Buffalo Bills 2016

[SwampD]

If a schizophrenic homeless dude on the subway talking loudly to himself about the imminent end of the world looks up and accuses me of being an agent of the one world government, do I take it seriously?

 

That depends. Is he right?

[Weave]

If a schizophrenic homeless dude on the subway talking loudly to himself about the imminent end of the world looks up and accuses me of being an agent of the one world government, do I take it seriously? 

 

In this specific example?  You probably should, jackboot.

[Eleven]

Same here, I'd love to read what musichunch has to say.

If a schizophrenic homeless dude on the subway talking loudly to himself about the imminent end of the world looks up and accuses me of being an agent of the one world government, do I take it seriously? 

 

 

I eliminate him immediately because I can't have the truth out there.

[That Aud Smell]

Anyone get a load of the team's new media policy that is currently the talk of the Twittersphere?

 

Summarized here:

 

http://awfulannouncing.com/2016/the-buffalo-bills-laughable-media-policy-will-only-hurt-themselves.html

 

My chief concern: This sort of thing places the team's highest levels of management in a very poor light. And justifiably so. What group of FO people sat around a table and sketched this thing out? Russ, Whaley, and Rex, for sure. Who else? God - such an idiotic thing to do. And a pointless one, too.

 

To add insult to injury: I just went to the webpage for the team's FO, and winced when I saw Rob Ryan's name second from the top in the team's coaching masthead.

 

http://www.buffalobills.com/about-us/front-office.html

[Eleven]

Anyone get a load of the team's new media policy that is currently the talk of the Twittersphere?

 

Summarized here:

 

http://awfulannouncing.com/2016/the-buffalo-bills-laughable-media-policy-will-only-hurt-themselves.html

 

My chief concern: This sort of thing places the team's highest levels of management in a very poor light. And justifiably so. What group of FO people sat around a table and sketched this thing out? Russ, Whaley, and Rex, for sure. Who else? God - such an idiotic thing to do. And a pointless one, too.

 

To add insult to injury: I just went to the webpage for the team's FO, and winced when I saw Rob Ryan's name second from the top in the team's coaching masthead.

 

http://www.buffalobills.com/about-us/front-office.html

 

Rex said he wasn't involved.

 

This is a complete tempest in a teapot.  The media is pissed about it, so the media is all over it.  But seriously, how badly do we need to know  the details of the team's practices?

[That Aud Smell]

Rex said he wasn't involved.

 

Well, at least there's that.

This is a complete tempest in a teapot.  The media is pissed about it, so the media is all over it.  But seriously, how badly do we need to know  the details of the team's practices?

 

I agree, to a point. The media reports on nothing so fervently as things that affect them directly. 

 

To your last point, though: I'm not sure I get where you're coming from. This is the information age, man. Fans of pro teams are generally eager to know as much about their favourite team as they can learn, even in the context of spring OTAs. Moreover, we've become accustomed to getting that information. Speaking for myself, I enjoyed the Sal Cappacio [sp?] Vines, or whatever they were, from last year's OTAs. It was fun just to see how guys looked, etc. And even outside of that sort of real time media, don't I want to know who's surprising with great range in the secondary, and who's impressing with "sticky" hands in the receiving corps?

 

The Bills are stupid.

[Eleven]

Well, at least there's that.

 

I agree, to a point. The media reports on nothing so fervently as things that affect them directly. 

 

To your last point, though: I'm not sure I get where you're coming from. This is the information age, man. Fans of pro teams are generally eager to know as much about their favourite team as they can learn, even in the context of spring OTAs. Moreover, we've become accustomed to getting that information. Speaking for myself, I enjoyed the Sal Cappacio [sp?] Vines, or whatever they were, from last year's OTAs. It was fun just to see how guys looked, etc. And even outside of that sort of real time media, don't I want to know who's surprising with great range in the secondary, and who's impressing with "sticky" hands in the receiving corps?

 

The Bills are stupid.

 

 

If this gives them even the slightest edge on just one play in one game, they're smart, not stupid.  This is a team that needs to win at all costs, including the cost of pissing off the media.

Edited May 25, 2016 by Eleven

[That Aud Smell]

If this gives them even the slightest edge on just one play in one game, they're smart, not stupid.  This is a team that needs to win at all costs, including the cost of pissing off the media.

 

I neither understand nor credit the idea that (1) this policy could give them a competitive edge or (2) that, even if that were the case, such an edge (however slight) could justify them being colossal pricks about permitting media reports of facts directed to the team's fans. 

[Eleven]

I neither understand nor credit the idea that (1) this policy could give them a competitive edge or (2) that, even if that were the case, such an edge (however slight) could justify them being colossal pricks about permitting media reports of facts directed to the team's fans. 

 

Look at the policy itself, not at Awful Announcing's summary of it.  They're not allowing reporters to talk about formations, trick plays, who is on the field with whom, the degree to which a player is injured, etc.  So other teams aren't getting that information.

[That Aud Smell]

The policy prohibits reports "referencing plays run[.]" The policy prohibits reports of any drops, picks, or QB accuracy %s.

 

The Bills FO is stupid.

[MattPie]

The policy prohibits reports "referencing plays run[.]" The policy prohibits reports of any drops, picks, or QB accuracy %s.

 

The Bills FO is stupid.

 

You don't think "The Bills spent all morning working on an end-around from the I formation" isn't helpful information for other teams?

[inkman]

Rex said he wasn't involved.

 

This is a complete tempest in a teapot. The media is pissed about it, so the media is all over it. But seriously, how badly do we need to know the details of the team's practices?

You and I don't but certainly fans feel it's their God gives end right to know which receiver was in the slot on the sluggo routes and what fullback is blocking on shorty yardage plays.

 

I think everything about this is ridiculous, especially the part about anyone getting upset about it but I guess that's the world we live in.

[That Aud Smell]

You don't think "The Bills spent all morning working on an end-around from the I formation" isn't helpful information for other teams?

 

Is that the sort of thing that might be reported from an OTA?

 

I don't buy it anyway. If the Bills have some wiz-bang stuff that they want to install, then they can sure as hell do it during the portion of the session when the media is not present. They can run their infamous vanilla stuff when the media comes in.

 

In addition to which: If the policy were specifically limited to limiting reports on specific formations, schemes, and the like, I probably wouldn't care much.

 

But the policy is far more expansive than that. The policy says reports shouldn't reference plays run. The policy says no talk of drops, picks, or QB completion %. The policy is stupid, and so are the people who thought it was a good idea.

 

To a larger point: This sort of sh1t brings me yet a bit closer to being done with the NFL. I can only tolerate so much of the nonsense generated by autocrats and hypocrites.

[Norcal]

Isn't the media policy just more up to date with what other clubs are doing? The fans don't need a play by play breakdown of a practice/teaching session. These rules are for OTAs not Training Camp in my understanding so big whip.

[That Aud Smell]

Isn't the media policy just more up to date with what other clubs are doing? 

 

My sense is that the Bills' policy goes a lot further than anyone else's does.

[Norcal]

The mike rod- and jason la cants of the world can piss off if they don't like it. em

[That Aud Smell]

The fans don't need a play by play breakdown of a practice/teaching session. 

 

But I might be keen to know how Cardale did on his mid-range throws.

These rules are for OTAs not Training Camp in my understanding so big whip.

 

I'd heard conflicting reports on this.

 

I am surprised to see so many apologists for the Bills FO (or for the NFL) popping up here.

[MattPie]

But I might be keen to know how Cardale did on his mid-range throws.

 

I'd heard conflicting reports on this.

 

I am surprised to see so many apologists for the Bills FO (or for the NFL) popping up here.

 

Please don't take my response as apologizing for the Bills; I just think that data is at least someone a competitive advantage. As for the policy, I couldn't care less if the Bills end up 7-9 instead of 8-8 this year because of it.

[Norcal]

I'd love to know how the draft picks and such are progressing but I think its best to let them get to know their jobs a little first and learn how to practice at this level. Vets are just coming in from the off season, shaking off the rust. I'm not sure this is as big a deal as its being made out to be by the media. I'm not a member of the media so I don't give a how they feel. Most of them are negative nancys anyway and I have enough of those on TBD.

[That Aud Smell]

Please don't take my response as apologizing for the Bills; I just think that data is at least someone a competitive advantage. As for the policy, I couldn't care less if the Bills end up 7-9 instead of 8-8 this year because of it.

 

And please don't misunderstand me: I'm saying that there are several here who are defending the utility and worth of the policy.

 

There's an entire training camp and preseason yet to go. I cannot imagine what data could emerge from OTAs that would not otherwise emerge from the summer.

[Eleven]

And please don't misunderstand me: I'm saying that there are several here who are defending the utility and worth of the policy.

 

There's an entire training camp and preseason yet to go. I cannot imagine what data could emerge from OTAs that would not otherwise emerge from the summer.

 

I think you were correct above when you suggested the same policy will apply during the summer--to the non-public practices.

[That Aud Smell]

I think you were correct above when you suggested the same policy will apply during the summer--to the non-public practices.

 

That was my sense of it.

[nfreeman]

The policy is stupid, and so are the people who thought it was a good idea.

 

 

If the Bills are the only team with this kind of policy, I completely agree with this -- and will also note that it belies the "Russ Brandon, irreplaceable marketing genius" canard.

 

Isn't the media policy just more up to date with what other clubs are doing? The fans don't need a play by play breakdown of a practice/teaching session. These rules are for OTAs not Training Camp in my understanding so big whip.

 

Good question.  The tone of outrage coming from the media on this suggests that the Bills are unique in this -- but I don't put much stock in their credibility, so I'd be curious as to what the facts are.

[Eleven]

If the Bills are the only team with this kind of policy, I completely agree with this -- and will also note that it belies the "Russ Brandon, irreplaceable marketing genius" canard.

 

 

Good question.  The tone of outrage coming from the media on this suggests that the Bills are unique in this -- but I don't put much stock in their credibility, so I'd be curious as to what the facts are.

 

From what I understand, the Bills' new policy is considerably more restrictive than those of other teams.

 

I still don't care.

[That Aud Smell]

Bills have a press release out in which Whaley attempts to walk back his comments about how human beings aren't supposed to play football.