leh-nerd skin-erd

you should really think out your answers before you commit them to print. the article doesn't indicate the cost to the buffalo bills, nor is it really relevant here. your analogy to 'art in schools' also misses the point, if for no other reason than i never suggested anything about funding 'art in schools'. here is the point: the article attempts to lay out an emotional case against the buffalo bills for deciding not to fund something they have apparently funded previously. i see the set up, and the hook, because apparently buffalo bills = football = funding this endeavor because it = football. would you feel differently if you knew that the bills reallocated the money to some other cause that they felt worthy of consideration? i have to be fair to them, maybe they just thought the money was wasted on a crappy product and couldn't justify it anymore. i have no idea, and apparently neither does the journalist. that IS the point. i have a larger problem with it because this old heartstring angle is overplayed. you see it in the newspaper, on tv, in the political spectrum, and i find it manipulative. heck, you're a prime example of why it bothers me. from this article you figured out that the bills were too cheap to spend $10k on the kids. That sir, is a total BS argument.

I think it's deeper than that. It's prejudice against the Irish. They all look alike to some people.

What's irritating to me is the part where he says "You and I would certainly think that an NFL team could afford to stay involved with these kind of broadcasts -- it kind of falls into the "are you kidding me?" category". It's presumptuous of the guy to assume that I can't think for myself, and I certainly wouldn't spend more than half-a-second thinking "Are you kidding me?". This is classic emotional journalism, tugs at your heart strings by telling only part of the story. I certainly think this: the Bills likely have a budget for this sort of thing, and it no longer fit into their plans. Quite honestly, I would rather see them dedicate this money to, in no particular order...breast cancer...prostate cancer...american heart association...alzheimer's association...habitat for humanity...and so on. Don't drink the kool aid. It's a big world out there. Plus, you know...you could fund it.

abc's agenda aside, why on earth do they want the distraction? the guy's had a good run on the show, he made a comment that was kind of silly and they don't want him anymore. i'm no fan of president obama, but this doesn't see all that hard for me to follow. i'd fire him too.

quick check reveals that hw jr has an estimated net worth of $45,000,000. using the meal ticket analogy, that's a lot of gumbo. i'd be surprised if his fan base would sweat a heck of a lot over his comments one way or the other. espn has to get rid of him. i don't actually see it as pc going too far, the issue was supposed to be THE song. now the issue is hw jr, and who needs that?

I have a question. Why do you call yourself a hypocrite when you intentionally tired to trick people into answering your question? I see you as more of a trickster than a hypocrite. Or a cultural experimentationalist, given this was a science experiment of sorts. Either way, you crazy, girl.

Promo T--don't fall into the trap! I haven't read Ms. Gash's column but it likely would have riled me up. I've been in Albany for 20 years (proudly born and raised in Kenmore). There are some great people out here. Some love to bust my chops a bit about the Bills, some understand on some level the pain associated with being a bills fan, but most are pretty good people. I stopped worrying about what the morons think a looonnnng time ago. wuh-ur-duh.

No good deed goes unpunished.

wow. you grew up there? thanks for sharing your experiences as i'd bet most of the other fans of the Buffalo Bills on this board live in Sedona. you've painted a vivid picture and it's pretty clear to me you indeed have something on the ball. i love the Boston area but meet people all the time who prefer not to live there, even with the $0 property and sales tax coupled with the 72 and sunny temps 365 days a year.

excellent. i kept thinking he reminded me of someone, and it is indeed morticia's husband in the flesh.

God, your dad sounds mean (and fast).

"Be intelligent in regard to my theory of "spirit of a white team" versus arguing numbers of blacks vs whites." i've read this 3 times and still feel compelled to read it again. Would the contrary point of view to "It's about the 'spirit of a white team'!" really be "Look at the numbers of blacks vs. whites!"?? It seems so simple for both sides to claim victory.

filthymc--i'm a long-suffering bills fan as wel, so you're preaching to the choir. i don't necessarily agree that they went backwards last year (other than the obvious record indicates). i don't hold cg accountable for the decade we've been through, he wsn't here and didn't have anything to do with it. he agreed to run the team, it's up to him to build it in his image, and it's up to him to put a good product on the field. i bitched/moaned/complained last year when things sucked, and will likely do so again if we go down that road this year. i expect incremental improvement and agree wwe should eb moving forward. that said, i don't see how this pre-season helps me very much in this regard, especially when the caoch is telling me "we're not looking at it the way you are". as for the offensive line---you might be right, let's see what happens when they open the season. i like what i see from gailey as it relates to his ability to coach. he's on year two, and i'm hoping he moves us forward.

heard a caller to NFL radio discuss his major concerns about Steven Jackson for St. Louis. In thier most recent game, he ran for 10 yards on 6 carriers. Ergo, the caller suggested, there was a major concern for SJ on the short yardage carrier in the upcoming season. if you only average 1.6 ypc in that pre-season game, what's going to happen when you need 3 on 3rd down in the regular season? the reply from ross tucker was basically this: the guy's a beast, he's shown he can get it done, don't be alarmed about the results of a preseason game where he wasn't trying to impress coaches, make the team, or make a statement. however---if the caller was concerned about SJ's body beginning to show the wear and tear after 4 years of league-leading yards from scrimmage, well, at some point he'll begin to breakdown so that may be a valid concern. either way, the message was "time will tell". i think that's a wise course of action. if you have a coach telling you "our plan was to play it the way we played regardless of the outcome", and an LB says they took a quick look at film---why go any further than that? obviously, they may well struggle in the regular season---time will tell.

well, honesty is a good policy. let's hope for the best.

all this, and you post this gem: "Let's not question each other's fanhood. We all want the same thing. I'm just not buying into this "Gailey is a genius thing." -Not yet, anyway. Maybe if we start the season 3-1" All this banter but if he wins 3 of the first 4 games you'll reconsider? Hardly a body of work.

i just called and those thieving bastards told me they had two promotions running; 1. Free Sunday Ticket with an autographed Aaron Maybin draft photo; 2. The ticket at $525 with a free copy of the Rex Ryan Foot fetish video. I'll tell you, I'm really conflicted.

Coaching can make all the difference in the world. Are our coaches good enough on offense and defense to make the most use of the talent we have--whatever it is, to carry the day. Once the day is carried, a bit of luck sure helps.

bingo to the last paragraph. i moved to albany 20 years ago and there seemed to be a fair amount of us around. but when the bills opted to take advantage of the nfl's version of the federal government's extended family leave act---many drifted away. or, maybe they bought pats jerseys...giants jerseys....and now jets jerseys. by the way---on my way back from wny to albany after watching norwood miss the kick, i made it only to syracuse before hearing a radio announcer say "our NY GIANTS did it!". it made me sick to my stomach. i finally bought a satelite dish to catch the games as the bills seemed to be relegated to "Yeah, we'll get 'em on, sure!" status.

interesting. even when someone is true left, he's actually right?

to get back at them, i'm not going to buy the jersey that isn't there. we'll see how they don't feel about not getting my money.

Not a prayer, which is delicious irony in this one case. And stop your crying, sonny.

well, just for starters, the owners seem to have the ability to lockout the players and bring this thing to a screeching halt. as for the owner's not having control over team names and the like...was there a rush to change the NY Giants to the Greater Metro New York-New Jersey And Outlying Suburban Area Ramblers? Seems easier to just stick with "Giants". And correct me if I'm wrong, but can't a team decide to pay a veteran player nothing by not paying him anything? i think you're all wrapped up in the emotion of the game, and that's fine. your thoughts on drew brees hi-lite that very point. he's a talented guy, granted. he's driven, granted. and perhaps he could have played pro baseball, or basketball, become an investment banker, a corportate litgator, or gone on to star in "Friends". my point was simply the business of football is beneficial for all involved, but the lockout/decert is just that---the business end of it all. you're preaching to the wrong choir on the socio-economic issue referenced. i fully understand why tom brady makes $12mill and mother theresa lived in squalor. i don't spend much time worrying about that as it has nothing to do with me. but when i look at the whole picture, i don't see an issue with a minor player making $350k v. a mid-level player making $2 million to Brady/Brees/Manning making $10+mill to Ralph Wilson being owner of a $700,000,000 franchise. honestly, i find it a bit hyporcritical that brees/brady are lead plaintiffs in the anti-trust suit, i've said previously that in most industry guy making $10mill a year or more are the targets of animosity, not the victim. i understand tactically why it's done, but i find it distasteful. i know this much for certain, the fan experience seems to be fairly low on the list of priorities for all the involved parties. i can live with that, it just is the way it is, but ralph wilson has been the owner of the bills for my entire life,and players have come and gone. what keeps the bills in wny is ultimately what's good for me. i'm looking for that solution, the rest is not my concern.

The owners feel differently, obviously. If you want to use the "but this is different" argument, than you have to acknowledge that the whole thing is different. Drew Brees is a heck of an athlete, but absent the infrastructure of the game he's not a multi-millionaire for tossing a ball to some other guy. they all benefit from the structure in some way, owners included. The difference is the owners have a tangible product that they ultimately control. As far as playing while negotiating, that would seem to make little sense for the owners. Why continue business as usual if you think business as usual is bad for you? It's not unlike the union decertifying. That was a tactical move, nothing more, nothing less. In the end, it's all about the business of football, not the emotional side it. Hopefully, one side or the other cracks and we get to refocus on the emotional side of it before too long.

i don't know the man, i don't know what his issues are, but these words say an awful lot about where your head is at: The death of his son was definately a distraction. yeah, like sunglare, and tube tops. just like that. i'd think you have it backwards, football is actually the distraction here.