SouthernMan

Rivalries such as Dallas and NY Giants are antiquated holdovers from when Dallas was an expansion team in 1960 and there were fewer options for placement in a division. When recent realignment was instituted, it should have had greater consideration to geography. Because of proximity and more similar demographics among the populations, new (and better) rivalries would have quickly evolved. In college, Florida and Georgia have a strong rivalry - largely because of proximity to each other. Can anyone fathom Florida and Nebraska in the same division? You'd think it was bizarre. When the Dallas - Giants rivalry was formed, there was no team in Indianapolis, Arizona, Cincinnati, Carolina, Tampa, Seattle, Miami, New Orleans, Jacksonville, Tennessee, etc. Furthermore, there were 2 separate leagues, so having the expansion Houston Oilers of the AFL in the same division wasn't an option. As far as a Dallas-Giants or Buffalo-Miami match ups go, the way the schedule rotation is setup, these teams would meet at least every 4 years. More often if they had similar finishes in their respective divisions. There is no perfect scenario, but I would have blown the whole thing up and started over without any regard to conferences or previous division. Call the conferences and divisions whatever you want. See attached map - tell me that wouldn't make a lot more sense than the way it's currently configured. Conference 1 NY Jets, NY Giants, Philadelphia, New England Minnesota, Green Bay, Chicago, Indianapolis Dallas, Houston, New Orleans, Tennessee Seattle, KC, St Louis, Denver Conference 2 Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Detroit Tampa, Miami, Jacksonville, Atlanta Washington, Baltimore, Carolina, Cincinnati San Fran, San Diego, Arizona, Oakland

Simple - he "knew too much".

Two posts by me in the last few months - both of which I was chastised for by those responding in this forum. 1. WHO's YOUR BUDDY? - I boldly stated that the mountains of praise thrown at Nix/Gailey & Co is unearned. Show me the baby I said. How do you all feel about these geniuses running the show now? Great! - they signed the top defensive FA. Give me a pen and a checkbook to Ralph's account and I could have done the same. Big deal. How about some savvy personnel moves that require strategy and creativity? Hell, just look at this year's draft! Of the 9 draft picks in 2012, 4 are no longer with the team and 1 of them is excess baggage as a kickoff specialist. For a team that has weaknesses in all categories, that is piss poor planning. The way things look now, kicking specialist Potter may not be needed more than once or twice each Sunday. It's not like we have a Superbowl contender and the competition is too tough to find a slot on the roster. Bills front office grade: D 2. THE LEASE - Word in the press a few months ago was that the lease agreement was imminent and lots of optimism from the TSW crowd. I scoffed. Didn't believe it was that close to being done and would be surprised if it did get done. I was called a troll and a negative Ned and other unflattering things. Reality sucks folks. Sorry to always be the one to wake you up from your pipe dreams, but this team is a mess from top to bottom with no end in sight to the futility that begins and ends with Ralph's constant meddling. There's a reason teams like the Steelers and Ravens can go through 100% attrition with coaching and players over the years and still have competitive teams. There's a reason teams like the Bills seem to bask in mediocrity for years. It all starts at the top. Do I really care about the lease agreement any more? Nahhhh.

The most telling thing about this post and the results of the voting: the disproportional bias and lack of objectivity used by participants in this forum. With the use of technology, game footage, and computer animation, it's clear there wasn't enough evidence to overturn the original call - that's all that really matters. All of you that voted in the majority - can you conclusively state that the ball went forward? If so, you're looking at the world through Bills colored glasses and having any semblance of an intelligent dialogue or debate regarding the Bills is a waste of time. There are some fantastic, knowledgeable fans who post at TSW, but sadly, there are fair share of nitwits. I'd guess the OP poll reflects the approximate percentage.

BTW - the average age is approximately 38 - which coincides with when time began standing still in Buffalo. This explains why Canadian rockers Rush are still in heavy rotation on local radio and why Buffalo women still request the "winged-front-bangs with a mullet" hairstyle at their favorite "beauty parlor". Not sure if the emergence of Mighty Taco played a hand in the Buffalo Time Stagnation Effect (BTSE), but there are some in the scientific community who suspect a link. It's also about the same time talk of waterfront development began.

Amusing post! "My recliner is my Titanic, and Ralph Wilson is the captian." [sic] ....beautifully poetic phrase. Suggestion: change "is" to "was" and have it engraved on your tombstone. I would love to be strolling through a WNY cemetery and see that epitaph engraved in granite or marble.

Yep, hindsight is 20-20, but we're just armchair QBs (or GMs) for the most part. I think the question is why are there so many missed opportunities by those paid the big bucks at One Bills Drive to recognize the talent of (e.g. - Dalton) who probably has far more upside than Fitzpatrick. It's not just that one miss, but multiple misses and that are accompanied by complacency on the offensive side of the ball, particularly at what is arguably the most important position on the team - quarterback. With very a average receiving corp, and average offensive line, and a below average QB, the running game will suffer no matter how talented the RB is. What we have basically is...."average" 7-9, 8-8, maybe 9-7 records. Just enough to prevent the team from getting that elite QB like Luck or RGIII. Had the Bills been more aggressive or savvy, they maybe could have had Rothlisberger, Flacco, or a series of other QBs that could be relied on to win some close games. As much as I want to like Fitz, it's obvious he's not an elite QB and never will be. Bills fans should be prepared for an extended period of mediocrity as long as the Bills front office is in denial about their current QB situation.

ding ding ding ding ding ding ding .....we have a winner

The bottom line is Norwood no more of less to blame as everyone else. It was a team loss. Thurman was the only one who maintained his playoff intensity and desire to win, remembering that each individual had a responsibility. The rest of the team was out of gas by the time the superbowl was played and were relying on "the other guy" to pick up the slack. Now, can we move on to a more pleasant topic. Thank-you

Not at all...because I've been realistic about it from the start. I was virtually tarred and feathered by this group recently for daring to be skeptical about their optimistic prediction of 11-5 (for example) records. The Bills have a backup QB as their starter and have (maybe) 1 top tier WR. Their best WR is the same guy who dropped an easy touchdown against Steelers a couple of years ago that would have likely won the Bills the game. The offensive line is still a work in progress with a starting 2nd round pick rookie left tackle starting and protecting the blind side of the average QB. If our average QB goes down, the QB situation starts harkening the days of Vince Ferragamo, Joe Dufek, Matt Kofler, and a bunch of other footnotes in Bills QB history. We'll begging for Rob Johnson to come back (did I actually just say that?) Our D-line appears formidable. What's not to like. Linebacking is very average. Sure could use a Ray Lewis, Urlacher, Matthews type of presence. If the preseason games are any indication, our DB situation is far from perfect. A rookie corner and a 2nd year corner still trying to learn coverage are not keeping opposing offenses awake at night. Their success may rely greatly on the effectiveness of the revamped D-line. Coaching? Who knows? Gailey certainly has plenty of experience, but how many champeenship rings is he flaunting? I don't know that he's much more than a good coach. Great coaches win superbowls. I see a team that should finish with 7 or 8 wins - just enough to keep them from being in position to draft a decent QB.

The Bills offense was outcoached by Bills Belichick/Parcells and the Buffalo defense let down. In defense of the offense, they didn't have the ball enough because the Giants offense was grinding it out behind a backup QB. Between the extended halftime and long drives of the Giants, Kelly & company got "cold". I still think they had enough seconds to run another play to get a few yards closer. Norwood was on grass and a 47 yarder was a 50-50 shot for him from that range. Blaming Norwood is as unfair as it would have been to credit him completely with the win if he had made it. I think a lot of "fans" forget that the Bills won a lot of games on Norwood's leg and helped them get into the playoffs, or at the very least helped them gain homefield advantage. A bigger play that sealed the deal was the 3rd and 13 play in which the Giants Ingram got a 1st down on shear will. There were approximately 11 missed tackles by the Bills defense. That was a perfect example of who wanted it more. I sometimes think it's a shame that the Bills obliterated the Raiders 51-3 in the AFC championship game the previous week. With a large point spread in their favor for the superbowl, I think a lot of the Bills thought they could mail it in and win over the same team they beat at the Meadowlands a few weeks earlier. The 3rd and 13 and Bills failure to recognize they needed 1 more week of intense hard work are more to blame than "wide right".

Yep. Having been away from Buffalo for a lot of years, the accent is very noticable. Didn't think we had an accent until I was removed from the area. And when I'm speaking with someone from Chicago, Michigan, or WNY, it all sounds nearly identical. Hard to tell the difference. And they all say "pop", rather than "soda".

My thoughts are that I'm the guy that gets lambasted by the Stadium Wall mafia for daring to question the greatness of Nix & Co. Several weeks ago I originated a post questioning why Nix and Bills FO are being praised to high heaven in this forum by so many when they haven't produced on the field yet. Great, they signed some top flight FAs. Fck, I could do that! That's the easy part. How about making the most of the draft and taking a Gronkowski over achy breaky Troup. (BTW - I'm far from being a draft guru or college fan, but I watched some college stuff when Troup was a consideration. I knew from those couple games I watched that he's not an NFL player). A team can't be built around FAs. If the Bills fail to stock their roster with productive players through the draft and FA, they will fail, and Nix will be a failure. Show me the baby.

Can't believe it took so long into this thread before someone targeted Broadway Joe. He is almost surely the first QB labeled as a "franchise" QB. When he was drafted in 1965 by the AFL NY Jets, there was an all out war between the AFL and NFL. The Jets offered him an enormous amount of money, unheard of - $427,000 - the highest paid player ever at the time. Mentioned earlier in thread was Bill Walsh's west coast passing offense, but the AFL was an innovative passing league. While the stodgy old NFL was an old traditional running league, the upstart AFL was airing it out with Namath, Dawson, Kemp, Hadl, Lamonica, et al leading the way. Following the AFL-NFL merger there was a trend that swung back to the running game in the early 70s. Maybe coaches had caught up with the AFL passing schemes or maybe it was just a time of more athletic and better trained runners. The Dolphins running trio of Kiick, Morris, and Czonka were leading the charge. The Bills had O.J. The Stillers had Franco. Broncos had Floyd Little. But to address the OP, I truly think Namath was the first "franchise" QB, whether or not the label originated with him.

I'd go back to September 11 - New York City. The Bills first game ever against the NY Titans. 1960. And I yell from the stands, "Ralph, you cheap bastard - how long before you pay the players?" Who knew it would take 50+ years?

That's about what I thought. Sitting at tables and dining while watching the game, or rather, being distracted by all the periphial crap. Shops? bars? dining tables? Call me naive, but I don't get it. If I go to game, I don't really wanna shop. If I want the sports bar experience - guess what? - I'll save a couple hundred bucks and go to a friggin' sports bar. Call me old fashioned, but I'd just rather sit among the cheering throng and feel like I'm outside breathing in the elements and cheering for the team down on the field. I don't want to be pampered at a sporting event. If I wanted a cozy relaxing experience, I'd stay home. Not only would I not care about the pampering, shops, dining, etc - but would certainly not think to trade it at the expense of outta sight ticket prices and an urban setting where tailgating is limited or nonexistant.

I believe I read recently where Goodell made the statement that a new stadium for the Bills is a priority. This got me to thinking about what is so great about these new, and expensive, state of the art stadiums? I mean, are all the fancy bells and whistles really enhancing the experience that much? Not even sure what bells & whistles these new arenas have, since I haven't been to one. The Ralph could use more comfortable seating. Those bench seats and backs are outdated and hardly NFL-worthy, but I think they were designed to be able to pack as many people as possible into tight quarters. One of the things that makes Bills homes games so great is the tailgating. It's an all day party communing with fellow fans. In a lot of those in-city stadiums (like here in Atlanta), tailgating is nearly non-existent. So, I guess my real question is this: would the fans of Buffalo be better off with some fancy new stadium in a more urban atmosphere, or without so many luxurious interior appointments and keeping the tailgate tradition alive? Buffalo is a blue collar town. The reason so many Canadians prefer keeping the team in OP is because the atmosphere is so much more festive than the sterile environment at The Rogers Center. Someone help me out here. What is it that The Ralph needs so badly that Goodell thinks it's imperative to build a new stadium? I can even live with the crappy bench seats. Better that than $120/game tickets. What do the new stadiums have (that The Ralph doesn't) that are so important? If it means trading in tailgating for unecessary "luxury", no thanks.

That's why they have a head coach.

Yep. Agree 100%. The real issue here is being ignored and the disappointment that stems from it - all part of the Buffalo inferiority complex. They want to see their oft disparaged city and team get some deserved props in the national spotlight. That's the actual issue - not the need for some cursory regurgitated information that the fans already have from other multiple sources.

Yep. Have noticed that myself. You'd think the defending champs would get more air time. I'm convinced it's all about ticket sales. I mean, who owns the NFL Network? - the NFL, that's who. So much for objectivity. The Giants sell out. The Bills sell out. The Jets are having trouble selling tickets. The NFL doesn't want to have empty seats for their darlings shown on national TV.

The Poll is in an AFC EAST blog. 2 of 3 are NFC teams and the only AFC East candidate is the Buffalo Bills. Gee, I wonder what team might rank highest in this poll.

It's true. They gave the Bills about 3 minutes worth of exclusive coverage this morning on their NFL am show. Amazing. Every time I turn the channel on it's the Jets and Broncos with a smattering of Eagles, Bengals, and Dolphins. It was clear from some of the commentary introducing the segment that they had been barraged on Twitter by irate Bills fans wanting some coverage of their team. They even ended the segment saying something like, "we do cover all 32 teams". Should have finished the statement by saying.."when we take the occasional break from the Tebow/Manning lovefest".

Blasphemy!!! Ganesh, How dare you raise those questions and concerns? You should pledge full allegience to The Bills brass knowing that the off season moves will get us to Bills Nation promised land....9 or 10 wins!!! I can hardly wait.

Derek, I think you used the term I probably should have from the get go - "cautiously optimistic". In a nutshell, that's the gist of what I was saying. Thank you. To the writer in previous post who would be happy with a 9-10 victory "winning season"...I feel sorry for you. Didn't the Bills have a 9-win season under Mike Mularkey? Ahhh....those glory days. Having low expectations must be some genetic flaw from native Buffalonians. Sad.

For the umpteenth time...I am excited and optimistic about the coming season. Is it that hard to understand that I'm optimistic, yet still guarding my enthusiasm to a certain degree after so many years of disappointment - and not just the last 12 either. My Sabres analogy is a valid one. It could have been any sports team following the same blueprint of pouring money into star free agents with mixed results. A few years ago (during Deion days) the Redskins tried and failed with this approach. I'm convinced it's really about team chemistry, including coaching, more than the number of all-pros that make a championship team. Now to the point about Football Outsiders....I don't much care what any "professional" prognosticator writes. it's only their opinion and nothing more. All you have to do is pull out your old issues and compare their predictions to what actually transpired in that season. They're rarely correct and their predictions aren't any better than yours or mine. So...they have the Bills at 9.7 wins and that'll be 3rd in the AFC? And yet you think they're "smarter than me"? The theme that everyone apparently missed of the OP was that I'm not as prepared as many of you to heap unending praise on Nix (and the Bills FO) until I see the desired results. Have they made what appear to be great moves? YES! But the proof is in the pudding. When those moves translate into wins, then I'm a happy camper. I'm not pessimistic, pissed off, disappointed, skeptical, a negative Ned or anything else. Very pleased with the moves so far. But I'm hardly content and won't be ready to celebrate until those preliminary moves equal playoffs. Seems everyone replying in this thread, except for few, are having trouble understanding my initial sentiment, which is not one of negativity, but of reserving my judgement and praise until the off-season moves bare fruit in the post season. Dude, if you're content with a 9-10 win season, your expectations are a lot lower than mine. So go ahead and award Buddy and Co the key to the city for that wonderful accomplishment. ps- by any chance, were you a musician?