JohnC

We have been dueling over the Spiller issue since he was drafted, and continue to do so even after his departure. I belatedly got you to come around on Gilmore, so there is still some hope (trace amount) for you to come around on this issue. Spiller is no longer a Bill and he no longer is playing behind a less than mediocre line and playing with incapable qbs. Let's see how he does playing with Brees and with a HC who knows how to utilize the strengths of a uniquely talented back. In the not too distant future you will being watching highlights of a Saints's game and will say to yourself: gosh jolly another asset is traded away to another team contributing to their success. The point I have unsuccessfully tried to make with you regarding Spiller is that although he is not a player who fits the conventional mold for a back and although it is easy to point out flaws in his game he still possesses sparkling assets that could be utilized to be an impactful player. To be honest I am happy for Spiller because now he is with an organization that will wisely use his talents instead of being with a dullard organization that accentuates his limitations. Good coaching is not about highlighting what you can't do so much as it is allowing you to do what you can do best. You are astute and perspicacious!

You did very thorough job in describing Spiller's limitations. What you didn't do is list his assets and what he does exceptionally well. Name a player on offense who had more big plays than Spiller, even with his limited playing time? You don't think having one of the worst OLs and one of the worst qb play during his tenure had an affect on crimping his game, a game predicated on space? Spiller is not an every down back, and never will be. He is not going to be a Thurman Thomas type of player who bounces off defenders. Spiller is not a between the tackles runner although that is where a high percentage of his runs were made. The problem I have with his persistent critics is that they emphasize what he isn't good at without acknowledging what he is terrific at i.e. making big plays when he has space to work with. Let's see how productive Spiller is with Brees as his qb.? Brees is a quick release and accurate qb who will get the ball to Spiller in space with swing passes and short routes. In New Orleans Spiller will be used where he is most productive, not where he is least productive. In your post you stressed how Spiller has difficulty processing information. If that is the case then present the information differently so he can better absorb and process it. As a runner Spiller doesn't have great instincts. So the solution to that deficiency is to put him in situations where he doesn't have to make those type of reads. Again, play to his strengths, not his weaknesses. Good coaches accentuate players strengths and do their best to mask their limitations. The opposite was done in Buffalo. That is one of the reasons why this franchise has been a good example of what not to do. Don't be surprised now that Spiller is with a more astute coaching staff that he will be an important contributor to his new team.

I'm well aware that Sally Jenkins allowed her loyalty to Lance to cloud her objectivity toward him. She wrote a book for him and she was favorably influenced by his involvement in the "live strong" cancer cause. To put it mildly she was duped and proved very wrong on her judgment of him and what he did. My minority position on this issue has little to do with any favoritism toward the affected qb. It focuses on the disciplinary process run by the commissioner. In my view it is an erratic and unfair process that when reviewed by outside arbitrators is very often overruled. My position on this issue is clear to everyone. Until there is something new with respect to the proceedings I will bow out. For me this topic has been exhausted and I can't contribute anything new, at least for now. It has gotten to the point where repeating myself has irritated me as it does others.

I went along with the trade-up and forfeiture of a first round selection for this year for the supremely talented Watkins. In hindsight it would have been better to trade down, get an extra pick or so, and then select either Bridgewater or Carr. If that fanciful scenario would have played out there would be a more optimistic outlook on this upcoming season and its future. In every training camp there is a surprising development. Sometimes a small and seemingly inconsequential acquisition turns out to be impactful. Don't sleep on Tyrod Taylor. Just saying!!!!!

Your perspective is reflected in this Sally Jenkins' s column in the Washington Post. The process is basically driven by the whim of the commissioner. http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/the-nfls-basic-due-process-is-the-real-issue-in-the-deflategate-controversy/2015/07/30/ebda3b02-3666-11e5-9d0f-7865a67390ee_story.html

The rule according to what Mortonson said on the radio is that equipment tampering, such as what happend to the "stickum" balls in San Diego and the "heated" balls by Atlanta in a cold weather game resulted in a team fines, in both cases the fines were $25,000 to each team as stipulated in the CBA. It is, according to him, spelled out in the CBA that the organizations, and not the players, are held responsible for this type of infraction. He was making this point as a basis for the union to argue in its legal case. According to him no player until this case has been fined for equipment tampering while teams have been subjected to miniscule fines.

In the CBA it is spelled out that organizations, not players, are penalized for equipment infranctions. So if it is determined that a player or players have vaseline on their jerseys the organization and not the players would be held responsible. The rule infraction that was alledgely breached had to do with equipment tampering. The entity responsible for those types of infractions are the teams, not the players involved. When it was learned that there was "stickum" on the balls in a San Diego game the organizatiion was held responsible and fined $25,000, with no penalty for the players involved, most noteworthy the qb. When Atlanta was found to heat balls in a cold weather game the organization was penalized (I believe) $25,000. No players were penalized. You and No Saint have exhibited a great deal of wisdom and good judgment in this manufactured fiasco. In my view the source of the excessive and irrational response to the ball issue is the collective resentment by the other organizations towards the Patriots. Tom Brady is being steamrolled not for what he did or didn't do but because he is associated with the most successful franchise in the league. You , No Saint and I have repeatedly made the point that Goodell is egregeously acting outside the norm for handling this type of infraction with his multi-million $$$ flawed investigation and with his excessive punishment that doesn't come close to matching the nature of the infraction.

No one is making the argument that he didn't have some say on football decisions that adversely affected the team. That would be a foolish position to take because he was in a key position (top of the football operation). It has to be remembered that RB didn't seek that particular position that was beyond his abilities and training. That influential role was thrust on him by the inscrutable owner, who prior to Brandon's elevation oddly selected Levy, who at that stage of his life was even less prepared for the job. Brandon didn't apply for the football operation job and he certainly didn't maneuver or connive to retain that position. Brandon was for a year a caretaker who gladly relinquished all his football authority when Buddy Nix was hired. I don't want to exaggerate our differences when in actuality we are very much in accord on how we view the organization during the Wilson tenure (especially the last stage) and then the transitioning to new ownership. I give Brandon a lot of credit not only for financially stabilizing the small market franchise but entrenching it to the point that it would be an economically viable franchise for the next owner. He did it be successfully regionalizing the franchise. There is nothing new about the strategy to regionalize a sports franchise. It is the norm in the professional sports economy. It was in his stellar execution of that strategy that made him a tremendous asset for this franchise. Clearly, Terry and Kim recognized his value not only for their football business but also for their sports empire encompassing different sports.

Without a doubt Brandon was influential in the Marrone hire. It was a bad hire not because he was a bad HCing candidate but because it was a bad fit with the GM. The GM should have had the most influence in that hire and selected someone who was more philosophically and personality-wise compatible with him. That is not to say that Whaley didn't have a sizeable say in that hire. The GM sat in all the candidate interviews. You have to remember Marrone was a candidate for a number of openings. So he wasn't an unreasonable selection. As it turned out it didn't take long for the Marrone and Whaley relationship to experience some turbulence. I, as opposed to most others, am not a Marrone basher. Marrone was very upset with the caliber of staffing on the OL and at the qb position. His cantankerous and pugnacious responses to that situation was understandable. as I see it. Again, where I disagree with your position (agree with most of your observations) Is that I don'y believe that Brandon was involved with the football operation with the exception of the year in which the job was thrust upon him by the owner. Once Nix was in place Brandon had little involvement with the football side of the business. I am an unabashed admirer of Russ Brandon. He kept the franchise afloat during the tough times of the late stages of the owner's tenure and he smoothly handled the complicated sell-off to the Pegula team. For his efforts I salute and praise him for positioning this franchise to a future full of hope.

You are I are in accord that Brandon's talents lie on the business side of the operation and not the football side. However, I have a a little different view on Brandon with respect to how he handled his responsibilities with the team. As we both acknowledged it was Wilson who thrust Brandon in his role as the head of the football operation. Brandon didn't pursue that role, it was given to him by the owner who had a lot of trust in him. It was a role that he didn't seek and it was a role that even he recognized that he wasn't equipped to handle. He headed the football operation for only one year and gladly yielded that responsibility when Nix was hired. My understanding, and Brandon stated it very often, that when Nix was the GM he, Buddy, assumed control of the football side of the operation and he, Brandon, handled the business side of the business. My understanding, in contrast to your interpretation of the situation, is that Pegula didn't pull him out of the football side of the business because he was already not very much involved with that role. It didn't take Pegula very long to recognize Brandon's impressive talents while he was in the process of bidding for the team and observing Brandon work as the primary representative of the team and instrumental in the sale process. I am very much perplexed by your claim that Brandon was blatantly dishonest (your words) and intoxicated with his power. As I stated in my first post I believe that Brandon, more than anyone else, was instrumental in turning a backwater franchise into a modern and normal functioning franchise.

You are astute. Wells's conclusion is essentially we don't have quality proof that you are guilty but we are determining you are guilty because to us you are acting as if you are guilty. If this case is taken to court or to an arbitrator the league's position is not as strong as many want to believe.

Excellent post. It's as if the organization has made the transition from the stagecoach era to bullet train era. Modernizing an organization shouldn't be considered an exceptional act----it should be the norm to keep pace with the rest of the crowd. In my view the impetus for change in the way the franchise functioned happend when the owner bestowed authority on Russ Brandon. He took over the football operation for a short stint but that was mainly because that responsibility was thrust upon him. I give him credit, more than anyone else, for hiring more competent football people and structuring the organization in a more coherent manner. There was no doubt that he had to work with the Wilson/Littman business model and work with the in-placeWilson hires. But under those restrictive guidelines he transitioned the organization into a normally functioning NFL franchise. I wasn't a fan of Buddy Nix. But to Nix's credit he systematically cleaned out the ineffective staff (Modrak and Guy) who contributed to making this a scelortic organization with little hope of being a vibrant and competing franchise. Whaley continued the staff cleansing process when he took over. As you noted in your incisive comments the Bills are now not what they once were and are now on a more hopeful and positive track. With the new owner the outlook has become very bright.

Dick Jauron was a very good coordinator who wasn't suited to be a HC. He is out of the game now because he is taking care of his very ill wife. He is a very honorable and principled person. http://www.toledoblade.com/David-Shribman/2014/10/21/Football-hero-loved-more-for-who-he-is-than-for-what-he-s-done-1.html

I also couldn't open up the article. Regarding Maybin as a player he simply wasn't a good draft selection. This is a case of bad scouting in (at that time) a very mediocre organization. You can't help but believe that with the new owner the Bills are now a more normally run franchise and a more serious franchise. Marv Levy was the main advocate for hiring as a HC. When he was fired Levy (who left the organization) said on WGR that Jauron should have been kept on. The owner brought in Levy as a somewhat GM. That in itself demonstrated how backward and out-of-touch the organization was with the rest of the league. Ralph Wilson kept the team in Buffalo while he was alive and made arrangements to keep it there after his passing, so it isn't classy to be critical of him in how the franchise was run during his tenure. However, without a doubt under Pegula there is a positive atmosphere that hasn't existed with the franchise since the Bill Polian era.

You were messing with me and had me confused. I fell for it. You were mocking my naiveness! I deserve to be ridiculed. The general point of the link isn't about the accuracy of the particulars of the case so much as how a low grade issue can explode into a complicated and extended mess if not dealt with good judgment and balance.

http://yourteamcheats.com/what-is-bountygate

Whenever you think that there should be good judgment exercised to fairly and proportionally handle an issue recall the New Orleans bountygate saga. The commissioner sabotaged the season for a franchise and he jeopardized the livlihood of the HC and the DC not because of what really happened but because he was acting on the basis of how he was going to be perceived regardless of the actual facts. Were the Saints under their cocky and braggert DC stretching the boundaries on hitting? Probably so. But the franchise didn't deserve the collective punishment that took away their chance to seriously compete. Goodell singled Vilma as a villain and a ring leader of what was portrayed as a renegade outfit. Vilma legally challenged the the league and won the right to take his case to an arbitrator. He won. My point is simple. Don't expect a judge to act judiciously when the history demonstrates otherwise. This fiasco got out of hand because the man handling the ruling is unfit to properly exercise his duties dealing with disciplinary issues.

I did have the figures when I spoke to the retention person. The retention person was offering me $6 discount per payment for ST. There really wasn't much exchange because it was apparent that the rep wasn't going to be moved. I will try again and see if I can get a discount deal. All I was asking for was to get the the ST for free or some discounts that would defray the cost of it. I'll try again.

If that is the commissioner's belief then he should go ahead and make a ruling. If there is a legal challenge then so be it. My major criticism with the way RG handles disciplinary issues is that too much of his determination is based on how he will be perceived with his rulings instead of basing his rulings on the facts of the case and the standards that have been applied in other rulings. What is to be gained by delaying a decision? I haven't figured it out. When you use a 51-49% standard you are in essence saying you are not sure.

You present an excellent question: Why is it taking so long to make a decision? Maybe it is because he isnot so confident in the position he originally took? In a Mike Florio story (posted by another poster in this thread) it was reported that he is receiving legal advice regarding his vulnerable position on this matter if the issue is taken to court: "Attorney Gregg Levy, who was one of the finalists for the job Goodell received in 2006, participated in the Brady appeal hearing as a legal consultant to the Commissioner. It’s believed that Levy has been warning Goodell that it will be difficult to make a suspension stick in court, even under the heightened standard that applies to challenging the outcome of a private arbitration agreement." http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/redskins/in-trying-to-restore-his-authority-goodell-undermined-his-credibility/2015/05/21/142c8d2c-ffd4-11e4-805c-c3f407e5a9e9_story.html You and I are on the opposite side of the table on this issue. It's understood that our differences can't be reconciled. However, where we do agree is that it is time for Goodell to make a decisiion and then deal with the aftermath, whatever it is.

I'm currently paying $94, without the ST, a month for Directv. My phone bill is approximately $50 a month and my internet service costs $77 a month. I can get a bundle with Verizon Fios that covers my phone bill, internet service and TV service for $80, locked in for two years. So instead of paying $207 a month for the combined service I will be paying $80 if I switch to Verizon. Yes I will be giving up the ST but on a yearly basis instead of paying $2484 for the combined service I will instead be paying $960. I have been with Directv for over a decade. I don't feel that I am being unreasonable.

When I called I didn't get much of an offer for a discount. The retention person was offering $6 discount for the monthly ST billing. I'm going to try one more time. If I can't get a deal that equates to the value of the ST, or near the value, then I'm going to cancel and go with a Verizon bundle deal.

The NFLPA has made it abundantly clear that they will take this case to court if there is any suspension. The "Shield" as you have stated is very much tarnished when it comes to handling disciplinary cases. Goodell lied in the Ray Rice case when he increased the punishment on the basis he discovered additional facts when the arbitrator judged that he did not. The increase in punishment by him was in response to the public outcry and not to the facts of the case. Goodell's ruling on Hardy was altered by an arbitrator because he didn't stay within the punishment guidelines that were established. He demonstrated that he makes things up as he goes along so he won't look bad instead of dealing with the facts of a particular case and the guidelines that apply to the particular case. His rulings are often inconsistent and are based on how he thinks he will be perceived instead of looking at the merits of the case at hand. When Goodell was challenged by Vilma his punishment was overturned by the designated arbitrator. Associated with that case in hindsight the bountygate fiasco in New Orleans became an exaggerated issue because he was more concerned with how he looked than objectively examining what really happened. The "shield" that Roger Goodell is wearing is not a very polished and shining shield. Long before this ridiculous case got out of hand it had a lot of stinky "shiiit" on it.

Why do you think that Goodell hasn't made a ruling on the appeal yet? He already knows that the NFLPA is going to challenge any suspension. What is the point of delaying a ruling? What new information is there to be had? Regardless what side of the issue one is on this delay is baffling, at least to me it is. If it gets to a court or arbitrator the league is going to be asked what were the PSIs of ball #1 #2 #3 etc when the game started. The league's response is we don't know because we didn't record it. Then they are going to be asked what air gauge was used on each particular ball because different gauges give different readings. Their response is we don't know because we didn't note it. This saga is turning out to be a fiasco.

Finally there is something we can agree on: We are at an impasse. Your focus is on Brady and the balls while my attention is on Goodell and the process. We'll just respectfully disagree and see how this plays out. In my mind a situation that could have been handled more simply and fairly will turn out to be an extended legal entanglement.