CosmicBills

Sheeeeeee liiiiiikkkkes youuuuuuuuu

Ahhh. Gotcha. I missed that when I watched it. Seems like you guys had a lot of fun shooting that. Nice job!

Wait, is the chick supposed to be your gf or your mom?

:lol: Well done! The sad part is, I'm on the Disney team already -- at least for the time being. It is always hilarious to see the reaction to peeps at work when I reference something from Off The Wall (which I do a lot)! For one thing, they can never seem to grasp the fact that the Bills' have enough fans to warrant a message board. Secondly, they can never really understand why I've been coming here for over 10 years. Of course, sometimes my posts on here get me in trouble But that's because I forget this thing is attached to a bigger element called the interwebs. But in this case, I have nothing to do with Terra Nova. The show I'm currently writing for doesn't come out til January and something tells me it's not exactly our group's demographic.

See, that's very cool to hear.

That would be Hans Zimmer for Gladiator. He's a genius. His protigee Steve Jablonsky (TRANSFORMERS) is pretty good too. Williams is clearly one of the best ever, but I really think Giacchino is going to end up giving him a run for his money by the time his career is 40 years in. His score for UP, STAR TREK, RATATOUILLE (not to mention LOST) alone can rival any of Williams' early stuff. He needs his Indy, Star Wars and Jurrasic Park of course, but I'm confident he'll be around long enough to get his chances.

Two great selections right out of the box! I need to get some of both! Damn, I feel ashamed for not having much of either. I'm such a huge nerd about this I think I own as much soundtrack music as I do more normal stuff. I listen to them while I work a lot.

Alright, I realize I'm on a whole other level when it comes to movie nerddom, but am I the only one who loves a good movie sound track? The right score can either make or break a movie or TV show. There was a conversation at work today about favorite composers and I mentioned how I think Michael Giacchino has taken over John William's place in my list of all time favorites -- this launched an epic nerd debate. To that end, I was curious if anyone out there has favorite movie composers or scores? Or is this such a small niche that no one else really notices or cares?

Here's how I see the Bills needs -- but I know nothing about this coming draft in terms of depth. 1a. OLB/Pass Rush specialist 1b. CB (really need 2 or 3 from either the draft or FA) 2. OL Depth (a starter would be nice, but depth is needed all around) 3. WR (2 needed, not a believer in anyone on the roster not named Johnson or Nelson) 4. QB (I still believe they need a franchise guy, but it's a lower priority than the rest right now -- but if one of the QBs in the draft slip down to the 20-32 range in round one where the Bills will be, I'd be all for grabbing him and sitting him behind Fitz for 2 years.) If they can address those areas in the draft or FA I'd be a happy guy.

Agreed. It's a good contract if it's indeed in that range. It makes a firm commitment to Fitz as the QB of this team while giving them the freedom to bring in the QB of the future to be groomed under him at some point in the near future. And the contract isn't so huge that it would be all that damaging to the team's cap position if Fitz ends up not being the long term answer.

No, you're absolutely right. There are 100s of ways to get around this problem and that is certainly one of them. I certainly hope that's what happens with Terra Nova (and the last episode gave me a bit of hope for that). I wish I could have had a flip video with me over the past three months. I've been in development on a project and I've had to sit and listen to all sorts of notes/takes/ideas/spins on it. From pointed and astute to absolutely crazy and inane. I've heard from execs everything from: "It's too smart" to "It's too edgy" to "It's not edgy enough" to "It's too sci-fi" to "It's not sci-fi enough" to "can we make this more like 24". Seriously, if I mashed those meetings up it'd be YouTube gold. Everyone wants to make something great -- even those execs who appear to be trying to water things down. It's just people are afraid to take risks in Network television because there's such a high cost for failing. But that's the game. Creativity is about taking risks. That's why cable has been dominating in terms of quality of storytelling. That's not to say there are no good or great network shows. There absolutely are. They're just the minority. But I think that will change as the networks start to rethink their philosophies (which is already starting to happen).

I finally caught this week's episode. I actually dug this one the most out of all of them so far. I give a lot of credit to John Cassar for that, but it was a step in the right direction. It gives me a bit of hope that the show will start to move more towards what I think it should be rather than what it started out as. The episode still bugged me a bit though. I wanted the reveal to be that the only reason why Mirra (I think that's her name) went through all that trouble wasn't to get the box. It was to get a chance to talk to O'Mara. Instead it was really about what's inside the box ... which feels like a cheat. But I'll allow it I guess. Even though I would have told the story differently, I dug the episode. I think that's the biggest reason from the network's perspective -- but in their defense, they only fear that because they think that's what their audiences want. Which I think is flat out wrong. The network doesn't think people will watch a high concept sci-fi show that doesn't stick to a predictable pattern they're familiar with. Someone in here, I forget who, called it Star Trek. And they're right. It feels like Star Trek because Star Trek worked before and the network takes comfort in that. I think the networks underestimate their audience. Audiences don't care about whether a show sticks to a formula that's worked in the past. They want to be challenged. There's so much competition for people's attention now, more than ever before. It's not just movies and the radio that TV has to compete with, it's iPads, smart phones, video games, and -- thanks to the internet -- every single movie, sporting event and episode of television ever made. The network response has been to dumb down it's product so that people with short attention spans can watch their shows while surfing the net or texting without having to worry about keeping up because it's familiar. But that, to me, is not the answer. Technology has become cheap enough that the visual wall between movies and television is almost gone. There are TV shows on the air today that look as good as a feature film week in and week out. Audiences expect that from all their shows now. There's enough talent in this town to make that happen to -- from behind the camera to in front of the camera. Cable embraced this which is why it has flourished. AMC came out of nowhere to become a power player right up there along side HBO and Showtime. Some of the best stories being told today aren't at your local cinemas, they're on your TV screens. If you're going to have any hope to compete as a new show, you better bring something !@#$ing awesome to the table. A high concept and an old formula isn't enough. But new = risk for the networks. Just my worthless two cents.

RedZone Channel ... And I will definitely watch the Denver game to see what happens there with Tebow.

I agree with you (and the OP). Of course, this brings back the bigger debate you and I have had about Fitz in the past. My problem with Fitz has alway been he seems to make his worst mistakes at the worst times. It's been a pattern with him since he's been here. And the Giants game was a clear example of this. I am not going to jump on him though because he has prove to me that he is not only better than I gave him credit for, he is also the perfect kind of QB for this offense right now. He makes the team betterr with his ability to read a defense. Yes he takes too many stupid risks (the term gunslinger is the worst thing in the world because it only glorifies someone's mistakes and the league now is about not making mistakes), he isn't clutch, and he has physical limitations ... But he's good enough to get this team to the playoffs this year. I am certain of that despite this game.

I'm not contending that you can't stop an offense. There are teams with terrific defenses. But with the rules the way they are today, it's impossible to stop an offense consistently between the 20s. Offenses can spread you out too much and make those LBs and DL ineffective until the field gets scrunched. This version of the Bills is never going to be a defense that holds a team to under 300 yards. They don't have the personnel. What they do have is an offense that can score heaps of points in a hurry. For this team, the defense's job is NOT to shut teams out, it's to hold teams to FGs in the redzone over TDs. That's just the reality of where this team is at. And yesterday, the defense played well enough for THIS team to win. But the offense was the one that didn't follow through. But it doesn't matter. It's an out of conference loss against a good team on the road. Those happen all the time to even the best teams. People here just need to realize who this team is versus who they want them to be. With this formula, this team can still win a bunch of games.

It's not about how many yards the D gives up. It's about how many touchdowns. And, playing hurt and on the road, the defense played well enough to win. The offense did not. The old measuring sticks for defense need to be forgotten. This is a league where the offense is going to score. A lot. Every week. The rules now are such that defenses can't stop offenses. Instead, defenses have to force mistakes and hold teams to FGs in the redzone rather than TDs. That's why offensively, more than ever, every drive is important and you can't waste scoring opportunities (like giving up a sack and knocking yourself out of FG range, 2 bad INTs etc). The game has changed and it's only going to continue to go down this path. Stop thinking about defensive success in terms of yards. It's the worst statistical measuring stick in the modern NFL besides the Tackle stat.

This is actually a work of art. A masterpiece really.

I really, really do not understand this line of thinking that has been popping up from several people on this board recently. Williams is an absolute beast and has been this season as well. He manhandles his opposition and has one of the quickest first steps I've seen from a NT in a long while. He doesn't have a ton of stats, but he is impacting nearly every play he's on the field. Causing other teams to game plan around him, run away from him and yet he's still applying pressure and collapsing running lanes. Go back and watch him, and only him, play this season. This guy is one of the best D-Lineman in the league. Even though he's been playing hurt.

Absolutely! Look at The Decision. I know it's a different sport, but Lebron TRIED to infuse more fun into the situation by making it an event -- he just chose to do it in the worst way possible. He did it for ego (which is always transparent) -- but it got the Cav's owner fired up enough to write that fantastic letter and spur on (what was left of) his fan base. Then, when the first match up came between the Heat and Cavs in Cleveland, rather then let it be what the game should have been (a tough game about revenge), the Cleveland players all bowed down to Lebron and shook his hand DURING the game. Come on! The dude took a great first step towards becoming a black hat and the other team's response was to shower him with respect! That's not what the fans (on either side) want to see. The Heat fans wanted Lebron to punish Cleveland even more while the rest of the world wanted to see the underdogs get their revenge by putting Lebron in his place. Regardless of where you stand on the NBA or The Decision -- what Lebron's move did was bolster the ratings and interest in the entire sport BECAUSE he did something that WASN'T cliche. Hate on him for how he did it and his motives -- that's totally fair -- but whether intentional or not, he created a controversy that carried over for the entire season and got millions of people re-invested in the NBA even if it was only to watch the trainwreck. But what they saw was that the game, which had been waning in popularity since the last strike and Jordan's departure, was actually entertaining again. Of course now they screwed that all up ... but that's off the topic:) The NFL isn't the NBA. It's a ratings monster. It's the undisputed king of American entertainment. More than movies or TV or any other sport. In some ways, that works against them because the NFL doesn't want to rock the boat. It's working as it is ... so why change it up? And any player or coach who steps over the line gets dinged. I get it from a straight business perspective ... but they're losing sight of the bigger picture. It's supposed to be entertaining. I want to hear James Harrison go off on the refs after a game without fear of getting killed by the talking heads or the league office. I want to hear Megatron fire back at Rob Ryan after he torched the Dallas secondary -- even if it's just a classy "moving on" kind of sound bite. Hell, as much hate as Donte got for his twittering (which I don't follow so I'm talking out my ass), at least he was speaking his mind and generating something for fans to talk about between games. It's just funny ... technology has given us more access than ever to hear the insights of our favorite players and coaches and yet we're getting less than ever before simply because the corporate mentality of professional sports is afraid of it. There has to be a line of course but that line doesn't have to be just cliche after cliche after cliche.

I hear you, and agree. It's not just the NFL but it's every major sport. Players and coaches have become so cliched in their responses because with the 24 hour news cycle, ANYTHING they say can be spun one way or the other that could embarrass them or their employers. In many ways, the move to go more PC and watch what they say makes sense. People generally don't want press conferences to become WWE re-enactments. But ... we forget that this is supposed to be entertainment. I know for the players and coaches it's their livelyhood and they need to respect the game. But I think there's a way to infuse fun into the sport and give fans a behind the scenes glimpse that isn't sanitized and isn't WWE either. Some athletes made their careers doing that (Yogi, Shaq, etc). I don't think anyone wants every player and coach to become more like the Ryan brothers -- balance is needed. Variety. But the problem is right now everyone is white-washed. Everyone says the same quote 100 times a week regardless of the situation. Which, in many ways, is what has made ESPN and other sport outlets just a recycling center for the same 10 stories and cliches. Seriously, watching sports center is painful now to me because I know exactly what I'm going to hear and see before it ever airs. The highlights are fun ... but even those lose their appeal after awhile if there's no substance behind them. This isn't the fault of the talking heads in my view (though they share some blame for killing the athletes who DO speak their minds). It's more to do with the leagues themselves. The NFL, MLB, NBA and NHL all want to protect their brand. But they forget that controversy (of the non felonious kind) is what creates entertainment in the first place. It's a game played for our entertainment. Let it be entertaining. But there's a line you can walk between talking trash just to get attention and lifting the curtain a bit for the fans to see behind the scenes. Not everyone has to like one another ... I would love to hear how Aaron Rodgers really feels about what Brett Favre said about him. But we never will because Rodgers would get killed for any answer he gave. The games are losing their personality because no one wants to step over the line. As such, that line keeps being moved closer and closer to the standard cliches. Sometimes you need to step over the line just to keep it from being moved. And there are ways to do that without disrespecting yourself, your team or your opponent.

I can vouch!

Come on, Kelly, we both know SouthGeorgiaBillsFan doesn't read the New Yorker! That has big words in it and rarely has pictures of scantily clad ladies (I say rarely because the pull out they did on Condi Rice was-well it was disturbing but I still kept it). Edit: But good find!

Okay, so now we can add "Paranoid" to your list of charming foibles. Couple that with your irrational outbursts of rage and your need to be right and I imagine you're on top of everyone's guest list for dinner parties. The bolded statement seems to be the crux of your belief that there is some conspiracy against Tebow. But it's absolutely ridiculous. The NFL would love nothing more than for Tim Tebow to succeed. The dude is already one of the top selling jerseys in the game and he hasn't done a thing yet. If he ends up being great, the NFL will head into the next 10 years with more marquee QBs playing at once than maybe ever before. Think about the list right now (off the top of my head): Rodgers Brady (still has time left sadly) Rivers Stafford Ryan Freeman (if he keeps developing) Big Ben Manning Squared (not for too much longer) If Tebow does well and joins that list, the NFL would LOVE it. It would put a major QB in nearly every big market in the league. Not only that, the age of Stafford, Ryan, Rodgers, Tebow and Freeman means they can be successful for the next decade if they stay healthy. The NFL would love nothing more. No one wants Tebow to succeed more than the NFL. No one. The guy causes controversy without being a felon and that makes people want watch -- whether it's to root for him or against him. The NFL is all about money. More eyes on games = more money for them. To think that the NFL in some way would want Tebow to fail is not just paranoid, it's delusional. People don't point out Tebow's shortcomings because they are afraid of him succeeding. They point out his shortcomings because they don't believe he has the tools as a passer to be anything more than a novelty. And yet, you still have not given us one reason outside of stats from his days in college and your psychic abilities as to why Tebow will succeed in the NFL as a passer.

Yeah ... it's pretty clear that you're right. I think it's a shame. It's a fun concept, a good cast (seriously, everyone on the show is too pretty but I won't complain), and a good writing staff. But that is such a hard market to tap with a network show like this, if that's the demo they're chasing, this show is doomed. I want to like it. I really do ...

It's reports like these that would make me wary of him too ... thanks, guys. I didn't know much about his history.