SouthernMan

Thank-you Mr. Douchebag who always manages to get the seat right in front or right behind me at every game. Somebody please spank that monkey!

The Miami rivalry was over after Levy made Shula his B word. Divisions should have looked more like this: Buff,Cleve,Pitt,Detroit NYJ, NYG, NE, Philth Wash,Balt,Carolina,Tenn Indy,Cinc,Chic,GB Mamie,Tampon,Jackoff,Atlantis Nawlins,Dall,Houst,Penix Denv, Minn, StLouis,KC Oak, SF, Sandy Eggo, Seattle Instead, Miami is in a division with the 3 northeast teams, and pretty much the same for Dallas. If the whole league were just starting from scratch and some board member suggested the current alignments, the others would have him thown out. When realignment was done a few years ago, they should have scrapped everything from the past and started over. I still can't remember exactly who's in what division now!

Hit the nail on the head. Couldn't have said it any better myself. Oh, wait a second.........

It's not exactly a choice. If you grew up in Buffalo and were exposed to a live home game at a young impressionable age, you'd know exactly what I'm talking about. It's not just a sports team. It's more than a love affair - it's a marriage. 'They're part of the extended family. Til death do us part. We're the Linus Van Pelt's of the sports world. We approach every year with unbridled optimism, hoping that maybe this will be the year The Great Pumpkin (ie-Lombardi Trophy) comes to us. We're also Charlie Brown, convinced that this will be the time that Lucy doesn't pull the ball away when we try to kick it. Why are we Bills fans? 'Cause we're blockheads, that's why.

By CNN talking head Larry King, I presume, - for approximately 35 consecutive years!

Every time this comes up, I have to ask, "What "more lucrative market" is still sitting there waiting to be the tapped? If it existed, a team would already be there! L.A. or some other forgotten NFL stronghold might initially sell a bunch of PSLs, private boxes, club seats, etc,. but after the honeymoon is over, are "fans" going to renew? If not, do they threaten to move the team to Buffalo in 2025? Any move would have to have a long range plan for profitability. Today's high-tech stadiums are too expensive to build as temporary venues for only maybe 10-20 year residencies. The economy in California isn't exactly the model that America is looking to these days. The other city that always comes up is Toronto. The real Bills fans based in Canada much prefer coming to the party in Buffalo than anything such as the typical Rogers Center lawn Fete. The Canadian football (CFL) fans don't want the NFL encroaching on their territory. And once those pucks are dropped at center ice in October, nobody will be in the stands other than the handful of season ticket holder (many from you know where!). I think the idea of a multi-use Niagara Falls facility near the Canadian border is the most forward thinking one. There'd be tour packages to the falls designed around a home game weekend. The high rollers from Canada would buy some of those private boxes. You might even get a lot of the big money folks from the big apple to purchase some. Have charter flights from NY. What the hell?..think big. Anyway, in my mind, the leverage gained from the old threat of "moviing the team" has evaporated. Not only would L.A. not be a good place for the Bills, there are several teams ahead of them in line such as the Jaguars, Rams, etc. I could be wrong, but I don't see the Bills going anywhere for a long time.

3 that immediately come to mind - all in the "L" column, possibly thanks to poor officiating. I'm not going to bother investigating dates and exact circumstances, but here's my recollection: Miami game in early to mid 70s. Bill's Pat Toomay recovers fumble or cause fumble or some such thing. Maybe Tony Greene was involved. I forget now. But basically the Bills got screwed by a bad call in the pre-replay days. It was generally accepted that Shula, who was on the Rules Committee (dinners and golf with the NFL zebras I'm guessing), had an awful lot of questionable calls go his way during that era. Then there was the Patriots "Hail Mary" game (1998?) in which the officals called pass interference in the end zone on a Hail Mary pass. Unheard of. I don't know that a Hail Mary End Zone pass interference penalty was ever called before, or has been since. Gave the Pats first and goal on the one. After taking the "sail out their winds" (Hank Bullough reference), thge Pats scored and won. Prior to the PI call in the end zone, the Pats were given a first down on a pass play in which the receiver was clearly short and out of bounds. That was the famous "just give it to them" play - an overheard quote from one of the on-field officials. A lot of remote controls were thrown that day. And of course, the Music City Miracle. I know most of the "Totally Unbiased" Bills fans feel it was a forward pass. The rule is: if it goes backwards or directly parallel along the yard marker lines, it's a legal lateral. TV angles can give deceptive views. That call could have gone either way. If the refs had thrown the flag, it wouldn't have been overturned - Bills win. The refs, unsure if it was legal, elected to let it go to replay to decide. It was inconclusive. There have been numerous computer models and replications, and they always point to it being a perfect sideways pass, right down the line. If you look at the point where the ball was released, with the hand motion clearly starting beyond the line, and where it was caught, at toe level, right on the line, there really isn't any conclusive evidence of it going forward. If I'm being completely objective, and not looking through Bills-colored glasses, I can't be sure one way or the other. The Bills blew, plain and simple. They were already in celebration mode and lost their concentration and didn't cover the kickoff as they were drilled. The Bills last playoff game. Here's something to think about - most Buffalo area students entering their first or second year of high school probably don't have any memories of a Bills playoff game. How sad is that?

You sure that isn't Chili Pepper's drummer, Chad Smith? Sort a looks like him in this picture. Why's that guy playin pocket pool behind you?

Have you considered adoption? I'm just sayin'........ It's almost football season so I think it's time you get your priorities in order, pal. And anyway, think of the child - if he stays with you, he'll forever be branded as one of "Jerry's Kids". There are plenty of loving couples out there who don't know a football from a monkey's cricket set. Quit being so damned selfish and give the child a proper home away from all this Bills heartbreak! (I hope you know be now not take any of these posts seriously!) Congrats and good luck on the little screamer. Better you than me. And please, keep him away from me while I'm at restaurants attempting to dine and converse with other grown-ups. Those adoring parents who carry their kids around like they're an extra set of Samsonites get on my last nerve. Get a sitter or stay home for little Christ's sake.

Who said I liked the post. Geez. And it's definitely your stupid counter that's off. Currently your counter says 27 hours, 4 hours and 30 minutes - as of 5 pm today, Fri July 16. The game is on Aug 13 at 7:30pm. All times are EST. Doesn't take a genius to figure out that a 7:30 pm game in 4 weeks makes it 28 days 2½ hours from 5 o'clock today. The counter is off by 22 hours. It's worthless. This is the Hubble Telescope of posts.

Yeah, we already got that over on page 14. First timer? Just so I got this straight, you'll be a single father with a newborn that's awake 24 hours a day, leaving zero time for anything other than your constant childcare - is that right? God bless you, but do you really expect any of us to believe your life should be on hold for the next 18 years while you attend to the little varmit every second of his/her life? You can't find 3 hours for 16 weeks to watch the Bills? It's your responsibilty to be indoctorinating the child in Bills fever. It's not as if you'll glued to the tube while the offical takes 20 minutes to check the replay, and you've left junior on the poolside deck to fend for himself. How you gonna cultivate the next generation of Bills fans if you yourself don't know what's going on? Are you gonna try that half-baked "teach your baby to read" crap, using Two Bills Drive as a tutorial? No time for football, my god. The feminization of the American male. Jesus, Christ. My father ignored me for most of my childhood and look how great I turned out! Do your duty and sit his ass down in front of the screen. Just pay attention and don't mistake the baby vomit for guacamole dip!

That sums it up perfectly, although I don't know that Ralph is cheap so much as the fact that theo money is spent stupidly. Spends all kinds of money on FA players like Dockery, Owens, Walker, not to mention all wasted high-round money that's gone to likes of McCargo, Losman, Williams, McGahee, Lynch, etc. Could maybe have kept players like Pat Williams, Winfield, or Clements around, and used their #1 choices to fill other need positions, rather than simply replacing the players going out through the revolving door. Wilson isn't so much cheap - he just has had the wrong personnel people making decisions, or rather the personnel folks making bad decisions. I still question how much of the decision making is tied to Detroit money man/bean counter Jeff Littman. The mediocre scouting hasn't helped much either. Teams like the Patriots and Cowboys found star QBs without having to break the bank to groom them. Once they proved themselves and were productive, they were rewarded. The Bills, on the other hand overpay for potential, at the same time leaving little funds for proven players. Seems totally backwards. Bottom line: Wilson's not so much cheap as it is that the Bills have had awful decision making in the money and personnel departments. BTW - good anology with the Ferrari/Tire thing.

This should be another poll....why the lovefest for Brian Brohm? He may turn out to be a good QB - who knows? But there's a reason he ended up on Green Bay's practice squad - he wasn't that good! Most 2nd rounders can at least make the 53 man roster. On the other hand, maybe he was just overwhelmed by the first year NFL experience, and now with a couple of years of seasoning, will settle down and find his groove. I don't know. I don't have a reason to feel one way or the other about him with nothing more than a mop-up game in Atlanta last year to go by. I'm more hopeful with Edwards than I am with Brohm. I think Brohm is a long shot to be the starter. I believe the order, barring injury, will be Edwards, Fitzpatrick, Brohm.

I'm curious what the expectations are by you Bills fans for Edward's success this year. There have been plenty of negative comments on him, but I wonder what percentage of fans reading this forum actually think the Trent Edwards experiment is over. Here's my 2 cents: He showed promise in his rookie year. Has good mobility and good accuracy, particularly on the short to medium range throws. There seems to be a concensus among some that the concussion(s) of 2008 were his downfall, and yet in his first game back against San Diego, was playing lights out, at least in terms of percentage completed and QB rating. Go figure. Last year he didn't want to throw it downfield, or appeared to lack the vision to see plays developing. Comments were made by him to the effect that he was only "doing what he was told to do". And let's face it, it would have been a challenge for any QB to be successful with all the chaos surround the team last season, let alone a guy with only a handful of starts to his name. I'm still not ready to hang him out to dry. Some here are too young to remember, and others may have conveniently forgotten, that in his first couple of seasons in 1986 and 1987, playing with a reasonably inept team, Jim Kelly had some pretty bad games and his share of criticism and doubt. So, with a little better O-line (hopefully), an improved running an return game (hopefully), and an offensive-minded coach running the show, can Edwards have a breakout year or has he proven that he's nothing more than a journeyman NFL QB? I'd like to have everyone consider all the variables and then hear realistic feedback, and not just a bunch of Trent bashing for the sake of negativity. I still believe that with a little stability, some imaginative play calling, and better tutledge, Edwards has a chance to be a decent QB. Is he Elway. Marino, Manning, or Kelly? No, but not too many are. This is a make or break year and I think we'll find the answers soon enough. What do y'all think?

Nice idea having the Countdown Clock, even though it seems to be way off. If I'm reading it right, your counter says 28 days, 22 hours, 20 minutes, as of 9:10am 7/15/10 I've got more like 29 days 10½ hours 'til gametime on Friday, Aug 13 @ 7:30pm. Am I miscalculating?

Just read the Bills Official site 25 questions - this one about Schobel. The problem appears to be (so he says) that he doesn't want his kids to split school curriculums between NY and Texas. Ummm....here's an idea Aaron....live in Buffalo year 'round, or at least during the school year. You have enough money to buy a nice little second residence in Texas, maybe a condo or something. So, send the family down to Texas for the summer to spend quality time with the in-laws and other family so they can learn to shoot guns, lasso longhorns, and get fitted for cowboy hats and boots. You can spend an entire month with them from the end of June to the end of July. Other than maybe a school teacher or administrator, how many professions allow that much uninterrutpted time with the family? You can be with them until the end of July, and when traiining camp comes, you're too busy (and tired) to spend much time with them anyway. They come back up from the lone tard state after Labor Day, you send the kids to school, play the season, then you hang around until next June. It's not a life sentence in Buffalo for Crissakes. You have only a handful of football years left - if that. Is it that easy to throw away the NFL paycheck? One season (5+ months!) of your NFL pay is probably more than many of us will earn in a lifetime. Invested wisely, those (takehome)paychecks could easily translate to more than another 10 million when you hit your golden years. If they just gotta stay in Texas, fly them in for the home games on Friday night, spend a little time, send 'em back Sunday night. Go down there during the bye week. These ball players will have plenty of money and many good years to spend with family, starting at a relatively young age. We should all be so lucky. You think Thurman, Jimbo, and Andre all hop out of bed at 6:30 am to beat the morning rush? They're all getting some quality Zzzzzz's. Point is there are plenty of alternatives and practical solutions. If his heart is still in it, he'll be there after St John Fisher is behind them. I think he's taken a cue from another heavy sleeper, Bruuuuce, and is playing the "retirement card" to miss the two-a-days that the new regime will employ. Smart move Aaron. As Bobby Vinton sang in the old WKBW-TV fall TV season promos: "see you, in September".

Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences, comments, and tips. I just saved myself $120.00 off of the NFL Sunday Ticket price. I'm more than happy to pay $180.00 for the privilege of enjoying all Bills games in HD, with great sound, in the cozy comfort of my downstairs mancave. AND - a real time saver when you factor in DVRs. There are so many commercial interuptions these days, it's almost nerver-wracking to sit through 3+ hours of unending breaks in the action. Last year I started watching 1 o'clock games at around 2'oclock, utilizing the DVR. I fast forward through all the commercials, halftime happy talk, protracted official reviews and injury timeouts, and guess what? I still finish watching the game at about the same time as everyone else, and also have the added benefit of saving a precious hour of my weekend, not to mention my nerves. $3.46 per week dumped into my coin jar over the course of a year will cover the $180/season cost - that's a deal I can live with and a good value for the buck. That translates to about $11 per game, just for Bills games. Unsolicited advice to anyone else looking to deal: when you contact the Directv rep, be courteous and respectful. I truly believe that approach will go a long way towards getting a deal. Anyone working in the Customer Service field deals with a wide variety of a-holes all day long, and treating your Directv rep with politeness will be a call they'll be happy to handle - and they'll probably be more willing to negotiate. Good luck.

The Frito's Corn Chips at Wegman's are to die for! The whole cookout/grilling experience is a ritual which I've participated in dozens of times. I was usually the one to organize the whole deal. We used to be the kind of idiots that would show up at 7 am to get the fire going start downing cold lagers. Lots of fun when you're young and there's a big group to party with. It's a wonderfully communal thing, with different folks bringing their own specialties for the barbeque, salads, breads, etc. It's inevitable someone will forget the knife, napkins, or charcoal lighter fluid. On the other hand, as I've gotten longer in the tooth and the old gang has dispersed, it's usually me and a few friends these days - if I go at all. The comforts of home and HD are making it more and more difficult to want to deal with the stadium jackasses who will no doubt be sitting directly behind or in front of me (or both) on game day. In the past I would have screamed "blasphemy" to Promo's suggestion of dependence on supermarket fare, but I'm more inclined to simplify these days. If someone else wants to be be in charge of all the logisitics, equipment, and bother of the big barbeque, I'll bring my weiners and buns to join in. But if it's just me and my bro and the wives, some pre-made subs and some chips doesnt sound like a bad option. I love Wegman's, but if I want a good Buffalo-style sub, I'd opt for the sausage/cappicola Royalé, the Italian, or da steak & cheese from a local sub shop that serves 'em on toasted Costanzo rolls.

Was he drunk and did he try to kiss you?

Wanna add some salt to the wound? If you're a fan of one of the NFL's sweetheart teams like Dallas, New England, Pittsburgh, etc....you hardly need the NFL Ticket. They're going to have at least 4 or 5 prime time games, and likely several more as the CBS or Fox's top game, shown in the majority of USA markets. So, if your a Cowboys fan, you're probably going to get 10-11 games without paying a dime. I could handle the $300 saving and a sports bar for 5 or 6 games. If you're a Bills fan? Not so much. Unless they turn into some kind of miracle team, we probably won't see a single game broadcast here in the Atlanta.

I respectfully disagree on that point tin man. Talk about the glass half empty. I've been to dozens of Bills games. For the most part, the weather has ranged anywhere from fantastic to chilly, but tolerable if dressed properly. More often than not, the conditions have been ideal. If it's 45 degrees, I don't mind a bit, as long as I'm dressed accordingly. Not long ago, I posted stats detailing game conditions (as best as I could find) for all home games throughout the 2000s. The idea that Buffalo homes games are frequently played "on the frozen tundra" is bull. Certainly, there are some cold blustery days - I don't deny it. But it's hardly the norm. Maybe 1+ games a season are crappy in The Ralph. Some seasons it's worse than others. I think 2008 was sort of a crappy year weather-wise. I imagine you worry about rusting out there. Just don't let some kid put a wet tongue on you in January or you'll have to drag him home to Mr. Beeper.

That's been the idiot mantra of whiny WNYer's for years. It's a load of crap. Ever been to NYC? Just the Fortune 500 companies alone based there along with the massive tourism dollars generate mega millions of dollars, much of which is subject to state taxes that get distributed from the tip of Long Island to Fredonia and all parts in between. The idea that the rest of the state is somehow propping up New York City sounds like a moronic sour grapes notion that was dreamed up over a few too many boiler-makers at some gin mill in Depew. Buffalo, and all the other little hamlets throughout New York State get many financial benefits from NYC. It's not the drag on your wallet you think it is. Put that myth to rest.

Maybe a dome is more attractive to you, but I would absolutely hate dome - unless it was fully retractable. There's nothing like a crisp fall sweatshirt weather day with a football game being played under the canopy of blue sky. Domes? Uggghhh! As far as saying a dome should have been built in OP in the first place, it's almost for certain that the Bills would be in some other city, had a dome been built. Every other dome that's been built from that era is gone. The Colts, Lions, Seahawks, and others have seen domes come and go. The Falcons, who opened their dome in 1992, are talking about a new stadium, with proposed ground breaking in 2012. The Vikings want a stadium. The Saints were talking about replacing the superdome. If the Bills had built that Lancaster or Orchard Park domed stadium back in the early 70's (as some proposed), they'd now be long gone, unless someone had come up with the money to fund a new stadium. Considering what they had to do just for some basic renovation to "The Ralph" 10+ years ago, the millions for a state of the art 21st century facility seems like a pipe dream. The convention center/multi-use argument always comes up when talking new stadium. If that were to be the case, then a Niagara Falls retractable dome facility makes more sense than anything on the waterfront. As a previous post pointed out, the environmental studies and cleanup around the old steel mills will cost a small fortune. Considering the current US economy, I don't see the feds going out of their way to help with the effort. Another post in this thread pointed out the economic boost from the downtown stadium. For 8 or 9 games a year? The NFL is an exclusive club, and there may be someone or some group with deep pockets, waiting in the wings, who wants to own a team. Anyone with business sense can see that WNY already has a love affair with the team, and there's an extended fan base eastward in NY State and northward into Canada. Moving the team could be a big mistake. Where are they gonna go? L.A.? I think Jacksonville, San Diego, or the Raidahs would do better in LA. Personally, I don't think any team would do that great in LaLa Land in the long run. Maybe when it's all shiny and new, but LA is not a football town. They've already been home to 3 of the 32 existing franchises. How many chances do they get? The Bills in the Falls could be the beginning of the revival that Niagara Falls NY needs. A multi-purpose retractable dome at the falls would probably bring a superbowl to the area. It could be a selling point for the autumn tourist market in NF. A lot of people making the trip to the Falls might want to take in an NFL game. Although most of us have enjoyed multiple games, many people, often from foreign countries or small towns, have never attended one. It'd be a great way to expand the Bill's global fan base. The one glitch may be the casinos. The NFL tries to distance itself from the world of gambling (as much as they probably love it), so that may be an issue. No dome in downtown. That would be a huge mistake. I can't imagine having a beautiful 65 degree fall day in October, and being couped up in some oversized circus tent. I don't know if Kelly is just a dreamer, but I have to think he's got something brewing, otherwise, why would he continue to allude to his conviction that he Bills are not leaving? NFL is big business, and the toursists at the Falls could pick up the slack that the tired WNY economy can't support.

What's your point? Just to clarify a misconception that a few fans may still have - the quarterback decision for the Music City Miracle game, in which Johnson got the nod over Flutie, was not made by Wade. It's been intimated and whispered for years, and I believe even confirmed by Phillips himself, that the decision came directly from Ralph C Wilson. He had greatly overpaid for Johnson, and as luck would have it, Johnson played about his best game ever the previous week in a meaningless match against the Colts. Ralph got excited, and made the call.

I don't really need to hear what the PA announcer says. I'm watching the same game as he is. I can see what just happened. The refs have hand signals and mics for penalties. Down and distance is on the scoreboards and the chain gang also marks the down and first down markers(in case you forget). What do I need the PA guy for? Just put the record player needle on for the "Shout" song and shutup. The last game I was at I was around the 30 yard line, upper deck, 2nd row, visitor's side I believe. Sorry if I sound like an old fart, but there were times when I wish they'd have just turned the thing off. I'm not talking about during game-time, but during commercial breaks when there's nothing going on down on the field. The music and advertisements were blaring so loudly that we had to shout above the noise to have a conversation during those times. Is that nessessary? I don't need to be entertained by some outside source 24-7. I don't really need the Goo-Goo Dolls or anyone else creating constant entertainment from the minute I get there until I leave. I'm there to see a bloody football game. I understand some pre-game festivities and halftime shows and the like, but I don't think it's the team's job to fill every idle moment for me. God knows, I might start getting twitchy thumbs and have to text someone. At least the Bills don't have a dome. If you love super loud hip-hop echoing off the walls that make your ears ring the rest of the day, try the Georgia Dome. The Bills played there last year. I live in the area, but I didn't even bother getting a ticket. I swore last time I went to that place it would be the last. Geez, I can't walk into a restaurant or bank anymore without being bombarded images and sound from the idiot box. Serenity now. ooohhhmmmm ooohhhmmmm