Its official, our posters know far more about the Bills than half the

[Webster Guy]

I was just checking out the article that TwoBills Drive linked from the Wellsville Daily paper today (don't bother), and it struck me as I was reading it that this message board is FAR more knowledgeable about our team and it's players than just about all the media .

 

Aside from a few notables like the Tim Graham's and Chris Brown's out there, it's remarkable how the national media and even some of the local area newspapers really don't have an understanding of our team at all.

 

I'm at the point where I only read the Buffalo News articles just because I like to see what the players and coaches are reading in their local paper, but other than that, this board is the only place I ever get any real info on the team.

 

Sniff sniff, I love you guys, this army of unpaid Bills columnists just trying to make sense of this team and see us win the Lombardi someday.

 

(Actually that's a lie, I sincerely loathe some of you overly negative fools but I sure do enjoy the rest of you.....)

[BillsfaninSixburgh]

The Internet is making print news on a national level obsolete (everyone knows that). The past couple of weeks I've read articles from The Buffalo News (Allen Wilson), Rocherster D&C (Bob Mathews), Olean Times Herald (Chuck Pollock), as well as some of the smaller town rags (Wellsville, Hornell, etc) that were based on news that was at least two to three days old. The only possible reason that they still even write such stories is that there are still a handful of people who don't get there news via the Internet. (BTW, I read them all online!)

 

The bigger problem is that the news reader, regardless of whether the story is on the Internet or in print, has to be even more careful about the reliability of the source. Too many ameteur / hack journalists (like me), who can write a reasonable and intelligent-sounding story can make it sound like they know more than they do.

 

Yesterday's discussion thread on how easy it has been for some of these bums out there passing themselves off as "draft experts" to gain a a national audience is a perfect example.

 

Free flow of information is great and there is no going back to the Walter Cronkite (most trusted man in America era). But the reader needs to be more alert than ever before when considering the source of the information.

 

Now....didn't that sound reasonably intelligent?

[metzelaars_lives]

Where is Wellsville?

 

Of course I know more about the Bills- and am a better writer for that matter- than someone who whould pen an article in the Wellsville Daily or the Tonawanda Tribune or the Lockport Sun or what have you. The question is why these articles are even posted on here in the first place and why anyone would pay them any mind.

[dwight in philly]

Where is Wellsville?

 

Of course I know more about the Bills- and am a better writer for that matter- than someone who whould pen an article in the Wellsville Daily or the Tonawanda Tribune or the Lockport Sun or what have you. The question is why these articles are even posted on here in the first place and why anyone would pay them any mind.

i know it is hard to be humble....

[DreamOnDan]

How many of us actually day dream about working in the front office? I know I do! I have been in the war room, locker room, and in the fieldhouse. I have seen it all, eaten with them, and I sure wish I had a lick of credentials to apply for a scouting job or assistant ball boy whatever... I would like to contact Chan Gailey anyone have his number? ha ha! no seriously anyone? oh boy that is so funny, but only cause its true

[Webster Guy]

The Internet is making print news on a national level obsolete (everyone knows that). The past couple of weeks I've read articles from The Buffalo News (Allen Wilson), Rocherster D&C (Bob Mathews), Olean Times Herald (Chuck Pollock), as well as some of the smaller town rags (Wellsville, Hornell, etc) that were based on news that was at least two to three days old. The only possible reason that they still even write such stories is that there are still a handful of people who don't get there news via the Internet. (BTW, I read them all online!)

 

The bigger problem is that the news reader, regardless of whether the story is on the Internet or in print, has to be even more careful about the reliability of the source. Too many ameteur / hack journalists (like me), who can write a reasonable and intelligent-sounding story can make it sound like they know more than they do.

 

Yesterday's discussion thread on how easy it has been for some of these bums out there passing themselves off as "draft experts" to gain a a national audience is a perfect example.

 

Free flow of information is great and there is no going back to the Walter Cronkite (most trusted man in America era). But the reader needs to be more alert than ever before when considering the source of the information.

 

Now....didn't that sound reasonably intelligent?

dude not only did that sound reasonably intelliigent, the Walter Cronk reference was genius. I can see him now, puttin the country to bed with that gray Hitler moustache ........

[Just Jack]

Where is Wellsville?

Southern Tier, near Alfred, Hornell.

[Malazan]

Aside from a few notables like the Tim Graham's and Chris Brown's out there, it's remarkable how the national media and even some of the local area newspapers really don't have an understanding of our team at all.

 

I fixed it for you

[Delete This Account]

I was just checking out the article that TwoBills Drive linked from the Wellsville Daily paper today (don't bother), and it struck me as I was reading it that this message board is FAR more knowledgeable about our team and it's players than just about all the media .

 

Aside from a few notables like the Tim Graham's and Chris Brown's out there, it's remarkable how the national media and even some of the local area newspapers really don't have an understanding of our team at all.

 

I'm at the point where I only read the Buffalo News articles just because I like to see what the players and coaches are reading in their local paper, but other than that, this board is the only place I ever get any real info on the team.

 

Sniff sniff, I love you guys, this army of unpaid Bills columnists just trying to make sense of this team and see us win the Lombardi someday.

 

(Actually that's a lie, I sincerely loathe some of you overly negative fools but I sure do enjoy the rest of you.....)

what is it that makes your post "official?"

though there are some very informed posts on this board, i find there are numerous ones that are ill-founded, far-fetched and downright unintelligible -- and that's even after SKOOBY left.

 

if the "real info" you're referring to is Michael Vick's arrival in August, or Bill Cowher's arrival in December or, the latest, how the Bills should part with a first-round pick to land Brandon Marshall, well, excuse my for being a little perplexed and confused.

 

just my two cents.

 

jw

[stuckincincy]

The Internet is making print news on a national level obsolete (everyone knows that). The past couple of weeks I've read articles from The Buffalo News (Allen Wilson), Rocherster D&C (Bob Mathews), Olean Times Herald (Chuck Pollock), as well as some of the smaller town rags (Wellsville, Hornell, etc) that were based on news that was at least two to three days old. The only possible reason that they still even write such stories is that there are still a handful of people who don't get there news via the Internet. (BTW, I read them all online!)

 

 

Now....didn't that sound reasonably intelligent?

 

A problem with internet news is that it can - and is (routinely) tampered with, changed. Worrisome - to me. I see this all the time with the Cincinnati Enquirers' site, as well with the local tv channels. Once a book is out and published that's it. Once a newspaper edition goes to print - that's it - the bell can't be "un-rung." And folks can pass them about, and read them without needing electricity.

 

But regarding sports pundits - they are what they are. I live in Cincinnati, and read and listen to the "national" bunch mention the B'gal's "high-powered" offense. Not for a while.

 

Their constant cry of "they need a TE" - for years. Their offensive scheme just does not use one to any degree. They like a blocker, to protect St. Palmer's high-cost fanny. An article about CIN team needs on the CBS Nfl site proclaimed that the TE spot is their most pressing need - and proceeded to state that last year's rookie - Chase Coffman - is a solid backup. He never spent a day on the active roster because of his bum foot and because he evidently couldn't block a determined marshmallow. They tossed him onto IR during the season IIRC.

 

The local beat writers may be a day or two out of date (rarely, IMO). But they have a feel for the club, a closer hand on the pulse. Wawrow, Graham, Pitoniak, Brown, the BEN writers, et al give a better go of it than the national crowd. Here in Cincy, the beat writers Reedy and Hobson, the previous Mark Curnutte, and the commentator Daugherty deliver the goods. In print.

[Webster Guy]

what is it that makes your post "official?"

though there are some very informed posts on this board, i find there are numerous ones that are ill-founded, far-fetched and downright unintelligible -- and that's even after SKOOBY left.

 

if the "real info" you're referring to is Michael Vick's arrival in August, or Bill Cowher's arrival in December or, the latest, how the Bills should part with a first-round pick to land Brandon Marshall, well, excuse my for being a little perplexed and confused.

 

just my two cents.

 

jw

Dude you're one of the negative ones i was talking about. Obviously on any open forum message board there will be incorrect information, I was referring to the good stuff here. Duh.

[Delete This Account]

Dude you're one of the negative ones i was talking about. Obviously on any open forum message board there will be incorrect information, I was referring to the good stuff here. Duh.

dude? negative? in what sense?

 

jw

[Beerball]

Dude you're one of the negative ones i was talking about. Obviously on any open forum message board there will be incorrect information, I was referring to the good stuff here. Duh.

you funny dictionary guy!

 

Only one thing has been known to make jw negative & I don't think the world will be running out of Jameson's any time soon.

[Dan]

The Internet is making print news on a national level obsolete (everyone knows that). The past couple of weeks I've read articles from The Buffalo News (Allen Wilson), Rocherster D&C (Bob Mathews), Olean Times Herald (Chuck Pollock), as well as some of the smaller town rags (Wellsville, Hornell, etc) that were based on news that was at least two to three days old. The only possible reason that they still even write such stories is that there are still a handful of people who don't get there news via the Internet. (BTW, I read them all online!)

 

The bigger problem is that the news reader, regardless of whether the story is on the Internet or in print, has to be even more careful about the reliability of the source. Too many ameteur / hack journalists (like me), who can write a reasonable and intelligent-sounding story can make it sound like they know more than they do.

 

Yesterday's discussion thread on how easy it has been for some of these bums out there passing themselves off as "draft experts" to gain a a national audience is a perfect example.

 

Free flow of information is great and there is no going back to the Walter Cronkite (most trusted man in America era). But the reader needs to be more alert than ever before when considering the source of the information.

 

Now....didn't that sound reasonably intelligent?

I think a more accurate statement would be... "The Internet is making pundits/commentators on any level obsolete".

 

The internet is putting print news out of business, IMO, because people can get all the same information in Newspapers for free. Hence, subscriptions drop, papers lose money, they go out of business. We all get information from a variety of sources - national, local, blog, message board rumor, etc. and quickly draw our own conclusions. So, when a national or local paper writes a commentary, most readers are already 2 steps ahead.

 

But, quite honestly, what happens if all the local and national print media go out of business? Where do we all get this "information" that we spout so readily on boards like this?

[bills44]

Personally, I lend far, far more credence to what a guy like nevergiveup says than to any member of the media.

 

I think it's fairly obvious that on virtually any message board with open registration, you're going to have your fair share of loons who fabricate stories. But there's also a fair share of posters who "scoop" media sources (e.g. the guy who posted about the Tebow/Kelly dinner @ Chophouse. I, amongst others, poked fun at the poster....and he was right).

[Beerball]

Personally, I lend far, far more credence to what a guy like nevergiveup says than to any member of the media.

 

I think it's fairly obvious that on virtually any message board with open registration, you're going to have your fair share of loons who fabricate stories. But there's also a fair share of posters who "scoop" media sources (e.g. the guy who posted about the Tebow/Kelly dinner @ Chophouse. I, amongst others, poked fun at the poster....and he was right).

Isn't it possible that your regular folks, people like you & me might know very little, but face no constraints? I can say whatever I want, whether right or wrong. I can jump to conclusions.

 

The media who regularly cover a team do know more than you and I (IMO), they just can't talk about much of it.

[Malazan]

But, quite honestly, what happens if all the local and national print media go out of business? Where do we all get this "information" that we spout so readily on boards like this?

 

You really think that 'reporting' stops if the major publications go out of business? It's likely to follow the trends of the music and movie industry that as the larger centers lose power then *more* gets done.

 

I think Upton Sinclair's famous line applies:

 

"It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends upon his not understanding it!"

 

Major publications are not the end all / be all of reporting and as we've seen, just as much reporting comes from elsewhere (Coach Sal / Nevergiveup / etc)

[bills44]

Isn't it possible that your regular folks, people like you & me might know very little, but face no constraints? I can say whatever I want, whether right or wrong. I can jump to conclusions.

 

The media who regularly cover a team do know more than you and I (IMO), they just can't talk about much of it.

 

Sure, "regular folk" on message boards face no constraints, but how many of them are doing more than speculating or opining? Isnt' that the nature of message boards?

 

And why can't the media talk about what they know?

[Beerball]

And why can't the media talk about what they know?

Might be off the record.

 

Might be something that they can't get another source to confirm...a media member would be able to give you a solid answer to this. Hopefully someone will chime in.

 

Sure, "regular folk" on message boards face no constraints, but how many of them are doing more than speculating or opining? Isnt' that the nature of message boards?

I guess I misunderstood your earlier post. I thought you indicated that regular folks have as much info as anybody. The quote above seems on point to me.

[Delete This Account]

You really think that 'reporting' stops if the major publications go out of business? It's likely to follow the trends of the music and movie industry that as the larger centers lose power then *more* gets done.

 

I think Upton Sinclair's famous line applies:

 

"It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends upon his not understanding it!"

 

Major publications are not the end all / be all of reporting and as we've seen, just as much reporting comes from elsewhere (Coach Sal / Nevergiveup / etc)

yet, i have faith that there will always be a national and local media, in one form or another. i say this because there will always be a demand for informed information, and businesspeople who will figure out a way to distribute it for a profit.

The AP, for example, was essentially the Internet before there was an Internet.

 

i have no problems with Coach Sal, Nevergiveup et al. they've proven they have certain insights.

the key is to maintain that reputation by breaking stories and then, somehow figuring out a way to make a living out of it.

 

the trouble with the modern age, i find, is that it is far too easy to spread disinformation and speculation by calling it fact.

 

jw

 

and yes, let's all pray that the Jameson well remains full.