JohnC

You elevate the concept of cynicism to a very high level. Sure the owners wanted Goodell to handle this tawdry incident and make it go away with the least public response. What they didn't want to happen is that their flunky puppet be exposed as a craven liar who reacted in a manner that severely damaged his credibility. What good is a puppet if the veneer of fairness is lost. As evidence by this correct judgment by the arbitrator (very easy call) the players are better positioned to challenge not only further rulings but challenge the puppet's authority to make judgments on other labor issues. In my view, maybe not yours, the owners are not happy that their fully bought representative of their lucrative entreprise is exposed as a feckless sheriff with no bulletts in his guns. His authority to act on their behalf has been diminished. It is difficult for someone who is a self-serving liar to issue moral proclamations about the integrity of the game when his cloak of integrity has been stripped away. The central issue isn't about Ray Rice and his disgusting behavior. The main issue is that the process of adjudicating/resolving labor issues, not just disciplinary matters, is tainted to the point that the players are moe empowered because their bought for lackey is fully exposed. You can be very sure that the owners are not happy about the slight tilt in balance toward the players.

Cordy Glenn is not having the season that he had last year. It may be due to what you suggested the affects associated with his offseason illness. (By the way what was the nature of his illness?) Our OL has struggled this year. What we do know about Glenn from last year is that he is capable of being a very solid LT. If for reason his lack of speed work and quickness work against him he could still be moved inside and play guard. The Bills staff decided to go big and bulky with their OL. Their collective sluggish foot speed is evident by their inability to handle quick linemen. I get the sense that the OL philosophy is directly attributed to Marrone. His approach to the OL is not working. I've stated on a number of other posts that I believe that Hughes is going to end up in Washington with a very large contract. Orakpo will be let go and his large contract slot will be directed to the more dynamic pass rusher. I don't see how the Bills will be able to keep him with Dareus garnering a very gargantuan contract.

You are a good person!

The commissioner changed his punishment based on a bald face lie. He stated that his original sentencing was based on testimoney that was incomplete and that his more severe re-sentencing was based on the fact the Rice was not forthcoming in all the details. That is simply not true. The commissioner changed his punishment due to public pressure and not because what he originally learned from Rice was anything different later on. It doesn't matter what others think or what the public's attitude is in this matter. The process in which Rice was punished was tainted because the commissioner who had the unfettered authority to make a ruling blatantly lied. The issue isn't about a thug and his mongrel behavior; the issue is about the person who sits atop the multi-billion $$$$ institution is unethical. The process being corrupt, and not the reprobate involved in the elevator incident, is the central issue here. There is no doubt that the commissioner is not going to be fired because the business is still making an extraoridinary amount of money for the owners. But that doesn't change the fact that Goodell is fully exposed as a liar and a person who lacks integrity. I challenge you to find any clause in his job description that allows him to lie and act without integrity.

You gave a very thoughful response. The problem with trying to construct a team for the cold weather is that most games are played in comfortable weather. The emphasis should be on building the best roster you can regardless of the elements you play in. A good OL is simply a good OL in good and bad weather. A very good qb is impactful regardless of the weather. It is agreed that weather is a factor in a few games. But overall it is over-rated and it is a mistake (my opinion) to try to construct a roster to take advantage of the challenging conditions that happens a few times a year. Regardless of how the weather affects the game as a customer I would rather sit in a climate controlled environment rather than freeze my arse off in a game played in an arctic blast. Some people find it manly but I don't. I prefer to not wanting to pay good money for being uncomfortable in miserable conditions.

The ruling is an indictment not only on Goodell's judgment but on his veracity. There was nothing new learned about Rice's situation from his first sentencing to his more sever second sentencing that justified the major increase in punishment. The problem with the current NFL disciplinary system is that there is no system. It is a one man muscle show by the commissioner who hears the case, rules on the case and then rules on the appeal. There needs to be a disciplinary panel made up of representatives of management and the players. Also, the disciplinary policy needs to be clearly stated so that when there is a transgression the punishment meted out is not necessarily agreed by the parties but at the minimun is understood by the parties. As it stands there is too much arbitrariness and capriouslness involved with this current fraudulent process. The NHL has an office that handles on ice disciplinary action. After any issuance of punishment there is a detailed explanation of not only what the transgression was but also the level of transgression. I used to be an ardent supporter of Goodell and the job he was doing. Now I consider him to be a self-serving craven hack who prostrates himself to the desires of the owners at the expense of fairness to the players. The re-visiting of the Rice punishment had little to do with Rice and it had to do with salvaging his own reputation due to his original stupid judment.

Are you all right? That is the first time I can recall that you acknowledged that Doc had said something that is right? I expect an onslaught of challenges to him that compensate for your comment that he said something that is right! Don't tell me that a broken clock is right two times out of the day.

Don't be surprised if Hughes ends up in Washington. They gave Orakpo a one year $11 M deal that they won't renew. That salary slot can go to a more productive pass rusher such as Hughes. There is no doubt the Bills would love to retain Hughes but Dareus is the priority. The Hughes trade for Sheppard is one of the best deals the Bills have made in its history. Assuming Whaley was instrumental on that deal accolades should flow to him. His next franchise changing challenge is getting an upgrade at the qb position, both on the short term and long term. Orton is adequate and a good bargain. But a major bump up in salary is not warranted. He is getting a fair-market priced contract for his level of play. I'm not an Orton basher. He replacing EJ salvaged the season and allowed this team to be competitive. But he is what he is: a pedestrian/journneyman qb who is not going to elevate the play of the offense to the point where it is going to allow you to beat the very good teams in the league.

I can't say for sure what the high end is for Foles or Sanchez. What I am comfortable in saying about these two qbs is that good coaching makes a difference. And playing on a good team makes the qb even a better qb.

There is this misconception that playing in the elements gives the Bills an advantage over opponents. Do you want to know what gives the home team an advantage? Having better overall talent and good qb play. For me watching a game with high winds swirling around that kills the chance for a meaningful passing game is dreadful. I want to see talent perform on the field and not have the arctic elements suffocate the exhibition of talent on the field. If playing inside limits the fat drunken slobs with exposed droopy man breasts to the disgusted viewers then I'm all for it. I'm also tired of the mustached unruly girls fighting in the stands and acting like white trash hillbillies. If playing inside elevates the caliber of clientele then I'm for it. This notion that it is acceptable to go to an event for the purpose of drinking oneself into a stuper has got to stop. I simply don't want to pay money to be around thses piggish caste of characters. If I did I would hang around the local cell block and associate with the under class criminals. When I go to an event I want the event to be the focus of my attention not ducking punches, thrown beer and listening to a foul mouth ignoramus sitting near me. An indoor facility would not eliminate boorish behavior but it would curb it.

If freezing your ass makes you happy then more power to you. I would rather be comfortable and watch a game where the visibility is not impaired by the horizontal blowing snow. I'm also tired watching in sub-freezing weather the fat slobs taking off their drink stained shirts and their hairy bellies hanging over the seats in front of them. It's disgusting and it makes we want to puke.

When Marrone was asked which player impressed him the most and was the most likely to make a quantum leap forward after the offseason workouts without hesititation he said Nigel Bradham. It isn't about just having physical talent it is knowing how to play. He put in a lot of effort in the film room learning how to play. And it shows.

What RGIII needs more than anything else is a time-out that allows him to reconsider how he approaches the game. This is a lost season where he has lost his confidence and has way. What he needs to do is decide whether he wants to be a celebrity and a "brand" rather than dedicate himself to working on a game that is suitable for the pros. The Shanahans tried to work on his game but he rebelled against them because of his diva attitude and his insecurities. Maybe what worked against him was his initial success. He relied on his athletic style of game that worked in college instead of developing a mature and cerebral way to approach the pro game. There is no doubt he is psychologically battered. This offseason he needs to study film and be receptive to what the coaches are trying to teach him. Currently the coaches, the players and fans have tired with the constant drama associated with him and the qb position. What he needs to do is assume a lower profile (get off twitter) and work on his game.

If the stadium is going to be built anywhere near the waterfront it would be foolish to build an open facility. Pegula maynow have a preference for an open stadium but when the studies come out prior to the official committment unanimously or near unanimously indicating that a covered faciltiy is most appropriate for the site then he will change his view on the type of facility that should be built. With a closed facility you can attach stores, restaurants and even a hotel, to the facility that will broaden the traffic for the project that can possibly enhance his current developments in the area. Your arguments that a sports arena/stadium don't producte enough economic return to justify a project is correct to an extent if it is only used simply as an economic decision. But that doesn't necessarily mean that that type of project can't be justified. The current arena where NHL games are played may not on balance equal the cost of the facility but most people would agree that it is an important resource for the region. Kleinhans Music Hall is a very respected facilty that from an economic return standpoint is not jutifiable. But many people believe that it is an important cultural asset for the region. If the Lucas Oil facility was not built in Indianapolis I guarantee you that there would be no team in the state of Indiana. The Colts would probably be the LA Colts. Solely using an economic metric the stadium was a bad economic deal but in general the people in that region are glad that it was built. The main issue for me regarding a new facility (if it is to be built) is who is going to pay and of the parties paying for the facility what are the payment portions. I am absolutely against a totally or mostly paid for facility with public funds. But that doesn't mean that with a sizeable owner contribution, NFL stadium financing subsidy and even financing contributions from the designated concession company that the finances can't be made to work out. If you are going to build a new facility, especially if it is located near the waterfront, then the added expenditure over a long period of time is not much greater than building an open facility. Let's not have any more scrambling to move games to another city that has a covered facility. Do it right and have no regrets!

I agree with you that he doesn't have the explosion that he had in the beginning of the season.. The rib injury first slowed him down and then the groin injury has recently plagued him. The groin hinderance is apparent. He hasn't been the same dynamic player that he first exhibited.

Are you able to get a sense that a lot of western NYers made the trek to Detroit?

How so? There is no doubt that Polian is not an angelic figure in this historical saga. He was a volatile person who didn't always treat others with the respect they deserved. It's also well known he wasn't always appropriate/professional with hs dealings with Littman, and to an extent with the owner. But putting personalities aside the fundamental disagreement with Littman (who represented Wilson's business interest) was over the financial constraints and conflicts regarding money for the football operation. The bottom line is that the owner preferred Littman's approach to the football business over Polian's approach to his business. Littman was running the business in the way the owner wanted. That is the owner's prerogative. The conflict between Littman and Polian in reality was a conflict between Wilson and Polian's conflicting visions about how the business was going to be run. When you are the boss you rule the roost. In the end Polian's departure was inevitable.

The point I am stressing is that these players took time to develop as qbs. It really doesn't matter how high or low you are drafted. There are various developmental schedules for players. As I stated to WEO just because a player is currently struggling it doesn't mean that he is not salvageable, especially if he exhibited demonstrable production in his rookie year. I guarantee it that the innovative HC for the Eagles would love to have an opportunity to work with RGIII. What I am stressing is that what is broken now doesn't necessarily mean that it can't be fixed.

I am a big fan of Greg Cossell. I respect his opinion very much. The film he is commenting on regarding RGIII is the current film. There is no doubt that RGIII as it stands is a broken player. Everything about his game from his decision-making, footwork and fundamentals is in a shambles. However, being a lost soul doesn't mean that it is lost for perpetuity. In his rookie year he demonstrated, especially in the second-half of the season, that he is a dynamic player that can dramatically impact the game. He demonstrated in hiis rookie year that he has a powerful arm and that he is very accurate. There is no doubt that he was still a very unrefined player but the talent was obvious. Can he regain his confidence and learn the fundaments that are necessary to be successful in this league? That is the unanswered question. I'm confident that the HC in Philly would love to have the opportunity to work with him. Sometimes a change of sceneray and a fresh start will do wonders to resuscitate a floundering career. I strongly caution you to not be too premature in your assessment. Drew Brees, Rich Gannon and Kurt Warner,come to mind that they weren't instant successes yet they turned around their careers.

Ralph Wilson made the major football hires. He hired Levy as a GM, had Brandon take over the football side of the operation and then hired a befuddled Nix. He hired top shelf talent for his businesses and got excellent results. He hired ill-equipped front office staff to make multi-million dollar decisions and got the expected disasterous results.. From a football standpoint he didn't know what he was doing. His decisions, especially regarding staffing, were very odd. The results were very predictable. Many people are very critical of Brandon. I'm not one of them. I believe that he more than anyone else changed this antiquated organization into a more modern operation that over time will become a serious franchise again. On this staff hire you have to give Ralph Wilson credit for empowering the right person to act on his behalf.

I live in the MD/DC area and have seen him play. RGIII is immensely more talented than Colt McCoy. That is not to say that he has outperformed McCoy this year. Not trying to overstate the situation but as it stands RGIII is a broken player who has lost his confidence and his minimal fundamentals have deteriorated. What this confused and pyschologically battered player needs more than anything is a timeout where he can step back and in practice work on his game. There is no doubt that at this time this insufferable Diva is overwhelmed and lost. Instead of working on his game he spent too much time and effort on establishing his "brand". Just maybe this brutal beating he has been taking on the field, in the media and within his own locker room will humble him enough to get back working on his game. The people who say he can't become a very good qb didn't watch him play his rookie year. He has a tremendous arm and he is accurate, at least in his rookie year he possessed it. If the Skins prematurely give up on him another franchise will reap the dividends of their foolishness. Although he is understandably receiving the brunt of the criticisms for his team's collapse there is plenty of blame to go around. His OL is in shambles and the defense is a disaster. Getting some of the other broken pieces fixed will be a major factor in him getting back on track.

The owner is not a fool. No one is hoodwinking him. The structure of the organization is the structure that he wanted, and he got. The Bills primarily were a profit center for him, There were a few separate decades where the Bills were dismal. That didn't bother the owner enough to act with urgency to alter the way the franchise functioned. . Go back and review the people involved with the business side of the operation. It was very stable with few staffing changes. Go back and review the people involved in the football side of the business. It was a constant churning of staff. Every few years there would be a sequence of firings and then the mediocre replacements would repeat the same cycle of departures as their predecessors did. While the football operation was unstable and chaotic the business side of the operation strictly adhered to the business model. Many people want to harshly criticize Littman. He was doing what the owner wanted. Littman didn't care about football. He did care about cash/flow matters and profit margins. On those business points Littman ran a tight ship and was very unyielding. If you don't believe that then ask Polian about how the stubborn and volatile Irishman lost the contest with the person who held the calculator. I'm very confident that you are very aware that the business side of the operation not only dominated but ruled the football operation. For most franchises the business and football side of the operation are more separate with a less harsh conflict between the two entities. Finances are always a consideration when making football decisions within the organization. But for the Bills it was tilted too much to the bean counters to the extent that it made it very challenging for the team to be competitive. Ralph Wilson is no fool. His business and financial advisors are top of the line.Just look at how much was squeezed out of this historically losing franchise. Look at the impressive way the his advisors structured his estate and then executed the will without a hitch. It was quite impressive. But even with the financial restrictions that this franchise was subjected to the nemisis for this franchire was that the owner made the football hires. He was wretched at it. His inability to hire quallity people to make football decisions sunk this franchise more than the spending limitations. On the few occasions when he got it right, Chuck Knox and Polian, it worked out well for him. It's not surprising that both departed after doing outstanding jobs. .

The story of the conflict between Polian and Littman is well known. The situation between Polian and Littman was untenable. As much as Polian found it difficult to tolerate Littman, Littman found it intolerable to tolerate Polian. Littman made it clear to the owner that either he or Polian had to go. The owner chose his trusted business advisor over the football man. What I find very fascinating is Littman. He rarely if ever took a public role with the franchise. He was a behind the scenes operator. He had to be a very tough person with very strong convictions to stand up to the volatile Polian. Their conflicts were continuous because he wasn't going to back down and acccept being treated other than in a professional manner. It's apparent that Littman wasn't much interested in the competitive football side of the business. He had a business model that worked well for the owner. He dutifully kept the franchise functioning within the confines of that business model. He wasn't very much interested in the wins and losses. But when it came down to the cash flow and costs he was a ferocious fighter who enforced the rules. In the end no one should be surprised that when it came down to Littman or Polian the owner selected Littman.

Bill Polian is smart enough to understand that if you publicly criticize the boss (owner) you are sabotaging your efforts to secure your next job. What owner in the club is going to hire a GM who calls out his boss? In his stint with Carolina he did a terrific job in making that expansion team not only respectable, but also a playoff team. However, although the owner wanted Polian to get that franchise off the ground he didn't want his franchise run by a GM strongman. So he did what he had to do to establish the franchise and then moved on at the request of the owner. The NFL has certain "rules" of the game. Hiring and firing is an unavoidable aspect of that environment. Knowing how to leave a job regardless of the fairness of the pink slip is required to keep yourself in the game with another franchise. Bill Polian knew very well that franchises going through cycles. It would have been really interesting to watch him be involved in a rebuilding process after such a good run with his Kelly era team.

The problem with a strongman (Goodell) judicial system that not only decides on guilt, punishment and also the person who hears the appeal is that it is erratic system that is based on the judgment of one person. If you want to create a system that demands forfeiture of one's employment because of certain behavior then so stipulate it as a policy. Making the rules as you go along is too arbitrary and capricious. The Ray Rice punishment folly was due to Goodell's poor judgment in deciding the judgment for his brutal behavior. He based his punishment on the precedents that he himself established, and then when the avalanche of public ourtrage was expressed at his puny punishment level he later responded with a harsher punishment by claiming that facts were later discovered by him. That is not true because everything t.he knew later was known prior to his original meting out of punishment. The bottom line was that he was covering his stained arse because of his own poor original judgment. As you noted there are plenty of jobs that stipulate that private behavior is a consideration in retention of employment. That is understood prior to taking the job. That isn't the case in the Peterson situation. If you are going to have rules applying to behavior then make the rules so they are clearly understood by the employees. This making the rules as you go along or changing the rules depending how the public reacts is fraught with unfairness. There needs to be a quasi judicial system in place that is fortified with explict rules and administered by people who don't have an obvious conflict of interest. Adrian Peterson is not a popular person but the league system was stacked against him even after he cooperated with the real judicial system dealing with his child abuse case.