ChasBB

Dude, the only embarrassment I might feel right now is even TRYING to have a sensible dialogue with you. You don't get it and you never will. Oh, nice job trying to bait Gailey with your "Oh, but the fans care" remark. As usual, Chan put you in your proper place.

As Nix is fond of saying, it is the "body of work" that ultimately prevails. If the particular exchange between us that I referenced were the exception instead of the rule, we wouldn't be having this discussion. Taken by itself, it was not in the extreme on the offensive scale (if there were such a thing). But it was also much less-than-cordial, also. Now, I'm OK with less-than-cordial for the most part when it is the exception instead of the rule. I can chalk that up to someone being on edge and/or having a bad day or just being in a very opinionated mood, or whatever. However, when this less-than-cordial tone is the norm -- almost to the point of being a near constant, well that's where you lose me (and based on multiple posters general disdain for your posting tactics, I suspect lose many others, as well). I could dig through the archives over the past few months and find several such instances, but I just can't be bothered, so I instead pulled up the most recent one that came to mind as an example. It'd be like if you and I happened to work in the same office together. I might come in and say "Good morning, Mpl", and your response would be "What the hell are you talking about? It's raining outside. Are you nuts or something?". The next day I'd come in and say "Good morning, Mpl", and you'd say "Give me a break. The boss is an idiot. How can it possibly EVER be a good morning around this place? Cut this 'good morning' crap out, would you?!" and on and on it might go like this for several weeks (or even months as has been the case on this board). Well, guess what? Eventually, I'm just going to stop saying "Good morning" and probably end up being a lot less-than-cordial myself. Maybe some people enjoy constant abrasive banter, but not me. I like to have real dialogue with genuine give-and-take, but hey, maybe that's just me.

For the record, I have NO ONE on ignore -- not even you, mpl. Well, the feature is kind of useless anyhow the way it works, so I find it best just to not use it. Mpl, here's a recent exchange that we had that kind of illustrates my (and probably other's) issues with your posting tactics: --- Me (responding to another poster): +1 I already had admiration for Chan's past success as an HC, but I respect him even more now for making this tough decision so early in the season. It is so tiring to see decisions like this made TOO LATE in the season to be of any benefit. By making the move now, Chan is not throwing in the towel on this season -- he's going to fight for wins this season and not give up. Go Chan and Go Bills! --- You (responding to me): Give me a break. How bout holding the coach accountable for being out coached and out planned in the Miami game. How bout talking about his offensive game plan, game time adjustments, leadership qualities, and his demeanor on the sidelines. He has been nothing short of terrible in his two starts and your commending him for yanking TE. UNBELIEVABLE...... --- You respond to me as if I don't even deserve an opinion -- that ANYONE who doesn't think Gailey should be nailed to the cross right this instant is some kind of moron. It's a public forum. I get that. I don't come here expecting unusually high levels of civility and I've been guilty of same myself, but you do this ALL THE TIME and NOT only to me, for SURE. You might have said "I disagree", but you say "Give me a break", instead -- as if I had two heads for simply respecting the fact that Gailey took the Cowboys to two straight playoff appearances as their HC. I commended Gailey for reversing his own decision to start Edwards (a decision that took COURAGE as he most certainly knew it would bring on criticism -- which it did from many) and you tell me "UNBELIEVABLE" as if I were a total ass for recognizing that the man made a courageous decision in an effort to get something positive going. You ask for people to show YOU civility?! You might consider the same when you respond to others. Now, I'm not trying to tell you HOW to post (though I suspect you will perceive this as so), but I think the above exchange pretty well speaks for itself. And we've had several such exchanges whereby I'll make a fairly innocuous observation as I see it (either right or wrong) and you'll jump in and shred it as though I were some sort of freak for even having this thought. It gets old after several exchanges like this. Now, I've considered that you care about the team SO passionately and you think you know what is wrong and it just drives you absolutely nuts if someone states something that doesn't fully align with your thinking on the matter. That's fine -- I get it -- you perhaps DO care about the team, but you are but one fan amongst tens and hundreds of thousands of fans. There's no way on God's green earth we are all going to agree on how best to go about fixing the Buffalo Bills. I really do attempt to show civility to other posters. I'm not perfect. I've posted things I would have liked to have taken back upon further consideration, but I don't make bashing other posters a way of life on this board. Yeah, 10 years of losing REALLY SUCKS and everyone on this board is hungry for some frickin' WINS. But that's not an excuse for the ridiculously low levels of civility on this board. I feel like I'm wasting my time even writing this as I expect yet another "what an idiot you are" type of response from you, but I'm just laying it out as I see it.

PTR, some posters just enjoy ranting with little regard to logic. You nailed it, though, I think. Clearly, the injuries played a factor here. Gailey wasn't comfortable going into week #1 with Jackson and Lynch seeing a ton of action given their few reps while they were injured. Once they were healthy, it made sense to change the starting roles. At this point, it doesn't mean anything anyhow. Gailey is still getting a sense for what will and won't work and how best to utilize his RB's while keeping them all fresh. It's a process -- an ever-changing one. He'll get it worked out.

Any poster who is willing to change an opinion based on observation is a welcome poster in my opinion. I've also been supportive of Edwards in the past, but no longer. I was one of those jokers who bought into the whole Bill Walsh thing -- thinking the guy was gonna be the next Montana before he even played a down in the NFL and I am sorry for that.

I'm not going to sit here and say I'm proud of name-calling on the board, but it is what it is. I come to this board in hopes of intelligent dialogue on relevant Bills news and this pest keeps coming around. It's like laying out a blanket for a Sunday picnic to kick back and enjoy some time with your family or friends and suddenly you're swatting at gnats for the next 30 minutes -- it's a total drag and just saps the enjoyment from the experience of posting and surfing the posts. And I don't say this because he routinely attempts to shred my credibility -- that comes with the territory in a public forum. However, the incessant crusading and repetitive nature of his posts just becomes predictable after a short while -- very gnat-like. Edit: And I could even stand a little bit of crusading if it was actually for something, but he crusades against the team at every possible turn. Gailey's an idiot for starting Trent. Gailey's an idiot for benching Trent. Why can't we be like other teams and make deals and win now. We have to lose all our games and get the top pick (so I can shred the front office NEXT year for the guy they use it on). The dude has some issues. Yeah, 10+ years of losing football is no fun, but the incessant railing against the players, the coaches, the staff, the front office, the owner, the groundskeepers for all I know -- it just gets absurd after a while.

Good call -- thanks for correcting.

sven233 -- absolutely great post!! Very well thought-out. Enjoyed reading it. Gailey was right to start Trent based on his practice and pre-season performance and Gailey was also right to bench him after two games. I have no problem with Gailey whatsoever here. Perhaps his gameplans could have been tweaked here & there, but these things go as your QB goes and if your QB play deteriorates badly -- as it indeed did -- then the gameplan kind of goes out the window with the poor QB play. I would like to respectfully disagree on one point -- that Fitz won't make a difference in wins and losses. I believe that Fitz will make a difference. He was 5-4 last year. If you take that same winning percentage and apply it to the remaining 14 games on the schedule and you're looking at 7 or 8 wins. The 0-2 hole he has to start with kind of stinks, but it is what it is. That means Fitz will need to improve on his last year's winning percentage. With better coaching in place -- and I DO believe Chan is a superior coach despite this shaky start -- this could actually happen. But, it's a tough schedule and it won't be easy. However, as another poster said, it may still suck, but it will be a more tolerable form of suck.

Very true. Nevertheless, I'd pay good cash money to watch a jail break rush with Sully in a 5-step dropback. Oh, I'd pay VERY good money for that, indeed!

My only beef was that the mods removed it from its own thread and lumped it in with the daily "Sully is an idiot" thread. I thought is was one of my better posts and that it was thread-worthy, but hey, that's cool -- the mods got to keep the site lean. If George Plimpton could do it -- a man not of great physical stature, then surely you, er, I mean Sully could do it. He seriously could write a book just as Plimpton did. If nothing else, it'd sure sell some newspapers. He might gain a little NEEDED perspective, too, and develop a little more respect for the men who play the game and what they endure. And no, I'm not saying I have that perspective either as I surely do not know what it'd be like to get waylaid by Donte Whitner -- and I have no desire to find out. It'd sure be great entertainment if nothing else. More than welcome!

When I heard the news that the Eagles signed Bell, I was kind of hoping Chad Simpson might be brought back on the PS. Oh well, that's how these things go.

I'd be honored -- no credit necessary -- go for it! (btw, Dobler one of my favorite all-time Bills -- great handle!)

I was wondering if anyone else thought this -- thanks for reenforcing that thought. It does seem pretty obvious based on his postings and gaps of logic. You know, I've pissed some people off on this board over the years and vice-versa -- goes with the territory. However, when people call me out, I usually reconsider my post and offer an apology if appropriate. For example, I made a rude and unnecessary remark to Bills in VA recently and he called me on it and I apologized. Dean once let me have it for ripping into Kelsay in an over-the-top and inappropriate manner and I apologized for the remark. And I've reconsidered several other posts when challenged with better logic or a more-considered opinion. That's what the board is all about -- give and take -- back and forth -- not just a place to state your opinions, but also a place to LISTEN to other's opinions. I really try to stay flexible on this board and be reasonable. So to all on the board, I will continue my efforts to keep my posts in moderate tones and I hope posters continue to continue to call me out if I'm making a bad post -- that's fine with me -- that's what it's all about. If I don't like a post, I do attempt to attack the post and not the poster -- I think this is something on the board many need to work on. However, in regards to mpl6876, I'll make the LONE exception -- piss off you little gnat!

These teams are saying they are not giving up by making these changes. Desperation maybe, but still necessary.

Anyone else on this site think that Sully is mpl6876? I do.

Oh, on the contrary, I think this thread is a great idea. But whatever -- you can have your opinion.

Yes, I'll say it -- I DO believe Fitzpatrick will be a real improvement. I acknowledge the team has weaknesses and I acknowledge that Fitz is not Peyton Manning, but yes, I believe Fitz will be a genuine improvement on Edwards and that Fitz will make this team competitive once again. As a fan, that's all I ask -- that the team competes and that the team leader doesn't walk out-of-bounds on 4th-and-11.

Hey Sully, remember George Plimpton? Of course you do. He was the famous sports writer who would actually participate with professional athletes as summed up nicely in this review of "Paper Lion: Confessions of a Last-String Quarterback" where Plimpton actually practiced with the Detroit Lions: "George Plimpton was the first, in the sports world, to employ "participatory journalism" in order to produce a story, or in this case a book. Over the years, Plimpton put himself in several different positions for the sake of his readers... hockey goalie... prizefighter... pitcher... he even tagged along on the PGA Tour. However, none of those really hit home on a large scale quite like PAPER LION, the story of Plimpton's trials and errors in training camp with the Detroit Lions prior to the 1963 season. It even led to a movie starring Alan Alda by the same name." (http://www.amazon.com/Paper-Lion-Confessions-Last-String-Quarterback/dp/1592280153) Why not YOU, Sully? It would be such a great service to your readers to provide that kind of insight into the inner-workings of the Buffalo Bills. Oh, maybe you could lineup at WR and get a real feel for a Donte Whitner hit, no? Perhaps you could lineup at outside LB and fend off a Corey McIntyre block and then write a story telling of your experiences as an NFL player for a day. C'mon Sully, you can do it -- we want a writer of your talent to get down-and-dirty with the Bills in an actual practice session and then tell us all about your experiences as only a writer of your fine talent can do. Oh, it would be a VERY GOOD read. Of course, having the opportunity of walking away from practice alive and actually writing the story would be the chance you'd have to take, but hey, you're a tough guy. You can do it! Go for it Sully, go for it!! Edit: Oh, I'm quite certain the Buffalo Bills would only be too happy to oblige your request.

I pretty much stopped following the NBA when the Braves left town save for a Finals here & there. It'd probably be pretty much the same if the Bills left. I don't think I could respect a league that would pull a franchise out of Buffalo (despite compelling financial reasons to do so). It just wouldn't be right and I'm pretty sure I wouldn't only stop following the Bills, but I'd probably stop following the league. On the upside, the Sabres would get a lot more attention as would the UB Bulls.

You are right. The bottom line is that this is a team sport and the best teams have the largest numbers of talented players and the Bills are lacking in talent in many areas. That said, that's precisely why we need a QB who can scramble around a bit and make some things happen. Will Fitz take the Bills to the playoffs? Doubtful. Will he generate a few more wins than Trent? My opinion is that he will. He's very mobile and will help SOMEWHAT offset the weak OL, but only somewhat.

Yeah, that's right, I'm commending him for doing something that needed to be done. Sorry you can't see any benefit in the move. Agree and disagree all at once. Agree in that how could they evaluate the QB's and come to this decision? Disagree in that he had the balls to reverse direction and admit he made a mistake. Half the battle to success, sometimes, is being able to rectify mistakes and move forward instead of staying with the first choice to the bitter end. We don't know how this will pan out, but I'm giving him credit for the change-up for now.

+1 I already had admiration for Chan's past success as an HC, but I respect him even more now for making this tough decision so early in the season. It is so tiring to see decisions like this made TOO LATE in the season to be of any benefit. By making the move now, Chan is not throwing in the towel on this season -- he's going to fight for wins this season and not give up. Go Chan and Go Bills!

OK, if that is the case, then it makes sense. Thanks for clarifying.

Funny that Trent has 32 career Starts while Fitz has onl 23 career starts and yet they talk about Fitz's "experience as a starter". Maybe it needs to be qualified as "winning experience as a starter". I'm not critical of the move -- I like the move. I just find it interesting that people think Fitz has all this past starting experience when he really does not.

The answer to the debate is "It depends". Trent is probably a more accurate thrower than Ryan and if you were to take Trent and put him behind an All-Pro OL, he'd probably look pretty damned good. However, we don't have the luxury of an All-Pro OL -- not even close. So, you need a QB who can improvise -- a guy who can move around in the pocket and who isn't afraid to throw the ball into tight coverage when he is being hurried. That guy is Ryan. Given the OL we have now, I want Fitz to be our QB. Is he the answer long term? That's too early to tell. People think Fitz is this aged career backup when in fact he is only a year older than Edwards and has only been in the league an additional two years -- most of which were not spent playing to any significant degree. Trent has more game starts now than Fitz does. Game Starts for Edwards (Total of 32 Starts) 2007.......9 starts as Rookie 2008.......14 starts 2009.......7 starts 2010.......2 starts Game Starts for Fitzpatrick (Total of 23 Starts) 2005.......3 starts as Rookie (Rams) 2006.......0 starts (Rams) 2007.......0 starts (Bengals) 2008.......12 starts (Bengals) 2009.......8 starts (Bills) 2010.......0 starts (Bills) I think each QB made a few additional APPEARENCES in games they didn't start, but this clearly shows that Trent has had more starting opportunities than Fitz. The argument can be made that Edwards had to suffer a different OC each year, but things were not so much better for Fitzpatrick, either. Fitz has had to endure an enormous amount of change in his relatively short career, too. Maybe Fitz is really the one who can benefit from a guy like Chan Gailey rather than Edwards, who just doesn't seem to have the needed toughness for this league. Fitz might just become a fixture at QB in Buffalo if he can turn this team around this season. It could happen.