JohnC

Do you root against Ohio State?

You would think differently if one of the pugilists sat on your face and squished it.

Whether he was a take charge kind of guy or not the problem with the Sabres was less about culture than it was insufficient talent. As you smartly noted he had his own insular personality that couldn't influence the rest of the group. I, like you, don't condemn him for honestly expressing his frustrations with the situation. That's why the GM has to be aggressive in adding talent to the roster so this team can better compete. In my view the contagion of negativity has to do with the constant losing brought about by a lack of talent and less to do with bad attitudes.

Our chasm can not be overcome. I do not foresee any scenario where McDermott will not be our HC in 2020. Maybe in 2021 but not sooner. As you stated this is largely a theoretical discussion.

The NFL needs to make it mandatory to teach investment common sense to its players. If you are going to spend millions of dollars on an investment it might be wise to do your due diligence rather than your due stupid. https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/drew-brees-testified-thursday-against-san-diego-jeweler-he-claimed-overcharged-him-dollar6-million-for-diamonds/ar-AACwEoc?ocid=spartandhp

How does a team get humiliated playing in the Cup finals? If that was the case the Sabres would love to be humiliated and mocked.

I agree with you that McBeane rushed to trade Glenn. But there was a good reason for that: He wasn't in their plans. That deal with the Bengals put us in a position to maneuver to move up and select Josh Allen. I'll take that deal any day of the weak. Was our line weakened last year with the departures? No question about it. But that issue was not a lingering issue because this offseason there was a focus to address that glaring liability with a number of free agent acquisitions. Bandito, you are not going to fix all your problems in one or two years. It takes some time. In two years a number of issues on both sides of the ball have been addressed with more to do. From an overview perspective a lot was done in a relatively short period of time.

Your post was clear and cogent. I agree with much of what you said but not totally so. Where I disagree with you is that while this regime wanted to build a long term winner they certainly were aware of the urgency to win in the near future. The era of the five year plans of mostly using the draft at the exclusion of participating in the free agent market doesn't apply so much now because players have the contractual option to leave. The Bills were very active in the free agent market this offseason. They (hopefully) rebuilt the OL and upgraded the receiving corps through the free agent market. That certainly is a reflection of a more win now than waiting for a longer term plan to come into fruition. Let's not forget that the roster that McDermott took over is very much turned over. This is for the most part a different team remade in two years. Can the Bills have a 6-10 season this year? Yes. The difference between success and mediocrity can be luck or not, injuries or not, inaccurate referee calls or not. Sometimes a one year record doesn't necessarily reflect the accumulated progress. And where I disagree with is that based on McDermott has conducted himself so far I don't see him losing the locker run even if the team is subjected to short term setbacks.

Your accent is charming. Listening to beyond the pond accents is like being constantly tuned in to PBS's Masterpiece Theater. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/clips/beecham-house-first-look/

I don't believe that McBeane ever thought that Benjamin would be our #1 WR for years. They were trying to upgrade a limited unit for an unexpected playoff run. This is a show me and earn it league. If Benjamin was able to demonstrate on the field that he was good enough to be a #1 receiver then more power to him. But there was no automatic commitment to him. He wasn't able to. Now he is gone.

I respectfully but strenuously disagree with your stance. Churning through staffs hasn't resolved anything. It has perpetuated the instability that has resulted from one rebuild to another. The problem inherent in constantly changing staffs is that you are changing systems. Thus starting on a path only to go back to the starting line to go on to another path. That is a foolish and shortsighted way to run a franchise. I believe the Pegulas have learned their lessons from their reflexive change strategy. What I believe that they have learned is that the key to success is hire the right people and then give them the resources and time to work it out. It's evident to them that no strategy will work if you hire the wrong staff. I say this respectfully but the mistake you are making is looking at each season as one year entities. That's too microscopic of a perspective for such a big and complex endeavor. If the owners believe that the Bills have not made progress in their rebuild entering their third year then this regime would be in jeopardy of being dispatched after a failed season. I don't believe that is the case.

How big is Marchand? How big is Skinner? Not every player is big. It's about having the right mix and role players. There certainly is a role for players who can score especially on a team that has a dearth of scorers.

No this regime will not get the axe if the team goes 6-10 this season. I'm confident of that. The owner is invested in McDermott and will ride that pony a lot longer.

They procured the chips and then wisely used the chips. Those extra draft picks this regime maneuvered to get were used to acquire Josh and Edmunds, two pivotal players on each side of the ball. The arithmetic ended up on the plus side.

The Eagles aren't worried about the past. They are dealing with the now and future. Locking up your franchise qb sooner rather than later is a better football and business deal.

The qb scale goes up every year at a high rate. So it is better to do it sooner rather than later. Kirk Cousins broke the bank vault by playing on one year deals that were escalating at a high rate each year. So if you are confident in your franchise qb then you might as well secure him as soon as you can.

The primary reason that this regime traded for Benjamin is that surprisingly this stripped down team was in the playoff hunt. That was an unexpected development. So McBeane tried to add a receiver to help bolster a barren unit and stay in the playoff contention. In the end although Benjamin wasn't a factor this team by fluke made the playoffs. Clearly, in hindsight it didn't work out. But to their credit they saw an opportunity and they went for it. While the Bills wasted a pick on the receiver we gained a third round pick in the Taylor trade. When the tabulation is made this regime accumulated some added picks and used them to draft our future qb. In my estimation the arithmetic of moves added up to the plus side.

Krueger stresses the importance of playing the right way away from the puck in both zones. Caufield has that awareness of working to be in the right location to receive the puck and shoot. I checked the player rankings at the midpoint of the season. He was ranked 15. After the season concluded with additional scrutiny he was ranked 8. So clearly he is moving up the ranks. As the draft approaches he might move up a couple more rungs up the ladder. Although right now he is my preferred prospect, minus the top three or four players, we should come out of this draft with a high end prospect who should be close to being ready in a couple to few years.

The attached link is a WGR article by Paul Hamilton on his interview with Caufiled. There is nothing new other than he becomes more attractive as a prospect to me as the draft approaches. Caufield points out in the interview that small statured players such as DeBrincat, Gallagher and Marchessault have thrived in today's NHL that emphasizes skill and speed over muscle and size. The question remains whether he will be available when we draft at the seven spot. https://wgr550.radio.com/articles/news/cole-caufield-brings-goals-nhl-draft-vancouver

He was subjected to a suspension due to drug violations. I'm not sure if it was performance enhancing or just drug usage.. That violation is behind him. He was a team captain and one of the most respected players on the team. He's dedicated as a player and team oriented enough to make arrangements for the other lineman to work out with him in Texas in the offseason. I'm not arguing for the Bills to pursue him. That wouldn't be the right thing for them to do in their situation. But that doesn't alter the fact that he is one of the top three or four tackles in this league. And despite his prior drug issue he is highly regarded within the locker room and organization as a pillar player.

You are making an assumption based on an assumption. The basis of his holdout is to express his displeasure with the medical staff. At least that is the storyline that is coming from his camp and close friends on the team. There have been no stories other than groundless speculation in the DC/MD papers and coverage indicating that he is holding out for more money. He has had a history of injuries and rehabilitations and doesn't feel that the medical staff has performed to a level that he finds acceptable. https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2019/06/05/trent-williams-absence-redskins-camp-related-frustration-over-medical-treatment/?utm_term=.ab524fd9a1ec

Some one I know who goes to the same swim center I go to had the same knee replacement that included the CT scan and 3D prints. For addiction reasons he didn't take pain killers after the procedure. He went through a lot of pain before it settled down. He was diligent about his rehab. Compared to his condition before the surgery of constant pain he is doing well and back on the golf course. The only complaint that he has is that his knee clicks when he bends it. He was considering a procedure to fix the problem, which may be unfixable, but decided to live with the clicking. In general, the operation allowed him to live a normal and pain free life. I wish you the best.

Is it true that you bond with your friends at the casinos? Rumor has it you enter with your pockets full of bitcoins, and leave with empty pockets? You need to save your money so you can continue to make those grand campaign contributions. It's called networking.

The thieving girlfriends can't be too bright. He knows their names. Maybe they used aliases?