Wys Sighting

[ParanoidAndroid]

I got a cool little story.....

I joined the Bills Backers of Northern and Central VA and went to the meeting place for the game. It's a great situation they have set up there at Hard Times Cafe and Cue in Fredericksburg.

Anyway, this dude showed up with a writing pad and a box of something I couldn't discern. We introduced ourselves and he said his name was Mark. Seemed like a nice guy. He sat at my table, clapped and rubbed his hands together and showed his excitement. I thought, "this guy is going to be fun to watch the game with."

Late in the second quarter, he got some wings and hooked them up with this sauce that he took from his box. I checked it out, turned it around and saw it read "Wys-Guy's." I can put 2+2 together. (He actually makes the sauce and sends it away for bottling which is cool.)

Right as I saw that he started talking about writing for websites and he asked if I ever checked out Billszone. I said, "You're Wys!" He said yep.

I told him he had a rep for being overly critical. He was gone before I started posting here, so I don't really know his posts, but I see where he gets his rep from.

Every time the Bills made a good play, he would say, "That's because their D sucks," or "Well, the Texans' offensive line is terrible." It's not that he didn't have a point, but I really want to just enjoy the game without taking EVERYTHING with a grain of salt. Other than that, he knows his stuff and is easily likeable. He drove 85 miles to get there!

Just thought some of you would like to hear about it.

Also, this incredibly cute girl came by herself. She is way into the Bills, fantasy football, she's a teacher (like me), and she ran cross country and track at SUNY Geneseo (I ran at SUNY Fredonia).

[Night Train]

Every time the Bills made a good play, he would say, "That's because their D sucks," or "Well, the Texans' offensive line is terrible." It's not that he didn't have a point, but I really want to just enjoy the game without taking EVERYTHING with a grain of salt.
Some things never change.

At the Stadium, we had a fellow season ticket holder who did that all game. Finally, people tired of it and started ribbing him constantly. We noticed he dropped his ticket or moved from our section this year, which strengthens my belief in a God.

Why do some believe being hyper-critical is impressive ? Don't they realize they come across as self-flatulant phonies ?

[Historian]

Anyway, this dude showed up with a writing pad


Oh dear! Man the lifeboats!

:D

You will be able to read what he wrote at www.billsbuzz.com

[casdhf]

I refuse to even click the link :up:

[Night Train]

I refuse to even click the link :up::bf1:

[Pride]

I know Mark personally... and he is a great guy. He is very opinionated, but that is the writer in him... He is fun to watch a game with... but sometimes you have to tune him out so he doesnt bring you too down.

As for a person though... he is sincere, polite, and gracious... really a nice guy.

[casdhf]

I still wouldnt read his drivel, I don't care if he's Martin Luther Ghandi

[colin]

that guy, who seems to like JP for now, is just terrible.

he just can't look at the facts without mixing in his opinion.

he gives the tight ends super high grades for what? because he likes him and can't just look at what they did during the game. you don't get top grades for dropping a touch, which our TE did. they played decently, but not like pro bowlers

he gives the RBs and OL average grades because we ran late in the game? wtf? that is when you're best off running. and knocks willis for only having 8 yards on his first 8 carries, and just dismisses the outstanding drive that resulted in our only TD of the game. Willis and our O line just dominated on that dirve, and that drive broke Houston's back. also, HE DIDN'T MENTION THE OTHER 2 RBs WHO SAW ACTION. he is just so fixed on his own opinion (still a travis fan and prolly sore about it) and obsession with certain players that he doesn't even notice that we had a FB and back up RB in the game. what did they do? if you cover a team like some kind of journalist you HAVE to at least watch every player who touches the ball!

and my final gripe is that he just gives a biassed assement of the stat sheet, no insight on route running or formations on D, just "blah blah had 23 yards on 14 carries, if you take away his one great drive he did bad", and he forgives anything by his fav players. i remember when henry would drop the ball and try to lose the game all by himself (just like now in Tennesse) he would argue that he played better after he lost fumbles. just asinine

i love reading bills analysis, but not if the writer just didn't notice a damn thing.

why the hell did i click that link?!?!?!

[TigerJ]

I think if the Bills went 16-0, Wys' comment would be, "Wow, the rest of the league sure has gone down hill!"

[clumping platelets]

Who? :huh:

[LtBillsFan66]

The guy LOVES Campbell. I like Campbell, but this!?

Mark Campbell continues to impress me as one of the league’s best all around tight ends

:rofl:

[ArcticWildMan]

I need to get in touch with Mark and order some more wing sauce from him. I used the last of the medium I had last night. :up:

[Michael82]

I need to get in touch with Mark and order some more wing sauce from him. I used the last of the medium I had last night. :up:
Good idea. He may have some crazy thoughts of the Bills, but he certainly knows how to make some damn good wing sauce. I hope he is able to get his sauce in Wegmans, like he's trying. That would be AWESOME! :drool: :hungry:

[MDFINFAN]

that guy, who seems to like JP for now, is just terrible.

he just can't look at the facts without mixing in his opinion.

he gives the tight ends super high grades for what? because he likes him and can't just look at what they did during the game. you don't get top grades for dropping a touch, which our TE did. they played decently, but not like pro bowlers

he gives the RBs and OL average grades because we ran late in the game? wtf? that is when you're best off running. and knocks willis for only having 8 yards on his first 8 carries, and just dismisses the outstanding drive that resulted in our only TD of the game. Willis and our O line just dominated on that dirve, and that drive broke Houston's back. also, HE DIDN'T MENTION THE OTHER 2 RBs WHO SAW ACTION. he is just so fixed on his own opinion (still a travis fan and prolly sore about it) and obsession with certain players that he doesn't even notice that we had a FB and back up RB in the game. what did they do? if you cover a team like some kind of journalist you HAVE to at least watch every player who touches the ball!

and my final gripe is that he just gives a biassed assement of the stat sheet, no insight on route running or formations on D, just "blah blah had 23 yards on 14 carries, if you take away his one great drive he did bad", and he forgives anything by his fav players. i remember when henry would drop the ball and try to lose the game all by himself (just like now in Tennesse) he would argue that he played better after he lost fumbles. just asinine

i love reading bills analysis, but not if the writer just didn't notice a damn thing.

why the hell did i click that link?!?!?!

you've got to understand how Wys was grading this, he was grading from a competition standpoint, had you beat the patriots like you did Houston, his grades would have been different. Wys's a realist and if you just want homerist type of reading then don't read Wys's stuff. But if you want an honest evaluation of the Bills, read his stuff. He loves that team with a passion some of you will never understand. He's not a fly by night type of fan either, he's a dedicated, loyal fan who wants his team to be the best.
Wys and I get into it too about some of his stuff, but I always respect his opinion. As a number of you pointed out, he's one of the nicest guys you'd ever meet, but when you talk Bills, you'd better know your stuff. If you're weak in that area, you won't like Wys, if you're knowledgable, you'll enjoy the heck out of him. Weak minds won't stand to be around him, sound minds will ask for more of him. But even if he disagrees with you, he's still one of the best friends you can ask for. He's more than just football you know.

[LtBillsFan66]

Anchor Bar wing sauce is better.

[Michael82]

you've got to understand how Wys was grading this, he was grading from a competition standpoint, had you beat the patriots like you did Houston, his grades would have been different. Wys's a realist and if you just want homerist type of reading then don't read Wys's stuff. But if you want an honest evaluation of the Bills, read his stuff. He loves that team with a passion some of you will never understand. He's not a fly by night type of fan either, he's a dedicated, loyal fan who wants his team to be the best.
Wys and I get into it too about some of his stuff, but I always respect him opinion. As a number of you pointed out, he's one of the nicest guys you'd ever meet, but when you talk Bills, you'd better know your stuff. If you're weak in that area, you won't like Wys, if you're knowledgable, you'll enjoy the heck out of him. Weak minds won't stand to be around him, sound minds will ask for more of him. But even if he disagrees with you, he's still one of the best friends you can ask for. He's more than just football you know.
Great post, but I do have a few things to add....:snicker:


Shawn Bryson is the man and Henry sucks? Rob Johnson? Sam Adams sucks? London Fletcher too short to be an effective MLB? Dick LeBeau is washed up? Willis McGahee is a waste of a pick and the Bills should have picked Jerome McDougle? :lmao:

Oh and doesn't he say that Jeff Posey sucks? IMO, he is one of the most underrated players on the team and is the quiet one that does his job which every good defense has.

[LtBillsFan66]

Don't forget about Travis Brown! Wys thought he was the 2nd coming of God. The dude has some screws loose.

[Michael82]

Don't forget about Travis Brown! Wys thought he was the 2nd coming of God. The dude has some screws loose.
How could I forget Travis Brown? :doh:

:rofl:

[Drive 4 Five]

For crissakes! What is wrong with you guys? Forget WYS. I want to hear more about the incredibly cute girl...

[Jan Reimers]

I think if the Bills went 16-0, Wys' comment would be, "Wow, the rest of the league sure has gone down hill!"
Actually, Mark would probably say, "If you throw out the home wins, where we have a tremendous advantage, and discount the road wins against weak opponents, we'd be 4-12."

I only met him once, but I agree with Pride that Mark is a very nice guy. He just tries too hard to be negative and controversial, to the point where people don't get involved in constructive criticism or reasoned discussion based on his views, they just tune him out.

[MDFINFAN]

Great post, but I do have a few things to add....:snicker:


Shawn Bryson is the man and Henry sucks? Rob Johnson? Sam Adams sucks? London Fletcher too short to be an effective MLB? Dick LeBeau is washed up? Willis McGahee is a waste of a pick and the Bills should have picked Jerome McDougle? :lmao:

Oh and doesn't he say that Jeff Posey sucks? IMO, he is one of the most underrated players on the team and is the quiet one that does his job which every good defense has.

I did say he and I get into it about some of his stuff...I agree with him about Sam Adams and Posey though.

[justasportsfan]

I agree with him about Sam Adams and Posey though.then you are just asbad as he is. San just came off a well deserved probowl. Posey is doing great and is part of what people consider as one of the (if not the best) lb tandem in the NFL especially at the price we have him for.

[MDFINFAN]

then you are just asbad as he is. San just came off a well deserved probowl. Posey is doing great and is part of what people consider as one of the (if not the best) lb tandem in the NFL especially at the price we have him for.

Of course I am, but I'm entitled to my opinion, in due time, I think you'll know what I'm talking about. But for now, enjoy their play.

[Mr. Cynical]

His article looked pretty good to me. I think he's gotten better at not repeating himself 1,000 times. With Drew gone and his point made about him (which I agreed with) maybe his articles will continue to improve.

My grade of his article: B

[Valerie]

I also know Wys personally and I think he's a really nice guy. As for the things he says and writes, I can't comment because I don't read anything over a few sentences long. lol And, I will say this, I know a few people who are happy that the Bills won the game but aren't impressed that they only scored one touchdown. That being said, I am not one of those people. I really don't care, a win is a win, which is why I like Flutie. I don't care what the score was or how we won, a win is a win in my book and that's what it's all about. :up:

[don137]

The thing about Wys is everyone agrees he is a nice guy for the most part, he is a loyal Bills fan and he makes some damn good wing sauce. What people don't care for his is always pessimistic attitude and his method of talking about the Bills. If JP Losman was 17/18 Wys would talk about the one incompletion.

[BAM]

I personally couldn't stand the guy when we met. I nearly strangled him to death.

[helmetguy]

I met Mark twice and, on both occaisions, he lobbied me hard to accept his theses without question. That was a put off. Unlike Pride (no offense, Bud!) I'll never accuse Mark of being a writer; let alone a good one. I don't begrudge a man for his opinions. He simply does not write well.

[BAM]

Haha I'm kiddin' Mark is cool as hell. From what I've heard, I'm thankful I wasn't around for many of his rants here. :D

[casdhf]

yeah, anyone remember when he wanted to fight pat? that was brilliant

[STAMPY]

yeah, anyone remember when he wanted to fight pat? that was brilliant

he wanted to fight me too!

[TigerJ]

Actually, Mark would probably say, "If you throw out the home wins, where we have a tremendous advantage, and discount the road wins against weak opponents, we'd be 4-12."

I only met him once, but I agree with Pride that Mark is a very nice guy. He just tries too hard to be negative and controversial, to the point where people don't get involved in constructive criticism or reasoned discussion based on his views, they just tune him out.
You're right. But don't forget, "If you throw out the runs for more than 10 yards, McGahee is just an average running back at best."

[ParanoidAndroid]

Wow!

This is really not what I intended when I posted the story.

I just assumed this would get a couple of responses and the mood would be light. Some of this is harsh, man.

My apologies to "Wys."

Looking back at what I wrote, I really should be ashamed of myself.

While I think he is fully aware of how people feel about his analysis (if he wasn't, he sure is now) he doesn't deserve some of the bashing we have given him.

I made the mistake of mixing the writer and the person into one story.

I failed to explain that it was the writer's analysis I heard at times, while during others, it was the person enjoying the win just as much as anyone else.

Lesson learned.

[The_Philster]

Yeah..he does enjoy the wins. I remember how he was a big Sam Adams basher when we got him and after the 2003 opener, he was still laughing his ass off because Sam Adams had that pick for a TD...he was loving it :up:

[justasportsfan]

The only words I get in are "hi" and "ciao" when I talk to Mark. He won't stop talking. Overly opinionated, I guess that's the German in him. Cool guy though.

[justasportsfan]

Of course I am, but I'm entitled to my opinion, in due time, I think you'll know what I'm talking about. But for now, enjoy their play.we've already had 2-3 decent years based on what we're paying them. Eventually? When , 2 -3 years from now? Please, Posey has contributed to this team more than any of your OLB in the years he's been here including Seau. Sam Adams has been better than any of your DTs since he's been here.Of course eventually they will fade with age :crazy:

[Jan Reimers]

The only words I get in are "hi" and "ciao" when I talk to Mark. He won't stop talking. Overly opinionated, I guess that's the German in him. Cool guy though.
justa, are you implying that we of German descent are opinionated? We aren't. We just know everything. :attn:

[justasportsfan]

justa, are you implying that we of German descent are opinionated? We aren't. We just know everything. :attn:my bad

[casdhf]

I think wys is a hotter topic than Bledsoe/Flutie/RJ will ever be, at least those of us unfortunate enough to remember him

[LifetimeBillsFan]

Wow!....Some of this is harsh, man....

While I think he is fully aware of how people feel about his analysis (if he wasn't, he sure is now) he doesn't deserve some of the bashing we have given him....

I never saw any of his posts here, but I made the mistake of writing to him in response to one of his articles, shortly after I joined this site, to point out what I considered to be some factual errors in his analysis and let him know that, in my opinion, he was beating an already-beaten dead horse by repeating Bledsoe and "Commander Tom" routines in every single article.

He was incredibly hostile...insulting me personally and refusing to address anything I had to say until I gave him my full name and educational pedigree (which he was forced to accept--albeit reluctantly--because it must be equal to or superior to his). His attitude was that, since he is a professional writer (he made a snide remark about posting here) and I didn't agree with him, I could not possibly know what I was talking about: even though I was correct in telling him what the winning percentage of the Bills opponents was at the time and would be at the end of the season and in my prediction of the Bills record last season. He was very condescending and disparaging in his remarks to me.

Now, I can't say anything about his writing style: I'm long-winded, opinionated and, quite often, repetitious, too! But, from the little contact that I have had with him by email, personally I have no use for him. And, I think that the only way that he will ever stop bad-mouthing the Bills and their front-office is if he is named President and GM of the team--which will never happen. As for his analysis: I have little respect for it because he doesn't even try to be objective--he only looks at things that support his viewpoint and ignores all evidence to the contrary.

[Bulldog]

Of course I am, but I'm entitled to my opinion, in due time, I think you'll know what I'm talking about. But for now, enjoy their play.

Considering that they're two key components of a defense that has been ranked in the top 5 for the past two years, I guess they can't suck that bad. If only every team could have a D-Line as talented as Miami's. Maybe Sam and Posey will be exposed after the vaunted Miami offense come to town. :lmao: