Apocalypse Nuts

I just want to go on the record to congratulate Carl Nassib for coming out when he did. That takes real courage even today. It takes real courage to accept and live with one's self as LGBTQ in our progressing but still-evolving society no matter who you are. Nassib has immediately become a trail-blazer and role model for future pro athletes, especially present and future NFL players of the LGBTQ community. And his coming out will resonate with countless LGBTQ youth who are probably struggling with who they are and who they want to be. The impact of that is immeasurable. The fact that his coming out has been met with so much positivity from his fellow players in the league, past and present, the NFL itself, and the country as a whole speaks volumes about how far we have come as a society. When we reach the point when it's not even necessary for LBGTQ people to "come out" in any way at all, when it's really accepted in sports and society on that level, to that extent, then we can really be proud of how far we have progressed as a society. I think we are very close to that but, regrettably, some parts of our society are much, much slower to advance and accept than others.

You and Niagara Bill must be best buds. One can certainly criticize Whaley regardless of McCoy, IMO. I don't even know how you can say that with a straight face. One acquisition does not wipe away years of mismanagement. Whaley even said after he left that if he had the chance to do it over again he would have made getting a franchise quarterback a priority. So in hindsight he's learned this? Just one example. So yeah, Shady or no Shady, Whaley still sucked at cap management and everything else. Yeah, I'm sure they paid Shady some good coin but that's what was required to get any big name player to Buffalo in those days. Or do you not remember how bad all those teams really were?

Shady is a really good dude and was a great teammate when he was in B’lo. He still had some juice the first couple of years and was so fun to watch. He got traded to what was then football Siberia but he truly made the most of it and was a consummate professional. Mad respect for Shady most definitely. There’s that famous picture (my personal favorite) of Josh Allen looking like an old west gunslinger as he’s walking out of the tunnel down in Miami his rookie year in the all white uni’s with that look like he knew he was about to take his place in Bills history (you all know the one I’m talking about). Shady is prominent in the background of that shot and will live on as a Buffalo Bill forever in that picture, if nothing else. To me It even kind of looks like McCoy is watching JA swagger on down to the field saying “Damn that boy is going to be really good!” He didn’t get much time in the real Josh Allen era but anytime that picture is shown, #25 gets his moment again as well.

Pure gold! About fell off the comode laughing just now!

I think someone upstairs thinks it's time for the Buffalo Bills to be a real football team. A winner. It's a great time to be a Bills fan ladies and gents! Finally!!!!!!

This ^ Couldn't have said it better myself. Every season I thought had to be his last. Surely they could find a real-sized LB to upgrade over Ellison. But did they? No. Over and over again, he just kept making the team. I'm glad you mentioned him, Gigs. Totally forgot about him but now I appreciate our real, actual-football front office even more today.

Amen to that, brother!

I'll never understand how he thought turning a couple of less-than-mediocre football teams at Syracuse and Buffalo into slight-above-mediocre football teams earned him the right to bestow the title "St. Doug" upon himself. Hilarious! How many playoff appearances did you get the Bills to, Dougey? ZERO! hahahaha

Yeah I hate Marroon as much as the next Bills fan but that's not such a bad gig he's got now. He'll probably move up the ladder a bit over time but you could do worse than working for Saban at one of the most successful college programs in history. Tuscaloosa is a nice little town as well. We have friends there. (the husband is a gymnastics coach from Orchard Park ironically enough and I think his brother was at the Ravens game). I'm a "big picture" guy so I view the whole Marrone thing as a huge blessing. IMO for the Buffalo Bills specifically, I don't think there could have been a better hire than McDermott. The right guy at the right time. We had to endure the Marrone and Rex Ryan "eras" first, but that's how fate laid it out for us. Kinda like my life - I have a wonderful wife and two amazing kids now but I had to go through many, many terrible relationships to get here (you know the kind where you wake up in a mental ward somewhere one day). Yet I wouldn't change a thing because that would change where I am today and I wouldn't give that up for anything. Same with the Bills now. I don't care if people don't agree with my opinion about McD. The grass is always greener, right? Well, three playoff appearances in four years, after 17 long seasons without a single playoff appearance, is pretty damn good to me. So, in conclusion......best of luck to you, "St. Doug" (haha - still makes me chuckle). Your decision to jump ship when the going got tough was the best thing you ever did for the Buffalo Bills organization. Appreciate ya!

I can never sit down anymore while a game is on t.v. My family knows to stay at least 6 feet away for their own safety. I can get a little animated.

I often wonder the same thing. I'm not from Buffalo (but likely in a past life or something) but I've been a fan for 30 years now. Started just before the first SB and stuck with them through those four heart breakers and the next few decades of frustration. I really like the underdog mentality of the franchise and the city and I know that my high opinion of Bills fans and Western New Yorkers is a big part of my loyalty. That Niagara Square rally after the first SB is what finally sold me for life. Bills fans are just amazing. This is really the only sports team I follow to this extent and it's just become a part of my life. My wife gets so tired of hearing about the Bills (esp this season!!!!) but she humors me. Part of it is I think we're all obsessed with seeing our Bills win the SB after all those losses in a row. That was a great era and those teams had some great players that were just good dudes too. Hard not to root for guys like that. A lot like we have today again. And then riding out the next couple of decades of mostly-misery, it kind of becomes a part of you. You know the way this current team is being built and all the quality people in the organization (esp the Pegulas!) is really something to be appreciated. If I were just now choosing a team to root for I couldn't imagine one more respectable than the Bills. Makes me feel like the universe paid attention to all of our collective suffering, yet unwavering loyalty, and might be finally paying us back. Heck just giving us Josh makes up for a whole lot of those bad season.

Yes

I'm pretty sure Yolo can time-travel

His little dances are disrespectful, plain and simple, in a league where pride is paramount to some very big guys who are paid very well to be violent and aggressive. Disrespect = get your head taken off. Doesn't matter for one second whether he's a nice guy off the field or whatever. It's not rocket science. And though I think very highly of him as a coach, Tomlin should have addressed this way before it got to this point. That's a lack of leadership from him - plain and simple. McDermott would not have allowed anything like this for one second. Then again, the players we have on this great team would probably have squashed it immediately if anyone on this squad tried anything like that nonsense.

Yet another reason I am so damn proud to be a Bills fan for 30 years now. Thanks OP for sharing this great story.

I don't need to know Bayless personally to know that he is an a-hole. That's my point.

Yeah how could Bayless make it more clear to everyone that he has no idea what he's talking about? Baker Mayfield a better team leader than Josh Allen? In what universe is that reality? He's just making stuff up as he goes.

Whatever dude. I don't have to know them personally to have my own opinion about them. Do you know him personally?

Bayless is the real hater but he's a total moron anyway. I have never been able to stand him let alone give a rats you-know-what what he thinks about anything. He loves Dallas what else is there you need to know about him? If you've ever seen his brother's cooking show which is pretty good IMO, you'd be dumbfounded that they're even related. His brother has class. Bayless has none.

Yeah you know things are going good for this offense when they break out some craziness like that and the execution is flawless. That's just ridiculous.

I have to agree with you on this. Seems like today he's trying to cover too many bases and not going really in-depth about anything. Doesn't have the same feel as his stuff did 5-10 years ago. However, there really is a lot to potentially write about with this Bills team, McDermott's coaching getting them to now 3 playoff appearances in 4 years (still pinching myself), Beane's wizardry rebuilding the roster, and of course Josh Allen. One could write so much more on any one of those topics. Yet another reason why it's so great to be a Bills fan right now!!!!!!!!!

And I just had this amazing, comforting feeling last night, that all the mistakes wouldn't really mean much at the end of the game except to keep the score from totally humiliating the Broncos which sort of happened (I guess). Normally I would either curse or put my head down in my hands when Allen makes a dumb throw that is, or almost, picked off. That never happened yesterday. I kept thinking "well that's going to keep the score somewhat respectable for Denver I guess." It just always felt like the Bills O was in nearly complete control the whole time. The D stepping us so big like that is just gravy now.

Great stuff as always, Shaw. There were so many great moments to choose from. The 55 yard bomb to Diggs was so great to see for me for at least two reasons: 1. Seems to me that the deep go route throws have been a weakness for Allen. He's got the crossing stuff down with some ridiculously amazing touch, but the straight-line deep passes have eluded him. It's gotta be a real challenge when you have the arm like he does and you have to time it so perfectly and just lay it in there with just the right arc on it. I know he's been working on it and he finally nailed on in a game - AND IT WAS PERFECT! That's going to get his confidence on those throws really going. And we know what happens when Allen gets that confidence going. Holy cow! Watch out! 2. Loved the play call by the coaches on this one so much. The Bills were up 35 to 13 (!) at this point. Every, and I mean every, other Bills coach the last 20 years would have shifted into run out the clock mode to start salting the game away. You know it. We've seen it for so long. But not this crew! They come out and go deep right away? WHAT?!?!?! I was literally giggling sitting here watching the game on my phone. I mean, this team, these coaches, they want to be high powered and they friggin' mean it! Wow! Just wow! Anyone else still pinching themselves to be sure we're not dreaming all of this? I was 21 years old in 1995 and I was so spoiled that I thought for sure when Kelly retired they would find the next QB right away and just keep rolling. And, as we know, I could not have been more wrong. But by all appearances, we just might be living the dream right now, folks. And it's rolling out better than I could have ever imagined.

Ok then sport

I thought I'd give Chris Brown a vote of confidence if you don't mind. He's not bad and he's been with the Bills forever. Yeah he's kind of weird but whatever, it's his personality. And Tasker isn't the smoothest but he's a retired Bills legend so he gets a pass in my book.. It's great having him around for his perspective and a great link to those amazing teams in the 90's. I'll take that any day. Listen, folks gotta stop worrying about the little stuff right now. We're living the dream right now for Pete's sake. Please just sit back and enjoy the ride a little more. I for one have been waiting an awfully long friggin' time for this to happen.