Heels20X6

Sorry about the length. No link guys, it was scanned from a local newspaper in Winnipeg, Canada. I worked with him for 4 years while in university making $6.50 Canadian (which is like $1.05 US) an hour...and now he's looking at some serious coin....

BILLS UP ANTE FOR IZZY - OFFER SHEET INCLUDES $1.8M BONUS FOR FORMER BISON 2006/03/21 You'd think someone who played nine-man football at Kinsmen Stadium in Brandon would be bouncing off the walls after being guaranteed $1.8-million US to play in the NFL. If Israel Idonije is feeling it, he's not showing it. The man from humble football beginnings in the Wheat City is still being his same old humble self, even after signing a reported four-year $8.2-million offer sheet with the Buffalo Bills over the weekend. Buffalo's contract proposal came with a $1.8-million signing bonus, which means even if Idonije's current team, the Chicago Bears, matches it by Monday's deadline, the former University of Manitoba Bisons defensive tackleis getting that cash no matter what. "It's good. I'm happy," Idonije said yesterday after a workout at Charleswood's Pro Fitness Training. "It guarantees my family's security, and I'm not really a lavish person, so I'll be smart with that money and put it towork, and I'm going to continue living how I've been living." His unbelievable story just keeps getting more unbelievable, but Idonije has his feet planted firmly on the ground. BLESSED "I've been very blessed," said Idonije, who only started playing football with Brandon's Vincent Massey Vikings nine-man squad when he was in Grade 12. "It's been a great journey so far. To whom much is given, much is expected. "Regardless of where I am, in Chicago or Buffalo, they're giving me a whole lot, so my focus is ... I want to play to the level beyond what they've paid me. That's what I'm focusing on, and that's what I'm ready to do." The 25-year-old has spent the last two seasons as a backup defensive lineman and special teamer with the Bears, and now he's a restricted free agent. Buffalo's contract offer works out to $2.05 million a season, and the Chicago Tribune reported that the Bears had offered him the league minimum of $712,000 per year. The Bears have until Monday to match the Bills' offer and keep him. If they don't, Idonije will be shuffling off to Buffalo. OBVIOUSLY A BIG FA The Bills' new defensive co-ordinator is Perry Fewell, who was the Bears'secondary coach last season. So it's obvious Fewell is a big fan of Idonije who isn't really sure where he's headed. "I'm 50-50 right now," he said. "(The Bears) might match it, they might not. I know they like me there, and I know I like it in Chicago. "We'll see what happens." Chicago's defence was one of the best in the NFL last season, and Idonije said the personnel on the D-line isn't expected to change at all. Buffalo, on the other hand, is starting over after a dismal 2005 campaign. "Buffalo's a great situation," he said. "They use the same defence we do in Chicago, and I have an opportunity to go in there and ... they're not guaranteeing me a starting spot, but I have an opportunity to go in there and earn a starting position. "Nothing's guaranteed, but I have a great opportunity there. I've playedthe defence for two years, and it's a great situation for me." Regardless of where he ends up, Idonije, who made approximately $230,000 the past two seasons, is about to be set for life. You won't see him blowinghis nose with $100 bills, though. "I'm going to buy my parents a few things, and I bought a house in Winnipeg I'm going to furnish and take care of," he said. "Apart from thateverything's going to be invested." Besides, NFL money isn't guaranteed, and Idonije knows it. That's why he's working out like there's no tomorrow and has dropped his weight to a lean mean 263 pounds on his 6-foot-7 frame. "It's a whole lot of money, and I'm excited," he said. "But now that business is done, so let's get back to work."

Apparently JDG and VA are experts.... Jeez louise, why are debating this when camp is still months away!

Am I the only one who thinks that VABills and JDG continue to progress this thread because they have no other leg to stand on other than: "Losman sucks, because after 8 whole starts, he's shown he can't get the job done." Face it, you're arguing for the sake of arguing. You know a majority of the people on this board support the idea of DEVELOPING a young QB instead of seeing your losses and cutting loose and you're just here to strike a nerve. People of the Wall, let's not further debate this point until training camp when JP, Kelly and Craig come back from their summer vacations and ready to fight for your job. Once the Bills pick an opening day QB, we can all get back to second guessing the decision, regardless of who's behind the center.

Oh he had 8 starts? In that case we should cut him.

Lifetime presents: I Loves Me Some Me: The Terrell Owens Story, starring Mekhi Pfiffer as Terrell Owens, Dennis Franz as Coach Andy Reid and Danny Devito as Drew Rosenhaus, the agent who loved him.

Here's a list of QB's JDG would have cut if he was ever a GM based on one to two years performance: 1) Peyton Manning 2) Brett Favre 3) Carson Palmer 4) Drew Brees 5) Eli Manning FACE FACTS! Very few QB's look good after 7 starts. Most are in fact, TERRIBLE.

Define "decent". Frankly, he looked just as shaky at times. Not to mention, how many years has he been in the league? A first year (essentially) QB will feel the pressure of a blitz far more than the grizzled journeyman from CLEVELAND. If he still panics this year, then I'll take the knee and say JP was a flop. BUT GIVE HIM MORE TIME.

Isn't TO writing a full-sized novel one of the signs of the Apocalypse?

Well said. I find this thread to be ridiculous. So I guess next year when Aaron Rodgers starts for Green Bay, if he's not as good as Favre they should cut him in the 2007 camp? He is a "second-year pro". He's had all the time he needs! FACTS: 1) Jesus couldn't QB the Bills behind the o-line we had 2) Mularkey didn't give up on Losman, he went all in on Holcombe to save his job. 3) 7 periodic starts with the looming spector of an idiot coach pulling you at any time doesn't allow you to develop ANY rhythm under center. 4) In the Miami game. Losman showed what he could do in 15 minutes. Then Captain Mularkey dialed down the offence, took it out of JP's hands and look what happened. 5) Guaranteed there are 15 teams that would LOVE to see JP released so they can work with him. I'd love to see what Mike Martz would do with JP.

This is great, great news! Izzy is a Manitoba Canada boy and plays the game really hard because he feels blessed to be in the NFL. Total class player and a great addition to the city of Buffalo. Trust me, I went to school with him thru University. The man is good for the Bills.

Yes it was. But the people are nice. And one of them is really good at football.

WHA WHA WHA WHAAAAT?!?! Look I'm not going to lie to you people. Izzy is a friend of mine, we went to University together and spent our summers working the kids sports camps in Winnipeg (Canada, where we're both from...well he's originally from Brandon). I knew he was a RFA but I didn't think he'd play for my beloved Bills. I've gone to see him play in Chicago and he's a good player but more importantly he's a really great guy-total class. I moved to Ottawa this year so I don't see him in the summers anymore but he still hangs out with friends there for the month he comes home. Man oh man, this is what happens when I get off the board for a few months....I gotta call Winnipeg now! I LOVE THIS!

I agree...let's trade JP for his weight in crack. Then the Bills will finally win the Super Bowl. I can't wait for the press conference where Marv says he was getting rid of the pipe found in his car, for his friend.

We might as well trade JP for Sage Rosenthal (sp?) I mean he looked good in the one game he played too! Sorry but I'm hard-pressed to believe that Fitz will be anything more than a career back-up. Yes he lit up Houston but come on. EVERYONE lit up Houston. Lest we forget, JP torched Houston in his FIRST real start too. This trade would be like trading a Ferrari with a flat tire for a Honda Civic that has good fuel effiency. Let's just fix the flat tire first...

We are close to being a contender. No one is thinking Super Bowl next year but we can dream about a wild card berth. All it takes are the right moves, a little bit of luck and our players to perform like they are supposed to. This is the NFL. Anything can happen. Maybe Dick can hit lightening twice and get us to 13-3 again. Then get us knocked out in the first round of the playoffs, followed by 5 wins the next year.....

Absolutely, imagine your current job. You show up to work and the boss says, "I'm making you the new manager, I know you have no experience in this setting but don't worry, our front office will protect you and our warehouse is the best in the industry, they can bail you out. And you'll get the experience on the job, no one is expecting you to be manager of the year." Fast forward 4 weeks, the front office has all but quit and your warehouse isn't nearly what it was a year ago... Boss: "Yeah, you're not really cutting it like I thought you would. I know I said I wasn't expecting much but I've decided to hire a manager with experience. Sure he's never managed that well but you know I'm not going to take the wrap for this." Now would you like to be in this position?

That was the point I was trying to make, because these great QB's play so well, we as fans expect all QB's to be spectacular straight from their first training camp. We are all too quick to dismiss a young QB as 'Ryan Leif'. Look at Eli, he took his lumps in the most scrutinized football market in the East. He showed great improvement over his first year after getting raked thru the coals by Giant fans and media.

We are quick to judge JP and there are two people to blame for this. Tom Brady and Ben Roethlisberger. If it weren't for these once (twice?) in a lifetime finds then all NFL fans could deal with the development of a QB. Instead, because of the success these phenoms have had, we expect results immediately. I can only imagine what it was like in Cinncinatti last year when Marvin Lewis made the incredibly unpopular decision to bench Kitna and go with Carson Palmer. Palmer was terrible and I'm sure the Bengal fans were calling for Marvin's head. He stuck tough and let Carson get his snaps. And the rest is history. On our hand, our moron head coach felt the heat and crumpled like a piece of paper and put Holcomb in to save his own job. If he had some back bone, JP would have stuck in their, gotten his game lumps and be prepped for this season. Instead, he's got to do it again under the microscope of Bills fans AGAIN. And he's in no better shape now than he was at the beginning of camp last year. If JP fails, the Bills coaching staff (MM's) should shoulder the blame.

HILARIOUS! Is it just me or did he have the Gregg Williams look of 'constant confusion'?

Bring us Donnie! He can get it done! Then he can leave us when his contract runs out to go to KC!

All right, I have to admit the pciture of kid looks like he pooped himself... From SI's 10 SPot: A high school student in Pennsylvania says he was humiliated when his Steelers-loving teacher made him sit on the floor during a midterm and directed the other students to throw crumpled-up paper at him last Friday, all because he was wearing a Broncos jersey. The beleaguered student tried to return fire but his paper wads kept getting intercepted. HA!

That and she sees you on occasion naked. Hi-yooo! (Pantomines a golf swing followed by a rim shot). Can't beat the classics!

Actually Belichek talking about being the team to beat and bringing your A game, then adding that Denver sure did. That was gold.

Priceless! Brady holding a bag of confetti was the best part!