RuntheDamnBall

If you're being realistic about someone whose worth will give them enough clout to afford a team, the list is small. Bob Dylan? Dude is from a small midwestern town. But he's also been at death's door a few times already. Maybe not the wisest investment. The Boss is a pretty good one. Maybe Jagger, but Buffalo isn't really very cosmopolitan.

It's not about feel good stories. It's about which players the head coach feels he can depend on. FredEx has proven his value and dependability to multiple regimes, including Marrone's. Bringing in other contributors is a way to hedge against injuries, plan for the future (which of course someday will not include FJ), and address deficiencies like those in goal-line situations where Fred was really the only option, and not the best one. I think you're overestimating the relevance of this "new regime" situation with Whaley. Whaley has been here for a few years now and Fred is no stranger to him.

I don't know about total rebuild, but losing Drury and Briere -- if nothing else, very much the heart and soul of the team -- kind of pushed things in a direction that retaining Vanek at premium dollars was clearly not going to solve. The object is the Cup. You do whatever you need to to get there, even if it means taking a step back to move forward. They tried doing it piecemeal for many years after finally having hit on some leadership that worked. And I fully realize that we're engaging in hypotheticals here, but the timeline might not have been so tight if there had been available ammunition to acquire Stamkos. That kid was just about as close as you can get to an instant hit. Now this I hadn't realized - very good information, and thanks for it. That probably makes it even more unforgivable to not make this move, because you are really getting a much wider sample of the trade partner's up and down swings -- and a better chance at some lottery picks.

Yes and no. The cream of the crop guys pay off sooner. With two picks in the first, and two picks in subsequent, it's easier to move up and acquire those guys. Would it have netted us a guy like Taveras, Stamkos, Seguin, Duchene... maybe, maybe not.

Also why is he using it to cover up his johnson, if there is nothing to hide?

I won't cry if it happens but it'd come close.

I felt the same way, but it was a huge mistake. I think the best GMs try to look at these moves both in a vacuum and in context, and to do so without worrying about placating fans. Letting the first two go could have been justified in a "reload" mode accelerated by an insane number of high-profile picks to use and deal with. It is in fact what should have been done. Regardless, it's hard to say what parts Golisano and LQ played in all this. I tend to think he/they were dispassionate about extending/re-signing either.

I disagree that the Pats would have won as many games, but it was in gauging Fred's impact on the Bills that I said "x10."

Well, they didn't have that choice in that order, that's true. But one has to suspect that the Oilers would still have made the offer regardless. Unless this was a move made explicitly to F the Sabres (which it could have been). They had more than a year to hammer out an extension with Briere, who has proven worth the money he earned both with his play and with his intangibles. He has been on many more playoff teams than the Sabres since he left us.

Jerry is a soulless husk of a man.

Well there's a great idea.

Fred is to this team what Kevin Faulk was to the Pats, x10. He's a stabilizer and the most dependable guy they have. He'll never be AP or Barry Sanders, but he is as steady as they come and he is tough to take down. I like the nickname FredEx. He in fact delivers.

Seantrel could be a pretty decent hedge against Hairston's fragility and Pears' limited ceiling. I really like that they have some options here.

A good GM doesn't give a damn what the fans think if it really makes the team better. What is a better scenario? False fan anticipations, or building a real winner with four extra chances at blue chip talent? I say this as someone who really admired Vanek and understood his contributions to the game. That guy took a beating in front of the net and still camped out down there for scoring chances. Extending Vanek was entirely a face-saving move that overpaid Vanek early in his career after losing both Drury and Briere due to miscalculating their value. Keeping Briere (who wanted to be here and was, make no mistake, lowballed) and letting Vanek take the Oilers's offer might have completely altered the Sabres' trajectory.

I know, right? Or Greg Jerman...

So basically the plan is: 1) Do the 'roids 2) Get the AIDS 3) ???? 4) Profit!

In case people didn't get this (calling it 50/50 libelous and insane) story: http://deadspin.com/25-million-lawsuit-filed-against-johnny-manziel-is-bat-1580596256 ^^ (Possibly not safe for some works)

I'm pretty sure team doctors would have discovered if he were HIV + and that his stock would have plummeted like a lead balloon. Still, between this and Johnny "It's a Small World" Football, I am glad we steered clear of these "upgrades" to our QB position.

Can't one of them just call themselves "Michael" or "Meezy" so we can clarify this sh--?

Also, you are the team's Plan J at head coach. Not saying Pettine can't be a good one, but the team is asking him to do it with one hand behind his back and his pants around his ankles. I don't necessarily mind the limitations on media -- but my tactic would be to court the local reporters and tell the national media (esp ESPN) to back off. The local guys are, at least for a new head coach, heavy shapers of perception. A 6-10 year can look like one to build on, or a stinking failure -- in large part due to what gets written about you. ESPN has been hoping for Tebow v2.0 since the butt-fumble has aged and our man Tim has ridden off into the sunset, leadership skills in hand. I wouldn't give them the time of day because they are hardly interested in anything that doesn't fit the prevailing narrative. To add: from the Silver article: He'll fight with everything he has, but if a few scouts including those of the Pats are to be believed, everything he has will not include full knowledge of the playbook or intense film study. I'm still not buying that this kid will be great. He'll need to be led by hand to get there in the NFL. He may be able to improvise his way to some success, but teams figure out new QBs in short order and defenses will not be sleeping on his film.

High is exactly the state you'd need to be in to believe that Hogan belongs in the NFL.

And ageist!!

+15

Home field advantage isn't weather-specific unless you build your team around it. If this were a straight-up power running team I might agree with you. Home field advantage is about having loud fans that fill the stadium.

Can you play Tight End?