NFL...the 2008 Season...for Matt K

[Beloit Fencer of Old]

OK...I have to kick off the thread for the 2008 season of the NFL. How many weeks until training camp? Anyway...

A couple of rumors I heard:

1) Belichick could be suspended for the 2008 season? Really...it's only a rumor I heard...I have not been able to find any evidence to support this. I heard this from someone who says he heard it mentioned on ESPN. I suspect he may have been hearing things...

2) There's a danger that the Bills could move to Canada in the future? NO! This has to be untrue. Buffalo is a FOOTBALL TOWN. The MUST keep the Bills. I would assume that they sell out the RW, right? Also, with revenue sharing in the NFL, it's not like having a larger media market would make a difference. And, really, Canada? Give me a break. I like our brothers to the North, but would Canada make sense? I don't think that playing one game each season in Canada would be a terrible idea, but up and moving a storied franchise to another city would be silly.

[TBean]

This is what Matt told me yesterday when he said he was heading to a press conference on the subject.

Originally Posted by matt9476

The Buffalo Bills have only had one owner, Ralph Wilson, who is now pushing 90. He has already stated that he will not leave the team to his wife or daughters, because the estate tax would be way to high for them to pay. There is a concern that Wilson will die before he sells the team. He has said he wants the team to stay in Buffalo, so he won't just sell to anyone. Since Buffalo is a small market (pop. 292,648), most owners would want to move the team to a larger, more prosperous city. Buffalo has been on the decline for decades and the economy has been crap. Wilson just signed a deal to have the Bills play eight games (five regular season and three preseaon) in Toronto over the next five years in an attempt to make the team more regionalized. Many people see this as the first steps toward relocating the team to Toronto. Wilson said in a press conference this week that the team is not heading to Toronto in the near future, but would not rule out a move further down the road. Buffalo has already spread its base East to Rochester by moving training camp there several years back. That did wonders for expanding the fan base and attracting new business ventures. Playing games in Toronto is hoped to have the same response.
Naturally, fans are freaking out, because if the Bills left Buffalo, the already hurting economy would take a HUGE hit. Plus, football is a way of life in Western New York. Thousands of people, including me, would be heartbroken to see the franchise bolt for greener fields in another city. Local politicians are getting involved now to see what can be done to keep the team here.
Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly, already considered a god in Buffalo, has put together a team of investors and is trying to negotiate a deal to purchase the team from Wilson. He has repeatedly stated to the public that he is doing this to ensure the Bills will always play in Buffalo. If Kelly and his backers are able to buy the team, and he follows through on his promise, I wouldn't be surprised to see the football fans of Western New York annoint him St. James Kelly, Patron Saint of Pigskin.

Belichick suspended - goodness for what. Last I checked you are allowed to be an SOB.

Really, next round of big discussion is not training camp - the draft and what that brings.

[matt9476]

I did hear about the possibility of Belichick getting suspended, but it was speculation at best. The Spygate issue is not going away anytime soon, and his possible suspension has to do with that.
No, you can't get suspended just for being a miserable SOB, but if anyone deserved it, it's him.

[matt9476]

Originally Posted by Beloit Fencer of Old

There's a danger that the Bills could move to Canada in the future? NO! This has to be untrue. Buffalo is a FOOTBALL TOWN. The MUST keep the Bills. I would assume that they sell out the RW, right? Also, with revenue sharing in the NFL, it's not like having a larger media market would make a difference. And, really, Canada? Give me a break. I like our brothers to the North, but would Canada make sense? I don't think that playing one game each season in Canada would be a terrible idea, but up and moving a storied franchise to another city would be silly.

Here's a press release statement from Buffalo Bills Chief Operating Officer Russ Brandon in reaction to the fear the team may relocate to Toronto and that Wilson is using that fear to get the taxpayer to foot the bill on a new stadium downtown.

“We signed a 15-year lease agreement with Erie County in 1998 and we will continue to honor that agreement. Talk of a new stadium populates every so often, but Mr. Wilson has said numerous times that we are not looking for a new stadium. The focus of our Toronto initiative is to continue our regionalization efforts and County Executive Collins is highly supportive of our regional program.”

[Beloit Fencer of Old]

Originally Posted by matt9476

Here's a press release statement from Buffalo Bills Chief Operating Officer Russ Brandon in reaction to the fear the team may relocate to Toronto and that Wilson is using that fear to get the taxpayer to foot the bill on a new stadium downtown.

“We signed a 15-year lease agreement with Erie County in 1998 and we will continue to honor that agreement. Talk of a new stadium populates every so often, but Mr. Wilson has said numerous times that we are not looking for a new stadium. The focus of our Toronto initiative is to continue our regionalization efforts and County Executive Collins is highly supportive of our regional program.”

OK...so that's good thru 2013. OTOH, with a good enough deal, they could leave and continue to pay the lease. Or, who knows how the lease is written? There may be an escape clause. The threat to leave worked in New England...it was not pleasant, however. To have this hang over the FANS of Buffalo, imho, is mean. Of course, the NFL is a business.

By the way, did you hear about the Pats players getting booed when they were introduced for the Pro Bowl? Come on, folks! These are players...not the coach. And their team lost the Super Bowl in an embarrassing defeat. It's time to grow up. If it were their coach, fine. If they had just won their fourth Super Bowl in seven years, fine. But they didn't...they FAILED.

I, for one, think it took some major balls to show up for the Pro Bowl after that defeat.

[darius]

By the way, did you hear about the Pats players getting booed when they were introduced for the Pro Bowl? Come on, folks! These are players...not the coach. And their team lost the Super Bowl in an embarrassing defeat. It's time to grow up. If it were their coach, fine. If they had just won their fourth Super Bowl in seven years, fine. But they didn't...they FAILED.

Since when are sports fans rational, well-behaved, or grown-up? Since Spygate is not on the players, then it wouldn't matter whether they won or lost the Super Bowl... they shouldn't be booed regardless.

I have a feeling that by the time you're an NFL player, you have a pretty thick skin. I'd sure tolerate plenty of fan abuse for that sort of salary.

I, for one, think it took some major balls to show up for the Pro Bowl after that defeat.

It must be tough to show up to an all-expenses-paid trip to Hawaii to play a game where defenses aren't allowed to blitz. (Although to be fair, you can't begrudge anybody for sitting out because of injuries or wear-and-tear.)

darius

[matt9476]

I agree with Darius (wow, I never thought I would say that) about the Pro Bowl. It doesn't take balls to go on vacation.
But I'm with you, Beloit, that the fans were wrong to boo the Patriots. They didn't do anything wrong and don't deserve the scorn of the rest of the football world. New England now has the New York Yankees disease. People hate the team just because it wins a lot.
Who knows why fans boo the people they do?

[Shi no Tenshi]

I swear, the majority of fans that go to games are classless drunks. Especially when they start booing a coach. Of their own team.

I'm wondering what my team is gonna do now with their new coach...will he turn out to be an Andy Reid type? This year should be interesting, either in a good or horrible fashion.

[TBean]

Originally Posted by matt9476

Who knows why fans boo the people they do?

I'm from a town where we boo our own at the drop of the hat and it baffles me. Maybe its the athlete in me that understands that these guys have to highly competative to be what they are and losing the game is not the metric they are looking for.

As for the Pats, perhaps they got booed for underperformace, they were expected to win and failed. But I think you are more correct in that they are becoming the New York Yankees of football.

[TBean]

Originally Posted by Shi no Tenshi

I swear, the majority of fans that go to games are classless drunks. Especially when they start booing a coach. Of their own team.

I'm wondering what my team is gonna do now with their new coach...will he turn out to be an Andy Reid type? This year should be interesting, either in a good or horrible fashion.

In addition to being classes drunks, I believe that the vast majority of people have no concept what it is like to be an athlete - much less one that performs on an elite level. It all looks so easy because the bulk of sports fans cannot appreciate the amount of preparation it takes to be successful.

As for your new coach - it will be interesting.

[darius]

It all looks so easy because the bulk of sports fans cannot appreciate the amount of preparation it takes to be successful.

And the amount of failure and patience it takes. Indy fans were apopleptic at the supposed failure of Dungy to start Addai at RB during the 2006 season, since he was outperforming Rhodes off the bench. In hindsight, turns out that limiting his touches, keeping him fresh for the playoffs was a brilliant idea.

There are 31 teams in the NFL who don't win it all every year, so obviously the sweeping majority of fans are never satisfied. Fans will be fans, and part of the fun is being boorish idiots, "hating" folks who you'll never ever share a beer with. And thus the existence of AM radio - for those people to talk and talk, get their 15 minutes of media coverage, and they can live vicariously through their fantasy teams.

For the most part, the folks actually involved with pro sports teams insulate themselves from that. But look at the teams that don't -- they fall prey to the seductive idea of quick success, hiring the latest football-factory college "genius", who inevitably falls on his face.

darius

[TBean]

Beloit - what exactly is Mr. Bill up to in New England? Stallworth and Samuel already gone, the other cornerback gone as well. Moss not signed. Truly, I worry for you next season.

The Eagles once again embracing the philosophy the best offense is a good defense. While I agree to point, someone needs to be able to catch the ball - on occasion. Ah well, Jim Johnson is happy.

[matt9476]

The Buffalo Bills made upgrades to their defense this past weekend by signing linebacker Kawicka Mitchell and linemen Marcus Stroud and Spencer Johnson. Combine that with the returning players who missed most, if not all, of last year with injuries, and the Bills might actually be able to stop some teams from running on them. Or, at least, slow them down a little.

[Beloit Fencer of Old]

Originally Posted by TBean

Beloit - what exactly is Mr. Bill up to in New England? Stallworth and Samuel already gone, the other cornerback gone as well. Moss not signed. Truly, I worry for you next season.

The Eagles once again embracing the philosophy the best offense is a good defense. While I agree to point, someone needs to be able to catch the ball - on occasion. Ah well, Jim Johnson is happy.

Well, the fact that they signed Samuel is a good sign for the Eagles defensively. I haven't paid attention to who they may have let go, but I think you will all be happy with Asante.

When it comes to Belichick and Pioli, we've learned to give them a lot of rope before we push the panic button. Two years ago, it didn't work out. But the other years it hasn't been all that bad.

[TBean]

Originally Posted by Beloit Fencer of Old

Well, the fact that they signed Samuel is a good sign for the Eagles defensively.

Absolutely, I was thrilled to see the deal. It means Lito Shepard, whom I have always liked, is probably gone. I am singing with the choir when Johnson says he will make the defense work. That man is a genius and makes it work with what he is given. Samuel is an excellent addition to the defense.

I have also listened to Reid say for years - we can make the receiving corps works. Not so much. Owens was a disaster, letting Stallworth go - Reid and Lurie work in mysterious ways. One good receiver. Choices are limited - kinda like pitchers - but they have to find someone who just brings it up a notch or two from what they have. As much as the run game improved last year the Eagles still like to throw the ball. A healthier McNabb will mean even more passing. We will see.

[Beloit Fencer of Old]

After 17 years in the NFL, Brett has finally retired. Shortly after announcing his retirement, he accepted an offer by Bill Belichick to play defensive back for the New England Patriots.

[erooMynohtnA]

I have literally never watched a Packer game Favre didn't play in. I don't know what I'm going to do!

[matt9476]

I'm going to miss Brett Favre. But let's hope he doesn't try to make a career out of acting. Seeing him in "There's Something About Mary" was enough.

[davesaint]

So, with Brett Farve retired, who is John Madden going to fawn over now?