Greg de'Ville

...it's a fun read, especially for those of us who grew up in WNY around the time Tim did. Read it, then gave it to my Dad.

That's beautiful. They gave the alternate slot to Gardocki, the guy who's never had a punt blocked in his pro career. Well, there's always a first time: JANUARY 2 AT RALPHIE'S!!!!!

...no quibble about TKO, Sam & TMcGee...all three deserving. They got the gold mine, but Moorman got THE SHAFT!

Gee, I would have thought the time Moorman got JACKED UP at Ralphie's would have counted for something!

...Farrior definitely. Has had an MVP-caliber season for a good Steeler D. Best season of his career by far.

...Chump Bailey? Mr. O-ver-ra-ted? A Pro Bowler? Please.

...that blows cookies. WE Bills fans KNOW BETTER!

ID, you nailed another lost fundamental: the mid-range jumper. Make more of those high percentage shots and they more than offset the gain from low percentage three-balls. The pull-up 15-footer. I see only a handful of players in my league who do it. Teams who live by the three ultimately die by it. I've seen enough bricks over my 25 years in my profession to build arenas several times over.

...skip the first 46 minutes of an NBA game and watch the last two. I pine for the days when the Celtics, Lakers and Knicks teams of old played fundamental TEAM (read: unselfish) basketball. At both ends of the court. Sadly, it's about "I" or "me" rather than team in the pros anymore. Given a choice between college and pro hoops, I prefer college, though again, the fundamentals have gone the way of the dinosaur in most cases. Even free throw shooting has become a lost art at both levels. My interest in the NBA waned when the Braves skipped town, thanks to John "Why" Brown...carpetbagger deluxe.

October 1980. I was living on the left coast at the time. Saw the Bills rally in the 4th quarter to beat the Air Coryell Bolts, 26-24, at the Murph. Our Heroes were on top of the pro football world at 5-0 (Bert Jones and the Colts stepped on the cake the following week). But what a rush that was. It was a hair-raiser, believe you me. Chargers had the ball and were driving when Fouts connected with Winslow over the middle at midfield, but several Bills converged, popped the ball out, and there was Jim Haslett running the other way back to Bolts territory. One first down later, and it was over. Un-bill-ievable.

...this may the time for Norm Chow to become a head coach. If Daryl Gross wants to start fresh, he will look no further than Chow, who has long been one of the most successful coordinators in college football. I just can't see P surviving this latest blowout. Especially with a new AD on board.

...and if Jax wins out and makes the playoffs, tip your cap. They've won a lot of close games this season (including the Bills and GB on the road). Look how close they came to pulling out the Pgh game a few weeks back. That said, Houston and Choakland will not roll over. The DolFelons, to their credit, showed Monday night they're professionals. Regardless of record, you play your tails off every game.

"That'll learn ya!" -- Yosemite Sam. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2004/foot...i.ap/index.html

...call me p.c. conscientious, but I try to avoid using the "H" word and impart that to my kids as well. Too much hate in the world as it is. As to players I "dislike", Peanut Brittle Rob Johnson comes to mind from a Bills era not long ago but certainly forgettable. The one player I disliked going way back to my early days as a Bills fan was George Atkinson of the Faiders. He put the dirt in dirty. Had no qualms about taking a guy's head off or going for the knees. Was a cheap shot artist non pareil.

...and no, I'm not shelling out big $ for a dish, thank you very much. The southcentral Pennsyltucky area is considered Ravens territory TV-wise by the NFL, even though historically it has had a big Steelers fan base. The local CBS afflilate in Harrisburg has had a running feud with the league about this ever since Modell relocated his team to Baltimore, but their pleas to air Steeler games instead of the Ravens have fallen on deaf ears. Moral of the story: I looked at the schedule 1/2. 1 p.m.--Miami at Baltimore. Pittsburgh at Buffalo. Guess which game I'll get? Forget Philly's affiliate as well: It's a CBS road game for the Bungles and they're at the Iggles for a 1 o'clock kickoff. Therefore, in these parts, Bills and Steelers fans are screwed. The (potentially) biggest Bills football game in five years (since the Forward Lateral/Home Run Throwup), and I won't get to see it from the comfort of my living room thanks to these archaic (read, DUMB) territorial rules. Thanks, TagliaBOO! Thanks, Modell. Thanks a freakin' lot.

Naw...Rick Neuheisel is the original "Hermie." Pennington's imitation isn't bad, but Neuheisel's got him beat.

...to one of the game's most entertaining players in recent years. 20 years after leaving school to pursue his NFL career, Rockin' Randall Cunningham earned his bachelor's degree Monday from UNLV. "Cunningham retreats into his end zone, he ducks under one man, he ducks under three men, now he rolls to his left, winds and fires a pass deep downfield for Barnett, WHO LEAPS AND HAS IT, at the 45, 40, 35, 30, 25, 20, Barnett's gonna SCORRRRRE!!!!!" I've never forgotten Merrill Reese's call of "The Play." 95 yards against the Bills in '90. BRUUUUCE was just muttering to himself, "How the hell did he do that?" Bills were fortunate they got a big enough lead early (24-0 in the 1st quarter) and held on to win that game at Ralphie's. Those Iggles with the Bud Man (Buddy Ryan) at the helm were an entertaining bunch, you never quite knew week-to-week which Rockin' Randall would show up--he was so erratic.

...well, they're 3-0 during the Bills' recent run. Can they make it four? Inquiring minds want to know.

You got that right. Typical Patsie bias. Wouldn't expect less from those a-c's.

Go with Shaud in a pinch this week. Doesn't sound to me as if WM is going to compete this Sunday. MM's playing his cards close to the vest.

...probably eight-color layout in the Scum Sentinel this morning to accentuate the optic orange worn by the formerly tealed team.

Timing could not have been better for Bates, he interviews today for the DolFelon post. Saban will want two things: $ & power. Will Huizenga sign off?

...look at it this way. If the Bills can't beat the Niners, with or without WM, they don't deserve to go to the playoffs. As Rummy says, "You go with the army you have." Shaud & Burns will need to step it up, as must Bledsoe.

...Bates!

Agreed, Colts can't take #2 in head-to-head tiebreak vs. NE (Pats hold that), but the Bolts CAN on better conference record (10-2 to NE's 9-3) if they win out vs. Indy and KC and the Pats lose to the Dog-Ass Jets. Chargers have been on a great roll, but this game will truly test their mettle.