sullim4

It is definitely an NFL-wide problem. I've seen fights, unruly behavior, etc at the Meadowlands and CenturyLink Field in addition to Buffalo. Seattle is a much different landscape stadium-wise and yet the unruly behavior is still there, though perhaps not to the extent that it is in both Buffalo and East Rutherford. Honestly I fear for my car when I park in Orchard Park because inevitably someone has an open fire pit just a few feet away from my car. There are a few ways to mitigate it. Generally I will only sit in 'good seats' where there's a contingent of long-time season ticket holders that know how to behave. Lately I've been picking up club seats to late season games at a fairly substantial discount off face thanks to a combination of the Bills already being eliminated and season ticket holder Christmas travel plans. The atmosphere in the clubs and on the lower deck inbetween the 40 yard lines tend to be significantly better than anywhere on the upper deck or in the Rockpile. Though I have to admit, being able to sit on my warm living room sofa with a Ninkasi oatmeal stout watching the game on my 52" TV is mighty tempting as opposed to fighting traffic, paying for parking, and getting stuck with drinking an $8 Bud Light makes the decision to buy a ticket to the game seem foolish. The NFL has almost done too good of a job at refining their TV product that their in-stadium product has almost no hope of beating it.

This. +1000. The defense isn't the problem. Moorman punted NINE times against the Steelers, Manuel threw a pick, and the defense only managed to give up 23 points. I don't know what the average starting field position was for the Steelers but after some of the punt returns and the turnover it was probably terrific. It is not a coincidence that the last time we were anywhere close to making the playoffs (2005), we had a QB with some sort of documented success in Bledsoe. He was washed up at the time for sure, but at least he knew what he was doing. We haven't had a quarterback that knew what he was doing in 8 years. It's time to change that and if it means drafting first round QBs until we get a hit, then that's what it means I am over and done with quarterbacks of the future. This organization has tried and failed way too many times to develop a 'raw' rookie QB. We do not have the supporting cast on offense or coaching staff to do that. We need a Brady, Luck, Marino, Manning, etc to turn this franchise around. If any franchise in the NFL hopes to win, the quarterback needs to be one of the best players on the team. That's the modern NFL. The Broncos are ranked 26th in points allowed per game but Manning makes that irrelevant. The 49ers cut Alex Smith, someone with a 100+ QB rating for them the previous season, the Chiefs pick him up along with a proven head coach, and now they are undefeated. Imagine what our defense could do with a competent quarterback.

Hmm... http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2013-10-16/news/bs-ed-reimer-adrian-peterson-20131016_1_2-year-old-boy-child-abuse-sunday-night-football Not trying to take anything away from the wrong that was done in this situation, but if that's true, geez... Travis Henry, anyone?

I wouldn't get rid of Carpenter. He's been an upgrade over Lindell imo... put the rookie on IR and have him compete next year. Of that list, I'd choose Moorman. Kluwe can't keep his mouth shut, making him a liability.

Funny, I always prefer a filet because I prefer the taste. Every time I've gotten a ribeye, I've had to hunt around for pieces of meat in between the chunks of fat. At least with a strip, you can render the fat on the one side or just cut it away after cooking. Recently I've been picking up t-bones when I grill at home; even accounting for the bone, they seem to be the best bang-for-the-buck in the stores. When going out, it's a toss-up between the filet, strip, or if the place is just overpriced and it isn't worth shelling out the money for the better cuts, a top sirloin.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfAeMtcURg0

Prior to the punt = defensive holding which is a 5 yd penalty and automatic first down.

Winning will fix attendance issues. We looked good (it seems like we always look good to start every year) but last week's loss was the exact type of meltdown that we have seen over and over again the past thirteen years. Why pay for corner upper deck seats chock full of immature college students that picked up tickets with a Facebook deal when the experience at home is so much better? HDTVs and cheap add-ons like sound bars have completely changed the landscape. Why pay a few hundred for tickets, $10 for a Bud, $6 for a hot dog, and go through the security hassles that the NFL just introduced when you can pay $225 or less for an entire season of Sunday Ticket, a few bucks for a great microbrew, and have your entire kitchen at your disposal for a party with friends? The NFL's in-stadium product is significantly behind their TV product... much has been written about it, but I think this season will be one of the first where we start to see the effects of this imbalance.

Got this email today. I live near Seattle so I don't make it out frequently but I was surprised they were sending personalized emails like this, especially given that my last few purchases were on StubHub and Craigslist. Actually the fact that they have no game during the weekend between Christmas and New Years is a drawback since that's when I'll be back in the area! Hi <sullim4>, Thank you for your continued interest in the Buffalo Bills. I quickly wanted to see if you had a chance to attend any games this past season? I’ve attached our 2013 schedule for you to review. This year we have three games in September and six out of seven home games before Thanksgiving. I quickly wanted to see what your plans are for attending games this season? Please let me know if I can be of any help. Thank you <sullim4>. <Name Redacted> Ticket Sales One Bills Drive | Orchard Park, NY | 14127

Is this Crayonz posting under a new name?

It matters a lot. I work for a major tech company in Seattle. We recruit from all of the top computer science schools - Stanford, Carnegie Mellon, Cornell, MIT, and the like. I have interviewed about a dozen candidates in the last year and it is shocking to see how many of them are unable to put together a coherent thought, either on paper or in an interview. These students are supposedly the cream of the crop, and their resumes read as though they've never been edited - misspellings and basic grammatical errors are found in nearly every single CV I pick up. Social media is killing our youth's ability to put together a coherent argument and write persuasive pieces. Employees that are fresh out of college expect 140 character responses in a code review or email to be sufficient to explain their point of view. It seriously hampers their ability to work with more experienced employees and to get work done. Come performance review time, the small handful of new employees that have solid writing skills are the ones that consistently float to the top. If you want to have a successful career and not have to worry about future unemployment, become an engineer that can write. Your ticket to a stable, high paying job will be written for you.

All I remember about the guy was that he was the Oilers head coach when Buddy Ryan punched Kevin Gilbride during that one game against the Jets.

I'm an alum of RPI - CSCI '05. The football program there has undergone a bit of a renaissance in the last 15 years or so - they used to be one of the worst programs in the nation. They made the national semifinals in my last year (the 2004 season) - I remember watching their quarterfinal game against Ithaca in an all-out blizzard. Good times... And yes, there are bogus majors at RPI. The running joke was that all of the hockey players majored in either management or EMAC (Electronic Media, Arts, and Communication). Regardless, I'd love to have an RPI alum on the team!

Seattle's going to get a team. The economics of the new Kings/Sonics arena demands it, and there are so many displaced Canadians here that they will have no issues selling tickets. I think it'll happen via relocation, if I had to guess I'd say Phoenix, Nashville, or Florida.

Hmm, mine are... Anything containing cumin curry powder Mayonnaise Olives Avocados Soft, smelly cheeses Sour cream The cumin thing is probably what pisses off people the most when I go out to eat with others. I can't stand smelling or eating Indian food at all. Mexican is in a similar boat because it seems like every Mexican place around here uses cumin like salt. Another common thing out in the PNW is 'authentic' Chinese food, which consists of chicken feet and pig ears. Why anyone eats that crap I have no idea.

I live in the area. Pike Place is a must, though I think the original Starbucks is a waste of time. Lines are long and it is the same coffee that you can get anywhere else. Go to Caffe D'Arte instead on 2nd and Stewart (a few blocks from the market). The espresso there is excellent, and if you pick up a pound of beans, your drink there is free. El Gaucho is a great steakhouse, but so are Daniels Broiler and the Met. If you go to the Experience Music Project, also go to the Science Fiction Museum, which is attached. Both are owned by Paul Allen and are great exhibits. Don't waste your time with nearby Pacific Science Center unless you want to see an IMAX movie.

Definitely appliances. We just updated the kitchen to all stainless steel. Out of the four major appliances, two of them had quality issues right out of the gate. My oven's door handle snapped off on one side because they used a plastic fastener to connect the oven door to the handle/trim instead of a metal one. In my refrigerator's case, one of the screws that secured the decorative door hinge caps was shipped in a stripped state and an SOB to take out. The warranty repair shop had to order a whole new hinge. For all of the cost cutting that they've been doing on appliances, it amazes me that the prices are so much higher than they were even just 10 years ago.

I live east of Seattle. If you think the saturation of Starbucks in your area is bad, then I suggest coming up here. I know of numerous strip malls in the Bellevue/Redmond/Kirkland area that have three separate Starbucks locations. The city that I live in doesn't even have a post office, but we do have 3 Starbucks plus a couple grocery store Starbucks. I really don't understand it because Seattle has some excellent roasters. My favorite is Caffe D'Arte, though the most popular around here is probably Caffe Vita. If you are looking for "real" Seattle espresso/coffee then my suggestion would be to grab a bag from one of those two roasters.

Apparently the brass in NYC isn't happy with the coaching hires of the past few weeks... http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/8858003/nfl-looking-adjust-rooney-rule-ensure-diversity

Doug Marrone talks tough, Will winning come in three years? Not if Fitz stays here. Russ is a genius hiring a no nonsense coach to sell tickets. Ralph is cheap, no more! A simple substitute though... Russ is cheap works too!

Where has your owner gone off to? He is missed in these parts. How are Carl and the Googlebot doing?

Are you suggesting that Russ Brandon has as much impact on winning and losing as the janitor? Come on man. He's the CEO of the damn team. While he doesn't have the same degree of impact as a coach or GM, he certainly needs to be held accountable when the team loses. I think Smithers wants the best for the team but is he the best man for the job? With no playoffs since 1999 everything should be on the table.

Why do you always run backwards?

I really don't think anyone is asking fans to be behaved the same way they would at church. No one cares about what language people use. No one wants to ban alcohol outright. I just want to go to a game and not have to worry about my car getting damaged from an unattended tailgate fire. I want to be able to go to a game and not have to put up with !@#$s that pick fights because they are smashed beyond belief, not just simply drunk. I want to be able to go to a game and not have to watch someone piss all over an opposing team's car. This is not too much to ask. I am not asking for a setting that's kid-appropriate - dive bar-type behavior is fine with me. None of the above would be even close to tolerated at the local watering hole by my house - you'd be thrown out right away and asked not to return. I don't see why an NFL game somehow excuses it and I don't understand at all why Orchard Park and Erie County haven't demanded that something be done about it.

I'm sorry, but no, it is not as bad at other stadiums as it is at RWS. Seattle isn't nearly as bad. Green Bay isn't bad at all. Every time I have been to the Meadowlands (pre-MetLife), it hasn't been nearly as bad as RWS. Are there obnoxious fans at those stadiums? Absolutely. But there aren't cars parked in a mish-mash fashion with fires going right next to vehicle gas tanks. There aren't completely wasted drunks throwing footballs at other people's cars. There aren't near the number of fights that go on in any of those other stadiums as compared to Buffalo. The only NFL stadium that I have seen public urination at is RWS and I have been to a fair number of games in other stadiums, always wearing Bills colors. I have been repeatedly been treated worse by my own fanbase than those of opposing teams. This is all completely preventable if the front office cared enough to hire rent-a-cops to aggressively patrol the lots and refer offending parties to the Erie County Police for arrest. Fine these bastards thousands of dollars and force them to work hundreds of hours of community service. Buffalo's fan base deserves better. Buffalonians are the nicest people you'll meet. But dammit, they do nothing to control the jerks in their midst.