Falsehoods, lies and the new Stadium Wall

[AKC]

The Stadium Wall has experienced an evolution over the course of its life, from its beginnings as a football board to its unfortunate metamorphosis today as merely another style board in which facts and considered analysis and debate have been replaced by unfounded whims and compulsive obsessions. It’s surely no surprise since this has paralleled a like evolution in sports radio, where we’ve seen thorough analysis trumped by Jim Rome and the Jungle.

 

Looking at The Stadium Wall today a new fan of football just discovering a message board community would be led to believe that the 2004 Buffalo Bills offense, quarterbacked by a blind handicapped walk-on who played in shackles, forced us to suffer through a wholly end-to-end dreadful season during which we faced the worst competition in the NFL and failed to live up to even the expectations of being led by a blind handicapped walk-on in shackles.

 

On the other hand, the same new fan of football just discovering this message board community would be confused by the promotion of the idea that our defense played the cream of the crop in the NFL and showed up huge every Sunday, kicking the snot out of the best the NFL could put up and ultimately being dragged down by our blind handicapped quarterback playing in shackles.

 

So the new fan could only come away with the idea that our offense and defense competed each week against different opponents! And oddly enough that would be the one correct conclusion that the new fan might garner- but not for the way it's portrayed by many on The Stadium Wall.

 

We surely did face different competition each week this season, but it was our offense that far and away faced the indisputably tougher assignments over the course of the season. We saw 8 top 10 defenses while our defense saw only 4 top 10 offenses all season. We faced top half of the league defenses 11 times this season while our defense saw only 7 of the upper half offenses. That means our offense more weeks than not faced a top half defense while exactly the opposite was true of our defense. The fact is that the defenses we faced, based upon the final rankings of the regular season, prove our offense faced defenses that were 29% tougher than the offenses our defense played over the same span.

 

One lesson that the new fan might learn is to believe none of what you hear but instead believe what you see. If you watched the Buffalo Bills this season you can draw different conclusions about the appropriate direction for next season, but you can not accurately say that any one unit of this team kept us in every game single-handedly every week. We played as a team this year and when you do no single player and no single unit is “responsible” for our “awful” 9-7 rebirth as a team moving in the right direction according to most outside observers. The 2004 Bills won as a team- and we lost as a team.

 

There are many positives to find for our football team, although they might be almost impossible to uncover with some trying to achieve the “style” post of the day whining on and on over and over about how many times they paid attention to nothing but the football all season long. There’s a lot more fallacies than this big whopper being spread by these Jim Rome disciples and it’s clear they will not allow their licorice whistles to be silenced by reason and fact. So we’ll do what used to be the provenance of lesser fan bases- we’ll observe what is expected of the casual fans in New York City with their Jets and Giants, or the Miami and San Fran fans- we’ll watch as our fan base becomes more like those fan bases screaming about the QB position whenever the team loses a game and less like the Green Bay fan base we were more typically compared to in the immediate past. We’ll sit by while the “style” fans squawk on with unfounded opinion and a disregard of history. But we should not sit by idly ;-)

[BF_in_Indiana]

The Stadium Wall has experienced an evolution over the course of its life, from its beginnings as a football board to its unfortunate metamorphosis today as merely another style board in which facts and considered analysis and debate have been replaced by unfounded whims and compulsive obsessions. It’s surely no surprise since this has paralleled a like evolution in sports radio, where we’ve seen thorough analysis trumped by Jim Rome and the Jungle.

 

Looking at The Stadium Wall today a new fan of football just discovering a message board community would be led to believe that the 2004 Buffalo Bills offense, quarterbacked by a blind handicapped walk-on who played in shackles, forced us to suffer through a wholly end-to-end dreadful season during which we faced the worst competition in the NFL and failed to live up to even the expectations of being led by a blind handicapped walk-on in shackles.

 

On the other hand, the same new fan of football just discovering this message board community would be led to believe that our defense played the cream of the crop in the NFL and showed up huge every Sunday, kicking the snot out of the best the NFL could put up and ultimately being dragged down by our blind handicapped quarterback playing in shackles.

 

So the new fan could only come away with the idea that our offense and defense competed each week against different opponents! And oddly enough that would be the one correct conclusion that the new fan might garber- but not for the way it's portrayed by many on The Stadium Wall.

 

We surely did face different competition each week this season, but it was our offense that far and away faced the indisputably tougher assignments over the course of the season. We saw 8 top 10 defenses while our defense saw only 4 top 10 offenses all season. We faced top half of the league defenses 11 times this season while our defense saw only 7 of the upper half offenses. That means our offense more weeks than not faced a top half defense while exactly the opposite was true of our defense. The fact is that the defenses we faced, based upon the final rankings of the regular season, prove our offense faced defenses that were 29% tougher than the offenses our defense played over the same span.

 

One lesson that the new fan might learn is to believe none of what you hear but instead believe what you see. If you watched the Buffalo Bills this season you can draw different conclusions about the appropriate direction for next season, but you can not accurately say that any one unit of this team kept us in every game single-handedly every week. We played as a team this year and when you do no single player and no single unit is “responsible” for our “awful” 9-7 rebirth as a team moving in the right direction according to most outside observers. The 2004 Bills won as a team- and we lost as a team.

 

There are many positives to find for our football team, although they might be almost impossible to uncover with some trying to achieve the “style” post of the day whining on and on over and over about how many times they paid attention to nothing but the football all season long. There’s a lot more fallacies than this big whopper being spread by these Jim Rome disciples and it’s clear they will not allow their licorice whistles to be silenced by reason and fact. So we’ll do what used to be the provenance of lesser fan bases- we’ll observe what is expected of the casual fans in New York City with their Jets and Giants, or the Miami and San Fran fans- we’ll watch as our fan base becomes more like those fan bases screaming about the QB position whenever the team loses a game and less like the Green Bay fan base we were more typically compared to in the immediate past, we’ll sit by while the “style” fans squawk on with unfounded opinion and a disregard of history. But we should not sit by idly ;-)

197890[/snapback]

 

These ramblings are not a new thing. See: Flutie vs RJ, Todd Collins era.

 

They may seem new, but they have been around since the beginning.

[IDBillzFan]

After all that effort, it seems a shame that you only got a half-assed comment in response.

 

The truth is, you bring up an interesting perspective. The overwhelming majority is quick to suggest that Drew Bledsoe, and Drew Bledsoe alone, cost us the season, particularly in light of the crappy teams we played. And yet the defense is not held to the same scrutiny, and in fact is elevated for playing brilliantly against the same crappy teams.

 

Only slightly more annoying are the handful of people who are convinced that if you don't think JP should start next year, you are off your meds and clearly love Bledsoe.

 

Thanks for the post, AKC.

[cåblelady]

Thanks for the post, AKC.

197959[/snapback]

 

Phew. I thought he was gonna go somewhere else with that post title.

[DCM]

Just answer one question......

 

Was Spiked right or wrong about Drew?

 

anyone?

[Grant]

One lesson that the new fan might learn is to believe none of what you hear but instead believe what you see. If you watched the Buffalo Bills this season you can draw different conclusions about the appropriate direction for next season, but you can not accurately say that any one unit of this team kept us in every game single-handedly every week. We played as a team this year and when you do no single player and no single unit is “responsible” for our “awful” 9-7 rebirth as a team moving in the right direction according to most outside observers. The 2004 Bills won as a team- and we lost as a team.

197890[/snapback]

 

This is true, in the idea that over the course of the season, many different players contributed many different things. Thus is the function of any team, in general.

 

But it seems as if your point is because this is a team, that everyone is excused. There are stronger members of a team, and there are weaker members of a team.

 

Listen, we all know your post was a thinly veiled attack on those that dislike the performance of your favorite player. We're now a lesser community because we expect results from our quarterback? Ridiculous and childish.

 

You're correct when you say that it isn't all of the quarterback's fault. Obviously. Still, regardless of who is around them, you expect to see something from your quarterback to give you hope.

 

You, more than anyone, should know that TSW does not simply focus on the quarterback. Everything is scrutinized here, because that's all we talk about - football.

 

Unfortunately for your favorite player, the quarterback position is the big issue this offseason. Why? No, not because everyone but you is an idiot, but because Drew Bledsoe has failed to help this team win.

 

Bottom line right there. Sorry it didn't work out for Drew, AKC; we all are.

[Grant]

Just answer one question......

 

Was Spiked right or wrong about Drew?

 

anyone?

198014[/snapback]

 

AKC is getting almost as bad as Spiked. I can't remember the last non-Drew post AKC has made.

 

Yet, everyone else is an idiot for discussing the quarterback position.

[IDBillzFan]

Just answer one question......

 

Was Spiked right or wrong about Drew?

 

anyone?

198014[/snapback]

Until Drew is no longer playing football, we'll never know.

 

Where've you been, man? You missed my thread celebrating the single most embarrassing upset in the last five years. After the season you had, that Monday nighter had to be a pisser for you.

[Dawgg]

Wonderfuly authored post, Amazing Grant. I could not have said it better myself. I for one and sick and tired of constant drivel from AKC implicating various factions on this board as irrational, while placing himself on some high and mighty pedestel as someone with a special gift for being able to see the big picture. Frankly speaking, his ability to see the big picture is clouded by his severe impratiality towards Drew Bledsoe, who has been ineffective for the last two years.

 

He can minimize the effect of the defense all he wants. He can place blame on players other than Drew Bledsoe -- we all can. But 2 statistics tell the story on Drew Bledsoe:

 

1) 21 turnovers. 16 intercepts and 5 fumbles lost. Only Kerry Collins and Vinny Testaverde exceeded this number. Considering the significant improvement in the offensive line's play, they should not take the brunt of the blame.

 

2) Extremely Inaccurate. He has below-NFL league average completion

percentage of 57%. That simply does not cut it anymore.

 

While Drew Bledsoe is not the sole reason for this team's problems, he is ONE of the problems. Perhaps some fans express it in different ways than others. Perhaps some fans, rather than speak condescendingly of other posters, are passionate about their team and express it as such.

 

Nevertheless, the fact remains: Drew Bledsoe's honeymoon is over.

 

 

 

This is true, in the idea that over the course of the season, many different players contributed many different things. Thus is the function of any team, in general.

 

But it seems as if your point is because this is a team, that everyone is excused. There are stronger members of a team, and there are weaker members of a team.

 

Listen, we all know your post was a thinly veiled attack on those that dislike the performance of your favorite player. We're now a lesser community because we expect results from our quarterback? Ridiculous and childish.

 

You're correct when you say that it isn't all of the quarterback's fault. Obviously. Still, regardless of who is around them, you expect to see something from your quarterback to give you hope.

 

You, more than anyone, should know that TSW does not simply focus on the quarterback. Everything is scrutinized here, because that's all we talk about - football.

 

Unfortunately for your favorite player, the quarterback position is the big issue this offseason. Why? No, not because everyone but you is an idiot, but because Drew Bledsoe has failed to help this team win.

 

Bottom line right there. Sorry it didn't work out for Drew, AKC; we all are.

198025[/snapback]

[Dante]

 

"We surely did face different competition each week this season, but it was our offense that far and away faced the indisputably tougher assignments over the course of the season. We saw 8 top 10 defenses while our defense saw only 4 top 10 offenses all season. We faced top half of the league defenses 11 times this season while our defense saw only 7 of the upper half offenses. That means our offense more weeks than not faced a top half defense while exactly the opposite was true of our defense. The fact is that the defenses we faced, based upon the final rankings of the regular season, prove our offense faced defenses that were 29% tougher than the offenses our defense played over the same span."

 

So? Your saying something we already knew and saw all season. Very insightful Our offence cant hang with the Statue at the controls simple as that. I would agree that our D is slightly overated but they will become significantly better with a decent offence that can control the ball more.

 

 

"One lesson that the new fan might learn is to believe none of what you hear but instead believe what you see.  "

 

Exactly my view on life but with one edit to the cliche. I also believe nothing of what I read. Especially on message boards. I have Sunday Ticket and I watch every play and I can interpret what I see myself.

 

 

197890[/snapback]

[Greybeard]

Looking at The Stadium Wall today a new fan of football just discovering a message board community would be led to believe that the 2004 Buffalo Bills offense, quarterbacked by a blind handicapped walk-on who played in shackles, forced us to suffer through a wholly end-to-end dreadful season during which we faced the worst competition in the NFL and failed to live up to even the expectations of being led by a blind handicapped walk-on in shackles.

 

On the other hand, the same new fan of football just discovering this message board community would be confused by the promotion of the idea that our defense played the cream of the crop in the NFL and showed up huge every Sunday, kicking the snot out of the best the NFL could put up and ultimately being dragged down by our blind handicapped quarterback playing in shackles.

 

197890[/snapback]

 

I really like things that take a different perspective. You know the Seinfeld episode that ran backward. Absolutely great, not only in content but in concept.

 

I'm putting your post in that same group. Absolutely great post.

[stevestojan]

I don't really think anyone (at least I hope not) blames Drew 100% like you say, LA.

 

I think the problem is, many feel, and most likely righfully so, that with a better QB, we would be much better.

 

Every player has a role. No on thinks that Bledsoe caused each of the 7 losses. However, it is easy to blame the guy that has some sort of impact on EVERY offensive play.

 

No one is going to blame losses on one WR, because more than likely, 3 or 4 of them touched the ball that day. The RB? He can get blamed for a fumble, but then again, this ear, we had arguably one of the top 10 RBs in the league.

 

Drew catches alot of heat, as he should. He is a below average QB. What angers me is that there are those of you that think that because we bach him, we think he is the sole reason for the losses or the average season ending record.

[Fezmid]

I think the problem is, many feel, and most likely righfully so, that with a better QB, we would be much better.

 

That can go for any position...

 

With a better defensive end (Peppers?), we'd be much better.

 

With a better receiver (Owens?), we'd be much better.

 

With a better tight end (Heap?), we'd be much MUCH better.

 

I've said this before -- yes, Bledsoe could've played much better. However, so could the entire team. How many times did Bledsoe get sacked because nobody read the blitz correctly? It was at least once against the Steelers, and I could tell that from my couch. It's easy to say "Just throw it away!" but you can't do that if you're between the tackles. When he DID throw the ball low and away from the defenders, he was slammed for throwing a low pass. If he had thrown it towards the sidelines, it would've been grounding (which is usually worse than a sack).

 

I still believe that he gives us the best chance to win (of players currently on the team). I hope JPL matures enough and can play well (maybe even next year). But right now, there's no reason to believe he will -- every game we've seen, even preseason, he looks to run first and pass second. That's not going to cut it in the NFL. If he settles down and looks to throw first, then we'll talk.

 

CW

[Fezmid]

1) 21 turnovers.  16 intercepts and 5 fumbles lost.  Only Kerry Collins and Vinny Testaverde exceeded this number.  Considering the significant improvement in the offensive line's play, they should not take the brunt of the blame. 

 

To be complete, Jake Plummer (Denver - playoffs) and Trent Green (KC) had the same number of turnovers.

 

Also, amazingly enough, Aaron Brooks actually fumbled *13* times! He somehow only lost 2 of them though. I found that stat unreal.

 

CW

[John from Riverside]

The Stadium Wall has experienced an evolution over the course of its life, from its beginnings as a football board to its unfortunate metamorphosis today as merely another style board in which facts and considered analysis and debate have been replaced by unfounded whims and compulsive obsessions. It’s surely no surprise since this has paralleled a like evolution in sports radio, where we’ve seen thorough analysis trumped by Jim Rome and the Jungle.

 

Looking at The Stadium Wall today a new fan of football just discovering a message board community would be led to believe that the 2004 Buffalo Bills offense, quarterbacked by a blind handicapped walk-on who played in shackles, forced us to suffer through a wholly end-to-end dreadful season during which we faced the worst competition in the NFL and failed to live up to even the expectations of being led by a blind handicapped walk-on in shackles.

 

On the other hand, the same new fan of football just discovering this message board community would be confused by the promotion of the idea that our defense played the cream of the crop in the NFL and showed up huge every Sunday, kicking the snot out of the best the NFL could put up and ultimately being dragged down by our blind handicapped quarterback playing in shackles.

 

So the new fan could only come away with the idea that our offense and defense competed each week against different opponents! And oddly enough that would be the one correct conclusion that the new fan might garner- but not for the way it's portrayed by many on The Stadium Wall.

 

We surely did face different competition each week this season, but it was our offense that far and away faced the indisputably tougher assignments over the course of the season. We saw 8 top 10 defenses while our defense saw only 4 top 10 offenses all season. We faced top half of the league defenses 11 times this season while our defense saw only 7 of the upper half offenses. That means our offense more weeks than not faced a top half defense while exactly the opposite was true of our defense. The fact is that the defenses we faced, based upon the final rankings of the regular season, prove our offense faced defenses that were 29% tougher than the offenses our defense played over the same span.

 

One lesson that the new fan might learn is to believe none of what you hear but instead believe what you see. If you watched the Buffalo Bills this season you can draw different conclusions about the appropriate direction for next season, but you can not accurately say that any one unit of this team kept us in every game single-handedly every week. We played as a team this year and when you do no single player and no single unit is “responsible” for our “awful” 9-7 rebirth as a team moving in the right direction according to most outside observers. The 2004 Bills won as a team- and we lost as a team.

 

There are many positives to find for our football team, although they might be almost impossible to uncover with some trying to achieve the “style” post of the day whining on and on over and over about how many times they paid attention to nothing but the football all season long. There’s a lot more fallacies than this big whopper being spread by these Jim Rome disciples and it’s clear they will not allow their licorice whistles to be silenced by reason and fact. So we’ll do what used to be the provenance of lesser fan bases- we’ll observe what is expected of the casual fans in New York City with their Jets and Giants, or the Miami and San Fran fans- we’ll watch as our fan base becomes more like those fan bases screaming about the QB position whenever the team loses a game and less like the Green Bay fan base we were more typically compared to in the immediate past.  We’ll sit by while the “style” fans squawk on with unfounded opinion and a disregard of history. But we should not sit by idly ;-)

197890[/snapback]

 

 

Drew sucks......

 

Just kiddin after such a thought out post I have to give a more detailed response then that.....

 

- No Drew was not the sole reason why this team didn't advance into the playoffs......

 

- Other people should be looking at themselves to...like receivers who dropped balls they should have caught....and defenders who should have played smarter at key times....

 

But.....what I try to mould my mind around when looking at where we were....were we are...and where we want to me one word seems to ring out to me......

 

Consistancy....and adaptation....well...that is two words

 

The fact of the matter is when you have a Eric Moulds who quiety caught 80 something balls....and a defense that finished 3rd in the league....you can at least say that they did churn out some sort of CONSISTANCY over the course of the season.......

 

Drew did not....the only consistant thing you can say about Drew is...if the conditions were all good....he would give you a lunchpail effort

 

The problem with all that is and this is where the ADAPTATION part comes in.....when we faced the good teams....they adapted to what worked well for us...and we did not....and the QB is part of the "we"

 

Another thing that rings out in my mind is the phrase:

 

"you go after good QB's....you defense bad QB's"

 

Teams went after Drew....again and again and again

 

So in the end....we improved to 9-7 and we did in fact have a winning season....the question now is.....is there anyway that Drew Bledsoe can improve on what he did this year? To me I feel that answer is NO....and to top it all off...one year older and no ability to adapt....will in all likelyhood get WORSE next season.....

 

And this is comeing from one of your most positive people on this board

 

We need to take that next step.....I dont thing Drew has that ability...listening to the players like Moulds...HE doesn't think so either or he wouldn't be calling for a open competition in camp...listing to Bills MGT THEY DONT EITHER....or they would have reinforced that it was "Drews team"

 

It is my hope that the whole thing ends up playing itself out.....and we have a new starting QB next year......

 

The new era....the Losman, Evans, Magehee era.....has a nice ring to it doesn't it....sounds like like the Kelly, Thurmal, Reed era.....with Eric Moulds playing the role of elder James Loften.....we need to go out and find a Pet Mezzelars

[Fezmid]

listening to the players like Moulds...HE doesn't think so either or he wouldn't be calling for a open competition in camp...listing to Bills MGT THEY DONT EITHER....or they would have reinforced that it was "Drews team"

 

Or, to play Devil's advocate, maybe the coaches said what they did to light a fire under JPL so that he studies film more, works out more, etc. Or maybe they did it to help lure some free agent. There's plenty of reasons why it may have been said. Then again, maybe you're right and maybe they don't have confidence in Bledsoe anymore. Who knows? However, after reading the comments myself, I think people are making more out of it than is really there. Sounded like normal coach/gm drivel to me, right up there with "We need to execute better."

 

CW

[Beerball]

After all that effort, it seems a shame that you only got a half-assed comment in response.

 

The truth is, you bring up an interesting perspective. The overwhelming majority is quick to suggest that Drew Bledsoe, and Drew Bledsoe alone, cost us the season, particularly in light of the crappy teams we played. And yet the defense is not held to the same scrutiny, and in fact is elevated for playing brilliantly against the same crappy teams.

 

Only slightly more annoying are the handful of people who are convinced that if you don't think JP should start next year, you are off your meds and clearly love Bledsoe.

 

Thanks for the post, AKC.

197959[/snapback]

Find me just one post where someone has said that Drew Bledsoe, and Drew Bledsoe alone, cost us the season. Please, find just one. I expect crap like that from some here, but now you too? There are many here who have seen enough of Drew Bledsoe to last a lifetime, and that group, myself included, have been vocal. Do we exagerate to make a point? Probably, but not to the extent that you have.

[Hardy Pyle]

....okay, I wasn't gonna say, it but I'll say it.....I know what cost us the season. It's that damn midget on the sideline? What is he, an equipment manager? A trainer. I'm trying to watch the game, and all I can focus on is this damn midget on the sidelines! How the fugg is Drew or anyone else suppose to concentrate with a midget on your sidelines. And he looks like Mini-mee from Austin Powers. Same shaved head, same evil eyes? I think Mike Mularkey is trying to groom him into mini -me, aka mini MM. I was just waiting for an appearance from Dr. Evil. So, now you all know, it's the MIDGET on our sideline that is causing us to be unfocused and lose.

[30dive]

Thanks Hardy.......LMFAO....Nice way to end the day!

[34-78-83]

Thanks for the well thought out post AKC. It's a good read and perspective regardless of whether one agrees with it or not.

 

The bottom line determining factor here on TBD as I have seen it that clearly reveals those who have a personal grudge against DB or any other player for that matter is -

When said player contributes to a loss they take the heat AND when said player contributes to a victory they are either not mentioned at all or were somehow just "along for the ride" while the team won in spite of him.

 

Easiest way to pick 'em