Red

I hear you on the dirty union city thing. I don't agree with a dome, though. HSBC arena is all the dome needed for concerts.

Finally, a man with sense. My argument exactly. WNY needs whatever money it can get since manufacturing is just about gone. The Bills are a prime-time ticket, and we should consolidate our services (Bills, Sabres, Bisons, theatre district, etc) and make them top notch so that people looking to spend their cash will want to stay in Buffalo. Baltimore has it right, with the Ravens and Orioles next to each other, and right on the waterfront. Buffalo should follow the Baltimore model. And I agree, that once the game is over, restaurants will be packed! People will be hungry, and the money, once again will stay in Buffalo. Let Bass Pro develop, and retail will begin to flourish all along the area. Buffalo can focus on chicken wings, beef on weck, pizza, etc for the tourists. And with all of the extra things to offer, people will finally have a reason to come downtown, and maybe all of the drunken riff-raff that ruins what could be a great family experience of a game will stop coming. Let the Falls get all of the Casinos. Buffalo should get the Bills. I can never understand why UB is in Amherst, either...should be downtown.

Judman, I share your sympathies to the Pats and Cowboys, but you miss the point of calling them the BUFFALO Bills in the 1st place. The cameramen use Niagara Falls as a backdrop already and the Bills are all the way out in Orchard Park. What I think would be more thoughtful, is to see a Monday Night game in November, snowing, stadium packed with red, white, and blue raucous fans shown from the Goodyear blimp high above the City of Buffalo. The way the Steelers stadium looks IN Pittsburgh. The Bills should be in Buffalo. Otherwise, their name should be changed. "Oh yeah. I love the Buffalo Bills!....with their stadium in...Orchard...Park....."

That's your representatives, man. Stop voting the same idiots to office, demand accountability, and things will change. I love how people complain about politics, etc...then when it comes to time to be heard, every baffoon and his uncle votes for the incumbent. Get rid of 'business as usual' and demand accountability. With the exception of Brian Higgins and the lawyer actually bringing about smaller government in WNY, no one is worth a darn.

then you might as well change their name to the Niagara Falls Bills....

I love Jim Kelly, but this is perhaps the most assinine thing I have heard in some time. Last I checked, they were called the BUFFALO Bills. Not the Orchard Park Bills. Not the Niagara Falls Bills. The BUFFALO Bills. We have a horrible brown field on the waterfront, just south of the City that would THE perfect site to build a new stadium. Knock down that old plant, build a state-of-the-art stadium and plentiful parking, and Buffalo would benefit because of it. People will want to eat before and after the game, and restaurants will flourish, shops will open in the downtown area, and money will stay in Buffalo. Let Niagara Falls get all of the Casinos they want. I say allow it to become the Las Vegas of NY. You are guaranteed people from all over the world every year just to see the Falls. The problem is, that once they get to the Falls, there is little to nothing to KEEP them on the American side. Casinos would do that. The only stipulations I would have is that the casinos have to give back to the City of Niagara Falls (help pay costs of increased police force, rescue workers, and community improvement/ development), and cannot monopolize the area as outside restaurants, shops, etc would be part of the development program. As long as they could comply with those 2 requests, I say build as many high-end casinos as you can! But the Bills belong in Buffalo; and not anywhere else.

I don't really care about win-loss records. I don't think that they will be good enough to make the playoffs this year, BUT... ...what I hope and what I believe that we will see is a unit that is starting to show signs of improving. I believe we will start to see signs of talent at more positions across the field, improved depth, less injuries, and smarter coaching. These things, on their own, are enough to warrant an improved record. For example: knowing that we don't yet have that game-breaking TE, #2 WR, or QB we will be focusing on a dominant run game. From a RB perspective, we are well on our way to having a tough backfield. Lynch, Jackson, Spiller, and the Div II rushing leader for the past 2 years Bell sound pretty impressive, not to mention the back we also signed off of Indy. Besides, alot of people on this board were clamoring for Cowher or Schottenheimer to be the coach. Parcells has been quoted as calling Buffalo the "ideal" place for football, and former GM on the NFL network Lombardi all agree that a ground-and-pound approach is best for the cold weather elements in WNY. Teams will take a pounding from Lynch, Jackson, and Bell, then get scorched by Spiller. Defenses will be so worn out and stacking the line to contain the run game, Trent or whomever wins the job will finally be able to unload down the field. I think we'll resemble the Chiefs when Gailey was the OC there.... Now if only we could fill that LT position...I'd feel ALOT better!

I'm a little let down with this at this point, as I was hoping something would occur soon to fix perhaps our biggest hole on the roster- that of LT. Oh well. It could still happen. I think as others have mentioned that Baltimore is probably holding to too high of a draft pick in return and/ or Gaither may be being a jerk about not wanting/ wanting a multi-year deal. But it probably has more to do with what Baltimore wants and what the Bills are willing to spend than anything else.

This should not come as a shock to anyone that does not have their head in the sand. The NFL fancies itself as the premiere PED testing organization, but they are a joke there too. HGH does not even have a test. Players- such as Cushing and others before him- are caught using female fertility drugs that not only promote a male body to restart testosterone production after using steroids, but also to mask the fact they were using anabolics in the first place. Extending their career? That's a lousy argument if a minority are cheating using PED's. But with bigger, drug-induced bodies comes more force upon impact. And more injuries. So, you either join the fray or get hammered. Same old loser argument for juicing in the first place. Bottom line: if they were all clean, there would be no need for PED's. As in Baseball, fans want excitement, players want the glory and the green, and will do anything to prolong it. As with the Olympics, I'd much prefer an all natural league, but for a league to be proactive on this it takes tons of money and a crack science team. Something nobody is too concerned about to enact.

I agree with your point. At no point do I believe that the Bills have invested their money wisely. That is why John Guy is gone. Modrak should be as well, as his track record this past decade is horrendous. With that being said, nothing you bring up diminishes what I am saying about players holding their team hostage while they already have a contract. The Bills are far from innocent of bungling the past decade, but things have to change to have players and teams honor the contracts.

Orakpo has a better haircut. Maybin's frohawk was just stupid.

Yeah, I have to agree with that. If we had drafted Whitner in the 3rd and somebody like Ngata in the 1st I would have no hard feelings for Whitner. And man, we'd be pretty tough to run against.

I'm glad he gave it up. He's an idiot for even posting his thoughts on a such a public vehicle. And let's face it, his postings usually would fall flat or he would often end up with egg on his face (Bills making the playoffs, etc). And there should not be any surprise that people behave as idiots, because they do. Add a little alcohol to greaten the behavior. Whenever I read the moronic things professional athletes do (see: Rothlesberger, Pacman, "Tank", Plaxico, Marshawn, Ko Simpson, etc, etc, etc), I can't help but think how stupid do they have to be? The league educates them, when they are rookies, to be careful with their elite status. There are people who will attempt to manipulate and trap them in order to get money, or status, or both. And with the league cracking down on such rueful behavior (finally), a player has got to literally keep his "mind on his money" if he wants to stay employed. If it was me, I'd be a Payton Manning. You'd see me doing volunteer work in the community, at church, and at celebrity events. I'd be a "workout warrior" who would we be lifting and watching film, and playing on game day. Other than that, I'd be a priest and no one would be able to find me because I'd be home. Whitner's 'tweets' hardly strike as unruly behavior; but as he has not lived up to his #8 overall draft status thus far, I would think that the last thing he would want to be doing is giving his mouth more work than his body. Perhaps a little less time opining and alot more time training will do the trick.

I could not agree more and I think this is perhaps the greatest reason why Peters was traded. If a team capitulates by literally being held hostage by the player, the message sent to the locker room is not a healthy one. As much as I loved (and still do) Bruce Smith, every year he would pull the same garbage; wanting to be paid as the #1 DE in the league. Leverage would be comparison to Reggie White and his contract. Now on the flip side, I know a team can cut a player, a player can get injured, etc and the team can always jettison a player with a contract. Football, by its very nature, is also an extremely violent sport. As science delves into it, we see the concussions and shortened life spans to go along with the lowered quality of life from having battered bodies. So there is a part of me that understands the players perspective and can be sympathetic to that. Another point of course is the volumes of cash the owners and the league do make on the backs of the players themselves. Let's face it, I'm not paying for Sunday Ticket to watch commercials. Finally, whenever I hear people complain about professional athlete contracts I am always amazed. I seldom (if ever) hear anyone complain about the $20 million George Clooney made from a single movie, or a Tom Cruise, or a Brad Pitt, etc. We tend to look at sports as somewhat different, but at their core both professional sports and films exist as entertainment. Why is it ok for Clooney to pull in $20 million for maybe 3 months of work with no physical risk of life-threatening injury, and a football player can't? Strange lack of outrage there. But, with all of that being said, when you sign a contract you have got to honor that contract. You can't, as Bruce always did, sign a contract and then come back and demand more because somebody else is now making more. If a player is so concerned about security, then sign the multi-year deal. If a player is just going to cooperate until somebody else at their respective position is then making more than them, then they should be up front with their team and the length of the contract should reflect such a position as well. So, like you said, it is an attempt by the player/ agent to have it both ways. Money and security. It's either or. And one thing I do grow tired of is a player talking about "feeding my family", as if signing a $10-25+ million contract does not set them up for life. As if any mere mortal would never again have to work a day in their life with that kind of money.

And? I can remember whole squads of "experts", when the Buffalo Sabres and Carolina Hurricanes came out of the lockout in the NHL, ranking both the Sabres and 'Canes at the bottom of the league. Funny, but I seem to recall that both teams played for the right to go to the Stanley Cup in the East Finals with the Hurricanes winning the Cup that year. And the Sabres were 1 period away from going. Or the unexplainable boner the media has for the Miami Dolphins every year. I have a hard time remembering when Miami has ever lived up to any of the hype thrown on them by the members of the media. I hate these rankings, because they are absolutely meaningless. One of the most used "facts" the media uses when compiling these useless rankings, is strength of schedule. Prior to the season, you will hear this team will have it tougher, or easier- all because of who they are playing. Now, of course they are using last season as the guide, and no team is the same as they were the year before. Then, after the season starts and the dogs reveal themselves to be dogs and the surprises reveal themselves, we see the real win-loss record as it truly is. Unexpected things occur like injuries, player hold outs, and cuts. Funny thing is, then all of these strength of schedule loons, who based all of their "predictions" at the start of the season, rather than issue an apology for being as wrong as anyone else, then claim that "well, because the schedule of such-and-such team was weaker (or stronger, you choose) THIS year, then that explains everything". Bottom line, this is all garbage that is not based in any reality, rather somebody's opinion designed to create sizzle to sell magazines.

I am far from a supporter of Modrak, as his rein of terror has been the only consistent with the Bills with the exception of Ralph with this recent front office turnover. I called for his firing when Guy was also not brought back. Modrak's decade of failure stretches farther back than any 1 coach, so coaching cannot be an excuse. Truth can be told in how many players selected between years 2000-2005, are still with the team. Out of 50 picks, something like 3-4 are still with the team, and Schobel is considering retirement. That is horrible number, when you consider that if the philosophy for a smaller market team like Buffalo is to build through the draft, than those players between the years 2000-2005 should now be at the peak of their careers and leading at their respective position. Furthermore, how many Modrak inspired picks have made the Pro Bowl in the past decade? In the past decade, how many of our 1st round picks are still with the team? Dominating? If Modrak has been in charge of getting the scouts together and making recommendations on players to draft- which he has- than he has failed miserably and should not be retained further. After that, I have to disagree with you on the rest. Nix is an excellent judge of talent, as evidenced by his run here in the Super Bowl years and in San Diego. Whaley in the pro personnel side of things is a fantastic improvement over Modrak's clone in ineptitude- John Guy. Little news was made of the Bills recently signing another top scout from San Diego that is now working for the Bills- so little, in fact, that his name escapes me. The front office is changing, and with it, so is the culture of losing that Modrak and Guy built. And I really wish the age-bashers would give it a break already. In some cultures, age actually displays wisdom and experience. Last I checked, San Diego is still a pretty talented team. As with anyone championing this draft, I also have to shoot down people such as yourself that harpoon it before it even gets a chance to breathe. Only time will tell. In 3-4 seasons, we will be able to tell how productive this draft was. Everything else is just hot air.

John McCargo, Roscoe Parrish, and Chris Kelsay. Josh Reed has already been let go along with Owens.

Blah, blah, blah, this is such old news. Who cares that he put the Bills #1? If we pick up Gaither at LT for a reasonable price, would that perhaps solidify our line some and make the offseason then look like more of a success? Will one of these undrafted free agents step up, and become a "hidden gem" that we discovered? Look, comparing the Jets to the Bills at this point is ridiculous. Sure, the Jets went out and traded and signed all of these big name free agents. Last I checked, they only had 4 draft picks in the entire draft this year. Is it worth it to mortgage your future for the present? The old George Allen Redskins and Raiders of the 70's were the only teams to successfully do this. The Redskins of this decade have proven that simply throwing wads of cash at names does not guarantee success. Albert Hayneswho? The Patriots have been the leaders for a decade now. They have been progressively eroding, and once Pioli left for KC it is clear that they are not that dominant force they once were. There are chinks in the armor that was once invincible. Banta-Cain is a far cry from Bruschi. I don't see a Richard Seymour replacement. They have issues at the RB position as they do not seem to have (nor care) a true #1 back. Don't even get me started on Miami. I love Parcells and what he can do for a team. But Dansby? Are you serious? He was on the market forever. Nobody wanted him. Hardly an earth-shattering signing. And the Brandon Marshall trade, though excellent in terms of on-field ability and talent, is potentially terrible in terms of emotional baggage and distraction for off of the field. Throw in the ever-present possibility of the injury-bug, and the NFL season is never as certain as these know-nothings attempt to proclaim it to be. Look, the guy has to write something. He gets paid to come up with this stuff. Much like the weatherman, he doesn't get fired for being wrong.

He should. I am 50/50 on Trent at this point. Obviously, as a Bills fan I want SOMEBODY to emerge as our QB for atleast the next 3-5 seasons, and I would love it if it was somebody who is already on the roster. I don't think Trent truly received any attention and grooming at the professional level since his arrival. He was thrown into the mix w/minimal 1-on-1 time because our coaching staff was so bad, and because JP was so bad. His first game was against New England, of all teams, in NE to top it off. Our offensive line has been mediocre at best, and with the exception of last season, we have not had a solid #2 WR since the Moulds/ Price combo back in the early part of this decade. And even that was only for 1 season. Not to mention the fact that he clearly has regressed since the second concussion against AZ. I think we have the makings of a better team now. Spiller will help. Everyone has forgotten about Evans. If we jump in and make a trade for Baltimore's LT Gaither, our OL will start to shape up. We finally have both an offensive minded head coach and a real QB coach with proven experience in Cortez. Perhaps one of these new WR's will fill that #2 role. Though I think All Pro is a fantasy at best, I wish Trent the best and hope that he wins the job! GO BILLS!

Sort of reminds me of Jennifer Capriati. I started calling her 'Romo' for her uncanny resemblance to then-Broncos LB Bill Romanowski. Why female tennis players would feel the need to "juice", is beyond me...

I've often times wondered this myself, as Mawae has dominated play since he was a Titan. I can remember when he signed with the Jets, and had to manage Mt. Washington twice a season when he was with us. While I agree that the C position is probably one of the few on a football team that can handle getting up there in age, he probably has at best, 1 complete season left in the tank to truly make a difference. And I'm also at a point where I am more intrigued by our undrafted free agent offensive linemen that are being signed than any interior line free agents. Great player, but is probably too close to the end of a career. I'd pass.

Oh no he didn't. He did not just mention Robert Royal's football contributions in a positive manner.

All he needs is a hole and he will be gone.

That's not really a specific thing to say, man. There are a whole host of reasons why a player not be brought back- least of which being age and who is up-and-coming on their roster for starters. Contract in relation to team salary structure, etc. I don't think McNabb was done talent-wise in Philly, yet they decided that they did not want to hang on to him, either. Green is an older, RT who is not a pro bowl type of player. Does that mean that he can't upgrade (or solidify) our line for the next year or two while we develop/ sign a free agent/ rookie? Only time will tell. But if he does come in and help bring our O-Line back from the grave, then he will be looked at as a sage signing. Based on what we have seen so far from the Nix/ Whaley/ Gailey era, I like what is going on these days over at OBD.