Lori

That's why he renegotiated his deal so quickly in Buffalo -- he needed the cash.

Thanks, Ramius and Lou ... but boo, Bills. I wanted that white jersey. I'm digging the AFL 50 patch a lot better than the craptacular one the Bills came up with, though. And since those stripey socks were part of Denver's 1960 uniforms, pasta, they SHOULD wear them (and earn the mockery of fans across the league). Think it was at the 50-yard line, not by the goalpost, but the tale of the burning ceremony is true. And pk, I agree -- the Chargers' L.A. beginnings should have been noted. Puzzled why they weren't.

The administrator of the league's Substance Abuse Program may see things differently. A positive test isn't the only way to get sent into Stage One of the program (italics mine):

I'd like to think that the absence of any details about Buffalo's jerseys might mean the addition of a road throwback for the Pats MNF game, but have nothing to confirm that wish.

I do not think that word means what you think it means. I only wish it did, because Scott's still looking for work.

Actually ...

Epic take. Rack him!

At the meetings in Ralph Wilson's place, you mean? Russ Brandon. And as the one who got Tim started on boxing, one of his favorite subjects, I don't see a problem with taking a few posts to chat about it. Beats multiple iterations of "What have you heard about [player name here] since the last person asked two hours ago?" But that's just my opinion, and it's not my thread ...

Probably the Bills.

After the initial bout of catching up with people from the hometown slowed down, yeah, the updates and Food Fights and quiz invites and such did get a little tiresome. But once I decided to treat them the same way I do here -- just scrolling by the ones I don't care about -- it's no big deal. I mostly use it for the message/chat features, and it's a great networking tool. When Scott Pitoniak was unceremoniously dumped by the D&C last December, I figured I was SOL as far as contacting him because I'd always used his work e-mail address, which was nuked the same day. But when I signed up for FB a couple of weeks after that, it took less than 48 hours to reconnect with him. And Tim and I haggled out the details of that pinned thread on the main Wall in a FB chat -- quicker than e-mail, and I didn't need to interrupt him with a phone call. So ... yeah, I think I'll keep it.

Guess nobody posted this yet, then? Preston could return to Bills

At least two. Read this: Goodell on Lynch: "There are consequences"

Go re-read that quote from the survey, and tell me how "hypothetical" it sounds. But yeah, the "12 minutes later" is amusing, considering it actually COULD have been on ESPN earlier than it was, if the Bills hadn't waited to reply. And Rock, meet my newest fan. He didn't like it too much when I laughed at him for suggesting the NFL would expand to Calgary and Edmonton. After that, I was just havin' a little fun.

You expected anything less? Might as well get used to it now, before the VH1 camera crews roll into town ...

[This is an semi-automated response] This subject matter is being currently being discussed or has already been discussed in a previous thread. Please consider using the "search" function before starting new topics. Or just, you know, LOOK AT THE TOP OF THE BOARD. Or is that too much work for a Pats* troll? Thank you.

Not to be a downer, but how many points did Buffalo score in that game?

Wait ...

Coincidentally, Goodell meets with the PFWA -- including Tim Graham -- today. No inside knowledge here, just county exec Collins' statements that they tried to begin negotiations, and received no response from the team. And the lease ends following the 2012 season -- July 31, 2013, to be precise, according to a draft version linked below -- the same year as the Toronto deal. More coincidence, eh? http://www.erie.gov/billslease/index.phtml

You're assuming the Bills have any plans to renew the lease? We'll see ...

I was there in December, remember? I saw the scalpers begging people to buy tickets at a deep discount off face price outside, and the empty swaths in the allegedly-sold-out stadium. I watched people leave in the third quarter, grumbling about the cost of the tickets as well as the crappy on-field product. The Rogers Group people may not be buffoons and bumpkins, but if they're sticking to the business model they used last year, they surely must think their potential customers are.

Hey, if they want to give Ralph more money up front and take another bath on the gate receipts, then by all means, go for it. And if you look at the pricing chart for that package, the only tickets they've knocked down are the 100/200-level sidelines, from $350 to $275. "VIP" seats are still $575, corners (where I sat for Miami) $155, upper deck $99. What a deal.

I know I've talked him up on here before, but I'm really impressed by Keith McShea's work on preps for the Buffalo News. Here's his live blog of the Falls-Newburgh championship game, and the game story in today's print edition. (And after providing a free ad, I can go bust on him about beating him in our NCAA brackets with a clear conscience. Wake Forest to the Final Four, Keith? Really? )

Why, so he did: Is top draft pick a reward or financial burden?

Ehhhhhh ... could be. [/bugsbunnyvoice]

Again, though, I think that might not be true in the western half of your country. (Or so I've been told by people who live there. I freely admit to having no first-hand knowledge here; my family moved south in 1880.) And if you put any stock in the Star -- I leave that decision up to you -- it says that "if you believe in TV numbers, they indicate these days that within the all-important demographic of 18- to 34-year-olds, the CFL is enjoying a surge in popularity." http://www.thestar.com/Sports/Football/article/542273