Because reception in the press box (not the rest of the media area, however) was non-existent, it was fruitless to try to converse with all as intended. However, being that we have a doubleheader for Monday Night Football, there's a doubleheader for Twitter... so long as the body makes it through the San Diego/Oakland contest.
Feel free to also ask questions and leave comments (via Twitter or this post) about yesterday's action, including the Redskins/Giants game. Since Monday's deadline night for the Beacon's sports section, I'll be polishing off two articles for the paper while the Patriots and Bills hold American television hostage. It's still the ideal time to chat as I'll be in such game mode that you'd swear I took a Jake Delhomme interception to the house.
By the way, never feel that it's going to be just about the NFL. As a subscriber the MLB Extra Innings, I would be the first to scream "turn to 432 RIGHT NOW! Blankety Blank is throwing a no-no!". For that reason, I ask that if there is something happening with your baseball team (non-northeastern teams, especially), you have permission to harrass us. Also, if you miss the NHL and NBA, cry with us, too.
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Showing posts with label Buffalo Bills. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Buffalo Bills. Show all posts
Monday, September 14, 2009
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Virus
There is probably no more undervalued component of business than organizational behavior, save for ethics. When managers, executives and owners set out to add (or sadly these days, subtract) personnel, the core objective is to find the most capable performers of tasks possible. No matter how much we believe in being über-talented individuals with über-reserves of awesomeness, the reality is that talent > awesomeness.Now there’s no disputing the importance of emotional intelligence in the workplace, in fact, this Scribe certainly admits to having a laughably higher EQ than IQ. Emotional intelligence shifts morale for better or worse, allowing or discouraging employees to utilize their full skill sets. However, nothing will cost an employer, regardless of size and scope more revenue, profits, prestige and clients than incompetence or negligence of duties.
Constantly, there’s chatter about teams bringing in ‘players of good character’, ‘savvy veterans’, ‘lockerroom guys’ and my favorites, ‘winners’ and ‘leaders’. You’d be led to believe that every team is like the scene in Kindergarten Cop as ‘Ah-nold’… err, John Kimble has to give discipline to a classroom full of rambunctious four and five year olds.
Yet, for those of us who have been around these teams in some capacity, this isn’t the case, at least while on the job. Despite the singular focus of becoming an elite athlete that they all exhibit and the transgressions that a few carry with them, there are such diverse personalities throughout every roster that the irascible tend to be offset, if not overwhelmed by the affable, reserved and cautious.
That’s the intrigue of Terrell Owens’ fourth stop in his eventual Hall of Fame career. In one of the most surprising acquisitions in recent NFL history, the Buffalo Bills signed the wideout to a one-year deal this weekend. Surprising not in that he was signed or as ensuing details emerge that his agent Drew Rosenhaus may have been 100% right about the interest around the league, but in that T.O. is actually in Buffalo.
Much has been made about his previous stops and deservingly so. His feuds with team personnel are NFL parables on the relationships between coaches and players, between teammates and between players and management. Yet, as many have and will continue to write about until the end of time, the tantalizing talents he possesses, no matter how much of a pain in the ass he may be, are hard for any struggling team to pass up. It’s akin to what most of us go through in our professional and/or academic lives.
When a company brings in ‘that guy’ or has to deal with the affectionately-labeled Dragon Lady in order to jumpstart productivity, the immediate reaction may be moans and groans. This person’s well-chronicled history – be it through news of him or her being a change agent at other firms or word of mouth of interactions with industry colleagues – will present challenges to the current employees. How will this person screw up our lives may be the initial thought, but will this person bring us to the promised land – greater profits, improved quality of work, revamped company culture, stability, etc. – is the fundamental issue that all will consider in some degree.
And so like many others for the next few months, we’ll ask if Ralph Wilson made the right move for his team by bringing in someone considered a locker-room leper in San Francisco, jaded and jealous in Philadelphia and a distrustful distraction in Dallas. We’ll wonder if the mercenary-like one year deal will remind T.O. how much of a precarious position he is now in because of his controversies over the course of his career; that a team will rather use him for short-term gains and force his combative persona to earn a long-term commitment.
We’ll wonder not only about his relationship with Trent Edwards (and for argument’s sake, current backup J.P. Losman), but with Lee Evans, Marshawn Lynch and the rest of his new teammates.
We’ll wonder if Owens’ arrival really helps the Bills supplant AFC East division champion Miami, the defensively-retooled New York Jets and a Patriots team with Tom Brady’s imminent return to the gridiron.
We’ll wonder if Wilson and head coach Dick Jauron can convince him that at least for 2009 that he can trust them to deal with him fairly.
Most of all, we’ll wonder if Owens – despite having a few good years of elite play at the age of 35 – finally gets it or is truly a virus that can cripple the structure and identity of a franchise, as was the case in the past.
Say What?!?!: An interesting take from Jason Cole from Yahoo! Sports.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Props
It's been a physically, mentally and somewhat emotionally exhausting week that has cause Scribe to suffer a bit. With that said, after many of you throw your dinner at the television because you're caught up in the Vice Presidential debates, here's some food for thought.
We're gearing up for Week 5 to set off the October action. Now with a clearer picture of who are the top dogs and the struggling masses, the Week 4 version of Props is dedicated to the teams that have left the month of September in surprisingly good shape and why.
Kickoff: Matt Bryant - Of course, this is an appropriate start considering the tragedy that befell the kicker's family and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers organization. Bryant, who had to bury his young child during the week, not only practiced for the game against the Oakland Raiders, but kicked the winning field goal. Because the league does not have an official bereavement policy, the team couldn't allow for him to take time off and sign a kicker to a short-term contract. The competition committee will look into amending some sort of policy for future considerations, but for Bryant to have enough focus to do his job is remarkable indeed.
Yes, I know that kickers and punters are not considered 'real' football players, yet they are the most important players on the roster once everyone else screws up. They focus on doing one thing and one thing very well, which is placing foot to ball for an aerial lift through the uprights or far back to the opposite end of the field. It leaves maybe too much room and time to get swallowed into other thoughts whereas position players have so many facets of their game to work on that it's difficult to physically and mentally go astray. Whatever Bryant has to do from here on out to keep himself focused is something that personally intrigues me, but I hope for him and his family, it works.
1st Quarter: Tennessee - I know that most casual and some diehard football fans love those 45-41 kind of games where defensive coordinators essentially post their resumes on Monster hours after it's over. Yet, I have always enjoyed watching a good, very good, great or extraordinary defense at work. These Titans have a very good defense led by defensive tackle Albert Haynseworth and arguably the most underrated linebacker in the NFL, Keith Bullock. These guys are smacking everyone upside their heads with a run-stuffing front seven that has allowed just under 86 yards a game on the ground. They have also been pretty good against the pass with 25 pass deflections, eight interceptions and allowed around 177 yards in the air.
You may say, "yeah, but they've played Jacksonville, Cincinnati, Houston and Minnesota with three of those games at home".
I say Jacksonville showed themselves to be a pretty balanced team on both sides of the ball in the second hald of 2007 and David Garrard will show his terrific form as the season progresses. Cincinnati may be in shambles, but they can still score from anywhere... just as the champs reminded me two weeks ago at the Meadowlands. Houston has offensive playmakers in Andre' Johnson and Owen Daniels (underrated tight end). Minnesota has Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor to keep defenses restless.
What did Tennessee do? Keep all four teams to just 11.5 points per contest while actually opening up the offensive playbook a bit. Their 25.5 PPG on offense has been a result of getting efficient play under center from strong-armed veteran QB Kerry Collins and excellent running from rookie Chris Johnson.
They get even more props as they are invoking one of the best nicknames in the league, the Tennessee Tyrants. Now wouldn't that be nice if they really changed the team name to Tyrants?
2nd Quarter: Buffalo - Trent Edwards, Marshawn Lynch, and Lee Evans are still a long way from being compared to the near Hall-of-Fame trio of Jim Kelly (in), Thurman Thomas (in) and Andre Reed (should get in), yet they have given northern New York state (and Toronto) a dose of what's to come for at least the next five years. J.P. Losman is a talented, big-armed QB who should get a fair shot with another team in 2009, but Edwards became the starter last season because he can make the critical passes underneath to keep opponents honest. He can toss it deep as well, but in the short game, quick passes and a powerful rush from Lynch tire out defenders. Evans, he of the new contract extension as of this post, has returned to his 2006 form that pushed him to the upper echelon of wideouts in the game.
The offense will continue to come along, but it has already added to what is another top-notch defense. The Bills have very good speed and sound tackling in the linebacker corps and secondary, which accounts for much of why they have the sixth-best defense against the pass. They traded for former Jaguar Marcus Stroud to create movement on the defensive line and in time, that will translate into better pressure on the QB. This is a team that is stilll putting it together, but if there is one team that was capable of upending the Patriots in 2008 more so than the New York Jets, this is it.
Halftime: Brett Favre - Can't front. Six touchdowns?!?! Even if the Jets could be criticized for running up the score and the Arizona Cardinals had more issues than the John McCain campaign, six touchdowns is just outerworldly impressive.
3rd Quarter: New York Giants - Without getting too deep, so far much of the season preview that I've written for the champs has come true. As they return from their bye week with the Plaxico Burress saga seemingly standing in front of the Seattle Seahawks, we'll discover how for real the champs are.
4th Quarter: Lane Kiffin - Remember when the WWE was at its last peak of popularity because of the rivalry between "Stone Cold" Steve Austin and Mr. (Vince) McMahon? I'm a bit disappointed that the rift between the now-former Oakland Raiders head coach and its owner Al Davis didn't reach those levels for the sheer entertainment value. However, he handled the entire mess as best as any of us could have.
Have you ever had a boss who was so vile and disrespectful that it took every ounce of energy from you to not snap? How many times did you tell yourself that you'll just get what you need to get out of that job (salary, benefits, quantifiable experience towards the next job, office supplies to steal) and then you'll let him or her have it? Kiffin may have been a well-compensated professional, but his situation was one that many of us could relate to. He could have essentially isolated himself within the organization until Davis officially axed him, but he was able to coax out greater efforts from a roster that has bottomed out since the Super Bowl appearance in 2002. The team had been in every contest so far this year admist this drawn-out affair and much of this was to the constant focus Kiffin had to game plan each week.
He may or may not have another head coaching opportunity in the NFL, but what he proved was that even in chaos, he could bring about some semblance of order.
We're gearing up for Week 5 to set off the October action. Now with a clearer picture of who are the top dogs and the struggling masses, the Week 4 version of Props is dedicated to the teams that have left the month of September in surprisingly good shape and why.
Kickoff: Matt Bryant - Of course, this is an appropriate start considering the tragedy that befell the kicker's family and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers organization. Bryant, who had to bury his young child during the week, not only practiced for the game against the Oakland Raiders, but kicked the winning field goal. Because the league does not have an official bereavement policy, the team couldn't allow for him to take time off and sign a kicker to a short-term contract. The competition committee will look into amending some sort of policy for future considerations, but for Bryant to have enough focus to do his job is remarkable indeed.
Yes, I know that kickers and punters are not considered 'real' football players, yet they are the most important players on the roster once everyone else screws up. They focus on doing one thing and one thing very well, which is placing foot to ball for an aerial lift through the uprights or far back to the opposite end of the field. It leaves maybe too much room and time to get swallowed into other thoughts whereas position players have so many facets of their game to work on that it's difficult to physically and mentally go astray. Whatever Bryant has to do from here on out to keep himself focused is something that personally intrigues me, but I hope for him and his family, it works.
1st Quarter: Tennessee - I know that most casual and some diehard football fans love those 45-41 kind of games where defensive coordinators essentially post their resumes on Monster hours after it's over. Yet, I have always enjoyed watching a good, very good, great or extraordinary defense at work. These Titans have a very good defense led by defensive tackle Albert Haynseworth and arguably the most underrated linebacker in the NFL, Keith Bullock. These guys are smacking everyone upside their heads with a run-stuffing front seven that has allowed just under 86 yards a game on the ground. They have also been pretty good against the pass with 25 pass deflections, eight interceptions and allowed around 177 yards in the air.
You may say, "yeah, but they've played Jacksonville, Cincinnati, Houston and Minnesota with three of those games at home".
I say Jacksonville showed themselves to be a pretty balanced team on both sides of the ball in the second hald of 2007 and David Garrard will show his terrific form as the season progresses. Cincinnati may be in shambles, but they can still score from anywhere... just as the champs reminded me two weeks ago at the Meadowlands. Houston has offensive playmakers in Andre' Johnson and Owen Daniels (underrated tight end). Minnesota has Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor to keep defenses restless.
What did Tennessee do? Keep all four teams to just 11.5 points per contest while actually opening up the offensive playbook a bit. Their 25.5 PPG on offense has been a result of getting efficient play under center from strong-armed veteran QB Kerry Collins and excellent running from rookie Chris Johnson.
They get even more props as they are invoking one of the best nicknames in the league, the Tennessee Tyrants. Now wouldn't that be nice if they really changed the team name to Tyrants?
2nd Quarter: Buffalo - Trent Edwards, Marshawn Lynch, and Lee Evans are still a long way from being compared to the near Hall-of-Fame trio of Jim Kelly (in), Thurman Thomas (in) and Andre Reed (should get in), yet they have given northern New York state (and Toronto) a dose of what's to come for at least the next five years. J.P. Losman is a talented, big-armed QB who should get a fair shot with another team in 2009, but Edwards became the starter last season because he can make the critical passes underneath to keep opponents honest. He can toss it deep as well, but in the short game, quick passes and a powerful rush from Lynch tire out defenders. Evans, he of the new contract extension as of this post, has returned to his 2006 form that pushed him to the upper echelon of wideouts in the game.
The offense will continue to come along, but it has already added to what is another top-notch defense. The Bills have very good speed and sound tackling in the linebacker corps and secondary, which accounts for much of why they have the sixth-best defense against the pass. They traded for former Jaguar Marcus Stroud to create movement on the defensive line and in time, that will translate into better pressure on the QB. This is a team that is stilll putting it together, but if there is one team that was capable of upending the Patriots in 2008 more so than the New York Jets, this is it.
Halftime: Brett Favre - Can't front. Six touchdowns?!?! Even if the Jets could be criticized for running up the score and the Arizona Cardinals had more issues than the John McCain campaign, six touchdowns is just outerworldly impressive.
3rd Quarter: New York Giants - Without getting too deep, so far much of the season preview that I've written for the champs has come true. As they return from their bye week with the Plaxico Burress saga seemingly standing in front of the Seattle Seahawks, we'll discover how for real the champs are.
4th Quarter: Lane Kiffin - Remember when the WWE was at its last peak of popularity because of the rivalry between "Stone Cold" Steve Austin and Mr. (Vince) McMahon? I'm a bit disappointed that the rift between the now-former Oakland Raiders head coach and its owner Al Davis didn't reach those levels for the sheer entertainment value. However, he handled the entire mess as best as any of us could have.
Have you ever had a boss who was so vile and disrespectful that it took every ounce of energy from you to not snap? How many times did you tell yourself that you'll just get what you need to get out of that job (salary, benefits, quantifiable experience towards the next job, office supplies to steal) and then you'll let him or her have it? Kiffin may have been a well-compensated professional, but his situation was one that many of us could relate to. He could have essentially isolated himself within the organization until Davis officially axed him, but he was able to coax out greater efforts from a roster that has bottomed out since the Super Bowl appearance in 2002. The team had been in every contest so far this year admist this drawn-out affair and much of this was to the constant focus Kiffin had to game plan each week.
He may or may not have another head coaching opportunity in the NFL, but what he proved was that even in chaos, he could bring about some semblance of order.
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