chris heff

I am sick of the Bills moving discussion. I have been hearing it since 1968. The only team that could move to LA is the Rams and even that is unlikely. LA and CA are a financial train wreck, which means no public money. A year ago there were two alleged stadium deals, one is all but dead and the other you never hear anything about. No professional sports team is ever moving to Las Vegas, not after the NBA Allstar game debacle. Next biggest market is San Antonio and no way Jerry Jones lets that happen.

Three pages (so far) on Donald Jones, and what's worse I read all three. Thank God the rookies report on Monday. Four

You bet, vent on, that's the point isn't it?

What does objectivity have to do with this? This post is about optimism vs pessimism, one is not better than the other. They are coping mechanisms. They both however require the formation of an opinion, and even if that opinion is based on facts, the fact that it is an opinion makes it subjective. In your posts you have stated that in effect the Bills are doomed to fail because of Jim Overdorf and that you have personal knowledge as to his state of mind. The personal knowledge of his state of mind is subjective, unless Overdorf told you personally that all he cares about is his retirement package (I am using this as an example, I am not trying to be a jerk). I am not disagreeing with your opinion of Overdorf, nor am I agreeing with it. As I wrote in another post, I have long felt that Mr. Wilson was the problem, I view Mr. Overdorf as an extension of Mr. Wilson. However as I have also previously stated, this off season has a decidedly different feel. As to how you spend your Sundays in the fall, that is most certainly your business. I was merely suggesting that if you firmly believe that the Bills are destined to fail yet again, don't toucher youself. Furthermore I only made a suggestion as to how to solve this dilema. I solved it with a DVR.

I'm not simmering, I'm serious. I have believed for a long time that the problem with the Bills is Ralph Wilson. This is meant in no way to disparage Mr. Wilson's contribution to the league, it is HOF worthy. I don't believe Ralph is cheap, I do believe money has been spent on the wrong people. Mr. Wilson has a long history of making bad personnel decision regarding key football management positions. Bad GMs, which lead to bad coaches and bad player personnel people. This team was dysfunctional long before Jim Overdorf. I had resigned myself to the fact that nothing would change until ownership changed, or somehow, a GM would be hired either by accident or default that would change things. Like how Bill Polian became GM. The changes made this off season have made me optimistic. What occurred was very un-Ralph Wilson, young GM, college coach, round one QB. We shall see. During this latest and long Bills dark age, I started it by going to a local sports bar for games, but for some time have had Directv. The beauty of Directv is that I can DVR the game and do something else with my Sunday. I will admit to watching the first few games live, but once the hand writting was on the wall, DVR time. I have found that this eases the pain.

So why bother? Do something else with your Sundays.

Not funny! I am outraged! How dare Nike insult the great state of NC! They are the CAROLINA PANTHERS! The words NORTH and SOUTH were purposely omitted! I will never buy anything Nike again!

It's just not that easy.

I thought I read some where that rookies report on 7/22, am I wrong about that?

Made me laugh.

Oh, I get it, neither have been anything since 1989. You know, those people.

78% of all statistics are made up.

This has nothing to do with anything, but I live in South FL and I just saw a guy in the Super Market wearing a Thurman Thomas Dolphins jersey. I had to do a double take. I guess I should have asked him if thought Byrd's numbers were padded.

Ok this made me laugh.

From a philosophical stand point I don't disagree with EA. Processing information and accuracy are the two most important qualities for an NFL QB. I disagree with his assessment of EJ Manuel because I don't believe he has ever seen him play. He formed his opinion based on the observations of other, and even there were he read "work in progress" and "project". I read " most potential" and "greatest up side". The assertion that FSU runs a simple offense is just wrong. Their play book is daunting. Although they run a small number of plays there are multiple formations for each play. This offense is particularly difficult for young receivers. If receivers are not where they are suppose to be, I don't care if you get to your fourth read, if the guy isn't there he isn't there. I'm not saying that EJ's decision making or the lack there of is all on his receivers, but it contributed. After the draft I went to YouTube and watched as many complete games as I could find. Some I had seen live. FSU lost two games last year. The NC State loss is on Fisher. They had a 16 point lead and Fisher had his team go in to a shell. In the Florida loss EJ had five turn overs, three interceptions and two fumbles. The first int he was under preasure, falling backwards, he should have eaten it. The second he threw it right to the defender. On the third the receiver quit on the pattern the defender did not. One fumble I don't remember. The others, in the NFL would have been a personal foul and the LB proably would have been fined. If you want to see a microcosm of EJ's FSU career watch the Florida game and the Clemson game. It is EJ at his worst and best against very good teams.

Since this has turned into a the Bills are cheap we are doomed thread, here is my two cents. Bill Polian recently said somewhere to somebody, thatt two positions where you don't want to over pay are guard and safety. It just so happens that the Bills two big FA this year were a guard and safety. The Bills used the franchise tag on the right player. Tennessee over paid for Levitre, a good player, but he plays a position where one of the most respected people in football says don't over pay. As far as Bryd is concerned, none of us have any idea what the sticking point was. Probably money, but it could be that a Bryd just wants out. If he just wants out there is not much the Bills can do other than what they have done. If it is money, should they over pay at the saftey position at the expense of not being able to pay at another position deemed more important?

The problem with EA's personally formed opinions is that he bases them on these links. As opposed to you who spent the time to make your own observations.

Thank you.

You're not going to get an answer. I asked where anyone has said that FSU's offense was over simplified, to no avail. Edwards Arm has no idea how simple or complex the FSU offense maybe and he has never seen EJ Manuel play one down of football. His opinions are based on others opinions and of course the all important Wonderlic.

I don't think the Pats will make the playoffs because of their history, I think they will make the playoffs because they have one of the best QBs to ever play the game. The changes that happened three years ago had Ralph's fingerprints all over them. He hired Nix to be GM because he knew him. Then they hired a retread HC in Gailey. As my brother so eloquently puts it, "one old fool hired another old fool, who hired another old fool". Maybe a bit harsh, but accurate. The events of this off season would be the complete antithesis to the Bills behavior not only for the past thirteen years but since their inception. A young up and coming GM, last and only time that happened was Polian . Polian was hired to be director of pro personnel, he became GM after Terry Bledsoe had a heart attack. The hiring of a young coach from the college ranks is a Bills first. As is the drafting of a QB with their first pick. I believe that when Gailey was hired I groaned. The Marrone hiring made me smile, not the same old Bills

I guess they did blow it up. Ralph removing himself from the decision making process was the most significant. The rest reminds me of a building I once saw demolished. it was in such bad shape that there was no fixing it. Two taps with a back hoe and it collapsed. Foundation stayed however. Is anyone going to miss any of those people whose names you mentioned? Coaching would have to be better, it couldn't be worse. Same for LBs and WRs. I think this team has a good foundation. Lines, RBs are good, secondary is a wait and see. I am more optimistic than I have been in a long time, mostly because Ralph is not involved. This off season was not the same old same old.

Very good article. When the Bills were interviewing candidates, I hoped that Marrone would be their guy. I didn't want a retread and I had and still have the feeling that Brian Kelly will be back coaching college football two years from now.

I don't remember that at all. Williams, and Mularkey were on no one's radar other than Donahoe's. He had lost a power struggle with Cower. So he hired coaches that would be beholding to him. Jauron was a panic choice, Levi told Mularkey he could stay, after the firing of Donahoe. Mularkey then quit. Gailey got the job by default.

It is apparent that you are only interested in a philosophical discussion of what qualities are necessary to be a perfect NFL QB. You have no idea how simple or complex the FSU offense is and you have never seen EJ Manuel play one down of football.

Woods is the key. He needs to play like a veteran. If he is as polished as advertised it will help the third and fourth WR and take preasure off Stevie. It could get interesting