JCBoston

Yeah, he is an ass. Moreover, though, he is WRONG. If anything, the union had the league by the balls during the last round of negotiations. I've been reading that the owners are confident they will re-open the CBA at the first available opportunity (IIRC, November, 2008) because they realize now that they won't be able to live with the deal they made. Tagliabue pushed it through to "save his legacy". The owners ratified it because they were scared. Upshaw and the union didn't have to do much, other than sit back and watch the owners cave to his demands. Gumbel's an idiot, and an ignorant one at that.

Isn't that three words? (Sorry, had to do it!) I totally agree with you, btw...

Hot off the SMS.

Looks like a good pickup. Buh-Bye, Jon Goldsberry?

Tedy Bruschi walked on the Charles River to save a Brazilian Dunkin' Donuts employee and his eleven puppies from drowning, when their boat capsized while attempting to enter Cambridge illegally. Nobody told them they could get a police escort. Oh, and Tom Brady was seen hugging a goat in Provincetown last weekend.

Achilles injuries take a loooong time to recover from (see Sam Cowart). We might not see the "real" TKO until 2007 -- if ever, frankly. I'm not surprised in this revelation.

It seems every article I read mentions something about Marv's age, and that because he's so old, it means the Bills will suck. Now, putting aside the fact that the Bills might actually suck (although I don't think they'll suck all that bad).... What is the big freakin' deal about Marv's age? Just how does the age of the general manager correlate to the team's success on the field? It's not like he's out there running around making tackles, so what gives? The only possible reasoning would be that since he's old, he's got dimentia, or whatever, and he can't think straight. But everyone knows that isn't the case -- and, by the way, you don't have to be old to have dimentia, just look at Mark Cuban. And if it has anything to do with him being out of the league for a long time, how do you explain Matt Millen and these other buffoons that come around with no GM experience? At least Marv is in the HOF for his football acumen... Boy, I can't wait until they actually start playing football!

Why do I have a feeling that for the Bills, going forward, these kinds of discussions will be academic? The time is not far away (if it isn't already) that the Bills will not spend to the cap, because if they did, they would lose money. We'll see when everything fills out later this year, but I wouldn't be surprised if we don't use all the cap room we have.

Thanks!

OK, let's look at the last 3-13 Bills team, from 2001. Take your pick: Rian Lindell or Jake Arians? London Fletcher or Brandon Spoon? Terrence McGee or Chris Watson? Jason Peters or Marques Sullivan? Aaron Schobel or Erik Flowers? Larry Tripplett or Tyrone Robertson? Look, the Bills might not be world beaters this year, but there's waaaaay more talent on this team than in 2001. I don't disagree that we're in a rebuilding mode. TD left this team bereft of character, the "role" guys, and it will take time to build that core back up. But 3-13 is ridiculous. That would mean that Meathead and Co actually _added_ value last year, and that most certainly was not the case. I say the departure of Mularkey and the Misfits (wait! Jerry Gray is blitzing again!) adds up to three wins from last year, putting us at a respectable 8-8 this year.

In one of the video snippets I thought I noticed a section of upper-deck benches missing... does anyone know if there is any ongoing construction at the Ralph this offseason?

Man, that is a beautiful post. Why can't we get more posters like you? :-)

Ron Edwards was a starter and was lost to injury early in the year. If I'm not mistaken, MW was out for several games to injury until Peters took his spot (literally and figuratively). Not saying MW didn't suck, just that he was a starter that was lost to injury.

Right on. My seat in the Paul Maguire Club is about $1000 per year. The same seat in Gillette Stadium is $3,600 this year. Not only is it more expensive, the Patriots require a 10 year committment, of which 50 percent must be paid in advance. How many seats would be sold in OP under the same purchase agreement? Probably close to zero, IMO.

This is DC you're talking about here: they might as well put Jack Abramoff on the Redskin's helmet. Lobbyists know no bounds when it comes to ticket price. You think the average Joe, the guy that works the ticket booth at the Smithsonian, can afford to go to Redskins games?

A rising tide lifts all boats. With the CBA extension, all revenues, including stadium naming rights, get lumped into "total football revenue". 59.5 percent of that goes to the players in the form of the salary cap. When total revenue goes up, the cap goes up. First of all, Ralph said the cost will be around $2,300,000. $20 million at 59.5 percent, divided by 32 is (approx) $375K, times six years (length of contract) is 2.250 million. Close enough?

But he does own the naming rights, per the agreement with the county. What blows me away is the $2.3 millon cost on the salary cap that the new Jets/Giants stadium will force onto all NFL teams. Ralph is right - it isn't fair.

At least we won't have to watch them raise a banner.

Wardynski Fried Bologna Park.

Cliff was at the Sabres game last night, probably looking for him. (I kid you not -- the crappy Boston tv people did a fan-in-the-stands interview with him. God only knows why he was in Buffalo.)

No way. A much better trade would be EM straight up for Houston's #4 this year, their #1 in next year's draft, a box of tape, cash (we know Ralph needs it) and future considerations. Git 'er done, Marv! (Hey, if you can't beat the crowd on TSW, you might as well join them!)

Someone steal your binky this morning? Sheesh. Up until today, the only thing we knew was that either the Bills or the Fish would play at Detroit on Thanksgiving Day. Everything else was supposition (which, I should have remembered, is in rich supply on this board these days).

ESPN

See what living here does to your brain? Thanks ATBNG I do remember the "groceries" comment coming from Parcells in regard to Glenn, though...

I have no problem with Drew's comments, in and of themselves. It's pretty much standard-issue stuff. I simply find it hypocritical (gasp! from a professional athlete!) that a guy who spent years building up a stand-up, good-boy, live-life-with-integrity image would come out and basically say he'd rather win at all cost. Not that he has a choice, either. You're absolutely correct that he has no control over who the Cowboys hire. Perhaps he should have just kept his mouth shut.