TNBillFan
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Posts posted by TNBillFan
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I wasn't meaning to offend or come off as superior, just making an observation that most of what I see posted tends into one of these categories (concerning sticking w Losman or not). It was kind of stupid to add my last line, (kind of like saying "which of my pigeon holes do you fit into?").
No sweat, Ga.Bill. I can read pretty good and I can understand most of what I read. Your post was neither offensive nor superior sounding. Unfortunately the current melt-down environment going on with our team is making loyal and reasonable posters grouchy.
Bottom line for me is that without an effective, if not dominating, defense---like the one we were repeatedly promised----and a strong running game---like the one we were repeatedly promised---JP is a sitting duck unless he has the extremely rare first year experiences of Dan Marino or Ben Roethlisberger.
The defense, especially the line, needs to sack up and play. The coaches need to remember that run blocking is easier for less skilled linemen than pass blocking and that an All-Pro running back is on the roster.
Run on offense, play NFL caliber D and I bet the game will "slow down" for Losman.
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No one with a football clue would have been willing to bet that JP would be a stud quarterback in his first year. He has the ability but has no pro experience and only a mid-major (my apologies to the Green Wave) college background. Expecting even competance this early is nice but totally unrealistic. It happens very rarely with quarterbacks. Consider the following names and check out their first and second year experiences (and sometimes much longer): Starr, Namath, Staubach, Bradshaw, Young, Farve, Elway, both Mannings, Garcia, Fouts. Give Losman time and, in the meantime, give the ball to the running back.
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John, I can't tell your age from your post but with you having an 8th grader I am guessing I am 10 or 15 years older than you.
Don't give up. I've coached competitive (travel) youth soccer for about 12 years. Even though I've been fortunate to have had great success including 10 state championships, nearly every single team I've coached has had some variation of the parent problems you are having with your football teams. All youth sports seem to share this common issue.
In my experience, the problems caused by the crazy parents have been FAR outweighed by the long-term, positive relationships I developed with the kids. Most of the original kids I coached are college age now. About a dozen of them are still playing in college. Not a month goes by that I don't get a call or a note from one of them and, as amazing as it might sound, as often as not it is one of the problem parent's kids who are making the call. Kids know when you care for them and, as often as not, they just want to be a part of something special. They also know, usually, who the good players are and who the less gifted players are. Learning and being part of the team is what usually matters to the boys. Playing time, while important, is much more of a parent issue.
I'd strongly urge you to start every season with a frank and MANDATORY parent meeting. Set out your expectations and rules and stick by them. Just don't stop coaching. There may be some kid out there right now who needs you to balance a loving and well-meaning but misguided parent.
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There you have it. Loyalty has no place in popular American culture. Gordon Gecko had it right---"Greed is good." Maybe it should be "Greed is god."
Alaska Darin, believe it or not, there was a time, long, long ago....well you know the rest of the old-school garbage. It's irrelevant so I'll quit.
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Amazing! Why is anyone surprised at this development? Special treatment is intended to make the recipient feel "special", whether it is earned and deserved or not. WM has been treated specially ever since day one by everyone around him including, but not limited to, the Bills front office. Hard nosed, blue-collar All-Pro Travis Henry wasn't good enough for the Bills no matter how hard he tried or how dedicated he was. Meanwhile special WM was pampered and prefered for two seasons. Special WM was given the job while Henry was hurt regardless of appearances and the unwanted Henry was traded off from his all-time favorite team. We are now witnessing the start of the eventual departure of WM for a big-market, big-money team. I'm not saying WM isn't extremely talented. He has more natural gifts than Henry and most other NFL backs. I am saying Henry was loyal and proved he could perform with a far less talented line than is playing with WM and, yet, he was run out of town. WM has had one good season and will leave Buffalo as soon as a seat in first class is available. Do you think Mr. Rosenhaus spends alot of time talking with his clients about loyalty to the team? I believe the line was, "Show me the money!"
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I moved to East Tennessee (Knoxville) after growing up in Buffalo followed by shorter stints in central Ohio and DC/Northern Virginia. Once you adjust to life-style differences, it is by far the best place I have ever lived. The cost of living is very reasonable and the quality of life is tremendous. A lot of "Yankees", including many native Western NY'ers, have moved to the area over the years and that population change has been reflected in many positive ways, including food choices available at the grocery and types of resturants, etc. You'll always hear that you're "not from around here", but I have always felt welcome even though I am still a "damned Yankee" to the hard-core natives (i.e. a Yankee that moves South and doesn't leave) after 25+ years. The lakes, UT and the fantastic weather make for a really nice place to live. Oh, and not too many snakes (the reptile kind), at least not in the city. I haven't seen one in my yard in 15 or 20 years. You might really like a small town about 15 miles from Knoxville called Maryville. It has been listed as one of the best little known places to live in the USA for several years. Alabama is too Deep South for me in both hot weather and lifestyle. It may be unfair, but I see Delaware as being a nice suburb of Baltimore and Philadelphia and I'd much rather live in Buffalo than either of those two cities.
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Why are there 10 Travis Henry posts on the front page? Jesus Christ. He was a whiner and a big crybaby. He was hurt all the time. He fumbled too much. He had two good years when we were not even close to the playoffs. He did not want to play here anymore and tuned his back on the team for his own selfish reason- A CONTRACT EXTENSION and MORE MONEY. Can't make big bucks being a backup. We have Willis McGahee. Good bye and good freakin riddance TH.
I hope you remember this post when McGahee's contract comes up. We'll see if you think he's a whiner and a big crybaby, too, when he tries to break the Bill's bank---and he will. If he stays healthy, Rosenhaus and Willis will have a field day with the Bills at renewal time. More likely, he will want out of Buffalo for a major market and even bigger bucks.
Henry, on the other hand, wanted to play for the Bills ever since he broke Emmitt Smith's all-time rushing record in Florida high school. He talked about Buffalo when he was at Tennessee, running ahead of Jamal Lewis. Being drafted by the Bills was his football dream come true. Henry got hurt because he played hard, and he didn't stop playing because of it. How many other NFL running backs of the modern era played with a broken pinky finger, much less than a broken leg bone? He clearly fixed the fumble issue (except in the mind of mindless harpies who wouldn't acknowledge any plus for this kid) and he had two great, not good, great years considering the line he was running behind.
I agree McGahee's the more gifted athlete and I'd have given him the #1 spot, too, if he was on my roster. I also think getting him when the Bills did was a great success---but I believe it is short term. I don't think he and his agent will be cut from the mold of Thomas, Reed, Moulds, Kelly,etc. who were essentially career-long Bills. Henry wanted to be in Buffalo and someday soon, I bet someone will suggest on this board that a long-term, motivated Henry in Buffalo would have beat McGahee's "passing through" town on his way to the big bucks in NY, Dallas or wherever his money guy directs him next.
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I was very happy for the Bills to be able to draft Travis Henry after he left Tennessee and I think, by and large, he did a fine job in Buffalo. The blitz beef and his alleged fumble problems were, in my opinion, nothing more than the overstated harping of generally unhappy fans. He was a young back forced into pro action too early in a system that was becoming more and more predictable because of the quarterback's shortcomings. He improved every year in his techniques and he was a warrior who played hard and played hurt. In candor, I think Willis is a more gifted athlete (than all but a handfull of NFL backs--TH included) and, given his absolutely amazing recovery, Henry's demotion was inevitable. Nevertheless, I wish TH good luck in his future (except against the Bills, of course) and I will miss having one of my favorite college players playing on my favorite pro team.
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In my opinion (and according to the Sporting News and ESPN) the best game day experience in college football occurs in Knoxville when the Tennessee Volunteers play in Neyland Stadium. It's not just the size of the crowd---approaching 110,000---it's the Vol Navy anchored in the Tennessee River next to the stadium for two or three days before the game having an endless giant waterfront tailgate party, its the Pride of the Southland Marching Band playing outside the stadium a couple hours before gametime, its the Vol Walk and its the overwhelming color (mostly orange and white) displayed by the crowd. I'm not sure I've ever heard anyone who's been to Neyland choose another site other than LSU at night. I wish Ohio State and Tennessee would set up a home and home series. The fans would get a treat at both schools.
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I've been a Bills fan since the '60s. No matter where I've lived, the Bills were and are my team. I think the Wall should be reserved for the extremely elite few Bills who weren't just good, but who were among the very best ever, anywhere. IMHO, five of the names mentioned above should be on the Wall (in no particular order): Butch Byrd, Lou Saban, Andre Reed, Bruce Smith and Steve Tasker. Each of these men transcended the rest. They were extremely good, not just for the Bills, but they were among the greatest ever in the game at their respective positions/jobs.
The only others I'd consider are Cookie Gilchrist and Bill Polian.
I'm a big fan of virtually all of the rest and they were all very fine players--- but not among the best anywhere, ever.
As for Reich, a great leader, a clutch performer and, from all I've heard, an extremely good and moral man---but, not a great Bills player except for one unbelievable game.
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A lot of us (Bills Fans) live "down yonder". Welcome to God's Country and, for His sake, don't say "down yonder" down here when you get here! You won't "blend" if you know what I mean. Yankees (i.e. Northeners) are usually warmly welcomed, Damn Yankees (i.e. Northeners who come here and stay) are tolerated and gradually accepted; however, fake Southerners (Northerners who don't understand that "they ain't from around here") might just as well go home. The area you are moving to is terrific, but don't expect to find the Anchor Bar, Bocce Club Pizza, etc. Learn to like bar-b-q and all will go well.
i direct this question to all the naysayers
in The Stadium Wall Archives
Posted
Fair question. Maybe it's just me, but I can't see this team with its ineffective and overrated defense and its undereffective to unused running game going on from an assumed (big assumption) 3-3 start to a playoff finish. My answer (assuming that 3-3 is a real possibility) is that being in 1st place in the division after six games is irrelevant to me. The goal is to be in a playoff position at the end of the season and for seasons to come. To do that, the Bills need a starting quality QB.
Moreover, IF for some reason the defense suddenly starts to be the #1 defense in the history of the NFL---their goal, not mine---or even becomes real good (my realistic goal), and IF the offensive coordinator starts pounding the rock to take pressure off the QB, I think Losman would be able to progress past KH over the next few home games. KH was a good back-up signing but he has no realistic potential to ever lead a Bills team to the playoffs (much less than greatness). It's not personal against Kelly Holcomb. Again in my opinion, he simply isn't blessed with the same QB gifts that JP appears to have.
JP has to be allowed to grow and in the NFL at QB, that means play--good and bad. If benching JP was the plan assuming JP struggled (that assumes there was a plan), they should have kept Bledsoe for another year whether he liked being a back-up or not.