What if the Bills refuse to play the Patriots?

[SageAgainstTheMachine]

1 minute ago, Buffalo03 said:

Let me ask you in terms you might understand better, what happens to the league, if the Bills only play 15 games, the Bengals play 16 and the rest of the league plays 17? In literally a 2 week time frame this all has to be decided. How would they proceed with the playoffs?

 

Well I think regardless of the Patriots game, it's likely that the Bills and Bengals will only play 16 games this season while the rest of the league plays 17 and things will boil down to win percentage.  I prefer they flip a coin but that's something the league will shy away from. So given that, the Bills playing 15 isn't some huge problem.  The biggest problem as far as competition goes is the potential of the Pats simply being handed a win and automatically advancing when other teams were led to believe they were still in the hunt.

[Scott7975]

6 minutes ago, Buffalo03 said:

Let me ask you in terms you might understand better, what happens to the league, if the Bills only play 15 games, the Bengals play 16 and the rest of the league plays 17? In literally a 2 week time frame this all has to be decided. How would they proceed with the playoffs?

 

They give the Bills "L" because they forfeit and move on.  Life isnt always fair buddy.  Sometimes you just do what you have to do.  

Edited January 5, 2023 by Scott7975

[WotAGuy]

1 minute ago, BillsFanSD said:

I doubt that too.  Professional football players are human beings, just like you and me.  Very adults would be wiling to say "I know you saw somebody on fire from a car accident, but my trauma is worse than yours."  Like, not a soul would say that.   

You like being told what to do by people that couldn’t begin to do your job?  Because that’s what I’ve been talking about. Posters demanding and insisting they get back on the field are out of touch with their own importance. 

[ngbills]

1 minute ago, Buffalo03 said:

But the odds of someone quitting over that probably won't happen. And the Bills as a team can't just quit going to work. Maybe the whole nfl should just shut down. This is insane

Look at 9/11. Different situation obviously but still an enormous event in history. The NFL went on. MLB went on. How many players quit? The Pat Tillman story was so huge because it was so rare. Would not be a shock to see a player retire over this, but I don't know. 

2 minutes ago, zow2 said:

I was listening to Booger on TV, and he was saying that if he was a current teammate, he would not suit up for an NFL football game again until there was 100% assurance that Damar was going to be fine. He said it’s too much emotion in a game and he would not be in the mindset to play now.

So if we assume even a fraction of the current Bills feel like this, they legitimately could decide not to play.  And Troy Vincent i believe indicated that McDermott was having a very difficult time too.

I get the talk around the mental struggles from seeing the event unfold in front of guys. The impact that can have. 

But for it to be about knowing he is ok is something else. That is separate from the trauma. How is that different than a teammate in a car accident or some other event that results in them fighting for their life? How about a players family member? Kind of harsh but being an NFL player carries some high expectations that normal folks dont have placed on them. The NFL will not wait for you. I think they are treading lightly in this case because it happened on live TV. Imagine if Damar was hit by a bus leaving practice and the whole team watched? I honestly dont know if the NFL would be saying "dont worry about playing this game, we will figure soemthing out". 

[Buffalo03]

2 minutes ago, WotAGuy said:

I’m sure the league has smart enough people to figure how to deal with that extremely unlikely scenario. The fact that you don’t like that happening or can’t fathom what would happen, if it did, doesn’t mean they can’t figure out a solution. 

This isn't about me or any feelings I have lol. That's what you people don't understand. The bottom line is, if the Bills as a team with one week left to go until the playoffs say "we don't wanna play this week, and we may not be up for the playoffs either", it leads to a whole string of problems that the NFL has to solve. These guys know they have to keep going. It just has to happen. NOT BECAUSE I WANT IT TO, because it has to

[BillsFanSD]

2 minutes ago, WotAGuy said:

You like being told what to do by people that couldn’t begin to do your job?  Because that’s what I’ve been talking about. Posters demanding and insisting they get back on the field are out of touch with their own importance. 

My parents and I got back in the car and went our way, which was to one of my college visits four hours down the road.  Dial it back a little with your own sense of importance.

 

Seriously, you're right that it's not the biggest deal in the world.  Give the Bills a loss and just move on, no problem.  I'm tired of twenty-somethings explaining the deep secrets of life to me.  Get bent and enjoy your own old age when you'll come around.

Edited January 5, 2023 by BillsFanSD

[Not Applicable]

2 minutes ago, zow2 said:

I was listening to Booger on TV, and he was saying that if he was a current teammate, he would not suit up for an NFL football game again until there was 100% assurance that Damar was going to be fine. He said it’s too much emotion in a game and he would not be in the mindset to play now.

Yeah, that's all too easy to say now that's he's retired. The reality is that we may not know about Hamlin's long-term prognosis for awhile. Does the team not play until (hopefully) he's out of the woods? That just doesn't seem realistic. Do you think the majority of them would be okay punting the rest of the season away. My guess would be no, but I don't personally know any of these guys.

[WotAGuy]

2 minutes ago, BillsFanSD said:

My parents and I got back in the car and went our way, which was to one of my college visits four hours down the road.  Dial it back a little with your own sense of importance.

I wasn’t speaking to you. 
 

Also, did you not notice my name?

Edited January 5, 2023 by WotAGuy

[BillsFanSD]

4 minutes ago, WotAGuy said:

I wasn’t speaking to you. 

You quoted me.

Edited January 5, 2023 by BillsFanSD
Removing a well-deserved expletive.

[Buffalo03]

5 minutes ago, Scott7975 said:

 

They give the Bills "L" because they forfeit and move on.  Life isnt always fair buddy.  Sometimes you just do what you have to do.  

And if they give the Bills an L, then what? If the Bills said, "we don't wanna play the playoffs either". Is the NFL supposed to say "that's OK, we will hand pick a team in one week to take your place"? This team has worked too hard, they know what they are facing, they know they have to move on

[Neo]

The internet.   Any absurd thought gets examined and debated.   Virtue signalers stake out positions with flimsy reasoning and insult one another.   Once in a lifetime tragic event.   Prayers and well wishes.  Sincere attention and consideration of what can be done better, next time.

 

The world doesn’t stop.   There was a time when teams dedicated extraordinary effort to the Hamlins of the world.   I expect the Bills to do the same.  I’d be disappointed if they don’t.

Edited January 5, 2023 by Neo

[Donuts and Doritos]

From the upper deck I could see them pumping away frantically at his chest & the AED out to shock him back to life. It took the wind out of my sails for this season. What I couldn't see, was them sticking a long tube down the throat of his lifeless body to intubate him so he could breathe, but his teammates got a real up close look at that. Everyone has their breaking point. Everyone. It's our team, but it's their life. The decision is & should be up to them. They may be forced to play but if their hearts not in it I would understand. I know they have to get back up but if that's not until next year I wouldn't be surprised, a few might even walk away for good. I really, really, really want them to win a SB. But right now, I want nothing more than Damar Hamlin to wake up & walk out of that hospital. What the players decide they can handle doing is up to them, I for one will support them either way. Go Bills!

[WotAGuy]

2 minutes ago, BillsFanSD said:

You quoted me, dipshit.

That’s because you keep interrupting the little thing I have going with @Buffalo03

[SinceThe70s]

1 minute ago, ngbills said:

Look at 9/11. Different situation obviously but still an enormous event in history. The NFL went on. MLB went on. How many players quit? The Pat Tillman story was so huge because it was so rare. Would not be a shock to see a player retire over this, but I don't know. 

I get the talk around the mental struggles from seeing the event unfold in front of guys. The impact that can have. 

But for it to be about knowing he is ok is something else. That is separate from the trauma. How is that different than a teammate in a car accident or some other event that results in them fighting for their life? How about a players family member? Kind of harsh but being an NFL player carries some high expectations that normal folks dont have placed on them. The NFL will not wait for you. I think they are treading lightly in this case because it happened on live TV. Imagine if Damar was hit by a bus leaving practice and the whole team watched? I honestly dont know if the NFL would be saying "dont worry about playing this game, we will figure soemthing out". 

 

The NFL postponed the week 2 games and MLB took nearly a week off due to 9/11. So yes, both leagues 'went on' - but not without postponements.

 

Just to be clear I am not an advocate for postponing week 18, but when I read your post it reads as if there was no disruption dur to 9/11

[WotAGuy]

3 minutes ago, Buffalo03 said:

And if they give the Bills an L, then what? If the Bills said, "we don't wanna play the playoffs either". Is the NFL supposed to say "that's OK, we will hand pick a team in one week to take your place"? This team has worked too hard, they know what they are facing, they know they have to move on

 

Couldn’t they just select the #8 seed in that case to replace the Bills after bumping up the seeds above?

[BillsFanSD]

1 minute ago, WotAGuy said:

That’s because you keep interrupting the little thing I have going with @Buffalo03

Okay fair enough.  My apologies for the expletive.  

[WotAGuy]

1 minute ago, BillsFanSD said:

Okay fair enough.  My apologies for the expletive.  

It’s ok.  I appreciate you and promise to go right back to my job immediately after your death.  

[ngbills]

1 minute ago, SinceThe70s said:

 

The NFL postponed the week 2 games and MLB took nearly a week off due to 9/11. So yes, both leagues 'went on' - but not without postponements.

 

Just to be clear I am not an advocate for postponing week 18, but when I read your post it reads as if there was no disruption dur to 9/11

I agree with the postponements which is what the NFL has done. Mon game postponed, practices and media sessions delayed, etc. But ending a season would have been a different story. 

[zow2]

As one NFL player said today from another team… “Unfortunately we don’t get any PTO”

 

I think it will obviously be a huge lift if the team gets any inside info that Damar is improving, not out of the woods, but improving. 

I think the team will ultimately play this weekend. It won’t be easy, but that’s what these guys do, they play football.. and frankly i don’t think they will play all that well. Just think about the physicality New England will bring here with their playoffs on the line.  I just hope everyone is mentally ready if they do play so no one gets hurt badly out there. 

[Southern_Bills]

3 hours ago, PonyBoy said:

What if the Patriots refuse to play too as a display of solidarity for player safety? The NFL has looked bad this year(Tua & more). 

Would be quite a statement. 🤔

 

 

Sounds good, but in all honesty what could have the league done better in this situation as it pertains to player safety?

 

Freak accident. No possible way to plan/prevent that and still call it tackle football.

 

They have definitely looked bad this year, but this isn't one of the situations.

[ArtVandalay]

So Josh Allen plays the day after his grandmother died.

 

Many other athletes, like Brett Favre played a day after his dad died. 

 

Redskins played 2 days after Sean Taylor died. 

 

The league pushed pause for 1 weekend then resumed after 9/11 attacks.

 

The Bruins played 2 days after the marathon bombing.

 

...but the Bills need 2 weeks off for a teammate that suffered a medical emergency and is alive recovering in the hospital??

 

This is going too far.

 

Feel terrible for Hamlin and wish him a full recovery but spending weeks wallowing in self-pity is not healthy nor appropriate. Awful things happen in the course of life, things we wish never came upon us but that is not for us to decide, all we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.

[HOUSE]

21 minutes ago, TH3 said:

Think about what you just wrote …..how often does “discussed in the media” actually equate to “a real possibility”

 

lol

Did you open the link? SHAME ON YOU !!

[Scott7975]

15 minutes ago, Buffalo03 said:

And if they give the Bills an L, then what? If the Bills said, "we don't wanna play the playoffs either". Is the NFL supposed to say "that's OK, we will hand pick a team in one week to take your place"? This team has worked too hard, they know what they are facing, they know they have to move on

 

No they continue to give the Bills an "L" for forfeit until they decide to play.  If they forfeit even week one of the playoffs then thats the case.  There are answers and ways to do anything.  You might not like them but there are.  There is no "have to" do anything.

[zow2]

2 minutes ago, ArtVandalay said:

So Josh Allen plays the day after his grandmother died.

 

Many other athletes, like Brett Favre played a day after his dad died. 

 

Redskins played 2 days after Sean Taylor died. 

 

The league pushed pause for 1 weekend then resumed after 9/11 attacks.

 

The Bruins played 2 days after the marathon bombing.

 

...but the Bills need 2 weeks off for a teammate that suffered a medical emergency and is alive recovering in the hospital??

 

This is going too far.

 

Feel terrible for Hamlin and wish him a full recovery but spending weeks wallowing in self-pity is not healthy nor appropriate. Awful things happen in the course of life, things we wish never came upon us but that is not for us to decide, all we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.

 

I think the big differences are that the Bills players actually watched their teammate and friend heart stop in person, right there during their jobs. and it was very traumatic, definitely extremely traumatic for some of the guys.  We know how we all felt just sitting on our couches not knowing any of those guys.  Plus you have the event happen in a stand alone prime time game for the world to see.  And we now live in a social media world where a big event like this is magnified times a billion…and mental health is more important and more publicized than ever.

[Buffalo03]

4 minutes ago, Scott7975 said:

 

No they continue to give the Bills an "L" for forfeit until they decide to play.  If they forfeit even week one of the playoffs then thats the case.  There are answers and ways to do anything.  You might not like them but there are.  There is no "have to" do anything.

I'm surprised so many people are just willing overlook everything this team has fought through this season and all the adversity they have faced to just throw it all away over this. The Team is not gonna wanna do that. Nor should they

[WotAGuy]

2 minutes ago, zow2 said:

 

I think the big differences are that the Bills players actually watched their teammate and friend heart stop in person, right there during their jobs. and it was very traumatic, definitely extremely traumatic for some of the guys.  We know how we all felt just sitting on our couches not knowing any of those guys.  Plus you have the event happen in a stand alone prime time game for the world to see.  And we now live in a social media world where a big event like this is magnified times a billion…and mental health is more important and more publicized than ever.

That’s all fine and good but @ArtVandalay says don’t be a puuuuusaaay

[UKBillFan]

9 minutes ago, ArtVandalay said:

So Josh Allen plays the day after his grandmother died.

 

Many other athletes, like Brett Favre played a day after his dad died. 

 

Redskins played 2 days after Sean Taylor died. 

 

The league pushed pause for 1 weekend then resumed after 9/11 attacks.

 

The Bruins played 2 days after the marathon bombing.

 

...but the Bills need 2 weeks off for a teammate that suffered a medical emergency and is alive recovering in the hospital??

 

This is going too far.

 

Feel terrible for Hamlin and wish him a full recovery but spending weeks wallowing in self-pity is not healthy nor appropriate. Awful things happen in the course of life, things we wish never came upon us but that is not for us to decide, all we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.

And it is for the players and coaching staff to decide. Not for any of us to decide for them.

[Scott7975]

5 minutes ago, Buffalo03 said:

I'm surprised so many people are just willing overlook everything this team has fought through this season and all the adversity they have faced to just throw it all away over this. The Team is not gonna wanna do that. Nor should they

 

Maybe they will and maybe they wont.  Thats not for you to decide how they deal with it.  Its for the people involved that Hamlin was like family to ,to decide.

Edited January 5, 2023 by Scott7975

[Buffalo03]

50 minutes ago, SageAgainstTheMachine said:

 

Read earlier in the thread and you'll see me saying that the Bills are going to play the game and that the NFL can't tolerate the franchise not doing it.  But it's the players who have the actual power here even if the team gets punished.

No ***** they have the power. That's never been up for debate but deep down they know they have to play. That's the point I've been trying to say this whole time

[UKBillFan]

1 minute ago, Buffalo03 said:

No ***** they have the power. That's never been up for debate but deep down they know they have to play. That's the point I've been trying to say this whole time

I think the Bills will play the Patriots. Will it be a full roster of available players? That I have doubts about.

[ArtVandalay]

8 minutes ago, WotAGuy said:

That’s all fine and good but @ArtVandalay says don’t be a puuuuusaaay

At no point in anything I said could that remotely be a reasonable takeaway. It's a childish strawman.

[Buffalo03]

5 minutes ago, Scott7975 said:

 

Maybe they will and maybe they wont.  Thats not for you to decide how they deal with it.  Its for the people involved that Hamlin was like family to ,to decide.

I never said it was up to me to decide

[Neo]

2 minutes ago, zow2 said:

 

I think the big differences are that the Bills players actually watched their teammate and friend heart stop in person, right there during their jobs. and it was very traumatic, definitely extremely traumatic for some of the guys.  We know how we all felt just sitting on our couches not knowing any of those guys.  Plus you have the event happen in a stand alone prime time game for the world to see.  And we now live in a social media world where a big event like this is magnified times a billion…and mental health is more important and more publicized than ever.

Every incident is different.   No two are the same.   I don’t think that truism is relevant to the post you quoted..    The relevant difference, instead, lies in the expectations each of us have in terms of dealing with overwhelming adversity and carrying on.

 

I expect a team of adult professionals to perform.   I composed that sentence deliberately to be unequivocal and not leave room for the lowering of expectations in light of obstacle or tragedy.   I can do this while at the same time feeling the overwhelming human emotions cited to lower expectations in light of adversity.   There are few moments in our long lives where being a human being is more rewarding than when we are pressing on, or watching others do the same.   birth to death, this is a struggle.   Some are greater than others.   Here’s to the people who say “I played a week later.”   Doing so honors Hamlin and doesn’t disrespect him.

[Beck Water]

3 hours ago, Fan in San Diego said:

What if we play Cinci on Sunday instead of the Bellicheats? Isn't the Pats game a meaingless game anyways?

 

It's meaningful to a bunch of team's playoff hopes and seedings I believe.

[Milanos Milano]

1 hour ago, WotAGuy said:

Why can’t they?  What exactly is the driving force behind forcing them to play?  Other than “they have to”?

Because nearly everyone in existence does it. Our jobs expect us back within reasonable times, nobody is on bereavement. If people need time to console themselves, they can take personal time off and let the players that want to play, play. 

If you are in a fox hole and your comrade get’s blown up, you don’t sit in the corner of the trench and curl into a fetal position. Life demands us to keep moving forward, otherwise we de-evolve. 

[Neo]

14 minutes ago, WotAGuy said:

That’s all fine and good but @ArtVandalay says don’t be a puuuuusaaay

Well, he sort of said that.   Not as colorfully as you, perhaps.   Now, no one loves colorful language more than me, but I’ll set it aside.   What he said, when I read his post, is that life in general and the sport in particular has examples of teams that suffered adversity and got to work quickly.

[WotAGuy]

4 minutes ago, Neo said:

Well, he sort of said that.   Not as colorfully as you, perhaps.   Now, no one loves colorful language more than me, but I’ll set it aside.   What he said, when I read his post, is that life in general and the sport in particular has examples of teams that suffered adversity and got to work quickly.

You talk real purdy. 

[UKBillFan]

2 minutes ago, IronMaidenBills said:

Because nearly everyone in existence does it. Our jobs expect us back within reasonable times, nobody is on bereavement. If people need time to console themselves, they can take personal time off and let the players that want to play, play. 

If you are in a fox hole and your comrade get’s blown up, you don’t sit in the corner of the trench and curl into a fetal position. Life demands us to keep moving forward, otherwise we de-evolve. 

I wish people would stop comparing NFL players to emergency workers or members of the armed forces. Massive credit to all who serve, but it comes with a completely different expectation to what is normal and abnormal. Sitting on backsides saying THEY MUST PLAY is hardly the kind of ‘support’ I expected from the majority of Bills fans considering what happened on Monday night. It feels akin to telling the players and coaching staff to man up and stop grizzling.

[Milanos Milano]

6 minutes ago, UKBillFan said:

I wish people would stop comparing NFL players to emergency workers or members of the armed forces. Massive credit to all who serve, but it comes with a completely different expectation to what is normal and abnormal. Sitting on backsides saying THEY MUST PLAY is hardly the kind of ‘support’ I expected from the majority of Bills fans considering what happened on Monday night. It feels akin to telling the players and coaching staff to man up and stop grizzling.

NFL players play a violent game, they know the deal. I’ve literally seen accidents as a standard civilian (I’m not medical) where dead bodies are hanging out of a vehicle. It sucks, and I always wish their loved ones the best, but life goes on. You clean up the mess, and you would never know anything every happened. They must play or forfeit. You can’t hold the rest of the league back because you are scared to move forward. There are hundreds of sponsors, hundreds of workers that are dependent on game play (otherwise they can’t support their families). It’s not that we are heartless or we don’t care, many people care, but life doesn’t stop for anyone. 

Edited January 5, 2023 by IronMaidenBills

[Scott7975]

17 minutes ago, Buffalo03 said:

I never said it was up to me to decide

 

Yet you are trying to decide for them by saying "they have to play the game" and "the team is not going to want to throw that away."  How do you know what the players want to do?  You don't.