UConn James

If that really is the case of what you want, Shaud Williams wears jersey No. 40. I do think a lot of people here sell him short. The height factor is actually a positive for him, (lower center of gravity --> harder to tackle). Played pretty well in what relief appearances he had in SF. You're not really going to find anyone who's got as good stats or heart as him. That said, they still pick another one up for the PS in case of injuries. And I respectfully disagree, but Bettis and Willis are very different type backs. Power and size, you say. Really watch their running styles and you'll see they do lots of things differently. And it's small details of their style, but it matters big. Yeah, Willis can, but he doesn't do them nearly as well as his speed game (and you'll be seeing a revert more to this when he heals fully). I'm not convinced of his goal-line presence yet. I think Bettis could show him a few moves in camp.

I don't know (and it's hard to explain) but Bettis does it a lot differently. Willis seems to be more speed with stiffarm, running toward the sides on sweeps than a full-ahead steamroller. Bettis almost aims for the pile and busts it open. Kind of like Sam Gash, only he carries the rock while he's doing it. And still, you can't say the man is without finesse. He brings a very weird, but useful combo of size and skills to your table. He always gave our Ds fits.

Mick, the reading around here is a lot better ever since I quit PPP and didn't look back, and discovered the Ignore feature. It's really beautiful.

Valid point that there are going to be a lot of good RBs to be had for cheap in the draft and as UDFAs. I do think, tho, that Bettis would be a satisfactory "change-of-pace" back. Signing another speed & power guy would be getting esentially the same style runner. Bettis brings a lot more than that. And he's a good goaline runner/decoy.

I actually think w/ his size and style, he'd complement Willis well. He brings to the table pretty much everything Willis doesn't have (not much, at that tho) --- a bust it up your gut and you're still not going to stop me 'cause I'll run you over, guy. I'd only be concerned b/c of his age, but as a 2nd if/when Travis gets the axe or block, I'd be very happy to sign the Bus.

Here, here! (or is it 'Hear, hear!'?) For all of the in-fighting that could have gone on and didn't; Drew, thanks for taking the helm for a few years to guide the ship. And thanks for stepping aside fairly graciously. Good luck with your next team (except when you're playing the Bills or have any Bills-related tie-breakers requiring you to lose).

Actually, his quote was "particularly for J.P." Why particularly for J.P.? If Dallas isn't interested and Drew doesn't want to be a backup, then I'd say his playing days are over. When it comes down to it, he probably will land as a No. 2 somewhere. There are worse things in the world than getting paid $2M to analyze film, make fart jokes in the scout team huddle, and hold a clipboard on Sundays. Much worse things.

Thanks, I missed the first few minutes (they do start it earlier than 8) and had a few coughing-up-a-lung spells in getting over the flu. That sense of "community" that some people were saying is lacking on the island is plainly obvious in Locke's story. He might not know the particular's of Sawyer's life, but it is pretty textbook of an abusive father. There's a lot of other types of communication that goes on, especially for Locke, but it may be a Sherlock Holmes kind of Knowing things. It seems magical that he might know about this something until you find out his ordinary reasoning. Let's face it, Jack's father isn't the best of men. Which leads to another thing he said. Jack as the Good/Great Man. Who's going to emerge as his nemesis (you can't have a great man w/o a contrasting evil one)? Initially, I thought it was going to be Sawyer. And now I'm not at all sure. Call me crazy but it may actually be Boone with Locke as a medium. Trying to fit this all in to the Lord of the Flies-type reading I've been kicking around.... One'll get you ten that when they get to Hurley's backstory in a few weeks, with the clues there and what's been in the show, he had won the lottery.

The drinking game sequence was probably the most nearly original take on the lots-of-info-divulged-rapidly milieu that many other shows fail in. And this where everyone is seeking info. Sawyer's back story was intriguing and I really see him in a different light. What was a little unclear was, who killed his mother? His father? who then shot himself on the bed. And if so, why was he going after the supposed Sawyer guy? That it ended up that he was esentially a hitman on some schmoe who didn't repay a loan, that was pretty cold (the actor who was sitting in the chair in the dark was the advanced Terminator in T2). Saywer wasn't a killer... Since being on the island, he shot the polar bear, shot the Air Marshal in mercy killing (but missed -- significance?) and now didn't have it to shoot the boar. Locke's story was an intriguing moment too. He puts things out there such that you don't even know if he believes what he says half the time. The dog wasn't his sister, but there's likely some element of him that wanted to believe this, but simply dismisses it. There's some things I've read elsewhere where I think it may be wrong-headed to be trying to figure out who is "controlling" the island. There are weird things, yeah, like Stephen King. It just is, and they have to survive in the face of them.... BTW, anyone catch that next week's is, in conjunction w/ the show title, "Lost in Translation"

I stand corrected. (Even Sherlock Holmes had his 'Norbury').

Uhm, yeah he did. Not that he had much choice about it. He needed to cut guys. That's the nature of the beast. The way he did it, tho, was a tad skeevy. Legendary guys finding out they've been cut on ESPN's ticker. Christie is another example of this. Linky-poo.

I've got a GSP also. All told, we've had five, and have raised three litters. These are some of the smartest dogs you will ever find for taking a command (you have to be the Alpha, tho). At four weeks, they came running when I whistled. But the hair gets into everything, and it's as if it has Velcro hooks. Some of them, like my current dog, have a hair type where they don't shed as much, but that's like saying a downpour is less wet than a monsoon. I wonder how they'd cross with the standard poodle for the shedding issue, like they've been doing with the Labradoodle....

Look at the way he cut Bruce, Andre and Thurman for your guide on how it's handled today. Business move and you have your walking papers. Ba da bing, the donuts are in the press room. In retrospect, I would've liked to see those three get a proper ceremonial send-off, but at the time it's done, how it was done was probably the best way to handle that kind of situation. Today's not much different.

Ron Edwards would be the replacement. Anderson would become the backup man. I actually hope this happens. Thanks to Pat for everything he's done here. But it's time to develop some younger players so the aging D isn't all being replaced at once three years from now.

Sorry, but why do the Bills need a "dominating" LT or a "top" DE? And at every other position? Three words for you: New York Rangers. Why is it that the Steelers, Pats, Rams, and sundry other teams can plug in a 6'4", 300-lb fourth round pick at multiple slots and not skip a beat? They've got McNally/God, why not let him do his job?

And as the No. 3 man at both FS and SS spots, he got $1.5M/per. There's a few starters at those positions who don't get that kind of coin. PP hadn't done jack to the point, we had talent-comparable backups, and I distinctly remember a spit take when I read that headline. Who exactly said TD was a shrewd negotiator? We're all allowed a mistake now and then, I guess.

You're writing checks that TD isn't going to be cashing, Steve. Off the top of my head, TD isn't and won't be even one of the best in his own era. He'd have to do cartwheels in the years he has left and it would require his picks winning multiple Super Bowl MVP awards. It sure would be nice tho.... Polian, Ron Wolf, Bill Walsh, Scott Pioli <puke, but it's the truth>

Or w/ the whole Walt-controls-everything theory, Stephen King's "The Langoliers" (a really effed-up movie).

Again, it's "We All Everybody" sung in a Robert Plante-like high note. I think the song was actually used in the background during the "Alias" b-day party too.... Merge.

<delurk> The Driveshaft title is "You All Everybody." Doubtful that the French woman was in kahoots w/ Ethan. In the ep w/ Sayid (who looks to be macking it w/ Shannon ), she said she'd been alone for such a long time and judging from her state at finally seeing another person, that wasn't a lie. Something to toss around, talking about the French woman, what did she mean by the others in her party being "sick" before she shot them? Starting to think it was that drug Locke put on Boone.... Ethan is very tall and he wears some baggy clothes. Surviving on the island for 16 years meant he probably had to do a lot of physical work, leading to serious muscles. The mug on that guy was really freaky. Looked like death warmed over.... I'd have to measure the ads/show ratio. There's no concept of time w/ this show. <relurk>

Pell grants were designed to give a leg up (read: nowhere near the free ride you're imagining) for people who come from "servants and slaves" background. What would I know, I only delivered papers and cleaned houses during high school and the first three years of college. Every job is important in this country and a hard worker deserves respect whatever the occupation. Where do you get off talking to someone like this? You don't even know me. Democrats see the value of PG, Republicans see the value of PG to generate more money into the economy rather than trying to make something out of nothing. You've said before that it should be done by individual states. With 60% of college grads moving to the states where they go to school, what state in their right mind is going to want to do this unless there's a mandate that it only applies to State U? There's a reason why things are set up the way they are. Not perfect, but what is? Economic girliemen like yourself have your only venue in a sounding board like this. If you ever see someone at RWS wearing a UConn wool cap, and feel the inclination to walk up and ask if their name is James, do me a solid and walk on by. I don't usually wish harm on others, but if I wake up one morning and read something that you've been shot by a disgruntled co-worker who's sick of your crap or that you've got Ebola, I won't be particularly saddened. You don't need to bother with a reply. I'm done w/ PPP and this site.

The topic of this thread being media, PR and how they operate, yeah, I'd fairly send you packing. Conversing with a brick wall, tho, is neither my wish nor inclination.

Groundbreaking change. I wonder how the designers could come up with such a radical new take. Maybe they added a black stripe to the socks, those wild and crazy guys!

I've had to tell you several times how I walked across a stage and got a piece of paper when you've pulled out the same craptacular schpiel. And explained that macroeconomically, they make sense. And you talk about reading comprehension.

I was trying to make a funny. Sorry??