LeviF Posted July 28, 2011 Posted July 28, 2011 Scrappy was driving the BMW Scrappy was driving? Jeez, Ralph cheaped out again! Bet they went to Dave & Buster's too.
billnutinphoenix Posted July 28, 2011 Posted July 28, 2011 This "no one wants to play in Buffalo" is ridiculous. First, has anyone ever been to Green Bay, Kansas City, Oakland, Minneapolis, Detroit, Cleveland, or even Houston for that matter? Buffalo is no worse than any of these places. The real reason players are nervous about coming to Buffalo is the fact that we haven't been to the playoffs in 11 years. We've had no continuity at the top of the organization, with the coaching staff, at the QB position, and as a result haven't been successful during that time. Second, a large percentage of NFL players are not coming from big cities. They don't have a bias against Buffalo because they are all from Chicago, NY or LA. Furthermore, most of the college campuses are in the middle of nowhere, so it's not like the players will only go to play for colleges in big cities, otherwise Boston College, Rutgers, Miami, and Northwestern would dominate year in and year out. Bottom line is that just like a corporation, an NFL team has to display a committment to excellence otherwise the top talent will not want to play there. If you were a top executive would you want to go work for a unstable company that consistantly failed to meet expectations and was losing market share, no. The Bills need to establish themselves as a stable, solid franchise that puts winning before all else. It'll take some time, but once that happens, we can compete with the rest of the NFL for free agent talent and the "Buffalo" stigma will be a non-issue. I don't think it has anything to do with the area itself but the commitment to winning...
BEAST MODE BABY! Posted July 28, 2011 Posted July 28, 2011 (edited) My personal view is that Atlanta has sort of a sterile feel to it - Buffalo has a lot more character and history. If given the choice, I imagine more people would pick Atlanta over Buffalo than the other way around but that would be to some extent based on perception rather than reality. Having grown up in Buffalo and having a brother who has lived in Atlanta for awhile, it would be a very close call for me if I had to chose between the two cities. Re Clabo, there are obviously a bunch of factors that would influence his decision, but it is probably fair to assume that if the money were exactly the same, he would be more likely to stay in Atlanta than come to Buffalo. How many times have you been to Atlanta? One of the coolest parts about Atlanta is that it's a city that still has a town feel to it. How many places can you live IN a city and still have a house with a yard? If you've ever been near the Governor's mansion, that is the opposite of sterile. And I don't understand the person who complained about the "southern culture" in Atlanta. Atlanta is arguably the most cosmopolitan city in the south. If you live inside the perimeter (285), you don't have to deal with "the south." And yes, Atlanta has horrific traffic. Worse than LA, in my opinion. But, I can make it from Webster to Henrietta in 20 minutes. Oh joy! Also, places like Rochester and Buffalo are cold from October to April/May. That has a severe impact on QoL IMHO. Anywho, when do we sign Clabo Edited July 28, 2011 by BEAST MODE BABY!
Gordio Posted July 28, 2011 Posted July 28, 2011 'Highly doubt' all you want. It snows in October most every year in WNY. Ask any local High School football player if he's played in a snow game. Yeesh. Too bad most of the high schools at least the good ones play well into November around here. It may snow a day here or there in October(& by snow I mean flurries or dusting) but it is certainly not the norm as our average highs in October are wll above the freezing point(57 degrees).
K-9 Posted July 28, 2011 Posted July 28, 2011 Have had family in Atlanta for over 20 years. It's a fantastic city. Perhaps the ultimate college town given all the colleges and universities there. Just a great vibe all around. That said, there is Atlanta and then there's the rest of Georgia. GO BILLS!!!
bills44 Posted July 28, 2011 Posted July 28, 2011 Scrappy was driving? Jeez, Ralph cheaped out again! Bet they went to Dave & Buster's too. they are one and the same http://forums.twobillsdrive.com/topic/131217-anthony-hargroves-brother-killed-in-florida/
SouthernMan Posted July 28, 2011 Posted July 28, 2011 (edited) Nicely stated. I have been on this board for a number of years & it always amazes me that the people that have moved away taking pot shots at WNY. It is almost like they have to do this to make them feel better about moving away. I love WNY, if you have a good job it is just a great place to live. Been to Atlanta two times & did not care for it. The traffic was crazy & having 9 months of beautiful weather is a crock of sh*t. I was there right around labor day a few years ago & it was 95 degrees outside with 90% humidity. I think the tough sell here is not the cities but that Atlanta is on the cusp of a super bowl & well the Bills are the Bills I guess. Hopefully they blow him away with an offer that Atlanta can not match. This is the stuff I think people get aggravated with. It very rarely snows here in October. I play alot of golf & usualy without get at least 5-6 round of golf in October & in most years I am golfing right up to Thanksgiving. So stop making sh*t up okay? I live in Atlanta, raised in Buffalo. Buffalo weather is superior. That's right....day for day, it has more better weather days than Atlanta - unless of course you like heat so stifling 4-5 months of the year that you can't stand to be outside after 10am. Yes, Buffalo has measureable snow for around 4 months of the year. During the holiday season, it's perfect. January, skiing, skating, sledding, etc. Sure, by the end of February you're over it, but the payoff is the fantastic spring, summer, and fall. In Atlanta, we have nice temps in early spring and fall. October is simply beautiful here. But our spring temps and outdoor experiences are ruined by the off the charts pollen levels we get in the months leading up to summer. In my estimation, Buffalo is a lot nicer place to live. BTW - southern hospitality is a huge myth, unless it means people with phony smiles who wish Yankees stayed up north. That's not to say there aren't a lot of nice southen natives - there are. But by far the most outgoing, get-together people I've met are transplants from Buffalo, NY, Chicago, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, etc. Atlanta has more appeal to some ball players because of culture many of them are more familiar with. Large percentage of players come from the deep south. Buffalo will have greater appeal to the ones who prefer the small town atmosphere. All that said, I think money, playing time, and the direction of the team that's making an offer will have far more impact on a FA decision than whether there's 2 feet of snow in Janunary. The biggest obstacle the Bills may face is their recent history and unwillingness to committ resources to top tier players. IMO - the Bills will not sign Clabo or get any other top name impact player to come to them. Ralph only throws the big money at marginally productive FA players. Edited July 28, 2011 by DML2005
DrDawkinstein Posted July 28, 2011 Posted July 28, 2011 I don't think it has anything to do with the area itself but the commitment to winning... From the player's perspective, I agree. However, we may be dealing with a wife here. Ask all 32 GMs how much influence a wife has in a player's decision, and I guarantee they all tell you >50% comes from the wife. Now, we might luckily be dealing with a wife who likes small towns, and cold weather. But I think a safer assumption is that they typically like nicer weather, bigger city type places. Again, another reason why the Bills better have come in with at least $10mil/year and a long contract. Gotta use our only advantage in this situation, available money.
bills44 Posted July 28, 2011 Posted July 28, 2011 I guess Pittsburgh and Green Bay are !@#$ed....small towns, not glitzy
John from Riverside Posted July 28, 2011 Posted July 28, 2011 Its simple....just make him an offer that eclipes the falcons offer..... - We have the money to do it - Its shows committment to winning - You already got a pretty decent deal with the reupping of Drayton Florence - There is that getting to the cap floor issue...better to spend that money on the premium players then be forced to spend it on lesser players to meet the requirement
BEAST MODE BABY! Posted July 28, 2011 Posted July 28, 2011 I live in Atlanta, raised in Buffalo. Buffalo weather is superior. That's right....day for day, it has more better weather days than Atlanta - unless of course you like heat so stifling 4-5 months of the year that you can't stand to be outside after 10am. FYI, you are officially a crack smoker.
BUFFALOTONE Posted July 28, 2011 Posted July 28, 2011 and youve contributed nothing except commenting on our discussion. even worse. I have contributed what some say is the greatest gift of all....sarcasm. Good Day Sir!
Lurker Posted July 28, 2011 Posted July 28, 2011 it would be a very close call for me if I had to chose between the two cities. Would this comparison help? Atlanta Buffalo
SKRAAPY Posted July 28, 2011 Posted July 28, 2011 looks like people are messing with wikipedia again. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyson_Clabo Clabo is a Buffalo Bill, according to the most reliable source on earth
Saint Doug Posted July 28, 2011 Posted July 28, 2011 FYI, you are officially a crack smoker. That's not really a fair thing to say. Weather preference is very subjective. I'm in the Midwest right now and we're all getting killed by the heat and humidity. I would just love snow right now. In fact, I prefer cold weather to hot weather anyway of the week. It's a lot easier to warm up than cool down.
buffaloaggie Posted July 28, 2011 Posted July 28, 2011 Chad Speck is Clabo's agent. Speck also happens to be Albert Haynesworth's agent. He's a busy man today.
BuffOrange Posted July 28, 2011 Posted July 28, 2011 This "no one wants to play in Buffalo" is ridiculous. First, has anyone ever been to Green Bay, Kansas City, Oakland, Minneapolis, Detroit, Cleveland, or even Houston for that matter? Buffalo is no worse than any of these places. The real reason players are nervous about coming to Buffalo is the fact that we haven't been to the playoffs in 11 years. We've had no continuity at the top of the organization, with the coaching staff, at the QB position, and as a result haven't been successful during that time. Second, a large percentage of NFL players are not coming from big cities. They don't have a bias against Buffalo because they are all from Chicago, NY or LA. Furthermore, most of the college campuses are in the middle of nowhere, so it's not like the players will only go to play for colleges in big cities, otherwise Boston College, Rutgers, Miami, and Northwestern would dominate year in and year out. Bottom line is that just like a corporation, an NFL team has to display a committment to excellence otherwise the top talent will not want to play there. If you were a top executive would you want to go work for a unstable company that consistantly failed to meet expectations and was losing market share, no. The Bills need to establish themselves as a stable, solid franchise that puts winning before all else. It'll take some time, but once that happens, we can compete with the rest of the NFL for free agent talent and the "Buffalo" stigma will be a non-issue. Pretty sure Raiders players don't actually live in Oakland, but great rant nonetheless - I've said the same thing many times not quite as eloquently. We don't have to pretend like WNY is as attractive as South Beach. But this inferiority complex we have is ridiculous.
Wayne Cubed Posted July 28, 2011 Posted July 28, 2011 Selling someone on coming to a football team is much easier in face to face discussions. And with this FA not being able to do it, it becomes much much harder. It doesn't matter what team you play for.
DanInUticaTampa Posted July 28, 2011 Posted July 28, 2011 If they got something worked out, like they will send him the private jet and bring to to buffalo tomorrow evening, then that would be great. He could actually sign, which would be better than the verbal agreement. I think he would be easier to agree in person as well.
BuffaloATL Posted July 28, 2011 Posted July 28, 2011 FYI, you are officially a crack smoker. I'm with DML2005. Born in Buffalo, lived in Atlanta the last 13 years. I'll take Buffalo weather over Atlanta any day. When it snows like crazy, that can be fun (skiing, etc). When it's this hot in Atlanta, you're only choice is to stay inside.
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