Sour Sal Maiorana Strikes Again...

[ROCBillsBeliever]

An article published in the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle yesterday had me fed up with one aspect of the Bills-bashing culture in our regional media outlets. Give this a quick read:

 

http://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/sports/2017/07/23/buffalo-bills-tyrod-taylor-franchise-quarterback/490092001/

 

What I have an issue with is HOW nearly all of the media outlets have chosen to paint Tyrod's benching in the final game against the Jets as, and I quote Sal here, "the team essentially tipped its hand regarding Taylor’s future with the team." He also led with the absolutely inflammatory line: "New Years’ Day, MetLife Stadium in the swamps of New Jersey, and Tyrod Taylor’s career with the Buffalo Bills seemed as deceased as Jimmy Hoffa," concerning Taylor's benching.

 

We all know how things turned out: we kept Taylor; however, at that time--and we continue to hear the regional media barking about this, non-stop, nearly half a year later--nobody seemed to actually know what the benching meant. Here are Tyrod's words on the subject (Sal actually included the quote in his article, but ONLY looked at it from a negative standpoint):

 

"The next day, after cleaning out his locker, Taylor acknowledged that his time in Buffalo was probably over after two flashy but ultimately uninspiring seasons. “I mean that’s fair to say,” Taylor said. “That’s what it showed. That’s what I think it showed. But at the same time, the conversation wasn’t detailed enough to know if that was the case or not.”

 

What I have issue with is that our regional media--in general here--tends to ALWAYS pick the negative side of the issue. Tyrod himself wasn't sure whether the benching meant his time was up in Buffalo, or that it meant something else. I'll be the first to conceed that it was handled poorly by the Bills brass (it's probably Whaley's fault... Whaley's gone rogue! Fire him! Oh... wait... nvm...). BUT why can't our writers EVER even entertain a potentially positive spin?

 

I look at Taylor's benching as one last opportunity for the team to see if E.J. Manuel was worth re-signing as our backup QB, and a chance to look at Cardale Jones (albiet, an abbreviated one; I believe they should have given him the entire second half, but that's another matter). My point is that our regional media consistently chooses to paint most Buffalo Bills' moves in a negative light (in Sal's case here, he even turns the dagger with the Hoffa quote). Why don't we ever see a hint of positivity, when there clearly could be more than one side to the story? Does anyone else agree with me?

Edited July 24, 2017 by ROCBillsBeliever

[4_kidd_4]

Sal wins, he got your goat.

[ROCBillsBeliever]

Sal wins, he got your goat.

 

You're actually right! I actually read his drivel... When will I learn?

[ddaryl]

Step 1: Make inflammatory hateful Bills article.

 

Step 2: Wait for it to be shared on social media / message boards

 

Step 3: Wait for the clicks

 

 

I don't even pay attention to them anymore. I don't click on their links or visit the web pages. That's the only way.

[buffalostu2]

Here is the positive spin. If you look at the results of losing that last game it was a brilliant move by Whaley. If we win that game we are in a log jam draft position wise with a bunch of other teams. By losing we secured the #10 pick which we parlayed into an additional first rounder next season by trading back.

 

It is doubtful that Mahommes would have been available later in the draft for us to trade out of our pick had we won that final game.

 

I am not a fan of tanking or losing games on purpose but in hindsight it meant nothing with the eventual house cleaning.

 

It will all come down to who we select next year with the KC pick but right now losing that game looks brilliant.

[ROCBillsBeliever]

Here is the positive spin. If you look at the results of losing that last game it was a brilliant move by Whaley. If we win that game we are in a log jam draft position wise with a bunch of other teams. By losing we secured the #10 pick which we parlayed into an additional first rounder next season by trading back.

 

It is doubtful that Mahommes would have been available later in the draft for us to trade out of our pick had we won that final game.

 

I am not a fan of tanking or losing games on purpose but in hindsight it meant nothing with the eventual house cleaning.

 

It will all come down to who we select next year with the KC pick but right now losing that game looks brilliant.

 

buffalostu2 - There you go: another positive that came out of the situation. Again: I just get tired of all the negativity the media directs at the Bills' every move. Thanks for being posi! Go Bills!

[BillsFan4]

I had no issue with that article. I think it was pretty accurate, and didn't seem overly negative to me (and I'm usually one that hates all the negative Buffalo media articles etc).

 

If Whaley had stayed, and hired Lynn like the rumors said, I do think it was likely that Tyrod's time in Buffalo could have been done. IMO he did seem ready to move on, and that's what most of the leaks seemed to be saying too (whether they were accurate or not I don't know, sometimes they were and other times they weren't).

I absolutely HATED that benching at the time. Tyrod was coming off his best game as a Bill, and I just felt that was not the way you treat your starting QB. Plus I hated that Whaley once again seemed to be pushing EJ Manuel into the starting role (against the coaching staff's wishes) and I was scared to death that if EJ had a good game Whaley would try and push him into the starting role for next season. I had very little faith left in Doug Whaley to find another starting QB as well, which added to my fears of losing Tyrod.

 

It all worked out for the best though. We got a much higher draft pick, that was turned into an extra 1st plus what looks to be a very good starting CB and a good RT or WR (can't remember which trade we gave up the extra 3rd in). We kept Tyrod and we got him cheaper for this year (although if he breaks out and becomes our true starting QB of the present/future, it may look like a mistake changing that contract).

[JM2009]

 

buffalostu2 - There you go: another positive that came out of the situation. Again: I just get tired of all the negativity the media directs at the Bills' every move. Thanks for being posi! Go Bills!

Well, I hate to say it, but they have earned it. Your starting QB has the best game of his career and is benched by the GM because he still wants to push EJ, who everyone knew was terrible.Not getting any deal done today with Boldin, today just pushes the fact more that OBD deserves the criticism they get most of the time.

[MAJBobby]

Tyrod has to take a huge step forward or buh bye.

[SlimShady'sSpaceForce]

That didn't take long before EJ is mentioned and blamed for something.

 

TT isn't worth the $27 mil figure he would get if he got injured. He was already dealing with a groin injury that needed surgery.

 

What FO would take that risk

 

 

None.

[JM2009]

Tyrod has to take a huge step forward or buh bye.

The defense has to make bigger strides than Taylor. As poor as Oakland's defense was, they got 30 turnovers in 2016, the Bills just 18. The offense rarely turned the ball over.

[mead107]

Don't read it

[PromoTheRobot]

Sal's is one of many on the Bills beat that need to move on. They're spent.

[MAJBobby]

The defense has to make bigger strides than Taylor. As poor as Oakland's defense was, they got 30 turnovers in 2016, the Bills just 18. The offense rarely turned the ball over.

Again Big Strides needed or Buh Bye

 

And we dont turn the Ball over because of the ultra conservative design and play of the QB.

Edited July 25, 2017 by MAJBobby

[Punching Bag]

That didn't take long before EJ is mentioned and blamed for something.

 

TT isn't worth the $27 mil figure he would get if he got injured. He was already dealing with a groin injury that needed surgery.

 

What FO would take that risk

 

 

None.

 

Exactly. The mistake was not telling TT "You are injured and OL is banged up. It is more important that you get the surgery done as soon as possible."

[Augie]

I did not click. I feel like a winner!

[jimmy10]

Thanks for the gist. No clicky.

[JM2009]

Again Big Strides needed or Buh Bye

 

And we dont turn the Ball over because of the ultra conservative design and play of the QB.

Defense did not get the ball back near enough. Giddiness over hoping Taylor fails. weak.

[BillsFan4]

Well, I hate to say it, but they have earned it. Your starting QB has the best game of his career and is benched by the GM because he still wants to push EJ, who everyone knew was terrible.Not getting any deal done today with Boldin, today just pushes the fact more that OBD deserves the criticism they get most of the time.

Yeah, they should have just went all out and broke the bank for a guy who turns 37 in October. I mean, we should clearly sign every single free agent we bring in for a visit, otherwise what are these jokers in the front office doing, right?

 

And If the guy doesn't want to sign here, we should just hold him hostage or kidnap his family and force him to! I mean, WTF is wrong with OBD? Not willing to go the extra mile....

 

 

Seriously though, this new front office had absolutely nothing to do with the whole Tyrod/EJ thing. They have literally all been fired. So how exactly does it push the fact more that they deserve the criticism they get? Seems like you are kind of blaming the new front office for something the old front office did, and holding previous losing seasons against a brand new front office staff.

 

You are going overboard with this Boldin stuff man. You know zero details of what happened, yet you are laying all the blame on the front office and saying how you're unimpressed and that they deserve all the criticism they get.

 

Again, what if it was Boldin who didn't want to sign here? That doesn't matter? It's still all Beane's fault? What if we still end up signing him? Does the front office still suck then? Or what if they sign someone better who gets released between now and the start of the season?

 

Don't you think that it makes sense to maybe wait and see what our new GM does with the next couple drafts and off-season before you decide they suck because they didn't sign one or two free agents that you, personally, wanted them to sign?

 

Anywa, don't you think it's better that they're actually bringing guys like Maclin and Boldin in for visits? They could just as easily not attempt to bring in any quality free agents and go with what they have. At least they're trying to find good fits for the team. I don't see it as a bad thing that they're not willing to get a deal done at all costs. If the player and money are a fit, great. If not you move on and continue looking for that right fit instead of forcing something. That's how good front office staff's operate IMO.

[nero1]

When mired in a 17 year span of futility, with coaches on the cusp of success (ie- malarkey and Maloney) leaving the team on their own, it is understandable that the press would be negative.I believe this team has possibilities, but the coaching staff will need to bring it out.