Rubes

Gailey would have to go undefeated for three straight years to have a similar won-loss record as Tomlin. Think about that.

See, I can definitely appreciate this perspective, certainly much moreso than the typical knee-jerk responses about whiny fans who always want to B word and can never be happy. What the discussion has helped me understand is that this lease agreement is not about the years remaining for Ralph Wilson, and it's not about the Bills making a long-term commitment to Buffalo. It's about one thing, and one thing only: Ralph Wilson stadium. As it should be, since that's what the lease is really all about. I think there is a tendency—and I am guilty of this myself, but I also put some of this on the media and on the parties involved, since they also do this—to make this out to be more than what it is, that it's really about the Bills relationship with the Buffalo area. But it's not. What this lease is saying, loud and clear to me, is that the Ralph has a remaining useful life span of 7 to 10 years (with a few hundred million in fix-ups), and that's all the Bills are comfortable committing to as far as a stadium to call home. After that, there needs to be a plan in place for either a new stadium, or major upgrades to the Ralph (which I think is unlikely). I do think that becomes a serious bargaining chip for the Bills when the time comes, and it's going to be a political hot potato. And 7 years is going to come a lot sooner than it seems. But really, when I was considering the prospects of a new lease, I was really hoping for something in the 15-20 year time frame. I think we all were, because what I was thinking was that the lease was more about the Bills committing to Buffalo, and we want that to be as long of a commitment as possible. Upon hearing that it's really a 7 year (and, at most, 10 year) commitment, I think many people (myself included) thought, "that's not really much of a commitment." But it's really just about the Bills commitment to the Ralph, and upon reflection the Ralph is a really old stadium, and things are going to have to change in a major way. The lease is telling us that the change is going to occur in the next 7 to 10 years. That's what it's about. I made the leap to make it out to be more than that, which added to my cynicism. I'm still cynical, mind you—7 years isn't really long, Ralph is really old, do we really know what will happen with a new owner, and I mean, how do we really expect things to go in terms of a new stadium given the problems in New York state, and upstate in particular? But yes, I'm glad we have seven secure years to think about it. I wish it were more, but I have a better understanding now of the reasons why.

You did, thanks!

Honestly, if you're so boorish and blind as to only see a discussion like this as "just another jerk Bills fan who can never be happy and can only whine and complain," please take it elsewhere. You're just as simplistic as you're making everyone else out to be. Like I said, I'm happy about the new lease. It does provide a measure of security. I just don't think it's a "yay, the Bills will be here forever" deal like it seems to be sold as. Some people have made some very insightful and useful comments here that have broadened my understanding of the deal. I'm still a little unsure of it, but I have a better view of it. Comments like yours, on the other hand, are just as useless, ridiculous, and pointless as you claim this thread to be. Thanks for contributing!

What is the point of any thread? Come on, Promo, you know better than that. It's about discussion. I'm just struck how everyone is patting themselves on the back over this, when it strikes me as neither long term nor any type of guarantee, as its being sold. I think that is deserving of discussion, particularly if there are those who can intelligently argue otherwise. I'm generally not the typical doomsday poster, but you can either lump me into that category and blow it off, or you can engage in a dialogue. If its the former, then I would ask you the same question: what's the point of your post?

I'm as happy as anyone that there is a new lease. That gives me comfort, at least for the next seven years. But allow me to play Sully for a moment. But you know what? As Sully said today, seven years will go by real fast, and before you know it, we'll be right back where we started. Even if LA gets a team in the meantime, of which there is no guarantee. To me, this is a lease that guarantees the Bills will stay in Buffalo until Ralph is no longer the owner. But you know what? They were staying that long anyway. The politicians like to point out that the Bills could have moved for a pittance these last few years, and look, they didn't, so they're committed to Buffalo, right? Sure, but Ralph has always intended to keep the Bills here as long as he is the owner. This lease, especially the seven year clause, guarantees that they stay in Buffalo for what are likely the few remaining years for Ralph, which they were already going to do. But the only thing the seven year clause (and even beyond that, the relatively short ten year overall term of the lease) guarantees is that the team will have options to renegotiate or leave once a new owner comes along, and they won't have to wait very long to do so. Unless Ralph goes in the next year or two, but even then, they'd only have to wait what, five or six years at most to get out of town? The prospect of a new stadium, to me at least, only raises concern that it can be used against Buffalo when a new owner comes around and has the option to get out of town early. Like everywhere else, it becomes a bargaining chip that will be used either to hold us hostage, or to show that the city is not committed enough to the team to keep them around. I'm happy with the comfort of the next seven years, but that's hardly a long term lease. Even ten years isn't long term to me. If the Bills were truly committed to Buffalo for the long haul, we would have seen a twenty year lease, or longer. The current lease just seems like a very temporary thing designed specifically to give a new owner the ability to quickly negotiate a new lease, or to get the heck out of Dodge, without having to wait very long. Enough cynicism for one day. Back to holiday cheer!

From the UFA group, I would love to see us keep Byrd, Levitre, McIntyre, McKelvin, Moore, and Reinhart. I think we should (and will) keep all of the RFAs and ERFAs. I'd like to see Merriman stick around as a backup at the right price.

Just did exactly that.

So now that Freddie's down for the count, we're all expecting CJ to get his share of the load. I know we're all hoping for 20-30 carries a game, plus a few receptions, but we're skeptical. Why? Because the same situation happened last year. After Freddie went down in week 11 last year, here are CJs stats: Week 12, NYJ: 19 carries, 55 yards; 3 receptions (22 touches) Week 13, TEN: 14 carries, 83 yards; 3 receptions (17 touches) Week 14, SD: 12 carries, 46 yards; 3 receptions (15 touches) Week 15, MIA: 12 carries, 91 yards; 9 receptions (21 touches) Week 16, DEN: 16 carries, 111 yards; 2 receptions (18 touches) Week 17, NE: 13 carries, 60 yards; 4 receptions (17 touches) So he averaged about 14 carries and another 4 receptions per game, averaging 18 touches total. I guess it's better than 8, but still well below what I think we all consider him capable and worthy of.

Bills are now 21st overall in defense (total yards), which actually ranks better than Baltimore, the NY Giants, and the Patriots*, and just a hair behind Atlanta. That includes 14th against the pass, 28th against the run, and now 12th in sacks. Yes, we've been playing crappier teams lately, but that's how it works: over the course of a season, you play some good teams, some bad teams. Perhaps the other teams just played the crappier teams earlier in the season than we did. Yes, the defense still gives up the big drive and TD when it matters most at the end of games, but the defense played extremely well all game and should not have been put in that position (CHAN) so late in the game. Yes, it would be great if they could have made one play to seal the win (I'm looking at you, George), but it doesn't eliminate the improvement we've seen in the defense. It's not a championship defense by any stretch, but it's becoming the kind of defense that, with some real LBs and continued improvement, could certainly carry us to the playoffs next year. So does Wanny deserve another shot next year? If Chan goes, Wanny likely goes with him. Is that enough to argue to keep Chan around for one more year?

True, it's not 100% the case, but @Seattle isn't exactly a huge game. Baltimore was, but that's basically one key matchup on the road...

Week 5 against Denver. At home. Yesterday against the Texans. At home. Next week against the 49ers. At home. Meanwhile, this year their road trips included Tennessee, Jacksonville, Seattle, and St. Louis. I'm sure it's just an anomaly, but damn that is really starting to piss me off.

That Lombardi quote is a great quote. And sadly, very applicable to our team.

CJ doesn't understand Chan's comments about him being 'winded'. I'm interested to see how Chan talks his way out of this one.

I agree, I don't think it's a career ender. Best case scenario is that he's back next year as a third down back, with Spiller carrying the load. But we all know that's dreaming.

It was not a fourth down play. And Al and his 98 posts know nothing about quality posters. I, for one, always look forward to Bill's post-game summaries, even in losing weeks.

Well, at least a couple of you got the reference.

With Snow and Sam manning the front line... ...should we now call the right side of our offensive line "The Wall"? And should we call Urbik the "Old Bear" for watching over those two and keeping them out of trouble? And does getting a starting job on our offensive line equate to "taking the black"? I could go on all night, really. Edit: Merged, really?

I think that's a good point. Not sure it should count for a QB necessarily, but I agree that it's a huge penalty that can dramatically change the course of a game (see Bills-Pats last year). I still wonder why the NFL hasn't gone to the college style, 15-yard penalty rather than the spot foul. It's almost as though pass interference has become part of the offensive strategy, as in, "Let's throw it deep in the hopes that we either catch it or get the PI call." I don't really like that it has become that.

I'd like to see him fined for the intentional forearm to Freddie's head.

Perfection.

I'd like Orton...if I wanted my team to continue to be mired in mediocrity. I'd rather stick with Fitz.

That's exactly what I thought, too.

Oh my.