RuntheDamnBall

Not accusing Rapoport as such, as he seems fairly legit on Twitter, but there are reporters in this field who gin up stories all the time -- with all due respect to the good guys. And there are agents and players and even scouts and reps from other teams that feed these guys info. A quick read of Jon Morosi in baseball is a pretty good indicator of how some of these guys operate. Rumors generate page views, which generates traffic which helps revenue and establishes interest in the reporter. Or, think about it another way (one which casts Rapoport purely as messenger). What if team X wants Byrd in trade? What if Team X lets slip to Rapoport that they (in truth) had trade conversations regarding Byrd. What if the Bills told Team X to buzz off? What if that team then feeds a guy like Rapoport info that Byrd really wants out, in hopes of increasing public pressure on the Bills to deal?

Apparently "a person informed of Byrd's thinking" thinks he's open to it. There is also a question mark on that headline. Because page views. This kind of stuff is great cause for the existence of the Peter Pan link. It reminds us how freaking susceptible we are to clickbait. I'll be very surprised if Byrd isn't on the field in week 1. Pettine should kick the ass of whoever is responsible if that ends up being the case.

He's not a journalist... It's sort of more like an entertainment column like Simmons' used to be. I think both went downhill as columnists but at least Simmons has gone on to make Grantland an interesting place.

True. I kinda helped to hijack this one and will own it.

If only the guy would tint his windows.

The five articles are all from different points in time and cite different studies. In the Post article, which I am sure you've read now, these statistics are cited. 9 in 10 is not just the majority - it is almost all. For concussions and major injuries. 8 in 10 report pain that lasts all day. More than half reported three or more major injuries. Almost half need or have had a joint replacement. That sounds like normal Joe factory worker to you? There's a lot of evasion here. Making up of stats, excuses (article was around the time of the lawsuit), false equivalencies... what are you arguing here? The fact is that NFL players play a risky game, and if they have the appearance of fighting for every last dollar... prove why they shouldn't. To add: Them's the odds that Byrd is probably thinking long and hard about.

99% of the time, this is true 10% of the time. You would have to f--- up hard to lose money owning an NFL franchise.

99%? I gave you five articles, most of them with stats, and you make one up for yourself? Was Don Majkowski a major case? Does the world know his story? C'mon, man, you're being incredibly facetious. Having a job with a great risk of injury where you possess a rare skill and much money is being made as a result means you get paid. It's not that hard.

The addiction to painkillers is the norm. Former NFL players are four times more likely than the rest of the population to abuse painkillers. A quick Google search revealed the following articles, a few with some quantitative research, about what these guys are dealing with post-career. In a couple, players report dealing with multiple severe injuries. http://sportsillustr...ine/MAG1022464/ http://www.cbssports...ing-transitions http://healthland.ti...in-poor-health/ http://sports.espn.g...PainkillersNews http://www.washingto...fetime-of-hurt/ This is all to say nothing of the players with CTE, or players like Steve Gleason whose health issues could be linked to or have been exacerbated by football.

Here, you are on to something. I don't resent Byrd or any athlete that has made it where he has. We can perhaps resent the value system that leads to him making money that is unattainable for the rest of us, but here we are posting on a football message board in high anticipation of the new season. I have little regard for the owners at this point. I respect what the elder statesmen, including Ralph, did to grow and support the league in its early years, but right now it is an unstoppable money making machine and the owners could hardly be characterized as doing much beyond letting auto-pilot steer this thing into the high seas of profit. You would have to f--- up hard to lose money owning an NFL franchise. The players are the ones who really invest themselves in this game, and they're the ones I'd like to see do well and better their lives.

My goodness. Hey, on your way out, look up the word "likely."

Jairus Byrd has a short window of football prowess that will likely be followed by pain that will last the rest of his life. He is not average folk. You can complain about how absurd it is that he gets paid this much, but it's even more absurd that Ralph Wilson has made billions off of this $25,000 initial investment. If he is greedy, the TV networks are greedier and the owners are greedier. The whole damn thing is draped in dollar signs. So at the end of the day the only question is about Byrd's worth commensurate with his performance, and that of others like him in a league that trades the health and well-being of 20-40something men for money and glory. K-9 and plenty of others disagree with Byrd's defenders on football merits. It works plenty well without the character assassinations. I don't feel sympathy for him, but nor is his position normal, nor do we know what the situation is for most of these players.

This much is true. *hangs head in shame...ful delight*

You know, occasionally I worry that someone will take my posts seriously, but I am glad others are in on the joke.

How many people with a gun in their car weren't holding up banks?

Too stupid to learn, lazy and greedy, plus he has a POS agent. I'd trade this guy for Tarvaris Jackson.

That's why they call you, you are expert.

Stupid jerk comes to work to make money. I wish font size always had to reflect the most important part of a statement. It would be a positive innovation for those out there who can't tell the difference.

Yes.

I know, right, it's not like it's his job and this is a work dispute where he yet has taken the team's offer to come to work for this season. With none of the kinds of guarantees afforded any of his other more talented teammates or co-workers on other teams, I might add.

They've been granted a roster exemption that they can end at any time by making him active, and this says to you that he won't be ready Week 1? Jiminy Christmas.

I was aware of that, which is why I was more confused by it.

Wow, did Easterbrook really write this? He's gone way downhill. The book on Dareus has not been finished, and if that team had drafted a WR or a CB I think I might have turned in my fan membership card. Dareus was the right pick at the time and is versatile enough to prove his worth in this defense. And to ignore his personal struggles last year is to be completely obtuse. Aaron Williams may yet be a useful safety, and yes, the non-mention of Spiller is a pretty good indictment of this column. Just as the Harbaugh-led Niners get a lot of credit for effectively using players that were already there, this new regime may also profit from some decent Nix moves with a better coach to work with. Nix also brought in Whaley, whose work is being praised here. Nix's big mistake was hiring Gailey, who was never a bad guy, probably would have been better suited to OC and may have been the only good person who would take the job. The fact that this hiring cycle actually proved the Bills HC job to something of a hot commodity speaks volumes, and is not really Nix's fault personally.

We've got the Weber kettle grill and the bullet-smoker. Damn, summer has been amazing. Go for the lump charcoal if you can, too. The flavor is even better. Focals. Tannoys not bad. I have a pair of JBLs that I'm real happy with for home listening, and some ADAMs for work.

Nice work. What happens if he blocks himself, though?