Siberian’ stigma: How the Bills recruit free agents to Buffalo and why deep pockets don’t always help

[dave mcbride]

6 minutes ago, C.Biscuit97 said:

For sure.  You actually can get ahead in Buffalo.  You’re just spinning your wheels in NYC unless you are super rich.

 

that said, I’ve had some of the best weekends of my life there.  McFaddens is Bills paradise.

We’re not super rich and NYC is in my opinion the best place we have ever lived by far (including 8 years in LA and 2 in DC). Been here nearly 21 years too. Still love Buffalo, of course!

 

Nexy time you’re in NY, get in touch!

Edited January 30, 2019 by dave mcbride

[SirAndrew]

1 hour ago, PromoTheRobot said:

When a player says there isn't enough to do in Buffalo, I wonder what exactly they are looking for? First of all, they are here to play ball, not party. Second there are only 5 or 6 franchises that can offer celebrity hot tub parties on a regular basis.

 

But this may be a good reason to build a covered stadium.

Absolutely, plus if they are looking to

party they can find just as good partying in Buffalo  as anywhere else. It’s not as if most pro athletes are looking for classy parties. I could make the argument they’ll have more fun in Buffalo, because more people around these parts are star struck by random football players than people in larger markets. 

 

The negative view of Buffalo among free agents really comes as a result of being viewed as a perennial loser, along with the idea that Buffalo has Siberian like weather (a common misperception among many people who were raised watching the Weather Channel). This city does get a ton of snow, but the average winter temps are no worse than Chicago, and much better than Minneapolis. Winning would solve all those problems. None of these guys know much about what each city has to offer. They only where it’s warm and where it’s cold, along with who wins. 

[LeGOATski]

Don't know if this has been mentioned yet, but Marrone's family was a big reason he left Buffalo. 

[SirAndrew]

15 minutes ago, LeGOATski said:

Don't know if this has been mentioned yet, but Marrone's family was a big reason he left Buffalo. 

I wouldn’t put it past him to his family as an excuse. 

Edited January 30, 2019 by SirAndrew

[stony]

23 minutes ago, LSHMEAB said:

Manhattan! I kid. I kid. NYC is a trash city. Can't stand it.

Harsh!  I lived there for a few years and liked it.  Back in WNY now and love it too.  Both are great. 

[LeGOATski]

2 minutes ago, SirAndrew said:

I wouldn’t put it past him to his family as an excuse. 

It's just a big part of the reason. Not an excuse. There were certainly other issues.

[SirAndrew]

2 minutes ago, LeGOATski said:

It's just a big part of the reason. Not an excuse. There were certainly other issues.

Yeah, I think I remember that, but didn’t he say that fans were being disrespectful or something? I’m not sure if they disliked the city itself, after all they did live in Syracuse for four years. 

Edited January 30, 2019 by SirAndrew

[PrimeTime101]

Its not just about having deep pockets for one year, its about when your big contracts are up. its about how contracts are structured so your good one year and screwed the next. If you have deep pockets then use it.. but you better structure the contracts properly.

[LeGOATski]

6 minutes ago, SirAndrew said:

Yeah, I think I remember that, but didn’t he say that fans were being disrespectful or something? I’m not sure if they disliked the city itself, after all they did live in Syracuse for four years. 

Yeah, but they were tired of it. His wife saw an opportunity to leave and really pushed Doug to take it.

 

He also hated the press/fans.

 

And hated Whaley/EJ.

 

But, him and Hackett had a vision at one point. I think if it wasn't for his family wanting to move, they may have tried to out last Whaley and draft their own QB.

 

I doubt Marrone can be successful drafting a QB because I think he's just not creative enough with offense and whoever he drafts would eventually fail under him, but I'm interested to see what he does in April. And will it even be his own decision or will it be mostly Coughlin/ Caldwell?

[Jrb1979]

Its funny how many of you are upset players won't sign in Buffalo yet many of you left Buffalo for a lot of the same reasons players won't sign. 

[SirAndrew]

6 minutes ago, LeGOATski said:

Yeah, but they were tired of it. His wife saw an opportunity to leave and really pushed Doug to take it.

 

He also hated the press/fans.

 

And hated Whaley/EJ.

 

But, him and Hackett had a vision at one point. I think if it wasn't for his family wanting to move, they may have tried to out last Whaley and draft their own QB.

 

I doubt Marrone can be successful drafting a QB because I think he's just not creative enough with offense and whoever he drafts would eventually fail under him, but I'm interested to see what he does in April. And will it even be his own decision or will it be mostly Coughlin/ Caldwell?

Good information and great points. Marrone is an interesting case as a head coach. He was ultimately proven to be correct about EJ and the Watkins trade. It’s possible we would have been headed in the right direction sooner if had more input on those decisions. Marrone seems to desire total control, which is interesting considering that he now works under Coughlin. It’s tough for me to imagine the Jags being anything less than Coughlin’s team. Marrone desires total control, but hasn’t done enough as a head coach to receive that status. Maybe he could build a winner, but coaches are rarely given that chance before proving they can win with the players they are given. It will be entertaining to see how it plays out. 

[Misterbluesky]

The majority of NFL players go "home" in the off season.Young,free,mega money and a chance to showcase it all to their friends and family.

why buy a home..average time for a player to stay in the league is only 3 years.

Nothing to do in Buffalo?????? Bullcrap!

 

Edited January 30, 2019 by Misterbluesky

[BillsfaninSB]

It’s also demographics.  So many NFL players are from the southeast and CA.   I get why some have hesitation to come to Buffalo all things being relatively equal.   But if you win that can tip the scales.

 

if I was a player, being from the northeast, I would prefer northern cities generally as well.  But if I thought I could go to the SB playing in Pheonix or Houston I would do it.   It’s not a lifetime commitment. 

[BillnutinHouston]

Forget asking the fans what kind of stadium they want.  I hope the Pegulas are asking the players too!

[RocCityRoller]

5 hours ago, LSHMEAB said:

Darius Slay plays in Detroit for heaven's sake. This franchise is at a serious disadvantage when it comes to free agency. That's why they MUST draft well.

 

The key is to draft well, get a QB in place from the draft, keep your own good players, start winning.

 

Not everyone who is in the NFL is from a big city, or a city/metro even as large as Buffalo.

Some people don't want that press and exposure and just want to play football.

Some do, Buffalo will not be for them.

Have a plan, execute it, manage your cap and strike when guys like Khalil Mack, who loves Buffalo, is available.

Winning or being in the conversation, taking care of your own and having a QB you can win with speaks volumes to a lot of guys.

[BillnutinHouston]

3 hours ago, matter2003 said:

 

Nature disagrees with you. Men are dominant, woman are submissive. Its been that way for thousands of years and regardless of how ever much people want to logically make it not this way, it just is. Men who refuse to lead, have no ambition and cannot play the male role in relstionahips these days ARE the problem not the solution.

 

Thats why feminists both love AND hate the men that support them...they love the fact they are able to control them and get their way and keep pushing and pushing and pushing but they secretly HATE them for giving up their power, for being submissive and for not leading.

 

Men are expected to lead and women want to follow. When women are forced to play the male role in relationships due to the drastic decline in male testosterone  since the 50s and the widespread use of plastics and pesticides they end up resenting it deep down because it goes against instincts. Thats a big reason for the high divorce rates..stop many people wanting to reverse gender roles...maybe it sounds like a great idea but nature, instincts and evolution dont care about your logic.

 

Generalize much?  Tell Hillary Clinton, Elizabeth Warren or Teresa May that they're submissive.

[White Linen]

2 hours ago, MJS said:

 

 

 

Selfishness is also increasing and morals are decreasing.

 

I consider what you posted earlier and above linked.   The most dangerous thing we can get ourselves involved is believing our thoughts are truth.  

 

Who decides what's moral and what isn't?

 

You mock the generation or two before you - yet they've had more success with marriage.  The young people of today lecture the past yet things are clearly worse.  

Edited January 30, 2019 by White Linen

[Logic]

1 hour ago, matter2003 said:

 

According to research and anyone who understands that no matter how hard you try to make it so, women and men will never be the same, want the same things and value the same things.  As women attempt to become more "masculine" their happiness level has dropped significantly...leading to relationship strife, divorces and feelings of unfulfillment. But keep pushing the beta agenda if you wish...it hasnt worked for the entire history of mankind...maybe you'll get lucky one day and it suddenly will...

 

https://www.christianheadlines.com/columnists/al-mohler/feminism-unfulfilled-—-why-are-so-many-women-unhappy-11610259.html

Begins post with "according to research", posts link to Christianheadlines.com

[Big Turk]

11 minutes ago, Logic said:

Begins post with "according to research", posts link to Christianheadlines.com

Which contains the breakdown of and link to the actual research...done by a woman interestingly enough

[Buffalo86]

This seems almost relevant:

 

Drafting a wide receiver in the first two days of the 2017 NFL draft makes plenty of sense for the Buffalo Bills.  Buffalo could use a complement to Sammy Watkins after losing Robert Woods in free agency and the team's current No. 2 receiver, Andre Holmes, is coming off of a 14 catch season.  Luckily for the Bills, there should be plenty of options for the team in the first three rounds of the draft.  One receiver that could replace Woods is USC receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster.

 

Smith-Schuster is projected to be selected on day two of the draft.  He's known for his strong hands, ball tracking skills and is considered a good blocker.  On paper, Smith-Schuster makes sense for Buffalo.  As it turns out, Smith-Schuster has thought about playing for the Bills.  The receiver started a Madden franchise and went to Buffalo. 

 

"Honestly, I've been playing Madden with my boys, and I created a franchise and I created my player, and I went to the [Buffalo] Bills.  Throughout the season ... it was snowing and I'm like, 'I gotta get traded.'  But I picked the Bills because I like [quarterback] Tyrod [Taylor], and Sammy [Watkins] and all those great receivers.  And they have nice uniforms, so I went there and I demanded a release, and then I signed with the Raiders for a three or four year deal contract for, like, $26 million and it was cool.  It was me ... and [receiver] Amari [Cooper] and we were dominating, we were the franchise.  We're almost to the Super Bowl, about to meet up with Tom Brady ..."

 

Chances are Juju would've experienced similar weather had he started a franchise with the Steelers.