metzelaars_lives

I'm just happy the thread has made it this far without someone feeling the need to tell everyone how much they hate Jim Rome.

But they DO care. If people didn't care, news outlets wouldn't report it. Don't you understand that? You care. If you didn't care, you wouldn't be contributing to this thread. Oh my god. He is the first one to come out. That is a monumental barrier. If these six Oilers you speak of actually came out in 1993, we wouldn't be having this conversation right now. Just like Michael Sam has made it so you and I won't have to have this conversation 20 years from now. Don't you get it? And please elaborate on your last sentence there. I am dying to hear how a football player coming out has harmed the gay rights movement.

OK I appreciate your tone and it appears you are willing to engage in an intelligent discussion here. First of all, if there was a thread concerning Levi Brown's whereabouts, I would probably be curious and open it. If it said, "Levi Brown signs with the Montreal Alouettes," I would say "Hmm OK" and I would proceed with my day. What I wouldn't do is waste my time telling everyone how I don't care about Levi Brown signing with the Montreal Alouettes. Because I genuinely wouldn't care that much. If you genuinely didn't care about Michael Sam, you would have likewise not responded and we wouldn't be talking right now. But you do care. You hate the fact that it's newsworthy. Much the same way I hate the fact that Kim Kardashian is somehow newsworthy. But here's the distinction- Kim Kardashian has never done anything. Now Bruce Jenner on the other hand, is incredibly newsworthy. He is a trailblazer for the transgender community. If one by one, other famous celebrities declared themselves transsexual, it would eventually lose its luster and would not warrant a primetime interview every time someone came out as such. So the point is that gays, much like blacks, have been persecuted for centuries and have had to cross innumerable barriers in society. This is one such barrier. A gay guy working at a nail salon in 2015? Not newsworthy. A man- THE FIRST MAN- coming out as gay in literally the most machismo atmosphere in North America- one in which more people defended Richie Incognito's actions than condemned him? Incredibly newsworthy. Everyone was curious to see how he performed last year. He was actually pretty good in the preseason for the Rams last year for what it's worth. And I understand your whole, "I don't care so I don't know why anyone else does" narrative but unfortunately we're not quite there yet as a society. 20 years from now, when there are several gay athletes in professional sports, you will be happy to know that there will no longer be threads such as this one. But if you can't grasp the fact that what he did was not only incredibly courageous but also how people might be interested in the story, I don't what to tell you, Dwight. Please understand that there are gay kids all over America who are extremely confused, ashamed, insecure and many of them commit suicide every year. And people like Michael Sam make it easier for them to feel accepted, come out and hopefully lead a normal life. Trust me, this a good thing. But the bottom line is that news outlets- let's take CNN, or even foxnews.com for example- are in the business of generating traffic and making money. They wouldn't push a story that they didn't think people would click on. Michael Sam's story is news because people click on the story and it creates a buzz, controversy- it gets people talking. So, by definition, it is news. Ask yourself this- would an umpteenth Levi Brown thread last this long? Didn't think so. That's why that's not news and this is. And P.S., yes it is a waste of a thread when someone randomly starts a "we should sign Michael Sam" thread. That is where I would invoke your argument that there are plenty of other 7th round draft picks to kick the tires on. But the first and only openly gay man in the most popular sport in North America signing on with a new team? It's news dude. Next time, go to a different thread if you truly don't care. Some of you guys are unbelievable. See my rant above for further explanation but Michael Sam's story is far from irrelevant.

I have no idea what you're trying to say here.

Not bad. Only three laughingly predictable "I don't get it, why do I have to hear about some 7th round draft pick who couldn't even play in the NFL? I don't care if he's gay or straight or purple, he's no different than anyone else. Why is this news?" posts so far- from people, mind you, that if they truly didn't care, wouldn't have opened the thread in the first place. Much the same way that if there were a thread about knitting on here, I simply wouldn't open it, much less enter the thread and make my bold stance of not caring abundantly clear. Don't you understand that by telling everyone how much you don't care that it's exceedingly obvious to everyone else that not only do you care, but that this guy irks you to no end? But thanks for telling us you don't care. Great contribution. I, like everybody else- whether they care to admit it or not- was interested in hearing the news and am smart enough to understand why it's newsworthy. I think it would be cool if he was good up there but who knows. Thanks for enlightening us, 'enlightener.'

Aaron Hernandez is a dork.

That presents an interesting situation. You had to shelve the Burris jersey then but now it is a very nice jersey. Same thing happened to me with George Wilson. Can't wear it now but in a decade or so it will be a good one again.

I have a Lee Evans road jersey from that era. The only way I could imagine that jersey ever seeing the light of day again is if I was going to a Bills game with a bunch of girls and a girl needed to borrow a jersey. And Lee Evans had an insane 2006 season (I bought it that year), don't get me wrong, but in 2015 that is not a viable jersey option on gameday.

Ehh. Burn the slugs too. The black and red ones are kinda sweet in hindsight. A Briere black and red jersey would be a good jersey. Obviously I prefer the new ones (although I would MUCH prefer if they went all the way back) but the slugs are infinitely worse than the goatheads.

I'd like to institute a motion that in 2015, no one should be wearing the 2002-2010 jerseys anymore. They are horrible looking jerseys, it is a most forgettable era in Bills history and there aren't really any players who wore that jersey that are worth representing. Burn them all. EDIT: I supposed if you have a Fred Jackson or Kyle Williams jersey from that era that's OK. That's it though.

Great post. I have talked to a couple other people who watched his entire college and they are similarly excited about his prospects. I am openly rooting for him to win the job only because, like you said, I would be the most excited about what he could potentially bring to the table. But like you also said, I just want them to win so at the same time, I guess I don't really care who wins the job either.

It's just so subjective. How in the world are you gonna have the Redskins that low and then the Dolphins middle of the pack. Personally, I would have the Dolphins 30th, ahead of Tampa Bay and Jacksonville. And I was OK with their previous uniforms but the new ones just do not work for me at all.

Another new nickname poking fun at the durability of a guy who has played three full seasons as a starter in the NFL when meanwhile the guy to whom everyone blindly gives the benefit of the doubt, sustained three injuries that caused him to miss time in the same season. I will take the under. And now I will be accused of being a "hater" though people seem to have no problem degrading the guy who is most likely going to be the bills starting qb come September.

In his defense, it's not like he had a good qb here and couldn't "identify" him. Does he get credit for "identifying" troy aikman as his starter in Dallas?

I just ask that people be consistent. There are many people on this board who are extremely defensive of EJ Manuel but make snide, mocking remarks about Geno Smith. That is simply ridiculous. Quite honestly, I don't think it's happening for either of them but I can also understand the viewpoint that, look, give them each a few years. I'm OK with that. But no one is going to tell me that Manuel has looked more promising than Smith. He hasn't. Smith has looked worse but he has also looked far better. This is because he has let it fly far more than Manuel. Is that Marrone's fault? I guess we'll see. But I'm inclined to think he's still going to suck. I have a right to make that prediction. It doesn't mean I want it to happen. So please don't suggest that I'm anti-Bills players. I am and have always been a Bills apologist and optimist- every single one of my friends would tell you that. I have been outspoken on this website about how good I think their offensive line has been in years past (prior to last year) and just last week about how good I think their receiving core (corps?) is. I just don't think EJ Manuel is going to get much better. That is all. But back to the topic at hand, handing the job to Smith in May is one of the dumber things I've ever heard and I'm surprised Gailey had a hand in that. But what does it really even mean? If Petty comes in and blows everyone's socks off ala Russell Wilson three years ago, are the Jets really gonna be like, "nope sorry, Geno is our starter, we said it back in May?" Of course not. All I think this means is that it's his job to lose. For now.

No my entire post was in regards to Geno Smith apparently being named the Jets starter for this upcoming season. That's what we're talking about, right?

At least you're consistent. And I don't necessarily disagree with you.

Huh?

I know where you're going with this and of course I agree with you but I think the distinction here is that they blindly named him the starter without a competition. I don't really understand the purpose of this whatsoever. What if either Fitzpatrick or Petty clearly outplays him all offseason/preseason? But yes, to your point, if I'm a Jets fan and the Bills blindly named Manuel the starter over Cassel and Taylor, they would have every bit the right to say, "there is a God" too and that's where a lot of people on here would take offense. Actually now that I think of it, the situations are remarkably similar- with Taylor being our Petty. I am really glad the Bills are having an open competition.

I'd be curious to hear how you felt about one EJ Manuel?

Yes, agreed. That was my whole point.

I was half drunk, I'll give ya that.

Ha ha tannehill sucks, we have nobody but tannehill has played enough to show that he'll probably never be elite while the guy we have who has completely sucked and been benched as a result might have this magical upside that we haven't quite ruled out yet because we haven't seen enough of him. Even though tannehill just started playing the position of quarterback a few years ago. Our guy can go from suck to good but their guy is what he is. Joke's on the dolphins, ha ha ha, blah blah blah... EDIT: It's exactly like a situation in which the guy you think is a complete douchebag at the gym is bangin an average looking chick (but she is an actual chick) and you talk s**t about him and his girl to make you feel better about yourself, when meanwhile, you haven't gotten laid since 1999.

A very sensible post. Anyone who doesn't put Sammy Watkins in the top three WR's from last year's draft class right now should have their posting rights revoked. Kelvin Benjamin dropped so many balls last year it was ridiculous. Imagine if a healthy Sammy Watkins (I love how people forget that he played hurt pretty much all season) was Cam Newton's only receiving target (other than Olson obviously) all season. Plus all these guys have only played one freaking season, let's see how it all shakes out after 3-4 years. I would trade Watkins for Beckham right now and maybe/probably Evans. But that could easily change after this season. But to declare Watkins the 5th or 6th best in his class after one injury-riddled season with garbage at the QB position? One of the dumber contentions I've ever heard on this website and that is not hyperbole. And it's not like he even had a bad season! He had the 4th best numbers of any rookie WR. So you're saying that despite the injury and his QB play that he was actually worse than his numbers indicate?

This is just such a chicken and the egg conversation. Ya know how the Penguins always get a free agent winger to play alongside Crosby and his numbers are always inflated? Chris Kunitz, Pascal Dupuis, Hornqvist, et al? Did those guys magically become better players overnight upon getting signed by the Penguins? No. Would Tyler Ennis average a point a game if he skated with Crosby? Of course. But Tyler Ennis is Tyler Ennis. We know how good he is because we actually watch him play hockey. If you watch Robert Woods play football it is pretty apparent (at least to those of whom that understand the game) that he is a good receiver. His numbers almost don't mean s**t in this discussion. Does anyone here think that if Robert Woods was Tom Brady's slot receiver he wouldn't be drafted in the third round of everyone's fantasy draft this year? But instead he's Cassel/Manuel/Taylor's receiver so he won't get drafted at all. Last year against Houston he was targeted 12 times and caught 3 balls for 17 yards, almost having a temper tantrum because his quarterback was so incredibly inept. Is that an indictment against Robert Woods? Would a guy like Randall Cobb have put up better numbers that day? Does anyone here think that if Beckham was on the Bills and Watkins was on the Giants last year, that there numbers wouldn't have been a little closer? Bottom line, if you look at sheer talent, all things being equal, the Bills are a top 5 receiving unit in the NFL and no one is going to convince me otherwise. You got two first rounders and a second rounder, none of whom have underperformed their draft position thus far- rather their numbers have been affected by the situations they've been in.