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Offside Number 76

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Posts posted by Offside Number 76

  1. I wrote this at SabreSpace and someone asked me to post it here:

     

    Very materially. In the Second Circuit (for the rest of the board, that's where this is playing out, if this was filed in Manhattan): a party must demonstrate (1) irreparable harm absent injunctive relief and (2) either (a) a likelihood of success on the merits, or (b) a serious question going to the merits to make them a fair ground for trial, with a balance of hardships tipping decidedly in the plaintiff’s favor.

    Lots of circuits do not have the "serious question" option.

    Now let's analyze: What's the irreparable harm? Not his lost salary, because money is never, ever considered "irreparable harm." Not likely his reputation, since at the end of the day, he could still be vindicated by a verdict in his favor. It's got to be the opportunity to play. With a normal occupation, that won't fly, since the real opportunity is to earn money (again, never, ever considered "irreparable harm"),but maybe with a waning football career, he's got something. Maybe.

    The second prong of the test: Overturning an arbitrator's decision is hard, so he probably doesn't have a likelihood of success on the merits. But one basis for overturning an award is arbitrator bias, and he may try to argue that Goodell is biased. That's at least a serious question going to the merits. Now we're down to a balance of hardships, and whether it tips decidedly in his favor, and I have no idea. The league has a serious interest in wanting to effectively and efficiently discipline cheaters. Brady has an interest in playing football. Don't know what a judge is going to do there.

  2. In two years, everyone from the 2013 draft could be gone. Does that mean Whaley sucks?

     

    It's a little different if one of the players is traded for value, no?

     

    Otherwise, it still would indicate a problem evaluating and/or retaining talent.

  3. With the departure of CJ Spiller, no player drafted by the Bills in 2010 remains with the team. This means the team did an extremely poor job of evaluating talent, retaining talent, and/or both. Not a recipe for success.

     

    Let's hope the new regime's picks turn out better.

     

    EDIT: Easley re-signed after I posted this. (Or it was reported after I posted this.)

  4. In theory, I agree. Except that you then have a TON of money tied up in QB with other areas left to address.

    Lets say we sign McCown for 2yrs at $4m per. I believe it will take atleast that much to land him.

    Then you get Bradford. His cap hit is $16m. Even if you extend/restructure his deal and bring the number down to $10m (which would be difficult and risky), that leaves $14m, plus a little over $2.4m for EJ. You can't cut EJ, it would cost more to cut him than keep him. There's the rub.

     

    It's interesting to talk about, but I don't believe Bradford will end up being moved.

     

    So include EJ as a piece in the trade.

  5. Any one find it absurd that they are considering rules like a 35 yard extra point and making the goal posts narrower while continuing to let kickers use a separate ball?

     

    They're not letting the kickers use a separate ball; they are forcing the kickers to use a separate ball. This rule was instituted to make it more difficult for kickers, not easier.

  6.  

    I like the idea a lot and it seems to make sense so the Erie County and Buffalo politicians will die before they let it happen

     

    Hi. Welcome to 2015. The city has a mayor that stays the hell out of the way. The county, well, not so much, but if it's enough private money, it will happen.

     

    You're welcome back to your Masiello or Griffin or whatever years now.

    why cant you tailgate in the city?

     

    There is no reason. When the Sabs play late in the year (I know it's been a while), people tailgate without any problems. Full-on grilling, drinking, music, fun, mini-sticks, whatever.

  7. I dont think it would..i think it would be the same. But a lot of folks, like myself, prefer to be outside cooking my own food, drinking my own beer. I guess my point was to expect people to go to bars/restuarants pre game, spend money in the stadium, and then go back the bars post game is not realistic for transportation planning.

     

     

     

    It's exactly what tons of people do before and after Sabres games to avoid traffic and/or crowded trains. It really isn't unrealistic. Some will continue to tailgate, some will go to restaurants, and some will go straight home.

     

    The point about the liquor law is more important. I think that the state would grant Erie the same exemptions that it grants certain counties downstate. http://www.sla.ny.gov/provisions-for-county-closing-hours Notice which counties are missing: Bronx, Kings, New York, Richmond, and Queens. The usual favorable treatment for NYC...

  8. Jasper , IMHO, that MetroRail just will not be able to handle any reasonable amount of game day attendance. I think you all are overestimating the appetite for people to hang around after a game. I know Buffalo is having a nice comeback, but to think people are going to come down early on a train or bus, spend $40 bucks on pre game food and drink, spend $100 on tickets at minimum, spend $30 inside, then come back out and spend $40 again eating and drinking just not realistic for the majority of fans.

     

     

    Is there a subset of fans, mostly in 20-30s that will yes. But not enough that would spread 10000 people out over two hours. That has been my experience in other cities like Pittsburgh and New Orleans that have downtown stadiums. Christ, in New Orleans a block away from the atrium we sat right down at a half empty bar 20 minutes after the game.

     

    And I am missing the hotel thing as I mentioned. I stayed downtown for 3 games this year, and it was a scramble to get rooms , and I reserved two of them day schedule came out.

     

    I know the new Marriot is going up , but as I said with Hockey tourneys and such, demand for rooms be even greater, but just on weekends. Not sure how that translates to more rooms being sold.

     

    Like I said, I want a downtown stadium, I just don't want to see it become a cluster like it did in DC. Parking has to be priority. Mass transit will not be the answer in Buffalo, nor will buses etc. Need parking and plenty of it.

     

    We have to do that now, with the traffic situation in Orchard Park. It's either (1) leave early, (2) sit in traffic for 90 minutes, or (3) hang out for 2 hours and then get in the car. Why would it be any worse with stuff to do around the stadium?

  9. I thought there was a lot of stupid stuff in this article. Just going from memory

     

    1) park and ride lots with bus service to stadium is just not gunna work. Groups taking a bus to stadium one thing, but I don't know one city where that is a massively used option in a park and ride fashion. In DC when that place first opened, people would not take metro cause you had a 2 mile bus ride to stadium. Had to build a brand new metro stop to get people to use it.

     

    2) including that MetroRail system as a comparison to other cites with subways etc is just a flaw. Thing goes in one direction, and even at that could not handle the volume after a game. Christ, Metro in DC one of the best systems in the country, and it sucks for Skins game.

     

    3) Amtrak being on time haha. Guess these folks don't take the trains often. If you plan on a train from Syracuse being there before the game? Best leave at 8 AM When I go to Boston for the Pats game, we take train to stadium. 2000 people on board. Can't see train being a huge option that everyone wants to say it is.

     

    Also saying downtown saydium would encourage people to stay downtown in hotels. Hun? I stay downtown all the time for Bills game, hard as hell to get a room now. Add in hockey tourneys and such and Harbour center, unless boatload of new hotels gunna be built for 10 days a year, hotels at capacity for Bills games now.

     

    4) I also agree downtown does not mean end of tailgating as long as surface lots within a mile of stadium. been to plenty of games in downtown stadiums, still plenty of tailgating. Even in New Orleans last year plenty of tailgates , and that in a city with the best bar/ restuarant scene in the country.

     

    5) for everyone who keeps saying putting a roof on the place makes it a year round facility? What else would it be used for? I am at trade shows quite often, have never been in a stadium for one. I am asking seriously... What else are these place ( outside the Cowboys olace) used for.

     

    But the basic point is correct: If downtown Buffalo can handle 60,000 people arriving between 8 and 930 on a weekday morning, it can handle the same number arriving between 9 and 1130 on a Sunday morning. No problem.

     

    Re: DC, the problem there is a little different. First, they had the bus thing, and I lived there then and experienced it. You're right, it's a nightmare. But on top of that, there is not as much of a tailgate culture there, not everyone has cars, and it's the worst traffic in the nation. So, IMO, there's more of a load on the metro there than there will be here.

     

    There is enough parking in the three cardinal directions radiating from downtown for everyone, and the traffic isn't going to be any worse than it is in Orchard Park. (Seriously, is it even possible for it to be worse?) It very likely will be better for the reason pointed out in the article: the city already handles that traffic every day.

     

    EDIT: I'm in total agreement w/ you on point 5 and still want a dome, for selfish reasons (I'm a weather wimp and I'll freely admit it). If there's a dome, I'll likely try to become a STH. If there isn't, I likely won't.

     

    All that said, as a taxpayer, my preference is renovation. That's not going to happen, though.

  10.  

     

    I may be wrong JR...but I recall there being no rule against 'stickum' in the NFL at the time Lester Hayes used it with Raiders. He used to go on the field with the stuff literally dripping off his hands and everyone knew he was using it. It wasn't illegal.

     

    Hence, I can't draw the same parallel with NE as they knowingly broke a rule. That, and the fact that they are systemic cheaters.

     

    You are correct. And while Hayes has the reputation, it was Biletnikoff that taught him about stickum.

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