Editors Note: These topics may seem a little dated, but work has been kicking my ass as of late.
It looks like Aaron Schobel has kind of made it official with his retirement…or has he? Schobel said that he wasn’t ready to play football right now. However, he did mention that the ball was in the Bills court. Um, well, if you are telling me that you don’t want to play football anymore, then what the hell does the ball in Bills court mean?
Of course, that’s a rhetorical question, as I know exactly what the overrated defensive end is trying to say. He doesn’t want to play for the Bills anymore and would rather play close to home or on a contending team. Now, I don’t understand why he’s going this route in order to play somewhere else. He should just come out and say, “You know what, I’m sick of losing and I want to play for a winner.”
Fans will either understand the logic or they just won’t give a crap about the demand. I doubt there is going to be any hard feelings from the fan base. I mean this is Aaron Schobel. A guy that no one really has an opinion about, who has never endured himself to the local folks. I can only think of two reasons why Schobel is sending mix messages to the general public on his desire to play football:
1) He doesn’t want to look like a selfish player or the bad guy. Honestly, I think that’s a low percentage for being the real reason. I don’t think Schobel cares enough about the fans to really go out of his way to not sound like someone who hates playing for the Bills. If he really loved the fans that much and cared about what they thought of him, he would at least try and talk to the press. I’d love to actually hear what Aaron Schobel sounds like. Seriously, I can’t recall ever hearing or seeing a Schobel interview. The dude is like the invisible man. I mean, for having a defensive end that ranks 2nd all-time in sacks, you would think the outcry for him not to retire would be a hell of a lot louder from the fans.
2) He’s doing this passive/aggressive approach because he saw what happened when someone demanded a trade/more money from Ralph Wilson. Who am I talking? Jason Peters. When Peters demanded more money and went public with his discontent, Ralph didn’t blink and some felt that he wasn’t going to give him a pay raise because of the way he went about asking for it. In other words, if you demand something from Ralph Wilson, you may not get it. Maybe that’s why he doesn’t want to demand a trade in public.
Bottom line: If I’m the Bills, I give Schobel a call on his farm/ranch and ask him if he wants to play for a contender. If he says yes, then I would get his ass out of Buffalo. I said after the season ended that Schobel needed to get traded. He makes too much money to begin with and learning a new position in a 3-4 defense wouldn’t help matters. I have no clue what a trade of Schobel would get in the open market. I think if he actually came out and said that he wanted out of Buffalo, it might actually increase the demand for him. At least teams would know he still wants to play. Then again, who the hell would want to inherit his contract?
All I know is that when Jason Taylor was traded to the Redskins at the exact same age that Schobel is now, he was able to net the Dolphins a 2nd and 7th round pick. Now, Schobel is a downgrade from what Taylor was, so maybe the Bills can get a 4th and 6th. Whatever the compensation is, I think the Bills should try to accommodate Schobel with a new destination for next year.
BTW, shouldn’t Schobel playing mind-games with the Bills organization get some sort of backlash from the media? Of course not, because we have Marshawn Lynch…speaking of Lynch…
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During the media’s hellbent vendetta to get Marshawn Lynch out of town, I have either been on Lynch’s side or just not giving a rats ass about the 3rd string back not being at OTAs. However, this latest twist between he and Chan Gailey has me scratching my head. The two still haven’t met yet? Seriously? Now, I know some people have said it’s on Marshawn Lynch to go out of his way to meet with Gailey, but where the hell is that written?
If you start a new job, I don’t see it written in the employee handbook that you must seek out your boss and introduce yourself. Normally, the boss will come to your cube or invite you into his office to chat. This whole communication issue between Gailey and Lynch reminds me of being single and going to a bar; only to have the stupid unwritten rule that you have to approach the girl you are interested in, but not the other way around. Hell, it can also be summed up as being in a relationship and getting into a fight with your significant other, and both of you are playing the stupid game of chicken to see who apologizes first.
Bottom line: Both parties are at fault here and one of these two knuckleheads needs to get in a room and just say “hi” to each other. That way, Sal Maiorana and the rest of the Buffalo media can shut up about their hatred towards Marshawn Lynch. BTW, anyone in the media who has Gailey’s back in all of this is probably just trying to kiss his ass.
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Quick Hits
–Look, I know some people feel that the NHL needs to stay on Versus because the network treats the sport like the Italians treat soccer. However, you can’t ignore how ESPN tends to overexpose any sport that they have a TV partnership with. Case in point, The World Cup. They have sent over a crew of 100’s to South Africa to preview game match-ups of a sport that is as popular in the states as the NFL is in Europe. Yet, they only send two on-air talents and a non-HD camera to the Stanley Cup Finals. You think if ESPN had a TV deal with the NHL it might have been different?–
–My busy schedule has kept me away from blogging about the NBA Finals. All of the games have been played well, but the officiating has been god awful. Andrew Bynum not being healthy has been a huge blow to the Lakers. BTW, I can’t stand Glen “Big Baby” Davis and Nate Robinson–
–I still like the Lakers in this series, as I think if they can just concentrate and play to the best of their ability, they can run the Celtics out of the gym. Game four was an example of LA’s problems in focusing. They should have won the game, but fell asleep in the 4th quarter–
–Memo to Larry Quinn: Can you stop going on WGR and confessing your love for getting drinks with Chris “The Bulldog” Parker? Seriously, every time he goes on the radio, he always makes a point of saying he’s a lush. Example:
Bulldog: (After about 20 I thinks) So, how badly do the Sabres want to win the cup?
Larry: Well, Chris, you know, we have gone out for drinks before and I’ve told you how badly I want to win the cup.
Listen up, Larry, I’m sure you know that Buffalo is a huge drinking town and maybe you’re just trying to sound cool by saying you’re driving to Happy Hour or funneling beers with The Bulldog. However, even if you were killing beers with Obama or licking salt o
ff of Paris Hilton’s breasts after a shot of tequila, you will always be a complete tool in my book. In other words: You’re not like us because you drink–
–I’m really surprised that The Buffalo News didn’t send a reporter to the Stanley Cup Finals until game 6. I can only assume that it must have been because of budgetary reasons (Maybe travel expenses to the Olympics were too much). Over the years, TBN had always sent a reporter to cover the entire Stanley Cup Finals. Honestly, if they knew they were going to have to do some belt-tightening for the Finals, maybe they should have reconsidered sending someone to The Final Four or for all two weeks of the Olympics. As we all know, hockey is huge in Buffalo and considering how there were a number of local story lines for this series, you would have expected TBN to be there for every step of the way. Sorry, but more Buffalonians would be interested in that series than the Final Four or ice skating–
–Did you know that you can listen to Tim Graham two hours a week on Buffalo radio? I actually can’t recall Graham’s work when he was with The Buffalo News, but I’m really starting to become a big fan of his. Not only is he a good writer, but he actually does a pretty decent job during his spots on Riter Radio (Thursdays). Graham is one of the few national guys that you can really value his opinion when it comes to the Bills. I mean, how many times can Peter King write that Roscoe Parrish needs to get the ball 130 times a year without laughing our asses off. I would rather listen to Graham talk about the Bills than hear John Clayton’s takes on WGR–
–Well, this is the summer that all the Regier apologists have been waiting for. No, I’m not talking about the Sabres actually doing something in the offseason. I’m talking about being able to celebrate that the Chicago Blackhawks are going to be in cap hell. If I could get a dollar every time I heard a Regier apologist mention that the Blackhawks cap woes would cause the franchise to declare bankruptcy and fall into a bottomless pit of doom, I’d be able to broadcast Buffalo at Florida games in HD.
“I can’t wait until the summer! Chicago is going to prove that they had it all wrong. They are going to be on the cusp of declaring bankruptcy and the team will be engulfed in flames. HAHAHA! We are all going to be laughing at their stupidity, HAHAHA. Long live Darcy Reiger and the system!”
I wonder if people will have parties on the exact day the Blackhawks have to be under the cap. If you can’t tell, I’m being awfully sarcastic with this post. Sorry, but just in case the Blackhawks have to lose a player or two, it will be more than worth it. They reached their goal and if I were a Blackhawks fan, I couldn’t care less what happens in the offseason.
BTW, I think Regier apologists have to give Chicago the benefit of the doubt. I’m sure the front office has a summer plan all made out. You see, when you lock-up your core group for years to come (Kane and Towes), you can afford to lose a role player or two. Of course, their role players would be star players on the Sabres. In case you need an example of this, think back if the Sabres decided to be proactive in re-signing Briere and Drury, but had to let go of Jason Pominville during their heyday after the lockout. You think the team would have really missed Pomer?–
–Way to stay classy during your parade speech, Patrick Kane. Seriously, can that guy be anymore South Buffalo. Honestly, I think the NHL needs guys like Kane, who are cocky and arrogant. The league needs personality–
Editor’s note II: Well, Mike Harrington from TBN just tweeted to me that The News hasn’t sent anyone to a “fly-cup” Finals since 2002. As he put it, the majority of U.S. cities don’t cover the Finals unless their team is in it. He did say that the last two years were different because TBN didn’t have to fly to the Stanley Cup Finals. I will say this, I’ve worked in TV production for 8 years and have booked flights and travel for destinations all over the country. I totally get how expensive travel can get.
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