year and in his game opportunities at the end of it" (paraphrased) to warrant not making more major investments at the position this offseason. I also thought coach McDermott's offseason comments about giving Bishop every opportunity to win the starting job was a bit differently worded than the usual "everyone will compete" coach speak. It sounded to me like the language of a man who is all but expecting Bishop to earn the starting job this year. His running with the starting defense early on in OTAs suggests that this is probably how things will play out.

The part where he said "you have to believe bringing him to Buffalo was overly optimistic. Doesn't seem he'll be someone the Bills can count on this season". Making that statement based on a soft tissue injury in May seems pretty wild to me.

I think ignoring Bosa's track record with regard to this injury would be silly. I also think over-reacting to a strained calf in May is silly. A reasonable take would probably look like something like "this injury news is not ideal, given Bosa's injury history, but the coaches say he should be ready for training camp, so it's not the end of the world that some will make it out to be". Unfortunately, this forum often doesn't do "nuance" very well.