JohnC

Thank you for the evaluation. In the league that Canisius plays in there is a lot of perimeter play and stress on three point shooting. His game seems to fit well for that system.

How good is Boehiem's kid? Do you know if Canisius's Sam Rautins who is the son of the former long time assistant coach is any good?

I'm confident that you and K-9 will come around to my positive view of Reinhart. I'm also predicting that by the end of the season K-9 will be making the observation that Scandella is a good partner with Bogo.

You will need a pooper scooper to get it back in order.

It's the fans fault that you are getting old.

I'm not looking to smear Roy who I think is a decent fellow. But a basketball team is not like a football team because of the smaller number of players to monitor.. There is no excuse for a coach of a college team not to know in general what is going on with his players. Even the support staff of a basketball team is small compared to a football operation. He should have been in regular contact with the advisers and know which players were academically struggling and those who didn't need to be supervised. The reality is that the coach knows when he recruits his players which ones will academically struggle and which will thrive. So there should be no surprise who the players are that need the most support. With respect to the issue of who knew or purposefully didn't want to know I don't accept that there is a meaningful difference. When you are in a position of authority it is your job to know. Willful ignorance or just plain ignorance in my view shouldn't alter the judgment for the person who is the boss i.e. Roy Williams. Preaching to players means little to them if they know you are not actually seriously monitoring them. In my view (judgmental as it may be) he was concerned with keeping his players eligible and not seriously interested in what they were really doing academically. That attitude isn't unusual in the major college ranks.. But that doesn't mean that he wasn't enabling this sham enterprise and should be absolved of responsibility. When you are the boss you are the boss.

I have always considered Watkins a tremendous talent who had a personal drive to succeed. The problem I had with him was that he was so personally driven that he found it difficult playing in a situation where his expectation to produce was not going to materialize because of the situation here. If he were in Buffalo with the caliber of qb play and line play and offensive play his numbers would be a shadow of what he is capable of with a more accomplished team. I don't believe that in Buffalo he handled that situation well. In my view if he was with Buffalo now under its current situation his emotions would bubble up to the surface and become a team issue. Similarly, I see McCoy who is chasing numbers that will qualify for the HOF becoming very frustrated with his situation/plight as time goes on. I wouldn't be too surprised if at the end of the season he privately asks to be traded to a better team where he can increase his numbers as his career winds down.

We disagree on Reinhart but that's okay. What do you think we could get for him?

I'm not with you on this issue. The attributes you like are the same attributes that I like. He is not very much of a north/south skater because he simply doesn't have the speed. But his passing ability and instincts for the game are superb. As you know he is most effective when he is in front of the net screening and knocking the puck in in tight spaces. He hasn't been too consistent in that area so far but he is the type of player who will eventually score in bunches. That has been his history. I agree with you that Botterill was smart in signing him to a short deal because it is still too early to tell what his potential is. It's easier to make a determination of what type of a player Jack or Skinner is but with Reinhart it is more difficult to determine. With a player such as Reinhart most of his numbers come from his line mates who would be converting his passes. When they don't finish his numbers don't really reflect how well he plays. While you are more receptive to making a deal I'm less inclined to do so.

If you re-read my post you should come to the conclusion that I said the opposite of what you think I said i.e. they were aware of the fraudulent situation.

I have no doubt that the coach and the athletic department knew what was going on with the academic side of program. But I have little sympathy for the players who were willing participants to this sham class work. No one pulled the wool over their eyes and hustled them. They were as much a part of this fraud as those in the department who set it up. They took the easy road with their class work responsibilities. Now that they are out of school they realized that in the end they allowed themselves to be used and their education, whether they got a degree or not, means little. I have little doubt that these same players who are complaining about the program skated through the academic work even in high school. They knew the system and they embraced it.

Kirby encourages you to follow Canisius. He is very familiar with the program and the players. The league they play in is a guard oriented league. Their coach, Witherspoon, a former coach of UB has done a good job in recruiting and making the team one of the better teams in the league. Although I don't live in the area I root for the home teams including UB, Niagara and Bona. Would love to see them get a local tournament going at Key Bank Center. Following the Bills has been exhausting and depleting. I'm now more enthusiastic about the Sabres than the Bills. I'm sorry to say that but my level of interest still exist but is waning with this football team. In addition, the standard in interaction when discussing the Bills has declined.

He is currently the third string qb. The reason why he was the starter when the season began was that the qb that this organization brought in to be the starter was beaten out by him. The GM has admitted he made a mistake in delaying bringing in Anderson. When he finally got here he was not ready to play right away. It was a management mistake that Peterman, who at best is a backup qb, was in position to start. The notion that I have a love for Peterman's game is off-the wall stupidity. He is a fifth round backup and never will be anything beyond that. The reason why he was in a position to start was because the organization didn't handle the qb situation very well. They would be the first to acknowledge that. As far as I am concerned it doesn't matter whether the qb discussions are about Peterman, McCarron, Anderson or even Tyrod. Those are wasteful and inconsequential issues that have little influence toward the success of the team. The substantive issue revolves around the development of Josh Allen. The ridiculously hotly discussion about the other qbs is simply a distraction. In other words it is mostly unadulterated bullshiiiit.

I don't understand the visceral disdain for the third string qb. If you want to exhibit your revulsion then direct it toward the pathetic play of the OL that makes it difficult for either the running and passing plays to develop. If you want to express your disdain for the play of a particular position then it would be more appropriate to direct it toward the receivers who in general couldn't get free from an arthritic 90 CB. The issue of the low quality play from Peterman is easily resolved when the qbs ahead of him are healthy enough. The main problem with this team has little to do with the qb who only plays when the two qbs ahead of him are injured.The substantive problem is that the starters on the OL and receiving unit aren't even good enough to be adequate backups. I don't want to generalize the problem with the receivers and include Zay Jones in that incapable mix because he is starting to play fairly well. I believe with good qbing he will be a productive receiver. I also want to offer congrats to you and your family for the new addition. I hope you are not spending too much time on the internet in your attempt to avoid doing your fair share in changing the diapers.

Where you are on the ladder has little to do with behaving ethically. I don't find your nanny example persuasive because a nanny working for a family would be acting unethically/inappropriately if she posted private conversations on the internet or wherever. Doing right has nothing to do with what you do as it does about your character.

I disagree. Whether they are Uber contractors or taxi drivers, who very often are contract workers, this is a zone in which the taped private conversation should not be publicly bedistributed. There are secretaries, doctors, nurses, lawyers, accountants etc who work on a contract basis yet should have the integrity to keep a private conversation private. If your logic was applied then it would be acceptable in a doctor's office for the temp receptionist to put on the internet that a certain person came in to be treated for VD. That would be both morally and possibly legally wrong.

With the ubiquitous camera phones there are positive and negative aspects to it. If you are a policeman and are unprofessionally interacting with the public you can more easily be exposed and held to account. On the other hand if you are in a restaurant and your waiter ends up relaying the conversation at the table to the public then that is a business issue. In my view the Uber driver should be fired for a breach of confidence. With respect to the Ottawa situation a team and its makeup including the players, coaches and staff is a complicated situation related to the mix of personalities. It goes beyond the issue of talent to the issue of the right blend of players and coaches. A coach in one setting can be a success, and on the other hand the same coach in a different setting can be an abysmal failure. The same process applies to players. In the right situation they can succeed and in the wrong situation they won't come close to reaching their potential. In team sports success is not only predicated on talent but have the right blend of talent and the right staff to channel those talents. There are teams where Tortorella can be successufel. There are teams where Torts can be a disaster. There is a time with a team where he can be a leader for a team. And then there is a time with the same team where his time has run out and for him to move on. Organizations go through different stages of development with different staffing requirements. If you don't get that match right you are going to have trouble.

If the recording originated from the uber driver then I find it manifestly unethical. I'm not talking about legality as I'm categorizing this making public a private conversation as grossly unethical. The conversation was between the riders. Regardless if they are high profile or low profile riders there should be an expectation of privacy. This public distribution was wrong from a business and personal ethical standpoint. I realize that the players have to be more discreet about when and where they are having a conversation but in this case it wasn't unreasonable for them to expect that their private conversation wouldn't be made public.

I have said since the beginning of the McDermott reign that the stated plan was to dramatically overhaul the roster and restructure the cap. That is exactly what they have been doing and are doing. You can disagree with the strategy but regardless that is the road that has been taken. In two years where is this team situated? While involved in the implementing their strategy in the first year in their tenure this regime made the playoffs with a non-playoff caliber of team. Are you going to complain about the breaking of that embarrassing and ignominious record? After the first year this regime maneuvered to draft what we hope to be our franchise qb. Will he attain that status? None of us knows for sure but I believe with the right support he will be. Are you going to complain about that considering that the Bills haven't had a legitimate franchise qb in a quarter century. The McBeane duo decided to restructure the cap in an accelerated fashion instead of stretching it out over years. In that way they would be able to clean the cap slate and have more flexibility to acquire free agents. That is the reason why this roster, especially on the OL and receiving unit, couldn't meaningfully be addressed this year. Because of that strategy there was a unanimity from NFL analysts that this was going to be a tough year for the Bills. The reason why there was unanimity from analysts as to how this season was going to unfold was because they understood the course of action this organization was taking. I'm not trying to be sarcastic but it is not difficult to understand why this team is struggling this year. You may disagree with the declared strategy but that doesn't alter the reality that that is the road that they took. To put it in simple terms: It is a rebuild. Did you expect an instantaneous result? Entering the offseason the Bills have a copious amount of cap money to add players. In addition, they have a full complement of draft picks. Without a doubt we will be drafting near the top of the board. My preference is to trade down and acquire additional picks to add more players. If this regime smartly handles their resources I'm counting on an infusion of talent to bolster this roster. The big question determining future success for us as it is for the Jets and Browns is the development of their rookie qbs. On that issue we just have to wait and see. I understand what this regime is attempting to do, and I agree with it. Most of the doubters are looking at what is going on from a year to year perspective. That's more of a Whaley perspective of incremental change. That's the source of our divergence. I'm much more confident of our prospects in the not too distant future than those who are panicked by what has transpired on the field this year.

Shoop admits that he doesn't even like football. I'm ever more confident in my position. The Bills moved on from TT just as the Brown moved on from him. The only difference is that they came to a quicker decision. It's a dead issue.

I wanted the Bills to draft Mahomes last year. They didn't. They took a physical talent the next year in Josh Allen and hope that he develops. But let's not get carried away. Mahomes is playing for a much more talented and developed team than he would be playing with if he were in Buffalo. If Mahomes was playing behind our line and throwing to our receivers he would be a shadow of what he is in KC.

I don't need you to tell me how bad the offense. It's obvious to all. Taylor was not in the plans for this regime as a starter or backup. He is a dead issue. So I don't know what the point is in bringing him in this discussion. Beane has been clear that he made a misjudgment in not bringing in Derek Anderson sooner after the trade of McCarron. But in the grand scheme of things whether we are talking about Peterman, McCarron or Anderson or whoever mediocre qb it really doesn't matter. Josh Allen and how he develops is the consequential issue and the rest of the action around the qb position is unadulterated BS. I submit that not having a credible backup on hand when we should have will actually in the long run work out better for this franchise because it gave the organization an opportunity to play him. Of course he is going to struggle but for next year his earlier than expected playing time will I believe enhance more than detract from his development. You and others are trying to look back and come up with reasons why this season has been such a failure. What you don't want to admit is that what is playing out (to a major extent) was inevitable. I agree with the tough decision to absorb the cap hit in one year. It certainly had painful consequences related to the talent on the roster for this year. But next year, and the year after, this team is in a good position to add more talent sooner rather than later. If you want to strive for mediocrity then support continuing on with the incremental approach that has been done here for a long time. I'm aware that it is painful to digest but I would rather take the bad medicine in one gulp than stretch it out. If you can't handle this gruesome process for the short term then I recommend that you take a break and wait for the better times. I'm simply not interested in reading that article. Whether you want to admit it the Bills are rebuilding. That's the reality.

Taylor was as much in the plans of this regime as he is now in the plans for Cleveland. It doesn't matter where TT plays he is not a franchise qb and never will be. That is now a dead issue for us and for Cleveland. If you want to give me a summary of the link I will respond. I'm not reading that long link.

This regime made the decision (starting with the McDermott hire) to rebuild the roster and restructure the cap. They shed some of their best players such as Watkins and a laggard Dareus knowing that in the short run that it was going to set the team back. They deliberately were eschewing the Whaley incremental approach toward adding players and contracts. The NFL analysts certainly weren't surprised that this team was going to slide back because there was almost a unanimity in their prognostications that the Bills were going to be bad. That opinion was predictable when the organization decided to absorbed the cap hits in one year instead of stretching it out over the next few years. Beane has acknowledged a mistake in not securing Derek Anderson sooner after the McCarron trade. But in the grand scheme of things does it really matter who was going to start with those caliber of qbs and with the already depleted roster. The Bills were going to struggle no matter what. The upside is that although Josh Allen was forced to start sooner than what the staff really wanted it probably will work out better in accelerating his development. I'm very confident that the Pegulas' were not only aware of McDermott's rebuild strategy when they hired him. In fact that was why he was hired. So although the play on the field has been excruciatingly ugly it shouldn't come as a surprise to them. As you noted what happens this offseason with respect to the utilization of the cap and how well they work the draft will determine the standing of McDermontt and Beane. Again, as you noted Terry Pegula has witnessed that a smartly run offseason in hockey can result in a major improvement in the team. So I'm sure that he is counting on the same leap forward after this offseason. When one decides to take on a major rebuild there is going to be some unavoidable tough times. The owner wasn't satisfied with the Whaley incremental approach so he hired someone who had a more comprehensive plan to follow. This year is about Josh Allen and getting ready for the offseason.

Don't waste your effort on the third qb on the team. He is what he is. You may not have a good vantage point from being in the stands but our OL play is bad to the point of being dysfunctional. Without question good qb play helps out the OL but atrocious line play makes it impossible to run a basic offense. That unit is horrendous. Our most talented lineman is Dawkins. He is more suited to the LG position than the LT position. Our receiving corps is not much better than our futile OL. Zay Jones can be a solid player. Benjamin is a waste. Collectively our offense is a league embarrassment in a system that is biased toward the offense. The offseason needs to be dedicated to remaking that unit. If it isn't then that is a classic example of malfeasance and nonfeasance.