SuperKillerRobots

Good idea. I think you're biggest problem is going to be your target market of buyers for these bonds. Someone said we'd need 800,000 people to give $1,000 each, and we'd have $800mm. That is an unrealiztic number if you are planning on marketing these to fans. Normally in a bond issue, the company/group issuing the bonds meets with prospective investment banks to pick the one with the lowest fees/best deal. Once the financial institution is picked, an agreement is setup where that institution agrees to issue so many bonds on behalf of the company/group and guarantees buyers for those bonds. Usually those buyers are hedge funds, large companies, wealth managers, or very wealthy individuals who buy the bonds based on their debt appetite and the tier of the bond (i.e. rate of return versus order of default absorbtion of the debt). The buys are done in large chunks for the most part, since the more transactions that occur, the more it costs the financial institution to sell the bonds. In your scenario, there would be multiple small transactions to fund the bond purchases. This would most likely cause the price of the transaction to increase because of how many individual transactions would have to be made. Also, finding 800k people willing to fork over $1k each is not easy. There probably are not that many people over the age of 30 in WNY, regardless of whether they have the money to invest or not. Even $150mm is a lot to get in $1k increments. Also, when these transactions occur, the financial institution has a set amount of time to sell all the bonds before the deal goes bust and the company/group behind the issue walks away (usually at cost to the financial institution). For this reason alone, it might be difficult to get a financial isntitution to sign on.

This makes Nix's statement about him after the first week (during his Monday Morning QB Club Speech). He was asked if a more vetern QB (like McNabb specifically) gets that win (against Miami) since McNabb was able to pull off that win with pretty bad statistics. Nix said something to the effect of "yeah, he's a vetern guy and that gives you certain advantages, but you're not going to win with that stat line very often. I'm not a big McNabb fan." I thought that was telling because we had a shot at him (though reportedly he didn't want to come here) and we passed on him. I think it's pretty safe to say that I'd rather have Troup than McNabb this year. He might be better than what we have, but he's not the answer.

I think what you have to understand with him is that he is playing out of position. He's not a top tier NT talent, but he is a top tier 3-tech talent. He's basically never asked to play two gaps when he's in the game and is always used as the penetrator. Even in the 4 man fronts, which they have started using more, he plays the 3 tech spot with the NT (Troup) playing 0 tech. I don't think Williams will ever be a great two gap NT for us, but he's a great change of pace player and would probably look even better if he wasn't the only good front 7 player. They still need Troup to take on two blockers for some of the time, but Williams has his place and does a great job of doing what he does.

Since you guys are new, I'll fill you in. This board gets a bunch of realyl great posters - former Bills, local and national sports writers - who have been or are on the verge of leaving because of the few posters who feel the need to call these people out in a very immature and ugly way. In most cases it's the constant berating by these posters that forces the good ones to leave. Hopefully if qwe get mroe respectful posters, who will denounce these idiots, our insiders will come back. And yeah, Mr. Wonderful < Dick Jauran.

No one can leverage $100mm into $1.5b, which is what it would take to buy the team, move them, and then build a stadium (at the least). An ownership team would need at least $500mm to get that loan. Not saying it can't happen, just that you'd need 5 Magic Johnson's to make that purchase.

Nothing else has worked so far and I'm pretty sure this is just a sub package, so who cares? Maybe they'll get better at it and if not, we'll hopefully get soem ebtter players next year. Hell, maybe they even get better in all these packages as they play in them more: novel idea.

Since when is their a legal limit to alcohol consumption not related to driving? Sicne there is no standardized relation to a blood alcohol level and the actual drunkenness of a person, how do you even say someone is drunk unless they are acting like it or smell like it?

That play still huants me. For everyone who says the Bills haven't bottomed out - that was the play. We've just never been able to get off the ground since then. In fact we probably deserve a decade of terrible football for that one play.

One night with Jenn Streger.

I think, with the current personnel, the line would be: LT: Bell LG: Levitre C: Wood RG: Urbik RT: Howard/Wrotto I might be in the minority here, but I think OL is third on the lsit of needs behind QB and OLB. A decent enough RT prospect could be had in the 3rd round, so that's kind of what I'm expecting. I think they're going to try to stick with Bell just so they can get the rest of the players in place while giving him enough time to prove himself capable or incapable. So far this year, he's not the worst player on the line and seems to be getting a little better each game. I'd like to see him next year, but I'd like him to have a little competition (maybe Wang?). If Bell becomes the weak link in the line, I'd say that's an improvement from where we are now. But I'm not this optimistic about Bell. He's still a question mark, just less of one than other players on the team.

However you want to color it, he's one of the best defenders on a bad team. No question about that. Not the best mind you, but one of the best.

You're right to a certain extent, but the issue I believe is that John, Tim, and Lori all used their real names and we all knew who they were. Your name here, akm0404 for instance, means nothing to anyone. We don't know who you are, nor who I am. It is nearly impossible to have any sort of reseasonable debate because one person is completely anonymous while the other has not only his/her name attached to it, but in some cases, part of their professional careers. If someone on this board attacks me, I have absolutely no problem telling them that they're an idiot ir anything else along those lines because no one knows who either of us are. With these writers it's different. These guys can't really say anything that bad to you because they could lose their job or just be seen as unprofessional as a result of what tey say. I'm not going to get fired for anythign I say on here because no one knows who I am and no one knows where I work (or if I do for that matter). The rule should be that if you want to really get into it with one of these writers - or anyone who uses their real name - you should have to use your own real name and list your employer. That might even it out a little bit. That might be the smartest thing anyone has ever said on this board. Ever.

I think you're partly right about him. He's a good, not great, player and has both positives and negatives. I still think if we played a more traditional 2 gap 3-4 with a 0 tech NT, he'd play a lot better. He's limited in coverage to an extent, but not to the point of being a liability for the most part. He seems to blitz well enough when given the chance too. I think he's got to get re-signed because we don't have a chance of getting anyone to fill his spot considering all the other hoels we have. I'd much rather the Bills keep him and get better at OLB, which would make him look at lot better. There are only 2 or 3 MLBs in the league that would look good in our talent-less defense now, so I don't think it's fair to say he's part of the problem.

The only thing I hate mroe this season than the Bills being so bad is the fact that the 49ers are so bad. I think the Bills should draft Andrew Luck from Stanford, but after the 49ers manage to have the worst record this year, they will take him and we'll be forced into taking Locker. Here's hoping the 49ers turn it around.

Nothing I read said he called the meeting or was the only one to speak at it. It sounded like he was one of the most remembered speakers, but not the only one. I don't care that he spoke or was the main speaker, but I do wonder what Whitner and Kelsey had to say.

I thought you were going to finish that with, "... and the Bill shave the first overall pick, I'm back in the draft." I agree completely that if there isn't going to be football in 2011, most college players will stay in school if they can. The only caveat to that would be if there were to be a normal as years past draft in 2011 - the last possible one before a potential rookie cap - which could get the more talented players to come out early in hopes that they get the last big rookie contracts. I really just hope that he comes out this year so we can take him. By the way, thanks for coming back to the board.

I still hate the Jets and I still don't think they're going to win the Super Bowl.

I'll be there with 14 of my friends from high school and college. We're taking a yellow school bus - should be a good time. I bought the tickets for this date in the preseason thinking that this is one of the best chances for a win/possibility of getting the first win to warm weather ratio on the schedule.

I've said it before - I started watching football in the late 80s and early 90s (about when I was 10), so I'm pretty sure I'm biased. I've also dealt with the decision-makers in the franchise (including Wilson and Littman) for the past 5 years, so I know them in a little different light than the average fan.

I really want the team to draft Luck - I think he's going to be a good one. I have been thinking about the basic question of whether we need a QB or OLB more. If you look at any good 3-4 team, their OLBs (at least one) can play in all situations. He can seal the edge against the run msot of the time, drop back and cover a TE in enough situations to make him effective, and he can rush the passer to an acceptable point. If there were two guys available at 1 (assuming we get that pick) one the stud QB, the other the stud OLB, I don't know who I'd take. The QB would obviously be a good call, but the OLB might be the lynchpin in the defense. One guy who can do all that from one spot would be a hell of an upgrade.

Having Incognito doesn't do anything to help us with tackles. The tackles are terrible, but the interior linemen are fine. No need to keep Incognito on the bench, especially considering his penchant for getting flagged (was it once or twice last night?). I'm surprised at how bad Meredith played actually. He made Cornell Green look like a good option.

If we get the 1st pick in the draft, I hope Luck declares and we take him. I think he's the real deal. My fear is SF finds a way to get the pick ahead of us again and we end up with the next Lynch instead of Willis. If Luck were guaranteed to come out this year, I would almost be OK with tanking the season.

Good thing none of this is subjective - oh wait... These types of statements can't be proven or dis-proven. I like this statement, which is not a Myth: The Buffalo Bills, holders of a 0-4 record and some of the worst offensive and defensive rankings in the league, are playing like the worst team in the league. I dare someone to counter that statement! How do you know Nix can't build a team? When was the last time he failed? Who's actually built a Super Bowl team four weeks into the season and 15 games before the actual SuperBowl? How do you knwo the Chargers aren't a model franchise? Were they ever? Why? What makes a team a model franchise? Were the Bills one in the early 90s? How do you know if Buddy and Chan are on the same page or not? Have you been sitting in meetings or are you trying to devine this information from the brief sound bites you hear through the media? How can you say the Bills haven't drafted poorly the past 10 years? Especially in the 1st round? Why do you say the Bills aren't re-building? I just don't get what you're trying to say there. Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to tell you there is a ligth at the end of the tunnel or that we're going to win 10 games next year, but I think your post is too subjective to make any points and poorly thought out.

I hear what you're saying here, but I'm just not there yet. I'm still pretty optimistic about the Bills going forward and probably have another decade of whatever comes in me. The reason for that optimism I think, is that I started watching football during the late 80s, just when the Bills were getting good. I then had the pleasure of watching probably the best era of Bills football - with a dominant offense and big play defense. They were fun as hell to watch! At that point, after watching those games in the early 90s, I didn't understand that the Bills could even lose - it seemed like the Bills could will themselves into winning games and getting into the playoffs. It's kind of like how I look at Indy now - they're just a great team to watch and root for. I think what's happened to me after all those years of watching those great teams is that it still hasn't hit me that they can be as bad as they are. I'm not saying I have a shrine to Jim Kelly and Thurman Thomas in a closet in my house and still wear zubas outside the hosue, but it's hard for me to forget the good times and even harder for me to think that they won't come back.