l< j

How did they decide to throw a retroactive flag? Was it reviewed? Anyone understand that?

To this outsider, the NFL is set up as a pretty easy gig for owners: Yeah, they need to work like hell or be lucky or whatever to be able to afford a franchise, but once they buy in they are gold. (Assuming TV revenues continue to outpace every other sector of the economy, which is very much in question.) Art Modell was a profoundly bad businessman, having failed in 2 markets. kj

This is the first time I can ever remember not having that hollow feeling in my gut after a Bills loss, since I was 10 or 11 years old. Not saying that I was ever superfan, but this was different for me as a fan. Not good. kj

Maybe his 'instincts' can be trusted this year? Isn't he just saying or suggesting that the game has slowed down for him (to use a different cliche) to the point where he is feeling the game rather than thinking it? kj

Chuck Muncie?

You can't tell anything about Murphy's timing by watching the clips on nfl.com. If they are out of sync, it is likely because of the way the tech guys at nfl.com match up the audio and the video, and not a true reflection of Murph's reaction to live play. kj

Edwards flirting with 200 yards now. How rare is that?

There goes the passing game.

You can't cover our Tight ends either

Sterner stuff than us. Man, the Patri*ts should be 0-2--in the division!

Everyone whining about the coaching needs to remember who our special teams coach is: the best in the business. Our STs have been well prepared for every situation since April came on board. That was all on Leodis. kj

Sledge hammer?

Too early for that judgment, I would think.

Radio said he broke his arm

Interestingly, if he doesn't get in as a seniors candidate now he will or should get in on the regular ballot after he retires from coaching for his dual careers in the NFL (outstanding player and DC). People generally don't have their playing careers and coaching careers considered 2x by the HOF, right? You are in or you aren't, you aren't voted on as a player and then as a coach? So shouldn't he have to retire completely before becoming eligible? HOF FAQs Either way--or both ways--he deserves it. kj

... he remembers the Patriots** before the asterisk. Nice thread! kj

Time for my annual "thanks for doing these, cuz they are really informative" post. These are a crucial part of every Bills weekend for me. So, thanks for doing these, cuz they are really informative. kj

That would be kinda like MTV having James Taylor Unplugged. Or Peter, Paul, and Mary. kj

It all boils down to: Does Levitre cure disfunction? According to this email I just got, we should be all set. kj

Somehow I don't think "I'm Ko Simpson and I used to be with the Buffalo Bills" will have much impact with a jury of one's peers. kj

Sorry for going off topic, but how far has our punt catching return game come, from a guy whose job it was to catch it and fall down to multiple players that are legitimate threats to produce a highlight play on every punt. That's a pretty steep line on a graph. Watson in 2000 averaged 4.9 yards/return. Our 2008 returners: Roscoe Parrish 15.3 Fred Jackson 16.6 Leodis McKelvin 13.0 (Leodis only had 2 returns.) kj

This thread suggests an interesting question: Could it be that the current recession will be the Bills fans' best hope against relocation? In addition to the high cost of purchasing/relocating a franchise (whether 300 or 900 million, that's a lot), consider: 1. luxury box purchases: is that well drying up, as businesses reassess their positions? 2. naming rights: The Cowboys were hoping for a record-setting deal to name the new stadium, but still no action there, I believe. Somewhat to one side, the NY Mets have a 20-yr., $400 million dollar deal in place for their new digs--with the recently bailed out (twice!) Citi Corp. What entity is going to be in a position to cover a 9-figure purchase of a big neon sign outside a new stadium in LA (or even Dallas, Mr. Jones)? 3. TV revenues: Fox and NBC are signed to contracts through 2011, acc to Wikipedia (here, recognizing the limits of Wikipedia). But how many of the companies buying the ads we see during games, and esp. the sponsorships of halftimes and the like, are going to be able to continue to carry those expenses moving forward? 4. municipal or state funds for the rehab or construction of a stadium: Jones received $350 million in public funding for the new stadium in Arlington (here); the Yankees and the Mets have gone back to NYC for $450 million more in public bonds, on top of a lot more they have already been granted (here). The Jets and Giants are actually paying for their new stadium themselves, however. I can't see public financing for stadiums being approved any time soon. With all of the big revenue streams in question, then what happens to the value of franchises? Is it Money magazine that puts out the annual survey of the value of sports franchises? I wonder if we might see a decline in the value of some franchises. Or even an inability to reliably value a franchise at all. Certainly someone considering purchasing a franchise and moving it in 2009 or 2010 would face a lot of questions about the return on the investment that weren't as pressing in the recent past. The question I can't work out, but seems worth asking: what are the implications of the current economic environment for the Bills' future? kj PS: This article on financing for the Cowboys' stadium raises some interesting questions about Jerry Jones and his share of the costs of the stadium. The project cost has increased $450 million dollars (nearly 70%, from 650 million to 1.1 billion), and the increases are being financed by Jones. Is this a good time to be increasing leverage?

It appears that the vintage '08 Bills need to be blown up, and with them goes a great storyline that I had become really attached to earlier in the season. When we were looking good just a few weeks ago, I was high on my Bills. Not just because we looked good but because of how we got there. When Ralph Wilson found his organization at a low point following the disastrous Donohoe years, he turned to his old friend Marv to return sanity and respectability to the club. And when we jumped out to such a strong start, I began to think about playoffs, the elusive Lombardi trophy (a season or two or even three away, sure, but we were in the hunt and moving in the right direction), and vindication. Vindication for Wilson at the end of his years, and for Marv, who couldn't bring it home as a coach but seemed to have set everything up as a GM before gracefully stepping aside. It was all part of his plan. And of course for the long-suffering fans of a team in a long-suffering region where daring to believe in your team has always carried the risk of a big letdown. (Throw in Tim Russert watching from on high, if you want--I was not a fan--and you now have a story that makes "Rudy" look like a Freddy Kruger movie.) Now where are we: The team is apparently no better off than when Donahoe left (or when he took over; don't gloat, Mort, you SOB). Ralph Wilson has to wonder if he will see the other side of a rebuilding effort; Marv knows he will never be directly associated with a Super Bowl winner. And us? The future of the franchise is cloudier than ever and we find what comfort we can in shared memories of better teams (or equally bad: thank you, Friggin' Lonnie) and a schtick that Chris Berman started using over a decade ago. And the story that I had sold out for is now a joke. The selection of Marv seems more worthy of the mocking he received from sports radio at the time than the hopes I (and Wilson, and probably you) had invested in him. The Toronto experiment might make sense for a team on the rise, but for the current Bills, it is a double failure: Moving the game exposes the Bills for their inability to draw spectators within a few hours of home, because the team is bad and spiraling downward. And it deprives its fans of the opportunity to root against the hated Dolphins in the game that is still an important measure of success. What talent we have hasn't been developed, and opportunities to reload have been sqandered on players who can't cut it. Coaching seems to be something other teams do. Lots on the horizon for the Bills and its fans. But vindication is a long, long way off. I liked that story. kj

Let's be clear: The Bills can be a rudderless organization with buffoons at the helm and Mort can be a jackass. kj

It is starting to make sense to me: Every week, Jauron and company gather together to draw up plays--really great plays, there is no doubt--in the dirt, only to discover that they play on artificial turf. No wonder we can't adjust. kj