Stranded in Boston

Nice story; thanks Ray -- and Merry Xmas! (But putting snowballs in the freezer? I take it your kids haven't spent a winter in WNY! 😀 )

Ah, you young'ns! Or you could set the DeLorean to 1965 and go to the original Laux Sporting Goods at the Boulevard Mall -- and pick up some groceries at Acme Market while you're there. 😀

"gutted and grilled" ... that's some fine old-time sports-writing, Chan! 😆 My boys will never understand why I still hate the Fish more than the Pats. I just tell them, "It's a 70s thing!"

If "cutlass" is the word of the thread, "pre-mature decisioning" is the phrase of the thread. 😂

I had the same thought! Thurman seemingly had eyes on top of his head. We older fans also recall Joe Cribbs' great hands on receiver-type overhead throws. Anyhow I sure hope Cook gets it worked out, because he does run terrific downfield routes -- wheels, etc. His speed is so deceptive; he just glides away from the DBs.

And ... Jerry Bergman!! 🤬

F*** Jerry Bergman Still hate that motherf***er Fifty years later (Mods please forgive me But if you recall that game You would understand)

Pair Rob Riddick back there with Roland. Bring back the HB dive! 😆

Good point, Beck. But Joique Bell might be more exception than the rule. After the Bills released him, I recall he had a pretty decent 3-4 year run in Detroit, both rushing and receiving out of the backfield. The dude really had an eye for the end zone.

Mark Duper/Clayton (mock the "Shout" song?) Jimmy Cefalo (pip-squeak cheap-shot artist) Vince Wilfork (fat cheap-shot artist) Zach Thomas (steroid-addled, annoying and incredibly overrated) One more for good measure: Deion Sanders. 1992: Falcons are down 38-0 to the Bills in the second quarter. Sanders runs back a squib kick for a TD; OK, bravo. But instead of just handing the ball to the officials, he showboats 20 yards down the sideline like a complete a$$-clown. What a great teammate ...

My wife is from Milan, Italy (Milano, in Italian). After more than a quarter century with me, she still doesn't get football ("Why do the fat guys jump on top of each other?" 🙄). But last year I had the brilliant idea of getting her a white #58 jersey with her "hometown" on the back. The kids told me I was nuts (they were right ...) As for "Go Bills", I wear a Bills hat pretty much every morning at the dog park across from my house here in Boston. I saw a little kid the other day with "Bills" on his shirt in big blue block letters. I yelled out, 'Yeah little buddy, go BILLS!". His mom gave me a sour look, told me "It's his flag football team" and hustled him away from scary me and my dog. ... But plenty of other WNY transplants and students here in town; I meet folks with Bills gear probably twice a week, usually prompted by a "Go Bills" salutation. 😃

Thanks Chan! I loved that '79 squad; They faded at the end of the year and missed the playoffs, but showed tons of potential. Plus the draft going into that year was fantastic: despite &^%$# Tom Cousineau bailing out, the Bills landed Jerry Butler, Jim Haslett and Fred Smerlas, all future pro-bowlers -- plus Jeff Nixon in a later round, who was on a pro-bowl trajectory in 1980 when he injured his knee. (But 44 years ago?? Yikes ...)

I hear you, Shaw. I had an uneasy feeling on draft day with all of Bills' fandom calling for a double-dip at WR -- and then I realized why. In the past, it seemed that every time the Bills double-dipped to fill a need, one or both of the pair didn't work out. Take Tom Ruud & Bob Nelson; Robert Holt & Mike Mosley; John McCargo & Kyle Williams; Greg Rousseau & Boogie Basham. Some of those names are probably unfamiliar to you younger guys -- but that's the point: they never panned out! Anyhow, I'm glad the Bills followed their draft board. We'll hit on some of the rookies and miss on others this year, but overall it looks some really good players in that group. But thanks for the write-up, Shaw. Always a pleasure to read!

For me, Jerry Butler. He was so explosive his first few years opposite Frank Lewis, then blew out his knee in 1983. He clawed his way back to the league in 1985, then became a key veteran component of Jim Kelly's first Bills' receiving squad in 1986. But it all ended too quickly: he shattered his ankle on a spectacular touchdown catch against Miami, and never played another down. Talk about a shooting star ...

I'll also chime in with you, Frankish. Shaw looked promising in 1970, and he was banged up throughout the 1971 season. Plus that '71 offensive line was likely the worst in Bills history, a total sieve. Neither Shaw nor James Harris had a chance back there; I recall the Vikings sacked Shaw 10 times in one game. Plus the Bills were always playing from behind and forced to throw, because their defense was horrible (with the exception of the great Robert James, of course!).