Less "character" players, please!

[UpstateSwagger]

Allow me to explain myself:

 

I am sick of hearing people piss and moan about athletes who get into marginal legal trouble in their free-time. The Marshawn issue is just a small part of it. What's wrong with just wanting these guys to be effective football players, and, short of hurting other citizens, not giving a damn what degree of quality person they are.

 

And don't give me that "our kids look up to these guys," crap. Give your kids real role models. Would you not let your child watch "Home Improvement," because Tim Allen had been charged with a drunk driving? Would you keep your child from seeing "Iron Man," because Robert Downey Jr. had a problem with drugs?

 

These guys are football players and, in many cases, a club and loincloth short of being classifiable barbarians. So save the morale high-ground stuff for another aspect of your life -- there certainly are plenty of other avenues for that holier-than-thou line of thought. Let these guys represent us ON the field by doing what they've trained and dreamed of doing for most of their lives: breaking other people's faces.

 

I'm tired of this franchise (and a portion of its constituency) sacrificing football talent and athletic prowess for "high character" guys. Sure, there's something to be said for guys who are stable and good for locker room morale, but I suspect we have a team full of guys like that already. What we need is a nasty streak. Besides, there are plenty of guys who aren't "high character" but are still great for uniting a team and motivating for a collective goal.

 

So, please Bills FO, bring in the football talent this off season -- be it free agency or draft. Leave the moral grand-standing for the politicians and televangelists.

 

Good day, gentlemen; and until that day comes, keep your ear to the grindstone.

[Mr. WEO]

Allow me to explain myself:

 

I am sick of hearing people piss and moan about athletes who get into marginal legal trouble in their free-time. The Marshawn issue is just a small part of it. What's wrong with just wanting these guys to be effective football players, and, short of hurting other citizens, not giving a damn what degree of quality person they are.

 

And don't give me that "our kids look up to these guys," crap. Give your kids real role models. Would you not let your child watch "Home Improvement," because Tim Allen had been charged with a drunk driving? Would you keep your child from seeing "Iron Man," because Robert Downey Jr. had a problem with drugs?

 

These guys are football players and, in many cases, a club and loincloth short of being classifiable barbarians. So save the morale high-ground stuff for another aspect of your life -- there certainly are plenty of other avenues for that holier-than-thou line of thought. Let these guys represent us ON the field by doing what they've trained and dreamed of doing for most of their lives: breaking other people's faces.

 

I'm tired of this franchise (and a portion of its constituency) sacrificing football talent and athletic prowess for "high character" guys. Sure, there's something to be said for guys who are stable and good for locker room morale, but I suspect we have a team full of guys like that already. What we need is a nasty streak. Besides, there are plenty of guys who aren't "high character" but are still great for uniting a team and motivating for a collective goal.

 

So, please Bills FO, bring in the football talent this off season -- be it free agency or draft. Leave the moral grand-standing for the politicians and televangelists.

 

Good day, gentlemen; and until that day comes, keep your ear to the grindstone.

 

This isn't a "nasty streak"---it's a stupidity streak.

 

Look, I think Lynch is the only guy on this team, bar none, who gives full effort every game day. But he's no rookie. Why can't he be a leader AND be nasty. Who is the leader of this team? Whitner?? Come on!!

[Canadian Bills Fan]

Finally someone said it. THANK YOU I agree there are better people to look up to as role models. Think about it, if the Olsen twins can have eating disorders and go to drug rehab then no celeb is safe. What ever happened to having a family member as a role model? We dont have the luxury anymore of wanting squeeky clean players. Its dumb to pass on someone who has more talent but has a "questionable" past then to draft a medioker player who has "a good head on their shoulders" The Bills new slogan should be this...

 

"Beggars can't be choosers"

 

We need the talent and obviously drafting good character players has not got us to the playoffs in almost a decade so maybe the Bills should look at talent first.

[kota]

I am with you on this. The way some people talk and go the moral high ground you would think they are Mother Teresa or Jesus Christ.

 

Marshawn has some issues i dont' think anyone here doubts that. I just don't think they are as severe as some people make out. I hate to break it to people but growing up in Buffalo is a whole lot different then growing up poor in Oakland. Most people here have no idea what Inner City life is like. If you don't believe me come to LA and take a stroll through Compton or Watts. I bet you would be somewhat scared and not want to go back there ever again.

 

I find the NFL is very irresponsible when it comes to players like Marshawn. The NFL expects people to forget the first 20ish years of their life and change over night once they start representing the Shield. It's just not as easy as they think.

[WVUFootball29]

So we should go out and get people that get in trouble off the field and begin to miss time on the field, but have a mean streak?

 

Ask Cinncinati how that worked out for them.

[Ray]

That Mike Vick pick worked out great for Atlanta....picking a guy who is not going to be on the field is a huge risk/mistake.

[Mr. WEO]

I am with you on this. The way some people talk and go the moral high ground you would think they are Mother Teresa or Jesus Christ.

 

Marshawn has some issues i dont' think anyone here doubts that. I just don't think they are as severe as some people make out. I hate to break it to people but growing up in Buffalo is a whole lot different then growing up poor in Oakland. Most people here have no idea what Inner City life is like. If you don't believe me come to LA and take a stroll through Compton or Watts. I bet you would be somewhat scared and not want to go back there ever again.

 

I find the NFL is very irresponsible when it comes to players like Marshawn. The NFL expects people to forget the first 20ish years of their life and change over night once they start representing the Shield. It's just not as easy as they think.

 

 

The NFL is "very irresponsible"???

 

These NFL is a BUSINESS. These are EMPLOYEES who make their living because there is a National Football League. This behavior affects the League's brand.

 

Tell me, if your employer in your 20's gave you a set of rules which you had to comply with to remain employed, and you chose to ignore those rules, you might be fired, no?

 

And spare us the "these people who grow up in the ghetto---that behavior is all they know, so let's not expect anything else from them" argument. It's poorly disguised racism.

[stuckincincy]

So we should go out and get people that get in trouble off the field and begin to miss time on the field, but have a mean streak?

 

Ask Cinncinati how that worked out for them.

 

I'm all for the Cincinnati team to be dissolved, and after that, have the NFL assess the remaining teams, to pony up and return the 450 million dollars for their free place of business that was voted in by "fans". A minority gets yucks, but everybody else pays.

 

Here in Hamilton County, OH, The Queensgate jail closed. 842 violent criminals were released onto the street. But the servicing of the half-billion debt for Mike Brown's free stadium took legal priority...

 

Nice, eh?

[San Jose Bills Fan]

I'm not that hung up on getting character either...I'd love to see some great football players brought in regardless of character...

 

BUT

 

Firstly, you can have both. There are plenty of fine players that are solid citizens also. Are people saying that everyone on both Pro Bowl rosters are thugs? Of course not. So this is a ridiculous argument. Character and football ability are not mutually exclusive.

 

Secondly, a guy like Marshawn who gets in trouble is hurting the team. If he gets a four game suspension (remember now that marijuana was involved) which is likely now, we will be without him for four games. That as others have pointed out in other posts, hurts the team, the fans, etc.

 

It's hard to say who will eventually "clean up their act" and who will be a chronic headache to the team via trouble with the law and suspensions.

 

Whoever we attempt to throw big money at in a long term deal should not be a risk for screwing up IMHO.

[WVUFootball29]

I'm all for the Cincinnati team to be dissolved, and after that, have the NFL assess the remaining teams, to pony up and return the 450 million dollars for their free place of business that was voted in by "fans". A minority gets yucks, but everybody else pays.

 

Here in Hamilton County, OH, The Queensgate jail closed. 842 violent criminals were released onto the street. But the servicing of the half-billion debt for Mike Brown's free stadium took legal priority...

 

Nice, eh?

 

why politics and sports do not/should not mix 101...but that is a topic for another day

[Tcali]

I am with you on this. The way some people talk and go the moral high ground you would think they are Mother Teresa or Jesus Christ.

 

Marshawn has some issues i dont' think anyone here doubts that. I just don't think they are as severe as some people make out. I hate to break it to people but growing up in Buffalo is a whole lot different then growing up poor in Oakland. Most people here have no idea what Inner City life is like. If you don't believe me come to LA and take a stroll through Compton or Watts. I bet you would be somewhat scared and not want to go back there ever again.

 

I find the NFL is very irresponsible when it comes to players like Marshawn. The NFL expects people to forget the first 20ish years of their life and change over night once they start representing the Shield. It's just not as easy as they think.

Oh Buffalo has no slums or ghetto.

[Poland]

There is only one thing I agree with here...I don't see althlete as role models.

I for one never mention him or any other athlete as a role model.

Any kid who looks up to these idiots as roles models is beyond help and a lock to be a loser.

 

This idea that you need criminals to win games is idiotic.

More idiotic is to care that much about it.

 

My main reason for wanting lynch gone is that he is a retard.

He 'talks' like a retard and he acts like a punk.

His fans talk like retards and most of them are punks.

Can't see myself routing for this punk and I don't like the idea of him getting off easy when it comes to running over a pedestrain and driving off.

 

In fact I have far less of a problem with Vic than lynch.

 

Holier than thou?

No, I don't care if he goes to bars, I don't care if he smokes pot.

 

Ideally I'd like to see this punk get hit by a car and end up not being able to play again.

I'd like to see the driver leave him in the road and then get a $100 fine just to add salt to the wounds.

That would be true karma for this punk, but kinda of a lot to ask for.

 

Anyways maybe we'll lucky and some other punk will take a cheap shot at his knee during a game and end his career.

[Wilson from Gamehendge]

I have been crying this for a couple years now...however, I have come to realize that your TEAM represents and takes on the qualities of their COACH. The Pittsburgh Steelers are nasty, bad@$$ motherchuckers...because of the personality of Mike Tomlin. Even better, not many of the players on that Steelers team has gotten in trouble.

 

Good coaches can turn 'high character' players into tough/physical monsters. Belichick has done it with guys like Vrabel and Bruschi. Said coaches, ie. Belichick with Moss...can keep a troubled player grounded.

 

 

It all starts with the MAN giving the speech before the game. The MAN that all of the players on the team TRUST.

 

 

* Dick Jauron has no fire or passion. He has NO emotions at all...Dick Jauron has no balls.

[Poland]

So we should go out and get people that get in trouble off the field and begin to miss time on the field, but have a mean streak?

 

Ask Cinncinati how that worked out for them.

Going by the theory made by the OP, the bengals should have won the superbowl.

What happened?

[UpstateSwagger]

There is only one thing I agree with here...I don't see althlete as role models.

I for one never mention him or any other athlete as a role model.

Any kid who looks up to these idiots as roles models is beyond help and a lock to be a loser.

 

This idea that you need criminals to win games is idiotic.

More idiotic is to care that much about it.

 

My main reason for wanting lynch gone is that he is a retard.

He 'talks' like a retard and he acts like a punk.

His fans talk like retards and most of them are punks.

Can't see myself routing for this punk and I don't like the idea of him getting off easy when it comes to running over a pedestrain and driving off.

 

In fact I have far less of a problem with Vic than lynch.

 

Holier than thou?

No, I don't care if he goes to bars, I don't care if he smokes pot.

 

Ideally I'd like to see this punk get hit by a car and end up not being able to play again.

I'd like to see the driver leave him in the road and then get a $100 fine just to add salt to the wounds.

That would be true karma for this punk, but kinda of a lot to ask for.

 

Anyways maybe we'll lucky and some other punk with take a cheap shot at his knee during a game and end his career.

 

Well, I'm not going to be "routing" for your line of thinking anytime soon. More of a problem with Lynch than "Vic"? Maybe you're the "retard," bud.

 

I think my point has gotten deluded. I'm not saying we should actively pursue personnel with character concerns; I'm saying I don't want to pass up pure talent by going out of our way to draft "high character" players. I think that gets you a very mediocre, albeit, "effort" squad -- a recipe for 7-9, if you will. We beat the teams we're supposed to and rarely win big games.

 

Now, the extreme opposite is the Bengals. They had a perfect storm of terrible character guys and a lack of leadership and discipline from the top. I completely agree that this is also not the way to go about things

[SageAgainstTheMachine]

Finally someone said it. THANK YOU I agree there are better people to look up to as role models. Think about it, if the Olsen twins can have eating disorders and go to drug rehab then no celeb is safe. What ever happened to having a family member as a role model? We dont have the luxury anymore of wanting squeeky clean players. Its dumb to pass on someone who has more talent but has a "questionable" past then to draft a medioker player who has "a good head on their shoulders" The Bills new slogan should be this...

 

"Beggars can't be choosers"

 

We need the talent and obviously drafting good character players has not got us to the playoffs in almost a decade so maybe the Bills should look at talent first.

 

What do you mean "Finally someone said it."? Somebody posts this at least once every couple days, mistaking what people mean when they say "character".

[Poland]

I'm all for the Cincinnati team to be dissolved, and after that, have the NFL assess the remaining teams, to pony up and return the 450 million dollars for their free place of business that was voted in by "fans". A minority gets yucks, but everybody else pays.

 

Here in Hamilton County, OH, The Queensgate jail closed. 842 violent criminals were released onto the street. But the servicing of the half-billion debt for Mike Brown's free stadium took legal priority...

 

Nice, eh?

A+++++++++++++++

 

If these teams want to play football for a living let them build the stadiums.

 

Nothing is more f**ed up than paying retards millions of dollars for playing a game and then relying on tax money to build stadiums.

No football player is worth a million dollars a year or even a million in a career.

If football players were worth that then the owners can afford to pay their own way.

[Poland]

Well, I'm not going to be "routing" for your line of thinking anytime soon. More of a problem with Lynch than "Vic"? Maybe you're the "retard," bud.

No you're retarded, because vic committed crimes against animals.

Lynch IS an animal.

Lynch ran over a woman and left her in the street.

 

Lynch is a hero of the stupid.

Your hero Lynch never as much as appologized to this woman.

[DrDawkinstein]

got my Rollercoaster ticket early today!!

 

WEEEEEEEEEEEEE

[SageAgainstTheMachine]

There is only one thing I agree with here...I don't see althlete as role models.

I for one never mention him or any other athlete as a role model.

Any kid who looks up to these idiots as roles models is beyond help and a lock to be a loser.

 

This idea that you need criminals to win games is idiotic.

More idiotic is to care that much about it.

 

My main reason for wanting lynch gone is that he is a retard.

He 'talks' like a retard and he acts like a punk.

His fans talk like retards and most of them are punks.

Can't see myself routing for this punk and I don't like the idea of him getting off easy when it comes to running over a pedestrain and driving off.

 

In fact I have far less of a problem with Vic than lynch.

 

Holier than thou?

No, I don't care if he goes to bars, I don't care if he smokes pot.

 

Ideally I'd like to see this punk get hit by a car and end up not being able to play again.

I'd like to see the driver leave him in the road and then get a $100 fine just to add salt to the wounds.

That would be true karma for this punk, but kinda of a lot to ask for.

 

Anyways maybe we'll lucky and some other punk with take a cheap shot at his knee during a game and end his career.

 

Poland, read this post aloud to yourself, pronouncing everything the way you spelled it, and then please return to third grade to learn how to write. Or, at the very least, invest in a thesaurus. You used the word punk six separate times.