Tim Graham article on Aaron Maybin

[bbb]

A big part of Maybin's bitterness with the Bills seems to be that they didn't do something about his son that was still born.

 

What exactly were they supposed to do? Isn't it a little awkward when in the same 24 hours, you also have a healthy daughter born.

 

And, you yourself chose to be at the daughter's birth. You weren't at your son's birth, but you want the Bills to do "something" about it??

[Nick the Greek]

I learned that the Bills couldn't figure out how to use Maybin effectively buy Rex Ryan could with the Jets.

IIRC Maybin had one great game when he produced all his stats. It was also a meaningless game at the end of the season with both teams eliminated from playoff contention. It was true garbage time. Edited July 28, 2015 by ldandria

[NoSaint]

A big part of Maybin's bitterness with the Bills seems to be that they didn't do something about his son that was still born.

 

What exactly were they supposed to do? Isn't it a little awkward when in the same 24 hours, you also have a healthy daughter born.

 

And, you yourself chose to be at the daughter's birth. You weren't at your son's birth, but you want the Bills to do "something" about it??

as an employer its a tough spot. especially if the employee isnt disclosing it to anyone. im not even sure what they could do at that point. its not like he was strapped financially, it was the offseason so he had time.... unless he was expecting more of a showing at the funeral, or something, it could be as simple as displacing some of his anger over the event at someone he was already mad at.

[eball]

Maybe he didn't have an agenda at all and just wrote an article that some people would read and think Maybin is misunderstood and getting his life together and just as many people would come away thinking Maybin is a total douche and crappy artist and in denial.

 

You know, his job.

 

If you've had any personal interaction with TG (I have) you'd realize he relishes getting under the fans' skin. I don't know if that's his job or not -- but in today's journalism aren't they all merely click whores?

[Gugny]

 

If you've had any personal interaction with TG (I have) you'd realize he relishes getting under the fans' skin. I don't know if that's his job or not -- but in today's journalism aren't they all merely click whores?

 

The good ones get clicks by writing well.

 

Timmy gets clicks by ruffling feathers.

 

One doesn't need to be a good writer to ruffle feathers.

 

He's like a professional troll.

[bbb]

as an employer its a tough spot. especially if the employee isnt disclosing it to anyone. im not even sure what they could do at that point. its not like he was strapped financially, it was the offseason so he had time.... unless he was expecting more of a showing at the funeral, or something, it could be as simple as displacing some of his anger over the event at someone he was already mad at.

 

I think you're right.

 

Maybe he was expecting more congratulations/sympathy cards. I bet even Hallmark hasn't made those yet.

 

[IDBillzFan]

 

If you've had any personal interaction with TG (I have) you'd realize he relishes getting under the fans' skin.

 

Absolutely. There is never a time I can read his stuff without waiting for a moment that he throws a little elbow to get the fans riled up. If he's lucky, he gets them going in Twitter where he completely goes off the rails. Strangely, the only Bills sports writer I take seriously is Wawrow.

[Doc]

Sounds like most of his teammates didn't even know what was going on in his personal life. And Wood's comment about not earning his money makes me think he wasn't well-liked in the lockerroom.

[BuffaloMatt]

It was pretty frustrating watching him excel as a Jet. Even for a limited period of time. Makes you wonder if there was any substance to the statistical analysis that seem to indicate he was handcuffed by the Bills staff.

[eball]

It was pretty frustrating watching him excel as a Jet. Even for a limited period of time. Makes you wonder if there was any substance to the statistical analysis that seem to indicate he was handcuffed by the Bills staff.

 

Except he didn't. If you actually watched his games you saw what others have already noted -- he ran around undisciplined and fell into coverage sacks primarily because he kept running. I'm serious. And if the guy "excelled" why did he get cut the following season under the same coaching staff?

[Freddie's Dead]

I found this article to be interesting and insightful. I don't understand the criticisms of Tim Graham, though I will agree that his analogy that any young artist would simultaneously impregnate two women to be flippant in the extreme. As far as balance, this is the first time we've heard anything from Maybin, so I don't think Graham needed any quotes from Kyle Williams or Eric Wood, we've already heard from them. We've also heard from the rest of the media, who proclaimed loudly that Maybin sucked and was a bust. Maybin has kept his mouth shut and didn't tell his story until now, AFAIK.

 

I believe that Maybin was lowballed by the Bills, as apparently they did to CJ a year later. You sign your slotted deal, and the only thing that would prevent that is if the Bills were not in the slot. Any agent knows that's how the game works. If I remember correctly, the Bills were waiting for the one above Maybin at 8 and below Maybin at 11 to sign, and I think they had him slotted below 11, which is why Maybin didn't sign. I buy that wholeheartedly.

 

His personal tragedies were heart-wrenching. I felt bad for him. As far as the rest of it, his career was sealed when the Bills drafted him at 9. He was way too small to play DE or OLB in the NFL. If he'd have been a 5th rounder, it may have worked out. I think it's a huge indictment of the Bills staff that as bad as the defense was, he never played. If he didn't get "it", wouldn't playing time have helped? Other than the inability to put on weight and keep it on, what did Maybin fail to do? I never heard anyone question his work ethic. If anything, the guy was a workout warrior with a chiseled body that Michelangelo might have sculpted. I get it, he didn't live up to expectations, but that's not his fault, it's the Bills. He wasn't physically capable of playing in the NFL, and they should have known that.

 

Glad he found some success with the Jets. It's one of the things that I'm looking forward to this year, Rex Ryan as a coach. He took a guy that we threw away and got some production out of him.

[BADOLBILZ]

I found this article to be interesting and insightful. I don't understand the criticisms of Tim Graham, though I will agree that his analogy that any young artist would simultaneously impregnate two women to be flippant in the extreme. As far as balance, this is the first time we've heard anything from Maybin, so I don't think Graham needed any quotes from Kyle Williams or Eric Wood, we've already heard from them. We've also heard from the rest of the media, who proclaimed loudly that Maybin sucked and was a bust. Maybin has kept his mouth shut and didn't tell his story until now, AFAIK.

 

I believe that Maybin was lowballed by the Bills, as apparently they did to CJ a year later. You sign your slotted deal, and the only thing that would prevent that is if the Bills were not in the slot. Any agent knows that's how the game works. If I remember correctly, the Bills were waiting for the one above Maybin at 8 and below Maybin at 11 to sign, and I think they had him slotted below 11, which is why Maybin didn't sign. I buy that wholeheartedly.

 

His personal tragedies were heart-wrenching. I felt bad for him. As far as the rest of it, his career was sealed when the Bills drafted him at 9. He was way too small to play DE or OLB in the NFL. If he'd have been a 5th rounder, it may have worked out. I think it's a huge indictment of the Bills staff that as bad as the defense was, he never played. If he didn't get "it", wouldn't playing time have helped? Other than the inability to put on weight and keep it on, what did Maybin fail to do? I never heard anyone question his work ethic. If anything, the guy was a workout warrior with a chiseled body that Michelangelo might have sculpted. I get it, he didn't live up to expectations, but that's not his fault, it's the Bills. He wasn't physically capable of playing in the NFL, and they should have known that.

 

Glad he found some success with the Jets. It's one of the things that I'm looking forward to this year, Rex Ryan as a coach. He took a guy that we threw away and got some production out of him.

 

He was physically capable.

 

And he trained hard.

 

He just didn't want to pay the price with the pads on.

 

People have a hard time understanding this because "soft" players don't often make it to the NFL level........but he was an exception by virtue of a flash-in-the-pan half season at Penn State.

 

He was extra, extra soft.

[BADOLBILZ]

 

Absolutely. There is never a time I can read his stuff without waiting for a moment that he throws a little elbow to get the fans riled up. If he's lucky, he gets them going in Twitter where he completely goes off the rails. Strangely, the only Bills sports writer I take seriously is Wawrow.

 

I like how you imply it is all Bills fans he is needling.

 

It's not.

 

It's actually just a very vocal minority who get irate at ANY perceived slights.

 

They object angrily, it draws attention from the majority of fans....and those fans enjoy watching people overreact and act a fool.

 

Because it's funny.

 

Did you not notice the people in the thread who weren't bothered in the slightest? Basically the entire beginning of the thread?

 

Tim Graham is just a normal dude in the business of entertainment.

 

You do your part for him, I am sure he appreciates it.

[NoSaint]

Doing some light digging --- He and Leodis both signed 5 year deals with maybin getting 5m more over the length (just shy of 20m for Leo, just shy of 25m for AM) which leaves me doubting the bills were pushing him lower than Leo and all he wanted was a small bump over him. Maybe they were going to flat, but less?

 

Also Moreno was the pick after maybin and got 5 years 17m, roughly.

 

The bills would've had to have been incredibly unreasonable to not atleast be in the slotted range. I'd be very curious to have someone dig on that.

 

And I still want to hear what timmay meant by implying maybin was a crafty pass rusher. It's a description id never imagine.

Edited July 28, 2015 by NoSaint

[Malazan]

 

I like how you imply it is all Bills fans he is needling.

 

It's not.

 

It's actually just a very vocal minority who get irate at ANY perceived slights.

 

They object angrily, it draws attention from the majority of fans....and those fans enjoy watching people overreact and act a fool.

 

Because it's funny.

 

Did you not notice the people in the thread who weren't bothered in the slightest? Basically the entire beginning of the thread?

 

Tim Graham is just a normal dude in the business of entertainment.

 

You do your part for him, I am sure he appreciates it.

 

You seem even more upset. Are you this upset because your old username got banned and you're already on probation again?

Edited July 28, 2015 by jeremy2020

[Doc]

Doing some light digging --- He and Leodis both signed 5 year deals with maybin getting 5m more over the length (just shy of 20m for Leo, just shy of 25m for AM) which leaves me doubting the bills were pushing him lower than Leo and all he wanted was a small bump over him. Maybe they were going to flat, but less?

 

Also Moreno was the pick after maybin and got 5 years 17m, roughly.

 

The bills would've had to have been incredibly unreasonable to not atleast be in the slotted range. I'd be very curious to have someone dig on that.

 

And I still want to hear what timmay meant by implying maybin was a crafty pass rusher. It's a description id never imagine.

 

Good catch. Michael Crabtree, who was picked before Maybin, held out until late and ended up getting a deal averaging $5.3M/year and Moreno's as you said was $3.34M/year. Lowballed him my ass.

[Chef Jim]

 

Client Number Nine?

Can't say.

[Lurker]

. I very much doubt it was because they thought TG was bad at his job and demoted him to features. They spend a lot more money on his than they do Dunne.

Agreed. I was just pounding on TG.

 

He's a 'features' guy in a 'reporting' town, however, so his long-form pieces are a bit of a bottom line killer in terms of uncle Warren's income statement. Wouldn't be surprised to see Timah move on to 'bigger and better opportunies' sometime in the intermediate future, much like he did when he left the Snooze previously...

[IDBillzFan]

I like how you imply it is all Bills fans he is needling.

 

It's not.

 

It's actually just a very vocal minority who get irate at ANY perceived slights.

 

They object angrily, it draws attention from the majority of fans....and those fans enjoy watching people overreact and act a fool.

 

Because it's funny.

 

Did you not notice the people in the thread who weren't bothered in the slightest? Basically the entire beginning of the thread?

 

Tim Graham is just a normal dude in the business of entertainment.

 

You do your part for him, I am sure he appreciates it.

A simple mind picks the low hanging fruit. Sports fan emotions are low hanging fruit and Timmah is clearly the simplest of minds. But he has his fan boys to keep him going. I'm sure he appreciates your support.

[Imran Q]

I'm a little surprised at the AM hateration. It was interesting to see initial responses in favor of the article and with folks happy for where he is now. Then, as the thread went along, the negative comments started to predominate. I'm not sure if they were reactionary but it was an interesting observation.

 

I remember when AM lost his child and I was shocked at how negative fans were at the time but I now realize they probably didn't know. The media didn't give it much coverage and we were in a nascent (or pre) twitter era back then.

 

For you AM haters, no need for such myopic binary judgments against the man. Sure, he didn't live up to his potential and he may have impregnated two women at the same time (dumb), but he was also treated terribly/cheaply by the organization during his signing. Getting him signed wasn't rocket science and the subsequent Spiller holdout only reinforces how inept Bills management was (and to use his career productivity after the fact to support the organization's tactics is disingenuous).

 

As for the 40 million dollar slave painting, my God people, open your minds. He didn't call it the "slave painting." It has the words 40 and million in the title. He says the painting will provoke conversation so win for him. The title is ironic in that you can be given money but be enslaved in different ways to corporate interests, societal expectations, what you do on the field, privacy, to the money itself, or other such things. It can be a mental enslavement, an emotional enslavement, or a physical enslavement. The word has much larger meanings when viewed in greater contexts.

 

And can we please stop with the "I work hard and don't make millions so he shouldn't complain" argument? Very few people on planet earth can do what professional athletes do. I really wish I could but my talents are not as relatively elite within the world population as a pro athlete's are. As such, my compensation will reflect that. I'm more easily replaceable than an NFL linebacker. It's supply and demand folks. Unless you want to impart some form of engineered socialism where society compensates on a value added basis, don't complain.

 

If someone is worth, say 100 million, on an open market, he'd be a fool to settle for 50 million simply because his hard working neighbor makes 50k.

 

That said, I don't condone the pot and wasn't overly impressed with the technical part or his work (I'm no expert). The real meaning behind the art is what's important.