Buddygate!

Here are a few thought on the prank phone call heard around the football world:

1) I worked at a court show for about two years and yes, we did have our fair share of recorded conversations between litigants. It goes state to state as far as what the legalities for recording conversations goes. In NYS, you can record a conversation as long as one party knows it. As for Florida, you can only do it if both parties are in on it. Obviously, Mark Dominick and Buddy Nix weren't in on it. So, in other words, the pranksters better have gotten a nice check from Deadspin because they are going to need some Johnnie Cochran lawyers. You think the NFL is going to let this go? No fricken way. The shield has been tarnished a bit or in this case, infiltrated by a couple of kids. They are going to set a precedent for anyone who decides to try another prank call like this.

2) If you are trying to blame this on both GMs for being incompetent or old, you are barking up the wrong tree. This isn't their fricken fault. Of course, when I first heard the recordings, my initial reaction was "YOU FUCKTARDS!?" However, after I meditated about it, you realize they were the victims and this is coming from someone who isn't much of a fan of Buddy Nix these days. Now, is it embarrassing? Yes. Is it terrible that I will now be the butt of more endless jokes about the saga known as the Buffalo Bills? Yes. Did I also laugh my ass off? Dadgum, son! However, this isn't anymore of an indictment on Buddy as a GM. He's the same guy who picked Stephon Gilmore and CJ Spiller. I don't think of him as being an old fool because of this. Shit happens.

3) I actually think the Bills are set at tackle and they shouldn't pay Fitzpatrick 10-million dollars this year. Fitz should take a pay cut. Period. I'd be more alarmed if he said he planned on paying Fitz this year and that they were looking for a tackle after the line gave up the fewest amount of sacks in a 3-year stretch over the last 30 years. Now, if the call was about how they wanted to re-sign Leodis McKelvin for 5-million bucks, different story. Good thing that didn't happen..oh, wait!

4) I'm actually curious if Deadspin has to give the info for these kids if/when the authorities get involved or does it fall under the media guide of not giving up their sources? Will Deadspin founders actually goto jail like those guys who did the reports on Bonds taking Steroids because they didn't give up their sources?

5) Let me play Devil's advocate about the outcry we will more than likely get from old school media about this. "JOURNALISM IS DEAD!" Do you think if a recording of Buddy Nix's conversation dropped into their hands they would dispose of it? I don't know about that. Paying for information and video footage does happen in the media. The guy who recorded Rodney King's beat down made a pretty big killing off that tape from CNN. Maybe they would probably report that a team source says Nix wants Fitz to take a pay cut, right? Maybe I'm wrong, but in the landscape of trying to get news first, I'm pretty sure their competitive juices would get the best of them. Maybe. Also, who the hell knows if Deadspin paid money for the tape at this juncture. Could have been two fans who wanted to get their 15-minutes of fame on.

6) This can be a different topic for a different day, but people need to get off this Deadspin vs. Mainstream debate. They are completely different. One is a news source for sports information and the other is pretty much juvenile. It is comparing WWE to an actual sport. It isn't the same thing. They are alternatives who shouldn't be in competition at all. So, when people blame them or social media being the death knell for what is wrong in journalism, they need to take a step back. I read Deadspin to laugh, I read TBN or ESPN.com or blogs to get real sports news. That's it. One or the other has nothing to do with the presentation of sports news.

Final word: #becauseitsbuffalo