Offside Number 76

Give 'im heck, Senator.

Because grownups have very few venues where it is acceptable to scream and shout, and blowing off steam is important. Sporting events and concerts are the only two that come to my mind. That doesn't mean that fighting is acceptable. Some loudness, some unruliness, someone screaming "f**k yeah" at the top of their lungs after a touchdown? Fine by me. I don't think the behavior at a pro game needs to be like behavior at a high school game. Not at all. Last time I went to a high school game I was worried because I had two drinks, with some other alums, before the game; I didn't want kids at the game smelling the alcohol. I don't worry about two drinks before a Bills game. There's no way I'd look across the field at some 16-year-old playing for the opponent and call him a name--even a name that doesn't use foul language. I don't feel the same way at all about pro sports. If I want to call Albert Haynesworth an a-hole, I will; if I'm considering a 16-year-old who acts like him, I'm more likely to say something like "wow, someone needs to get to that kid before he turns into Albert Haynesworth." After some more consideration, I'm wondering if I have higher standards for what is "family friendly" than most; i.e., if I'm a little paranoid. Maybe it comes from having lived a few years in the Bible Belt. I'm definitely not advocating violence or drunkenness; I'm saying that a pro game is a place where grownups go to have some fun, and when your child is ready to understand the distinction between how we act at a football game versus how we act in other situations, well, that's when he or she is ready to go.

That's likely true. And although I like hockey better, I do see some merit to what Dareustein said about a "national stage" and all that. Still, I've been following the Sabres since I was a tot, and the Bills since I was a teen. I really, really want a Stanley Cup in this town (but I would of course not turn down a Lombardi Trophy).

There are a lot of us Bills fans out there who simply like hockey better than football. Of course, I could get obnoxious and say something like, "Football is barely a sport IMO. It's less popular worldwide than hockey, and there's no version of it in the Olympics. Plus they only have about ten minutes of action in a game that lasts over three hours." I could say that...but this would be a much better response:

Cup.

It's not a rant; if you read through the thread you'll see that most people are being pretty reasonable, and I'm not worried about disagreement anyway (that's why I started the thread--I already knew my own opinion, I wanted to see others). And they cut off the drinks at the PRO level at halftime; most college stadiums don't sell beer at all (although a few do). Also--I'm a person who thinks "it is all about getting loaded and dump [sic] beer on the apposing [sic] fans head?" I don't think so. Did you read what I wrote? "I'm not a big fan of the way a lot of people act at games."

Cool. Saw something very similar with a ten year old boy in Flyers gear outside the arena after a Sabres game. I confronted the guy who was picking on him. Frankly, it wouldn't make a difference whether it's a kid or a grownup in that situation; there's friendly banter and then there's being a dick. What we saw is the latter.

I'd bet that his site gets more traffic from Bills fans than from the rest of the world combined. I don't think any group has latched onto him like this board has.

THIS is more what I'm afraid of. I don't get wasted at games (in fact, I rarely go because of the number of people who do get wasted at games), but I am prone to scream obscenities when the team screws up, and I want to be able to let it all out without disturbing someone's precious snowflake. I guess I see the other side of it: if you want to bring a child to a game, expect some foul language. (But there should be no need to expect violence or the type of behavior that Sen describes below.) I've seen this scene too many times. Disgusting.

I like the middle ground idea a lot, mostly because (as above) I don't like the atmosphere at the stadium at all, but hold on there--the furry mascots are recent, kids definitely play music, including rock, at a pee-wee level, and music has always been a family activity. Well before there was football, families were singing together and fathers were teaching sons how to play instruments. Still happens all across the country. Yes, there is no Alice Cooper kids day, but I would argue that there shouldn't be a Bills kids day, either. The idea of Alice Cooper kids merch has me laughing, though. (And I am not an Alice Cooper fan--just picked that one because of the concert last night.)

http://www.buffalonews.com/city/article535666.ece "This is a family event, so watch your mouth, or you'll catch a whole lot of heck." I've never been a big fan of the way a lot of people act at games. On the other hand, I don't necessarily think that a NFL game needs to be a family-friendly event; in my mind, it's a place for grownups to blow off steam, like a rock concert is. I wouldn't have taken a 10-year-old to see Alice Cooper last night; why should a football game be different? (And more kids will grow up to make at least some money playing music than will grow up to make at least some money playing sports, so the "role model" argument doesn't work for me.) I'm more concerned about grownups staying out of fights and car accidents than I am about making the stadium a nice place for children.

I don't remember Quentin Jammer being panned at all. I remember him being highly touted. Like Dareus--so your analogy might still be good.

Fakes happen. I can't point to a game, but I'll bet Belichick himself has called one. Muffed snaps converted for 2 (or 1 in the old days) also happen. Saying "I like it the way it is," which I do, isn't the same as saying "that's the way it's always been so let's not change it." I like the color of my living room walls; I'm not changing the color because I like it, not because I fear change. And the play doesn't always succeed. That's why they have to try the point. Some really interesting games have occurred where a team has to go for a touchdown to win late rather than a field goal to tie, or to try for two to tie rather than kick for one, because of a missed point earlier. That's one of the reasons why I like it. Would you have the Bills automatically start the season with two losses and the Cheats with two wins because statistically, that's what's supposed to happen? As for the importance of kicking in the game, I'd like to see more emphasis on a kicker's skill, not less, but is moving the PAT back to the 20 really going to change much? Any NFL kicker should hit that with similar regularity. I wouldn't mind wider, college-style hashmarks, and have the point kicked from either the center (if the touchdown was scored in between the hashes) or the hash marks (if outside).

Listening to Schopp beat up on wasted callers is usually the most fun part of a Bills Sunday for me, unfortunately.

But very little opportunity to run a fake for the 2 points or to salvage a bad snap for the 2 points. There's nothing wrong with how it is now, really. Er, they already are...did you mean something else?

Are you kidding? Tebow owes his draft selection and his big contract to ESPN. The guy's entire career is a creature of the media.

Watched that with my sister at a bar in Chicago (not Lincoln Station--the other one, the one that's a pretend biker bar most of the time--Delilah's or something?). As soon as it happened, I gave her a hug because we both were disturbed about the hit, and told her to finish her drink because we had plenty of time to go to Lincoln Station before resumption of play. Neither of us wanted to see the replay, much less watch the carting-off, etc. It was completely effed up, and we knew instantly that the kid was DONE. I'm happy he can walk. No, you're not the only one.

No.

2011.

Often enough that they named the offense after him. As for Chandler, didn't he have a huge drop out in the open against Chicago in the first quarter?

Well, not every kickoff. Also, like you and others, I remember kickoffs from the 35 and the 40 and have no problem with this.

You couldn't put it in the GDT or the first-half thread? Your observations are so much more special and important than anyone else's? Should everyone do this?

I think we have to be a little more patient than two drafts and one offseason. I can't tell yet if Nix is a good GM or a bad one. And I certainly can't tell whether Chan is a good coach; the only thing I can tell is that he doesn't have very many good players to work with. Also, I think Nix has made more than one good move. Getting rid of Edwards was addition by subtracting a distraction, and I like the Merriman and Barnett moves.

I want to see a sack from Dareus and some serious run contain against the 1s, and a touchdown at any point in the game (because the team has to learn some success on offense).