The "Ralph": Scenes From A Parking Lot

How do you judge an NFL fan? It's a curious debate. Virtually every NFL team claims to have the loudest and most loyal fans (well, maybe not the Jacksonville Jags). And fans of any team will tell you they are the best, loudest and most dedicated.

I judge the quality and loyalty of an NFL team's fans by their tailgating behavior. Specifically, what goes on in the public parking lots pre and post game? If the 12th man is the noisy crowd inside the stadium, the 13th man are the fans in the parking lots.

My nominee for best fans are those of the Buffalo Bills. I grew up in the DC area and saw a ton of Redskin games. I've also lived in Baltimore, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Yes, I've survived a Raiders game in Oakland and endured a 90 degree game in Tampa Bay. But nothing quite compares to the scenes I've witnessed at Ralph Wilson stadium parking lots before and after Buffalo Bills games.

I've seen the good, the bad and the ugly (mostly good/funny though). For every arrest and fight there are dozens of fun and humorous anecdotes. For starters, you gotta love the sausage girls. Its amazing what a grown woman can do with a cooked kielbasa. But that's nothing compared to other traditions. You can drink shots from bowing balls (think finger holes), you can dance around massive bonfires (garbage can fires), you can dance on top of vans and buses, you can play tackle football in a blizzard on an asphalt parking lot, and if you must, you can always fight an opposing team's fan.

Some of my personal favorites:

After losing to the Cowboys on Monday Night Football (a classic example of the Bills losing a game that was already won), I witnessed several men dancing on an old VW bus, naked except for g-strings, their entire bodies painted in red and blue. Huge bonfires surrounded the van - the fires cast an eerie light with horror film quality shadows. The van was surrounded by at least a hundred fans also dancing madly while chanting who knows what. The temperature was well below freezing, and bottles were being hurled from the crowd. It was mesmerizing. Like a train wreck, I couldn't take my eyes off the sight.

The classic porta-potty tipping. This is exclusively reserved for loudmouthed visiting fans. Nothing like shouting "timber" while the johnny-on-the-spot tips over backwards with a Patriots fan inside.

Fights. Most of these are relatively harmless. The "fighters" are so drunk that their flailing attempts at punches couldn't hurt my grandma (granted she's a tough old bat). My favorite was a marathon drunken tussle between a Bills fan who lost his pants but bravely fought on with his full moon in total glory. His opponent, a Steelers fan, lost his shirt and proved that you can, in fact, eat to many pierogis . This happened in a driving snowstorm with a temperature below 20 degrees with at least a foot of snow on the ground. I'm certain the hangover was more painful than the fisticuffs.

Food. Its incredible what you see pre and post game. Everything from thousand dollar grills to mini hibachis. My personal favorite is the fan that modified his car so that the grill is under the hood. No kidding, this dude's grill is where the engine should be located. You see it all from caviar and champagne to wings, chili dogs and "stews" made in garbage cans.

If you go to Bills games for a few years nothing surprises you. Santa taunting a drunken fan being arrested - been there, done that. Naked men (and women) making snow angels - old hat! Bloodied guys playing tackle football in the parking lot - they're not so tough. Running through and/or jumping over bonfires - meh, whats a minor third degree burn?

In reality, the thing that frightens me the most are when two sober women decide to brawl. Holy cow, cat fights can be soooo vicious! The hair pulling alone looks painful.

But really, what Bills management refers to as the game day experience is pretty fun at Ralph Wilson stadium. C'mon, who doesn't enjoy watching dozens of people douse a fellow fan with ketchup and mustard. And lets be honest, those obnoxious Jets and Patriots fans really deserve whatever they get.

The real worry is not the behavior in the parking lots, it's when the pre and post game antics are more entertaining than the game itself!

Death Of A Rivalry: Bills Vs. Dolphins

How do you know when your team hits rock bottom? Missing the playoffs for over 10 years? Having a losing record for 9 years? Finishing in last place more than any other position in the past decade? Finishing in the bottom 10% of the power rankings for the last 5 years? Having fans wear paper bags on their heads at home games?

Nope.........it's none of the above.

Rock bottom is when your greatest rivalry dies. It's when your team is so irrelevant that the two weeks during the NFL season when your team plays it's most hated rival, nobody cares. Its when playing your arch rival is no different than any other game. Its when the passion is gone..















For years Bills fans lived for "Dolphins Week". Nothing meant as much as beating the hated Dolphins. Many moons ago Bills fans actually stormed the field (at the old Bills stadium) when they finally beat the Dolphins after years of losing to them. Who could forget Thurman Thomas (the Buffalo Bill Thurman Thomas) dashing though the blistering snow in Buffalo? Then there was the hated Bryan Cox flipping the "double bird" at Ralph Wilson stadium. More recently Bills fans broke into song singing "Let It Snow" when it began to snow during a Dolphins game (ol Ricky Williams ran for over 100 yards that game and the Fins still lost)! The fun part of the rivalry was that the Dolphins fans (as well as both team's players) truly loathed each other (in an NFL kind of way). It was a classic NFL rivalry, pure and simple.

No more, (or as Roberto Duran would say, no mas). Alas, the rivalry is dead.

The Bills have become so irrelevant that fans and players have forgotten about the rivalry. Current players may know there once was a rivalry, but they don't feel the venom that players felt 10-15 years ago. Miami week is no more (sigh). Sure, old timers still remember the glory of the rivalry and feel something special when the Bills beat the Dolphins, but its a bittersweet feeling knowing that most of the fans, players and even the rest of the NFL no longer remember how much fun the rivalry once was.

Also, it doesn't help much when your arch enemy is as lousy as your team.

I'll know the Bills are a good team again not by their won/loss record, but when those special two weeks return. Yes, when Bills fans get amped up about Miami week, I'll know the Bills are back! Here's to glory days gone by - the death of a rivalry.

Bills Win "Other" Lottery Draft

Years ago, when I was a wee lad, I loved the Senior Bowl. I got to see my favorite players from my favorite college team, the University of Maryland, do battle against the best players in the land. Well, times change and these days most of the best college players leave for the NFL before their senior season. While the Senior Bowl may have less talent these days, it still is popular (today's game is sold out) and coaches still scout the Senior Bowl players very heavily.

What does this have to do with an "NFL Draft" you ask? Believe it or not, the NFL holds a lottery to see which two NFL teams' coaching staffs get to coach in the game. That's right, NFL teams are drafted to coach in the Senior Bowl! Basically, the NFL starts at the bottom of the league (in terms of won-loss record) and works its way up. Teams can decline to provide a coaching staff, if they choose.

This year, the two bottom feeders did decline. Neither of these two teams (which the NFL considers worse than the Buffalo Bills) currently have a head coach. And with no head coach the state of the teams' assistant coaches is also in disarray. So when the NFL asked the Bills to coach one of the squads, Head Coach Chan Gailey jumped at the chance.

The NFL decides which team is assigned to which squad. Apparently, the south team is more coveted as scouts believe there is more talent from southern collegiate programs. While most fans assume the NFL coaching staffs are game planning and installing a system for the game (which they are), they actually do much more. In reality, the two Senior Bowl coaching staffs can run their own personal combines.

While preparing for the game the coaches can run drills to test individual players. The coaching staffs can also have players run plays to see how they perform in certain schemes and situations. They can even have them practice in different positions to see if they can handle spots that they didn't play in college. Lastly, the coaching staffs get an enormous amount of time to get to know the players individually. Yessir, nothing like having your own personal mini camp with the best seniors in the land!

The Bills got the coveted south squad. Here's hoping Chan Gailey and his new staff (minus Dave Wannstedt who stayed in Buffalo to evaluate the current Bills roster - poor, poor, Davey Boy) unearth a few finds in the practices leading up to the game. Heaven knows the Bills need all the help they can get!

Tennessee Titans: Pro Bowl and QB Situation

Pro Bowl:
After a disappointing 2010-2011 season, a few Titan's players that had great seasons earned spots on the AFC roster for the 2011 NFL Pro Bowl. Defensive End Jason Babin (1st time Pro Bowler) and Kick/Punt Returner Marc Mariani (1st time Pro Bowler) both were selected, while Running Back Chris Johnson (3rd time Pro Bowler) and Safety Michael Griffin (2nd time Pro Bowler) were both selected as replacements due to injuries. Chris Johnson will replace Jaguar's Running Back Maurice Jones Drew and Michael Griffin will replace Raven's Safety Ed Reed.

Babin and Mariani were both excited about being selected to a Pro Bowl for the first time in their career's. Babin, a seven year NFL veteran, led the all AFC Defensive Ends in sacks with 12.5.

"I always said I wasn't going to go until I got invited," Babin said."It means a lot to me, like I kind of broke into the upper echelon of defensive ends."

Mariani, on the other hand, is one of 4 rookies on this year's Pro Bowl roster. He was selected in the 7th round of the draft out of Montana University, while the other 3 rookie Pro Bowl selections were selected in the 1st round. He won the heart of many Titan's fans this season as he set the franchise record for kickoff return yards in a season with 1,411 yards.

"Just dream big and don't let anybody tell you no." Mariani said. "I always just wanted to be the best that I could be. I'm so competitive I always wanted to do my best almost to the point of being perfect. I just wanted to be at the top. ... I definitely got a lot of work to do to have the success we've had this year. To be standing here is a crazy ride. ... But I would've never had it any other way."


The Pro Bowl will be played on Sunday, January 30, 2011 at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu Hawaii.


QB Situation:
The Titans are already looking forward to next season, and the quarterback situation is a big mystery at this point. Owner, Bud Adams, has already said that Vince Young will not return to the team next season. So the Titans now are searching for a starting quarterback, and have many options. The quarterbacks currently on the roster are long time NFL veteran, Kerry Collins and Rusty Smith, which is going into his second year in the league. They also have the 8th selection in the NFL Draft in April, which they could use on a quarterback if they choose. The other choice would be to trade for a quarterback or sign someone from the Free Agents.





There are several veteran quarterbacks that are either, A. unhappy with their current team, or B. good enough to be a starter, but are currently a back up. Carson Palmer has came out publicly and said that he wants to be traded from Cinncinatti or he will retire and then re-enter the league as a free agent. Kyle Orton is looking as if he has lost his starting job to Tim Tebow in Denver, and the same goes for Kevin Kolb in Philadelphia, as he has lost his starting job to Michael Vick.





My opinion on what the Titans will do:

I believe that the Titans will trade Vince Young to Minnesota for draft pick(s), due to the fact that the coach that helped develop Vince Young, Craig Johnson, is now the Quarterback back's coach for the Vikings. Then I see the Titans trading draft pick(s) for Kevin Kolb during the draft. The reason why I think that it will be Kevin Kolb is simple, Bud Adams is from Houston and has always favored guys from Texas. It doesn't hurt that Kevin Kolb is known as a country boy that loves to fish and hunt. The fans will love him and he will fit right in.

Good News:

There is good news for Titan's fans, ticket prices will not be raised next season according to Bud Adams. This is the second straight year that the Titans have not raised ticket prices.

"I realize things are still difficult out there for our season-ticket holders," Adams said. "There are a number pressures to increase our revenues, but this is not a time to raise prices for our fans."

In 2011-2012 the Titans will host the: Houston Texans. Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Baltimore Ravens, Cinncinatti Bengals, Denver Broncos, New Orleans Saints, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Cowboys stadium could reach over 100,000

When Super Bowl 45 starts on Feb. 6th. The capacity could reach over 100,000 for the 1st time in 24 years.

Even though not all the fans will have seats(party passes). Plus, Jerry Jones expects about at least several thousands of fans to by $200 to watch the Super Bowl from the big screen where the outdoor plaza will be. Which those fans will be counted as well.

An estimated 93,000 fans or more should be inside of the stadium and the final numbers wont be determined until closer to the game. The last time the Super Bowl surpassed the 100K mark was in 1987 at the Rose Bowl(103,985) in Pasadena,CA

When the NBA All-Star Game was here, it broke an attendance record of 108,713. The Cowboys already broke the attendance record for a regular-season game drawing 105,121 fans. I expected the Super Bowl to reach close to 110, 000 fans, breaking another attendance record.

Mustache To The Rescue?

This blog is a perfect segue from my Thursday post about the Buffalo Bills upcoming draft dilemma. Can you say DEFENSE? Or in Buffalo's case the obvious lack thereof.

Many may wonder why Bills fans could get excited about the hiring of Dave Wannstedt. Well, here's why...

1. The Bills Defense Is Putrid

No doubt about it. The Bill's D has hit rock bottom. Adding a defensive minded coach with extensive coaching experience (including a stint as a head coach in the AFC East) is a big plus. The Bills need help in installing Chan Gailey's new defensive schemes. Also, Dave's been around the block a few times. He should be an additional asset in game planning, player evaluation, and adjusting schemes on game day. As Assistant Head Coach/Inside Linebacker Coach it seems apparent that the Bills are committed to utilizing Wannstedt as more than just a position coach.

2. Continued Commitment By Management

The Bills have a history of not investing in quality head coaches, much less assistant coaches. Wannstedt's hiring is more proof that the Bills are committed to improving. They could have just as easily hired a no-name position coach and been done with it. Wannstedt's hiring could portend additional significant moves (Bills fans can always dream, can't they).

3. George Edwards Is On Notice

If George Edwards, the current Defensive Coordinator, continues to struggle next season, the Bills need not look further than their own coaching staff for a quality replacement.

Here's hoping that Davey Boy has significant input in the evolution of the Bills Defense. Remember, years ago when Mike Mularkey was the Bills Head Coach (forgot about that, didn't ya) the Bills brought in Dick LeBeau, arguably one of the games best defensive minds, as a "consultant". LeBeau, now enshrined in Canton, was never given a true role in the Bills organization and left for Pittsburgh. One can only hope Wannstedt gets more of a chance than LeBeau had.

At the very least the Bills now have an employee whose name is harder to spell than Posluszny!

The Dilemma Of Three

The title of a new movie? Maybe a new book? How about a new TV show? Nope, none of these three (three again?) explain the Dilemma Of Three.

The Dilemma Of Three, as any Buffalo Bills fan knows (yes there really are Bills fans) is what do do with the 3rd pick in the upcoming NFL draft. Instead of being excited about having the highest pick in many years, Bills fans are at each other's throats over what to do with the pick.

Fans, pundits (yes even bloggers), and sports journalists fall into three (there's that number again) camps.

1. The Savior (Franchise Quarterback)

Let's face it, the Bills haven't had a decent QB since Jim Kelly (well, ol Doug Flutie and Drew Bledsoe had a few nice games). All of Buffalo was on the Andrew Luck watch. Andy would come out, head east, and lead the Bills to glory once again. Unfortunately Buffalo had no luck as Andrew decided to stay in sunny California. Additionally, after dumping Captain Checkdown (aka Trent Edwards), Ryan Fitzpatrick was thrust into the starting QB role and did a pretty good job (given the situation).

2. The Defensive Stud (Defensive Lineman or Linebacker)

Hey, you can't get much worse than the Bills defense (unless you compare this year's defense to last year's - it's hard to believe but they actually were worse). The shift from the 4-3 to the 3-4, along with the retirement of Aaron Schoebel and a general lack of talent, made the Bills a laughingstock against the run. Virtually every running back that played the Bills this year had their best game (this includes a few rookies and third stringers that ran like Walter Payton against the hapless Bills D).

3. The Luxury Pick (Best Player Available)

This is the age old NFL wisdom, "take the best player on the board".

All of this is complicated by the many years of futility of lousy Bills high draft picks (Aaron Maybin, John McCargo, James Hardy - ouch, it's too painful to go on).

So what's a team to do? Well, like everybody else I have an opinion and here it is. Draft a stud defensive lineman or linebacker. Draft a beast - an athletic overachiever, a physical specimen with a nasty attitude.

Why? Because the offense showed signs of life. Ryan Fitzpatrick is a serviceable QB, the receiving corps improved, and the O line (with the exception of one OT) is promising. On defense, the secondary is not nearly as shabby as the pathetic defensive line and linebacking corps.

Start with biggest problem (maybe the worst defense in the NFL) and work from there. The Bills have an adequate QB for the near future and cannot afford a luxury pick (not with the current defense). So it has to be a defensive linemen or linebacker. See, its simple!

Oh, for the record, if the Bills draft a defensive back with the 3rd pick, I'm not renewing my season tickets. That should resonate with Bills management!