John from Riverside Posted April 29, 2014 Share Posted April 29, 2014 I wonder what a young Jim Kelly would have said if Graham had presented the same question to him Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FluffHead Posted April 29, 2014 Author Share Posted April 29, 2014 I wonder what a young Jim Kelly would have said if Graham had presented the same question to him Did Jim Kelly exhibit a questionable ability to be an NFL QB? Honest question, I wasn't old enough to remember his early years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John from Riverside Posted April 29, 2014 Share Posted April 29, 2014 I don't know. If I were a veteran and the best quarterback on the team needlessly put himself in harm's way and was subsequently lost for a while, I don't if I'd be too pleased about it either. Yes I sure the veteran players were so upset with EJ Manuel for trying to get extra yards in a football game they would no longer consider him a viable option for the future of the team....... EJ DID NOT SEE A CORNER THAT CAME IN AND WENT STRAIGHT FOR HIS KNEE ON THE SIDELINE.....MAY HE BURN IN HELL!!!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K-9 Posted April 29, 2014 Share Posted April 29, 2014 Did Jim Kelly exhibit a questionable ability to be an NFL QB? Honest question, I wasn't old enough to remember his early years. Believe it or not, Kelly had his share of detractors early on. At least from the fans' perspective. After his stint in the USFL, there were no doubts in the scouting community that he had the goods to be a great QB. But his hype and his status as the highest paid player, carried a certain unreasonable expectation. GO BILLS!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John from Riverside Posted April 29, 2014 Share Posted April 29, 2014 Did Jim Kelly exhibit a questionable ability to be an NFL QB? Honest question, I wasn't old enough to remember his early years. There were some that (wrongly) thought his backup was actually the better player..... but The question is mute because EJ MANUAL HAS NOT EXHIBITED A QUESTIONABLE ABILITY TO BE AN NFL QB Played quite well at times in his rookie season in fact Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FluffHead Posted April 29, 2014 Author Share Posted April 29, 2014 There were some that (wrongly) thought his backup was actually the better player..... but The question is mute because EJ MANUAL HAS NOT EXHIBITED A QUESTIONABLE ABILITY TO BE AN NFL QB Played quite well at times in his rookie season in fact The question is neither mute nor moot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockinon Posted April 29, 2014 Share Posted April 29, 2014 (edited) I don't know, John W. While I respect that you have been around for a while, I also know from years of experience that judging character is far from an exact science. I also believe that EJ, especially given his age, surely will need need to mature. That's pretty much a given for any young man. So, no knock on you for your opinion. I do believe though that there is more to it. This is a competitive sport and the great ones have absolute faith in their own abilities. Accepting failure is simply not an option. In his eyes "You take a fall...you pick yourself up and simply try harder next time". What you don't do is wallow in self pity nor do you put too much effort into picking apart your shortcomings. To EJ, he wants to keep moving forward. So when you say he is unwilling to accept criticism, in his mind he has all ready moved on from whatever mistakes he has made and now is eager to get better. Having to answer your questions might even be a bit annoying for him. I wouldn't say that is a real issue with his maturity. It's more a matter of just getting used to being put on the spot like that....in front of the press...and cameras rolling...when you are in you first real job where being professional is very important. He's only human, like you and me. Edited April 30, 2014 by Rockinon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Posted April 30, 2014 Share Posted April 30, 2014 Yes I sure the veteran players were so upset with EJ Manuel for trying to get extra yards in a football game they would no longer consider him a viable option for the future of the team....... EJ DID NOT SEE A CORNER THAT CAME IN AND WENT STRAIGHT FOR HIS KNEE ON THE SIDELINE.....MAY HE BURN IN HELL!!!!!!!!! Come on John, you know that's not even remotely what I meant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FireChan Posted April 30, 2014 Share Posted April 30, 2014 first off, i'm going to be 51 on Saturday. second, i've devoted more than half my life covering athletes. and there comes a time in this business when you can figure out which youngster has signs of maturity and which one might still be lacking in that area. and that especially includes dealing with quarterbacks, of which there have been many -- young, old and inbetween -- that have been through this town over the past 15 years. are you suggesting that i am not in a position to judge maturity because i'm old? hmmm. does not being a fan of the Replacements count for nothin? is there an age of limitations in which we no longer are capable of judging character or maturity? c'mon. questions about EJ's sensitivity to criticism have been raised numerous times. and i also went out and placed blame on him for calling his injury in the Cleveland game as some kind of "fluke," as if he was not in a position to be blamed by failing to get out of bounds. that's being mature, too, given the position he holds on the team, and the fact that the Bills lacked any experienced depth behind him. i most recently noted EJ's sensitivity to criticism in my most recent story, a piece i wrote last week on EJ, and how he is eager to shed questions and concerns raised during his rookie season. linky: http://bigstory.ap.org/article/bills-qb-manuel-eager-shed-rookie-questions The story included this graph, in which he was quoted as saying, "I had some success. And I had some bad games as well. It's obvious." Manuel wasn't kidding, and the bluntness he provided in assessing his up-and-down season was a departure from a player who had become defensive in the face of criticism last year. it's a good start to a new year. jw Always nice to see a fatality by Wawrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John from Riverside Posted April 30, 2014 Share Posted April 30, 2014 Come on John, you know that's not even remotely what I meant. Doc, Yes I was making a bit of a non joke....I know you didnt feel that way Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Posted April 30, 2014 Share Posted April 30, 2014 Doc, Yes I was making a bit of a non joke....I know you didnt feel that way My bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RK_BillsFan Posted April 30, 2014 Share Posted April 30, 2014 Anyone else just hoping that EJ makes it through the season healthy and we get to see what he's able to do while constantly behind the wheel? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Blitz Posted April 30, 2014 Share Posted April 30, 2014 (edited) EJ should have refused to address him by his name. Call him "that guy that works for the Buffalo News." Should do so from now on.. Hey Timmy...they are the Washington Redskins. Has he kept up that noble crusade to refuse to call them that? Edited April 30, 2014 by Big Blitz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C.Biscuit97 Posted April 30, 2014 Share Posted April 30, 2014 first off, i'm going to be 51 on Saturday. second, i've devoted more than half my life covering athletes. and there comes a time in this business when you can figure out which youngster has signs of maturity and which one might still be lacking in that area. and that especially includes dealing with quarterbacks, of which there have been many -- young, old and inbetween -- that have been through this town over the past 15 years. are you suggesting that i am not in a position to judge maturity because i'm old? hmmm. does not being a fan of the Replacements count for nothin? is there an age of limitations in which we no longer are capable of judging character or maturity? c'mon. questions about EJ's sensitivity to criticism have been raised numerous times. and i also went out and placed blame on him for calling his injury in the Cleveland game as some kind of "fluke," as if he was not in a position to be blamed by failing to get out of bounds. that's being mature, too, given the position he holds on the team, and the fact that the Bills lacked any experienced depth behind him. i most recently noted EJ's sensitivity to criticism in my most recent story, a piece i wrote last week on EJ, and how he is eager to shed questions and concerns raised during his rookie season. linky: http://bigstory.ap.o...ookie-questions The story included this graph, in which he was quoted as saying, "I had some success. And I had some bad games as well. It's obvious." Manuel wasn't kidding, and the bluntness he provided in assessing his up-and-down season was a departure from a player who had become defensive in the face of criticism last year. it's a good start to a new year. jw Thanks for the well thought out response. You make solid points. My thinking is that media forgets the ages of the players they deal with. I'm not the same person at 33 as I was at 23. And I couldn't imagine if I was a starting QB for a NFL team. IMO, EJ's reaction there wasn't really anything. The guy dealt with finding out his mother had cancer his senior year while starting for a team with national championship hopes. He got drafted by a team that has missed the playoffs for 13 straight years and fans/ media put that on him right away. So he bristled at a little criticism. I'm sur you know there are plenty of awful young Jim Kelly stories out there. Peyton Manning called out his oline after a playoff game. Big Ben rides around without a helmet and likes bathroom stalls. So what EJ showed is very minor. I also don't believe the media holds themselves to the same standards. This really isn't in regards to you but they probably are people you are friendly with (Graham and Sullivan). Sullivan called Mario Williams a loser on the Howard Simon show this summer. So did Sullivan apologize after Mario made the pro bowl this year? Of course not. And Tim Graham was completely unprofessional, IMO, where he basically called EJ out right to his face. I have a hard time seeing Peter King or Dr. Z doing that. Sports journalism seems like it is a great job. You can analyze folks, write awful things about them, yet never have to take accountability when you are wrong (again this isn't directed towards you). Personally, I get the questions about EJ's overall ability as a NFL Qb. But I don't question his maturity at all. IMO, he seems to carry himself with a lot more maturity than some of your fellow writers. I've always been taught to get respect, you need to give it. There's not a ton of that coming from the Buffalo News sports team these days. Did Jim Kelly exhibit a questionable ability to be an NFL QB? Honest question, I wasn't old enough to remember his early years. I was too young for Kelly's early years too but I'm sure there were plenty of morons that thought he was a bust or should be replaced after the Bills went 4-12 his first year and he threw more ints than tds his 3rd year. And he was much older than EJ. I wonder what a young Jim Kelly would have said if Graham had presented the same question to him 1) I don't think a respected journalist like Larry Felseror Vic Carruci would ask those questions. 2) Kelly would have saw him out at a bar and probably had "words" with him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YoloinOhio Posted April 30, 2014 Share Posted April 30, 2014 I don't know, John W. While I respect that you have been around for a while, I also know from years of experience that judging character is far from an exact science. I also believe that EJ, especially given his age, surely will need need to mature. That's pretty much a given for any young man. So, no knock on you for your opinion. I do believe though that there is more to it. This is a competitive sport and the great ones have absolute faith in their own abilities. Accepting failure is simply not an option. In his eyes "You take a fall...you pick yourself up and simply try harder next time". What you don't do is wallow in self pity nor do you put too much effort into picking apart your shortcomings. To EJ, he wants to keep moving forward. So when you say he is unwilling to accept criticism, in his mind he has all ready moved on from whatever mistakes he has made and now is eager to get better. Having to answer your questions might even be a bit annoying for him. I wouldn't say that is a real issue with his maturity. It's more a matter of just getting used to being put on the spot like that....in front of the press...and cameras rolling...when you are in you first real job where being professional is very important. He's only human, like you and me. I agree with all of this. Many young QBs have had their maturity questioned - Cam Newton, RG 3, Kaepernick, etc. Yet I feel EJ is as polished, focused and respectful as they come. I don't question his maturity, I just think there were likely times last season where the pressure was difficult. I am not sure you can fault him for that. I imagine it would be overwhelming for anyone. He is still growing up - last year at this time he was a senior in college, right? I actually admire his ability to walk away from Tim Graham. JMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delete This Account Posted April 30, 2014 Share Posted April 30, 2014 So he bristled at a little criticism. i wouldn't say "bristled." as for another poster here suggesting that players need time to get accustomed to the spotlight of the NFL, well, i'm not sure i would agree with that in this case here. i'm quite confident in saying that EJ dealt with far more members of the media playing in Florida than he does playing in Buffalo. and in my time, i've seen players, quarterbacks, included, show innate abilities of being comfortable in front of the cameras, and others who struggle. that said, i don't as much judge players by how they act in front of the media, as opposed to how they act when the cameras are not on. at times, on camera, EJ has talked a good game. at times, that talk has not reflected well on the field. as for off the field, i've not seen enough of EJ to allow me to form an opinion one way or another. ... that said, i know there are concerns being expressed regarding the QB, and how important this season is for EJ to start showing definitive signs of growth. jw Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JESSEFEFFER Posted April 30, 2014 Share Posted April 30, 2014 Much of what became the "Bickering Bills" label was the result of big egos, both young and old, deflecting blame and pointing fingers. Jim Kelly was point man for a lot of this. On his show, Thurman identified "Quarterback" as one of the problem areas on the team which , I think, spoke to this issue. One of the things I liked about Fitz was that he shouldered all the blame, warranted or not. He rightly believed that doing so was his responsibility as a leader and that it would allow his teammates to play without the burden having been "called out." It takes a lot of emotional maturity to do this. Mother-in-law to newlywed daughter-in-law: "I think my son should really start dating again. In fact, bigamy is a realistic option. I have recommended it to him." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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