Buftex

Yeah, I think you are missing the point. I don't think anyone here really has a problem with him thinking the Bills are no good...look on this board, many Bills fans feel the same way. It isn't even that he only cares about big market teams, or superstar players...it is ESPN, we get that. Why I find him so repusive, he constantly tells you why small market teams don't matter, and why teams that don't have superstar players are irrelevent. It is all ratings and numbers to him...and he says that, over and over. One time, during the NHL playoffs a few years ago, he took calls. Rare, because that would take attention away from him...I think he was expecting lots of NBA playof talk, but,heaven forbid, somebody snuck a hockey topic in their call. He spent the next half hour telling them that hockey is irrelevant, and only draws a minimal share in the ratings, so, talking about how irrelevant hockey is, is more relevant, than talking about the game of hockey. Because, after all, as he will remind you over and over he "runs a national show that caters to a national audience...San Diego doesn't care what some bitter, miserable, cold, North Easterner has to say about the New Jersey Devils playoff run. The Bills could be 8-0 right now, but, by his criteria, the Philadelphia Eagles are a better team, because they have lots of big name players, which are "good for ESPN, good for ESPN radio, and good for me"...and, after all, they are in a major market. It is one thing to be a self-obsessed !@#$, it is another to brag about it, or pretend it makes you superior. Last Christmas, a day or two after, he was the only ESPN radio personality on the air,live that day. We had him on at work. He spent virtually the whole show talking about how he is an "A-type personality, I hate this time of year. I want to be a mover and shaker, but when everyone is taking time off for the holidays, I can't getting anything done...I can't "move and shake" like I do the other 51 weeks of the year." He seriously went on and on like that, for hours...letting everyone know, he got where he was, because he is "always working, always looking for an angle to improve his career"...thanks Colin...next time do us other 99% a favor and stay home...even death needs to take a holiday from time to time. To each his own I guess, but I seriously can't fathom why anyone thinks he is entertaining. I really have tried...still the worst, as far as I am concerned. That's all I have to say about that....

Doug Whaley!

Ditto.

Yeah, you can see it....ever since he signed that big contract, all Fitz does is drop back and throw the ball into the ground...he probably figures "hey, I got my money, fug this....I hope they bench me, and the knowledgable Bills fans get out the tar and feathers...that way, I cash my checks, and don't have to do nothin'...thank you Harvard!" I am not sure what is more depressing, the PPP forum, or coming to the football forum after a loss.

Yeah, I think the VS guys are okay...much rather have the Sabres coverage. But, I have Center Ice, and the Sabrea are almost never in HD...and if they are, it is always the oppositions announcing team...so, it is sort of a trade-off...hockey looks so much better in HD!

Just a heads up to all you out of towners (like me) who don't have Center Ice...Sabres next two games (Monday 11/14- vs @Montreal and Wednesday 11/16 vs New Jersey @Buffalo) In case you haven't heard, Ryan Miller suffered a concussion against the Bruins on Saturday night (very cheap shot by Milan Lucic)...Johnas Enroth will be starting both games, I assume. Sabres got drilled on Saturday by Boston, like the Bills did against Dallas on Sunday....but they have been, mostly, pretty fun to watch this year...

I thought the seaon premiere was pretty awesome, and I thought last nights episode was really good too...but, I agree, eps 2,3,4 kind of dragged...I know, all of this is supposed to be taking place over three days, and you can do stories like that, but they are not doing a good job of building it as a three-day period. The end of last nights episode (#5- Chupacabra) was pretty good...I think the story may finally be moving again...too much hand-wringing by Rick, this season, about faith, and leadership...but last nights show kind of focused on the red-neck guy (can't remember his name at the moment), who I think is one of the stronger characters on the show.

Didn't know about this last night, but I was watching BB's post game press conference last night, and, he seemed more, uh, sheepish than usual. He was as bland as ever in his words, but you could tell he was extra happy to have beaten the Jets. I know many hate BB, but I have a lot more respect for him, than I do the Rex Ryan or the Jets...

It's the defense man...the worse they do, the more pressure it puts on the offense....bad field position for two consecutive weeks, and playing from behind...the offense, and Fitz, are better...but they are not so much better that they can overcome poor defensive performances, and consistently wretched kick/punt returning game. When we all loved this team, just two weeks ago, the defense was getting turnovers, masking the fact that they can't really stop anyone, consistently. Plain and simple, if the Bills defense doesn't get a few turnovers each game, their chances of winning decrease dramatically.

Yeah, I know....just thought it was kind of funny... this team pisses me off to no end, year after year, but I never miss a game!

Way to stick to your convictions!

Please... this place is absurd sometimes.

Personally, I could care less if Cowherd doesn't think the Bills are any good...sometimes I don't either. I just think he is kind of an !@#$, and his lack of stance, or position on anything make listening to him pretty useless. His approach is cynical, and joyless. That can be funny, but with him, it just isn't. The guy does not have a funny bone in his body. I think it is funny that someone in this thread, is saying he is "well-traveled" and "smart". I hear no evidence of that, other than he tells us that. Obviously, there are people who enjoy him. But, keep in mind, there was a time when the Fabulous Sports Babe was the #1 rated sports talk personality in the US. I don't really need to hear about the Bills and Sabres constantly. I am interested in the NFL, NBA and NHL...so I like hearing it all. In fact, I can only tolerate GR, even when they are talking about 2 of my 3 teams (Celtics are #3), in small doses. There is really only so much you can say. Problem with Cowherd, all the ESPN radio guys in fact, is that it seems (like their news counterparts at FOX) they are given "talking points" for the day, and that is what all of them talk about that day. Mike & Mike are firs, so, in some ways, maybe that makes them more tolerable. You haven't heard the same thing a hundred times already, when they come on. Hearing Cowherd talk about his divorce is mind numbingly brutal. Whenever he brings up his ex, I just think, "that poor lady..." What I think/hope happens is Cowherds ego gets so big, that he leaves ESPN, and he disappears.

He has a "man-crush" on Rodgers too, because he is so good...bright and shiny...last year, he spent the entire NBA season, sucking off LeBron, and damning all the "haters" because they are jealous of him...then, when it appeared the Heat weren't an automatic to win a ring, he jumped ship, and started ripping them...what I love about Michelle Beadle (besides that I think she is hot) she always calls him on his BS...if Colin wasn't on that show, I might watch it more...I like her...funny chick!

Cowherd will admit it himself, he loves the "bright, shiny objects"

I usually listen to GR a little in the morning (another topic), and Cowherd comes on right after them...there is a little spillover...

Fair enough. He does well in the ratings, so he must be entertaining somebody. I really don't have a problem with him not being a total sports guy, or having an turned up nose opinion about things, but he is just, to me, a very uninteresting person. His personality is just dull, to grating. He reaches far, for what I imagine he thinks, are witty analogys, that just don't work. I have never heard Malcolm Gladwell on there, that might be interesting. However, if I want to hear something a bit more heady, I would turn away from sports talk radio. I agree about Dan Patrick...I once heard him talk for the better part of an hour about the tie he wore on Letterman the previous night. But, he can talk sports (the reason I am listening, after all). What I like least about his show, is all of the producers that share air time with him...it seems like, as you said, some big frat party, and we are not always privy to the jokes, unless we listen every day. ESPN seems to have embraced this idea that every guy is either a "metrosexual" or a "meat-head". I am an NBA fan (rare here I know), so I find Scott Van Pelt a good mix of humour and sport...but, he does talk a lot of NBA, so I realize, not everybody's cup of tea. Honeslty, byond him, and Mike & Mike (inane at times, but they stick to sports) about the only things listenable on ESPN radio. I think the rest is kind of garbage. FOX Sports radio, despite its' Fox affiliation, is a much better sports talk network. I think JT The Brick, is pretty snappy, runs a fast paced show, and he can be pretty witty as well, under his 'regular guy" persona. And, for football, on non-satallite radio, I don't think you can do much better than Chris Landry and John Fricke. The overnight guy, Ben Mahler is pretty damn funny too...

I am curious, why do you think he is great? Other hosts, on a national level, manage to not talk about small market teams, without, daily, going on some diatribe why small market teams are inferior. He is a guy who loves working under the conditions of a natioanl audience, because he is so bland an vanilla, he can only talk about what is most popular. He is the ultimate front-runner weasel. I have heard him say, more than once, he likes players more than he likes teams, and has no problem with switching allegences from year to year, because there isn't enough time in life to root for a "loser". I suppose there is some sense to that, but, IMO, he represents everything there is to hate about the state of sports these days, and, is the love child of every bad idea that ESPN has had over the course of its' existence. He contradicts himself constantly, verbally fellates himself incessantly, and his opinions change by the second. If somebody is going to be a guest on his show, he sucks up to them all the time leading up, and then dispariges them, or their cause, afterwards. And, he just talks about himself, way too much...Dan Patrick, is only marginally better in that regard, but, Patrick is listenable, because he has a sense of humor. Cowherd is devoid of humour. And he just, essentially, lays out his opinion of the day, and repeats it over and over...eechh...he really is bad. I am not one of those who "never listens" to him, because I normally here the first half hour of his show, a few times a week. I also listen to a lot of talk radio, and sports talk radio. I think, as far as sports talkers go, on a national level, he is far and away the worst. Maybe that is why he is popular...the worst things, in most entertainment mediums, tend to be the most popular. Cowherd has a formuala for all of his opinions. Whatever is "good for his business" is good with him.

I agree. It is something that has been annoying me for years now. I just find it hard to believe that nearly every player on the Bills defense over the last 5 years or so has looked like they don't belong on an NFL roster as a starter of any quality. I always hated the defense that they ran under Jauron...ironic, perhaps, they played some of their best, as a unit, when Jauron was gone. They always seemed to be playing catch-up, letting the opposing offense, no matter how mediocre, dictate everyhing. I see glimmers of improvement in that area under Gailey, but we are still a ways off. It seems, often, our best players end up emerging when the guy in front of them gets injured.

It might have been funnier a few days ago...

I agree. He may not be the greatest QB (okay, he isn't) and he may never even be an adequate starting NFL QB, jury is still out....but for all his blind devotees, I don't think I can recall any young QB taking such brutal, over the top criticism as Tebow has taken. His "suckiness" has constituted about 33% of sports talk radio, and ESPN tv talking head content, since August. The kid has started 3 games, is 2-1, and has actually showed some improvement. How about letting him start a dozen games or so, before declaring him a "bust" or like half the clowns at ESPN declared, after pre-season "the Broncos must cut Tim Tebow". The extreme reaction to him, both good and bad is over the top.

I think Whitner makes some valid comments...particularly when he mentions "putting guys in the right place to be successful". Particualarly under Jauron, but a bit on defense still, under Gailey, it gets frustrating to think that the Bills are committed more to a scheme, than they are to using the talents of their players to the fullest. I will give the current regime a little more leadway, because they have at least attempted to address their inadequcies in running the scheme they seem committed to, as their base defense. Under Jauron, the defense never really improved, and always looked out of place, and mismatched.

Or stimulus checks, like we got from GW!

Jury is still out a bit, for me, on Nix. I still think there is room for improvement in a number of areas, but I also think that Nix just does not have the tool$ that many other GM's have to work with. I never hated the Gailey hire, but there were a few guys, at the time, I would have much preferred. I must say now, I was very wrong about Gailey. He has been an excellent choice. I am inclined to give some of the credit that everyone is giving to Nix, to Doug Whaley. I think our head of "pro-personel" and assistant GM is being forgotten about. He has brought in a bunch of diamonds in the rough, from other teams...been a while since that department has had much success. btw- I was one of those who was sure the Bills wouldn't win more than 6 or 7 games. I think that will be wrong...can envision them winning 10.

I was at the next worst Bills home game in a "long time"...Dec. 26th, 2010...Bills smacked down by the Pats, pretty thouroughly, on a cold ass !@#$ing freezing day...