Big Turk
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I would start by saying that I personally have lived away from the city for sixteen years, and have known many transplants both in NC where I lived for fifteen years and here in Detroit where I have lived for three years. In that time I haven't personally heard any one of those persons talk badly about Buffalo. They may say that the economy is bad or that the region is suffering, but most of them, if given the choice, would move back to the city rather than stay where they are. If I had the opportunity, I would move back in a heartbeat, provided that a job opened up. That being said, regardless of what people think of the city, I agree. If you happen to think the Buffalo is a terrible place to live, believe me, it could be a lot worse. The crime rate is low and people in the suburbs in Buffalo actually care about the city and want to see it come back. That has resulted in a lot of investment that has begun to move Buffalo forward. The same cannot be said of Detroit where I live now. Trust me, people from Buffalo have nothing to be ashamed of and there should be no one who disparages the city.
On a final note, today was not the same without Tim Russert on Meet the Press. He was a great man from a great city, who was proud of where he came from. All Buffalonians should have been proud to have such a representative from their city. I know I was.
I totally agree...when I was in college in St. Louis, all my friends couldn't believe or understand the pride I talked about Buffalo with. I then moved and lived in various parts of Ohio for 8 years after getting out of college, and finally moved back home for good hopefully 3 years ago. I have been to and lived in a lot of places and this is a really special place in ways that almost defy explanation, but can definitely be felt by others that move here from other places as well, which explains why so many who come here stay after their careers are over in sports. I never considered any of the other paces I lived to be my "home", just a place I was in temporarily until I could come back home. My aunt hasn't lived in Buffalo for almost 40 years now, but every time she comes to visit us, she says "It's great to be home."
Its too bad more people don't realize just how good they have it here. We have one of the lowest cost of living in the nation, and our house prices are rock bottom. If more people realized that just because you can find a job that pays you more in another city, that doesn't equal having more available income, I feel fewer people would have left. If your expenses rise by the same rate your income does, you are at the same place, no matter how much money you are making. In some ways, I feel there have been a lot of people "duped" into moving to other cities, only to realize that their available income is the same or less because of ridiculous housing costs and high cost of living. Some probably don't even realize that or think about it, and for many it may be too late to try and find a new job if they have put significant time in with the company they are with...
Are things perfect here? No...but truly where are they? The fact is if a lot of people sized up and found out about problems in some of these other places and then compared them to the problems here, they would find out, they just might want to keep our problems. I mean, noone here is talking about how hundreds of thousands of people are going to die and how your state will be floating up the coast towards Alaska when, not if, the big earthquake strikes in California. We aren't having to fight with 3 or 4 other states about tapping into the only river that can be used for fresh water anywhere near us and talking about how they have to ration water(or buy it from us). We don't have to worry about walking out the front door or diving into our swimming pools and being attacked by an alligator. We don't have 3 months+ of unbearably hot summer temperatures like many places down south do. We don't get extremely hot in summer and extremely cold in the winter like many midwestern places do. All we have is some snow, which we deal with as good or better than any place in the country, and some less than sunny winters, that really aren't that cold thanks to our warming effect the lakes have. I would not trade our summers for any place in the country. I would trade our festivals we have in the summer with any place in the country.
So before those in other places want to bash on Buffalo, maybe they need to realize that having rolling blackouts because your power companies can't meet electrical demands in the summer aren't a part of daily life in some places of the country...nor are watering bans...
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It could be a combination of the 2 (I am being kind), but I am leaning more toward bad character. I for one think that the off field incidents will continue. I truly hope to be wrong but history, as most of us know, does tend to repeat itself. They guy beats up women, whips out guns, and God knows what he did this time, this having just rolled into town.
Before you say that I am being sanctimonious, let me openly state that if I was a young, gifted, soon to be rich professional athlete, I have no idea how I would react/behave.
That said, you are (imo) quite naive if you think that this kind of behavior is going to all of a sudden stop, and you know what? It really sucks because the Bills, WNY and Bills Fans really do deserve a freaking break.
Most of the time when people seem to be in "The wrong place at the wrong time" so often, it is usually neither. Most of the time its just poor judgment on their part. Possibly might be because he is young and immature.
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We're dropping passes, shooting fathers, running over women and leaving them for dead, getting subpoenas all the way up to ownership...
What the hell? Next thing you know the Bills PA announcer will be handing out booze to teenagers.
At least there are no reports of them getting girls pregnant and not taking care of the kids...
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Lets also not forget that Smith lined up against the better player as well, the LT, while Strahan, and White for that matter got to line up against the inferior RT...
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Is it just me or is anyone else having a hard time with the Lynch hit and run aftermath? According to Channel 2 four witnesses say that Marshawn was at the wheel and that other Bills were in the car with him.
If true, what does that say about the moral fiber of this team? The old Polian/Levy "draft only character guys" philosophy is dead. I can't imagine Jim Kelly being in a similar scenario back in the glory days and hiding behind attorneys for days on end.
What kind of a team do we really have if players (plural) would hit a citizen of the community and leave her laying in the road. For all they knew they may have killed her.
I'm starting to think that Beast Mode may have a double meaning.
He is following the advice of his lawyer. Obviously if these witnesses were so credible, Lynch would already have been charged. How someone can see who is driving when it is dark, rainy, and thru darkly tinted windows is beyond me tho...Add in there is a good chance these "eyewitnesses" had been drinking that night, and their testimony basically can be discredited quickly, and the DA knows it. IMHO, the ONLY way Lynch gets charged, is if the DA can find out who was in the car with him, and can get them to testify that he was driving, but I find that nearly impossible to find or prove...
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if the dolphins release taylor, i think we should pick taylor up to may be replace kelsay as a starter or be a solid back up. what do you think.
Taylor is clearly on the downside of his career, and IMHO the Dolphins would trade him instead of cut him...
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With strahan retiring my friend and i got in a heated argument about who was an overall better player throughout his career, Bruce or Strahan. My friend is very knowledgable about football and was adamant that Strahan was the better player. I found this proposterous, but I just wanted to see what other people thought. So, Bruce or Strahan, who was better?
Bruce is a "once in a lifetime" player, while Strahan is a "once in a generation" player....
No offense, but I can't ever remember Strahan getting triple teamed the way Bruce did...
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There's a right way and a wrong way to do things. Staying out of some of the OTAs to get your point across, and then having your agent approach the Bills' front office to discuss a renegotiation, would have been the right way.
Skipping mandatory practices and having your agent play the silent game is the wrong way.
I still believe Peters is underpaid and the Bills should move to correct that, but I'm disappointed in the way he and his agent have gone about this.
Buffalo took a chance on Peters when no other NFL team wanted him. I think it's fair to say he owes his career and the fact he's making 3.25M this year to them.
Yeah, especially since he has 3 years left, and if the Bills decide not to renegotiate his deal, he basically has the option to show up and play, or retire from football since he would be sitting for 3 years and walking away from $12 million...
I know in the world of football for his position and his skill level $4 million isn't a lot of money, but I mean cmon...4 mil is 4 mil...I could basically live out the rest of my life pretty comfortable on that just on the interest alone...
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Ravens left tackle Ogden to announce retirement Thursday
It's funny, Schobel always roasted the guy when Buffalo played them ... but I'd sooner call him a first-ballot Hall of Famer than Strahan.
Good read from John Clayton: Ogden was prototype tackle of his era
Honestly I think both are sure fire hall of famers...
to be able to play the run as well as Strahan did while racking up that many sacks is truly amazing...
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http://www.buffalonews.com/258/story/366062.html
"No quick resolution" says that the eyewitnesses who claimed he was driving were not credible and unless some new information comes to light, no charges will be filed anytime soon. As for Lynch's lawyer wanting a "precondition" before disclosing information, IMHO that sounds like someone else was driving.
No kidding, the DA has nothing, otherwise he would already have been charged. Now the DA is sounding more and more like he is just going to have to scuttle the whole case after his latest interview...
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ESPN reports that Bentley asks for and granted his release.
This is a surprise...he was cleared to practice with the Browns just yesterday morning.
My guess is Crennel told him he had to compete for a position, and Bentley didn't want to do that.
Thoughts? Would you like him is a Bills' uniform?
Maybe its what he needs...the guy just couldn't even get on the field with them while he was there after blowing out both knees in consecutive years...
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If Buffalo dont take care of Jason Peters.............
Simple fact ladies and gents. Our left tackle is the main frame behind this offense. You think we can put any trust into Kirk Chambers? He sucks......Anyone see him play? He's the Tim Anderson of the offense.
Im sorry, but if Buffalo dont take care of this Peters thing ASAP, the offense simply wont click!
And I dont care who you have on offense....
Well, lets be realistic here...Peters is NOT going to sit out the season...
Either the Bills are going to cave in and give him a new deal, or he WILL be back by the beginning of the year. Once they are able to start suspending his game checks, only a fool would walk away from 4 million a year to "prove a point".
Besides, the Bills are under no obligations to do anything, and if Peters decides to sit, he could sit for 3 years since there is nothing he can do but either play out his contract or sit out for 3 years, which would mean he is basically retiring from pro football...
Lets not sit here and act like there is a chance Peters is not in the lineup opening day, because no agent is that stupid to recommend his client sit out for that length of time...
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It seems the Bills are very high on Steve Johnson, our 7th round pick out of Kentucky, saying he has no problems getting open, and has made plays virtually every day in camp so far...He also seems to a very hard worker, staying late to work on pass catching and route running. Seems a lot of people were surprised he lasted until the 7th round, with him having a breakout season at Kentucky and torching what was considered a very good LSU secondary. Also, he has not had a lot of experience playing WR, so he might just be breaking the surface of what he can do once he is able to really learn the position....
I know its a lot to compare him to Marques Colston and what he did with the Saints in his rookie year, but if Johnson is as good as the Bills seem to think, we could go from having one of the worst WR corps in the NFL to having one of the better ones in one offseason...
Also, as an aside, Allen Wilson needs to stick to writing in the paper and not talking on video...he might be the most awkward sounding, nervous person I have ever seen for a reporter...
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The right to aviod incriminating yourself is just that - to avoid incriminating yourself. IF Lynch committed a crime, he has the legal right to not make statements about it. (Morally, it may make him a coward. But legally he'd be correct in doing so.)
If, however, he has information about someone ELSE committing a crime that he wasn't involved in...there's no self-incrimination, hence no constitutional right to keep silent. He has no legal requirement to talk to the police, either...but if he chooses not to talk under those circumstances, the police and DA CAN charge him with obstruction or hold him as a material witness (or possibly, given his car was involved, charge him with aiding and abetting).
The 5th Amendment only applies if he himself is actually criminally negligent, though. There's no constitutional right to keep quiet to avoid incriminating others.
Unless the person is your spouse...
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There is no known conduct. That's a futile argument. What if Marshawn found a girl and threw his keys to his buddy and said "take my car." What if Marshawn was totally wasted and asleep in the passenger seat and didn't really know what happened except what his friend told him. Chances are, with what we now know, that he knows something. But you can't suspend someone for "unknown conduct". Pacman was suspended for throwing a bag of cash up in the air and starting a riot where someone was killed.
Exactly...the NFLPA would appeal this within a minute of a suspension being handed out...
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In terms of performance I wouldn't consider any of them "losses" but in terms of playing time, all three contributed significantly and could thereby be considered "losses" as someone will have to step up and fill their roles. Granted a warm body could probably contribute at least as well as two of the three, but still...
Well, part of that can be attributed to the fact we had so many injuries last year as well, although Triplett was the starter on the DLine, which doesn't day much seeing how the DL got shredded last year...
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This may all be true. The problem is that the commissioner looks at more than the law. He considers the manner in which the player resolves the issue. If marshawn hides behind the law and then is found guilty or is found to be obstructing the criminal investigation in some way, old Roger is gonna punish him for that.
It is NOT possible to obstruct an investigation by invoking a constitutional right to not incriminate yourself. There is no hiding behind anything going on here. He has a right to not talk, and he is using that right. The burden of proof lies with the prosecution. Lynch doesn't need to prove anything. That is the whole reason someone is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law by a jury of their peers. The law does not state that you are guilty until you prove your innocence...that harkens back to the days of the inquisition.
Also I am pretty sure Goodell would not be silly enough to try and suspend a player based on the only evidence being that his car was found to be involved. The NFLPA would have a field day with that appeal...
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Chasing the Pats*
In the Bills section he writes the following:
Key losses: CB Kiwaukee Thomas (cut), DT Larry Tripplett (cut), TE Michael Gaines (Lions).
I guess he felt like he had to write something, but that's kind of ridiculous. Since when do we consider players the team "fired" key losses?
yeah, I wouldn't consider any of them key losses....
Now last year, they could have made the argument key losses were Fletcher and Clements...at least they were considered above average for their positions in the league...not just a guy that could likely be replaced with a late day draft pick and not miss a beat....
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He has no obligation to provide evidence to the police at all, zero. The right to remain silent wouldn't be much of a right if they could charge you with a bunch of crimes for exercising it.
As an atty, for what it is worth, my total guess would be that the police don't know and can't prove who was behind the wheel and they want to interview Lynch hoping that he will give him the proof they need that either he or someone else was driving. Another guess would be that they do have some proof that he was driving but aren't quite positive and want to make sure he doesn't have any proof that it was really some one else before they charge him. His atty probably doesn't know either way and is gambling that if they could have arrested him on what they have, they would have already done so. The fact that they haven't could be a sign that they don't have enough proof. If that is the case, Lynch's best play is to exercise his right to remain silent. The file would eventually be closed for lack of evidence.
In the end, these kind of cases often end up turning on circumstantial evidence. Its his car, right? He didn't loan it out to anyone, right? It wasn't reported stolen, right? He offers no alibi, right?, There was no one staying with him, right? etc. etc.
This kind of proof sometimes makes it to a jury and sometimes doesn't. No hard and fast rule as to when there is enough circumstantial evidence warranting a trial.
Even if he was charged, wouldn't the fact that it was a misdemeanor to begin with mean that he would likely plea down to some sort of community service and pay a fine anyways? Its not like there is a strong likelihood of serving any jail time, especially as it was his first offense of this kind...
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Legally, he may not have to talk to the police other than to say "I invoke the 5th amendment" and make them try to prove who was driving. That's a pretty strong argument not to say anything until/unless evidence rises. But there's legality and then there's morality (karma, if-you-will).
If he does not talk, does ML have even more to lose? I'd say that most fans certainly don't like this situation. I'm sure the Bills do not like it. Could factor into future contract negotiations as the club, in the papers at least, values 'character' players. There will always be this cloud over his head if he doesn't come forward with any info he has. Whether it passes over...?
Almost five days on, I'm disappointed in and have lost respect for ML as a man. I was taught to own responsibility for your actions and to do the right thing. It's crap like this that has me always saying that I 'root for the laundry' rather than the individuals on a team I follow. And it's getting harder to even do that anymore.
His lawyer advised him not to say anything, which is the same advice the lawyer would give you, I or a bum on the street. Every person in this country has a right to not self incriminate themselves, and if they decide not to talk, then that is their right according to the constitution. Obviously the police must not have a lot to go on or else they would have charged him already. All this legal mumbo-jumbo the police are talking is a smoke screen to try and get him to come forward because they have nothing. I mean, just how ridiculous is it for them to suggest that if he refuses to talk to the police that he can be charge with obstruction of justice? In no way, shape or form is that an accurate statement by the police, and they could never charge him with that for not talking, and invoking his constitutional right. I think the police spokesman who suggested this has been reading a little too much George Orwell...
How are we so sure its whoever's fault that was behind the wheel to begin with? What if he had a green light to turn and some drunk person just kept walking right into the street against the light(jaywalking)? What if they recognized it was a member of the Bills' team and intentionally walked in front of the car to try and get insurance money? All kinds of things could have happened, but everyone is assuming that this person is guilty with no evidence to support it. I am not saying the person is innocent either. All I am saying is that we do not know all of the facts, and to be honest, there is more we don't know than there is we know.
Now everyone will say "Well if he was innocent he would come forward with information". Not necessarily. He is acting on advice of his lawyer, who knows the law and what is in the best interest of his client, regardless of what everyone thinks they know or don't know. If it was truly in Marshawn's best interest to come forward and speak about it, I am sure he would have been advised to do so.
Regardless, if the person who was "injured" chooses, they can sue the insurance company in civil court and try and get compensation. The person wasn't seriously injured, and the worst crime that whoever was driving the car could be charged with is a class A misdemeanor, which they would probably plea down to community service and a small fine at the worst anyways.
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I listen to a lot of sports talk radio...Cowherd is hands down, my least favorite radio talk host, of all time. His show is just unlistenable. I hate his style, his voice, the substance of what he says...he is everything that sucks about sports talk radio. He sucks the fun and enjoyment out of sports. I am amazed that he has lasted as long as he has. We get ESPN radio, and FOX Sports radio here in Austin. I much prefer FOX...
Yeah, I somehow make it thru CowTurd so I can listen to Rome....that guy is hilarious....
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Norwood was only 72.3% for his career. And a majority of that was due to one really good year that he had in '88 when he made the Pro Bowl. Aside from that, 4 of his 7 seasons in the NFL, he was under 70% accuracy. He definitely at no point was in the running for most accurate in history.
I like Norwood okay, but the fact is, he was just okay. I have to agree that if we're putting a kicker up, Christie would be the better option of the two. Christie played much much longer and was much more accurate.
Nowadays under 80% sucks for a FG kicker...
Norwood would have been cut in training camp if he played these days...
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Listen!
I HATE CowTurd
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Per Pro Football Talk; Plan B, The 49'ers are looking for someone to play Tackle when Jonas Jennings gets INJURED. He has only played 21 games in his three years with the 49'ers. Great signing by the 49'ers.
Yeah, almost as good as their decision to ink Clements to an $80 million contract to see him get burnt over and over again...
Message for Former Buffalonians
in The Stadium Wall Archives
Posted
Personally I think a lot of people believe the whole "There are no decent jobs here" thing way more than it actually is true. Anyone with a high school diploma can take a 6 month to 1 year course to become a nurse and start making $20+/hour. Hospitals are so desperate up here to hire people its not even funny. Is that for everyone? No. But it does show that jobs are there. I am pretty sure if people's first thing to say wasn't "There are no jobs here, I'm out", and actually look a little closer, they probably could find a job. Then again, from what I have heard from numerous other people, other parts of the country see workers from the Northeast in general as being "trophy" employees because of the work ethic that many of them have. Even when they would be considered mediocre in that department here, they are among the best in the company in other places. I know even in Ohio I used to almost laugh at thinking at how I could probably bring down 4 or 5 people from this area and they would do the job of like 10 people there...perhaps that is why there are less jobs here...people do too much work and don't slack off enough to force companies to hire extra people...
Anyways, I digress...
On the topic of housing prices, lets not be silly. I can tell you in Ohio, the same 4 bedroom 2 bath nearly 2000 square foot home in a great neighborhood with quiet streets and enough safety that I wouldn't bat an eye if I realized I forgot to lock the door on my way to work that we paid $108,000 for would cost in the $200-250,000 range at the LEAST there. I mean when I am looking at 900 square foot SHACKS in crappy neighborhoods for $150,000 I knew right then and there I would never buy a house until I came back home. So lets compare here, I pay about $1075 with my high taxes per month here, versus paying about oh...$2,100 or so with their great "low taxes"...
No thanks, they can keep the low taxes, and I'll pocket the extra grand every month...Is it any real surprise that Buffalo, along with Rochester and Syracuse were ranked 3 of the best 10 real estate markets in the entire country recently?? Our foreclosure rates are probably among the lowest in country...
Guess those other places must be REALLY great when people have to sleep in their cars with their family every night because they couldn't pay their house payments and they got foreclosed on, or even better when those people are told to commit mortgage fraud by their real estate agents by buying new houses before their others are foreclosed on, then walking away from their first house...Guess that is no big deal that people are basically having to be forced to make a decision between committing a felony and being homeless. Funny how those places aren't being dragged thru the mud like Buffalo, even tho they are having crises much worse than what has ever happened here...