trolls_r_us

OK Green Bay would NOT make the trade. BUT what if a team like Tampa Traded for him (in exchange for a 3rd rounder), THEN sent him to Minnesota for a 1st round pick next season? In that case, Tampa basically upgrades their 3rd rounder to a 1st rounder. What's to stop something like this from happening? Once GB trades him, they have NO SAY about what happens next.

Marshawn lets other people drive his car, especially WOMEN People I know have friends who are "dating him" and have bragged in the past about how he let them drive his car. That doesn't mean that he was NOT driving, BUT it is possible that he is protecting some friend.

Nichols is the school his kids play for. It is quite expen$ive Donahoe is actually not a bad guy, he just couldn't handle sharing control with ANYBODY.

"Steinbeck money?" Although he was a great writer and filmmaker, I doubt John Steinbeck ever made 50 million dollars over 7 years, much less his whole career.

When I listen to WGR, I feel like a guilty husband looking at a dirty magazine. Unfortunately, if you enjoy sports and want to hear some sports talk in WNY, you are essentially stuck with that CRAP station. So today, I get out of work, and flip on the radio to see what today's topic is. And lo and behold, the afternoon dunces are pissing and moaning about the AWESOME NEW SCOREBOARD that will be among the tops in the NFL! True enough, this is OUR $$, not Ralph doing this. Erie County pays the Bills a few million bucks per year to run the stadium, and the county technically owns the facility as well. Still, way to paint a cool new development as something to bash and gripe about. These jerks would find a way to criticize a free dinner at their favorite restauruant. In short, NOTHING the Bills do is good. **** do I get sick of hearing that crap. Howard Simon's show is pretty good, and the nighttime guys are OK. But Shopp and the Bulldog NEVER cease to amaze me when it comes to griping, moaning, and BASHING our BILLS!

What would you think if Norwood made that kick against the Giants? It doesn't matter. REALITY counts

I see a young, exciting team with a good young core of players who does not quit. And yet, as soon as I get start to get excited for the FUTURE, the team's OWNER tells me (for the 3rd or 4th time in the past YEAR) that the team cannot compete and is likely headed out of town That sort of kills my enthusiasm. We're watching the Los Angeles Bills develop into a team that will be able to win once they get to southern California. Ralph Wilson is his own worst enemy when it comes to marketing. Holding a gun to fans' heads and saying "accept our crappy product and buy tickets or we will move" just isn't cutgting it any more. On top of that, this is an owner that lets his key players go, fails to bring in quality free agents, and seems to be resigned to losing. Ralph is a stubborn old man. Sure, some of the points he makes are valid, especially concerning revenue disparities. But he has apparently decided that NFL football "cannot work" in Buffalo anymore, and rather than try to actually DO things to help his situation, he whines and cries and makes fans even more miserable on a yearly basis. ************************************************************** For example: New Stadium: It works everywhere else. However, it CANNOT work in Buffalo. So says Ralph. There is no saving us. Sell the naming rights: What's a few million dollars? It wouldn't help, anyway. So says Ralph. there is no saving us. Try actual marketing like the Sabres do: Not sure why they don't, but Ralph likely thinks that the market is already tapped out, which could NOT be further from the truth. This market is nowhere NEAR tapped in terms of potential revenues. (see Sabres) Raise ticket prices (combined with a winning team): Fans will pay $$ for a winner. Again, the Sabres couldn't GIVE AWAY tickets last year, but now tickets are going for a couple hundred dollars on eBay. However, although fans can pay that $$ for 40 Sabres games, Ralph doesn't see how fans could pay 2/3 that for 8 Bills games. The $$ is there, the creativity and will to MARKET to get it is NOT there on the Bills part. *************************************************** To me, Ralph seems unwilling to take the steps he needs to take in order to help the Bills situation. On top of that, he has apparently decided that there is no way that NFL football can work in Buffalo. Buffalo is doomed. etc, etc. IMO, we need a new owner who is visionary enough to find a way to get it done, rather than sit around whining that nothing can be done. There is almost ALWAYS a solution. Sure we might not match Washington and Dallas, but we can still do things a LOT better here. But as long as this team tells its fans that there IS no future, why SHOULD we invest emotionally and money-wise? THAT is why the games aren't selling out, in my opinion. So Losman might be a real QB, Evans could the real deal at WR, the defense has a lot of nice young players. the team FINALLY has real coaches. Good for LOS ANGELES. Why should we get excited?

not to mention the fact that the owner of the team keeps telling the fans that the team cannot compete in the NFL and will likely be leaving town gee, sign me up!

put it on the card and let's get it done! BILLIONS of NY State's tax $$ will be wasted REGARDLESS of whether we like it or not we might as well have SOMETHING to show for it

Tampa Bay has had an AWFUL offensive line for 2-3 years, and this year's version is even WORSE. Cadillac Williams, the big-time rookie RB of last year, averages 80 yds/game behind that patchwork line of scrubs. How does this relate to Losman? Here's how. Tamps's line is AT LEAST as bad as ours. and YET, some NOBODY named Gradkowski came in after Simms went down and played BETTER in his first few games EVER than Losman has in 3 years of his career. MY point is that you can make excuses all day long for Losman. The long and short of it is that the kid cannot read defenses, and is indecisive with the football. He's lost. It's the MENTAL part of the game that he stuggles with. This is why his "accuracy" is off. He doesn't know where the WR will be on a lot of plays. Thus, the ball goes high or wide of the mark a lot. Time to wake up, Losman fans. The NFL is the "big boy league." You had BETTER know what you're doing out there, quick. This kid lacks leadership, decision making ability, and confidence. He will never get it. Remember Akili Smith? Sometimes I think I'm seeing Smith QB the Bills.

the Bills are who Favre thought they were... and he LET THEM OFF THE HOOK....

the Bears are who Saban thought they were

Dan Reeves was always a fantastic coach but he suffered from Marty-itis: the stigma that an old-school "non sexy" coach gets when his teams don't win superbowls I always liked Reeves.... I also found it interesting at the time that Vick was so mad that the Falcons got rid of him... Vick has a point.. They got rid of a real head coach and replaced him with a kid who has a bad temper

we want NFL Network, we'll pay for it, so WHAT IS THE DAMN PROBLEM?!!! charge me $2 extra a month, I won't even notice

they've been "working on a deal" for over 3 years now after this fcc injunction, Time Warner was FORCED to swallow some crow and put the network back on, after they came into town blaring their trumpets and saying "No, you can't have the NFL Network!" to Adelphia customers I listened to the TW VP on WGR right after the network was taken off, and the ARROGANCE of the man was truly something to behold Simply put, they are pissed about direct tv having the exclusive rights to the Sunday Ticket package, and so they REFUSE to carry the NFL Network. THAT is the truth. Forget the LIES about "working out a better deal..." why is it that NFL Network is going away, and yet the extra $1.99 that EVERY Adelphia customer in WNY was paying for it stays on our bill? the answer is easy: because TW doesn't give two hoots about the customer. this is a pissing contest, plain and simple. and TW just got B word-slapped by the FCC ruling, ang they are FUMING that they had to give the NFL network back to customers after that 30 days is over, switch to satellite because you will NEVER see NFL Network on TW cable until the Sunday Ticket package is also available on cable

I like Buffalo better, having grown up near Rochester and now lived here for 3 years Rochester's suburbs are definitely nicer though, no doubt there one way I noticed there ws more $$ in Rochester was that I have worked for a number of years as a cook at country clubs to pay my way through college in rochester, I worked at a REALLY upscale Country Club in Pittsford in buffalo, I worked for a time at what here passes for an "upscale" country club, and boy was there a difference the ones in Buffalo, even the really nice ones, are glorified tgi fridays restaurants on what would be average courses in the rochester areas the country clubs in rochester are world class courses, and have world class fodd operations that serve food that is out of this world in buffalo, the menus at the "upsalce" places are glorified bar food: chicken wings, fries, burgers, wraps, and some steaks, and fish for the more expensive choices I guess this just means that the "money" in Rochester far exceeds the "money" in Buffalo still, overall, I like Buffalo a lot better I'm a poor college studnet so the quality of country clubs means little to me, except for an observation

I had a friend go through something very similar he and his fiance were young, niave, and thought that if the lender said everything would be done by a certain date, that you could "tkae it to the bank" (pun intended) long story short: they ended up staying in a hotel because they had planned to move out of their apartment and right into the house... the deal dragged on and on, and suddenly, they had to move out of their apartment because the new tenants were moving in, but they had nowhere to go when I buy my house (soon) I will be planning to keep the apartment for a month or two after the SUPPOSED closing date just to have a buffer zone

the idea that they wouldn't carry the NFL network is just insane that's like not carrying ESPN

YES! here in Buffalo, we HAD NFL Network with Adelphia, but now Time Warner is taking over and we will LOSE the channel! basically, our services DECLINE and we pay the same or MORE GO NFL! run the ads, because we feel the same way you do.... people here WANT THE NFL NETWORK DAMMIT!

I also wokred in the past with several well known restaurants... big anme, richy places, and HOLY CRAP you don;t evenw ant to know what goes on in some of those kitchens IGORNACE IS BLISS

we've gotta defeat this thing guys..... I want to keep the rat infested craphole that is there just the way it is....

his son still goes to school here he likes it in Buffalo

To help maximize revenues: build a Bills HOF and theme restaurant at the new stadium, along with a fan experience/arcade area On game days, the restaurant would have all NFL games on, and the Bills on the big screen while the game was happening. Thid would keep some fans around AFTER the game, spending $$. The HOF and theme restaurant would be open all year round. Bills DRAFT PARTY at the restaurant for the NFL draft. Prizes given away, and current Bills players/cheerleaders on hand. The arcade/fan experience area would have: arcade games skills tests games for kids/young at heart adults climbing wall with a relica of the Lombardi trophy at the top for anyone who can make it there an annual MADDEN TOURNAMENT for Bills fans. Prizes to the top players. "in the booth" where fans get to call a historic Bills drive as a play by play announcer, you get the DVD or VHS to take home (charge 20-30 bucks for this) A game day experience could be: 1) tailgate 2) hit the restuarant for a drink or two while the kids go play in the experience area/arcade. Beer for you and the boys, apple martini for the wife.... Maybe a nice appetizer such as BUFFALO WINGS or BEEF ON WECK, or even Jalepeno Poppers or fried mushrooms.... Or go bigger and have a signature plate, such as the Jim Kelly Special.... My point is that DECENT FOOD would actually be available 3) watch the game... 4) hit the hof before or after the game for a quick tour and re-live some of the Bills greatest moments. ALSO: improve in-stadium concessions: add fried bologna (I hate it but its popular here), cotton candy, and pizza (from some local vendor who will PAY $$ to operate at the stadium) BIGGER and BETTER Bills store, adjacent to the HOF and restuarant I can see it already! let's build it!

LEt me begin by saying two things: 1) WNY is NOT a "poor area." The fact that the COUNTY and CITY GOVERNMENTS are falling apart under the weight of NY State's entitlement programs DOES NOT mean that the AREA is poor. Plus, "WNY" is a LARGE area. I suppose Ralph meant to exclude the MANY wealthy and sucessful communties/areas in "WNY." A few examples that come imediately to mind around Buffalo would be Clarence, Amherst, East Amherst, Williamsville, the area of the city surrounding Delaware park (aka Millionaire acres), and to a lesser exentent in terms of wealth but still successful, North Buffalo and Orchard Park. Around Rochester, you have Penfield, Pittsford, and Irondeqouit, none of which qualify as "poor." Or small, either. Amherst alone has more residents than Green Bay does. IF you're going to go by the government's fincancial woes, then the USA is a POOR COUNTRY. How many TRILLIONS of DOLLARS is our federal government in the red? The difference is that Washington doesn't get a control board when it can't balance a budget. The feds can spend, spend, and wrack up massive and irresponsible deficits that dwarf WNY's "fiscal woes" to their collective hearts' content. There is a DIFFERENCE between Erie County government and its resdients. Sure, WNY as a whole might not be a wealthy area, but to label it as a "poor area" is simply incorrect. But this brings me to point #2 I am a HUGE proponent of tradition. I have been a Bills fan all of my life. I buy tickets every season. I live in Buffalo. But there is a degree of truth to the lack of large corporations in Buffalo with the buying power to purchase luxury boxes (the preferred fans in the eyes of the NFL) I have a solution. Rochester, NY was recently ranked quite high on a highly publicized list of untapped markets for professional sports to expand/relocate to. AND there is a LOT of money in and around Rochester. So here is my idea: Build a new stadium halfway between Buffalo and Rochester, and re-name the team the WNY Bills. Now, I admit, at first, the name "WNY Bills" sounds funny. But imagine the beneifts of combining, TRULY combining, the Rochester AND Buffalo markets. Rochester actually has a slightly STRONGER corporate base than Buffalo does. It would be a much easier sell to those companies if the luxury suite they were purchasing was only 30 minutes or so away from the city. For Buffalo, the stadium would only be slightly farther away than Orchard park, and for some parts of the city, it would actually be the same if not CLOSER in terms of driving time. Why change the name? To emphasize that this is WNY's TEAM. Sort of like the New England Patriots. They aren't called the Boston Patriots anymore. I think that locating the stadium halfway between both cities AND giving the team a more regional name helps draw additional support, especially corporate support, from Rochester, while still allowing for the continuation of support from Buffalo companies. It makes the trip easier for the MANY fans who commute from the Rochester area, while not seriously affecting the Buffalo fans, either, since many already have a considerable drive to the stadium. AND I would reduce the size of the stadium to around 64,000, which is what most new NFL stadiums average. This would do two things: Increase demand, and drive up prices. It would also ensure a waiting list for tickets. But Troll! I know, that part doesn;t sound too nice. But THAT is the price we have to pay to compete. Literally. I think that a truly REGIONALIZED franchise is this team's best shot at staying here LONG TERM. The combined markets of Rochester and Buffalo could COMFORTABLY cupport this franchise, even with higher ticket prices and more pricey luxury suites. It's a creative solution, and a bit of a compromise too. Personally, I would RATHER have the team stay in BUFFALO, and be called the BUFFALO BILLS, all else being equal. But as long as this team is on welfare, it is in danger of leaving. What regionalizing the team, putting a new stadium which is designed to MAXIMIZE REVENUES between Rochester and Buffalo, and tapping the Rochester corporate market as well, does is gives this franchise a shot at being in top half in terms of gross revenues. We'll never be in the top 10, but there is no reason why we cannot be top 16. A new stadium, along with a new regionalized marketing plan, would work wonders. The money is there. Anyone who actually spends time in WNY knows that. The problem is that it is spread out pretty thin. But put the stadium a mere 30 minutes from each city, and suddenly it's a quick drive for fans of either place. IT MAKES SENSE. and I could support the WNY Bills. NO WAY IN H E L L would I support the team if it left the region. Really, they already are the WNY Bills, anyways. Why not go with that approach? It's our BEST SHOT at keeping the team here because it's the ONLY WAY we can increase revenues enough to get to the point where we aren't always on financial life support. They wouldn't be any LESS "our team" if they called themselves the WNY Bills, but they WOULD be MORE Rochester's team than they are now, because their identity would be more all-encompassing. Some pride might need to be swallowed in Buffalo, but really, this could work REALLY WELL and we could KEEP OUR TEAM HERE for our children to enjoy in the future, instead of always wondering if the team will be gone in a few years. State funding would be EASIER as well, because it would be a WNY PROJECT, not a "Buffalo project." The state tosses around LOTS of money as it is. This would be seen as benefitting a larger chunk of the state, and therefore, be more likely to be acceptable than if it were a DOWNTOWN BUFFALO stadium, for example. Thoughts?

lol you're not kidding I feel bad for the Bulldog.... He doesn't seem half bad actually Schopp's problem is that he is just TOO BRILLIANT.... Brilliant people are almost always miserable LOL