Bills challenged to overcome losing legacy

[GR8PRKN]

my piece from camp today.

 

Bills challenged to overcome losing legacy

 

jw

 

 

Fitting for your 1800th post.. Nice article...

[Buftex]

i talked to 3-4 members of the old guard at Kelly's tournament, several of whom -- which might surprise you -- provided a similar response, though not as blunt as Smerlas.

 

of course, as noted above, there are some former Bills who, because of their current connections to the team, are relatively handcuffed from being overly critical of the team.

 

jw

 

 

Sorry, I understand why you spoke with Fred Smerlas. I can't stand the guy (though he was a fine player for the Bills at one time), but I can't say that I don't agree with his assessment of the Bills. I am more optimistic now, than I was a few months ago...mostly because of Chan Gailey...jury is still out, for me, on Nix and Ralph as caretakers of the franchise. I like Gailey's seemingly no-nonsense approach to the game...and I like, for better or worse, that he seems to be intent on making this into a tougher team, than the one he inherited from Dick Jauron. There is nothing worse, for me, than rooting for a ****ty football team, if they are kind of soft. And soft (or "taffy ass" as I prefer) is how the Bills have been playing for the last couple of years.

 

I was more commenting on all the responses in your the thread, condemning Smerlas...it was kind of repetitive!

 

I referenced it in a thread a few weeks ago, but I heard Jonathan Scott (former Texas Longhorn, Buffalo Bill and current Pittsburgh Steeler) on a local Austin radio show. Being as it was a local show, they concentrated more on his Longhorn connections, but then they started talking about "being a Steeler"... Now, I know, nobody really cares what Jonathan Scott has to say, but I was struck by the comment he made (and I am parphrasing) "Playing for the Steelers is kind of like it was in Austin, there is just a mentality here, that we aren't going to lose... it is great to be with this franchise. Everything is first class."

 

Now, Scott didn't take any shots at the Bills (in fact he mentioned he enjoyed his time with the Bills), but to me, maybe being a thin skinned Bills fan, he seemed to be implying that playing for the Steelers, because of the winning aura of the franchise, just felt different than playing for the "down in the dumps" Bills.

[JESSEFEFFER]

Freddy has always tended toward the more bombastic takes on situations. I remember he talked about how there would be "more lilly pads floating in Lake Erie" when asked about players crossing the picket line during the strike.

His buddy Jim Haslet was one who ended up crossing. I wonder how that went over. I think Fred's radio show is the perfect forum for the way he thinks.

 

To say that Chan Gailey is a coach that "no one knows" is more of the same. Most fans that have paid attention to the NFL over the last two decades would have at least heard the name numerous times. What he lacks is a well publicized reputation with which most could identify him. He doesn't seem like much of a self promoter to me. He seems principled and competent but not flashy. Being one who much prefers substance over style, I feel like he is going to be an effective leader. He doesn't need to act like he's in charge he just is. I could envision that being a problem in Dallas given the personalities on the declining team he inherited.

[Delete This Account]

you know what's humorous about Smerlas' comments, and the flak he's getting for making them: if you go back to January and February, he's very much repeating many of the comments made on this board.

i realize much time has passed since then, and the perception regarding Gailey has begun changing, however, if you look back, who here might be without fault?

 

hey, i'm just saying. ...

 

jw

[Green Lightning]

you know what's humorous about Smerlas' comments, and the flak he's getting for making them: if you go back to January and February, he's very much repeating many of the comments made on this board.

i realize much time has passed since then, and the perception regarding Gailey has begun changing, however, if you look back, who here might be without fault?

 

hey, i'm just saying. ...

 

jw

 

 

JW. Freddy has earned his POS ranking with many of us over the last few decades. We'll never hold him in high regard and frankly his statements about the Bills carry little weight. It's not so much the message as the messenger. I doubt it's his thinking anyway and he's not just regurgitating stuff he's heard. So when someone is quoted who has a long record of dumping on the team and never has anything good to say about them in decades, why would you be surprised he'd dump on the team now and more importanly, why should we care what he thinks...even if he has it right?

 

It would be like interving Jerry Sullivan and being stunned that he has nothing good to say about the team. We know what to expect with both these guys. I used to call it rolodex journalism when I taught some college J classes. You know who the Yea's and Nay's are and you just fit them in when you need a yea and a nay in your story.

 

Your work is not so structured that way but in this case, it just fit the formula. Freddie is a hater and self promoter. So anytime you use him in a story there's going to be a certain reaction from many of us.

 

BTW - thanks for taking part in this board and putting yourself out there. I hope we can get TG back but honestly, I don't blame him for bailing.

[PromoTheRobot]

you know what's humorous about Smerlas' comments, and the flak he's getting for making them: if you go back to January and February, he's very much repeating many of the comments made on this board.

i realize much time has passed since then, and the perception regarding Gailey has begun changing, however, if you look back, who here might be without fault?

 

hey, i'm just saying. ...

 

jw

All that proves is Freddy Flintstone is no smarter than any of us when it comes to football.

 

PTR

[Peevo]

A good article. Well written and to the point.

 

Fred Smerlas is decidedly before my time, so I can't really comment either way on him.

 

However I don't understand why a lot posters here take such personal issue with any media figure making honest criticisms of the Bills. It's as if they're personally attacking us for their opinion on the NFL team that happens to play in western new york.

 

Sullivan is a good example, too. His job is to write opinions about local sports. He says it on the radio all the time, "honest, informed skepticism." The Sabres and Bills have been, for the most part of the 2000's, pretty bad. What do you expect him to do? He wants people to read his column and buy the paper. That's his job.

 

Do you really think Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh are so successful because they're talking about how much money they're making and how good their book sales/ratings are? No. Fear sells. Hopelessness sells. Anxiety sells.

 

I'm not accusing John Warwow of mongering fear for profit, by the way. I'm just saying that there isn't an easy way to put a positive spin on a product that has been terrible for a decade and offers little hope to a jaded and disaffected fan base. There is very little hope left.

[Green Lightning]

A good article. Well written and to the point.

 

Fred Smerlas is decidedly before my time, so I can't really comment either way on him.

 

However I don't understand why a lot posters here take such personal issue with any media figure making honest criticisms of the Bills. It's as if they're personally attacking us for their opinion on the NFL team that happens to play in western new york.

 

 

I don't take exception to honest criticism but we're talking Smerlas here. Not honest, just relentlessly corrosive and negative for decades. Im just saying the big story would be if Smerlas had something good to say. You're correct that it's been a brutal decade to say the least. But Fred was a hater during good times. I just don't think he's credible. I don't take exception to most NFL writers who take shots at us. We have a lot to prove. I don't like ill informed pundits who just say what everyone else is saying without thinking on their own.

[Delete This Account]

note:

in all my time covering the Bills, i don't know if I've ever quoted Smerlas. i do recall talking to him once 8-9 years ago, but not sure what it was about, what he said or if I used his comments.

i was unaware of his reputation and wasn't trolling for negative quotes. i merely asked the questions to him and other former Bills, and used the best comments that i got.

 

i will not apologize for using Smerlas in the piece, but will take issue with any inferences that i went out of my way to use or talk to Smerlas to fulfill some type of agenda.

 

jw

[Dan]

note:

in all my time covering the Bills, i don't know if I've ever quoted Smerlas. i do recall talking to him once 8-9 years ago, but not sure what it was about, what he said or if I used his comments.

i was unaware of his reputation and wasn't trolling for negative quotes. i merely asked the questions to him and other former Bills, and used the best comments that i got.

 

i will not apologize for using Smerlas in the piece, but will take issue with any inferences that i went out of my way to use or talk to Smerlas to fulfill some type of agenda.

 

jw

I don't think you should. And if people are thinking that you used Smerlas as some part of an agenda; they're idiots. So, scew that.

 

I agree with your earlier post about Smerlas' comments not being that different from many other Bills' fans this winter (heck even now). It's funny though, people don't like Smerlas, so anything he says will get ridiculed. The same way Lynch is in so many people's doghouse and nothing, nothing he can do or say right now will stop them from wanting to trade him for a pack of smokes. It's not rational, but neither are people's perception of reality.

 

Had you had used the exact same quotes, but they were attributed to Talley; I think you'd see a completely different response to the article. Quite simply, because Talley rocks.

 

Keep on keepin on, JW. The article was good, fair assesment of the team. I only hope they give you the opportunity to write something more positive in the months to come.

[Green Lightning]

note:

 

i will not apologize for using Smerlas in the piece, but will take issue with any inferences that i went out of my way to use or talk to Smerlas to fulfill some type of agenda.

 

jw

 

 

You absolutely shouldn't apologize and no inference was made about you having an agenda. You wrote the story as you saw it and we're just reacting to one of the individuals quoted. So I don't apologize for dismissing Freddie but clearly, I am not saying you are trolling for negatives for any agenda. The body of your work stands for itself and is appreciated. Just sayin......