SI's Jeff Pearlman should be ashamed.

[flyingant]

Spiller mocks Buffalo weather in a more tasteful manner, perhaps?

 

youtube.com/watch?v=wb_uvLqX6Yg

 

I can tell he's trying to be extra sensitive to the tender nature of the natives.

 

 

That was actually pretty funny

[BEAST MODE BABY!]

And here I thought Nebraska was colder than Buffalo.

[bbb]

The food is better? No way. I'm from WNY originally, grew up in DC and now I live out west. Food is NOT better unless you want to eat Mexican food everyday. The other things, as I said earlier need not be compared. Of course San Diego weather will be different because it's in a different regional climate. It doesn't make Diego a better place. Just different.

 

Economics better? You do realize unemployment in Cali is around 12 % officially right? Which makes it probably more like over 15 %. And you do realize the state of California is broke right? Broke! And that includes Diego. No jobs, no jobs, no jobs, no jobs. The scenery is beautiful in Diego. Buffalo has different architecture, weather, nature than you find on the west coast. Buffalo has it's beautiful scenery too in the city and in the outer regions if you care to recognize it. It's not a nicer place to live. Just a different place. Just like Florida would be a different place or Montana would be different place or Washington

state would be a different place. One man's chicken is another man's steak.

 

Because one thinks of San Diego as a steak doesn't make that the case for everybody else. The question is why do those who view Diego as a steak need to convince everyone else that it should be a steak for them too?

Such great points. Not to mention Niagara Falls..........But, isn't San Diego working on a nice tunnel to Tijuana that they found this week? Don't get too close to that border. I don't think we have to worry about getting shot if get too close to Fort Erie.

[jjnklaudia]

Wow - good call. The Kemp-Mathison comparison is perfect......Of course, all Kemp did was win championships, and become one of the top leaders of our country. But, since it gets cold in Buffalo and DC, his life certainly never achieved the heights of Mathison's since he gets to be a salesman in Phoenix.

 

Pearlman's email: anngold22@gmail.com

[CodeMonkey]

Anyone who doesn't see your toilet comment as being just as spiteful as the article itself is a grade-A moron. Fitting then I guess, that you don't see it that way.

 

I've been around the globe, and while WNY isn't the best place on the face of the planet, to call it a toilet is a cheap shot by someone who is just looking for a reaction. Congrats !@#$. You got it.

OK I will try one more time then give up.

Someone asked what the point of the SI article was.

I replied that the point of the article was to state that Buffalo is a toilet (and generally make fun of Merriman going there).

I then stated that if you objectively compared the two cities it would be difficult not to come to the same conclusion. I never stated that Buffalo was a toilet, just when comparing it to SD (for whatever reason) it would appear that way ... at least to me.

 

Ive traveled a lot as well. And I agree there are far far worse places on the planet than Buffalo. San Diego just does not happen to be one of them in my opinion.

Edited November 5, 2010 by CodeMonkey

[BEAST MODE BABY!]

Ive traveled a lot as well. And I agree there are far far worse places on the planet than Buffalo. San Diego just does not happen to be one of them in my opinion.

 

I've lived all over the US. Grew up in Rochester. Went to college in the Midwest living in Chicago for a bit. Did some post-undergraduate studies in Atlanta and was there almost 3 years. Have lived in Vegas, Phoenix and LA since. Honestly, it doesn't really get better than San Diego for quality of life. I mean, I love LA, but if you hate traffic and people, San Diego has less of both.

 

All that being said, this is essentially an ad hominem article on Buffalo. There was a girl I worked with from Buffalo out here in LA who moved back to Buffalo because she likes it better. Now, I don't agree with that at all, but different strokes for different folks.

[yall]

OK I will try one more time then give up.

Someone asked what the point of the SI article was.

I replied that the point of the article was to state that Buffalo is a toilet (and generally make fun of Merriman going there).

I then stated that if you objectively compared the two cities it would be difficult not to come to the same conclusion. I never stated that Buffalo was a toilet, just when comparing it to SD (for whatever reason) it would appear that way ... at least to me.

 

Ive traveled a lot as well. And I agree there are far far worse places on the planet than Buffalo. San Diego just does not happen to be one of them in my opinion.

 

With logic like that, your code must run like ****.

 

"I never called your wife a whore - I just said she's a whore compared to that other girl. Wait - why are you so upset?"

Edited November 5, 2010 by yall

[HARCO186]

I haven't lived in Buffalo for over 20 years. The biggest draw back to Buffalo is the reputation. If people in Buffalo would realize it's potential instead of sticking up for it, agree with it.

 

Buffalo is considered one of the best places to live by even recent reports and here is why.

 

They don't have a great night life! Bars and night clubs are cool, but do people who invest to bring business there actually look at clubs????

 

They have one of the cheapest cost of livings in the country!!!! Look at www.realtor.com, compare a 4 bedroom 2 1/2 bath with anyone elses area. Home prices alone make people think about it. Plus that's in very nice places in Buffalo. It's not in a high crime, gang infested part.

 

The school system is ranked very high, and the last time I checked, Williamsville, and Clerance were ranked as 300 best school district the whole United States. That is pretty good.

 

The weather has it's ups and downs, but Buffalo gets more sunny days than Memphis TN or Dallas. I didn't say warmer, but has more sunny days. Yes even when it's cold out the sun still shines. The four seasons are truly good in Buffalo.

 

So does it get cold? Yeah dumdasses it does get cold in any part of America in the north. West, Central, and East the weather gets cold. Buffalo might get a blizzard, but it doesn't get hurricanes or storms that wipe out a city.

 

Buffalo also can say without a doubt as well, that at least they will not run out of water anytime soon. Places like Atlanta, Houston, San Antonio, Dallas etc. have water shortages and have to try and find a way to get water or else they will not have it.

 

People who write about Buffalo have never spent more than a week there, so they listen to gossip or they just get the impression Buffalo has snow 10 months out of the year. At least what I wrote can be found and has been documented.

[Van_phelaN1]

Yeah well I live in Albany where it is only slightly less cold and we aren't even important enough to get laughed at. Don't worry Buffalo, San Diego means "A Whale's Vagina." So you have that going for you.

[akm0404]

People are actually debating whether Buffalo is a better city than San Diego? Lolwat?

 

Ask 100 people if they would rather live in Buffalo or San Diego. If you don't get > 98 people saying San Diego, you asked the question in Buffalo.

 

I choose to live in Western NY because my family lives here, same as most. It makes it better for me, but it has nothing to do with the area being the nicest place to live in the country.

 

Also, everyone knows this.

[BillsFanInLV]

Buffalo is a toilet pretty much in every way compared to San Diego.

If you have spent any time in SD it is difficult to disagree.

 

San Diego and Buffalo are unique in different ways. Two copletely different geographical locations, populations, industries, climates and each play a different role in their states' best interests. Comparing Apples to oranges.

 

At least when in Buffalo you don't hear much about our 'friends up North' illegally crossing the border, kidnapping, gun running, drug smuggling and human trafficing.

Edited November 5, 2010 by BillsFanInLV

[stevewin]

This guy didn''t exactly make the greatest case

 

"We have a lot to offer Shawne," said David Franczyk, president of Buffalo's common council. "If he likes skiing or making snowmen or throwing snowballs

[I hate the Bills !]

Doesnt San Diego have like 2 wins this year ?

 

The guy who wrote this article also left out lots of other things about Buffalo like Beef on Weck, Rick James, Battery operated socks, The Apple Cidar is ready, great Skiing and Snowmobiling. Snow for Thanksgiving and Christmas, not to mention throwing snowballs at the opposing team that play the Bills. The Sabres are usually good,but seem to be stuck in neutral this year, and there is plenty of hunting and fishing if you like that sort of thing. Canada is 10 minutes away and the greatest fans in the world live in WNY!

 

Plus the Mayor will probably give him a key to the city if he stays past this season!

Edited November 5, 2010 by Philhansonfan

[DanInUticaTampa]

OK I will try one more time then give up.

Someone asked what the point of the SI article was.

I replied that the point of the article was to state that Buffalo is a toilet (and generally make fun of Merriman going there).

I then stated that if you objectively compared the two cities it would be difficult not to come to the same conclusion. I never stated that Buffalo was a toilet, just when comparing it to SD (for whatever reason) it would appear that way ... at least to me.

 

Ive traveled a lot as well. And I agree there are far far worse places on the planet than Buffalo. San Diego just does not happen to be one of them in my opinion.

 

The problem people actually have with the article is that it is an article in a sports magazine bashing a city, which is unprofessional, uncalled for, and has nothing to do with sports. If he was a weatherman, it would be appropriate for him to talk about the weather.

 

 

He isn't bashing a football team. He is bashing a city. A sportswriter who writes an entire article bashing a city and its people is obviously terrible at his/her job. With all the stuff going on in sports right now, the only thing you can come up with to write about is that it is COLD IN BUFFALO???? Good grief. I could have written that article and it would have been better after living there for so long.

 

And I know buffalo has it issues. I live in Tampa right now. I can honestly say as much as I love both cities, they both have pretty crappy weather a lot of the year. Tampa's terrible weather isn't talked about as much because most people avoid it here in the off season. But we get just as nasty weather down here. But that is a moot point. The article is terrible no matter how you look at it. A sportswriter attacking a city that did no harm to him is just terrible and pointless. Sports writers talk about sports. If he can't do that one simple job, then he just sucks at it.

[purple haze]

People are actually debating whether Buffalo is a better city than San Diego? Lolwat?

 

Ask 100 people if they would rather live in Buffalo or San Diego. If you don't get > 98 people saying San Diego, you asked the question in Buffalo.

 

I choose to live in Western NY because my family lives here, same as most. It makes it better for me, but it has nothing to do with the area being the nicest place to live in the country.

 

Also, everyone knows this.

 

 

Most people who answer the question will have no experience with Buffalo and never would have set foot in WNY. They will be going off what they "heard" which

is usually inaccurate or greatly exaggerated. Somebody once told me it snowed in Buffalo in July. They didn't know I was from WNY and they were SERIOUS...

Buffalo could be a diamond if the state and local gov't actually got their .... together. As it is it's still a has a lot to like.

[CountDorkula]

Really, do you also tell them the food and the people suck. I've never heard either one before:

 

"San Diego and Buffalo are pretty much the same," says Mathison, laughing. "I'm sure Shawne will barely pick up the differences."

 

Like?

 

"Like the culture," says Mathison. "And the people. And the food. And the weather. Otherwise, they're like twin cities."

 

Eff you, Bruce Mathison. He was so happy to carry a clipboard in the sun and is upset when he became a starter on an NFL team because it was cold out. I've never read an article like this - where they are glorifying being the great life of an insurance salesman, and putting down the life of a starting NFL quarterback.

 

No wonder you sucked, Bruce.

 

I am honestly numb to when people diss this city. I have heard alot worse.

 

He is just mad that he wont be able to show his new Merriman jersey around SD any more.

[DanInUticaTampa]

What is more annoying is that they make it seem like Buffalo is the only city that gets cold. You don't see people bashing Green Bay.

[CodeMonkey]

The problem people actually have with the article is that it is an article in a sports magazine bashing a city, which is unprofessional, uncalled for, and has nothing to do with sports.

I agree with you.

I suspect he was trying to be funny.

I also suspect the only people who are reacting negatively to this have ties to the Buffalo area.

The rest chuckle (or maybe not) and move on.

[DanInUticaTampa]

Well, you can't blame people from defending themselves, and a city.

[Chalkie Gerzowski]

San Diego wasn't effeminate enough for Mathison... he had to go to Phoenix.

 

[Amstel]

this guy is a total jerkoff "managed to fin a leader that nobody listens to in dallas or buffalo" This guy has no idea what hes talking about. Chan may not be the best coach in the world but no one has questioned his leadership or said he has no control over this team....

[bbb]

San Diego wasn't effeminate enough for Mathison... he had to go to Phoenix.

 

[polish lover]

That's a little harsh, but mostly they are just saying its really cold in Buffalo especially compared to San Diego. Which is true. I don't like the comment that Buffalo is "ranked near the bottom of the league in all offensive and defensive categories". Really? Ranked 6th in Pass defense, 13th in Rush offense, 9th ranked QB... none of those are near the bottom of the league and all three are major categories. try doing a little research shmuck.

[bbb]

Pearlman's email: anngold22@gmail.com

 

You got Mathison's?

[Canadian Bills Fan]

What is more annoying is that they make it seem like Buffalo is the only city that gets cold. You don't see people bashing Green Bay.

 

 

Or New England

[Punch]

It's really funny that he chose to speak to Bruce Mathison--- I had a Mathison football card in my Stadium Wall profile page because I considered him to be literally the most obscure and perhaps awful player in the history of the Bills.

 

Of course, as others have pointed out, another QB that transitioned from San Diego to Buffalo was not only an All-Pro that won multiple championships, but spent the rest of his very publicly successful life helping his adopted home in a very real way (as a politician) and also spoke glowingly at every chance of the people (which of course, may have also been political, but I digress...) rather than a loser like Mathison.

 

Anyway, who cares? It's not the first time ("Warts, Love and Dreams in Buffalo" from Sports Illustrated 1/20/69), and certainly not the last, a writer will take the easy way out and write a hack job piece about the region. He obviously tried hard to make Buffalo seem insignificant by mentioning Z-grade celebs when much more famous and significant people have come from Western NY.

Edited November 5, 2010 by Punch

[The Avenger]

I don't get the whole cold thing. Yes - it gets below freezing in Buffalo and yes it snows. But it's not like it's Siberia where it gets down to -40 or -50. I know it's been a few years since I lived in WNY, but I don't recall it even being cold enough for many people to use things like engine block heaters. Heck, in some other NFL cities like Green Bay and Minneapolis practically everyone uses an engine heater - if you don't your car might not start. In Minneaplois they built a skyway to get around downtown without having to go outside because it's so cold. Buffalo gets cold, but not nearly as cold as some other places - put if you're some pansy football writer I guess anything below 75 degrees just gets lumped together as "damn it's cold".

[Fergs2323]

a) When I think of culture, San Diego is the first city that comes to mind. They have fish tacos!

 

b) You know what sounds good? Living so close to Mexico. Gotta love when those drug cartels cross the border and kidnap for ransom.

[The Avenger]

Or New England

 

Actually it is warmer in the Boston area - most winter days top out at a few degrees above freezing - I don't recall many above freezing days in Buffalo in the winter. I'd actually rather have Buffalo weather - what happens in Boston is that itgets above freezing in the day, the freezes at night, then thaws again the next day - absolutely kills the roads. If it would just stay frozen I think the roads would fare much better.

[bluecarter]

I've lived all over the country. I spent two years in SoCal. Did I love it, YES! Here is the problem, if you aren't in the playoffs they don't give a flying F#*% about showing up to the game. So lets talk about culture. Has buffalo had blacked out games yes, but with a way worse team. We have fans even when the team loses. It's blue collar, vs. San Diego white collar snobs. San Diego is a beach town not a football town. Trust me if you are concerned about the weather and culture of this football town, maybe you should have picked a different profession. How about lifeguard!

 

Don't get me wrong I like San Diego, but they live in a fantasy world, plus more residents there watch de futbol. Might as well be Mexico!

[Mr. WEO]

That's a little harsh, but mostly they are just saying its really cold in Buffalo especially compared to San Diego. Which is true. I don't like the comment that Buffalo is "ranked near the bottom of the league in all offensive and defensive categories". Really? Ranked 6th in Pass defense, 13th in Rush offense, 9th ranked QB... none of those are near the bottom of the league and all three are major categories. try doing a little research shmuck.

Well, if you're going to get picky, we are ranked 6th in pass defense because it's easy to defend against the pass when teams don't bother passing against you. We are tied for dead last in attempts against (with Dallas) and the next team above has way more attempts against than us.

[clearwater cadet]

Merrimen's a football player. As long as gets paid, (which he should) he going to by thrilled to play in a real football stadium, with real weather, and real fans. Buffalo may not be the best place on the face of the earth, but it's not the worst either. I only people who knock buffalo are the one who have never been there for more then 10 min. The Bills are on the right track, if there no major shift with ownership/ relocation, there no reason why they shouldn't be able to compete in 2 years when this guys 28.

[WWVaBeach]

This is disgusting:

 

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/jeff_pearlman/11/05/merriman/

Have you ever been to SD? There's a reason the cost of living is so high there. The weather! Most of us plant annuals every year. If you plant an annual in SD it actually lives forever because the weather's so nice. Will the Buffalo weather affect SM? Nah...he played at Maryland & grew up in DC. When next month gets here will he wish he was playing in SD? Maybe.

[Wagon Circler]

Crappy article. You have to live in Buffalo to appreciate it.

I for one did not appreciate the shots against our coach. Nobody listened to Chan in Dallas? Whose fault was that? Maybe a bunch of overcoddled babies like the current group?

Low blow and tasteless.

It's possible that my standards have been beaten down buy Dick jauron.But after he realized the Trent mistake and the Lynch mistake, I think Chan has done a reasonable job.

Now he just has to get rid of the "other Edwards"

[NewHampshireBillsFan]

I grew up in Buffalo and have lived in San Diego and many other places. I loved to go to the beach in San Diego but most other things Buffalo has over SD, for my taste.

 

1. Food--MUCH better choices of interesting food in Buffalo, only thing better in SD is Mexican and California type salad restaurants. Also, no supermarkets like Wegmans in SD, just small boring supermarkets. Fresh picked by Mexicans strawberries in California are great at roadside stands.

2. People--MUCH more substantial and interesting people in Buffalo. As a cab driver who grew up in SD told me one time when I first moved to SD. The weather is great but the people are superficial and he had lived there most of his life. People in California are very superficial. Kind of like the idiot who wrote that story.

3. Weather--When I moved to Texas I used to dream about snow, when I moved to SD I had to learn to live without any rain as well for 9 months of the year. Everything is dusty and dirty outside. Rain has a wonderful cleansing effect. San Diego is dirty and dusty outside. Also, all the people who are total wusses about weather (and therefore total wusses and complainers about everything else) move to SD. When it finally rains after 9 months they complain about the rain and run like old ladies to their cars so they won't get wet!

[Thisistheyear]

We need to get some thicker skin. The writer's inbox is going to be full of poorly written, reactionary vitriol. That is not good for the brand. It'll only make the next article easier to write for this guy.

 

Also, the article is dead on. I live in Buffalo. I love Buffalo. I do very well in Buffalo and have no plans of leaving. That being said...have you ever been to San Diego???? It's awesome. A lot of the people suck, but its an awesome place.

 

There's no such thing as bad pubicity, unless it involves pedophilia. Or we whine about it.

[John from Riverside]

Live very close to San Diego.....

 

Miss the East Coast at Christmas Time.

[Sanners]

Buffalo is a toilet pretty much in every way compared to San Diego.

If you have spent any time in SD it is difficult to disagree.

I moved back to buffalo from San Diego and absolutely couldn't be happier. The California born and raised wife wouldn't move back to southern California at all. To each their own, but we love this town, and are working to make it a better city. Socal has the weather, other than that the quality of life is very poor... Traffic, housing prices, people living on top of eachother, smog, illegal aliens, people's attitudes, etc. There really is not a comparison in my eyes, and I lived in social for 13 years... To each their own.

[BEAST MODE BABY!]

I grew up in Buffalo and have lived in San Diego and many other places. I loved to go to the beach in San Diego but most other things Buffalo has over SD, for my taste.

 

1. Food--MUCH better choices of interesting food in Buffalo, only thing better in SD is Mexican and California type salad restaurants. Also, no supermarkets like Wegmans in SD, just small boring supermarkets. Fresh picked by Mexicans strawberries in California are great at roadside stands.

2. People--MUCH more substantial and interesting people in Buffalo. As a cab driver who grew up in SD told me one time when I first moved to SD. The weather is great but the people are superficial and he had lived there most of his life. People in California are very superficial. Kind of like the idiot who wrote that story.

3. Weather--When I moved to Texas I used to dream about snow, when I moved to SD I had to learn to live without any rain as well for 9 months of the year. Everything is dusty and dirty outside. Rain has a wonderful cleansing effect. San Diego is dirty and dusty outside. Also, all the people who are total wusses about weather (and therefore total wusses and complainers about everything else) move to SD. When it finally rains after 9 months they complain about the rain and run like old ladies to their cars so they won't get wet!

Yes, the article is a little nasty, but you are off on so many points:

 

1) The only real thing lacking out here is a lot of seriously good Italian food. However, the Italian food that's in SoCal tends to actually be made by real Italians from Italy, not some 4th generation goomba with a NYC attitude. Other than that, SoCal has arguable the best selection of food outside of San Francisco. Plus, there are more supermarkets in Southern California than anywhere else. Whole Foods. Bristol Farms. Gelsons. And cool little Co-Ops with organic produce from local farmers. Wegmans is nice, but it's like a beautiful girl from a small town who moves to LA...once she's there, she's just another girl...and Wegman's is just another supermarket albeit a very nice one.

 

2) I have met plenty of interesting people in SoCal, and rarely run into the flakey types....they're here of course, but so are a bunch of people from the East Coast and Midwest who prefer the weather and the lifestyle.

 

3) Anywhere near the beach, it's not dirty and dusty...that includes downtown San Diego and the Gas Lamp district. And weather is subjective...it doesn't mean people are wusses...happens to everyone that lives here long enough. In my mind, the real wusses are the ones who would rather be a big fish in a small pond (stay in a small town and never grow) then take a dip in the ocean where all the really big fish are (the challenge of a big city).

Edited November 5, 2010 by BEAST MODE BABY!

[Wing Man]

San Diego is a nice city. Buffalo is a nice city. When you visit both, you know what you're going to get.

 

Dear Shawne,

 

Welcome to the NFL where if you don't play up to standards, your preferences can melt away like a Buffalo late spring. Grow up. Play well or retire into the great NFL background. It's your career.

 

Sincerely,

 

A.J. Smith