Tolstoy
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Posts posted by Tolstoy
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Ahhh..... the one way street of self righteousness where non-football people are NEVER wrong but Teams are wrong more often than not.
I noticed many players some of these " Experts " had going early in the draft fell to Day 2 or literally off the radar. So when they are finally picked, these players are not "overrated" at all...they are " Steals " . Ahhh....I see. They, the "experts", couldn't be wrong. Impossible.
But when these non-football geniuses project a guy to be picked in a certain slot in various rounds and he winds up going higher, then he's a "Reach"...because these idots...er..."experts" are NEVER wrong.
Then the final grades roll in - The teams that picked the guys where the "experts" slotted them and made them look good receive an A. The teams that sought players that could help them win and ignored the " experts " rankings, relying on actual film and scouting instead, received no higher than a B- or even a D.
And the Lemmings usually side with the "experts", too lazy to do their own research and usually haven't seen any of these players actually play a game.
Got it.
Queue the Bowie music. " We can be hero's...just for one day ! "
This is a great post. Dead on.
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Every player in the draft has the potential to be a Star in the NFL or they wouldn't even be considered for the draft. We have all seen late rounders become Stars and first round busts.
I would rather have the bills pick players who aren't considered the best then the hyped up guys. When people think they are the sh-- they could fall flat on their face. It happens all the time.
If the bills had picked Huff everyone would have been happy. To be honest i don't see the difference between the two guys. Just the school they went to IMO.
Ngata and Bunkley both have character problems from what i hear. Ngata and his motivation and Bunkley is said to be a one hit wonder.
With Marv Levy at the helm I don't care who he picked. He was part of the team that caused us to become the fans we are. We all know Ralph trusts him completely and wouldn't argue with him.
I think all the draft guru's will be put to shame this year.
I am in complete agreement. Nice post. Whitner and McCargo have not been hearing all about themselves for the last four months, like all the other top tens on everyone's mock drafts. I think all that press can ruin a guy's head, making him think he has arrived when he hasn't even gotten started. Every single player drafted needs to improve to play in the NFL. Most have to get stronger, and all have to study technique, playbooks and film. That is why I kind of like these picks. Both players we drafted in Round 1 seem like students of the game: hardworkers who will put the time in to improve.
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i was reading these posts while watching an old seinfeld episode, one in which jerry/elaine/george/and another chick use call waiting to discuss george having sex with the chick on the first date, "in the kitchen because it's the most social room in the house."
my point is after reading what some hardcore fans (and you folks are, as am I) say about the draft, it's like one big seinfeld episode...
'I'm not saying they're bad picks, they're bad picks in the places the picks were picked, and I think we should have picked the pick I thought we should pick wher the pick should have been picked.'
Initial disappointment that we didn't pick some monster for the d-line that we all could feel good about (at least until the next GM comes along in 3 years and we complain about how the guy had no heart for the game) in the first round has given way to the realization that "In Marv I trust", at ;east until he proves he can't get it done.
Playmakers, team leaders, speed. let's go with that. F the mock drafts.
t
ps--Kramer just busted in to tell jerry and elaine that he needs the condoms back that he gave to george because they're defective. what a show, and a lot of people didn't understand it when it started either (yes, there was a deeper message here..)
This is correct.
To all those of you who are complaining about the Bill's draft, please try to follow this:
You are complaining that the Bills drafted badly today, not because the players they drafted won't turn out well (afterall, as you admit, no one knows how these players will turn out), but because the players did not represent "good value." In other words, the Bills could have had the same players by trading down.
Now I want you all to ask yourself one simple question:
What is the objective "value" standard that you are using to judge the worth of the players that we drafted?
Is it Kiper's mock draft? Kirwan's? Brandt's? Scouting Inc's? Some other organization that sells its rankings to the media?
On what grounds can you claim that these sources have a notion of a given player's value that is objectively better than the collective opinion of the football men in the Bills organization?
More to the point, on what grounds can you claim that any other NFL team uses these same sources to derive their notion of a given player's value?
Other teams rely on their own scouts for player rankings. If the Bills think a player is awfully good, don't you think it is possible that other teams feel the same way? Of course, with all the secrecy going on, the Bills don't know how other teams have players ranked. So from the Bills' perspective, it is entirely likely that other teams have also seen the same tape and combine workouts, and have arrived at the same opinion.
In other words, isn't it entirely possible that one or more teams other than the Bills had their eyes on the same players that we drafted? PUT SIMPLY, WHY DO YOU ASSUME THAT EVERY OTHER NFL TEAM IS FOLLOWING KIPER'S MOCK DRAFT?
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To all those of you who are complaining about the Bill's draft, please try to follow this:
You are complaining that the Bills drafted badly today, not because the players they drafted won't turn out well (afterall, as you admit, no one knows how these players will turn out), but because the players did not represent "good value." In other words, the Bills could have had the same players by trading down.
Now I want you all to ask yourself one simple question:
What is the objective "value" standard that you are using to judge the worth of the players that we drafted?
Is it Kiper's mock draft? Kirwan's? Brandt's? Scouting Inc's? Some other organization that sells its rankings to the media?
On what grounds can you claim that these sources have a notion of a given player's value that is objectively better than the collective opinion of the football men in the Bills organization?
More to the point, on what grounds can you claim that any other NFL team uses these same sources to derive their notion of a given player's value?
Other teams rely on their own scouts for player rankings. If the Bills think a player is awfully good, don't you think it is possible that other teams feel the same way? Of course, with all the secrecy going on, the Bills don't know how other teams have players ranked. So from the Bills' perspective, it is entirely likely that other teams have also seen the same tape and combine workouts, and have arrived at the same opinion.
In other words, isn't it entirely possible that one or more teams other than the Bills had their eyes on the same players that we drafted? PUT SIMPLY, WHY DO YOU ASSUME THAT EVERY OTHER NFL TEAM IS FOLLOWING KIPER'S MOCK DRAFT?
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The 2006 World Cup kicks off!
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Sam Johnson. He is a an 8 pounder with good verticals and excellent hand to mouth coordination. Rooting reflex is strong and quick. Explosive bowel movements. High motor. Good upside. A bit light right now for an NFL player, but scouts project him at 250 pounds in twenty years. He should be available in the late rounds of tthe 2026 draft.
God I hate this draft lunacy.
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Good evening gentlemen, and thank you all for welcoming me into the Bills Ultra Hooligan community
2 brief remarks elucidating the Bills' situation at the moment:
1. beginning with a retrospective look at the hiring of Mr. Jauron
Mr. Levy sir: you should be complimented for blocking out the paroxysms of the illiterate portion of the Bills ultras who called for the signing of Mr. Sherman
Mr. Jauron's academic resume is indicative of a certain potentiality gentlemen - and yes i understand there will be calls that this resume is not germane to the king of field sports - however, gentlemen - let us repeat until our vocal area collapses, that this is now a league of the trainer, of the coach, of the strategist.
Mr. Jauron gives us immediate intellectual credibility at the Fuehrer position and coupled with the young Heidegger serving as our current GM provides the Bills with an unparalleled superiority of the neocortex.
2. The draft
Gentlemen, some of you (why in English has the thou disappeared?) have called for the drafting of Mr. Ngata.
Some of you have called Mr. Ngata's apparent incompatibility with the cover 2 to be implemented by Mr. Jauron and Mr. Fewell as a myth.
Gentlemen it is not a myth, and the Bills at this critical juncture in our cosmology do not desire the appearance of the obese, the listless, the fatigued proletariat
And we can thank Odin that Mr. Levy understands that when you draft a proletariat (in the 1st round, in the top 10 no less gentlemen!) these traits of character are to be avoided as the American foreign policy avoids intelligence.
So perhaps you look towards me for an insight into what Mr. Levy will do?
Two options gentlemen:
1. Mr. Huff at #8. Why? The secondary is the foundational key to the OBRAMBA (defense in english, however Obramba is so much more pleasant to the tongue)
2. A miniscule trade down (I am looking at you squarely in the face Fat Dennis Green) and a selection of Mr. Bunkley, whose DNA overwhelms that of the beloved Mr. Ngata.
Thank you for the time and space (in the Kantian sense)
Ok Monsieur. The problem with all of these silly references is that there is not even a remote connection with the truth. Heidegger was not Hitler's right hand man: he was simply Rector of Freiburg for a few years, temporarily supporting the Nazi cause. Even if we were to see an analogy between Jauron and Hitler (though I fail to see it), there simply is no connection between Heidegger and Marv Levy. None. None at all. It is a silly attempt at pretense that fails miserably because very few here know who Heidegger is. Oh, and by the way, Lacan will tell you that the Real cannot be rendered in the Symbolic (e.g., language)--it represents a rupture of the Symbolic. Hence, if the Real is supposed to be represented in your post, it has yet escaped.
Lord almighty: this board is getting miserable. We need more football.
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Good evening gentlemen, and thank you all for welcoming me into the Bills Ultra Hooligan community
2 brief remarks elucidating the Bills' situation at the moment:
1. beginning with a retrospective look at the hiring of Mr. Jauron
Mr. Levy sir: you should be complimented for blocking out the paroxysms of the illiterate portion of the Bills ultras who called for the signing of Mr. Sherman
Mr. Jauron's academic resume is indicative of a certain potentiality gentlemen - and yes i understand there will be calls that this resume is not germane to the king of field sports - however, gentlemen - let us repeat until our vocal area collapses, that this is now a league of the trainer, of the coach, of the strategist.
Mr. Jauron gives us immediate intellectual credibility at the Fuehrer position and coupled with the young Heidegger serving as our current GM provides the Bills with an unparalleled superiority of the neocortex.
2. The draft
Gentlemen, some of you (why in English has the thou disappeared?) have called for the drafting of Mr. Ngata.
Some of you have called Mr. Ngata's apparent incompatibility with the cover 2 to be implemented by Mr. Jauron and Mr. Fewell as a myth.
Gentlemen it is not a myth, and the Bills at this critical juncture in our cosmology do not desire the appearance of the obese, the listless, the fatigued proletariat
And we can thank Odin that Mr. Levy understands that when you draft a proletariat (in the 1st round, in the top 10 no less gentlemen!) these traits of character are to be avoided as the American foreign policy avoids intelligence.
So perhaps you look towards me for an insight into what Mr. Levy will do?
Two options gentlemen:
1. Mr. Huff at #8. Why? The secondary is the foundational key to the OBRAMBA (defense in english, however Obramba is so much more pleasant to the tongue)
2. A miniscule trade down (I am looking at you squarely in the face Fat Dennis Green) and a selection of Mr. Bunkley, whose DNA overwhelms that of the beloved Mr. Ngata.
Thank you for the time and space (in the Kantian sense)
There is nothing worse than someone trying to appear more intelligent than they are. People who truly know Heidegger or Lacan or foreign languages or Odin don't feel a need to drop their names at the Buffalo Bills message board, and certainly not in such a blatantly gratuitous fashion.
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I do the academic philosophy myself, as a professor at a liberal arts college. I found out long ago that the profession is such that there is very little of the genuine stuff going on anymore. It can get rather depressing.
What area of philosophy are you interested in?
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During the superbowl years, the Bills had their share of star players. Just as important, however, were the role players who we rarely heard about--guys with character who did their jobs in the trenches. Every championship team has these guys, but these guys rarely get any press.
What is my point?
I think that of these two needs--(1) getting star players, and (2) filling out the team with excellent character guys who can play--the latter is more difficult. However, that is precisely what Marv is trying to do through free agency--and getting slaughtered for it.
We want big name free agents for top dollar; granted, they are important, but so too are the types of players that Marv is already bringing in. Give him a chance. I suspect that Marv knows that there is no easy way to build a championship team. It has to be done from the ground up.
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My impression is that, more so than other sports, free agent spending splurges rarely if ever bring an NFL team to the promised land. What is wiser is careful selection of one or two free agents who can offer a lot, and fill some holes in your lineup. See the NE Patriots the last few years. I have no hard facts at my fingertips here, however.
What this means is that we should not expect the Bills to go crazy in free agency, nor should we be disappointed if they only grab a couple of players. If the Bills are going to get good, it will be through good drafting, good cap management, and good coaching. Free agency is but a part of the puzzle.
That being said, I hope to God they grab a good OLman and DLman.
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Just speculation:
Assuming that Marv has some effect on Jauron, I think things look good for JP Losman if he can win the starting job. Why? Marv is not the kind of guy to switch QB's week to week. I recall in the Kelly years, even when Jimbo was declining, Marv would say "Jim Kelly is our starting QB, end of discussion." Moreover, if memory serves, he also followed the same policy with Todd Collins. In other words, he gives his QB's his vote of confidence, and allows them to have bad weeks.
For Losman (if he has the right stuff) faith from his coaching staff and regular playing time is all he needs.
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I know this is unfair, since you asked for an "annual event," but I have to go with the Soccer World Cup, since at least this year, it beats out all other events for me.
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Marv Levy and Dick Jauron, two very good football minds, are working their tails off right now to make the Bills a Superbowl contender.
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Is it just me, or does everyone else feel like we are going through a terrible Bills information famine? I guess this is the norm for the offseason, I just forget every year how bad it is.
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Boy, I wish we could fire a lot of these fans, the way they have been reacting. But no, one doesn't dare criticize the sacred 12th man! That would be undemocratic. That would fail to pander to the masses. Can't do that. Go! go! 12th man! We may be all beer drinking slobs without a clue, but we know what's best!
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I could care less about JP Losman. If he gives us our best chance to win great, if not oh well, and I'm not losing sleep over it. You play when you're ready to, if the coaching staff doesnt think he is, well thats the call.
I want a coordinator with a run based philosophy, but realizes you have to adjust to your opponents defense in order to be succesful. Maintin a balance, but while leaning on the run game as our idenity.
On Defense I want a coordinator like my offensive coordinator who dictates his schemes to how the opponent is playing. None of this "system coaches" Just good coordinators who can adjust.
I'd like Jim Bates or Jim haslett for a defensive coordinator, for oc I really have no idea.
Bates or Haslett sounds good to me. No Gray for you? Even though he had one bad season? Couldn't it be lack of run-stopping talent that killed him?
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I do think it was time for Donahoe to go (not necessarily Mularkey), but I suspect we poisoned the well for Donahoe. We were on his back constantly until he lashed out and became defensive. He is a good football mind, but could no longer operate in this environment.
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You know what I think? I think that we are so impatient that we do not allow a team to develop properly. We want instant gratification, and when it doesn't come, we carp and carp and carp and carp until there is paranoia in the front office and on the sidelines (how many of you could make sound decisions with this kind of constant rabid impatience and scrutiny?) and everyone gets fired. Then, we start all over again. No immediate results? No immediate wins? Carp and carp and carp and carp. Front office and coach fired (or resigns because of hostility of fans and city).
What is absolutely absurd about this is that this time, we haven't even given the guys a chance. Not one day in office, before we have crucified the coach and hung Marv Levy in effigy.
I think the problem with some cities is that the fans have no patience, and they force owners and GM's to act hastily. Fans can and do cause their own misery. So eat your hearts out Bills fans.
I say, three cheers for Levy and Jauron. Go get 'em fellas. I'll judge you after three full seasons, and while I might criticize here and there, I will never go overboard and start calling for your heads until then.
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Look i'm new here and I noticed that many of you support Jauron. Personally I support him too. I think that as fans of the Bills we must support our HC through the good and bad times that the team may be facing. This is why we've had so many different HC's after Levy. The fans hate the HC after 2 years. We need to support the coach longer than that. Look it's going to take a year or two for this team to rebuild. Look at what happened to Seattle. It took them several years to have a good team. I believe that it will be several years before Buffalo has a good team once more. IT'S GOING TO TAKE TIME!!
I'm 16 and even I'm beginning to notice why we bills fans don't get respect around the league. WE HAVE NO PATIENCE FOR THIS TEAM AND THE HC. As soon as we get a new coach we expect them to take us to the "promised land" or the playoffs in their first year here, but in reality it's not like that. We need to be more patience and support our coach for once. We shouldn't criticize our HC so much in there 1st or 2nd year here. That's why this team doesn't get any respect around the NFL. We criticize everone on this team way too much. We need to support Jauron. There will be tough times in these next few years for Buffalo, but I believe as a fan that we need to support whatever decision this team makes. It may not be one that we approve on, but if the owner and the players support the decision then we as the fans should support it too.
If we can do this, then finally this team might be heading to a playoff berth.
Nice post kid. Really. We can't go anywhere if we are constantly bludgeoning our coach and GM over the heads. The atmosphere gets poisoned, and they become defensive.
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It seems to me that whether we hire a retread OC and DC or some fresh young blood (or, in the case of Jerry Gray, keep the old), what we need is:
on offense:
(1) someone willing to work with JP and help him improve, but also to know when to pull the plug if need be
(2)a guy committed to a solid running game, with a good O-line, and a history of some innovation in the passing game
on defense:
(1) a guy with a solid track record of producing top caliber defenses--period. By the way, I think we ought to give Gray another shot, provided we give the guy what he needs--another Pat Williams in the middle!
Thoughts? Am I asking for too much?
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The Buffalo Bills have been run like a fantasy team for the fans over the last five years. Lots of flash and good PR, but no character. Need to get the fans excited, trade for an over-the-hill Bledsoe and watch the fans come out like he's Jim Kelly. Need another shot of adreneline, sign an aging Lawyer Milloy in 2003. Fans hate Gregg Williams, fire him. Fans want a hot new QB, draft Losman. Fans sick of Bledsoe and want hot young QB, dump Bledsoe. And the fans lapped it up, selling out every game in 2005, while the team sunk to new depths.
Now we have a new sheriff in town named Marv Levy, who has a very different approach. We are going to build this team right, from the bottom up with quality, character players. Not everyone will be from that lack of character institution--the University of Miami--we'll get some quality guys. We will build the lines-- so we can block and tackle. We will get the fundamentals right.
Enter Dick Jauron. Certainly no flash there. But by every account a quality man who players will play for. Oh, and he went to Yale, so he's likely smart, and can learn from his mistakes. And he's high character, and a teacher. And he knows the value of a stout D-line.
So what do many on this board want--run him out of town. Why, because we did not hire the flashier, instant gratification candidate in Mike Sherman. And truth be told as much as the fans say they hated TD at the end, they in fact miss his "give the fans what they want" approach, even if they don't know anything about building a winning business, much less a football team. All they know is that they want to make a big splash today, so the media will say nice things about us.
I am tired of the TD approach. I am tired of the push for instant gratification. I want to see teams, like those when Levy coached, who know how to take a punch and get back up and fight some more. I want a team that beats Miami when the QB finds a way into the end zone on the last play, not one that loses on the last play. Levy knew character and quality before. I think he still does. And while Jauron may not be flashy, he has the brains and character that this team so desperately needs right now.
Nice post.
You all need to read this!
in The Stadium Wall Archives
Posted
Better yet: Ralph should just do a poll to see who the fans think is best. That would ensure a higher approval rating!