San Jose Bills Fan

In fairness to this discussion, the great retired safety, Rodney Harrison stated that George Wilson was playing like a Defensive POY candidate.

Well the BigBuff wrote a really nice Op-Ed mile marker for this regime. The third year of a regime does have symbolic significance and today is the first year that this regime is unencumbered by less-than-ideal circumstances. No late transition period, no lockout. Nix has fired Modrak and brought in Tom Gibbons and Chuck Cook… he has his team on board. Also Nix has apparently laid down some contingencies for moving both up and down from #10. He has publicly stated that the expectations are high this year and the team is playing to win. In the context of the near end of both Ralph Wilson's long life and the team's stadium lease, there is definitely the sense that this third draft, this third year of a rebuild, this season, will be a watershed moment in Bills history.

Glad to make you laugh d2d. I think everyone's a bit punchy now that the big day has finally arrived. After 11 straight days of work, I'm taking today off. Happy Draft Day, everyone!!! Go Bills!!!!!

Good job of connecting the dots. I think you nailed it. Regarding Ryan's big mouth, I've heard that not only can he fit his own foot in it, but also his wife's foot… all at the same time!

Also I'd read that Sanchez and Holmes tweeted Valentine's greetings to each other. Clearly, the Jets PR staff is doing everything possible to right the ship after last year's chemical explosion in the locker room. Interestingly, Tebow was recently booed at a Yankees game. My theory on these booings is that Giants, Yankees, Knicks = New York proper, Jets, Mets, Nets = Long Island In other words, Yankees and Knicks fans are likely to be Giants fans and therefore would boo any New York Jets players.

I mean, Fitzpatrick. BTW, did you know he wears his wedding ring even during games?

It's Fitzgibbons!!!

No Jeremy. I could cite numerous studies that predate the 2002 high school study which Durham referenced. I've just worked my 11th day in a row working 12-hour shifts and I'm not gonna go digging to prove a point. If you want to buy that one high school study is the seminal work on football-related head injuries and their long term effects, go right ahead. I'm not "latching onto one piece of information" but you seem to be. As for your second paragraph, you didn't read my post carefully. I said that there are many classes of players in this issue. Some of these player pre-date concussion studies. Some don't. Some are in a grey area… these are the group of players who may or may not have fully understood the perils of playing with concussion symptoms. These are the ones who may have been misled by team doctors and concussion czars, like Wayne Chrebet for instance. But again, if you want to lump all the players together so that it's more understandable, go right ahead.

We'll be at this game. Last Bills-Niners game I went to was in 2004 in "The Stick." Bledsoe led the team to a 41-7 win, our sixth win in a row which set up the season ending "win and you're in" match against the Pittsburgh Steelers reserves… Ouch!

Plays well in a phone booth… A newer scouting cliche was recently revealed to us by Bills scouts: "He's a good foot athlete."

Antonio Cromartie's Guide to Contraception and Birth Control (with a forward by Travis Henry)

I've been reading about Elliott Pellman and the NFL's avoidance/suppression of the concussion issues for quite a long time now. The study you cite regards high school athletes and thus proves nothing. We're talking about NFL football players here, not high school football players. You are confused on the issue. As for Raiola: 1) Do you think he speaks for the thousands of former NFL players who have filed suit against the league? 2) You use 1991 data to support your notion that NFL players are somehow undeserving of financial compensation by the league. I've stated numerous times in this ongoing debate that there are many classes involved in this issue, and some extraordinary cases across the classes. Anyone who thinks that this debate can be characterized with all the players being equivalent is oversimplifying. What would you say to a plaintiff like Hall of Famer Bob Lilly who played from 1961-1974 and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1980?

Good one, Mark! My first good laugh since I got home from work. Hallelujah!!!

For those who didn't click the link, it's an interview with former Bills DE, Ben Williams… big #77. He was a VERY underrated player and one of my all-time faves. Thanks Beerball. "Williams was the first black football player for Ole Miss, the first to earn All-SEC honors, and the first chosen by the student body as Colonel Reb, the school’s highest elected honor."

The Vikings took too long in 2003 while discussing their options for their first round pick. During this delay, both Jacksonville and Carolina made picks at which point Minny got their act together and chose Kevin Williams. Based on this occurrence, a team which goes over their time limit temporarily forfeits their position to the next team in line and can pick after the team that was behind them makes their pick. Applying logic and common sense, if the Giants ran out of time on the final pick of round one, the pick would go to St. Louis to end the first round. The Giants would then have the first pick in round two but would have to make their pick immediately because they had already exhausted their time limit. I'd bet dimes to donuts that this is how it would be handled.

I see what you did there… very crafty.

Thanks Damond. I'm looking forward to your Q and A with Vontaze. You do a real nice job in those interviews. Please post the link here. Thanks.

Measurables: 5'9, 155 lbs. 51 years old, but recently kicked his 6' 3", 28-year old nephew's ass in one-on-one hoops. Scouting Report: Never played organized football but has won 2 fantasy football leagues a total of 5 times and was a standout scholastic electric football player (Coleco and Tudor). More quick than fast, plays with good leverage, long arms, good anticipation but can be overaggressive biting on play fakes and misdirection. Good ball athlete with sure hands, plucks the ball but shows soft hands on hard throws. Plays with good pad level and natural hip sinker but lacks elite speed and will bite on pump fakes. Eager run defender but lacks pop at point of attack, hustle player but smoking habit has limited 4 quarter endurance in the past. Has recently quit smoking. Projection: Priority free agent. Good training camp body and with competitiveness and attitude, could find a spot as a developmental practice squadder but more likely would make an outstanding ball boy.

I heard his interview with Tom Tolbert on KNBR here in the Bay Area. That was yesterday and I'm still trying to process it. Spielman is an extraordinary person as was his wife. He spent a great deal of time talking about parenting an he brings the same intensity to "civilian life" as he did to the football field. Hopefully I can recount the interview some day but it was very compelling. Sample: "There's nothing wrong with setting high standards for children if you know they are capable of reaching them." Suffice to say that Spielman is not the guy who enrolls his child in a T-ball league where no score is kept.

Damn… the place looks closed…

Didn't see it but The Matrix was a nice addition to the Mavs. Too bad it didn't work out with Lamar Woodley. Is Maury still married to Connie Chung? Seems like he comes out with a new show every week.

Pipe dream? What?

Well then, if I was Revis I'd make sure that I didn't get married.