The Senator

HAPPY NATAL ANNIVERSARIES!!!!! Cheers

I take it you attend the Village Board meetings regularly and voice this opinion.

I think you missed my point Deano - which was that the Bills signed Flutie with assurances that he would have a fair chance to compete for the starting QB job, then traded for RJ and promptly named him the starter without giving Flutie that chance to compete with Johnson for the starting job in training camp. That Flutie finally got the starting job because RJ got injured is not quite the same thing as having a fair, legitimate chance to compete for the job. But you knew that.

I stand corrected Reminds me of that great Babe Ruth line - when asked how he felt about making more money than Herbert Hoover, Ruth replied, "I had a better year." I always thought it was Wade's call - you know, the cerebral Wade Phillps - the same guy that pronounced the team 'mathematically eliminated from the playoffs when we were still 'in the hunt', said of Chris Watson, "He's more of a 'punt-catcher' than a 'punt returner' ", and that removed the team from the field in that NE game, allowing Vinatjeri to run the ball in for a 2-point conversion (and beat the spread) after Shawn Jefferson "caught" a pass 4 yards out of bounds, Henry Jones was called for pass interference on the Bledwsoe hail-Mary to Terry Glenn, setting up the 1-yard Ben Coates TD reception. Anyway, my main point was that the Bills promised Flutie a chance at the starting QB job, the reneged.

Excellent point, dog14787. I believe it was A. J. Smith that convince Butler & Co. to sign Flutie - they scouted him in the CFL, when his contract there was up and convinced him to sign with the Bills by assuring him he'd have the opportunity to compete for the starting job. Flutie signed for the vet minimum - somehwere around $250K at the time, I believe. Weeks later, they traded a #1 draft pick for Rob Johnson (based on his performance in one game), gave him a $10M contract, and named him the starting QB. Some opportunity that turned out to be for Flutie. No wonder he had a chip on his shoulder. Instead of having a fair and open competition in training camp like he was promised, he'd have to wait for his opportunity when Johnson got hurt. Luckily for Flutie, Johns was a total kitty who took 7 weeks to recover from a being bruise he got from falling on a football. Flutie was ready to make the most out of that opportunity, taking the Bills to the playoffs, being named NFL comeback player of the year, and earning Pro Bowl honors. Then, the Bills 'screwed' him again by naming Johnson the starter.

Again with the smug arrogance, and false bravado. On the one hand, you attempt to admonish me with the argument that there's this "quiet, growing and unmistakable movement by successful relatively young people to move back--perhaps not being saddled with or not being willing to accept the notions of the past that nothing can change and realizing that things can change if enough people want them to is the reason." Yet when I ask you what you are doing as part of this "movement", you excuse yourself with "Sorry...I am too busy operating businesses that actually employ people, thus adding to the job market in this area..." You think you're the only one who runs a business or has a position of responsibility? Wake up. Most of the folks whom I encounter at the various organizations are among the great many successful business people and entrepreneurs who run businesses and create employment. We are all extremely busy, yet make time to give back to this community. Like I said, you're more a 'talker' than a 'doer', better at shooting your mouth off than anything else. And, from the nature of your other posts, it sounds more like your employer - not you - is actually the one adding jobs to this area, yours being one of them. So go have a beer and enjoy your festivals, while some of us actually are trying to make Buffalo a better place. (BTW, I'd be of no use to your employer's franchises - I'm no good with a deep-fryer, can't operate one of those carpet steamers, and am far too busy with my own business ventures.)

Actually, one of the more annoying things about the area is loud-mouthed illiterates, like you. Were you able to comprehend English, you would realize - simply be reading my posts in this thread - that I do live in Buffalo and, having resided in both the Marina and Olmstead Parkways neighborhoods, am quite passionate about what goes on in this city. You would also realize that my frustration stems from the inability of the current political culture to accomplish much of anything, and also with the lack of passion of the citizenry to do much of anything to change the status quo. I'm sure the area has never broken your heart, because you're probably too stupid to realize how great this city once was and could be again. So why don't you list the activities you're engaged in, organizations you belong to, causes you've championed, etc., etc., to help return the area to the glory and prominence it once enjoyed? Or are you one of the 'quiet' members of this "growing and unmistakable" movement of which you speak? Myself, I belong to the Olmstead Conservancy, the Central Terminal Restoration Corporation, Darwin Martin House, Buffalo Niagara Riverkeepers, and Shea's Performing Arts Center. Besides financial support, I'm an active volunteer in the preservation and restoration efforts of all of the aforementioned. I was also very actively involved in the effort by Scott Fisher's group to unearth, preserve, and restore the Erie Canal Harbor original street grid and building foundations, and the historic Commercial Slip when most of the citizenry accused us of 'obstructionism' and was willing to bury it all and settle for just another stamped concrete plaza. Supported the very futile effort to bring back the S.S. Canadiana, and am a very involved and very vocal advocate of bringing down the Skyway, restoring access to the waterfront, restoring Front Park, and building a true 'signature bridge' north of the current Peace Bridge. Are you even the least bit familiar with any of those issues? Maybe I've met you at some meeting of any one of those organizations? Probably not - you seem more of a talker than a doer. My suggestion to you is go get yourself a big tall glass of STFU.

Truly sucks. Way too young to depart this world. RIP Gary Papa.

Has T.O. approved this?

Not gonna happen. The imagination's a wonderful thing, but Peters' decline as an elite NFL LT has already begun, and the Eagles aren't going to Miami in February as anything but spectators.

Ooops! My bad. First day with the new abacus.

Actually, VOR, I know it was directed at me, or 'people like me'. Like I said, it didn't go over anyone's head - it was far too imbecilic for that. Also had a very juvenile quality, particularly at the outset, which it why I think caused me and others to find it so repugnant. Maybe if it was even slightly more tolerable I would have made it to the Jessica Simpson part. Problem is, I never said T.O was a "criminal", or a "cancer". I'm actually quite happy that Buffalo signed him. I do plead 100% guilty to calling him an "attention-starved, mentally-arrested, 36-year-old adolescent". Those words do not imply criminal behavior, do they? I didn't accuse him of being a problem in the locker room, did I? Like I said - I'm glad he's a Buffalo Bill. I expect great things from him on the field. I just find his need - particularly off the field - to constantly be in the spotlight and draw attention to himself more than a bit narcissistic and immature.

That's a beautiful fantasy, and your post is filled with wonderful sentiment. I was excited to move back. Unfortunately, in the more than 10 years since I've returned - way longer than I ever thought I'd stay - the more things change, the more they stay the same. I love the city - or want to - which is why it is so damned frustrating to witness what goes on here. I remember fighting hard along with Scott Fischer and his group to preserve the Erie Canal remains. Anyone remember the Empire State Development Corp.'s argument that the rocks would 'explode' if unearthed and exposed to the elements - the same 200 million year old limestone that you see exposed along the Kensington Expressway? We won that one, but it's taken almost 10 years to see the tiniest bit of progress on the waterfront. [Edit that - it's taken well over 30 years since the Erie Basin Marina, Rivermist townhouses, Naval Park, and Crawdaddy's restaurant went up for anything else to happen on that prime real estate, and remember how long Crawdaddys' site stood vacant before the new Shanghai Red's restaurant replaced it.] Know how long it took for the old Boston Garden to come down after they built the Fleet Center? Less than a year. HSBC Arena opened in 1996, and the Aud still hovers over some of downtown Buffalo's prime development sites. Even before I moved back, there was talk of a new Peace Bridge. Seems the Peace Bridge Authority will use any argument to get the exact bridge they want, no matter how intrusive or ugly (the latest one has to do with the bridge endangering some species of migratory birds), rather than using the opportunity to make an architectural statement with a true 'signature bridge' while restoring Front Park - the jewel of the Olmstead Park System - probably because too much graft has already changed hands. We had a perfect opportunity to rebuild Route 5 at grade level and open up access to the waterfront while at least making it possible to finally bring down the Skyway but, again, too much graft has already entered the pockets of Congressman Higgins and our other political crooks. We begged the Senecas to put a casino downtown, then wouldn't sell them any of the sites they wanted. When they said, "Screw it!', and tried to build in Cheektowaga, Buffalo sued to make them build it downtown. The Senecas quietly bought up the land, put up a temporary facility, broke ground on a beautiful facility in an area that is nothing but urban blight, and a now a legal suit has been filed to shut it down! We sue to force them to build downtown, then we sue to make them stop. Is it any wonder why we look like retards to the outside business world? I could just go on, and on, and on, and on... Our motto should be, "Buffalo - what we don't fk up, we schitt on!"

POS > RJ.

Is Mr. WEO the mother?

No....under. WAAAAAYYYYYY under. Not only irritating as all hell, but truly one of the stupidest videos ever posted on TSW.

Actually, I remembered it from the last time I took the time to navigate away from TBD to look up where Drew Willy's home town was just so I could come back to say that.

Spoken like a true NE* fan! (You do know he was from Natick - not Provincetown - yes?)

Oh he's got a hat... link link2 link3 link4 link5 missing link

Come on, tell the truth - you heard nothing of the sort. You're just making it up. (Actually, I heard Stephen Brereton is a career diplomat - most of his stints lasting about 2 years - so I would not be at all surprised if he didn't live in BuffTown beyond next year, and wishes he had his own reality show. )

Mmmmmmm....grill-charred animal flesh....yummmmmm.........

That's not food - that's what food eats.

Have you ever tasted her?

sat·ire (sāt'īr') n. 1. A literary work in which human vice or folly is attacked through irony, derision, or wit. 2. Irony, sarcasm, or caustic wit used to attack or expose folly, vice, or stupidity. I guess the irony and wit came after the 40-second mark, long after I gave up on the silly thing.

Fish fry, with a diet ginger ale, followed by some fresh grapes and cherries to cleanse the pallet.