CosmicBills

You can't put this one on Boeheim. This was a 7 man team all season, and the big fella was arguably their most important piece because he allowed everyone else to shine. Losing him right before the tourney killed their chances to make it past a good team. And don't be mistaken, Butler is very, very good. But it's a totally different game if AO is healthy. A game Cuse wins by 10. Hats off the Butler. They outplayed Syracuse on the defensive side of things.

To be fair, every production has this position. Some are just better than others.

That's kind of how I read it. That they'd either announce a starter pre-draft by making a big move, or they grab one very early in the draft and annoint him. I'm on board for that. If they don't think TE/BB/RF are the long term answers (which I tend to agree with, though I could be proven wrong with BB), then they have to make a big move either in the draft or via trade to get one.

He obviously means your son. Which in his mind makes him a wonderfully compassionate and caring human being. But to everyone else, he's just a douche.

Agreed. But also somewhat amusing ... but then I have a f*cked up sense of humor.

Why do you assume I am? And get a second job? I can't. Unless you have a way for me to not sleep. Ever. Most of the time I work 16 hours a day. More when in production.

1. This is true. I could very easily have stayed in the legal profession. However, isn't that the point of this? This is the land of the free. The land of opportunity where every man is created equal. Yet, you're saying because of the way I was created, I am not afforded the freedom that's fundamental to everyone in the country. Namely, that I can't work for the goals that I want because they system in place today denies me that. It LIMITS my choices. 2. This is also a fair point. Life isn't fair. And my story is not intended to be a sob story, all things considered, I'm great and love my life and this country. However, I'm also lucky enough to be able to carry this extra burden financially. My concern are for the countless others who can't. Let's leave choice out of this for the moment -- there are millions of people that have pre-existing conditions that they did not cause that prevent them from being covered by the insurance industry. Why should these people, who have all the same rights as the rest of the citizenry, be outcast? As Tom has said, there's a big difference between insurance and health care. To me, the health insurance industry as a whole is the problem (right there with big pharma). They answer to their stock holders, who answer to the all might dollar. And when you mix profit and greed with people's health -- it's outrageous because greed trumps all. These companies exist to make money and the moment you become too expensive for them, regardless of what you've paid for up till now, they find a way to cut you out. That is not only unfair, it's criminal. 3. What this bill is, and what the debates it's generating, is a step forward in this nation's evolution. A positive one. We're the country that put a man on the moon. We bring aid and support to countless millions every day around the world. We are the land of unlimited opportunity and freedom. And yet you're saying we can't find a way to fix a clearly broken system because we're afraid of change? How can we, as citizens of the most wealthy, powerful and compassionate country in the world sit by and watch the health insurance industry ravage our fellow citizens? The industry needs to be eliminated or at the very least changed. Keeping things the way they are now is crazy. While I don't claim to know the ins and outs of the bill entirely, nor am I a democrat, I do think that any step towards changing this mindset in the country is a good thing. At least it's trying to fix the problem. Right now, the only option for EVERYONE, insured or uninsured is to hope you don't get sick. And if you do, to hope you die fast. And I'm sorry, that can't be the best America can do. It just can't.

That's a great point actually.

And true ... I know you're hitting on the health care vs health insurance point (and it's 100% accurate). But this bill aside ... don't you think it's reasonable to expect the most powerful and compassionate country in the world to provide its citizens with the means to fight infection, disease and injuries in the same way that they provide the means to fight wars, fires and crimes? Take the bill out of it. On a purely hypothetical level. Isn't that something to strive for?

I'll take the bait and give you a chance. Convince me that this is wrong. Here are some facts about me. I'm employed, I make decent money. I pay taxes. I vote. I have a clean criminal record (except for a few parking tickets). However, I have a pre-existing medical condition that requires me to be on medicine monthly. Expensive medicine. For the rest of my life. If I don't take this medicine, my condition will require even more expensive surgery. If I don't get that expensive surgery, I will die. I did nothing to bring this condition on, it was how I was born (watch the jokes, Tom -- even though I'm setting you up). I have been carrying my own insurance for years now because if I drop it, I cannot get it back. The insurance company, who exists only to make money, knows this. Thus, they've been trying to price me out of my plan for three years. My monthly health insurance costs exceed 1,000 dollars. Last year I was out of pocket over 5k ON TOP of my monthly premiums, bringing my yearly total in medical costs over 18k. 13k out of pocket just to stay IN the system. Because even though I make decent money, if I get dropped from that system, I'll be bankrupt in short order. So what are my options? My industry, by in large, is a job-to-job basis. Meaning, we're all independent contractors who don't get the benefits of having a corporation supply us with benefits. We have to carry our own. In most people's cases that's fine because they're healthy and can either roll the dice and NOT have insurance (and hope they don't get sick or injured), or they can afford to pay low premiums. Despite being healthy other than this condition, I am forced to pay 10x what they pay because I don't have a choice. If I get dropped, or drop my insurance, I'm screwed. So convince me that it's okay for health insurance companies to carry on this way.

It's hard to care for yourself when the institutions put in place prevent you from being able to do so.

Good luck. The argument you have to make now is to convince people who can now afford the insurance that had been wrongfully denied to them before that they should not only give up their insurance, but also support legislation that will prevent them from ever getting it again.

Caring for the well being of your citizens is wrong. Not only wrong. It's monstrous.

"You are an employer and you would like to offer coverage that doesn’t allow your employers’ slacker children to stay on the policy until age 26? Tough" Jesus. People are morons.

Question: what about onside kicks? If you get a chance to match a FG drive (but not a TD drive), what is to stop teams from onside kicking it every time to start OT now? If they get it, great. If they don't, they STILL have a chance to match so long as the other team doesn't score a TD.

It passed. Ralph voted against it though (along with Baltimore, Minnesota and one other I missed).

This would make every democrat extremely happy. Palin has ZERO shot of winning any election, which is why she will never run for office again. She's a bad reality show on wheels with absolutely no ability to inspire or lead let alone govern.

I haven't been paying much attention to the mock drafts this year -- but is the assumption now that Bradford is going to be the top pick? Last I knew the Rams were all about DT. Has that changed? Or are you saying both Clausen and Bradford may be there at 9?

A pure pass rusher (either DE or OLB) at 9 wouldn't shock me ... or anyone really. It's a definite area of need. I don't know enough about Morgan to say whether he'd be the right choice though. Still, that's the great thing about this draft for the Bills. They have so many holes, they really can't make a WRONG pick so long as it's not a HB, DB or P/K.

ANOTHER Tebow thread?

Seems to me your issue is more that Dante is black. But you already knew that deep down.

I bet if Dante were Jason Allen and he said he was going to the gun range, you wouldn't have a problem ...

... at a gun range.

I'm with you. The great thing about this draft for the Bills is they have so many holes that they will have to try REALLY hard to mess up the top 3 picks. Even if they opt to draft someone people don't like, chances are it will be an area of extreme need. I'm doing a lot of lobbying for getting a franchise QB, but that doesn't mean that I would mind a scenario where they go LT, NT, RT in the first three rounds at all. Frankly, the only way they can screw up the top three picks is if they take a RB, DB or P/K. Really, every other position is of need -- how much so just depends on who you ask. I would prefer the team NOT to trade down because I think there will be a serious impact player available at 9 -- but I can see the logic in getting more picks in a deep draft. I'm also in favor of trading up for Bradford or Clausen (only if the front office feels one of them is a legit franchise QB). But trading up for any other position would be a huge mistake in my eyes.

Thank you. Case closed.