Josh

Hi folks. A story I have been working on at my station in Central New York has finally come to fruition. Through a FOIL request, we received documents from a local school district that alleges it's head coach, former NFL player Tim Green, illegally recruited kids to play for his HS football team. HIGH SCHOOL! The district had been receiving unsolicited reports from both student-athletes and coaches from other districts that Skaneateles coaches had tried recruiting at least nine student-athletes who live outside the district. Those kids were promised an apartment in Skaneateles with video games and a big screen television in exchange for moving to the district to play football. Just curious what you thought about it...is it surprising in today's day and age? Surprised this is happening in high school sports? Or nothing new..? http://centralny.ynn.com/content/top_stories/561722/skaneateles-releases-report-on-recruiting-questions/

As a former WNYer now residing in Syracuse, it does seem pretty split. I have noticed my sports department and others leaning toward the Jets and Giants...with Bills fans increasing in places like Auburn and dropping in Utica, for obvious reasons. It helped their cause these past couple years when the Jets started calling SUNY Cortland home...and it has increased Jets coverage here dramatically as they continue to train there...so while there are plenty of Bills fans here..its SEEMS more of a "soda/Giants/Jets" town than a "pop/Bills" town, I have discovered! The poll gives the Bills a giant lead, but it just doesn't seem that way for some reason... unfortunately.

I disagree strongly with the folks who say this did nothing for Cortland. It brought in over $4 million dollars, attracted over 34,000 people and in fact, improved the look of the city (the strip "downtown" was re-paved) and most Jets team events were held in local restaurants - not chains. I talked to Chuck's folks today and this 200,000 figure isnt really new, but it's what the Jets want and whether you like the Jets or not (who does?) Schumer is extremely wise to push for this. Anytime you help a small town in upstate, it's a positive. And the real reason to keep them is that as a news editor in the Syracuse market, the Jets in Cortland provide for endless easy story assignments, live shots, interviews etc!

It's obvious that Levy/Saban/Knox are the top 3 (with the nod going to Marv). But I think Joe Collier is actually underrated. He would have been the Bills coach in the first Super Bowl if they won the 1966 AFL Championship...and I think he would have stayed with the team if Kemp didn't break his leg...he was a great defensive mind who helped the Broncos reach a couple Super Bowls.

Well...Buddy, Chan, Giff and...Clancy...? Fits right in!

I recall Nevergiveup saying something to this effect a while ago, that Modrak was likely gone after the draft or staying in a consultant role or something.

As a member of (regional) media, I can tell you that it's not hatred - it's simply ignorance. National TV talent and print/Internet reporters view WNY the same way the nation began to see it in the 1970s/1980s. A cold, rust belt, poor, shrinking city with a notoriously losing football team. Nothing has changed since then. It's viewed by outsiders as a crappy city and that reputation is passed on. I see 13 year olds posting on other sites saying "no 1 wunts to live in buffalo," and all that. I believe that thinking very much has a hold on most national personalities/sports reporters, and that's sad - but I think thats where we get all this feeling of "hatred." Sometimes I drive through CNY/WNY, see the gray skies, brown/muddy snow, empty buildings, feel freezing temperatures and feel the pinch in my wallet because of taxes and wonder why I would even want to live here (and I was raised in Olean)...imagine what its like for someone not born here? In fact, its really not even hatred, it's just kind of the "do we have to deal with them?" routine. That's the feeling that I get. They still very much pay attention to the market, and they talk about us when we win big (Yahoo! Sports had us on their front page back when we went on the 6 game win streak in 2004, saying "Bills Are Back?") or acquire big names (We made the front page of NYTimes.com when we acquired T.O.). We are a small market, when we make a splash, we'll get the attention. Right now the coaching carousel is slowing down and when there isn't a lot big news on that front, TV producers will cut the segments on coaching and stack their rundowns to reflect the playoffs (of which we play no role). It seems like the only national-level reporters that put thought into their work are the John Wawrows and Vic Carucci's of the world...and its no coincidence that they are from the area. Everyone else says what they need to say and move on to the next subject.

Yep. Just about the post the thread, but I guess this is already started. Grimm not interested. http://www.wivb.com/dpp/sports/bills_and_n...gets-more-names

Just wondering - lots of folks here are concentrating on Fox...but what about Zimmer? What are his pros and cons? He has a ton of NFL experience - getting his start at the end of the Bills Super Bowl run. He ran a "speedy 4-3" defense, per Wikipedia, and also has experience running 3-4 defenses. A big plus is that he's worked under Parcells. Obviously his defenses haven't been ranked #1 for 15 straight years, but it seems like he must be pretty good. The big con, of course, is that he is a defensive guy and this offense has been a wreck for a decade and he may not be the guy needed to develop a new QB or young offensive line. Is this a guy Russ/Ralph should be heavily considering?

Yeah...listening now...dont know why...cant stand hearing: "win does nothing for me," "Fewell made bad decision not to kneel, reflects on him as a head coach," "completely unsportsmanlike..." "they ran up the score" etc...Usually I like listening to them in post game, but they sound like we just lost to the Browns again.

Bump. http://blogs.buffalobills.com/2009/11/17/f...nce-to-be-live/

I like Murph, but he was much better as a color guy, like everyone's said. Listen to the commentary on the video below...the one and only Van Miller. God, his voice brings back memories...he was so good...he IS the voice of Buffalo. I wish he could come back for one more game. "...Drops back to pass..." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOJl-J2bzX0

I can't believe this actually happened. We lost to the 0-4 Browns, whose QB passed for about 5 yards. I am sitting alone in my newsroom in disbelief...we have hit rock bottom. Absolutely no progress in 10 years.

Speaking of jersey unveilings...Remember that "Night of Champions" or whatever it was called, when Donahoe unveiled the AFL Championship jerseys with Losman and co? The NFL Network came and taped it...Kelly, Reed, Talley etc were all there...that was pretty impressive from what I remember. Did that ever air?

Unreal. Turnover in Pats territory and we walk away with zero. I miss the old Edwards.

Here we go again...

Royal Drop, Penalty, Interception. Great red zone play.

I was born and raised in Olean, just graduated from Ithaca and now work as an assignment editor in television news in Syracuse. The Times Herald website is now my connection to the city...while it is always late, like Lori said, they dont want to put the content on the website on the same day, because they have to make a profit selling the papers...with same day content, people will just read the articles online...but the site's new design and particularly the photos are pretty good! Will be back in the city for Thanksgiving, but being in news, I have to work on Christmas . And actually, reporter-wise, I think they do only have three reporters (Eberth, Day Sager, Miller and Shaw)...ok, so 4...

Just one touchdown to get ahead, 8 minutes away...Edwards can do it! Come on!

Our Elvis could take him . . .

Losman to Price: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbXEm8CHjaw&NR I literally watched that play over and over and over...Criqui sounds like such a homer here. Awesome.

I love CBS's wrap up of the game. The first thing they showed? Losman's INT. No mention that Evan's had one of the better WR performances in forever.

I almost died when I saw the lateral on the Texan's last KO return. Wow - BEST game of the year.

Awesome! I am a junior at Ithaca College currently and got to see Sal speak earlier this year (I also got to talk with Bob Iger, Walt Disney president, and Bob Kur of NBC News last Thursday). The Roy H. Park School at Ithaca is my life. It's truly disheartening to think that the national media has been treating Marv as a pushover thus far. In the beginning, I thought his reemergence would boost the view of this franchise. But I suppose we need to win consistenly before we gain any, well...consistent respect.

Great article. Prisco even shaved about 5 years of age off Mr. Wilson!