The Buffalo Bills Channel Their Inner Dictatorship with New Media Policy

The Buffalo Bills just rolled out their newest media policy for reporting on the team’s practices, and man does this evoke memories of the Chip Kelly regime here. Here are the new policies that they have handed down to the Buffalo media:

• They cannot report on who is playing with the first string or the second string.
• They cannot report who is rushing the passer.
• They cannot report if a quarterback is completing his passes or if they are intercepted, or if a receiver catches or drops the ball.
• The media is not allowed to talk with players during or after practice, only during specified “media availability sessions.”
• Photographers are only permitted to take pictures during stretches and individual drills, and they have to do it from a boxed area ten yards away from the field.
• Media are not allowed to stream any parts of practice using applications like Meerkat or Periscope.

Well, this should make for really great reading content for fans. You can now read about practice jersey colors that were worn, the weather during practice, and maybe what media members were fed while on the premises. Pageviews all day long!

I do give media members credit, however, for their pretty great response to these new policies on social media. Here are the best that I have come across:

The grass is a greenish color, and some #Bills players are wearing a whitish jersey with numbers on them. Others, bluish with other numbers.

— John Wawrow (@john_wawrow) May 24, 2016

I’m also having trouble confirming whether the Bills are holding OTAs today. Not allowed to talk about it. https://t.co/CZY0bbGSBi

— Mike Rodak (@mikerodak) May 24, 2016

Cornerback Corey White caught a pass that was not intended for him during team drills. #Bills

— Joe Buscaglia (@JoeBuscaglia) May 24, 2016

A QB not named Tyrod Taylor or Cardale Jones just threw a pick-six on his first throw of team work.

— Mark Ludwiczak (@marklud12) May 24, 2016

#BillsUpdates: EJ Manuel continues to look bad.

— Chaps (@UncleChaps) May 24, 2016

No word yet on whether the Bills’ media outlets will be allowed to report on the accuracy of their kickers in camp, or if they are pushing attempts wide right.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCHZFwDCNyA

H/T to Mike Rodak