The Winds of Change are a blowing

[Mickey]

What did I say that made you so angry? I support my team by watching them every week via Direct Tv NFL Ticket which cost over $300. I support my team by buying merchandise like jerseys. I support my team by educating myself via the internet, radio, and tv. Did that answer your question!!!!!!!!!!!

 

What I won't do is paint a rosey picture of upcoming season. I don't believe the Bills are going to win many games. I think the team is rebuilding, struggling for an identity, evaluating talent or lack of, learning new schemes, system, and philosophy, etc.. IN THE LONG RUN, I am optimistic this can produce a winning team which leads to playoff wins and a Super bowl win.

However, in the short term, this year, next year, and maybe the following year the team is most likely to struggle. I want to win NOW!

 

A true fan is able to objectively critique their team and accept the teams weaknesses and strengths. I guess your not willing to even address and or listen to others negative feedback. How shallow is that?

I agree, that reply to your post was uncalled for but unfortunately, too typical hereabouts. Its infuriating but I guess you just have to muck your way past that kind of stuff and just concentrate on the actual, civil, discussions taking place. There are some. Its why I am still around.

[R. Rich]

I guess you just have to muck your way past that kind of stuff and just concentrate on the actual, civil, discussions taking place. There are some.

 

Where?

[Gugny]

Oh goody, another fan at TBD attacking a fellow fan. We don't have enough of that so thanks for adding your bile to the poison pot.

 

One can be a fan and love this team dearly and yet be realistic as to what the next year or two holds in store for the team. At the same time, other fans are optimistic, even more so than objective reality woud support. And both groups are fans. Both groups have just as much right to express their thoughts here as anyone else without being told that they aren't real fans or that they are naive cheerleaders.

 

Rather than attack this fan as a troll, an interesting tack by the way for someone with 16 posts, you could have set out to convince him that he is wrong and that we are in fact going to have a great season. Who knows? Maybe you would have convinced him instead of alienating him. Wouldn't that have been better than initiating yet another round of middle school locker room towel snapping?

God I hate towel snaps. They hurt so GD bad. I don't miss them at all, man. And I agree with your post, too.

[Mr. WEO]

I don't know what numbers Graham is using, but a roster is 53 players, and if you take his 71.2% number, you get close to 38. But if you take 38 and divide by 53, you get 71.7%. I assume he's saying the Bills let-go of 15 players. But they really let-go of 17.

 

http://www.nfl.com/freeagency#players-tab-...n-team:team-buf

 

And likely more of those who were re-signed by the Bills will be gone. I'd say that the turnover will ultimately be over 40%.

Who are the 17 from last years 53 man roster they let go?

 

I see Fine, Jenkins, Owens, McGhee Palmer Philip Smith Wendling Butler. Not sure if they were all on the active roster.

[billsfan_34]

How are you going to react when Kawicka Mitchell gets cut because the team won't pay $3 million for veteran depth?

 

Does a "true fan" suck it up and believe the nonsense that the move was motivated by a desire to get "younger at the position"?

 

Or does a true fan hold the organization accountable?

Mitchell will get cut because he is just not that good. Slice it up and dice it anyway you want, but he will be a cut for that fact alone, not the 3 mil.

[Mark Long Beach]

I don't know what numbers Graham is using, but a roster is 53 players, and if you take his 71.2% number, you get close to 38. But if you take 38 and divide by 53, you get 71.7%. I assume he's saying the Bills let-go of 15 players. But they really let-go of 17.

 

And likely more of those who were re-signed by the Bills will be gone. I'd say that the turnover will ultimately be over 40%.

 

Truthfully, the numbers weren't clear to me either. I blamed it on being tired, and that the numbers he was quoting seemed to disregard the players on IR... or something like that. I think 40% is probably a little high. That's a wholesale gutting. But I think that the physical NUMBER of players that are gone will be high because we brought in so many extra to cover for the huge amount of injuries that we had. I think that we'll keep many of the starters from last year, but most of the fringe players will be new ones, and many backups will also be new ones.

 

I see Fine, Jenkins, Owens, McGhee Palmer Philip Smith Wendling Butler. Not sure if they were all on the active roster.

 

I also see Ryan Denney, Josh Reed, Incognito, Chris Draft, Gibran Hamdan, Jonathan Scott, Todd Johnson(s), Seth McKinney(og), Kendall Simmons (OG), Stamer, Buggs and Hairston. I don't think Hamdan, Draft, Philip, Simmons, Hairston nor Smith were active roster guys. Many of the others were Special-Teamers or injury replacements.

 

As Doc pointed out above we still have a LOT of former players that are sitting on the bubble of sticking around or not.

 

Chambers, Gaddis, Parrish, Schouman, Ellis, Kelsay, Mitchell, Youboty, and others. Maybe we will get to 40%!

[Lurker]

Does a "true fan" suck it up and believe the nonsense that the move was motivated by a desire to get "younger better at the position"?

Thanks for playing.

 

Right now, Torbor's a better option in the 3-4 than Mitchell. Does signing Reggie (and making it harder for KM to make the team) mean it was a nonsense move by the Bills?

[Bills(70)]

Wow way to support your team...... I can't stand this. Why are you even a bills fan? Please answer me. I want to know what makes you a fan and or a supporter of the Bills..TELL ME!! ................ I got it your a troll

Why is it when someone expresses their opinion on how the team will fair in an upcoming season, if its not a positive view they are labeled as a troll or not supportive of thier team?

 

I believe his statement to be accurate due to the variable changes in both schemes and personnel.

Is the organization making the necessary changes to be a contender? Only time will tell, but I to believe this season is a washout based on the aforementioned changes.

 

Does this make me less of a fan? I still show interest, as the fan you responded to has by expressing an opinion.

[Mark Long Beach]

Why is it when someone expresses their opinion on how the team will fair in an upcoming season, if its not a positive view they are labeled as a troll or not supportive of thier team?

 

I believe his statement to be accurate due to the variable changes in both schemes and personnel.

Is the organization making the necessary changes to be a contender? Only time will tell, but I to believe this season is a washout based on the aforementioned changes.

 

Does this make me less of a fan? I still show interest, as the fan you responded to has by expressing an opinion.

 

Naw. There's all kinds of views as to exactly how the team will do.

 

But in my opinion, some people well do better than expected, some youngster's will progress, some people wont, and some will get hurt. It's all opinion as to what the future holds.

 

The problem that many people have is the completely negative nancys who continually say the world is ending. We have no talent, our players suck, our coaches suck, our owner sucks, our schedule sucks, boo hoo. Eventually, some of us more rational fans snap at these people who continually drag everything down.

 

Of course we're rebuilding, of course some parts of our team are going to struggle, EVERY TEAM struggles from year to year. Some of the better teams struggle less and I hope we get to join that club this year or next. But meanwhile I'm going to enjoy a new coaching philosophy, a new defensive scheme (thank God for no more cover 2 outside in the cold), and new young players who have the chance to be great. I hope they do.

 

Meanwhile, I don't appreciate people who can only piss in peoples wheaties because we're not the baddest team on the block.

 

I'm happy to discuss how good we'll be, or how bad we'll be, or who's stepping up, or who isn't. That's great! That's what I come here for. But take the perpetual dark raincloud elsewhere.

[R. Rich]

Naw. There's all kinds of views as to exactly how the team will do.

 

But in my opinion, some people well do better than expected, some youngster's will progress, some people wont, and some will get hurt. It's all opinion as to what the future holds.

 

The problem that many people have is the completely negative nancys who continually say the world is ending. We have no talent, our players suck, our coaches suck, our owner sucks, our schedule sucks, boo hoo. Eventually, some of us more rational fans snap at these people who continually drag everything down.

 

Of course we're rebuilding, of course some parts of our team are going to struggle, EVERY TEAM struggles from year to year. Some of the better teams struggle less and I hope we get to join that club this year or next. But meanwhile I'm going to enjoy a new coaching philosophy, a new defensive scheme (thank God for no more cover 2 outside in the cold), and new young players who have the chance to be great. I hope they do.

 

Meanwhile, I don't appreciate people who can only piss in peoples wheaties because we're not the baddest team on the block.

 

I'm happy to discuss how good we'll be, or how bad we'll be, or who's stepping up, or who isn't. That's great! That's what I come here for. But take the perpetual dark raincloud elsewhere.

 

 

A

 

MEN!!!

[cåblelady]

MEN!!!

where?

[thebug]

where?

 

Under there!

[transient]

How are you going to react when Kawicka Mitchell gets cut because the team won't pay $3 million for veteran depth?

 

Does a "true fan" suck it up and believe the nonsense that the move was motivated by a desire to get "younger at the position"?

 

Or does a true fan hold the organization accountable?

 

Depends entirely on the scenario. If this season was about advancing in the playoffs with a hope for the SuperBowl, then veteran depth would be a valuable thing. However, in a season that is more likely to be based on player evaluation, keeping a replaceable player like Mitchell around and paying him money that could be spent elsewhere is foolish.

[Dan]

Oh goody, another fan at TBD attacking a fellow fan. We don't have enough of that so thanks for adding your bile to the poison pot.

 

One can be a fan and love this team dearly and yet be realistic as to what the next year or two holds in store for the team. At the same time, other fans are optimistic, even more so than objective reality woud support. And both groups are fans. Both groups have just as much right to express their thoughts here as anyone else without being told that they aren't real fans or that they are naive cheerleaders.

 

Rather than attack this fan as a troll, an interesting tack by the way for someone with 16 posts, you could have set out to convince him that he is wrong and that we are in fact going to have a great season. Who knows? Maybe you would have convinced him instead of alienating him. Wouldn't that have been better than initiating yet another round of middle school locker room towel snapping?

I'm curious... why are fans with negative points of view considered "realists" and fans with positive points of view "optimists"?

[transient]

I'm curious... why are fans with negative points of view considered "realists" and fans with positive points of view "optimists"?

 

pessimist= overly negative EVERYTHING AT OBD SUCKS!!!!

optimist= overly positive EVERYTHING AT OBD IS PERFECT!!!!

realist= Not expecting much this season but willing to be surprised MAYBE THINGS AT OBD CAN CHANGE THIS TIME ROUND???

 

closer to living a less frustrating and more fulfilling life= What are these Bills you speak of? Where is this OBD?

[mob16151]

It gets tiring reading

 

Ralphs cheap

The Bills are incompetent

Player X is a bust

Player Y never had a chance

 

And while I appreciate the sentiments, it feels like 90 percent of the time, no one puts any thought into the Bills beyond the above stated sentiments.

[mpl6876]

I agree, that reply to your post was uncalled for but unfortunately, too typical hereabouts. Its infuriating but I guess you just have to muck your way past that kind of stuff and just concentrate on the actual, civil, discussions taking place. There are some. Its why I am still around.

 

Thanks mickey.

[yungmack]

Let me see if I've got this right. The front office at OBD sucks because they're not out signing every player available in free agency, or trading for "might be availables" like Gaither. And the front office sucks because it's dumping players from the previous year and replacing them with free agents.

 

Damned if you do and damned if you don't. Sounds like too many Bills "fans" can't make up their minds.

[EastRochBillsfan]

NSFW

 

 

that was f'in HILARIOUS! I have never seen that show but will look for it now. thanks!

 

Sounds like the new staff is searching for answers with lots and lots of question marks and holes to fill. Wow what a plan! All adds up to another loosing season and or seasons... Hard to get excited about that.

Man, you really do it to yourself. You wonder why you get so many negative responses? It's the way you come off and the way you say things. You've been on this board a month maybe and pretty much every post has been talking smack about the Bills. You are entiltled to your opinion, but when you say things like "you guys are living in Fantasyland" and stupid things like that, it's going to piss some of us off. Your latest rant, "Sounds like the new staff is searching for answers with lots and lots of question marks and holes to fill. Wow what a plan! All adds up to another loosing season and or seasons." The tone is condescending. WOW what a plan! do you realize how that sounds. We all know already that you KNOW the bills will suck. many of us like the new direction of the bills for reasons that are discussed here everyday and can see their plan. You are entitled to your opinion, but it doesn't make you right about what you say. None of us know how things will turn out. Many of us here just want good discussion about the Bills. And when a supposed "fan" hops on board and just talks crap and how the Bills are going to suck, well, you just aren't going to make many friends here. It really does seem like you are a fan of another team and are here just to piss us off, hence the word troll.

 

Oh goody, another fan at TBD attacking a fellow fan. We don't have enough of that so thanks for adding your bile to the poison pot.

 

One can be a fan and love this team dearly and yet be realistic as to what the next year or two holds in store for the team. At the same time, other fans are optimistic, even more so than objective reality woud support. And both groups are fans. Both groups have just as much right to express their thoughts here as anyone else without being told that they aren't real fans or that they are naive cheerleaders.

 

Rather than attack this fan as a troll, an interesting tack by the way for someone with 16 posts, you could have set out to convince him that he is wrong and that we are in fact going to have a great season. Who knows? Maybe you would have convinced him instead of alienating him. Wouldn't that have been better than initiating yet another round of middle school locker room towel snapping?

Mickey, I usually like what you have to say. But not this time. He just said what many of us were thinking. Mpl even got San jose to say something negative the other day(but was deleted), and he never goes off on people so its clear that this guy gets under a lot of peoples skin. He is free to post like all of us. But till he changes the way he says things, don't expect many of us to like or respect what he says. Always being a downer or negative is not fun for many of us. Optimistic people can be realistic too. most of us aren't predicting superbowl or anything, just a markably better, well coached team that DOES have a plan. He can have his opinion but he sure and hell ain't taking me down with him. If he doesn't want to get attacked he should be more careful with the things he says. Certain people know how to push people's buttons, and he is one of them.

[Mickey]

that was f'in HILARIOUS! I have never seen that show but will look for it now. thanks!

 

 

Man, you really do it to yourself. You wonder why you get so many negative responses? It's the way you come off and the way you say things. You've been on this board a month maybe and pretty much every post has been talking smack about the Bills. You are entiltled to your opinion, but when you say things like "you guys are living in Fantasyland" and stupid things like that, it's going to piss some of us off. Your latest rant, "Sounds like the new staff is searching for answers with lots and lots of question marks and holes to fill. Wow what a plan! All adds up to another loosing season and or seasons." The tone is condescending. WOW what a plan! do you realize how that sounds. We all know already that you KNOW the bills will suck. many of us like the new direction of the bills for reasons that are discussed here everyday and can see their plan. You are entitled to your opinion, but it doesn't make you right about what you say. None of us know how things will turn out. Many of us here just want good discussion about the Bills. And when a supposed "fan" hops on board and just talks crap and how the Bills are going to suck, well, you just aren't going to make many friends here. It really does seem like you are a fan of another team and are here just to piss us off, hence the word troll.

 

 

Mickey, I usually like what you have to say. But not this time. He just said what many of us were thinking. Mpl even got San jose to say something negative the other day(but was deleted), and he never goes off on people so its clear that this guy gets under a lot of peoples skin. He is free to post like all of us. But till he changes the way he says things, don't expect many of us to like or respect what he says. Always being a downer or negative is not fun for many of us. Optimistic people can be realistic too. most of us aren't predicting superbowl or anything, just a markably better, well coached team that DOES have a plan. He can have his opinion but he sure and hell ain't taking me down with him. If he doesn't want to get attacked he should be more careful with the things he says. Certain people know how to push people's buttons, and he is one of them.

 

I don't know him or his posts, I only saw the one and it was pretty reasonable. Even if it weren't, responding back in kind just reinforces the apparent consensus that being rude, insulting and obnoxious to one another is acceptable. I know its hard to refrain from puching back and frankly, I am not very good at turning the other cheek myself.