Does anyone still doubt Ralph's cheapness? Is anyone still excited about this team?

[OpIv37]

You know, this is about the 4th year in a row when I said that I've never been less excited for football season before. My enthusiasm goes down every year.

Last year, we all pretty much knew that it was a rebuilding year and it would suck, so I wasn't excited at all. But, there was also a common belief that it was the first step in a process, so while it would be a rough season, it would be for the best in the long run.

Now, it's just so painfully obvious that Ralph is only concerned with money and isn't even trying to win. We've had a debate before about whether or not Ralph is cheap, but now he's taking advantage of the year with no cap floor by sitting on about $20 million under the cap. The debate is over: Ralph is cheap and is not committed to winning.

It's no longer an issue of how much enthusiasm I can muster for the season. It's about how much longer I can continue to care. How much longer can I continue to spend time and money on this team?

Don't get me wrong. I love the Bills. I want them to do well more than anything. But if Ralph isn't even going to try, and he has no problem with putting the team in a position to fail so he can make a few extra bucks, why should I continue to care? Why should any of us?

Has anyone else here ever dealt with a close friend or relative with a substance abuse problem? It gets to a point where there is nothing more you can do for them until they bottom out and come to terms with the fact that they need help. We are dangerously close to that point. No one can force Ralph to change his ways, and no one can force Ralph to sell.

As long as Ralph owns this team, we are ****ed. There is nothing we can do except sit back and watch the train wreck.

[Pinkerton Security]

Re: Does anyone still doubt Ralph's cheapness? Is anyone still excited about this team?

I still care. Im more detached than I was, but I'm still going to get super pumped for every sunday until we're 0-9.

[psubills62]

Re: Does anyone still doubt Ralph's cheapness? Is anyone still excited about this team?

It's football. Honestly, I don't spend much money on the team anyway so that may contribute to my relative level of optimism, but I still love watching the young guys and how they perform. I'm excited to see what Batten, Dareus, Moats, Carrington, Troup, A. Williams, etc. can do. I'm excited to see how any of these guys manage to develop. I'm excited to talk about the draft every year and who we might get to pick.

I can understand people's pessimism (unless they're simply illogical about it, in which cases I feel the need to say something). And as I've said before, I don't agree with every move they make (or lack of moves). There are times I question what they're doing. In the end, I still love football, love talking about it, and love the Bills.

Ralph may be cheap, but I'm obviously not as bothered by that as other people. I think our failings have come in more areas than simply spending money. Tampa is cheap, too, but still managed to have a 10-win season and build a strong core of talent. I'm also not terribly bothered by it since Ralph (or whoever is the owner by then) will need to spend to the cap floor in two years. They'll find ways to spend money, and most signs seem to point to them spending it relatively judiciously rather than blowing money simply to get to the floor.

[trapezeus]

Re: Does anyone still doubt Ralph's cheapness? Is anyone still excited about this team?

it's not cheap to be $20MM under the cap. it's cheap to not even think about replacing losing parts on the front office staff. Why are the guys responsible for running out two very good football staffs even associated to this team?

Why is it impossible to bring in bill cowher when we begged him? and any other coach? Why is it that we can't execute at that level?

Sure, run a small and tight salary cap, but pay for a front office that gets it right and finds great talent at cheap prices. other small market teams do it. pitts, greenbay.

I remember as few as 2 years ago, every year since i can remember, i'd have a dream before the bills season in august or september about the superbowl. and it'd be stressful. either getting there was amazing or the fact they could lose was distressing. the last two years, i don't have that dream anymore. this year, i had a sabres dream.

The bills are making themselves irrelevant. and the brass can keep saying it's us, but the NFL and other NFL fans know its the ownership.

I can't wait until the bills are 0-8 and the home games turn into a war field with chants of "**** you ralph" and people just acting ape**** crazy. and what other recourse do fans have that have put up with this **** play and an ownership that doesn't care. and they want the legacy of being a great owner. It's a god damned joke.

[better days]

Re: Does anyone still doubt Ralph's cheapness? Is anyone still excited about this team?

It's football. Honestly, I don't spend much money on the team anyway so that may contribute to my relative level of optimism, but I still love watching the young guys and how they perform. I'm excited to see what Batten, Dareus, Moats, Carrington, Troup, A. Williams, etc. can do. I'm excited to see how any of these guys manage to develop. I'm excited to talk about the draft every year and who we might get to pick.

I can understand people's pessimism (unless they're simply illogical about it, in which cases I feel the need to say something). And as I've said before, I don't agree with every move they make (or lack of moves). There are times I question what they're doing. In the end, I still love football, love talking about it, and love the Bills.

Ralph may be cheap, but I'm obviously not as bothered by that as other people. I think our failings have come in more areas than simply spending money. Tampa is cheap, too, but still managed to have a 10-win season and build a strong core of talent. I'm also not terribly bothered by it since Ralph (or whoever is the owner by then) will need to spend to the cap floor in two years. They'll find ways to spend money, and most signs seem to point to them spending it relatively judiciously rather than blowing money simply to get to the floor.

Yeah I am more bothered by the fact that the Bills only got 4th rnd picks for Lynch & Evans than the fact they traded them.

I think that both of those trades made the Bills worse not better, but if they would have received VALUE in return that could improve the team in the future I would have been ok with it.

[justasportsfan]

Re: Does anyone still doubt Ralph's cheapness? Is anyone still excited about this team?

Ralph has proven to spend in the past. He didn't blink when Donahoe grabbed all those FA's. He also dished out $ when Levy grabbed Walker and Dockery. It could be that he got tired of paying $ and still not get any results.

I can't wait til' we get a new owner. No matter who Ralph picks as a GM, he's still the common denominator of all our failures.

[Ebenezer]

Re: Does anyone still doubt Ralph's cheapness? Is anyone still excited about this team?

You know, this is about the 4th year in a row when I said that I've never been less excited for football season before. My enthusiasm goes down every year.

When the schedule came out this year I looked at the dates to make sure they didn't conflict with any races I wanted to run...that's how bad it has gotten for me.

[BillsWin]

Re: Does anyone still doubt Ralph's cheapness? Is anyone still excited about this team?

For once, I am starting the season with the same opinion of OP. No more blind optimism. My only hope now is that we are the worst team in the league and draft Luck, then proceed to draft the best tackle available at the top of round 2.

Knowing the Bills and Ralph, they'll probably **** that up and pass over franchise material at both of those spots.

This is ridiculous.

[hemi13]

Re: Does anyone still doubt Ralph's cheapness? Is anyone still excited about this team?

WOW, Had to do some thinking on this one. I still get excited, but not like I used to. I was thinking it was age, lol.

I live in the desert in Arizona and I have to go too a local bar to watch the games. I am getting a little sick of the comments like "The Bills suck, but at least your loyal" or "Hey, you know what BILLS stand for". We all have heard that one before. Maybe it's not the same, because I was either a season ticket holder back home or I lived in a city that had GREAT Bills Backer groups, but here, it's just me sitting alone and yelling at the TV dressed up like a clown in my Bills stuff. Thank God I quit drinking, lol.

Yes, I wish Ralph would just sell the team or step aside. (that means die, sorry Ralph). So yes I still can see a small flame burning, but it's nowhere near the bonfire that used to burn. Yes every draft, preseason, and for the first 8 games, I'm pumped. Then reality kicks in and I sometimes leave the games before the end. I never left a game back in the day. Win or lose, I stuck it out.

My son used to say that the Bills would win the Superbowl the day I was on my death bed and I'd die just before seeing them win. That would be my luck. So yes I love my Bills, and always will, but it's just not the same as it used to be. This will be my team until God takes me home.

GO BILLS !

[trapezeus]

Re: Does anyone still doubt Ralph's cheapness? Is anyone still excited about this team?

the bills will draft luck, he'll refuse to play and ask to be traded. we'll trade him for two picks and run fitz out of town. we'llstart with thigpen and hear how he really is quite good and raw.

and that the real goal is to bottom out the following year.

The defense that looked servicable won't get better and the offense will continue to bore the **** out of everyone. rinse and repeat until ralph's funeral.

[don137]

Re: Does anyone still doubt Ralph's cheapness? Is anyone still excited about this team?

I had the Sunday NFL ticket when I moved so I could watch the Bills. I stopped that a few years ago. I use to travel to see the Bills once a year. This is the first year I decided to save my money and not go see them. While I love the Bills it's hard to justify spending so much when ownership does not care about winning. I guess not making the playoffs in 11 years, seeing bad drafts year after year, bad front office transactions and ownerships refusal to spend to fill glaring weaknesses will take the excitement out of a person

[BillsWin]

Re: Does anyone still doubt Ralph's cheapness? Is anyone still excited about this team?

WOW, Had to do some thinking on this one. I still get excited, but not like I used to. I was thinking it was age, lol.

I live in the desert in Arizona and I have to go too a local bar to watch the games. I am getting a little sick of the comments like "The Bills suck, but at least your loyal" or "Hey, you know what BILLS stand for". We all have heard that one before. Maybe it's not the same, because I was either a season ticket holder back home or I lived in a city that had GREAT Bills Backer groups, but here, it's just me sitting alone and yelling at the TV dressed up like a clown in my Bills stuff. Thank God I quit drinking, lol.

Yes, I wish Ralph would just sell the team or step aside. (that means die, sorry Ralph). So yes I still can see a small flame burning, but it's nowhere near the bonfire that used to burn. Yes every draft, preseason, and for the first 8 games, I'm pumped. Then reality kicks in and I sometimes leave the games before the end. I never left a game back in the day. Win or lose, I stuck it out.

My son used to say that the Bills would win the Superbowl the day I was on my death bed and I'd die just before seeing them win. That would be my luck. So yes I love my Bills, and always will, but it's just not the same as it used to be. This will be my team until God takes me home.

GO BILLS !

I bought direct tv sunday ticket so that I could get drunk at home and wallow in self-pity on Sundays instead of going out in public, spending money and getting laughed at by the fans of other teams. Sick of the dumb comments. Other fans may be borderline mentally handicapped when it comes to insults, but when you start to realize part of what they say is true.... your fight begins to disappear and going out and supporting the team in public gets tough.

I'll always love the Bills. A move across country, a job in sports, a serious relationship with a Pats fan (I know, I know.), family problems (Buffalo related), these things haven't stopped me from supporting them. But I don't doubt Ralph's cheapness anymore and my excitement levels are at an all-time low.

Go Bills...

[ejsmith]

Re: Does anyone still doubt Ralph's cheapness? Is anyone still excited about this team?

I agree 100%. My enthusiasm goes down more and more every year. Although I disagree on the salary cap point. I think its a smart move to try and build a solid team while staying under the cap in order to give you flexibility to do what the Eagles are doing this year when you think you have a real chance to win it all. This is not to say that Ralph isn't cheap, because I do think he is cheap and trying to set this team up to be sold to the highest bidder.

[elltrain22]

Re: Does anyone still doubt Ralph's cheapness? Is anyone still excited about this team?

One thing that is evident to me thus far, is that this organization is putting all their money in the guys they draft. By doing this though, they, IMHO, are not giving this team the best chance to win. Whenever ya draft someone, develop them, and pay them, there's a chance they still won't be any good, at least w/ signing FA's, you already know, pretty much, what you're getting.

Unless this team is trying to be bad to draft Luck, but I highly doubt that is the case. In the end, myself, and probably an overwhelming majority of Bills fans are left w/ feeling 100% confident that our organization is simply going threw the motions, and isn't really overly concearned about winning like most teams are.

[mayotm]

Re: Does anyone still doubt Ralph's cheapness? Is anyone still excited about this team?

The past few weeks have been especially tough. The Evans trade, the o-line mess, the piss poor performance against Denver and finally the Fred Jackson situation. I've had to pull away for a few days. I'm not checking things online every second of the day. That all stated, I'm still excited about the season. I simply can't help myself. I'll alwasy have a glimmer of hope that the Bills can be the team that has the unexpected great season. Even when all logical signs point to that not happening.