BillsNYC

I think he is. This could be a 10 page thread of people going back and forth asking who is responsible for the Pats* success, Brady or Belicheat. Or the video camera?

I'd rather root for a player who WINS, not one with a great back story. That's the problem with the coverage of the Bills, its all about the back stories because they're a losing team. It's like the first college I attended, instead of them focusing/promoting academics, they touted how they had one of the most diverse campuses in the nation. In the end, who cares about campus diversity if the academic portion isn't there? I transferred out. Both sides make great points - It IS interesting to read back stories and learn more about players, and if you don't want to read about them just don't. On the other hand there is an increasing focus from the media on the drama off the field (Favre, Vick, Lynch) and its getting harder to get the needed real facts that truly influence gameday. There's being too far to one side focusing just on stats/facts, and too far on the other side focusing on drama. I think sports reporting is starting to tip the ship on the drama side and needs to come back a little bit to the stats side to even the ship. I agree with Ham and others that I'd rather know about Maybin's weight issues, why he came out early, what kind of player he is on the field. In the end that has a lot more to do with the 2009 season than being pulled off the wrestling team in high school. I'm not challenging Tim personally, I'm talking about the sports media in general who is subtracting from the tough game questions to focus on the drama off the field.

A friend who was a photographer on the field said Kelly walked towards the wrong lockerroom after being knocked out of his last game. His days were done.

Interesting article....as long as he's not warning of a terrorist attack (South Park joke) http://www.buffalonews.com/cityregion/story/661348.html

Is that a fruit plate in front of him? Give that man some steak, he needs to put on some weight!

What a POS. 1) Go out with some dignity like Kelly did. 2) I still think you're lame for giving Strahan that fake sack for the record.

Thank you for the kind response, much better than "chill" or basically calling me a terrible person. I get you on that, I just think we've had a lot of players like him and it feels like we're spoon fed how great guys they are, instead of what great players they are. This is especially true for BuffaloBills.com. I'd like to know why Maybin came out this year, and how he plans to gain/maintain his weight. What kind of person is he on the field? Is he a softy like Dockery, or a pit bull like Wood? Obviously time for that story, but feel those are the questions that relate to his game and I'd like to see answers to. In the end, if he doesn't live up to the #11 pick, fans won't care about his back story. They'll throw him to the garbage like they've done so many times with feel good players.

Of course I am...you can root for them AND criticize them at the same time. Trust me brother, I'd rather eat my words than say "I told you so". I wore a Bills shirt to my son's birth 2 weeks ago for crying out loud.

Same here on all counts....I was the eternal optimist until this year...I finally hit my tipping point going from college kid to having my second kid and still losing.

I don't view being a pessimist as grief, there's highs and lows to sports. I grew up in Orchard Park during the Super Bowl years, missed out on a lot of Flutie because I was in college in NYC, and right after graduating college I started a Bills fan club in Manhattan in 2002. 8 years, a wife, 2 kids, 3 jobs, and 2,000 Bills fan members later the Bills have done nothing but be losers. I just don't see whats wrong with criticizing the team, especially the way last year went down. Fans who criticize shouldn't be attacked, told they're not real fans and have issues, and told to leave, they should be part of the discussion. That's all I'm saying.

Satisfied with a loser huh? You're the reason the Bills won't spend money on free agents, have a losing team, and are playing games in Toronto. I'm as big a Bills fan as they come and want them to win more than anything, just because I criticize them for losing 10 years straight I suck and need to stop rooting for the team? Again, you personally attack me because I don't like losing?

I get great joy out of the Bills, and want them to win. But they haven't been to the playoffs in a decade. All I'm saying is that instead of attacking pessimists like I used to, I now listen to them as much as the optimists, because both make great points and the truth is usually in the middle Personally attacking a somebody because they have a negative view of a losing team makes the attacker a pollyanna with rose colored glasses.

I'm tired of the Bills being a laughingstock of the NFL toting how great of people their players are, if that's an emotional issue then I guess you're right.

I went through a file my Dad had on Bills things, including a ton of photos and stuff. In there he had a bunch of handwritten notes from Jack Kemp for donating to his first campaign for Congress, was pretty cool.

After 10 years of losing and going 0-6 in the division by a 3rd year coach, fans have a right to be pessimists about the team/draft. The pessimists have been right most of the time the last decade.

Why? Because I pay $1,000 for seasons and want a winning product on the field? Look, half these guys have stories of overcoming the odds to get to the NFL, they're great to root for. But in the end, this is about winning and other than making it a little more meaningful to root for a player, these back stories are just that, a feel good story. They have little impact in the W/L column. I'm tired of hearing about what great guys the Bills are, we've been hearing that for years. I want to read/hear about them winning games for once after a decade of being laughing stocks. I don't think that's being a jerk.

Hate to be the Debby Downer here, but these stories are great for showing character but say nothing about what happens on the field. JP Losman had a great background story, bought a house in Buffalo, held an event to clean up the city and went out of his way to take the city under his wing. What happened? He wasn't the answer at QB and the city (and many fans) spat him out. This has been the story with countless players the last 10 years. Great back stories don't win football games. I feel like a jerk writing that, but its true. In the end, its about winning and I don't care if the guy comes from a blue collar family, a mansion, a one parent house, a two parent house, or raised by chimps. Can he play the game, will he give blood sweat and tears to his team, and is he a winner? After 10 years of losing, that's all I care about.

Is that Levitre wearing 67? Big shoes to fill with that number.

We sucked, we still suck.

Lori - that was the best Bills read I've had in a long time, thanks for putting together.

Is it just me, or is it a very bad idea to tick off the CIA?

I received that via text on my phone yesterday, ha.

Riddle me this, with an O-line starting somebody new at every position, including two rookies who have never played these respective positions before, aren't we just opening up ourselves for disaster? I'm all for the no-huddle, the no huddle IS Buffalo, I just wonder if its right to implement it right away, and if its smart to make it public?

Just got my hair cut from the lady down the block, she said all of her customers (mostly elderly) are canceling because they're afraid of the swine flu, my niece just called and wanted to leave school because of a rumor a kid had it there, my wife doesn't want me to bring our toddler to the playground near a high school, and the shopping district is quiet by me today. People need to CHILL OUT.

right now