WhoTom

Just did the online chat with DirecTV. First agent offered me $10/month off for a year. I asked him for more and he said that's the best he could do, so I asked to chat with the Retention department. That person offered me $40/month off of DirecTV, but no discount on ST. I asked for a free upgrade to ST-Max; he said he'd need to elevate me to the next level. Third person offered me $40/mo discount and ST-Max (including ST itself) for $99.96. I took the deal. All told, I saved about $630.

Remember when people were worried that the Bills would move to LA? I guess it's happening ... in a way.

The key phrase being "healthy Sammy." Maybe they weren't convinced that his foot is 100%.

He said that they'd received offers for months, so I would imagine that McD knew about that at least. The play selection suggests that they were either showcasing him or evaluating him - probably some of both.

The draft is a crapshoot - I agree. But Sammy has missed or been limited in about 1/3rd of his games due to injury, so in that respect, he's a gamble too. And what he said about wanting to play his entire career in Buffalo - most players talk like that until free agency rolls around. So there's two gambles: one that he stays healthy and another that he gives the Bills a hometown discount. What are the chances that both of those would have happened?

I agree, but I would add a qualifier: We didn't value him enough to spend that much of our salary cap on him. You're right that they could have restructured other guys, etc., but the bottom line is that they felt he wasn't worth that much of a cap hit. If the cap didn't exist, they may have kept him. We don't know for sure, but it's not a fallacy to say that the cap had an impact on this decision.

Whether the Bills will suck this year remains to be seen. That's why they play the games on the field (as opposed to on a message board), and that's why fans watch. Therefore, I'll be watching the Bills, like I do every year.

Young and fast are both overrated. I prefer an experienced woman who's built for comfort, not for speed. ;-)

http://i.imgur.com/BSUkzsr.mp4

With all the picks they're stockpiling, they'll be able to trade up if they see a QB they want. that doesn't guarantee that someone will trade or that the pick will become a franchise QB, but the ammo is there.

... and says, "Ouch!"

After the shock wore off, I started to think logically about why they'd do this. Given that Sammy has missed roughly one out of every three games and he's just getting off of surgery, I'm guessing the medical staff saw something they didn't like. That, combined with the fact that Sammy is in a contract year and may want out of Buffalo (regardless of what he says to the press), I can see why they took a calculated risk and got something for him (other than a compensatory pick). Will this be a good decision? Time will tell. But I don't see this as a "tank the season" move.

Looking forward to the weekly Review, Shaw. Happy anniversary! (My neighbor used to say, "We're going out to dinner. It's my wife's anniversary.")

Good thing one of them is a personal injury lawyer.

An American legend. I'm glad he was able to do one farewell tour before the disease took over completely.

Agreed. The last part, however, was heartbreaking. Obviously we know how it ends, but I wasn't aware of just how trapped Jerry felt by the enterprise that he built. All he wanted to do was play music, but he ended up leading a movement that he never intended to start, but which he felt obligated to continue. At the end, I reflected on this line from Ripple: "You who choose to lead must follow, but if you fall, you fall alone." Who knew how prophetic that would turn out to be. If you get a chance to see Grateful Dawg, a documentary about Jerry's friendship with David Grisman, check it out.

You gave up a shot at a good looking woman who was grinding on you so you could watch Bills preseason highlights. You "win" the sacrifice contest.

I seem to get "allergies" whenever we're visiting the in-laws.

I'm surprised he's not already there. Get it done, OBD.

Welcome to the Bills, Anquan!

Anyone have a cigarette?

Ah - you're the reason the Cubs won the World Series. Your sacrifice was effective, but your aim is a little off.

Putting Anquan Boldin on the other side of the line might clear some space for Sammy.

We saw him do a solo show last fall. Just him with an acoustic guitar in a small venue. Outstanding!