Dan Gross

Bolded version is your words, unless you can show otherwise. The big difference between the Bills and Bengals situation is that the "popular veteran" stayed with the team in the Bengals' case. Kitna supported the move, and he and Palmer actually became good friends. Regardless, he was still on the team if Palmer completely failed, so it was a good 'security policy.' Look at the Bills' situation. Losman is named the starter, Bledsoe says "I'm not a backup," and the Bills release him. At that point you have Losman and veteran backup Shane Matthews (who was talking of retiring)...and nothing else. What would you, as a team member, think about the season faced with that situation? Another difference is that Palmer was able to practice with the team that whole first year, so they "knew" him better. I won't even get into the feeling that some players on the Bills' team felt that only tweaks were needed after 2004 (falling one game out of the playoffs), and that the timing of the change at QB seemed suspect because of that. The Bengals, while going 8-8 in 2003, lost 3 of their last 4 games, so I wouldn't think they'd go into 2004 with those same expectations. And that's even acknowledging that there was a "player revolt" over Losman. It's clear that Moulds did not care for the fact that Losman preferred Evans, but can you say he "revolted" based solely on the decision to go with Losman? And if so would it have to do with Losman directly, or just the simple fact that he'd be working with his umpteenth new QB since he was drafted by the Bills, tired of the inconsistency?

Not you too? I thought you were smarter than that...

I agree with 90% of the above. My contention though is he loves the spanking which is why he keeps playing and presenting the crayonz-worthy arguments....

He knows there are differences in Palmer. He told me in this exact thread that the Palmer situation was completely different when I brought Palmer up. Yet all of a sudden the Losman situation reminds him of the Palmer situation...

Well, if my "magic mod capabilities" included splitting threads I would...

Sorry, my fault. I said the "L word," which apparently automatically summons Noodle Arm into any thread. I'll send you my coordinates by PM. At least your thread got some page views and comments...

Oh, you are Holcomb's Arm? If not, I wasn't talking to you....

Any_Arm_But_Losmans has been arguing that Nall has the tools to succeed while Losman does not. He bases Losman not having the tools in part on the apparently poor (based on their current level of front-office employment) player evaluation skills on the teams that coveted Losman (Bills/Green Bay) while ignoring the fact that one of the same unemployed folks who thought Losman would be good is a guy who thought Nall would be good....How can you argue that Losman is worse because Sherman wanted him when the other guy was drafted by Sherman?

...and the latter felt that Nall had the tools as well....go figger....

BUT BUT BUT his GAA isn't even top 10! He barely scratches the top 10 with his save %age man! Don't muddle things with game play, look at the stats!

Cincinnati had a whole string of highly regarded top 10 draft picks that didn't turn out for them. What makes Carson Palmer different, other than the hair you are trying to split here in comparing with Losman? Heck, Ryan Leaf was highly regarded around NFL circles before he was drafted. Many considered the choice between him and Manning as a "toss-up." This is not about popularity, it's about playing football, which you need to let a guy take his lumps and do for more than a couple games before casting your stones. Ryan Leaf's successor Drew Brees took a whole couple years to develop, to the point where San Diego had already drafted Brees' successor.

So I guess you would have dumped Carson Palmer after his first 8 starts....Part of adjusting to the NFL is actually getting on the field and playing the damn game.

Shhhhh, a QB's performance has nothing to do with the defense....That's a "loss" in the "Loss-man" column.

It's the old "day by day." In other words, they won't say until they have to...just from the language I'm hearing being used, indications are that he was kept out last night as a precautionary measure, but then again, as others have said, Hitchcock was saying much the same about Umburger... Latest I'm seeing is that Connolly and Kalinin are both listed as questionable. As a satanic former GM of a different Buffalo sports franchise was fond of saying: "Stay tuned..."

No, I think he's saying that if the Sabres weren't such a high scoring team we'd be hurting with him in goal because he's weak, except for half the playoff games (like last night) where he has been adequate.

If you watch, Connoly pretty much lowers himself into the elbow...not sure whether it was a brace for impact type scenario or what, but it was perfectly clean.

Think maybe then he'll contort his face into an expression that looks more like a smile than the look of someone whose dog was just run over?

Yup, because you can tell everything about a player's performance from the stat sheet. And as far as GAA goes, remember you are in the "new NHL," where Miller's "weak" GAA still puts him in 11th in the league...not exactly scraping the bottom...I think sub-2.0 GAA over 40+ games is a thing of the past... Is he Hasek? No (he's actually playing, not tending to the 13th "groin injury" of his career)...has he reached his prime yet? No. Has he had something to do with the Sabres setting a team record for wins? I guess not, by your reckoning...

No he isn't. He's weak. Just ask Joe.

Ha! Don't think you can turn it off. A nod to nerds and the power of vi!

I've asked before and have always gotten a hyper-technical answer. Something about putting a small black cylindroid into the opponent's net more times than they put same cylindroid in yours....

He mis-spelled it. It's spelled pron and it can be found at this site.

Who said defensive hockey can't be exciting? Wow. All "freak" goals. Two off the breakaway (which seems to be a given score against Emery) and one off the face-off. Still felt like Buffalo was playing penalty kill all the game, even when they were even up. Gotta find a way to keep the puck in the Sens' end. Where's Joe with his obligatory "Ryan Miller...weak" commentary?

It's the only reality show that actually affects his life...

Which requires more of what's left after the killer chimps have their way.