buckeyemike

The JP segment was on at about 6:35 this morning. Which of course means it will be on at least five more times this morning, for all who wish to TiVo or tape it. Mike

It's been a full 10 years since Los Angeles had an NFL team. And they don't seem to miss it very much. I think that if LA would have received a team, one would have moved by now. Many there would rather go see USC try to win a third consecutive national title. If the good people (and I use that term loosely ) of Southern California want NFL football so bad, go 2 hours down I-5 to see the Chargers. Hmmm...the Bills play in San Diego on November 20. That's about the time we'll see the conspiracy theorists again. Mike

And I think that was WITH Winslow. I agree with the statement, though. Savage and Crennel will prove to be the right men for the job. Mike

E-mail me. My office is also on Center Ridge Road, right down the street from "the Shrub". Hopefully, he didn't have my old room at Fairview Hospital before he got transferred to the Cleveland Clinic. Mike

Scores of bench trials and other hearings, yes. Mike

Me either. Usually. This one was different. I had to try it. Mike

This was only my third jury trial. This was also an assigned client from the county. I will be getting $400.00. Not very much, but just doing the trial (which was a day and a half) was worth it. I think he's an addict, but I don't think my client was guilty under the law. Mike

And I'm saying normal people don't eat chili with their hands. Mike

After 10 1/2 years of being an attorney, I finally won a jury trial yesterday. It was a simple possession of heroin case that the state would not plea bargain. This guy didn't have the heroin on him when he was arrested, and I got two different police officers to admit that on cross-examination. The jury was out for an hour and ten minutes before coming back with the Not Guilty verdict. I've won bench trials before, and been successful in Social Security disability and Workers' Comp hearings, but this is my first jury trial victory. Just wanted to let you all know...it's especially refreshing, since I'm only 48 days post-abdominal surgery. And several trips to the doctor after that. Mike

Thanks Beerball. I even went to Chili's last night and had chips and salsa. Mike

Thanks Beerball. I do feel quite a bit better. I went to Chili's and had chips and salsa last night. Mike

Promo, I'm a lawyer and I have one thing to say: Anyone who eats chili with their hands, especially Wendy's chili, which isn't very good to begin with, is an idiot. Mike

I don't know if this is still the case, but back in my law school days, we seemed to have a lot of people from Buffalo. I remember asking one (a girl I liked) why she chose Cleveland-Marshall over UB or any other Buffalo law schools, if there are any. She said there were limited opportunities in WNY. And this was in 1992. Tim Russert is another example (he went to John Carroll University, London's alma mater, graduated from C-M and spoke at my commencement in 1994). Mike

From near the scene of the accident: Winslow is an idiot. I live near the parking lot where he was riding the bike around. It's behind a satellite branch of a community college (Tri-C). It's a one-building complex that looks more like an office building, with an office-building size parking lot. This wasn't near as big as the lots at ECC Orchard Park or RWS. How he got up to 35 mph there, even on a "crotch rocket" is a mystery to me. Winslow shouldn't worry about his option or signing bonuses...as I'm sure we're all saying, he's lucky he's not dead. Mike

Trader Joe's just opened at Crocker Park in the western suburbs here, but I haven't been in it yet. Saw one of their circulars, looks like a really unique store. Mike

I've seen Wegman's in suburban Buffalo, but I've never been in one. However, since Wegman's is supposed to be the best company in America to work for, according to Fortune magazine, your statement may well be true. But Heinen's is much higher in quality than any of the other Cleveland grocery chains (including Tops), so I don't have much to compare it to. BTW, where in Cleveland did you go to school? Mike

I refuse to drink the Kool Aid. Mike

We have Tops here in Cleveland but no Wegman's. However, there is a similar (to Wegman's) locally owned store called Heinen's, noted for its high quality and reasonable prices. They have in-store cafes and coffee roasters. The food from the cafe is quite good...I eat there for lunch sometimes. Heinen's (Cleveland) Mike

It's not all bad (for me anyway). They gave the Browns an A. That may be the first A I've ever seen the Browns earn in a draft analysis. Mike

Dammit, Nanker, you're right. OPTIMISM. mea culpa ((calls Nanker unprintable things under his breath)) Mike

It was the Cuyahoga River, not the lake. BTW, that happened more than once. The river caught fire at least 3 times in the last century. Mike

and, believe it or not, I'm not talking about this board. In Cleveland, pessimism, negativity, and a general sense of impending doom have been raised to an art form...worthy of Picasso. I know these senses have also permeated (sp?) within those 200 miles to my northeast. Specifically, I speak of LeBron. Many say he's leaving, as soon as this summer. People, he's tied to the Cavaliers through 2007. The new owner of the Cavaliers says he's not going anywhere. The Cavaliers can offer him more $$$ than any other team. Yet, the naysayers here are waiting for the Other Shoe to drop. Doom, despair, and agony on Cleveland, they cry. It's almost as if they want Cleveland to wallow in misery...for it to become a self-fulfilling prophecy. I for one am tired of it. It's why I'm an eternal optomist. I've found that really pisses off the nattering nabobs (to quote, Spiro Agnew, I believe...whose name can be rearranged to spell "grow a penis", but never mind). The Cavaliers will be better...much more so in the next two years. Now I turn to the Browns. I really like the Phil Savage-Romeo Crennel combination. The draft was their best in years, at least since the team returned. I think Charlie Frye could eventually be a star QB in the NFL. Maybe the UB fans on this board can tell me what they thought of him, since I only saw Frye play on TV occasionally, leading an upset win over Marshall last season. My prediction for the Browns is 5-11, but a much stronger 5-11 than previous years. It will take a minimum of three years to turn the Cleveland Browns into a bona fide contender. That is how bad the team is...you saw just how bad when the Bills whomped them by 30 points. It is my belief that good times are ahead, that the light at the end of the tunnel is not an RTA Rapid train. Sure, work needs to be done, but I am to the point where I HATE negativity and pessimism and refuse to be a part of it any longer. Of course, criticism and reasoned debate are important. Dissent is as well. It's the vitriol and the poisonous rhetoric that have literally sickened me. It almost sounds like a political commentary on the early 21st century. Someone needs to be the voice of reason and optomism...and that goes for this board, too. Mike

Seriously, since I have stopped drinking alcohol, a good cigar would be appropriate. I don't even really know types, but I know what I like. I'll have to order from that Jr. Cigar site, thank you very much. Mike

Mine's gonna have to be iced tea from now on, I think. Mike

Probably not...the opener is 9/11/05. That is my sixth wedding anniversary. I know...most people groan when I say our anniversary is on September 11. We were married in 1999. Mike