LongLiveRalph

The SEC, top to bottom, is the best NCAA conference. But my major issue with the conference over the past 5-6 years (more or less) has been the lack of impact QB's. Sure the defenses in the conference are huge, fast, and supremely athletic, but I always wondered if some of the "greatness" of the defenses also had something to do with the overall lack of good quarterbacking. Granted, I understand college is a different game, and a great college QB doesn't necessarily translate to the NFL. But, just a snapshot of some of the recents: BAD: JaMarcus Russell (LSU)- one of the worst in the league Jason Campbell (Auburn)- terrible. Thank you Ronnie Brown and Cadillac for making me look good Brodie Croyle (Alabama)- a signature "just doesn't have it" guy Rex Grossman (Florida)- did enough to get to a Super Bowl but never took a starter's job and excelled David Greene (UGA)- 3-yr college starter, 3rd rd pick, never appeared in an NFL game for 4 different teams, retired Casey Clausen (UT)- pretty good in college, has all the tools, just never amounted to anything JURY STILL OUT: Matthew Stafford (UGA)- made some promising starts along with to-be-expected rookie struggles Jay Cutler (Vandy)- big arm, big stats...Leader? Winner? Has top-10 QB potential SUCCESS STORIES: Payton Manning (UT)- best in the game for 10 years. Makes everyone better, consistent performer and winner Eli Manning (Ole Miss)- can argue his consistency and accuracy. Can't argue his wins, comebacks, and Super Bowl ring. Who else is there? I must be forgetting a few...

Mike Mularkey is Atlanta's OC and got a ton of credit for Matt Ryan's performance last year. Don't you think he tried many of the same things with Losman? It's not just the Bills. Some guys, (even high draft picks like Joey Harrington, David Carr, JaMarcus Russell) you can develop until you're blue in the face, and they just don't have the goods. It's a win-now league. Why would a coach hitch his wagon (and his job) to a QB who he doesn't truly believe will get it done anytime soon? That's why you have to give the guy McDaniels some credit in Denver. He wasn't in love with Cutler and wanted someone familiar in Cassell. That blew up in his face, to the point that he had to trade Cutler. The Redskins swooped in and were slobbering all over Cutler, and even offered a more lucrative trade than Chicago. But McDaniels didn't want to hitch his wagon to Jason Campbell, either. He felt Orton was good enough to do the things he wanted to do on offense. He had a vision, at least. From the O-line debacle, to the TO signing, to Trent's "development," to the no-huddle scheme, it just seems there's no vision on the Bills offense. 18-hour workdays my ass.

It says he was drafted (in the 7th round!!!) with the hope that he could evolve from non-scholarship Ivy League QB into "heady" and prepared backup. Which is exactly what he is. He wasn't brought here to be a starter, he was brought here SPECIFICALLY because he is a backup, so as to not ruffle Trent's starter feathers. I only cited Trent's status as a Bills draft pick of the last decade because, well, the record speaks for itself, and suggests that he is a marginal NFL player, like the majority of their other picks. The fact that Jairus Byrd appears to be a ball hawk, after the front office said "We like him because he's a ball hawk" is one of the most shocking events of the season. They may have actually pegged somebody correctly. Let's face it, both QBs stink, and border on unwatchable. But I will say, I would rather watch incomplete 16-yard passes to Evans rather than 3-yard completions to Derek Schouman. Either way, come on out Brian Moorman!!!

The statistic I like to cite has a 10-year sample size. Trent Edwards was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the decade of the 00's. Chances are, he sucks.

I can't speak for the UT-OU game, didn't see it, but it seemed like in the ND-USC game, the majority of replays did occur on scoring plays. Isn't that what it's there for? I hear you though, reviewing the spot at the 40-yard line or a short catch at midfield can be tedious. But every play DOES matter, just some more than others. If they're making sure TD's are legit TD's, on close plays, it's hard to argue that they're using the system correctly. The one single objective every time is to get the call right. I think a hybrid of the pro and college would be best...Institute a challenge system so there's not four reviews on every drive, but have a "video referee" in the booth so the on-field ref just puts on a headset and listens to the verdict. The ref running 75 yards over to the hood (standing 3 feet away from thousands of drunk fans) to watch a little TV just seems so ridiculous in the NFL.

I don't think any of us are looking for HOF out of Edwards. Comparisons to Aikman or Bradshaw are so far off base, it does make Marv sound crazy. Frankly, we'd take a Chad Pennington or Jeff Garcia type performance right now. Nothing special other than 10-6 at the end of the year. Forget mulitple Super Bowls.

I would agree on all of your points. However, there are some serious differences: The ticket prices are not even close to being on par with where they were. The labor friction has always been there, true. But the degree is different. You have owners of $1 billion conglomorates bickering over percentage points of revenue with multi-million dollar players who would be driving a FedEx truck if they weren't abnormally huge and fast. It's hard to sympathize, if you really are driving a FedEx truck and trying to pay $100 for an upper deck ticket. The 1987 labor dispute was DRASTICALLY different from a fan's perception than the upcoming dispute. Yes, it's owners vs. players, just like always. But back then, they were only starting to figure out the potential of their product. Now they are on top of the world, bilking fans out of every last cent, and then crying over the splits. It sucks. There is a serious over-saturation of coverage now. Every single thing that happens on Sunday is analyzed to Xth degree on Monday, and then forgotten about by Thursday as everyone begins to over-analyze the upcoming weekends games. This is on ESPN, NFL Network, all AM talk radio, all satellite talk radio, all over the Internet, and on and on. It's tiresome, but obviously people are watching/listening/reading or else they wouldn't do it. Just for me alone, all the hype takes something away from the games. It has become a TV show rather than a sport in many cases. And let's not talk about the 14-man pregame shows with a bunch of jokers yelling at each other. Players have always done stupid things. But now that nobody gets away with anything due to papparazzi / camera phones / blogs / etc., you really get the sense that these guys doing dumb things don't have a working brain cell. They are doing the same idiotic stuff that guys were doing in 1985...It's just that it used to get hushed up then or swept under the rug. Now there's no chance of getting away with anything, and these clowns still F up. More NFL teams = more crappy teams and games. There are the same number of universities and college prospects. $25 minimum to park your car. $50 at many places. Unreal. The NFL taking 25 years to realize that their retired players may have medical complications from playing in the league. And they still try to deny funds and insurance coverage under the guise of "we are conducting our own internal review." All this as the networks hand over another $6 billion. Again, unreal. Read up on that Supreme Court case I mentioned above, American Needle vs. NFL. Dangerous territory.

Well summarized. The expansion is probably the reason for my disappointment with the quarterbacking...There's 6 or 7 more QB's in the league who are now starters who in 1988 would've been backups...

Kelly Clarkson albums make money...She's an American Idol...Do you want to listen to her music?

How the f-ck has that senior been at the school for 5 years and he has no friends to live with? I can see you and Singapore getting latched together, but what's the story with the other misfits? Like I said, it sounds like NERRRRRRRDS!! I recommend spring break in Ft. Lauderdale. I hear the Hotel Coral Essex has some vacancy.

The seat licenses are a joke! And just think, this is the New York JETS!!! These are people who have had season tickets for 30+ years to watch an absolute JOKE franchise. They are Joe Namath 1969 and not much else. There have been decades of bad football (mostly VERY bad football) since then, with a few Chad Pennington playoff games sprinkled in here or there. And now, you reward those fans who have stuck with your shiittttay team for all these years, and you say, "Thanks for the support, please give us $300K and then we will allow you to pay $2500 each for your tickets. Or, you can relocate to section 436, row T, and we'll give you a comparable price." That's how you repay loyalty? Has anyone read up on the case the NFL has before the Supreme Court? This is very scary... http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/article/131916 Quick summary: In 2004, American Needle Manufacturing filed an anti-trust lawsuit against the NFL, because the NFL signed with Reebok (I believe) to be the sole producer of NFL-licensed apparell. Obviously, as a small company, this blew American Needle's main source of revenue for hats and t-shirts. The NFL won the decision in court, VERY easily, and won an appeal very easily. American Needle then requested that the Supreme Court review the case. The NFL actually agreed that the Supreme Court should review, and also tacked ON TOP of American Needle's appeal, a request for the Supreme Court to rule that the NFL is "one single-entity competing against other forms of entertainment, not 32 separate entities competing against each other." Basically, if the Supreme Court rules in the league's favor, any future anti-trust cases will be impossible to win against the league, which could have a major impact on all pro sports. They will essentially be able to have strong-arm control of everything pertaining to their league, without consequence. I attached the Sports Business Daily article because they also include a counterpoint at the bottom, that the whole thing may not be such a big deal and is blown out of proportion. You decide. This summary is probably better, from a legal website with "Five Supreme Court Cases to Watch This Term: American Needle v. National Football League At issue: Whether sporting leagues should be exempt from antitrust regulations. Experts say American Needle may turn out to be the most important legal decision in sporting history. The sportswear manufacturer contracted with NFL teams to produce hats and headgear with official team logos. But the NFL decided to give an exclusive leaguewide license to Reebok in 2000, leading American Needle to sue, claiming the NFL’s action violated the Sherman Antitrust Act by limiting the market for who could produce team-branded merchandise. The fundamental question for the court to decide is whether the NFL should be considered a single entity or a collection of 32 individual businesses. The answer to this question has repercussions beyond the production of licensed merchandise. If the NFL is considered a single entity, it would largely be exempt from antitrust laws, giving the league not only continued right to grant exclusive licenses for team apparel but also the ability to make decisions on a leaguewide basis. This opens the door to the NFL — rather than individual teams — determining things like ticket prices and player salaries. Indeed, the bargaining power of the NFL Players Union is based on antitrust legislation that the league would largely be immune to if it receives a favorable ruling from the Supreme Court. Other sporting leagues are watching the American Needle case closely; many have filed briefs in favor of the NFL’s position.

Definitely opinion, and likewise I respect yours! You are not alone, obviously the majority of the country is captivated by the league. Go to any bar on a Sunday in October and you can't find a seat...Go on Sunday in May and you've got the place to yourself... My friend who I watch the games with is a Giants fan, and obviously he is enjoying it. And he still bets games, so he has an interest in watching a Bears-Titans game, where I wouldn't. I still enjoy the NFL, don't get me wrong...I've just been noticing more and more the little things about the actual 60-minute game that make it hard to watch. But my real concern is the overall trend of the league's direction. If a trade worker making $54,000 a year is priced out of a football game, it's just plain WRONG.

Agreed whole heartedly. Can't stand the Jets but love Ryan's attitude and bravado. Can't stand the Dolphins but using the wildcat was a great idea and one of the league's few recent original ideas.

I hear that, you are correct. It's a GREAT idea. No commercials on RZC either. Sooooo much better than three TV's, or that channel that splits the screen into 8 games (so you can watch 4 Chevy commercials and 4 Bud Light commercials at once!) I have Comcast and I have tuned in a few times, it's a good idea. The dictators at the NFL finally came to an agreement to put it on cable, after about a 3-year standoff...

Even if they got a worthwhile offer, like say, a 3rd round pick, what good is it? It's still the same dimwits who have assembled the current no talent / no depth roster who will be making the draft selection.

It's not a function of the Bills at all. I would say that 80% of the coaches in the NFL coach "not to lose," and their offenses and QB play reflect that (advanced defenses have something to do with it too, no doubt.) The league has changed DRASTICALLY since the 1980-thru-1995 days, making the QB a much more demanding and difficult position. The short pass has replaced a portion of the running game. Defenses are more complex and there are more reads than in the past. But, we think of Jim Kelly as a gunslinger. He only had 26 300-yard passing games in his entire HOF career. Drew Brees already has 32, and Payton has 52. Hell, Kerry Collins has 30. So it's not necesarily a stats-to-stats comparison...It's different eras. I wasn't referring to Kosar and Everett as the marquees, I was saying they were average guys but seemed to be more than just a caretaker between punts. The middle of the road guys weren't too bad then...Testaverde, Esiason, Bledsoe, Simms, Gannon, Krieg, Theisman...On top of the Aikman, Cunningham, Kosar, etc. that I mentioned above. These guys seemed to be more than "game managers" for whom a 3rd & 11 conversion is a pipe dream. I completely agree, there are some very good QBs at the top of the heap in today's game. Some of the best of all time in Brady and Manning, and maybe Brees works himself in there. But there are many QBs who are servicable at best, and their own teams play to limit them or hide them. "Don't throw a pick, don't take a sack, throw it away...Nice job." And for what it's worth, even though Jay Schroeder got there handing off to Bo Jackson and Marcus Allen, the other three Bills' AFC Champ game opponents had QBs named Elway, Marino, and Montana. I hate Miami, but you have to give them BIG props for turning to the Wildcat offense. Their offense sucked, they were 0-2, so instead of continuing to run the same, shiitty Chad Pennington offense, they actually used some imagination to get the ball into the hands of their best players more often. And, AMAZINGLY enough, something different CAN work...They rode it to a division title...And now, just like the copycat league that it is, every other team in the NFL has a wildcat package. There is a shocking lack of imagination around the league from a bunch of guys who work these "phantom" 18-hour workdays. Maybe that's why I'm not interested. I've never played fantasy and have never had even a minor desire to do so. Just not my thing. I used to gamble quite a bit, but I didn't want to be the guy who just threw $100 on a game and didn't watch. I claimed it was a "hobby" which made the games more interesting (which it did.) So I usually tried to bet the games that were on TV, for college and pros. Then, like I said, I couldn't stand watching the games anymore. I felt like I was wasting full weekends away. I got mad when I lost, and if I won, it wasn't as exciting as it used to be. It just felt like, "Who cares", you know? Why do I care if I can guess who will win Dallas at Philly -6.5? And I have to waste 3.5 hours watching it. I don't disagree- the NFL is the most powerful sports league ever created. I just don't like the recent trends, on the field, but most especially off the field.

If they lose their next two on the road (and look as ugly as they have), it's hard to imagine Dick J jogging out onto the field at the Ralph vs. Houston, one week before the bye. The 35,000 fans in attendance would want his scalp.

I was always that way when I was younger, I could watch any game. In my teens the Bills were still pretty good and I loved the league. Then, in my 20's, the Bills took a bit of a downturn, but I still loved the league and would bet on some games here and there, which often made games MUCH more exciting. However, the last three years, I have just been disgusted by the PRODUCT. The athletes are the best in the world, no question. The 6-second action from snap-to-tackle can be incredible. But if you removed commercials, timeouts, injuries, and huddles, you're looking at roughly 12 minutes of actual action. And that gets stretched out over 3.5 hours. Like I said, I never truly noticed it until I was watching three games at once, and I was shocked at the amount of times all three TV's were on commercial (and hell, it was usually the SAME Bud Light or Chevy truck commercial too!) As for the coaches, there are only 32 jobs in the world, it's a win-now league, and they all try to save their job by trying to NOT lose, rather than trying to win. 80% of the coaches seem to coach scared, and 80% of the QBs seem to get sucked into the "game manager" role. Couple that with Bill Walsh's West Coast offense of the 1980's, and what you're stuck with is 3-yard passes on 3rd & 8. It's unwatchable in most cases for me. For every Jets-Fins great game, you get 4 or 5 duds like Bills-Browns, NYG-Oak, Wash-anybody. I don't play fantasy, I don't place wagers...I have ZERO reason to waste 3+ hours watching commercials surrounded by crappy football played by two teams I couldn't care less about. Every team copies every other team and you end up watching the same game, over and over. I still follow it, I still like it...I just don't like the overall trend of the PRODUCT as a whole- meaning the game, media coverage, "corporatization" of the teams and fans, and the pompous attitude of the league itself. They give off an air of knowing that they have the people in the palm of their hand, and will F them out of every last penny if they can.

These are tough times to be a Bills fan, no doubt. However, I'm looking for your opinion on the product of NFL football taken as a league. We always hear how "It's the true national pasttime," "the most powerful sport of all time," etc. etc. I am in the camp that the product is on a slow decline, AS A WHOLE. Here is a brief timeline of my recent football-related experiences, which influence my reasoning: 1. I moved from Buffalo to Florida in 2006. I am still a Bills season ticket holder, however I watch most of the games each Sunday at a friend's house on the DirecTV ticket. This was downfall #1 for me. My friend would set up 3 TV's in his living room, and we would watch a bunch of games (he's a NYG fan) with the Bills and Giants usually on two of the TV's. The other TV would show a game that was the "marquee matchup" or a game that we had bet on. I was appalled by the lack of action, and the amount of time that all three games were at commercial at the same time. It was less and less enjoyable as the weeks went on. 2. I stopped betting before last season (2008). I had a down year in 2006, then a bad year in 2007, I lost about $2200 overall on pro and college football in '07 (I never bet any other TV sports.) Anyways, I just decided that it was a waste, I wasn't really enjoying watching the games (maybe because I was losing more than winning had something to do with not enjoying it) so in fall of 2008 I booked a fishing trip to Cabo for $1800 and said "There goes the gambling fund." That trip was a BLAST and I haven't made a bet since. However, at the same time, it has made it VERY difficult to even consider watching a Arizona-Houston 4pm game. 3. Somewhere along the line, picking up 23 yards and getting 2 first downs, then throwing the ball out of bounds on 3rd down and punting it away started to qualify as good quarterbacking. I don't know if it's because I learned my football in the 1980's and 90's (I'm 31 years old) and grew up with Kelly, Marino, Elway, Montana, Fouts, Favre, Young...And those are just the all-time greats...Even the "so-so's" were solid...Kosar, Moon, Cunningham, Everett, Aikman, and guys like that. I could be completely wrong, but it never seemed like there were as many Kyle Bollers, Trent Edwards, Alex Smiths, JaMarcus Russells out there, where a completed 12-yard pass is a miracle from the heavens. The "game management" theory became all the rage in 2001 with everyone's favorite Super Bowl champion analyst, Trent "54% completions" Dilfer. What Jeff Hostetler proved in 1991 all the sudden rang louder in 2001...You don't need a league MVP at quarterback to win the Super Bowl...So everyone tried the concept. I also realize that defensive schemes and blitzing have gotten much more complicated and made QB a more difficult position to play, but the rules have also changed to help the QB's and WR's. I don't know...It just seems to me that 80% of the league plays the "conservative, don't turn it over, throw it away, lets try to win 17-13" game. Granted, if it's the Bills, I'm on the edge of my seat. If it's Panthers-Rams, SNOOZE! 4. The oversaturation of coverage. ESPN is great and horrible all at once. I won't bash them here, I just simply change the channel. But everything HAS to be rapid reaction. Best game ever? Biggest choke ever? Best pass ever? Are the Chiefs done? Are the Broncos the AFC favorite? And on and on. 24/7. On ESPN, and ten other channels. And all over the radio. It's too much and it wears me out. 5. Rookie salaries for top-10 picks. They make more guaranteed money signing their name than Bruce Smith made in his whole career. I have a feeling this is going to change though, thankfully. 6. The new stadiums are great. The seat licenses are disgusting and will ruin the game. It's my opinion, but that's how I feel. Quick story- my friend was at the Jets-Pats game in week 2, his brother won bidding on some tickets at a charity auction. They were 45-yard line, about row 20. They had four seats, and they were right next to a man and a woman. The man and woman actually had 6 season tickets, they put up 4 of them for the charity auction, and kept 2 for themselves. So my friend was chatting with them. They have been Jets season ticket holders for 30+ years, and have upgraded when possible, to basically where they are now, some of the best seats in the house. When the Jets move to their new stadium next year, in order to keep their 6 season tickets at that location (45-yard line row 20) they would've had to pay $293,000 for seat licenses. That's right, $48,000 per seat, AND THAT'S JUST FOR THE RIGHT TO THEN PAY FULL PRICE FOR YOUR 10 GAMES!! Frankly, that makes me sick to my stomach. 7. One home game in Toronto. I understand it, but I HATE it. Not right. And it all stems from the NFL being a corporation and a bottom line, rather than a sport for the fans. Like I said, I understand. I just don't like it. Those are my off-the-cuff reasons. I've really found in the last three years or so that I'm enjoying the games less and less. Obviously, the struggles of the Bills drag me down. But still, I've ALWAYS been a fan of the game, and would watch three on Sunday and one on Monday. Now, not even close. The announcers annoy me. The commercials annoy me. The weak strategies, coaches, and games annoy me. And more than ever, the off-the-field stuff regarding revenues, salary caps, seat licenses, etc. etc. are making me wonder about this game. The league really needs to watch out if they do go into a lockout. The league is quickly becoming a corporate TV show rather than a sport, and I for one don't think the NFL is the all-powerful and all-knowing league. I didn't watch one second of football last weekend and it was, without a doubt, a much more enjoyable Sunday than sitting on a couch watching commercials and Chris Berman's verbal expectorations. If you read my ramblings this far, I'm interested in how you view the NFL as a product.

Listen Skolnik, everyone here is giving you bad advice. I'm telling you, drive the crew to Target, get some black clothes, have the Asian kid set up cameras at the hot local sorority, and then it's on- PANTY RAID!! It will really bring you closer together.

Does it really matter? They can trade Lynch, T.O., Whitner, or anybody else that they think might be able to bring a decent return of picks or combination of players & picks. But big deal. It's still the same group of dimwits who are evaluating the potential returning players and making the draft picks. So great...Let's stockpile draft picks...Then let the same tools who assembled this no talent / no depth roster make their 2010 selections! Then we can draft CB's to play safety, safeties to play LB, definitely don't get a left tackle, and no doubt use our 5th round pick on a tight end "with a great work ethic and high football IQ" to bring his 8 catches and 3 false starts to the squad! Hurray mediocrity!! Also, Bills 16 Jets 13 OT after Ralph gives a rousing locker room speech about what it costs to draft in the top-10 and how a 2-14 record could bankrupt him. Bills respond, Ralph pays electric bill, heat stays on in the fieldhouse for another week.

Hard to believe 2 out of 3 survived looking at those photos. Have to imagine the back seat was the fatality. Incredibly tragic and incredibly lucky all at once.

The Bills have informed Poz that he needs to get his weight down into the 215-220 range if he wants to start at LB on this team.

Sounds like four real losers to me. Why don't you all pledge Lambda Lambda Lambda. The inevitable party with the Mu's would be the first time you had chicks in the house.

Failure of NFL teams to evaluate heart? Perhaps something about the coddling they receive in Austin leaves them unprepared to handle criticism? It only seems to be the big guns. Guys like Priest Holmes, who don't have the world gifted to them, turned out ok. The lottery picks? Consistent busts throughout the Mack Brown era.