stuckincincy Posted September 10, 2009 Share Posted September 10, 2009 We do actually have a great punter. Well, I only saw the HOF game, but the impression I got from "watching" the other ps games on those NFL/CBS.com game center things, was that punt returns against them were substantial. Dunno - was he kicking a number of "line drives"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricojes Posted September 10, 2009 Share Posted September 10, 2009 Well, I only saw the HOF game, but the impression I got from "watching" the other ps games on those NFL/CBS.com game center things, was that punt returns against them were substantial. Dunno - was he kicking a number of "line drives"? I think that's common in the pre-season though, coaches try different players at different coverage positions and mistakes happen. I think the ST's will be the bright spot of the Bills again, but I guess that's not really going out on a limb... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C.Biscuit97 Posted September 10, 2009 Share Posted September 10, 2009 Most people are sheep and follow whereever they are led. Right now, they are being led to believe the Bills are the worst team ever. I don't follow the rest of the sheep and I'm pumped for the season. I'll looking forward to this team making a lot of people eat some crow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave mcbride Posted September 10, 2009 Share Posted September 10, 2009 But it took a long time under Steinbrenner's tenure to recognize that quality operating management and scouting are more important than spending money on top FAs. That and the fact that Steinbrenner can afford cutting ties with a mistake, as he's had a longer history of signing the Derrick Dockerys than Ralph Wilson. I'm not sure I'd compare the two. Since Steinbrenner bought the team in 1973, they've had six losing seasons in and 31 winning seasons. In his first season, 1973, they were 80-82, and they went 79-83 in 1982. They had four losing seasons in a row from 1989-92, but otherwise they've been good to great. Bear in mind that that they failed to make the playoffs a few times despite winning 90+ games (including 97 in 1985). They've made the world series 10 times and won it 6. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magox Posted September 10, 2009 Share Posted September 10, 2009 For some reason, bipolar headless chickens comes to mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C.Biscuit97 Posted September 10, 2009 Share Posted September 10, 2009 I'm not sure I'd compare the two. Since Steinbrenner bought the team in 1973, they've had six losing seasons in and 31 winning seasons. In his first season, 1973, they were 80-82, and they went 79-83 in 1982. They had four losing seasons in a row from 1989-92, but otherwise they've been good to great. Bear in mind that that they failed to make the playoffs a few times despite winning 90+ games (including 97 in 1985). They've made the world series 10 times and won it 6. I'm sure it has nothing to do with completely outspending every team by at least $50 million. They jsut use the rest of baseball as a farm system. Their success has nothing to do with good scouting or coaching. If I was a Yankees fan, I'd love the guy. But MLB is a joke where like 8 team have a chance to win consistently. Ralph's made some bad choices for sure but he has never hestiate to spend money on players. He just had made some bad coaching & front office moves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave mcbride Posted September 10, 2009 Share Posted September 10, 2009 I'm sure it has nothing to do with completely outspending every team by at least $50 million. They jsut use the rest of baseball as a farm system. Their success has nothing to do with good scouting or coaching. If I was a Yankees fan, I'd love the guy. But MLB is a joke where like 8 team have a chance to win consistently. Ralph's made some bad choices for sure but he has never hestiate to spend money on players. He just had made some bad coaching & front office moves. The issue now is that he refuses to spend money on coaches and GMs. All the good teams do. That's why Butler left, after all - Wilson was basically offering him a token raise (if multiple results are to be believed) and the Chargers tripled his salary. The rest is history. The Chargers compete every year, and the Bills don't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave mcbride Posted September 10, 2009 Share Posted September 10, 2009 I'm sure it has nothing to do with completely outspending every team by at least $50 million. They jsut use the rest of baseball as a farm system. Their success has nothing to do with good scouting or coaching. If I was a Yankees fan, I'd love the guy. But MLB is a joke where like 8 team have a chance to win consistently. Ralph's made some bad choices for sure but he has never hestiate to spend money on players. He just had made some bad coaching & front office moves. You must not follow baseball much. The late 90s team was a product of great scouting. Pettite, Jeter, Bernie Williams, Posada, Rivera, ... they were all Yankees from the start. Sure, they signed a lot of free agents, but those guys up the middle were the core. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C.Biscuit97 Posted September 10, 2009 Share Posted September 10, 2009 The issue now is that he refuses to spend money on coaches and GMs. All the good teams do. That's why Butler left, after all - Wilson was basically offering him a token raise (if multiple results are to be believed) and the Chargers tripled his salary. The rest is history. The Chargers compete every year, and the Bills don't. TD was the top GM on the market and RW gave him full control. He ran the team into the ground. Thus, he has went with guys he trusted. Just my IMO, since Brandon has been in charge, I really like the drafts and personnel moves we have made. I also think a guy like RB is the best chance to bring in a big name coach if DJ fails this year. He seems like he is a competitor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C.Biscuit97 Posted September 10, 2009 Share Posted September 10, 2009 You must not follow baseball much. The late 90s team was a product of great scouting. Pettite, Jeter, Bernie Williams, Posada, Rivera, ... they were all Yankees from the start. Sure, they signed a lot of free agents, but those guys up the middle were the core. Not to sidetrack the topic, but I had a ton of respect for those Yankee teams. Huge Jeter fan. But what they do now is jsut silly and MLB is a joke. I'm an Indians fan but it's pretty pointless. They traded away back to back Cy Young winners because they couldn't pay them. Manny loved Cleveland and wanted to stay but they couldn't pay him. It's beyond frustrating. If you're not NYY, Mets, Dodgers, Angels, Philly, or Boston, you're going to struggle to win consistently. It's hard to ever get real excited about your team long term. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GG Posted September 10, 2009 Share Posted September 10, 2009 I'm not sure I'd compare the two. Since Steinbrenner bought the team in 1973, they've had six losing seasons in and 31 winning seasons. In his first season, 1973, they were 80-82, and they went 79-83 in 1982. They had four losing seasons in a row from 1989-92, but otherwise they've been good to great. Bear in mind that that they failed to make the playoffs a few times despite winning 90+ games (including 97 in 1985). They've made the world series 10 times and won it 6. Time for a thread hijack If we look at the Boss's tenure, there are three eras. The first, is exemplified by his fortune to lead the free agency frenzy and benefit from Charlie's gut job on the A's before the league stamped it out. Once those gifted players faded in early '80s, George entered into phase two where he opened up the checkbook for every big name, but without having the solid foundation of scouting and management. That era, thankfully ended in the mid '90s and the fans have been beneficiaries of the recent run. But still, his checkbook allowed him to gloss over magnificent mistakes that tower over a Derrick Dockery or Langston Walker signing. But if we were to compare the mid '80s - early '90's Yankee era, it bears a remarkable resemblance to Ralph Wilson's Bills. I don't put much stock into a winning record in baseball for a team that has an unlimited payroll going up against Blue Jays & Indians in the 1980's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ralonzo Posted September 10, 2009 Share Posted September 10, 2009 I have been a member for some years...a reader for longer than that, but I have seen the usual influx of idiots the past two months or so, spewing the same tired hate they always have. You sure it's not an influx of people who remember Harvey Johnson and Jim Ringo and Kay Stephenson and Hank Bullough and Gregg Williams, all having a bad case of déjà vu? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave mcbride Posted September 10, 2009 Share Posted September 10, 2009 Not to sidetrack the topic, but I had a ton of respect for those Yankee teams. Huge Jeter fan. But what they do now is jsut silly and MLB is a joke. I'm an Indians fan but it's pretty pointless. They traded away back to back Cy Young winners because they couldn't pay them. Manny loved Cleveland and wanted to stay but they couldn't pay him. It's beyond frustrating. If you're not NYY, Mets, Dodgers, Angels, Philly, or Boston, you're going to struggle to win consistently. It's hard to ever get real excited about your team long term. I don't disagree, but I do think that if the NFL was a simpler game and players didn't have to learn complex new systems at the beginning of November, you'd see similar salary and player dumps. Cliff does the same thing wherever he goes; trading a player like, say, Leonard Little or even Jason Peters midseason to a contender just isn't feasible. They won't be able to produce because of the complex nature of the game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave mcbride Posted September 10, 2009 Share Posted September 10, 2009 Time for a thread hijack If we look at the Boss's tenure, there are three eras. The first, is exemplified by his fortune to lead the free agency frenzy and benefit from Charlie's gut job on the A's before the league stamped it out. Once those gifted players faded in early '80s, George entered into phase two where he opened up the checkbook for every big name, but without having the solid foundation of scouting and management. That era, thankfully ended in the mid '90s and the fans have been beneficiaries of the recent run. But still, his checkbook allowed him to gloss over magnificent mistakes that tower over a Derrick Dockery or Langston Walker signing. But if we were to compare the mid '80s - early '90's Yankee era, it bears a remarkable resemblance to Ralph Wilson's Bills. I don't put much stock into a winning record in baseball for a team that has an unlimited payroll going up against Blue Jays & Indians in the 1980's. Good points. With regard to the NFL, I can only compare him to Snyder, and he certainly looks better than him in comparison. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave mcbride Posted September 10, 2009 Share Posted September 10, 2009 TD was the top GM on the market and RW gave him full control. He ran the team into the ground. Thus, he has went with guys he trusted. Just my IMO, since Brandon has been in charge, I really like the drafts and personnel moves we have made. I also think a guy like RB is the best chance to bring in a big name coach if DJ fails this year. He seems like he is a competitor. Actually, John Butler was the top GM on the market, and he went for a lot of money. Donohoe took $1 million to be the GM of the Bills. To be fair to Donohoe, it was never really about the money - it was about control and proximity to home. Also, I think the drafts have been fine the last couple of seasons (at least on the surface - it's too early to tell, actually). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CodeMonkey Posted September 10, 2009 Share Posted September 10, 2009 Most people are sheep and follow whereever they are led. Right now, they are being led to believe the Bills are the worst team ever. I don't follow the rest of the sheep and I'm pumped for the season. I'll looking forward to this team making a lot of people eat some crow. Some people might think that you are one of the sheep following where One Bills Drive wants to lead you (to the ticket office). It all depends upon your perspective. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C.Biscuit97 Posted September 10, 2009 Share Posted September 10, 2009 Some people might think that you are one of the sheep following where One Bills Drive wants to lead you (to the ticket office). It all depends upon your perspective. I buy tickets game by game. So if they are out of it, I don't go unless i get free tickets or something. But as of right now, I'm pumped to go to the opener against Tampa. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tcali Posted September 10, 2009 Author Share Posted September 10, 2009 For some reason, bipolar headless chickens comes to mind. hehe....very good Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tcali Posted September 10, 2009 Author Share Posted September 10, 2009 Actually we didn't trade JP. His contract was up and we didn't offer him a new one. As far as the pessimism, yeah there's good reason. But I won't be falling for it. We got some talent. If Alex calls better plays and the ball bounces our way some this year for a change, we could a have decent little team. So, I'm hanging in. All the pre season games mean nothing at this point. Bring on the regular season! I've been a Bills fans since 1996. I've only seen a few good seasons. But the way the fans support this team at home and because the team always plays hard fought exciting games, I'm still a fan. Jason Peters Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gotta Dream Posted September 11, 2009 Share Posted September 11, 2009 But, at least better than the retreads that were brought in as FAs over the years, no? IF that line #1 has the talent, #2 stays healthy then we at least have a solid foundation on one side of the ball. When was the last time you could say that? Optimistic? No. Hopeful? Always. Amen! Hopeful? ALWAYS!!! Ups and downs, true Bills fans stay on the bandwagon! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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