The Senator

I'm sure that's exactly what Graham Harrell says every time he stares at his Superbowl ring. They're getting those recruits thanks to the program Leach built. We'll soon see what Tubes can do with 'em, and if he can continue to move the program forward. If not, I doubt top prospects will continue to find TT as attractive as they did when The Pirate swung his sword.

I thought we already played the 2011 season last year, in 2010, no? .

Looks like The Pirate came out swinging his sword... Mike Leach comes out swinging his book sword Mike Leach Releases Book Detailing How He Believes Craig James Dragged Him Through the Mud The Mike Leach Book Excerpt Makes Craig James Look Like An Even Bigger Douche

Would ya?

Holy crap! He does have broadband in there!

...or Thurston Howell III, every time he witnessed some sort of aboriginal or otherwise primitive behavior, exclaiming in abject horror, "Good heavens, a Yale man!" Mike certainly was...

Try here... link (find your way into Georgetown, and hit the raw bar at J. Paul's)

I can respect that opinion, John, though I don't entirely agree with it. You're right in that this was a clash of giant egos, further exacerbated by the fact that Leach & Co. bested Hance & Myers in contract negotiations. Quite clearly it was not about banishing Adam James to an equipment garage or locking him in a closet (which never happened), or otherwise mistreating his players - apparently Hance has no issues with his coaches mistreating their student-athletes... A little more than a year later, Texas Tech would hire basketball coach Billy Gillispie, who once made one of his Kentucky players spend an entire halftime in a bathroom stall and then sent him home on the team equipment truck. Apparently in the eyes of the people in charge in Lubbock, one man's brutality is another man's motivational technique. (from Sports Illustrated-Inside College Football-[link] Mike Leach, Coach in Exile, still biding his time in paradise) Certainly Leach's current legal imbroglio with his former employer has caused potential employers to shy away from hiring him, but I don't see why Leach should back down if he did nothing wrong. It would have been great to see him land at Miami, or Maryland, but Leach will be coaching again just as soon as the case is settled - maybe sooner. (Personally, I'd love to see what Leach could do with top recruits and a big money program like USC after Lane Kiffin gets canned - or moves on to greener pastures now that USC's program is in turmoil.) .

There's no broadband connection in his crapper.

Ah, I see - if someone takes issue with your opinion, clearly they have comprehension problems. Thanks for that clarification. I take it that you have read the book then? I also take it there are no court depositions that refute the claims of Adam James, [Texas Tech Chancellor] Kent Hance, or [athletic director] Gerald Myers, but rather that their entire versions of the events leading to Leach's dismissal are universally accepted without dispute by the courts, the Texas Tech community, and the entire college football world - and that, in the remote possibility that anyone in those circles might also take issue with your opinion, they too have comprehension problems? Just a thought, but you might want to take a look in the mirror before commenting on Leach's or anyone's ego, and refrain from simplistic and childish retorts. .

Wow! You are able to garner all that from a 300-word AP column-filler snippet that is barely longer than your own post?

We all loved Marcia - and you gave us that classic, never-ending debate...Mary Ann, or Ginger? RIP, Dick.

Allow me to reiterate, McDave... Bucky Brooks was the Bills' second-round pick out of North Carolina in the 1994 NFL Draft, chosen No. 48 overall. (Jeff Burris was the team's first-round pick that year.) A speedy receiver with kick return ability, Brooks clearly did not pan out as a selection. He never caught an NFL pass, spent just one year in Buffalo, and then bounced around between Jacksonville, Green Bay, Kansas City and Oakland as a return specialist and defensive back until 1998, when his NFL career came to a close.

Blasphemy! Contradicting BOTH the 'Ralph is cheap' AND 'Nix is stupid' arguments in the same post??? You have meddled with the primal forces of nature, and you will atone! The next manned Soyuz flight is in September. Godspeed. GO BILLSSS!!!! 19 and 0 baby!!!!! This does not surprise me. Numbers are tough to grasp. (BTW, how'd the Bills do in 2011? )

Do I really have to? I mean, if you concede that my #'s are right - that either one would cost more than $2.5M - you're essentially conceding that Merriman's salary is LESS than the 'difference', i.e., that you're wrong! Sounds like you're backtracking a bit anyway. Why don't you get back to me after you figure out which year we're in? .

Wrong again. Merriman was drafted in 2005, yet was defensive rookie of the year for 2005 and made the 2005 Pro Bowl. That would have been for the 2004 season then, while he was still in college, right? Try looking up any players stats for the 2011 season. You won't find any, because it doesn't begin until September of 2011. .

ANNNHHH. Again, your 'facility' with simple numbers is astounding. I guess we played the 2011 season last year?

Ah, the old 'I really suck at simple arithmetic' rebuttal! Clabo's 2010 salary alone was over $2.5 - and he's a RFA, so Atlanta can always match the $4-5M he's hoping to fetch on the open market. As for Zach Miller, well, he wants to remain with Oakland and the franchise # for TE's was around $7M - so I think it'd cost the Bills a little 'north of $2.5M' for both Clabo AND Miller. In fact, you couldn't sign either one of 'em for $2.5M. Care to try again?

I am looking at the 'big picture'...not sure you are, though. NFL rookie minimum is $325K, so I think the Bills will still have enough cap room to invite a few to camp and see if they can make more of an impact than the 3-time Pro Bowl Shawne Merriman. As for an 'impact free agent' - which one do you have in mind that the Bills can sign for $2.5M (the am't guaranteed in year one of Merriman's contract)? That amount is peanuts for an 'impact player'. And frankly, if Merriman does returns anywhere close to pre-2008-injury form and get even close to being the dominant, unstoppable pass-rusher he was for the first 3 years of his career, then $9.2M/year is about right for that quality of player, yes? Still, the article was long enough to fill some space - which is, I guess, what Brooks needed to do.

And don't forget to stop off afterward for some delicious homemade pierogi and liquid refreshment at the R & L Lounge Na Zdrowie!!!!

Don't know who the NFL 'Stars of 2014-2016' will be but, whomever they are, it is a metaphysical certainty that TSW will still be clamoring for the Bills to pick a 'franchise-quality' QB that will totally change our fortunes. (I'll nominate Jim's nephew, local HS hero and future Clemson standout Chad Kelly )

Well the article is total crap, and Bucky Brooks is certainly total crap, but the guy does know a thing or two about busts... Bucky Brooks Drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the second round of the 1994 NFL Draft, Bucky Brooks played for five different teams (Buffalo, Jacksonville, Green Bay, Kansas City and Oakland) in five NFL seasons. After his playing career was over in 1999, Brooks joined the Seattle Seahawks' pro personnel department as a regional college scout. He served in the same capacity for the Carolina Panthers from 2003-07, before joining CNNSI.com as a football analyst. He joined NFL.com in 2009. So after being drafted #48 overall in 1994, dude played for 5 teams in 5 years (primarily as a kick returner), then a couple of years each with both Seattle then Carolina as a regional college scout, then couldn't get another scouting gig for 2 years - and apparently didn't quite pan out at Sports Illustrated either - so ended up joining NFL.com as a blogger... Bucky Brooks was the Bills' second-round pick out of North Carolina in the 1994 NFL Draft, chosen No. 48 overall. (Jeff Burris was the team's first-round pick that year.) A speedy receiver with kick return ability, Brooks clearly did not pan out as a selection. He never caught an NFL pass, spent just one year in Buffalo, and then bounced around between Jacksonville, Green Bay, Kansas City and Oakland as a return specialist and defensive back until 1998, when his NFL career came to a close. (Link - Bills Draft Busts, No. 9: WR Bucky Brooks) I think what Nix did with the Merriman situation was appropriate - if he does return to pre-injury form, we have a 27-year-old 3-time Pro-Bowl OLB and dominant pass-rusher. If not, I see little downside to the deal Nix structured - we've certainly spent more than $2.5M on players that didn't pan out. Bucky must have been under a deadline to fill some column space when he filed that one... 19 and 0 baby!!! .

Well I think it's pretty much a 'given' that Nix/Gailey will be addressing the QB situation, as we only have Fitz and Levi Brown under contract when camp opens 2 weeks from Friday, and Nix has already said that we'll have 3 or even 4 QBs when camp starts. It'll be interesting to see what for #1 over-all pick Alex Smith does if the 49ers only offer a 1-year deal. Green Bay signing Graham Harrell for 2 years probably makes Matt Flynn available for a mid-to-late round draft pick - GB usually only carries 2 QBs. Seneca Wallace is probably a capable backup in a pinch. Likewise with Bruce Gradkowski, a name that would certainly play well here in The BuffTown. Then there's the whole UFA market - Scott Tolzein (Wisconsin), Paul Devlin (Delaware), Jerrod Johnson (Texas A&M), Adam Weber (Minnesota), and (my choice) Taylor Potts - who was, naturally, developed by that offensive genius... Mike Leach I'm not at all worried about the QB situation, probably because we all know Nix is aware if it and will address it. So it's natural, I think, to worry more about the lack of a proven TE, a quality starting RT, and O-line depth. 19 and 0 baby!!! GO BILLSSS!!!! Reverse the Curse!!!!!

Fixed.

There will always be doubters and cynics, those who just won't believe' until they see the 'R. Rich Countdown Thread'