Sen. John Blutarsky

What I love is how we forget the Bruce Smith's of the world who got themselves renegotiated on an annual basis. We also forget how Andre Reed spurned a market value extension so he could break the bank but we remember that he destroyed his hamstring the same year and that we got him back cheaply. Willis McGahee owes this organization a little consideration, a little being the consideration of matching a contract offer from another team when he becomes a UFA. Maybe the consideration of not holding out because the Bills didn't stiff him on his rookie contract. That's about it. He isn't going to take far less than market value just because we were good enough to draft him and wait a year, someone in the league was going to do that, it just happened to be us. Not many rookie contracts get renegotiated, regardless of the player's performance, Willis doesn't have a ton of leverage in a holdout for the same reason Henry and Alexander don't, and Brian Westbrook and Edgerrin James didn't. Everyone has a running back and if they don't they draft one, or two. The truth is that Willis can probably make as much money here as he can somewhere else, teams really don't break the bank on RBs like they do for other positions like O-line and D-line. A rookie RB can come in and play, O and D linemen need a few years to get their games together and thus teams are looking to pay them when their rookie contract expires. At the end of a RBs rookie deal they have 3 or 4 years under their belts and that is already past the average shelf life of an NFL RB. It's cheaper and sometimes smarter to draft your own RB, even if you have to move up in round 1 to get it, than pay an UFA a ton of money. How else can you explain the Alexander situation, he's a pro-bowl RB who can be had for a 3rd rounder and a renegotiated contract. The 3rd rounder isn't a problem-the money is. I hope Willis has the best year a Bill has ever had, if he holds out he holds out, that's next year. Watch what happens with Terrell Owens to see what the Bills should and will do if he does. Jeff Lurie (the Eagles owner) has said publicly that he won't give Owens a new deal. TO can whine and complain as much as he wants, the Eagles are ready to let him sit. This is a great game of chicken and TO will blink. His MO for a new deal is his age, he wants as much money up front as possible before his skills erode, he can't and won't sit out a whole year, lose several million dollars and be stuck in the same position the following season with the Eagles holding his rights while he still doesn't get paid. TO will miss camp but play in week 1...for the Eagles.

BRAC is looking to close the Willow Grove AFB in Philadelphia as well, the facilities are very similar, basically cargo plane traffic, not much strategic importance. The difference is that, while jobs would be lost, a huge tract of undeveloped land would be opened up. There's actually debate over whther the residents want it closed ot not. I have conflict with the Niagara Falls base though, it's really hard to see it's strategic importance right now, threats we face aren't going to include an air force anytime soon, yes the power grid is vitally important, but how does a C-130 help guard it? Truck bombs are a much larger threat to the grid than Cessnas and two highways run over dams in our area, both right on the border and both vulnerable to a truck that runs the customs gate, the crossings don't have crashproof gates. Opening an Army National Guard base in that location makes more sense strategically. We can have men on the ground, ready to deploy in any border issues, they could place a small fleet of attack helicopters there to patrol the power grid, dams, not to mention the Upper and Lower Niagara, looking for illegal activity. The way I see it the only way to save that location (which seems to be the objective) is to repurpose it. In Willow Grove, the land can be better used by the public, in Niagara Falls it probably will lie dormant

Peter Gammons, Kornheiser, Wilbon, Costas, Marv Albert (shenanigans aside), Jim Kelley, Jeanneret, Jack and Joe Buck, Harry Kalas (the Phillies and NFL Films), Lee Corso, Keith Jackson Mike Lupica is an assclown, he makes "the sports reporters" totally unwatchable for me.

Mmmmm....Coke. I went to GA Tech a few years ago when I deluded myself into thinking I wanted to be a mechanical engineer. Found out I wasn't all that crazy about math. Turns out that math was pretty important. And I thought I was gonna learn how to drive a train....

I'm a mental/behavioral health counselor in Camden, NJ. They send me the 13-15 year old kids they don't want to deal with any more. I try to get them stabilized in a group therapy setting, then I send them back to the school. I get some fuuun kids. You know those dangerous inner-city schools? Those schools send me kids they can't handle. Camden was the most dangerous city in the country last year BTW, we beat Detroit. I ususally come here in the PM before I drive back out to the suburbs. I also go to West Chester University to become a special ed teacher so I can get out of the 'hood.

OK, this is why we don't trade Clements now, because you can franchise him and trade him. You won't get 2 #1's but you'll get at least one and maybe a player in return. As was so accurately pointed out, someone will give him a huge deal, why not get somethng out of it?

Hey, why not ask right? Cause what we really need is to be CLOSER to the lake :-) If they build a dome I'm going to jump over the Falls. You see that'd be the Buffalo answer to this. They'll get a stadium and botch it so many times over that we end up hating the whole thing, see also the Lancaster Dome. Any lawmaker who proposes a dome gets flogged. If possible I'd like to install a snow MAKING maching at any new stadium. screw the waterfall, make a 4 foot drift on the 5o yard line :-)

Section M6 row 10 seat 111

November 1984- the 0-11 Buffalo Bills defeated the Dallas Cowboys 14-3. My Mom was fed up with them so she let her 6 year old son go to the game with his father and grandfather, I remember being SOOOO excited. 2nd play of the game Greg Bell runs 85 yards for a TD, the defense plays great and the Bills win, 6 year old spastic for 3 hours. I was already hooked at that point, I usually listened on the radio (we didn't sell out much) with my grandmother and aunt while everyone else went to the game. The first game I remember watching (though I am sure I saw more) was the year before when the Bills beat the Dolphins in the Orange Bowl for the first time when Uwe Von Schaaman missed 2 FGs in OT and Joe Danelo knocked one through for the Bills win in Dan Marino's first career start. The Bills are 57-17 in games that I have attended a .770 win percentage. I need to go more often, apparently I'm lucky.

PA might not allow it but they don't require a bloodtest either so I don't know why they would bother. Of course, two first cousins probably aren't that bright...

Man, 9-11 was almost 4 years ago already(I was 23)...it doesn't feel like it.

Yeah, especially since that's exactly what happened with Randy Moss...oh wait, he WAS a first round pick and now he's on his what? third big money contract? How about Lawrence Phillips? He went #6 overall after flinging his girlfriend down a flight of stairs. The NFL has taught me one thing, if you are talented enough and perform on the field it doesn't make a difference what you do off the field. Moss performs, Phillips didn't, that's the only difference between them.

And both people who still live in Buffalo will be locked in a debate over where to build the new Peace Bridge over them.

Grand Island, NY / 26 /Kennett Square, PA Didn't go to GI though, I bussed it up to Canisius in the city. I think we've actually beaten St. Joe's in football a few times since I graduated, which is nice.

The Indiana University of Pennsylvania - '02 Alma Mater of Jim Haslett, Tom Donahoe, Tom Modrak and Chris Villarial and I think Dan Rooney of the Steelers. "All the ladies love my IUP-ness."

Who needs t block, Losman can run right :-D

I don't think Denny Green has learned a thing from cutting Pete Kendall. He dumped an all-pro guard for non-football reasons. He is allowing one of his better remaining linmen to seek a trade without having a replacement in the fold. Tell me what exactly has Denny Green done to deserve a reputation for knowing what he's doing? He hasn't won anything and as I recall Minnesota blew up on him due in large part to the players he brought in. Randall Cunningham, Jeff George, Randy Moss, etc. I'd trade Henry for Shelton because it's good value. In reality we MIGHT get a #2 pick for Henry. instead we'd be getting a player who is a proven commodity, granted he's not all-world but neither is Henry. both of those players have some warts. At an average of 3 million for 4 years we'd have a player who can play every line position but center who is young enough to still develop with good coaching (something I think we can all agree that AZ has lacked throughout this man's career). Swapping Henry for Shelton will basically cost us 2 million becuase Henry's salary will wash 1 million of Shelton's. What lineman in UFA can we get for 2 million who will be an upgrade at ANY position? We paid Villarial more than that last year so those who are dreaming of Marco Rivera at bargain rates should try again. Acquiring Shelton for 2 million does not preclude the Bills from retaining Jennings. While I agree he is not a top 5 LT, he's in the top 10. He won't get Walter Jones/Orlando Pace money but he'll be cheaper than Tra Thomas (a flawed player in his own right) The question remains if we let JJ go, who can we get that's better and cheaper? I don't see anyone. Pay the man his money, even if it's 6 million. His cap number will be lower than that anyway. keeping him doesn't preclude us from doing anything, our options are still open in UFA. That puts a line of Jennings, Shelton, Teague, Villarial and Williams in front of Willis and JP. Someone else find me a better combination of players that we can put out there for less money and I'll bite. I just don't see it out there and regressig at OL is just not an option.

We have TE's who can catch in Campbell and Euhus, we need a blocker. Anthony Becht is a blocking TE. He will come much cheaper than Franks because of his limited offensive production. I wouldn't mind a 2 TE set with Campbell and Becht, especially in the red area. Becht won't blow anyone away but he can box out in the end zone and catch the ball. The Jets didn't throw the ball much inside the 10 as a team. They handed off alot, which is indicative of a good running team, which is also what I'd expect us to do alot next year as well. That being said, "The Butch Rolle Play" is still the best play in football when you have a good goalline RB. Anthony Becht can do that well.

Yes, can we please sign another RB who's blown his knee out twice. Buckhalter is done. he can't stay healthy, he's a TERRIBLE receiver and blocker. Those are the reasons he wasn't the guy in Philly even when he was healthy. How about James Mungro?

I'm currently sitting in my office wearing a throwback Sabres sweatshirt and mourning the NHL season. I miss hockey and i'm very concerned that the NHL will cease to exist as we know it next year. If they don't play next novemeber the league is finished. they will alienate way too many fans and the game will die a slow death even if they come back to play. teams will move around again, probably back to canada, some will fold. there just isn't enough interest in this sport to have a long stoppage. Baseball had a huge problem and baseball has a much larger fan base than hockey, people stayed away in droves until the Roid Ragers started hitting HRs. What will hockey do, dust off the Hansons?

I am starting to get nauseated reading all of this concern and fear over the Patriots. F them. You want to be taken seriously? Go beat them. It doesn't matter where, it doesn't matter when, beat them. If the Bills are REALLY this up and coming juggernaut they should be able to manage a tough fought split at the very least. They've completely kicked our asses at least 5 of the last 6 times we've played them. We should have those two games circles already. I'm tired of Tom brady standing around unmolested. I'm tired of their defense toying with us. Line up and physically kick the living S out of them, you can't outscheme physicality. If someone wants to line up and cram the ball down your throat and they can do it it's very hard to stop regardless of whatever asinine 2 DL zone coverage you want to throw around. THEY HAD A WR PLAYING DB FOR CHRISTS SAKE. beat them by being just like them, don't make mistakes. no penalties, no turnovers, no second chances. When's the last time the Pats O gave a rats ass about what our defense did? They play their game, execute it flawlessly and win. The only reason the Eagles got a sniff of the Super Bowl is because the Pats made about 4 times as many errors as they usually make and they STILL won because the Eagles made more.

Ladies and gentlemen now introducing your new backup QB...Kordell Stewart. He's perfect as a backup, he has experience with the offense already. He has big game experience if you need it. He can run so you still have your whole playbook. I freely admit that if Kordell were anymore than #2 I'd be screaming bloody murder but I think his credentials and pricetag fit our needs quite well.

Garcia HATED Cleveland. He hated the city, the people, the "lifestyle". What makes you think he'll like B-Lo any better? He's going back to the west coast, maybe Arizona. However, if we could convince the Browneyes that we aren't going to cut Bledsoe and have them swap us some picks (mid rounds, maybe a 2, don't get silly) I'd do it in a hot second. We save 2.2 million (?) by cutting Drew, figure we have to spend at least half of that to get a decent backup QB in here so the real savings is only 1 million. I'd eat 1 million for some more picks.

Clearly there will be anomalies, but only a few teams will be able to compete year in and year out. Tampa and Calgary both had to have everything fall correctly for them to get where they got and once their players contracts start running out the ride is over. Sure there are some teams that have high payrolls and suck (The Rangers) but baseball has that too (The Mets). Anyway, there are a lot of things that frustrate me about the NHL now but I'll still watch hockey. BTW: I feel like the end of the "touch-up" offside rule is what doomed offensive hockey. First, it eliminated forechecking. It is impossible to maintain a steady forecheck and forechecking is a cause of offense, on both ends of the ice. Forechecking makes turnovers but it can also create odd man chances going the other way. Instead, they forced play into the neutral zone, and thus encouraged the trap. Neutral zone hockey sucks, you can't score from center ice. That rule change was supposed to make offensive defensemen more valuable and eliminate cementhead defensemen who did little but dump the puck in and fight. Instead, it practically eliminated them from the game, Paul Coffey would be useless and seen as a liability rather than an asset today. Overall the game has less checking, more holding, fewer turnovers, fewer odd man chances and thus less scoring. That one rule change effectively turned hockey into soccer. The game is about possession rather than dynamic offense. Any opinions?

I love hockey, but rooting for the Sabres is like rooting for the Kansas City Royals, you know there's no real point to watching them because they'll never win in the current system, which sucks.