Dr. Who

Beane doesn't answer to the fans. The fanbase absolutely does care about championships.

That's really when I pay attention, but I'm more a casual fan.

I guess I'm a barbarian for preferring hockey and football, but baseball is a sport with beautiful rhythms that come from the long season with many plot twists. This was easily one of the most memorable World Series that I can recall.

The softness in the past was embarrassing. They might be growing up enough to really compete.

That would probably be the price to trade within the division. I personally do not want to waste a year of Josh's prime, and I think this is the level of move that is needed to optimize your chances. Doubt it happens, though.

The NHL is easily worse than the NFL. I don't think the bad calls are randomly distributed so that it all evens out in the end. You're free to think otherwise.

We need insight from the rabbits from the astral plane. I'm sure they would have a viable solution.

I would too, but aside from Miami not trading him, I think he costs a day 2 pick. I don't know where that mid-rounder price comes from the other fella is speculating. Shaheed will probably cost you a third, and he's the most plausible option out there.

Well, you're the fella who decides to come on another team's message board. If it infuriates you that folks think your team is one of the favored, perhaps you ought to stay away from message boards likely to hold opinions you don't like. It's not just Buffalo Bills fans who think certain teams get a better shake than others from the refs, for whatever reason. And other teams can count on the opposite. It doesn't take much to skew the way a game goes, and it can be done without any kind of trail that would involve lawsuits. It could even be an unconscious bias in many cases. If the NFL wanted to institute reviews for blatant bad calls, or answer the complaints that there are double standards, they could make a concerted effort to answer critics. I've seen no evidence they want to do that on a consistent basis.

There's some distance between rigging and putting your hand on the scale. The league does a lot of things that are not popular. They're going to lose some audience, but it's mostly graybeards, so they don't care.

Now imagine how it would work in the NFL, but they like it murky.

The league clearly wants it that way.

Of course, those who disagree can always charge one with confirmation bias. There's a reason, however, that this is a meme. And a lot of it has to do with the timing of flags. Zebras tend to even it out when it doesn't hurt the precious.

It would be very helpful come seeding time, nonetheless.

I don't think Beane is great. If Pegula wants to fill his new stadium, he ought to worry about that. I think Cooper actually made a difference last year, even if he was running on fumes.

I can't answer for that fella, but is it really ALL on the players? Doesn't lack of discipline ultimately end up a coaching responsibility as well? Regardless, when McD brought in some coaches with experience that seemed capable of providing critique and perhaps innovation and change to his system, it was plausibly part of the Process where weaknesses were continually addressed. Not too much evidence that has happened. Brady is middle of the road, with some exasperating tendencies. Whether he stays or goes, the WR room needs to be better. I like McDermott as a person, and hoped he would have success. Maybe it will still happen, but right now, there ought to be questions. There sure should not be complacency and the thought that no matter what, the present regime is immune to substantial criticism or the possibility of being replaced if the team flames out or has another disappointing post-season.

Before the draft, some of us commented on regression towards the mean on turnovers as one reason the WR room needed to be augmented in order to increase the likelihood of explosive plays. Folks weren't interested, and Beane chastised radio hosts and played the Josh Allen card like a permanent get out of jail license against any criticism. It was the defense that needed fixing. Well, what if the scheme is tired and broken? It doesn't help that the GM has a spotty record at best on day 1 and 2 picks.

If Beane felt any pressure at all, as in ordinary accountability from a reasonably diligent owner, he'd be more likely to pursue a deal if one is actually possible. Unfortunately, he doesn't, and the present roster reflects that complacency.

Oh, I'm certain he will be given every opportunity to fail upwards. It's the Sabres' way under present ownership. I was really just saying UPL is not a tradeable commodity given his contract. Levi may end up being an AHL star that can't make the jump. Aside from a twenty game stretch when UPL played well, he's been a subpar goalie, and KA rewarded him with a big contract. I have more hope in the alternatives, but that isn't saying much.

Be very surprising if someone wants him with that contract. I'm rather skeptical anyone would take him if you waved him.

The problem is that Pegula is unlikely to get rid of McDermott and Beane, even if the season implodes into a fiasco. In addition, his prior moves with the Bills and his entire tenure as owner of the Sabres is nothing short of utterly disheartening. Is the man capable of a wise decision, or did he just luck into competency with his football team? Regardless, the further question is whether McDermott is ever going to genuinely move off his tired scheme? Beane has fed draft pick after draft pick and the bulk of free agency into trying to invigorate the defense, and it is perpetual no dice. (The answer to the rhetorical question is certainly "no." The Process has its limits.) On the other side of the ball, Brady is showing himself to be a mediocre OC, not utterly incompetent, but not particularly creative and given to mind-numbing decisions that seem lacking in situational awareness. Some folks are convinced he wouldn't even use a superior WR if he had one. Well, you'll never have to find out unless Beane changes his ways significantly. Anyway, I suppose I'm not sure it matters where the 2026 first rounder ends up being if the aforementioned issues remain in place. And even if the team repeats its usual run to the #2 or #3 seed, it won't touch the underlying weaknesses. It's going to be a damn shame if the likely best QB in franchise history is destined for a Philip Rivers career. I was optimistic that was not a danger; now I'm not so sure.

The way they're burning through Josh Allen's prime with boneheaded and arrogant management of the WR room is the kind of thing that folks will look back on in despair if they don't course correct in a major way.

We just spent the bulk of the most recent draft and free agency on the idea of improving the defense. It might be the system as well as lack of talent, but aside from that, the inability to stress the opposing defense because of what should be by now the obvious limitations of the existing receivers are having a negative effect at multiple levels. It's causing Josh Allen to regress to hero ball tendencies, it's not opening up the middle ot the field for the routes our OC prefers, and it's allowing the opposing D to bring more blitzes that stress the oline, because they have no fear of explosive plays. In short, it absolutely makes sense to be taking about a receiver, though unfortunately the available talent is likely very slim.