Hello all 2,106 NYC Bills fans!

Looks like we have our Franchise QB in EJ Manuel, but like with every draft, its not worth getting excited until we see how they perform on the field. Somebody in the Tribeca area must be excited, a fellow fan is having a little fun with some construction wall sites I’ve noticed commuting to/from work. Check them out, one is right across from the Ghostbuster’s Firehouse:
http://nycbbb.com/notes/post-buffalo-bills/

No, its not me, but I love whoever it is! And if you need another reason to get excited, the Buffalo Philharmonic is in town TONIGHT playing at Carnegie Hall! How awesome is that? They are hands down one of the best philharmonics in the nation, and something all current and former Buffalonians should take pride in. Go support them as tickets are still available, here are the details:

Be there on Wednesday, May 8 2013 at 7:30pm and show your WNY pride. Don’t miss a chance to experience this great event, get your tickets today at: https://www.carnegiehall.org/SiteCode/Purchase/SeatSelectionPerformance.aspx?startWorkflow=true&quickBuy=false&quantity=1&eventId=11869

More from the BPO:
“With New York City as an inspiring backdrop, we have a unique opportunity to shine the spotlight on Western New York and our treasured orchestra with an invitation to perform at Carnegie Hall as part of the Spring for Music festival on May 8, 2013.

The Spring For Music festival showcases innovation and creativity in classical music programming, and is designed to make classical music more accessible to modern audiences. The BPO is one of one five orchestras selected from a national field to present a program during the week-long festival.”

Learn more:
http://www.bpo.org/carnegiehall/

Facebook Invitation:
https://www.facebook.com/events/484019524998915/?fref=ts

Use this link to spread the word:
http://nycbbb.com/notes/buffalo-philharmonic-orchestra-coming-nyc/

GO BILLS!

Matt “Talkin’ Proud and Love the BPO” Kabel

Hello all 2,110 Bills Fans!

Wait, what… The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra is coming to New York City in May? You announce this on the day of the draft? Are you crazy?

Yes. Yes. Hey, watch it there buddy.

The good people at the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra want you to know that they are coming to Carnegie Hall, and all of Western New York is lining up to support this historic performance. Even the Bills have signed on as an official sponsor!

There isn’t much time, so I wanted to send this out today. Even if it IS the day of the draft and our annual draft party.

Be there on Wednesday, May 8 2013 at 7:30pm and show your WNY pride. Don’t miss a chance to experience this great event, get your tickets today at: https://www.carnegiehall.org/SiteCode/Purchase/SeatSelectionPerformance.aspx?startWorkflow=true&quickBuy=false&quantity=1&eventId=11869

More from the BPO:
“With New York City as an inspiring backdrop, we have a unique opportunity to shine the spotlight on Western New York and our treasured orchestra with an invitation to perform at Carnegie Hall as part of the Spring for Music festival on May 8, 2013.

The Spring For Music festival showcases innovation and creativity in classical music programming, and is designed to make classical music more accessible to modern audiences. The BPO is one of one five orchestras selected from a national field to present a program during the week-long festival.”

Learn more:
http://www.bpo.org/carnegiehall/

Facebook Invitation:
https://www.facebook.com/events/484019524998915/?fref=ts

Use this link to spread the word:
http://nycbbb.com/notes/buffalo-philharmonic-orchestra-coming-nyc/

And don’t forget, our draft party starts today! Who are we taking?
http://nycbbb.com/2013-emails/draft-party-week-qb/

A little culture never hurt anyone,

- Matt Soreco

Great news! The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra is coming to Carnegie Hall, and all of Western New York is lining up to support this historic performance.  Even the Bills have signed on as an official sponsor!

Be there on Wednesday, May 8 2013 at 7:30pm and show your WNY pride. Don’t miss a chance to experience this great event, get your tickets today at: https://www.carnegiehall.org/SiteCode/Purchase/SeatSelectionPerformance.aspx?startWorkflow=true&quickBuy=false&quantity=1&eventId=11869

More from the BPO:
“With New York City as an inspiring backdrop, we have a unique opportunity to shine the spotlight on Western New York and our treasured orchestra with an invitation to perform at Carnegie Hall as part of the Spring for Music festival on May 8, 2013.

The Spring For Music festival showcases innovation and creativity in classical music programming, and is designed to make classical music more accessible to modern audiences. The BPO is one of one five orchestras selected from a national field to present a program during the week-long festival.”

Learn more:

http://www.bpo.org/carnegiehall/

Facebook Invitation:
https://www.facebook.com/events/484019524998915/?fref=ts

Hello all 2,112 NYC Bills fans!

We’re just over 48 hours away from finding out what the Bills will do with the #8 overall pick in this year’s NFL Draft. I’m writing to ya’ll from Austin, Texas, where on my Jetblue flight down here I watched the “experts” say Buffalo WILL take a QB, and whoever they take WILL be a massive reach as apparently this QB class is terrible…maybe the worst ever. My opinion – if the Bills have a QB they LOVE, that they KNOW can take us to the Super Bowl, and he’s there at #8…TAKE HIM. Nobody will care if it was a reach if he pans out. On the other hand, if there isn’t a QB in this class that they feel can take us to the Super Bowl…then DON’T TAKE A QB. Build elsewhere, do a year with Kolb, let fans scream at you and get your man next year. If the Bills do either of those, I’m happy.

Below are the details for the party. I’ll be there hanging with the dudes who run www.BuffaloWins.com and www.deargodwhyussports.com who will be live tweeting/blogging from McFadden’s.

April 25 – Thursday: McFadden’s will have the first round of the Draft televised with sound starting at 7pm, first pick at 8pm. From 7-11pm, the bar will offer $3 import drafts (including Blue), half priced drink specials, and free wings!

April 26 – Friday: Same special with wings from 6-11pm for rounds 2-3 and will have the sound on shortly before/after the Bills pick (keep in mind its Friday night)

April 27 – Saturday: All-you-can-drink/wing specials we use during the season from 11-4pm. The pricing can be found here:
http://nycbbb.com/features/drink-specials-times/

As a reminder, its also our 12 year anniversary here at NYCBBB, so be sure to toast the disgusting fact that we have yet to watch a playoff game on 42nd and 2nd. But also toast the visions of the debacle it will be when we do.

GO BILLS!
GO SABRES!!

Matt “Talkin’ proud and really hope there’s a QB they love” Kabel

Hello all 2,121 NYC Buffalo Bills Fans!

Its that time of year again, where the Bills draft a bunch of guys and for a couple weeks we feel like we’re a contender again! Until the season starts. Perhaps the Bills ARE ready to turn it around this year under new Coach Doug Marrone, although a having salesman running the team will always worry me. With the cutting of Ryan Fitzpatrick, the Bills are poised to take a QB early in the draft for the first time since JP Losman. And Trent Edwards. And trading for Drew Bledsoe. If anything, it should make for an exciting draft party!

As always, come on down to McFadden’s to watch the Bills make their selections with hundreds of your fellow Bills fans. This event is actually open to none Bills fans, so its a good excuse to bring along those buddies you never see on Sunday afternoons during the season. Here are the details:

April 25 – Thursday: McFadden’s will have the first round of the Draft televised with sound starting at 7pm, first pick at 8pm. From 7-11pm, the bar will offer $3 import drafts (including Blue), half priced drink specials, and free wings!

April 26 – Friday: Same special with wings from 6-11pm for rounds 2-3 and will have the sound on shortly before/after the Bills pick (keep in mind its Friday night)

April 27 – Saturday: All-you-can-drink/wing specials we use during the season from 11-4pm. The pricing can be found here:
http://nycbbb.com/features/drink-specials-times/

We’ll also be celebrating 12 years of NYCBBB, which is also just a painful reminder of the # of years we’ve gone without being able to watch a playoff game at McFadden’s or Calico’s. Its getting harder and harder to maintain my 6-year-old as a Bills fan.

My god, I’m Negative Nelly aren’t I. Look what you’ve done to me Buffalo Bills!! Why has thou forsaken me?!!!

Anyways, enjoy your Easter Holidays, we’ll reach out again prior to the draft.

GO BUFFALO!

Matt “Talkin’ proud and am becoming a bitter old man” Kabel

Another Bills season nearly come and gone and what have we learned? This past week, I learned that watching the Bills while recovering from a bout of stomach flu is redundant – the nausea and malaise induced by the two are nearly identical…but, at least I knew the stomach bug symptoms would be gone in a few hours. The Bills, on the other hand, are the gift that keeps on giving.

And speaking of gifts, my travels and subsequent sickness prevented me from submitting this now-dated column before Christmas, but the sentiments remain. Inspired by the long history of Jews before me who wrote Christmas songs, I offer The 12 Days of a Bills Fan’s Christmas. In the interest of time and space, I consolidate the 12 days into one, final verse:

On the twelfth day of Christmas,
Ralph Wilson sent to me
Twelve more touches for C.J.,
Eleven defenders defending,
Ten more yards on Lindell’s leg,
Nine new coaches,
Eight guys with Eric Wood’s attitude
Seven sold out years at the Ralph,
Six division victories,
Five meaningful games after week 13….
Four injury-free offensive linesmen,
Three strong receivers,
Two fewer Toronto games,
And a QB who doesn’t make the Big Mistake!

The numbers don’t lie.

Hello all 2,113 NYC Bills Fans!

Well, the road to 8-8 for this team begins tomorrow. In Toronto. God help me.

The Bills take on the Seahawks in Toronto tomorrow afternoon. Kickoff is at 4:05pm, specials begin at 3pm and run through the end of the game. I’m actually kind of curious how the defense handles Marshawn Lynch to see if they’re actually as improved as they appear to be. You know, cuz our offense is pathetic, beginning with the play-calling. Guess we’ll see, as long as Lynch isn’t driving on the field, we know how that and Canadians mix…

Christmastime in NYC is awesome, so with the 4pm game its a great opportunity to go check out the tree in Rockefeller, do some shopping, then head over some some Blues and wings at McFadden’s and Calico Jack’s. If you need an excuse to drink.

Buffalo Comedy
Member Joe Pera asked if I could share details for a Buffalo Comedy Night going on this Tuesday. All these guys either moved from Buffalo to NYC to pursue comedy or are fellow fans of the worst team of the last decade. Here are the details, go check it out and support our brethren

‘Buffalo Comedy’
Hosted by Joe Pera, Dan Licata, and Charles Gould
Featuring Stand-Up by Matt Wayne, Mike Kaiser, Kevin Michael Smith,
Andrew Short, and Doug Short

At The Creek and The Cave Theater
Tuesday December 18th, 8pm
10-95 Jackson Avenue, Long Island City
(Only 1 stop on the 7-Train away from McFaddens)
Free
danjoecharlesshow.tumblr.com

Go Toronto!

Matt “Talkin’ Proud and Miss Buffalo Christmas’” Kabel

10-year old: “Daddy, did you notice that whenever you decide to wear Bills stuff, they lose?”

Me: “Sweetie, they lose no matter what I wear.”

I toyed with a lot of directions for this column, but as we approach the final three weeks of the season, those of you still paying attention know the drill. The same as last December, the December before that, and so on…to paraphrase Green Day, wake me when December ends. Or, to paraphrase our staff photographer Mike Coniairis, in reaction to the Bills appearing on a foolish “In The Hunt” playoff graphic this past week, I feel comfortable making other plans for January.

The Rams game, to me, epitomized the sad story of our beloved franchise over the past decade: poor, often questionable choices and, despite the talent that exists on this roster, the critical mistake — or, lack of execution — at the critical time.

As a one-time defender of Coach Gailey, I’ve got to point to the sequence that bothered me most: the strategic choices and clock management in the final seconds of the first half.

Look, I’m not going to hang a coach – or player – out to dry for one mistake, or even one game. But, to me, this sequence embodied why the Bills (once again!) need to fundamentally re-think how this team is run (and, speaking of “run”…well, more on that in a moment.)

#1: the conservatism of the play-calling at the end of the half dumbfounded me. It’s clear that seriously going for a touch down wasn’t part of the plan. Buffalo had all of its timeouts with a little over a minute on the clock. They faced a 3rd-and-9 situation just outside of the Rams’ 20, but used a timeout with nine seconds remaining to go for a field goal.

OK, fine. But, two questions: 1) Why not take a shot at the end zone? Lack of faith? And, 2) Why not let the clock run down to three seconds? With nine seconds remaining, the Bills still had to kick off, giving the Rams a puncher’s chance at making something happen.

Not that a Jeff Fisher-coached team ever ran back a Bills’ kick in the waning seconds.

This brings us to #2: the remarkable under-utilization of CJ Spiller.

You know, I’ll let someone else say it for me. Watch this whole video at your own peril: I suspect 90 seconds is plenty. I’m not as much of a purist as this guy, but he makes the general point for me.

And, by the way, I apologize if the song parodied here is already out of style by the time you hear this:

I fear my semi-annual “Who will be the next Bills’ coach?” column is forthcoming. Somewhere, Jim Haslett, our Future-Coach-For-Life, is paying attention to what’s happening in Orchard Park.

So, here’s the good news: McFadden’s and Calico Jack’s were pretty crowded, and will be open for business for the duration. See you on Sunday!